The Truth About Rachel

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  Avery slipped his hand over hers. “We can try to sneak you in later tonight.”

  As Avery pulled up closer to his 1980s split-level house, he let out a frustrated sigh. “Wow. We can’t catch a break. Look who the welcoming committee is.”

  Jeremy was in Avery’s driveway, leaning against his squad car.

  Avery opened his garage door and pulled inside. Jeremy followed them in. As the two got out of the car, Jeremy said, “We have to talk.”

  Rachel sighed as she wondered what was happening now.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Avery waved for Jeremy to follow them into the house. They walked into a small entryway off the garage that led to a downstairs family room. Avery turned and headed up the two flights of stairs into the upstairs living room that was open to the kitchen. He set the bag of food on the black quartz countertop and turned to Jeremy. “Now what?”

  Jeremy looked at the bag of food. “Do you have enough for three in there?” he asked. “I’m starved.”

  Avery rolled his eyes, which made Rachel chuckle. All the tension from their insane day melted away.

  “Sure. Why not?” Avery said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He pulled three dinner plates from a cupboard and brought out napkins and silverware. “Would you like a beer, too?”

  Jeremy sat at the counter and opened the bag, pulling the box of chicken out. He either ignored Avery’s tone or didn’t pick up on it. “I’m still working. A soda is fine.”

  “I’ll have a beer,” Rachel said. Anything to get through this next conversation with Jeremy.

  They all settled at the counter in a semi-circle and started to eat. Rachel was hungry, and the comfort food of fried chicken and mashed potatoes actually made her feel better.

  After a few bites of chicken, Jeremy wiped his hands on a napkin and started speaking. “Having the press here has made everything explode. Archie is in an uproar, and so is the DA. Usually, on a Friday, you can’t get anyone to approve anything. But you guys sure have lit a fire under everyone’s ass.”

  “What are you talking about?” Avery asked impatiently.

  “That lawyer friend of yours has already petitioned the court to exhume the body of the little girl for identification. He must have some amazing contacts in high places because the court has already agreed, and your mother,” Jeremy looked at Rachel, “swears you are really Rachel Parnell and signed for them to exhume the body. I’ve never seen anything work this quickly.”

  Rachel stopped eating and stared at Jeremy. “So, you believe I’m really Rachel?”

  “Honestly? I’ve always believed you were her. You look like her despite being years older. But I can’t just open a case on one woman’s demands. Now, it looks like the county and state want it taken care of, pronto.” He scooped more potatoes onto his plate and covered them in gravy. “My officers are tenting the burial site as we speak, and the county will dig up the coffin tomorrow morning.”

  “Wow. That is fast,” Rachel said, stunned. “But it’s good. We can finally move forward and learn the truth.”

  Jeremy stared down at his plate. “Yeah, well, there are some people who don’t want the truth dug up, but there’s no hiding it now.”

  “Who’s hiding what?” Avery demanded.

  Jeremy raised his eyes to Avery’s. “We’ll find out soon enough.” He stood. “Thanks for the food. I hadn’t eaten all day. They’ll be digging at eight tomorrow morning in case you want to be there. The press will be pushed back as far as possible, but we’re expecting helicopters. It’s going to be a circus.”

  He headed for the stairs but stopped when Rachel called his name. “Jeremy. If there’s anything you know about this case that you haven’t told anyone, you should do it now.”

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Oh, I forgot to tell you. We can look at the evidence on Monday. Nine o’clock at my office. They’re digging it out of storage.” His steps thudded down the stairs and faded away.

  She stared after him, completely shocked that she was finally going to see the evidence.

  “This is moving fast,” Avery said, elated. “Finally. And all because the press showed up.”

  Rachel turned and eyed him. “Hmm. Are you sure you weren’t the one who called the press?”

  Avery raised his hands up as if to ward off a blow. “I swear. I had nothing to do with it. But aren’t you glad it’s all finally happening?”

