by Kathi Daley
“Why here?”
He shrugged. “I’d been to the area in the past and liked it. It’s quiet and peaceful compared to most places I’ve lived or visited. The isolation was something I was looking for, and there wasn’t a chopper tour in the area, so I visited the area to check it out, and while I was here, I met Hope. She introduced me to Bucky. Once I got a look at this cottage, I knew I was home.”
I smiled at the handsome, dark-haired man. I’d felt the same way when I’d first set eyes on my cottage on the sea. I thought about the theme that seemed predominate as of late in which Gooseberry Bay was a good place to settle if you were running or hiding from someone or something. I didn’t know Coop’s story but based on what he hadn’t said, I was willing to bet he had his own demons nipping at his heels.
“So, were you in the Army long?”
“Twelve years.”
“Wow. That was quite a commitment.”
He shrugged. “At the time, it didn’t feel like a big deal. I spent most of those twelve years overseas, and to be honest, living on the edge and having important work to do really worked for me. I was in my element. I loved to fly, and I had brothers I cared about more than I cared about anyone I’d left behind. There was a point in my life when I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be a civilian, but things change.”
“Yeah, I get that. Do you stay in touch with any of your friends from the Army?”
“Not really. I have a couple guys who shoot me an email every now and again, but to be honest, at this point, after everything that went down, most days, I’d just as soon forget that those twelve years even happened.”
I was about to reply to that when he asked me about my life as a PI. I could see he was uncomfortable and wanted to change the subject, so I decided to let him.
“As I told everyone before, my dad was a cop. Even when I was a kid, he’d come home from work, and I’d ask him about his day. Most of the time, he’d tell me all about it as he made us a box of mac and cheese or a bologna sandwich. We’d sit at our little dining table, playing ‘what’s my theory.’ I’d ask him questions about his case, which he’d answer, and then I’d offer a theory. He’d then poke holes in my theory and offer his own, which I then had a chance to rebut. We’d go back and forth a few times, each changing our own theories slightly to take into account any good points the other had made. It was fun and a good way to teach me about logic and thought process. After I got a bit older and was really able to understand the complexity of many of his cases, I’d sometimes come up with an angle he hadn’t thought of that turned out to be helpful. Along the way, he began discussing almost all his really difficult cases with me.”
“It sounds like it was a worthwhile activity for both of you.”
“I think it was. Eventually, I moved to New York to pursue my dreams, but after he was shot and forced to retire, I moved home to help him with his detective agency. I was afraid he’d overdo it. Which he did. I guess I naively thought I could prevent from happening the very thing that eventually happened.”
“I’m sure you did what you could.”
“I did. And I cherish those years we had together. If he’d died when he was first shot, I would have missed out on so much.”
I supposed I was starting to get choked up since Coop put his arm around me. We both sat in silence for a good twenty minutes before I got up and announced that I really needed to get back to the cottage and get ready for the busy day I had planned. Coop was the neighbor I had spent the least amount of time with, and thus he was the neighbor I’d known the least. I was glad that we’d had this time together.
When I arrived back at the cottage, I gave the dogs some food and water and then got ready to head into town for the volunteer meeting Hope had told me about. If I was going to live in Gooseberry Bay, even for a short span of time, I wanted to help out where I could and really be part of the community. It seemed that everywhere I looked, local merchants were already starting to decorate their storefronts for the upcoming Christmas holiday. In a way, it seemed early, but I supposed that putting up lights and trees and changing out window displays was a lot of work, so they wouldn’t want to wait too long, or it would be hectic to get everything set up in time for the weekend festivities planned in December.
