Mud to Ashes, a pottery mystery

When Karo Meisner moved to Belle Vista to start the second half of her life she was excited by the opportunities it promised her. There was the ocean sitting only one block away. There was the charming 1930’s Craftman style California bungalow that became her new home, and best of all, there was the great pottery studio attached to the Bell Vista Recreation Center available to all who wished to work there.
She wished to work there; she couldn’t wait to begin to work there. The studio was a major reason she selected Belle Vista as her new home. So it was unfortunate she found the studio was not quite what she expected. Somehow despite the state of the art equipment available there she was uncomfortable with the established routine. She couldn’t seem to prevent asking her questions or challenging the need for so many rules. Her enthusiastic attitude seemed to be disruptive to the tightly run system that had been so carefully established over the years.
However, there was no question that her pottery skills were increasing, that working with the expert potters was having the desired influence on her own work, so she resolved to stay clear of the bossy potters who policed the studio, and attempted to keep her mouth shut while she was there.
Meanwhile, outside of her work in the studio, she concentrated on building her new life. She adopted two dogs to keep her company. She developed new friends in the beach community, totally unaware that she was set on a collision course with evil forces which would catapult her into nationwide notoriety.
Some things in life just seem to be destined and later when she pondered her actions, she just couldn’t see what she could have done differently that would have made a difference. She only regretted she hadn’t acted sooner so perhaps some lives could have been saved.