  She nodded solemnly. “I am. I really didn’t want my face all over the news, but I guess sometimes that’s what it takes.”

  She helped Avery stack the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and they both sat on the living room sofa, side-by-side, exhausted.

  “I’m still trying to figure out what Robert Mitchell was getting at earlier today,” Avery said. “Why would we care where Archie and Jeremy went to college? ‘A lot can happen in a town in four years,’ he’d said. What did he mean?”

  “I don’t know. I’m too tired to care.” Rachel looked over at Avery. “Could you drive me back to the hotel? Maybe I can sneak in a back door, away from the reporters. I want to check in with my daughter and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another crazy day.”

  Avery nodded, and they walked downstairs to his car. He drove her across town to the hotel, and since it was dinnertime, they figured the reporters were off eating somewhere. He walked with her inside, and they rode up the elevator in silence. When the doors opened, a movement in the hallway made Rachel jump.

  “Sorry, ma’am,” the young officer from the night before said as he moved into view. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was told to stay here another night to make sure no one bothered you.”

  She let out a long breath. “Thanks. That makes me feel better.”

  Avery followed her inside the room. “Are you sure you feel safe enough to stay here alone?”

  She grinned. “Why? Are you offering to stay?”

  He crossed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. Their kiss was sweet, then slowly grew deeper. Rachel’s heart beat faster, and that delicious feeling in the pit of her stomach—the one she hadn’t felt in so long—returned.

  “I would make that sacrifice just for you,” he teased as he pulled away.

  “The offer sounds glorious, but I’m afraid I’m too tired to be much fun tonight,” Rachel said. “Can I get a rain check?”

  He grinned. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.” Avery walked over to the curtains to see if the press vans were still dark and silent. Rachel followed him and glanced out too. She tensed.

  “That car is out there. The one that was at the motel. Look. There’s someone in the car.”

  Avery stared where she was pointing. “Stay here. Lock the door. I’m going to see who it is.” He ran from the room, calling to the officer to follow him.

  Rachel bolted the door behind him and hurried to the window again. The four-door car was still there under one of the parking lot lights. She thought it was odd that someone trailing her would be so obvious.

  A moment later, she watched Avery and the officer run out into the parking lot. The man in the car must have seen them too, because he took off quickly, squealing his tires. By the time the two men caught up to the spot where the car had been, it was gone.

  Rachel’s phone rang, and she picked it up.

  “He got away,” Avery said, sounding out of breath. “But we did get a partial plate number. If he’d been an innocent bystander, he wouldn’t have rushed off like that.”

  Rachel shivered despite the room being warm. “Thanks for trying. I guess I’ll still have to be on my guard for that guy. It’s creepy. Who would want to stalk me like that?”

  Avery snorted. “Who isn’t stalking you right now?”

  That made her smile. “Yeah. I suppose you’re right.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to stick around?” he asked suggestively.

  Rachel laughed. “Go home. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.”

&nbs
p; “Okay. The officer is already on his way back up. Lock your door, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Avery said before hanging up.

  Rachel changed into a sweatshirt and cozy pajama pants before stretching out on the bed and calling Jules.

  “Hi, Mom. How are you? I see you’re still all over the news.” Jules laughed.

  “It’s insane. But we’re making progress,” she told her daughter.

  “We?” Jules asked. “Are you talking about ‘we’ in general or about that cute guy at the press conference who acted like your bodyguard?” Her tone was teasing.

  “Bodyguard?” Rachel asked, confused. “The officer who was standing beside me?”

  Jules laughed. “No. The tall guy with the wavy hair who put his arm around you.”

  Rachel frowned. Had Avery done that during the press conference? It had seemed so natural, she hadn’t even noticed. “Yes. I guess he’s the ‘we’ in this conversation. His name is Avery, and he’s been helping me. He owns the town newspaper and is interested in the case because it might be connected to the murder of his mother.”

