Lake of Secrets

by Shay Lee Giertz

  I brush through my hair and braid it, placing sunglasses on my head. “Done.”

  “It will have to suffice,” Cassie says, as we make our way outside.

  “Oh, by the way, if we’re going to be mystery-solvers, we better make it quick. Gran is sending me back to London.”

  Cassie stops me just past the deck. “What? Why would she do that?”

  “She says that I would be safer back home. She found that blurry picture, and I must have left her Bible out last night.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Gran. She loves it when you guys come during Christmas. Something is not adding up.”

  “Maybe it’s because I was witness to that Indian guy coming over and threatening her. Maybe she thinks I know too much. And if I stay longer, I may find stuff out and get in trouble.”

  Cassie squares her shoulders. “Then I guess we have our work cut out for us, but you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

  “She practically begged me. What was I supposed to say?”

  We keep walking.

  Mitch has been watching us stop and start and now smiles at us. With a laugh, he says, “I wondered if you two would ever make it down.”

  “Family business,” I say. “So, what’s up?”

  Mitch’s face turns serious. “Last night, I hiked to the sight. To pay my respects, check it out, that kind of thing. Well, this huge monster truck was parked near the forest, and I got this weird vibe about it.”

  “A monster truck? With humongous wheels? And black paint with a red streak?”

  “Yes, that’s the one.”

  “That’s the same guy that came to the house and threatened Gran!”

  Cassie stops batting her eyelashes at Mitch. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive,” I say.

  “I found that same guy at the top of the cliff, right before it drops down to the beach.”

  “What was he doing?”

  “He acted upset. Said that he knew the girl, and was paying respects, too. But he said something that made me pause. He said something about a baby.”

  “A baby?” Cassie and I both ask the question.

  “Yes, he said that the girl had a baby or was expecting a baby. I’m not sure. Like I said, he was upset.”

  My brain starts crunching numbers. Forty years ago. A baby may have been born. “We need to find this baby,” I say.

  Mitch says, “I have a suggestion, but please don’t hate me.”

  “What?”

  “We need to get the DNA of your Dad and your grandmother.”

  My eyes widen. “Why would we need to do that? They have nothing to do with this.”

  “Do you know for absolute certain that your grandmother carried and delivered your father?”

  “That’s absurd,” Cassie says. “Of course she did.”

  “All I know is that what’s happening to you, shouldn’t be happening. Unless—”

  “Unless what?” I ask, not sure I wanted to hear it.

  “Just get their DNA. The local police post will run it for a small fee. It will rule out our theory of possibly being related.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Cassie asks, all niceties gone. “Are you trying to destroy my family?”

  “My family’s already destroyed,” Mitch addresses her with an urgent glint in his eye. “And if we don’t hurry, your cousin may share the same fate.”

  19

  I feel sick. Mostly because his words ring with some truth. The easiest thing to do is to take something they’ve touched and drunk from and place it in separate baggies. Simple to do, but do I want to find out the answer?

  “Are you okay?” Cassie whispers as the three of us walk to the house. “The test results will show that Gran and Uncle Sam are related. I know it. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “I hope so. I won’t worry as much about being this guy’s blood relative.”

  “It just seems weird to not trust Gran.”

  “I know,” I say. “I do trust her though. Whatever her reasons, I trust she loves us and wants what’s best for the family.”

  Cassie nods and places her arm around me. “I’m so glad I came. What would you have done without me?”

  I think of Isaac, and my heart nearly breaks all over again. But she’s waiting for an answer, so I squeeze her shoulders and say, “I’m glad you’re here, too.”

  We slow as we hear the raised voices. It’s Gran and Aunt Sue.

  “Brace yourself,” I warn Mitch. “Maybe they’ll stop when they see I have a guest.” But I know that won’t happen before the words are done leaving my mouth. Cassie goes in first, sits at the table flipping through a magazine. When I come in with Mitch, she looks over at Gran and Aunt Sue and rolls her eyes.

  “Traitor!” Gran yells. “I can’t believe my own daughter—my flesh and blood—is a traitor!”

