The aroma of coffee mixed with the cinnamon rolls just coming out of the oven. This was his favorite hangout in town. The coffee shop had been around for ten years or so, and the brew was always strong and roasted to perfection. The building had once been a bar in the late 1800s, and it boasted wide plank floors, tin ceilings that soared to sixteen feet, and a polished wood bar top with its original mirrors behind it. The character in the place always made him feel like putting his feet up on the heavy wooden tables and watching TV.
The bell on the door tinkled, and Jermaine entered with his wife. Zach waved to them and pointed to the empty chairs at his table.
Michelle joined him, and Jermaine went to the counter to order. They’d been married five years. She made a line of organic skin-care products with lavender oil from her farm. Judging from her beautiful Asian skin, it worked well. Her glossy black hair hung in a braid over one shoulder.
Michelle pulled out a chair and settled in it. She wore a flannel shirt over slim-fitting jeans tucked into work boots. “Did you come in to help?”
“Yeah, you two also?”
She nodded. “Jermaine had been looking forward to a day off, but it was not to be.”
Jermaine, dressed in work clothes and boots, handed his wife a cup. “Venti mocha with whip. That will give you the energy to get through the day.” He sat in the chair beside Zach.
Zach took a sip of his coffee. “Did you suffer any damage from the quake at your house?”
“A crack in the living room ceiling was about all I found,” Jermaine said.
Michelle was studying him with a knowing expression. “What’s this I hear about you and Shauna?”
“What are you hearing?”
“That the two of you are getting pretty cozy.” Her eyes smiled at him over the rim of her coffee cup.
“Well, we’ve always been friends.”
“Not always,” Jermaine put in. “I’ve heard some pretty heated words since Jack died.”
Zach wanted the world to know he wasn’t responsible for his best friend’s death, but now wasn’t the time. The sheriff had been adamant about keeping the details of the murders quiet. “She got over that. We’re getting along okay.”
“You’ve always had a thing for her,” Michelle said.
His fingers curled into his palms. “What do you mean by that? She was married to my best friend. I never made a move on her. Ever.”
“I didn’t mean you made a pass, goofball, but you’ve always watched her with a lot of admiration.”
“Well, yeah, she’s been my friend ever since Jack started dating her. I approved of her for Jack.”
“Are you saying you’re not attracted to her and never have been?”
Michelle had him there. “I’d have to be blind not to have noticed she’s beautiful, kind, and a good person.”
She sat back with a satisfied expression. “You didn’t see me, but I was in town during the earthquake yesterday. I saw the panic on your face, and the way you focused on making sure she was safe. Looked like love to me, my friend.”
His face burned, and he took a gulp of coffee. “I’m just helping out. I owe it to Jack.”
Jermaine’s pale-green eyes held amusement. “Tell yourself whatever you want, boss, but I’ll bet you there will be a wedding ring on your finger within a year. Want to take that bet?”
Zach shifted his gaze across the street to the sheriff’s office. Karl stepped out the door and headed toward the coffee shop. “Here comes Karl, and I need to talk to him.” At least he wouldn’t have to face the inquisition any longer.
Zach stepped out into the brisk wind and dodged a wheelbarrow full of rubble, then held up his hand toward Karl. “Hold up there a minute, buddy. Got time for a coffee?”
Karl stopped near a pile of shattered glass from a demolished car. “I have an appointment at the office in a few minutes, so I’ll have to take a rain check.”
“I heard you had information about Clarence’s murder. I’m trying to keep Shauna and Alex safe, and I was hoping you’d share with me whatever you know.”
Karl’s light-brown eyes softened. “Ever the protector. I don’t know much, really. I came across a box of Darla’s belongings in a compartment in the trunk. I thought there might be something important in her things so I brought it to the sheriff.”
Zach frowned. “In your car? I don’t get it.”
