The drive to Cricket Lake was a long one for friends Perry Mason and Paul Drake. The two men were hard workers and it was not often that they got to spend time together relaxing. Cricket Creek was one of their favorite places to go. It was quiet and the lake was clean and the fishing was good. Both men were excellent swimmers also. The beach was right across the street from the cabin that they were going to be renting.

George Streeter had been looking at his homes and thinking of the money that they were now costing him to keep up. He could only rent them eight months a year, because they were not heated. Even in southern California the weather got very cool up here in the mountains. The lake would freeze and was used for ice fishing. He had thought about making some of his cabins four season now.

But he had heard a rumor, a rumor that Dick Edwards denied adamantly, that one of the men who were coming to Cricket Creek for the summer was an architect and that he was going to be working on some plans for possible condominiums. This was not going to work for him. Dick Edwards was the mayor of the town and he had been talking about building homes around the lake for years.

So, he had looked up this man who was renting the cabin Gregg Lyons. He was indeed a young ambitious architect. George was going to confront him about what he was doing here. But the man was going to be here with his wife and children. He hoped that the rumors were not true and that he and his family were only there to enjoy the summer and the weather here.

The Lyon's family arrived at their cottage around noon. Gregg and Dottie had all they could do to get the kids to stay still long enough to unpack the car. They wanted to go down to the lake and go swimming. Dottie told them that if they didn't stand still it was going to be a longer time before they could go. Lindsey and Carrie tried to help their mother and father get unpacked, because they wanted to go swimming. It was hot.

Marcia Brown stopped by the cabin to make sure that everything was all set for the family. "I have a couple of brochures here for you too. There is a drive in movie theater just a few miles down the street. It has some good movies an did one of the last drive in theaters around. " she told them.

Dottie smiled at her husband "I haven't been to a drive in since I was a teenager. We will have to go."

Carrie asked her mother what a drive in was and her mom laughed. "It is an outside movie. You sit in your car and watch the movie. They put a speaker in the car so you can hear what is said.

Lindsey smiled and thought for a moment. "That sounds like fun. Let's go tonight."

Her mother smiled at the girls and said "We will see. But I feel like a swim right now. " With that the girls ran to their rooms and got on their swimsuits. The family headed to the beach holding hands.

Marcia was in her office doing her books when George Streeter came in. He wanted to know about the family that had come to town. "I just know that they are a family with two children and he is an architect. " Marcia told him. She had heard the rumors and wondered if George knew. But by his actions he did.

"I have heard rumors that this man is here to design new condominiums. Is it true?"

"I don't know, Our mayor has been trying to build up the lake for years." Marcia told him.

George Streeter was beside himself. He would lose so much money if the other side of the lake was built up. The mayor and his family owned almost all of the land on the other side of the lake. The mayor's father had wanted to keep it natural, but when he had passed, talk around town was that they were planning on building up that side of the lake.

Dick and Mike Edwards had found the land to be costly tax wise and the insurance had tripled, because of the hunting that was done on their land. It was time for them to sell at least some of the land or develop it. As the two brothers sat out on their front porch, they watched the people who were starting to fill the lake with fun and laughter. It was still early in the season but all of the cabins that George Streeter owned were full.

"It's time that we build here on the lake. The business is here. Gregg Lyons is going to be working on some possible sketches and he will meet with us tomorrow." Dick told Mike.

"Good. We can start the ball rolling if we like his work then." Mike told him.

Perry and Paul had been out in one of the small row boats that the town offered and had some luck fishing. Dinner was going to be trout and plenty of it. As they got to the pier they saw their friend Dick Edwards. He came over to them and wished them the best. "This is a great place and as you can see the fishing is still some of the best that I have seen." and with that he held up the fish. Perry and Paul were both proud of their catch.

"We must get together this week. I have a meeting tonight, but would like to get together any other night." Dick offered them.

George Streeter had done something he was ashamed of. He used his pass key to go into the cabin where the Lyon family was staying. There were the sketches, the sketches that he had thought might be there. Now he was angry very angry.

He called Dick Edwards and told him that he wanted to meet with him at his home as soon as possible. Dick knew what it meant and he really did not want to meet with George at this time. George was going to do everything he could do to stop the building of the condos. But he agreed to meet with him after dinner at eight that evening.

When Dick arrived at George's house he found his car in the driveway and the light on, but he did not answer the door. Dick looked in the window and saw George lying on the floor. He went in and checked to see if he was all right. But he was dead. He had been shot. Dick called the police and stood there and waited for them to arrive.