A Grave End

by Wendy Roberts

  I thanked her and made my way back to my car just as it started to rain.

  In the beginning Kim had made it appear like she didn’t care that her stepdad had left money to try to free Roscoe, but now it sounded like she could really use that inheritance. I was walking away from this case but I wasn’t going to take any more than the initial deposit from this family. They’d been through enough.

  As I drove away down the rutted gravel road my gaze went west in the direction of the farm where I grew up and I shivered. I’d had cases before where I’d come up empty. That didn’t mean the body wasn’t around to be found, it just meant it wasn’t where I was looking but I was happy to be putting this case and this town behind me.

  The case might be dead but I still had my own mystery. I knew in my gut that I’d be calling up Ray to arrange an appointment, and would gladly turn over a hundred dollars or even a thousand if it would fill in the blanks of that one single night.

  Chapter Eleven

  I was heading back in the direction of home and my phone rang. It was Dana, the waitress from the diner.

  “I wanted to let you know that Barb quit. She decided to up and retire just like that. Not even any warning.”

  “Really? Wow. Guess she’d had enough of being on her feet all day.”

  “Yeah, but it’s weird,” Dana mused. “She’s been serving here since before I was born. Now the whole staff schedule is a mess. I’m working a double today and tomorrow just to make up for us being short-staffed.”

  “Why do you think she left all of a sudden?”

  “She told the boss she was under a lot of stress and her son needed her.” She snorted. “Her child is like in his thirties or forties, you know? But the boss said her boy was never right in the head and has always needed help.”

  I didn’t need to hear the town gossip and I told her that.

  “Okay, but you told me to let you know if I heard anything that might be remotely related to Alice so...”

  “I’m dropping the case.” I turned the windshield wipers up high as I drove down the highway in the rain. “Unfortunately, if Alice is going to be found, it won’t be by me.”

  “That’s a real shame,” Dana said and it sounded like she meant it. “Everyone deserves a chance to be buried instead of dumped somewhere, you know?”

  “Yeah. I know.” I winced with guilt. “Is there anything else, Dana?”

  “Nothing really...”

  I could hear in her pause she wanted to say something so I waited.

  “Okay, well, this isn’t about Alice, but the last time the cops were here having lunch, I was wiping down the booth beside them. I overheard one of them say something about getting ready to lay charges in the case against Lori Cox.”

  Something tickled my memory.

  “Lori Cox,” I repeated. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

  “Blossom,” Dana said. “That’s her real name. Not that anyone ever calls her that.”

  “What on earth could she be getting charged with?”

  “Everyone knows her secondhand store, Blossoming, was hit by insurance lightning. Guess it caught up with her.”

  “Lightning? As in you think she deliberately burned the place down for the insurance?”

  “I’m just repeating what I heard,” Dana explained. “I don’t know Blossom well enough to say she woulda done something like that. You prolly know her better than me, am I right?”

  This was none of my business and had nothing to do with Alice, but I thought about how wistful Blossom sounded when she talked about her little thrift store. “She loved that shop. I can’t see her doing something like that.”

  “People do dumb stuff for money,” Dana said wisely. “Like quit school to work as a waitress in a diner.”

  A few minutes after that call my mind was still reliving that night at the Wayland Canteen when my phone rang again and it was Garrett. I took a deep breath, wiped the tears that had filled my eyes thinking of my failure, and forced a smile before answering.

  “Hi, sweetheart.” I tried to make sure to keep the anxiety from my voice.

  “How are things going?” he asked.

  I told him that I hadn’t been able to find Alice but had wrapped things up anyway.

  “I know you felt you owed it to her to find her body,” he said softly. “This must be hard for you.”

  “Yeah, but it’s the right decision.” I sighed. “I can’t spend any more time on this case without losing my mind.” I chuckled at the comment although it had more truth than either of us wanted to admit. “Besides, Kim admitted she could use the money to help pay for her mother’s care home, and God knows she could use some to fix up her trailer.”

