Leah picked up the heart and turned it over. “It’s pretty. Are those initials?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t read them before, but now that I’ve cleaned the silver, they’re more distinct. I was going to call you. Aren’t L-E-G your initials?”
“That’s right. My middle name is Evangeline after my grandma.”
“I don’t suppose you lost this up in the woods sometime during the last couple of decades.”
“No, the necklace isn’t mine.” Leah frowned as she rubbed her thumb across the letters. “What’s really weird is I remember a local news story about a girl who had my initials, back when we were kids. Her name was Lucinda Elizabeth something or other that started with a G. I commented on her initials to my mom, and she hugged me really hard and said she felt sorry for the mother of the other L-E-G. Mom looked so sad and held me so tight that the memory stuck with me.”
Paige stared at the necklace as a chill slid through her. “What happened to Lucinda Elizabeth?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but I think she was a missing person.”
“If this necklace belonged to that poor girl, she could have lost it years before she disappeared. Maybe they found her, and you simply didn’t hear about it.”
“That’s entirely possible.” Leah laid the heart back on the workbench, then bent to pet Leo again when the dog stood up and shook. “What are you going to do with it?”
“I guess I’ll take it down to the police station. If the necklace is connected to a missing person case, they should be notified.”
“Probably a good idea.” Leah flipped a strand of her long hair over her shoulder. “Are you excited about the Winter Ball this weekend?”
“Sure. It’s always fun to get dressed up for a change. Although, as things stand, I’m not so thrilled women will be bidding on Quentin. I’ll have to bring my checkbook.”
“You’re going to bid on him?”
“Sure, but I’m not too certain I’ll be able to afford him. Who else did you coerce into participating in the bachelor auction?”
“We have quite a lineup. Teague asked a couple of his buddies at the fire station to volunteer.”
“Who doesn’t like a hot fireman?” Paige smirked. “Just ask Nina.”
“I know, right? Then there’s Chris Long, everyone’s favorite cop. Clayton Smith the business consultant Nina dated a time or two before she met Teague agreed to participate, and that new surgeon who moved here recently said yes.”
“I haven’t met him yet.”
“Brandon Tate. He’s very handsome and seems nice. Oh, and Jonas Stillwater. He doesn’t live in Siren Cove anymore, but his brother still does. Jonas is a financial planner.”
“I know who he is.” Paige scowled. “He and Justin hassled me about buying their grandfather’s antiques.”
“Well, we weren’t going to turn down any interested party. With Quentin, that’s seven men. Hopefully we’ll make lots of money for the women’s shelter.”
“I’m sure you will. Hey, do you and Ryan have plans for Christmas Eve? Quentin and I cut down a monster tree for his house and thought we’d have you guys, along with Nina, Teague, and Keely, over for a low-key holiday celebration. Quentin’s cooking.”
“Oh, wow, we’d love to. We’re spending Christmas Day with Ryan’s mom, my grandma, and her boyfriend, but that group is going caroling with some of their friends on Christmas Eve.”
“Great. Let’s plan on it, then.”
“Ryan will be thrilled to know he has a good excuse to skip caroling with the geriatric crowd,” Leah said. “I should go. After spending time in Sisters, I have some catching up to do with the Winter Ball committee.”
“If I don’t see you before Saturday night, we’ll hang out together at the party.”
“You bet.” With a wave, Leah headed back through the shop.
After her friend left, Paige pulled out her collection of antique ornaments and carried the box up to the front window where Quentin had anchored her tree in a stand and filled the container with water. With Mindy’s help, she hung the ornaments, then stepped back to admire the results. “Very pretty.”
“All you need are candles instead of electric lights to give the tree a truly authentic ambiance.”
“And burn down the entire store in the process? I can live without that sort of dangerous charm.” Paige smiled at a middle-aged couple who entered the store before turning back to Mindy. “I need to run an errand, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. I’ll take care of everything while you’re gone.”
“Thanks. Leo’s due for a trip outside, so I’ll take him with me.”
“Sounds like a plan. Have fun.”
Paige returned the ornament box to her work room, pulled on her short wool coat, slid the silver heart necklace into the pocket, then hooked the leash to Leo’s collar. “Now we’ll go for that walk.”
With the dog leading the way, she left the shop and headed down the sidewalk toward the end of the block. After crossing the street, she and Leo hiked up the slight incline leading to the police station and government buildings. The wind off the ocean blew in gusts, and she shivered as the dog stopped to lift his leg over a clump of weeds. When he paused to sniff a few times, she tugged him toward the long white building housing Siren Cove’s city offices.
“I’d better tie you up out here.” She looped Leo’s leash around the empty bike rack a short distance from the front door. When he let out a gusty sigh and flopped to the ground, she patted his head. “You’ll survive.”
Inside the police station, the young woman behind the front counter slid back the glass partition and smiled at her. “Good morning. How may I help you?”
“I found a necklace that may belong to a missing person from around twenty years ago. I thought I should turn it in.”
Dark brows shot up over surprised brown eyes. “That’s interesting. I’ll see if someone’s available to talk to you.”
“Thank you.”