“I had bought her old car for my granddaughter to drive back and forth to school. The Camry was in good shape and didn’t have that many miles on it. Alyssa had a flat a couple of days ago, and it was the first time she’d opened the trunk. There was a box of stuff in it. She and Darla were good friends.”
“Did you look through it?”
Karl nodded, and a lock of his thick salt-and-pepper hair fell over his forehead. “There was a denim jacket and snacks.” He hesitated. “There were also needles and some white powder. I thought it might be heroin or some other kind of drug. I guess it proves Darla went back to the drugs. Sad.”
Would this new evidence take Darla’s death out of the investigation if the powder proved to be heroine? Zach didn’t know what to think.
Storm clouds built in the west behind the mountains, but the storm was far enough out that Shauna would be able to return to the airport before it hit. She sat on a log near her chopper and listened to the birds chirp in the trees surrounding the clearing. The distant voices of her clients mingled with the tinkle of running water in an unseen stream.
She couldn’t get the picture of Zach last night out of her head. It only would have taken one of them leaning toward the other for them to have kissed. Her burgeoning feelings for him still felt disloyal to Jack, even though she’d told herself over and over again he would want her to move on with her life. It was one thing to know something in your head and another thing to really believe it in your heart.
Guy and his two associates stepped out of the woods, and she rose to head toward the helicopter. “Just in time. That storm looks nasty. I’d like to be back to Lavender Tides before it hits.”
Guy’s frown didn’t lessen, but he nodded. A lock of golden-brown hair lay plastered on his damp forehead. “We’re done here for now, though I’d like you to fly over the western part of the Jupiter Quadrangle.”
She stopped in her tracks and turned. “What did you say? The western part of what?”
“The Jupiter Quadrangle. We’re on the southeastern part of the Mount Jupiter Quadrangle. I think the runoff is coming from something in the western part.”
“Jupiter Quadrangle. Funny term.” Her pulse throbbed in her throat. When Zach had mentioned it last night, he wasn’t sure if it was connected, but here was a prime opportunity to find out.
Guy pulled a creased and dirty map from his back pocket. “The forestry department has the area divided into quadrangles.” He unfolded it and turned it toward her. “We’re here.” He pointed a muddy finger at their location. “I would have guessed you’d know all that.”
“I don’t use forestry maps to fly.”
“Why the questions then? You seem pretty intense about it.”
She wasn’t about to explain her husband’s last words about checking out Jupiter. “I hate being caught flatfooted about directions.” She turned back toward her helicopter and jogged over to climb in and start the rotors. A few fat drops of rain hit the windshield, and she wasn’t sure they would get back before the force of the storm hit. The low, churning clouds had moved faster than she’d anticipated.
She motioned to Guy and the other two men. “Let’s head out.”
They climbed into the chopper, and she lifted off as soon as she could. Winds buffeted the bird, but she kept the chopper level and veered west.
The area was heavily forested, so it was going to take a lot of hiking to see anything important. Was she even on the right track? From the air she saw nothing that didn’t seem to belong, just endless treetops and rocky hillsides.
Guy pointed out a steep hillside on the
very edge of the area. “The runoff might be coming from there.”
The place looked familiar, then it clicked. The Baers’ orchard. She’d have to mention it to Zach. Lightning flickered across the sky. “We need to get back.”
Lightning continued to flash and rain wrapped the helicopter as she headed for the airport. Perspiration dampened her forehead by the time she set the chopper on the pad. She ran through the cold rain to the office and waved to her passengers as they pulled out of the parking lot in Guy’s big truck.
Zach looked up when she burst into the office and shook the rain off her head. He held out a mug. “I just poured the coffee and haven’t had any of this yet. You need it more than I do.”
She curled her fingers around the mug and took a gulp of warming coffee. “Thanks. Hey, I learned something today.” She dropped into a chair and told him about the run off. “It’s in that Jupiter Quadrangle.”
