Cheryl was trying to get up from the table. Paige asked, “You need help, Mom? Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Cheryl shook her head ‘no’. “Do you want to take a nap?” Cheryl nodded in reply. “Okay!” Paige replied with a forced smile. “Nap time for you, young lady!” Seeing her mother nod and smile sheepishly, Paige took her by the arm and helped navigate her from the room.
***
A short time later, Paige sat at the kitchen table downloading the app which the speech therapist had recommended. The tablet was pretty easy to set up, and her mother had loved how light it was.
Melanie stepped over from the sink where she just finished doing the dishes from lunch. “You think your mom’s asleep by now? I could go through that chest while you’re getting her tablet programmed.”
“Hang on. I’ll check.” Paige got up and tiptoed down the hall to her mother’s bedroom. When she opened the door she saw her mother laying on her side, fast asleep. She went back into the kitchen. “She’s out like a light,” she said, her mouth in a frown.
“Goody! Now we can snoop!” Melanie replied.
Paige replied with a shrug. “I guess so.”
“What’s up with you? You’ve never snooped on your mom? Ever?” When Paige shook her head, Melanie scoffed. “Not snooping on your parents? Ever?” She giggled and put a hand on Paige. “I got to tell you; that’s weird. Everybody snoops in their parents’ bedroom!”
“Not me.” Seeing the disbelief on Melanie’s face, she added, “Mom made me promise—a really serious promise, when I was a little kid.” She looked to the side, recalling the memory. “She made me promise on my love for her that I’d never go into that chest.”
“Why?”
Paige looked back. “I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me.”
Melanie snorted. “Well, that promise stuck, huh? Here you are, thirty years old and you still got the willies about snooping in there.” She laughed lightly. “I’d go nuts with curiosity!”
Paige just shrugged. “It was just me and Mom, you know? She never made a big deal about it, and I just let it go, I guess.” She looked over Melanie’s shoulder to the sewing room “Until now.” Going through the sea chest had to be done. But that didn’t mean she had to like it.
Melanie noticed the apprehension in her face. “Paige. We agreed to do this.” She grasped her friend’s shoulders. “It’s bigger now than a promise you made when you were a kid. We’re trying to help a little girl!”
“A little girl who’s dead.”
“A little girl who’s still suffering!”
Melanie held her friend’s gaze. Finally Paige nodded and said, “I guess so.” Her lips pressed together.
Melanie gave her a shake. “And it’s not just her, Paige! I had that dream again last night. Except that this time I was there when she died! I saw her face when she was being strangled!” Melanie shuddered. “That poor child fought for her life…and lost.” She let go of Paige and jabbed at her own chest with her thumb. “I’m being haunted by Aubree now! I’m going to end up back in the looney bin if this doesn’t stop!”
Paige dropped back into her seat at the table. Poor little Aubree had died, her killer still on the loose. She was being haunted by the child, and now Melanie was caught up in this too.
“You’re right, Mel. This is bigger than the promise I made.” She looked up at her friend. “But we can’t let my mom find out. Not now, in her condition, you know?”
Melanie nodded. “I understand.”
Wait. Paige peered at Melanie. “You’ve been through some crazy stuff yourself. Are you able to handle all this?”
“Sure.”
“Really? You’d told me you were possessed. You said you were in a mental ward. Then something about being in a convent and exorcisms? What the hell happened? You’re sure you’re okay, now?”
Melanie managed a small smile, “Absolutely. After the psychotherapy, and exorcisms —”
Paige shook her head staring at Melanie. “A demon... I can’t even fathom that. My God, what you went through!”
Melanie laid her hand on Paige’s. “If you’re worried that I might still be under some kind
of evil influence, don’t. A couple of guys showed up that weekend and I’m glad they did. Well, Adam... He’s a psychic. We kept in touch. He gave me a clean bill of health, spirit-wise.”
“I believe you.” Paige snorted. “After what’s been going on in my life.”