When I arrived at the community center where the meeting was to be held, the first thing I noticed was Hope chatting with the man I’d first met at the hardware store. I realized the fact that he was here and obviously knew Hope provided me the opportunity to confirm his name. The first time I’d met him, he’d been manning the paint counter at the hardware store while the owner was out. He’d pulled on a shirt to cover the jersey he’d been wearing, and the name on the shirt had been Mike. I guess in my mind that meant the man who’d helped me out that day must be Mike, but after I’d run into him while out hiking and he’d helped me to corral Damon, I realized the shirt he’d pulled on to protect the clothing he’d worn might not have been his. Of course, now that he’d both helped me with my paint and helped me rescue a kitten, it seemed awkward to ask his name. I figured I’d just wait until he finished talking to Hope and then ask her who she’d been talking to.
I waited from a distance and considered the fact that the man looked different today. Both times I’d previously run into him, he’d had something on his head that had partially covered his face. The first time we’d run into each other, he’d been wearing a baseball cap, and he’d had a riding helmet on the second time. But now that I was able to get a good look at him without a hat to shield his eyes, he sort of looked like…
“Ainsley,” Hope waved at me, interrupting my musings. “I have someone I want you to meet.”
There went my plan to confirm who the man was before speaking to him. I was committed now, so I started forward.
“Ainsley, this is Adam Winchester. Adam, this is Ainsley Holloway,” Hope said, confirming my suspicion.
“I guess I never did introduce myself,” he apologized.
“You’ve already met?” Hope looked confused.
“I helped Ainsley mix some paint when Hank was on a break,” Adam answered, leaving out the part about the kitten.
“So you’ve chatted about her photo,” Hope assumed.
“No,” Adam answered. “Not yet. When I met Ainsley at the hardware store and then again in the forest, I hadn’t talked to Archie. But once Archie filled me in, I had planned to arrange a meeting.” He looked directly at me. “I guess we can take care of that now.”
“Uh, sure.” I knew I was probably staring, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. “When would you like to meet?”
“How about after the volunteer meeting today? We can have lunch. Get to know one another a bit. You can tell me your story, and I can determine whether or not I know anything that might help you.”
“Okay,” I said, forcing a smile I didn’t quite feel. I’d wanted to meet Adam Winchester ever since I’d arrived in Gooseberry Bay, but there was something in his eyes that I found to be disconcerting. Besides, the laid back and friendly guy who’d mixed my paint and helped me capture a kitten had been replaced by someone who seemed to be all business. Suddenly, I had the strangest need for fresh air. I looked at Hope. “I need to make a call. I’m going to step outside. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Sure,” she said, frowning. “Whatever you need to do.”
I had to suppress my urge to run across the room and out the door.
Once I made it out into the fresh air, I took several deep breaths. I wasn’t certain exactly where my near panic attack had come from, but I supposed it was the look of suspicion in Adam Winchester’s eyes. I supposed I could understand that. The man was rich and probably highly sought after. I supposed the fact that some random girl had come into town with a story that involved his family and her possible involvement with that family might be a reason to make him cautious. Thinking back, however, I realized that he must have known who I was and what I was after from the beginning. I remembered t
he way his eyes hardened just a bit, and his expression shifted when I’d told him my name after he’d mixed my paint. Of course, he’d been back to his smiling, friendly self when I’d met him in the forest while he was riding his horse, and I was trying to catch a stray kitten.
There was no doubt about it. The man was hard to read. I knew my intent was pure, despite what he might think about the whole thing. I just hoped he’d listen to my story with an open mind once I had the chance to tell it.
Realizing that I was going to miss the meeting I’d come here to attend, I took a deep breath and headed back inside. Someone had set up rows of metal folding chairs for the surprisingly large number of people who’d turned out. I noticed Adam sitting between a tall woman with long black hair and a short woman with short blond hair. Both women were leaning in toward him and talking animatedly. It seemed as if both were intent on holding his attention. I sat down on a chair a few rows behind them, so I could watch the exchange without being seen. Adam was a good-looking guy. He was rich and single, and I imagined he was considered to be quite the catch. Given the fact there weren’t a lot of single men in the area to choose from, I supposed Adam was used to being accosted by the single women in town when he came to these local town meetings.