When she shut the partition window, Paige took a seat on one of the chairs in the waiting area. She’d just picked up a battered magazine when the door into the squad room opened.
Chris Long waved her over. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Paige. I thought there was a conspiracy theory nut waiting to talk to me.”
She dropped the magazine and stood. “How do you know I’m not?”
“Now that you mention it . . .”
“Hey, Leah’s the one who put the idea into my head. I’m just passing along the necklace I found and her story.” Paige followed him back to his desk and took the chair he indicated.
“Okay, let’s hear it.”
She reached into her pocket to pull out the chain and laid the silver heart on his blotter. “Quentin and I found this snagged on a log in Stoney Creek when we were cutting a Christmas tree yesterday.”
Chris picked it up and turned it over. “There are initials.”
“Yes, L-E-G. The piece was so tarnished I couldn’t read the engraving until I cleaned it. I showed it to Leah because those are her initials, but she said the necklace isn’t hers. This is where the story gets a little creepy. Leah remembered seeing a news clip about a girl who disappeared back when we were kids. Lucinda Elizabeth something.”
“I don’t recall a case like that, but it happened well before I became a cop. I can certainly look into it, but it would be a whole lot quicker if we had a last name.”
An older officer who walked with a slight limp stopped beside Chris’s desk. “I can offer a few insights.” He held out his hand to Paige. “I’m Officer Cantrell. I’ve seen you around town for quite a few years now, young lady. My wife bought a lamp in your store that she just loves.”
Paige shook his outstretched palm. “Nice to officially meet you. I’ve seen you around town, too.”
Chris leaned back in his chair. “What do you know about the necklace, Art?”
“Nothing. It was the name that caught my attention. Lucinda Elizabeth Gor
don. She’d just graduated from high school when she disappeared.”
“A local girl?” Chris asked sharply.
The other cop shook his head. “No, she was from Portland, visiting her grandparents over the summer. Officially, she was listed as a runaway since there was no sign of foul play. But to my knowledge, the girl was never found.”
Paige glanced between the two men. “The name Gordon doesn’t sound familiar. Do her grandparents still live in the area?”
“Her grandmother died a few years ago. I think Rupert Gordon moved to the senior apartments after his wife passed,” Officer Cantrell said.
“Maybe I’ll take this heart over there to see if he recognizes it.” Chris looked across his desk at Paige. “If you don’t mind leaving it with me.”
“No, of course not.” She rose from her chair. “My dog is tied up outside, so unless you need anything else . . .
“I’ll write you a receipt for the necklace.” Chris pulled a voucher book from his desk drawer and filled out a slip. “If you’ll sign here.”
Paige bent to scribble her name where he indicated. “If the necklace does belong to Lucinda Elizabeth, I hope you discover she was eventually found safe and sound.”
“So, do I. Art will walk you out since he’s already on his feet.”
“I will indeed. Right this way, young lady.”
Paige left the building a few minutes later and untied Leo. The dog shook the dreadlocks out of his eyes and gave her a look that made it clear he’d been left far too long.
“Sorry, boy. I tried to hurry.” She urged him toward the road. “Maybe we should go say hello to Quentin down at the restaurant and see how the remodel is going. Mindy can handle the shop alone for a while longer.”
Since the dog didn’t argue, she turned south when they reached the main road through town and arrived at the Poseidon Grill a few minutes later. In addition to Quentin’s Jaguar, a couple of work trucks were parked in the newly paved lot. The drone of a compressor and whack, whack, whack of a nail gun greeted her as she and Leo entered the restaurant. The wall behind the bar had been opened up into the back room, and a man with a tool belt slung low on his hips stretched to nail up trim. When he turned, Paige’s jaw sagged.
“Since when did you turn in your spatula for a hammer?” she shouted.
Quentin adjusted the ball cap on his head and grinned. “Jerry and his helper are tiling the kitchen floor, so I decided to keep the progress going out here,” he yelled back before bending down to turn off the compressor. Silence followed.
Paige rested her palm on Leo’s head when he leaned against her leg. “I didn’t know you could do carpentry work.”
“Hey, I’m good with my hands. It’s a gift.”
“I’ll vouch for that.”
His aqua eyes darkened. “Come over here and say that.”
“Maybe I will.” She strolled closer and let out a little breath when he slid an arm around her and kissed her slowly. “You smell like sawdust. Kind of sexy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He dropped another kiss on her lips before stepping back a few inches. “What are you up to? Not working today?”
“I had to stop by the police station, then I decided to play hooky for a while longer and see how your renovations were going.”
His hold on her waist tightened. “The cops, again? Something else happened?”
“No, nothing. The necklace we found in the creek yesterday might have belonged to a girl who went missing back when we were kids.” She shared a brief recap of her conversation with Leah. “I gave it to the police.”
“Well, that’s kind of unnerving.”
“Yeah, it is.” Paige turned to survey the restaurant. “The dining area looks great with new paint. I like the pale green color, and I see you hung the Hawaiian sling and fishing pole. Where the heck did you find that old diving mask?”
He led her through stacks of chairs to the wall adjacent to the bank of windows overlooking the beach below. “It’s a reproduction I ordered online. Not the real deal, but it’s pretty cool-looking.”