“Yeah, either we’re both batshit crazy, or…”
The silence hung between them.
“It’s definitely the ‘or,’ Mel,” Paige finally said.
“Yeah. It is.” Melanie stood. “Let’s get to the bottom of this.”
As Melanie rose, Paige grabbed her arm, “But be really quiet. Mom can’t know we did this. It would really put her recovery at risk.”
Chapter 25
PAIGE STOOD OUTSIDE THE SPARE-ROOM DOOR keeping watch that her mother didn’t come out. She shifted weight to her other leg and flinched when the floorboard let out a groan. Shit! How much more time did Melanie need? She’d been in there for almost ten minutes!
The spare-room door opened, and Melanie tiptoed out with the flat black box in her hand. Mouthing, “Got it.” She flicked the light switch and closed the door softly.
Paige followed her friend into the kitchen. She couldn’t deny the excitement and curiosity, but there was also that sinking hollow in her gut that she was about to tread all over her mother’s privacy.
Melanie started peeling the rubber band off the box, but Paige stopped her. “No. Not here. Karen could be back any minute, or Mom might wake up. Put it in your bag.”
There were tons of room in the oversized leather slouch that passed as Melanie’s purse. “What did you find out?” Paige couldn’t keep the question from jumping off her lips.
Melanie looked over at her after slipping the box into the bag. She sat down and leaned closer to Paige. “I think I found the connection. There’s a bunch of newspaper clippings. I mean really old stuff. But they’re from a paper in Poughkeepsie, of all places!”
“What? We don’t know anyone in Poughkeepsie. What kind of clippings? What’s the connection? I don’t get it.” Paige took a seat next to Mel.
Melanie’s eyes were wide, and she gripped Paige’s arm tight. “Michael Smith! There’s an announcement of some couple getting married. Then there was another clipping where his picture was. It was a Christmas ad boasting of how well Michael Smith’s real estate firm was doing and thanking his clients.”
Paige felt all the air leave her chest. “Michael Smith. It’s got to be some relative of Cory Smith. Why would Mom keep clippings about that guy though?”
Melanie’s brow furrowed. “I wondered that myself. But the last name isn’t a coincidence. There’s a connection to Cory. Why else would the strange things, like the chest opening, the light in the room always coming on, be happening?”
Paige’s gaze drifted to Melanie’s handbag. “It was funny. I forgot to tell you, but when Mom and I were looking at pictures on my laptop last night, Aubree’s picture suddenly appeared on the screen. Right out of the blue.”
“That is weird.”
Paige looked over at Melanie. “The strange part was how upset my mother got. I know she’s sensitive and all, but her reaction was over the top, even for her. She was really upset.”
“She must have read the news report. It was plastered there for days.”
Paige nodded. “And she’s kept clippings of a guy who is somehow connected to Cory.”
The words were hardly out of her mouth before the answer punched into her gut. “Oh my God. Could he be my father?” Horror filled her chest. If Michael Smith was her father and related to Cory, then Aubree... She might be a cousin or...even her niece? The muscles in her chest became a vise making it hard to breathe.
Cory was her half brother? That was too horrible to even contemplate.
“Paige! Stop. I know what you’re thinking, but
you can’t know anything for sure! Snap out of it, Paige!”
“Snap out of what? What’s going on?”
Paige and Melanie jerked back seeing Karen in the doorway. Neither one of them had heard her come in. The older woman’s gaze flitted between the two of them. Paige’s face flushed feeling like she’d been caught cheating on an exam. Melanie looked down at the table.
“What are you two doing? Where’s Cheryl?”
After the burning shame, another emotion claimed Paige, making her deliberately rise to face her godmother. “You know about Michael Smith. He’s my father, isn’t he? When Aubree and her mother were murdered, Mom knew the connection to him. That’s why she had the stroke.”