Zach poured another mug of coffee from the rolling cart behind his desk, then returned. “Harry sent me a map. Let me take a look.” He pulled it up on his computer. “Yeah, I see what you’re saying. The hillside is right there.” He stabbed a finger on the spot.
She took another sip of coffee and studied the map on his screen. “Did Jack have any forestry maps? I never asked how he knew where to go on his hikes and climbs.”
“I think I have a box of his climbing stuff in one of the lockers. Let me see what’s there.” He set down his mug on the battered desk and went to the back storeroom.
Shauna warmed her hands on the mug and tried not to raise her hopes. Even if Jack’s comments referred to the Jupiter Quadrangle, it was a large area to explore. They still had no idea what it might mean, or even if it was the same Jupiter he referred to in his video.
Zach came back through the door with some maps in his hand. “Bingo! There’s a Mount Jupiter one here, and it’s got several areas circled.”
She jumped up and looked over his shoulder as he smoothed out the creased map onto the desk. “Any idea why these areas would be marked?”
“They are all areas we’ve climbed and hiked, but there might be more to it than that. I can check them out.”
“How about we land and hike them together?” She watched pleasure spread over his face. Even though the invitation had popped out of its own accord, she didn’t regret it. Something was happening between them, and she wanted to see where it would lead.
Chapter 29
Shauna glanced out Marilyn’s kitchen window into the backyard to see Alex’s legs dangling from the tree house Jack had built him. He’d be occupied for a while. The aroma of oyster stew made her mouth water, and she settled on a bar stool near the stove.
Marilyn stirred the stew, then put down the spoon. “You want to stay for dinner?”
Shauna glanced at the clock above the sink. “We can’t stay. Zach is barbecuing tonight, and I told him we’d be home by six.”
Marilyn’s lips compressed into a straight line. “I see.”
At least Shauna didn’t have to endure a tirade about Zach’s guilt, but it was probably going to take time for Marilyn to put all her anger to bed. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“You’ve heard something about Jack’s death?”
Shauna shook her head. “No, nothing like that.” Though she knew every waking thought should be focused on finding the murderer and getting him behind bars, she couldn’t keep her thoughts from straying to her missing siblings. “You know about my brother and sister. Through this investigation we’ve learned they are likely still alive.” She told Marilyn about her dad’s affair and how his mistress claimed he’d let the children go into foster care.
Marilyn’s hazel eyes widened as the story spilled out. “I know you want to believe all this, Shauna, but have you stopped to think this woman might be telling you this to cause you pain? Maybe she wants to punish Lewis for deserting her. There’s no proof of what she’s told you.”
Shauna hadn’t thought of any of that. “No, there’s no proof.” Could Marilyn be right and it was all lies? She didn’t want to believe that. She wanted to cling to the hope that she’d find her siblings again someday.
Marilyn tucked a lock of her short auburn hair behind an ear. “If it were me, I’d try to corroborate the story. Talk to some people in Child Protective Services. Some of those working then might still be there, and even if they aren’t, some records should exist.”
“I don’t have time right now, not until I know we’re safe, but you’re right. I should start by verifying Dorothy’s story.”
It had been a mistake to talk to Marilyn about it. All the hope Shauna had been feeling leaked out like coffee from a cracked cup. She studied Marilyn’s expression—the flattened lips, the furrowed brow, and the way she didn’t look Shauna’s way. “Do you want me to be unhappy forever, Marilyn?”
The older woman’s head came up, and her narrow shoulders stiffened. “Of course not, Shauna. Why would you say something like that? I’m simply trying to make sure you don’t have unrealistic expectations.”
“It’s not just about my siblings.” Shauna slid off the bar stool and paced the travertine floor. “When you think of my future, what do you see?”
Marilyn stared at her. “Is this about Zach?”