Hope thanked everyone for coming and then went over the plans for Gooseberry Bay’s Christmas Village, which was to be held December eighteenth through the twentieth. She filled the group in on the features from previous years the smaller planning committee had decided to continue as well as a couple new features that the committee was excited about trying out. I knew the purpose of this meeting was to get locals to commit to volunteer assignments. I wanted to do my part even though I was only a temporary resident, so I planned to offer to do whatever Hope most needed me to do. I knew that Tegan and Josie were already assigned the task of organizing the food for the three-day event. Neither of my neighbors was here today, but they’d had a separate meeting with Hope and had managed the food vendors for events in the past, so they were already dialed in. I thought Jemma might show, but I didn’t see her in the crowd. I knew that Booker was helping with the boat parade, and I didn’t know if Coop planned to volunteer or not.
Hope was about five minutes into her speech when Archie came in. He slid into an empty chair next to the woman I knew ran the local library. I seemed to remember Tegan saying that her name was Felicity Davis. She smiled when Archie sat down. It almost seemed as if she’d been saving a seat for him. Perhaps the two were friends. Archie seemed like a nice guy who had a lot of friends in town, and surprisingly, Adam seemed a lot more popular than I’d expected him to be.
Once the meeting was over and the volunteer sheet had been passed around, people began to disperse. Adam was chatting with Hope, and I wasn’t certain what to do at this point, so I decided to help clean up the coffee and cookies someone had set out. I’d just carried the last of the empty trays to the kitchen when Adam walked up behind me.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I am,” I confirmed. “My car is parked on the street out front. Should I just follow you to the restaurant?”
“Actually, we can walk. There’s a pretty good café a few doors down. They specialize in local dairy and produce.”
“Sounds good.”
Adam placed his hand on the small of my back and motioned for me to proceed out the door. He then motioned toward a café a few doors down, and we set off side by side. Once we were seated, he jumped in by asking me about the photo he’d heard I’d been circulating. I pulled the photo from my wallet and showed it to him.
He took the photo and spent a minute studying it. His expression seemed to change several times before the man finally spoke. “Archie was right. This is the patio of the old wing.”
“Yes. I was able to confirm that myself when I visited the property. Do you recognize the woman or children?” I asked.
He slowly shook his head. “No. None of the three seem familiar. Archie shared with me that he was pretty sure the photo was taken while we were in London for the summer. I find I have to agree with his assessment.” He looked up from the photo. “Archie also shared that it’s your opinion that you may be the older child in the photo.”
I nodded.
“Do you mind sharing your story with me? I’ve heard parts of it from both Hope and Archie, but I’d like to hear what you have to say from your own perspective.”
“Okay,” I said. The man was somewhat intimidating, but his expression had softened a bit since we’d been talking, and there was a look of both interest and compassion in his eyes. “I guess my journey started when I was three years old.” I went on to tell him about being found in a fire, growing up as the daughter of a cop, his injury and eventual death, and the photo that had brought me to Gooseberry Bay in the first place. When I got to the part about Mr. Johnson and the baby birds, Adam’s smile widened, and his dark eyes sparkled in a manner that almost took my breath away.
“I take it you and Mr. Johnson were close,” I said.
Adam nodded. “He was like a father to me.” He paused. “Actually, I was closer to him than I was to my own father. Mr. Johnson lived and worked at the estate since before I was even born. He was the one constant in my life. My dad traveled a lot, and even when he was home, he wasn’t overly interested in fishing, riding, archery, or any of the things Archie and I enjoyed doing. My mom was in Gooseberry Bay more often than my father was, but she spent a lot of time in Seattle. Mr. Johnson taught me to fish. He’s the one who showed me how to throw and catch a ball, and I’m pretty sure he’s the one who bought me my first baseball mitt. He was an important part of my life during my childhood, and I miss him every day.”
“Archie mentioned that he’s been gone for a while.”