  “Oh, wow. I had no idea there were more murders. That’s crazy.”

  Rachel caught her up on what had happened all day and their visit with the retired DA. “But now that the press is involved, the county and city are eager to solve this case.”

  “I saw on the news they’re going to exhume the little girl’s body,” Jules said. “It’s gory, but it’ll be good to identify her. It’s weird, though, that there were no missing person’s reports for a little girl the same time you were thought to be murdered.”

  “Yeah. I don’t get it either,” Rachel said.

  “Mom? Was that really your mother who yelled at you at the press conference? She was so scary.”

  Rachel shuddered just thinking about it. “Yes, it was. She’s older now but still just as angry. I didn’t stick around to talk to her. And if all our assumptions are right, she’s actually my aunt, and Aunt Julie is my real mother.”

  “This is messed up,” Jules said. “The DNA test should show up tomorrow at the facility you instructed me to send it to. I suppose they won’t process it until Monday, though.”

  “Yeah. We’ll definitely have to wait on that one, but thanks for having it done and sending it. It’s all a part of this intricate puzzle. How did Aunt Julie react to you doing the test?”

  “She was fine with it. Shirley helped me and told her that it was a medical test to check to make sure she wasn’t sick. Aunt Julie was pretty mellow while I was there, so she just let us do it.”

  “That’s good. I was a little worried she’d freak out,” Rachel said. “She hasn’t watched the news, has she?”

  “No. Shirley and the other attendants are keeping a close eye on what she watches. But everyone there was buzzing about seeing you on the news,” Jules said. “I’m confident they’ll keep Aunt Julie away from it.”

  They spoke for a few more minutes and then hung up.

  Rachel was yawning and nearly asleep. Too tired to do anything else, she double-checked the door and turned out the light. As she lay in the dark, Rachel wondered what it would have been like if she’d told Avery to stay. She hadn’t had a relationship since her husband died. Rachel had been too busy helping her Aunt Julie, raising Jules, and trying to make a living to think about adding a new man into the mix. And she’d missed her husband too much to even consider it. But now, Avery seemed to have slipped seamlessly into her life, and possibly her heart, before she’d even noticed. He’d been a steadying force over the past week and had a good mind she could bounce ideas off of. And it didn’t hurt that he was quite good-looking.

  Rachel sighed. She had far too much to worry about right now without adding a romance into the mix. With that last thought, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

  ***

  Rachel was up and dressed by the time Avery arrived. She’d worn a nice pair of black pants with a print blouse and a black jacket. Even though this was an exhumation and not a funeral, Rachel still felt it was a solemn occasion. Opening the door for Avery, she figured he must have thought the same way. He’d also worn nice clothes in dark colors. And he’d been thoughtful enough to bring coffee.

  “Ahh,” Rachel said after taking a delicious sip. “Thanks for thinking of coffee. I needed it.”

  “I figured we both did. I brought some for your shadow, too.” Avery nodded toward the police officer still in the hallway. “Although I’m sure he’s ready to go home and sleep.”

  She looked at him somberly. “Well, I guess it’s time.”

  Avery had parked at the back of the hotel, and they quickly slipped into his SUV before any reporters saw them. They drove to the cemetery and were waved through the gate by a police officer. The police were keeping out anyone who didn’t belong there—especially the press.

  Avery parked on the road near the grave behind the police and county cars and trucks. A long, black hearse sat in the line, awaiting the casket. A big tent had been set up over the grave for privacy. Jeremy waved to them, and they walked to the edge of the tent to greet him.

  The three stood in reverent silence as the machinery slowly dug up the site. Overhead, they heard the whirling blades of helicopters as the news stations tried to get close-up footage of what was happening under the tent. Rachel cringed. She hated the thought of this little girl’s grave being disturbed to begin with, but to have the press try to get photos and film of it was disgusting.