  “Mom, Cassie gets part of her tuition covered because I work there. Plus, she won’t have to stay in the dorms. It’s a no-brainer.”

  “No family of mine is going to that…that… place. It was bad enough when you accepted a job there.”

  “I have to feed my family. And that place is Michigan State. It’s a good school.”

  “Lies!” Gran yells. “I’m paying for my granddaughters to go to the University of Michigan. That’s always been the plan. Why is everyone changing everything?”

  “Save your money. I can take care of my daughter.”

  “Save my money? For what? I’m almost dead!”

  Dad walks in, looks at me with a what-in-bloody-blazes-is-going-on, and steps in front of Aunt Sue. “Let it rest, sis.”

  “She started it!”

  Gran sticks her tongue out at her daughter. When she sees me with Mitch, she raises her eyebrows.

  “Everyone, this is Mitch. He’s a friend of Isaac’s and mine.”

  “And mine!” Cassie pipes up.

  “Mitch Blackstone,” Gran says and pours herself a cup of coffee. She pushes her hair away from her eyes and says, “My condolences to your family.” She drinks from the cup, and the three of us watch her with hungry eyes.

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh, is that a relative?” Dad asks, pointing across the lake. “I’m so sorry.”

  Aunt Sue nods at Mitch, but she quickly leaves the kitchen, still in a huff.

  “Why do you have to start stuff?” Dad turns to Gran. “It’s not good for your heart to get that worked up.”

  “Me? I’m trying to defend my family’s traditions.”

  She sets the cup down, and Cassie is already up and at the sink. “I’m going to help with dishes. Gran, why don’t you relax? Uncle Sam, where’s your coffee mug?”

  “Oh, it’s over there at the table. Ginnie, help your cousin clean up.”

  Dad leaves the kitchen with Gran.

  I hurry and grab the sandwich baggies. I hand one to Cassie and one to Mitch. Mitch looks at three mugs on the table. “My Dad is the only one who uses cream.”

  Mitch inspects the cups. “There’s two with cream.” He holds up a green one. “There’s this one, and there’s a red mug with cream in it too.”

  “The one you’re holding is Uncle Sam’s,” Cassie says. “I saw him drinking from a green mug this morning.”

  “The red one’s mine,” I say. “I had it outside this morning and brought it in when I went to get the door.”

  “And this cup has black coffee hardly touched,” Mitch says, looking at a striped cup.

  “That’s my mom’s,” Cassie says. “She never drinks all her coffee.”

  We place Dad’s green cup in one baggie, and Gran’s large mug in a separate one.

  “Easy-peasy,” Cassie says. “What’s next?”

  “I’ll keep you posted on the results.” Mitch goes to leave.

  “I don’t think so,” Cassie acts offended. “We are going with you. Right, Ginnie?”

  “Sounds like a plan. I want to be there for the results.”

  Someone knocks on the fro
nt door.

  “I’ll get it!” Cassie runs past us to the front door.

  “Busy place,” Mitch says.

  “Yeah, it’s even busier when my Uncle Doug’s here, but he’s fishing pretty much all day today.”

  “I don’t know what it’s like to have a regular family. It’s been my mother and me for twenty years, and she suffers from depression. It’s been lonely.”

  His words pull at my heart. “When I’m in London, it’s mostly just me and my Dad. But I’ve never felt lonely with him.”

  “I turned to golf. That was my escape. Now it helps me earn my keep. So, it all works out.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve got a bunch of news articles I unearthed yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to read through them all.”

  “I could stay and help.”

  “Yes,” I say. “I mean, I wanted you to, but I didn’t know how it would sound.”

  “I get it.” He grinned. “But look at it this way, if we’re right, you and I are related somehow.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you’re going to be disappointed.”

  “Why is it so hard to believe? It’s a small world. I’ve heard that we’re only six people removed from every person on the planet.”

  I motion for him to follow me and lead him down the hallway toward the front of the house and Gran’s office. I stop when I notice Isaac standing in the entryway. His mouth is curved down like he’s displeased Cassie is here.