  “You’d think her stepdad would’ve left her money to pay those bills up front.”

  “Apparently the will says that money needs to be spent to try and find Alice and free Roscoe first, and then what’s left will go to Kim and to help her mom.”

  “And I bet you’re not going to charge her for all the work you’ve already put in, are you?”

  “No.”

  “You’re a good woman. That’s why I love you.”

  “I love you too.” I bit my lip. I wanted to be the good woman he thought I was, but the kind of woman he deserved didn’t get fall-down drunk and screw around.

  “Wanted to let you know that I’m going to be a bit later than I wanted,” he said. “I don’t want to have to come back to the office tomorrow to finish this paperwork so I’m going to work into the evening. It might be nine o’clock before I’m home.”

  We said our I-love-yous and I hung up.

  As I made my way toward home, my head was aching and my heart was sad. I was walking away from Alice like a failure, and once the truth came out about Wayland, I might be leaving my relationship the same way. I needed to take more steps to get to the truth.

  I was a few minutes away from the grocery store where Tracey worked. I called and told her I’d be waiting for her when she got off work.

  I found Tracey’s car parked in the staff part of the lot and I pulled into an empty space beside it. When she got off work a few minutes later, she came toward me with a worried smile.

  “What up, bestie? You look like you’ve had better days.”

  “I need you to come to Wayland with me.”

  “Why?” Her eyebrows knit together with concern.

  “I’ve called there a couple times after that night but nobody working there could help me. The waitress who served the booth where I was sitting that night has been off recovering from a car wreck. I called there earlier and today is her first official shift back at work.” I looked down at my feet. “I can’t stand not knowing, Tracey, and I don’t trust myself in that place after what happened.”

  “Then let’s do this. Get in my car.” She pressed the key fob to unlock the doors. “You’re too nervous to be driving.”

  During the short drive, my fingers were laced tightly together in my lap. Tracey parked in the lot behind the bar and I fumbled nervously with my seat belt. When we walked into Wayland Canteen, the thick smell of stale beer caused my stomach to turn.

  “Over here.” My voice cracked as I nodded toward a back booth that was closest to the washroom, and Tracey followed me there.

  “This is where I was sitting that night.”

  I slid into the booth on the same side I had that night, and Tracey took a seat across from me. The bar was busy with happy hour patrons guzzling cheap draft beer and munching on cheap chicken wings. Our waitress was a busty redhead who approached our booth wearing a black T-shirt with Wayland Canteen in faded orange lettering.

  She listed the happy hour specials, then asked, “What can I get you?”

  “Two Cokes and some information,” I told her.

  She tilted her head and focused her eyes on me f
or the first time.

  “I remember you.” She slowly nodded. “I’ll be right back with your Cokes.”

  My heart thumped painfully.

  “That’s good that she remembers you.” Tracey reached across the table and took my trembling hand in hers. “Relax. It’ll all be good.”

  I wish I could be as positive as Tracey.

  The waitress brought our drinks, placed them in front of us, and then motioned for Tracey to scoot over in the booth before taking a seat next to her. “I’m on a break. How can I help you?”

  “First of all, would you mind checking your lost and found for a ring? A platinum band with etched mountains and ocean on it? I’ve called here so many times but I just keep hoping it’ll turn up.”

  “Sure.” She got up and we watched her go back into the back office and then return a few minutes later, shaking her head. “Sorry, lots of random stuff in our lost and found box. Even someone’s retainer, and a single shoe...” She giggled at that. “But no ring.”

  I sighed. “Okay. You said that you remember me.” I wrapped my hands around my drink to keep my hands from shaking. “I’m afraid I don’t remember much from that night, and well, I’m hoping you can fill in some answers.”

  “I’m not surprised you’re drawing a blank,” she said dryly.

  “I’m an alcoholic. I was sober for a while before I came in here,” I told her, feeling embarrassment color my face as I tried to explain. “But that night, for some reason, I decided to blow that all to hell.”