Karen’s eyes had grown wider and wider as Paige spoke. Her mouth snapped shut, and she stepped into the kitchen. In a hissed whisper, she said, “You don’t know that! Where on earth would you get that idea? I know this murder had upset you Paige, but—”
Keeping her voice down, Paige faced Karen down. “It’s true! We have the evidence! It was right there in Mom’s chest, hidden away!”
As if to add salt to the wound, Melanie plucked the black cardboard box from her bag and held it up.
Karen’s eyes were wide staring at the box. She sank down into a chair, her hand at her chest. For a moment Paige worried that she might follow the same path as her mother. When Karen collected herself enough to speak, her voice was defeated. “You shouldn’t have found that. Your mother... She never wanted you to find out.”
Paige sank down, kneeling in front of Karen. She took the older woman’s hand in hers. “Why? I asked her again and again who my father was. She would never tell me. I just wanted to know. I wasn’t going to try to include him in my life. Nothing or no one would ever take Mom’s place. I just wanted to know who he was.”
Karen looked down at Paige. “Cheryl had her reasons. She wanted to shield you from him. He’s not a nice man, Paige.”
Paige sank back on her heels staring at Karen. After all these years to finally stumble upon her father’s identity, only to find out that the reason he was kept from her was because he wasn’t “nice”? It was surreal.
But his connection to Cory jolted her back to reality.
This was worse than anything she could ever imagine. Could he also be Cory’s father? Oh God. And this man’s blood ran through her veins as well. She staggered to a seat at the kitchen table.
Melanie crossed the room to the sink, muttering, “Jack Daniels would be better, but water will have to do.”
All the while Paige sat still as a statue, completely dazed. Her world had tilted off its axis. After drinking half the glass that Melanie handed to her, Paige scooped the small bracelet from her pocket. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at it.
Aubree’s MedicAlert. Her niece’s? A niece she would never get to know— to hold, to sing to, and read to.
Melanie stood between Karen and Paige. She stroked each of their shoulders gently. “This is between the three of us. Cheryl will never know that Paige and I have uncovered her secret. That’s the priority here. We tend to the living. But...”
Karen looked up at Melanie. “But what? What more can you do that hasn’t already been done?”
“We get justice for this poor little girl and her mother.” Melanie looked down at Paige, “You aren’t anything like this man or Cory Smith. Michael Smith may be your biological father, but trust me, he was just a sperm donor.”
Karen looked over at Paige. “She’s right. You are your mother’s child through and through. She’s a good woman.”
But none of it made sense. Paige shook her head gazing at Karen. “How? How did she ever get mixed up with a guy you say is so bad? I’ve seen pictures of her when she was younger. She was a total knockout. She probably could have had any guy she wanted. Why him?”
Footsteps from the bedroom interrupted their conversation. Paige took a deep breath. “I think Mom’s up now. I’ll go in and help her.”
Karen clutched at Paige’s arm before she had a chance to leave. “I’ll tell you everything. Tomorrow when your mother is in her therapy session. We need to talk.”
Paige nodded and then left the room. When she entered the bedroom, her mother was pulling the coverlet over the bed, tidying up. She couldn’t help but see her mother differently now. She looked past the weight that her mother had put on to see the young woman who had been with this mystery man. Paige still couldn’t picture him, although she sure as hell was going to scour those clippings.
Her mom managed a smile and stepped over to Paige, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. She held her mother’s arm as they walked back out to the kitchen.
Melanie had left, but Karen was busying herself making tea as if nothing was amiss.
Chapter 26
LATER THAT EVENING, Paige read the text message that beeped on her phone.
“Where are you? I’m at the Crown and Pint but you aren’t. WTF?”
Paige’s thumbs flew typing her response.
“Sorry. I’m on my way now.”
She looked at Karen and her mother sitting side by side on the sofa in the living room. It had taken longer than she’d anticipated getting Mom and Karen familiar with the speech therapy app. Now they were like kids with a new Game Boy, both of them grinning each time her mother was able to say the name of an object that appeared on the screen. As the therapist had said, “Baby steps at first.”
“I won’t be long, Mom. Just a drink with Melanie and I’ll be back.”