  I bet.

  When he sees me, he smiles, then notices Mitch. “Hey, Mitch. What are you doing here?”

  “Just wanted to talk to Ginnie.”

  “It’s a long story,” I add, then stop myself. Why am I defending being with Mitch?

  “Want to go see a movie tonight?” Isaac asks me, completing ignoring the other two people in the room. “I have to be at work in a few minutes, but it’s only a five-hour shift. I could pick you up around seven?”

  Cassie is staring at me with a look that says I’m supposed to be helping her. Even if she is exaggerating about their relationship, the fact they had one and Isaac hadn’t told me sets me on edge. But I should at least talk to him about it before I assume the worst. His body language shows that he’s not enthused about Cassie being here. “Sure. That sounds fun.”

  Cassie jumps in. “I know. Why don’t we all go on a double date? Ginnie and Mitch, and Isaac and me. The movies sound fun. There’s that new Channing Tatum movie.”

  Isaac seems so tense, I almost feel sorry for him. He keeps glancing at me like he wants to say something, but I’m still hurt. So, I turn to Mitch and say, “Let’s go check out those articles.”

  I walk into Gran’s office while Mitch says something quietly to Isaac. Once we’re in the office, I shut the two French doors. Cassie is already talking nonstop to Isaac. I make eye contact with him, and my heart breaks all over again. I turn and go to the computer desk.

  “You know he doesn’t like her, right?”

  “Hmm? Who?”

  “You know who. Why are you letting your cousin torture Isaac?”

  “She’s not torturing him. Plus, she has a crush on him and made it clear to me last night that there was some history between them. I don’t want to get involved in all that. I’ve got a ghost spooking me, remember?”

  “Whatever you say,” Mitch shrugs. “Is she eighteen?”

  “Yes.”

  “If she ever gets tired of him, let me know.”

  “Why wait until then. If you’re interested, go for it.”

  Mitch watches her from the computer desk and smiles. “Maybe. Show me the articles.”

  I hear the door shut and sneak a look out the window. It takes every ounce of will power to keep my butt firmly on the seat and not chase after him.

  “The articles…”

  “Sorry.” I hand him half the stack of papers. “Most of the stuff is internet articles and blogs on ghosts and paranormal activity. My grandmother has an article on the actual missing girl. I open the file cabinet, but the Bible and rosary are gone. “She took them,” I say. “They were right here.”

  “That’s okay. I know the article. My mother has it. Eventually, everyone forgot about her,” he says in resignation. “But my mother has never forgotten.”

  “Oh Mitch, that’s awful.”

  My cell phone beeps with a message. It’s from Isaac. Please, lets’ talk.

  “It’s Isaac, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “My suggestion is to just tell your cousin the truth. No harm, no foul. It’s going to come out eventually.” He sets the article, along with the others, down and looks at me. “The library will have better archives. Besides I need to talk to my mom and get her DNA sample. Want to come with?”

  “Why do you need her DNA sample?”

  “Because she and Barbara were identical twins. My mother will have the same DNA.”

  “Your mother works at the library?”

  “Yes.” He stands and stretches. “She needs to know what’s going on. And she’ll want to meet you.”

  “Sure, let me change.”

  I run up the stairs as Cassie comes down. She walks into the office and starts chatting with Mitch. Poor bloke. She’ll talk his ear off. Then again, maybe he’ll make a move.

  Aunt Sue is sitting on her bed with her laptop on her lap, typing feverishly. Her door is open though, so I decide to see if she remembers anything.

  “Hi, Aunt Sue. Are you busy?”

  “Hmm? No, dear. Not really. Just typing my assistant a message. If I don’t leave him clear details, nothing will get done.” She finishes, then shuts the hand-held computer. “So, what’s up? Sorry, you and your friend had to walk in on that little disagreement.”

  “Oh, no worries.”

  “Your father says you’re leaving soon. Is everything okay?”