  “Not how I see it, darling.” She tapped the table between us. “What exactly do you remember?”

  “I came here to meet someone for...work.” I cleared my throat, not wanting to get into how I find bodies using dowsing rods and was meeting a potential client. “I sat here in this booth to wait and I remember ordering a Coke. Just like now. The man I was supposed to meet showed up. He had long, thick hair, a big bushy beard and mustache and bright green eyes, and he bought wine. Well, pretty much everything afterward is a blur. He stuck around while I was stumbling around here drunk...” I squeezed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath. “I lost my ring and...” I straightened my spine and forced myself to look her right in the eye. “Do you remember the guy? Do you know if I left with him? I came home in a cab and—”

  “I’ll let you know what I remember from that night. I’m pretty clear about it because it was a pretty godawful night for me too. It was raining hard when I got off shift. Roads were shitty as can be, but on my way home some maniac ran me off the road. Car rolled and I was lucky to come out of it alive. Shattered my pelvis, broke an arm, but luckily the ol’ noggin stayed intact.” She tapped the side of her head. “If I’d had a concussion, I doubt my memory would be so clear.”

  “Oh my God,” Tracey exclaimed. “I wonder if mercury was in retrograde that night, or something.”

  We both looked at Tracey and then the waitress laughed and shook her head.

  “I’m so sorry that happened to you,” I told her.

  “Well, physical therapy is both a blessing and a curse, but it’s done and I’m recovered.” She smiled. “Anyway, this is how things went down that night from my point of view.” She leaned forward. “You came in, sat in this same booth and ordered a Coke just like you said. You were alone and kept looking at your phone. After a while you ordered another Coke, and then some guy showed up. He orders a couple glasses of wine at the bar and then brings the glasses over to your booth and sits down. You kept drinking your Coke. I went over to ask if you wanted anything else to drink, and at that moment your phone rang. It was really loud in here because Friday evenings we have a country band that plays honkytonk crap, and they were just warming up for their set. You said you were going to take the call outside.”

  “That call was from me,” Tracey interrupted. “I called you because my car battery died, and I was asking if you could give me a jump if you were nearby. You said you’d come by in about half an hour. You sounded perfectly sober.”

  “You never told me that.” I looked at Tracey.

  “Well, you never showed because...you know...and I didn’t want to bring it up and make you feel bad.”

  I did feel bad and I was beginning to feel worse about going there and having my night of shame rubbed in my face, but still, I wanted to know. I needed to know. I loved Garrett too much to keep the truth from him. Especially now. He deserved better than a drunk who would screw someone she just met in a bar.

  “I asked the guy you were with if he wanted more wine or if I could bring you another Coke, even though your second glass of soda was still half full. He’d finished his glass of wine, but the second glass of wine was still full. He asked for another two glasses of wine and said you’d be drinking yours after your Coke. You were just coming back inside as I brought the next two glasses of wine.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. “I guess that’s when I started drinking.”

  I’d gone over my calendar and emails a hundred times since then. A man had contacted me asking for my help in finding the body of his girlfriend, a missing hiker. He’d asked to meet at Wayland saying he lived down the street and didn’t have a car. I’d tried emailing and texting him after that night. I’d been desperate to reach him, but I’d never received a phone number for him, and all emails I sent bounced back. I couldn’t even remember the guy’s name.

  “Because afterward...” I shook my head slowly and looked down at my hands folded in my lap. “I honestly just remember snippets, like trying to walk to the bathroom.”

  Wanting to leave the bar but the room was spinning. His hand on my elbow to help me and then an arm around my waist. His hot breath in my ear.

  “At least if he’d used a credit card there might be hope we could find out his name, right?” Tracey suggested.

  “He paid cash and he looked like you described, just like the typical hipster guy that comes in here.” She waved a hand in the air to indicate the rest of the bar. “White, maybe late twenties or early thirties. He had a full, messy beard. Long brown hair. He wore a red-and-black plaid lumberjack-style shirt with jeans and hiking boots.” She shrugged.

