That Mysterious Woman: “At Storm’s End” by Harriette Sackler

Everyone loves a mystery! Mozark Press has released the fourth Shaker of Margaritas anthology, That Mysterious Woman. The authors in this Shaker edition used their imaginations to produce stories of a mysterious woman involved in a wide array of circumstances.

Harriette Sackler, author of “At Storm’s End” said: “So happy to be part of this terrific venture.”

In Harriette’s story, “At Storm’s End,” Marcie drives home through the torrential rains of a hurricane and discovers her mother missing from her apartment. Marcie’s mother is widowed and has turned to alcohol for solace. Could this have something to do with why she is missing?

Marcie and her friend Seth check every apartment in the building, and Marcie checks with hospitals, and the emergency shelter.  Marcie calls the police to report Mrs. Freeland missing, but with all their personnel busy with the hurricane, they cannot come until the storm passes.

Has Mrs. Freeland wandered off in a drunken stupor? Has her mom suffered an accident, or is something more sinister the reason for her disappearance?

Excerpts from “At Storm’s End”:

The living room appeared as it always did. Several glasses and a half-empty bottle of gin littered the coffee table, along with a disorganized array of newspapers and magazines. Marcie didn’t doubt for a minute that her mother had ordered enough liquor from her favorite store to get her through the storm.

Marcie spent the night, pacing, crying, and wondering if her mother had slipped beyond alcoholism into even more serious mental illness. After her dad’s death, she’d moved them down to the beach, hoping that the slower pace of life and beauty of the surroundings would lift her mother’s spirit. But no such luck. Marcie had consulted with mental health agencies, and even met with an attorney to try to find a way to get Alice into treatment. But, since her mother wasn’t considered incompetent or dangerous, there just wasn’t anything to be done.