  So, they omitted that Gran wanted me leaving? “I just miss Mum, and my friends, and London.”

  Aunt Sue smiles in understanding. “It probably was very difficult for a girl your age to pack and leave, especially so quickly, but we love to have you here. We don’t see you enough.”

  I nod because I don’t know what to say to that. After a few seconds, I blurt, “Do you remember anything from when Dad was a baby?”

  Aunt Sue leans her head back in surprise. “No. Not really. I was only two when I became a big sister. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason.”

  I say thanks and turn to leave. Aunt Sue stops me and says, “I remember your Dad was fussy. Very fussy. If I’m not mistaken, Gran hired one of her students to help watch us because we were so hard to manage. I like to blame that on Sam.”

  “One of her students?”

  “I don’t remember much about her, other than she liked holding Sam a lot. I don’t think she gave me that much attention.” Aunt Sue smiles at the memory.

  Cassie’s laughter carries up the stairs. I wonder how Mitch is doing down there with her as company.

  After I’m dressed, I brush my hair and put some gloss on my lips. If I do go to the movies tonight, I’ll have to try a bit harder than this, but for now, it’ll do. I run down the stairs and pause. Mitch is telling Cassie this elaborate story, and Cassie is hanging onto his every word. He must get to the punch line because Cassie starts laughing again. Mitch’s grin spreads across his face, no doubt in delight. Cassie is quite a catch.

  But that makes me think of Isaac, which makes me frown. I take out my phone to text him, but I pause, not knowing what to say. I’m horribly awkward already, and I don’t know how to broach the topic with Isaac or Cassie. So, I shove the phone back in my pocket. “All right, I’m ready.”

  “There you are!” Cassie exclaims. “We wondered what happened to you.” They start snickering again. “Mitch says I can come, too. This is going to be so much fun!” Cassie runs out of the room and yells up the stairs to Aunt Sue.

  I raise my eyebrows at Mitch. It’s weird because technically he’s a stranger, b
ut I feel like I know him.

  He grins and shrugs, “What? She’s cute. Besides, if I keep her occupied, you can have time with Isaac. It’s a win-win.”

  “What’s a win-win?” Cassie asks as she slips into her shoes.

  “Going to the library and meeting Mitch’s mother,” I say quickly.

  Mitch walks past us to the door and holds it open for us. Cassie looks at me quickly and whispers, “Do I look all right?”

  “Of course. What a silly question.”

  She smiles and heads outside, her blonde hair bouncing with each step as she bounds for Mitch’s truck. Mitch watches her, too. “Boy, she’s something.”

  I sigh and follow her. “She sure is.”

  Luckily on the ride to the library, Alisa calls me. Cassie chose to sit in the middle between me and Mitch, so they don’t seem to mind when I take the call.

  “Hey there,” I say into the phone.

  “You are such a ninny!” she yells in excitement. “How can you call yourself a close mate of mine and not tell me you get to come home!” She’s squealing, and I would squeal, too, but Cassie and Mitch can already hear Alisa through the phone, so I’m not going to add to that.

  “I haven’t had a chance to call you, but yeah, Dad’s buying the ticket for a couple of days from now. I guess he got Mum to agree.”

  “We ran into her at one of the record shops. She says that we can chum it up the whole summer! I’m already planning a party.”

  “Why was Mum at a record shop? Why were you?” I laugh because Mum’s idea of music is listening to herself sing off-key in the shower, and if it isn’t a Korean boy band, Alisa isn’t interested.

  “She was flirting with the owner. They might be an item, I’m not sure.”

  Mitch pulls into the library’s parking lot.

  “I’ve got to go,” I say as we scramble out of the truck. “I’ll let you know the exact times as soon as I find out.”

  When I end the call, Cassie’s watching me. “I still can’t believe you’re leaving. Not if I have anything to do with it. I don’t ever see you, other than at Christmas.”

  “You come out and visit.”

  “Not since I was twelve!”

  I press my lips together, not knowing what to say. I guess I never realized how much Cassie wanted me there. She turns and walks into the library without saying another word.