His expression softened. “Almost thirteen years. He passed away a couple years after my parents died. I know this is going to sound odd, but I think I took his loss harder than I did theirs. I’m not sure how much you remember about him, but he had this way about him. He seemed to know what I most needed to hear at the exact moment I needed to hear it. I trusted him. I leaned on him when things got rough. I sort of felt like he was my anchor.”
“I get it,” I said. “I had a similar relationship with my dad. And I do remember Mr. Johnson. The fragments of that time in my life have come to me slowly over time, but I remember feeling safe when Mr. Johnson was around. I remember trusting him even when I didn’t trust the other adults in my life.” I frowned. “I wish I could remember more. It’s frustrating to have these tiny glimpses of a life I don’t remember, but not to have the whole story.”
“It does seem very odd indeed that you were here in Gooseberry Bay during the summer, and by the following Christmas, you were all the way across the country in Georgia. It’s also odd you seemed to be with two women when you were here but were alone when you were found.”
“And don’t forget about Avery. The baby. Whatever could have happened to her?” I felt moisture behind my eyelids. “I keep thinking she must be dead, but in my heart, I hope she’s alive.” I took a deep breath and looked at Adam. “I understand that both you and Archie were in London when I would have been at the house on Piney Point with the women from my dream. I understand that while your father most likely is the person who allowed us to be there, he’s gone now and cannot fill in any of the blanks. As is Mr. Johnson. But there must be someone who is still around today who would also have been around back then. Other employees? A close friend of the family? Even a delivery person who might have run into me while making his deliveries?”
Adam paused as if he was thinking over my question. I waited for him to share his thoughts. The server came by with our salads and refilled our water glasses before either of us spoke again.
“During the mid-nineteen-nineties, there were three staff members who lived on the property. Mr. Johnson, who lived in the cabin currently occupied by Moses, Mrs. Adaline, who used to cook for the family, and Mrs. Rivers, who managed the rest of th
e staff. The rest of the staff came from town and didn’t live on the property. I can’t really come up with names off the top of my head since maids and grounds crew tended to turn over pretty regularly, but I do have records and can find that information.”
“I know Mr. Johnson has passed. What about Mrs. Adaline and Mrs. Rivers?”
“Mrs. Adaline married when I was around fifteen. She and her new husband moved to Texas, I think. I’m sure I have a forwarding address somewhere, although it has been a long time, so she may have moved again since then. After she left, my mother hired Ruth, who is still with Archie and me. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t have been around when you were.”
“And Mrs. Rivers?”
“She worked for the family until three years ago. She decided to retire and went to live with her sister. Archie and I decided not to replace her, so Ruth is the only one who currently lives in the house.” He paused. “Mrs. Rivers might remember you. It would be worth a call to her. I have her number at home.”
I smiled. “That would be great. Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”
“I can think of a few Gooseberry locals who would have been around back then and are still around now. I’ll work on a list.” He looked at his watch. “I have a meeting to get to this afternoon, but if you want to come by the house in a couple days, we can talk again. I should have a few answers for you by that point.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Any time that’s convenient with you is fine with me.”
“How about Thursday? I understand you have two large dogs.”
“Yes. Kai and Kallie. They’re Bernese Mountain Dogs.”
“Bring them along. We can introduce them to Hitchcock.”
“Archie told me that you had a Tibetan Mastiff. I’d love to meet him.”
“It’s a date then. Come around noon. I’ll have Ruth make us some lunch.”
Adam didn’t linger after we finished our salads. He paid the bill, walked me back to my SUV, and then waved goodbye as he set off on foot down the sidewalk. He certainly was an interesting man. One minute, he seemed brooding and intimidating, and the next, he’d light up like a Christmas tree, bringing life and color to the world in a way no one I had ever met in my life had been able to do quite as effectively. I was tempted to stop by the inn and get more background on the guy, but the dogs had been home alone for a long time already and would be waiting for me.