It was Karen who answered, “Take your time. Your mom and I will be fine. But don’t drive if you’ve had more than one, okay?”
“No problem. I’m going to walk anyway.” Paige grabbed her coat and headed out the door.
Ten minutes later she entered the small bar where Melanie was. This time she’d taken a booth in the corner where they could have more privacy going over the contents of the box. Melanie had a drink waiting for her. She was smart enough to order a double Jack Daniels.
“Hi.” Paige shrugged her leather jacket off and continued talking as she took a seat. “It’s kind of sad to see Mom struggle to find the words for everyday stuff. But I think that program is going to help.”
“Yeah. That’s gotta be frustrating for her too.” Melanie put the box on the table. “Ready?”
Paige lifted her glass and took a long sip. “Now I am.” She pulled the box from Melanie’s fingers and took a deep breath.
The first clipping showed a picture of a smiling blonde woman in a graduation cap. She was attractive yet there was a vacuous “Barbie doll” plasticity in her eyes. This was the woman who had actually married her father.
Next to that was a photo of a dark-haired man, in his twenties. Paige examined his face closely. The photo had been torn and half of his face was missing but what showed in his one eye and half mouth looked as solemn as a judge.
He wasn’t classically handsome, but there was something about him that held her gaze. She searched his eye looking for some resemblance to her own. But there was too little to go on. She forced herself to read farther down the page.
“Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gallway are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter Lorraine May to Michael George…”
The groom’s last name, like half of his face, was missing from the clipping.
She scanned farther,
“The happy couple’s wedding will be held June 25, 1983 at the Church of the First…”
Again the church’s full name was gone. Paige’s brow tightened. Her mother had saved this announcement but hadn’t been too careful in the way she’d ripped it from the newspaper. It probably showed more of her mental state that she hadn’t clipped it with scissors.
She set the clipping aside and examined the next one. Her forehead knotted. This was the ad for his real estate company. Like Melanie had said, it was not so much an ad as a boasting testimonial of how well their firm had done that year listing the sales team under a cheesy Christmas banner. The words we
re smudged but the owner’s name stood out—Michael Smith.
Could this guy in the Santa hat, beaming a fake smile really be her father? While his mouth was smiling for the camera, his eyes just looked dead. She couldn’t place it, but they looked familiar.
Cory’s eyes.
Melanie touched her wrist. “You okay?”
“I think so.” She sighed, dropping the clippings back into the box. “At least now I have an idea what he looks like.” Her eyes narrowed. The date of the wedding announcement was 1983. Almost a year to the day after her own birthday.
She looked over at Melanie. “If he knocked up Mom, he sure didn’t waste time in finding someone new.”
“How old is Cory? Do you think that couple could be his parents? Does it fit, age-wise?”
She knew Cory’s age to be late twenties. It was possible. Definitely not a shotgun wedding though. “But if he’s Cory’s father then the police would have questioned him. I mean, Cory just vanishes into thin air? They’d turn over any stone that could lead to finding him.”
Melanie’s eyes narrowed. “Michael Smith is connected to Aubree. We know that. Why else would you have been directed to that sea chest? We need to pay Michael Smith a visit.”
Paige pulled back from the table, staring at Melanie. “Go to Poughkeepsie? How... I mean, what can we say to him? ‘Hi. I think you’re my dad and by the way is Cory any relation to you?’’’ She could feel her neck muscles grow tighter at the thought of actually meeting him.
“No. Not like that.” Melanie stared into her drink for a few moments. “He’s in real estate. Why couldn’t we pretend I’m looking to buy a house? You can be my attorney. You don’t even have to give him your real name. We’ll chat with him, and see what we can find out.”
Paige knew that this was destined to happen. Much as she dreaded the thought, there was no other way. “It could work. But it’s almost a three-hour drive each way. I’ll have to tell Mom that I’m needed at work for something, and see if Karen can look after her.”
The Haunted Reckoning Page 11