  Her thoughts went to the little girl who had died so horrifically and to the parents who would finally learn what had become of their child. Tears filled her eyes. This was what Rachel had wanted, but it still wouldn’t be easy to identify the girl and tell the parents. She may not have been the one to die that day, but an innocent life had been taken, and it broke her heart just thinking about it.

  By the time the diggers found the coffin, Rachel had decided she couldn’t stay any longer. She nudged Avery, and he nodded.

  Jeremy escorted them to their car just in case any reporters had snuck into the cemetery. They were relieved that none had.

  “The coroner will examine the body as soon as they bring it there. He’s been asked to get some sort of identification by Monday,” Jeremy told them. “I can’t imagine how he’ll do it so fast. And it’ll be hard to learn her identity, considering we had no missing children from that time.”

  “Any information will help,” Rachel said. “Someone must know something. Now that people know that I’m not in the grave, then they might share what they know.”

  “You’re not going to like this,” Jeremy said to Rachel, “but your mother called me this morning and told me—not asked me—to tell you to stop at the house after the exhumation.”

  “Why?” Rachel’s heart quickened just thinking of facing the woman she’d thought was her mother.

  Jeremy shrugged. “I didn’t ask. I’m just the messenger.” He waved as he walked away. “See you on Monday.”

  Rachel got into the car and grimaced at Avery. “My mother. I’m not sure I can stand to face her.”

  He placed his hand over hers. “I’ll take you. If she does anything to upset you, we’re out of there.”

  They drove the short distance to Rachel’s old house and parked in the cracked cement driveway. Out of habit, Rachel walked to the side door that opened into the kitchen with Avery right behind her. He had his hand lightly touching the small of her back, just enough to help her feel brave enough to knock.

  It didn’t take long before her mother swung open the door and glared at her. “Get in here,” she said. “We need to talk.”

  Swallowing hard, Rachel followed her inside.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The house hadn’t changed much from when Rachel was a little girl. She followed Judith as the older woman walked slowly with the cane she’d swung at her the day before. The kitchen was tired looking, although a couple of appliances had been replaced by newer ones. The living room still had the same burgundy carpet
and floral sofa and loveseat. The old television had been swapped out for a large flatscreen one, and her father’s recliner still sat in the corner.

  Judith went to the sofa and sat heavily. That left the loveseat for Avery and Rachel. They sat as Rachel glanced around. One thing she had noticed was there wasn’t an ashtray full of cigarette butts on the end table.

  “You’ve stopped smoking,” she said, looking up at Judith.

  “Yeah. I did years ago. They were too expensive, and I was told they’d kill me. I still miss them, though,” Judith said.

  Rachel was sure she did miss them. They’d practically been an extension of her.

  “I didn’t ask you to come here to make small talk,” Judith said gruffly. “I want to know what happened. Where did you end up if that wasn’t you in that grave?”

  Rachel wasn’t surprised by her mother’s bluntness. She noticed Avery frowning and knew he thought her mother was rude. Rachel was sure Avery’s mother would have hugged him and been thankful he was alive. Her mother, though, couldn’t have cared less that she was still alive. Rachel had learned to put on a tough persona as a child when she’d lived with this family, and that hard shell fell over her easily to protect her now.

  “This is just between us,” she told Judith. “I don’t want the press to know any of this.”

  Judith’s forehead creased a moment before she finally nodded. “Okay.”

  Rachel took a calming breath. “Julie and Gordon took me away the same day the girl was murdered. They told me you’d allowed them to have custody, and they’d even found a way to have a new birth certificate made. So, I grew up with them as my parents.”

  Judith sneered. “That’s what I thought must have happened. How convenient for them that a little girl was murdered that day and your father identified her as you.”

  “They had nothing to do with the girl’s murder. It was a coincidence. In fact, we moved several times, and I realize now that was because they were fearful someone was looking for me and would find us. I’m sure they had no idea what had happened here that day.”