She touched the polished copper mask perched on a pedestal. “I like the fishing net and those glass floats, too. The whole theme really came together.”
“I got those off eBay. Yeah, I’m happy with how it looks. As long as that fishing spear doesn’t fall off the wall and stab someone, we’re good.”
“How much longer before the bar area construction is finished?”
“Around New Years is the goal. My contractor is staying on schedule, which is impressive, but he and his crew are taking time off over Christmas. The good news is we haven’t found too many surprises other than some plumbing issues.”
“That’s excellent.” She was pleased the renovations were going smoothly for him, or at least that’s what she kept telling herself. She refused to think about Quentin moving home to Seattle. “I guess I should let you get back to your nail gun and go relieve Mindy.”
He nodded, but instead of leading the way toward the door, he pulled her against his chest. “Thanks for stopping by. A surprise visit from you is always welcome.”
“I’m glad I could brighten your day.” She cupped her hand around the back of his neck and slid her fingers into his hair. “Are we still decorating your tree tonight?”
He nodded before leaning in to kiss her. “Seems like a good excuse to lure you over.”
“You don’t need an excuse.”
“Then, I’ll see you tonight. And Leo, too, since you two seem to be joined at the hip.”
She rubbed her dog’s ears. “Isn’t that the point of a guard dog?”
“Yep. I’m glad he’s keeping you company. Paige?”
She paused on her way toward the door and turned. “Yes?”
“Let me know what the cops find out about that necklace.”
A shiver slid through her as she wondered about the teenage girl who might once have worn the heart pendant. “If I don’t hear from Chris Long in the next few days, I’ll call him and ask. Having held that necklace in my hand, I feel invested in the fate of its owner. Whatever that might be.”
Hours later, when her cell rang while Paige was locking up her store, she was still thinking about Lucinda Elizabeth. The number wasn’t one she recognized.
“Hello.” Her voice was hesitant.
“Paige, this is Chris Long. I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I was wondering if I could get a little more information about the necklace you dropped off today.”
She stilled, with her hand on the doorknob before flipping the deadbolt. “Of course. I’m happy to answer your questions, but I think I told you everything I know.”
“Actually, I need to get an exact location from you.” His tone was sober. “According to Rupert Gordon, that heart pendant did belong to his granddaughter, and unfortunately she was never located after the missing person’s case was filed. At the time, there were reports she was spotted in Portland, so the officers handled her disappearance as a runaway. When none of the sightings turned up a solid lead, foul play was considered. However, there were never any real suspects. With the necklace as new evidence, we’ll be reopening the cold case.”
Paige braced her hand against the doorframe and stared out into the thick fog that had rolled in at dusk. “That’s horrible. Was Lucinda wearing the necklace when she disappeared?”
“Her grandfather said she was. He had a picture of her wearing it that was taken a few days before she went missing, and he said she rarely took it off. She got it from some guy she was dating that summer.”
“Did the police question this boy?”
“Her grandparents didn’t know who he was, and that was back before kids posted every move they made on social media,” Chris answered. “Her grandfather thought he might have been older than her, but he wasn’t certain. He and his wife weren’t at all happy about her sneaking around. They originally thought Lucinda had gotten mad and taken off without telling them. They reported her as missing a few d
ays later.”
“How awful. Not knowing what happened to her must have been the absolute worst.” Paige leaned her cheek against the cold glass panes inset into the door, feeling a little sick. “I hope she wasn’t a victim of that horrible cult that got busted last year.”
“No, most of those remains have been identified, at least the more recent ones have.”
“That’s good, at least.” Paige let out a long breath. “Do you want me to drive up into the woods with you to show you where we found the necklace?”
“I’d be grateful if either you or Quentin could come with me tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll see him within the hour and ask what his schedule is like. One of us will definitely meet you.”
“I’d appreciate that, and I’ll be in touch. Thanks, Paige.”
“Have a good evening, Chris.” She disconnected and stuck her cell in her pocket with a shaking hand. She didn’t want to think about the young woman who’d disappeared, possibly to meet a horrifying fate.
It might be too late to save Lucinda. But maybe uncovering hidden secrets could still bring the lost girl some long overdue justice.
Chapter Twelve
Quentin wasn’t sure if the red stain on his fingers was from cranberry juice or blood. As he threaded the needle through the berries and stabbed himself for the second time, he swore a little louder than he had a few minutes before.
“You know, they sell pre-made decorations that look exactly like this in the discount bin at the variety store.”
Paige turned on the stepladder where she was winding the strand she’d finished around the upper branches of the tree and gave him a pitying look. “Plastic crap. I don’t do fake if I can help it. All the ornaments I brought over are handmade, most of them created by yours truly in my younger days.”
Quentin had no problem at all with plastic crap, but he kept his mouth shut. Lines bracketed Paige’s tight lips, and her bright blue eyes were dark with shadows. The story she’d told him about the disappearance of the girl who’d owned the necklace was obviously still bothering her. She’d only picked at the chicken pasta dish he’d made for dinner, and he knew it was one of her favorites. Under the circumstances, he was willing to bloody his fingers to make her happy.
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