Shauna’s chest hurt as she recognized the wariness in Marilyn’s face. Until the last few days she would have said her mother-in-law felt unconditional love for her. Now she wasn’t so sure. “No, this is about me. Do you love me because I was married to Jack or for myself? What would it do to our relationship if I got remarried or if I found my siblings and had another piece of family to love and depend on?”
Marilyn’s eyes flashed. “You’re marrying Zach, aren’t you? Just like I thought. The next thing I know you won’t even come around with Alex anymore. You don’t need me now, do you?”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all!” Shauna crossed the room and tried to embrace Marilyn, who stood ramrod stiff with her arms crossed over her chest. “Don’t you want more out of life for me than an empty house after Alex is grown?”
Marilyn jerked away. “I’ve had an empty house for many years, and I’m perfectly happy that way.”
“But maybe I’m not. I’m still young, Marilyn.” Shauna dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m not buried with Jack. Even if I finally am able to move on to a new life, I won’t abandon you. You’re my family.” Shauna’s vision blurred with tears, and she reached toward Marilyn, who stared back without making any welcoming move.
The back door flew open, and Alex rushed into the room carrying a tattered bouquet of lavender. “Mommy, a man gave these to me for you.” He thrust them under Shauna’s nose.
Her eyes began to burn, and her sinuses swelled. She stepped away as a headache pulsed at her temples. “What man, Alex?”
“I didn’t see him, but men always give the flowers, don’t they? He left them in the driveway with this note for you.” With his other grimy hand he produced a white envelope with her name typed across the front.
Her head was pounding in earnest, and she plucked the note from his hand. “Take the flowers outside, sweetheart. I’m allergic to lavender.”
His expression fell. “I forgot. I’ll throw them away.” He retreated through the door and shut it behind him.
She hated that she’d had to disappoint him. Who would have left these flowers? With one finger under the flap, she ripped open the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper inside. Her breath caught at the message.
There’s nowhere to hide. Give me what I want or the kid might get something a little more deadly. Like peanut butter.
She felt faint and grabbed the edge of the countertop. Who knew about her allergy, and more importantly, who knew peanut butter could kill her son?
He watched the kid from the shadows of the tree line. Through the window he could see Shauna in the kitchen with her mother-in-law, and they seemed to be in a heated discussion from their tense postures. Maybe he c
ould grab the kid and get away before they even noticed. He had to make sure the boy didn’t cry out and alert them, and that might be difficult with him in a tree.
Alex was sitting in the doorway of the tree house, and his sneakered feet swung back and forth. He was dressed in jeans and a Seahawks sweatshirt. The weathered boards indicated it had been there for a while, probably built by his dad.
He’d come prepared to make sure the kid couldn’t identify him if it all went wrong. He glanced toward his vehicle parked on the narrow fire road and nearly hidden by the bushes. Careful to stay hidden in the shadows, he walked back to his car and hit the button on his fob to unlock the trunk. He quickly donned the Halloween costume he’d bought two hours ago, then went back to his lookout spot. He rustled the trees to make noise.
Alex turned toward the sound. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. “Spider-Man?”
“That’s right. I’ve been watching you because I really need a new sidekick. Fighting crime by myself has gotten pretty hard.”
Alex scrambled down, the rope ladder swaying with the speed of his descent. A smile stretched from ear to ear as he jumped from the final rung and ran toward the trees. “What’s my name going to be?”
“Alex the Smart, because I know how bright you are. You can help me figure out the best way to trick the bad guys.”
Alex’s smile vanished, and his turquoise eyes went somber. “Daddy always told me to think about what I’m going to do. That way I won’t get in trouble.” He looked back toward Marilyn’s house. “And I should always talk to Mommy first.”
An idea arced through his head. Maybe he could talk the kid into fetching the key. “I have your first assignment, but you can’t tell your mother. She might accidentally say something and then the Joker will get word of it.”
Alex’s brows drew together. “The Joker is Batman’s enemy. Is he around here? Is Batman with you?”
The View from Rainshadow Bay Page 19