NaNo 2017 Day 2 - the beginning

Laura Weber’s life at the beginning of the novel is fun and exciting. She has a new boyfriend. She just bought a house. She is trying to put the events of last summer (when she found a body in a submerged car in Lake Content while fishing) behind her. She has decided to stay in town, largely because of her boyfriend, sheriff deputy Chad Kiefhauer and her new best friend Jed Thomas. She will be working at her aunt’s antiques store, the Land Before Time. She also helps Jed out at the bait shop and marina he owns.
The incident that changes it all, that prompts Laura to embark on this journey: She has just bought a house on the outskirts of town. The property was run down and old. She has been working hard to fix it up. Some of her plans include new gardens and sprucing up her outdoor living spaces. She has been working on a garden near the back of her property. She takes a break to have a glass of iced tea with her elderly and doting neighbor, Melinda Applegate. As the two talk on the deck, Laura sees Bailey, her lab, run by with something in his mouth. She goes to investigate, but Bailey doesn’t want to give up his prize. She sees it is a bone and assumes an animal was buried, perhaps a family pet, in her back yard. Her stomach turns as she sees a piece of a flannel shirt around the bone. At first she thinks maybe the family before her buried their dog in a favorite shirt or blanket. She soon finds, however, that is wrong. There is a body buried at the back of her property near the wood line. She embarks on a journey to find out who this person is and what happened to him or her.
The whole venture causes a great deal of stress in the town. Once again, Laura finds herself in danger as she starts to reveal some small-town secrets no one wants unearthed. Not only does this cause issues with townspeople, but it causes a deep divide between her and her best friend Jed. The pain of losing his friendship is almost unbearable, but Laura needs answers.