  I looked around the bar, and it did describe a lot of the men in the place.

  “Did I, um...” I drew in a deep breath and felt a deep blush color my face. “Do you remember if I left with him?” I quickly added, “I know I had to come back the next day to get my Jeep, and my boyfriend said I came home in a cab that night, but I remember being really drunk and walking outside with this guy.”

  “Here’s the thing...” The waitress leaned in on her elbows toward me and lowered her voice. “I don’t think you were drunk at all. I never saw you take a drink of that wine, and even if you did, nobody gets bombed on one glass. He drank two and there was still one full glass sitting there when you guys left. I was wondering what the hell was going on when I saw you get up to leave and you could hardly friggin’ walk. He had his arm around you to help you or I’m sure you would’ve fallen down.” She sat back and pointed a finger at me. “I think he roofied you.”

  “What!” Tracey and I exclaimed simultaneously.

  If he’d roofied my Coke, that would explain my drunken feeling and the way I’d looked impaired and felt sick the next day.

  “Jesus.” I dragged a hand through my hair. “So, he took me back to his place and...and...” I swallowed thickly as a lump formed in my throat. “Then he stuck me in a cab and sent me home after.” A small sob escaped my lips. “Oh God!”

  “No-o-o.” The waitress reached over, took one of my hands in hers and squeezed it. “Darling, I was outside having a smoke break behind the building and saw him with his arm around your waist trying to steer you toward a car. I knew something was screwed up about that. I called out to him and said, ‘Hey, dude, what the hell is going on?’ I started to walk toward him and he just let you go and then took off running. He got into his car and
drove away while you slowly just slumped to the ground.”

  “Holy shit!” Tracey exclaimed, which was exactly the shock I felt but I couldn’t find the words. A tsunami wave of relief washed over me, and my eyes filled with tears. I hadn’t cheated on Garrett and I hadn’t even fallen off the wagon.

  “I should’ve called the cops on the bastard,” the waitress said. “But instead I opened your purse and got your home address off your driver’s license. One of our regular cab drivers was parked at the curb and I helped myself to a couple twenties from your wallet, paid him, gave him your address, and told him to make sure you got safely inside your house. I should’ve done more. Sorry. On my way home that night I was still thinking I should call the cops but then I had my accident and...”

  “Thank you.” I bit my lip to stop from sobbing. “Thank you sooo much.”

  “Hey, no big deal.” She shrugged and smiled brightly. “Us girls gotta stick together, right?”

  “You are a friggin’ saint.” Tracey pointed to the waitress. “Wow. That guy could’ve been an ax murderer or a serial rapist or a—”

  “We get the picture.” I laughed nervously.

  “Well, I’ve gotta get back to work. All those medical bills aren’t going to pay themselves.”

  When she got up from the booth, I got to my feet and grabbed her into a tight hug.

  “Thank you.” I breathed into her red hair as tears dampened my face.

  She told me just to never leave my cola unattended again, and I swore I’d learned my lesson. Then I told Tracey, “Let’s go. I can’t wait to get home and tell Garrett what I found out.”

  I paid for our colas, leaving a hefty tip before we walked out the door.

  “I knew you didn’t cheat on him,” Tracey said as we walked toward her car. “I bet Garrett is going to track down this asshole and rip him to shreds.”

  I was grinning like a fool, and as I buckled myself into the passenger seat, more fat tears began to roll down my face. Everything was going to be okay. I sent Garrett a text telling him I loved him and that I was looking forward to seeing him tonight. He replied that he was done earlier than he originally thought and would be leaving the Seattle office within the hour and would be home in time for dinner. That would give me time to stop at the grocery store on my way home and pick up some fat steaks for barbecuing, and maybe even some decadent dessert. I was still nervous about talking to him, but my anxiousness was tempered by the excitement of sharing the truth about that night, which had been a dark cloud over us for months.