Chest of Secrets

by Wendy Meadows

  Buried in the narrative about the Mackey family history, one name surfaced. Brenda was stunned when she read the short sentence. “Logan Clark, handyman for the Mackeys, stated Bridgett was adamant about preserving family heirlooms.” Nothing else was said about the man but Brenda didn’t need anything else. She called Mac.

  Mac gave a low whistle when he heard the news. “Someone educated in marketing doesn’t usually end up working odd jobs. Tell Logan I want to see him again right away. There are enough discrepancies in his last statements to signal red flags.”

  Brenda walked down the hallway and knocked on the door the Clarks occupied. When there was no answer, she went downstairs to ask her reservationist if she knew where they were.

  “Logan had an emergency with his company in New York and left a little while ago. Jane stayed and is booked through this coming Wednesday. She went downtown.”

  Without answering Allie’s comments, Brenda called Mac right away and told him what had happened. Mac ended the call quickly and summoned Bryce to get two cops to search for Logan Clark. He then alerted the Highway Patrol.

  Brenda called Jenny, Molly and Hope and asked that they let her know if Jane Clark came into any of their shops. “If so, try to keep her around until I get there. Act casual.” None of them asked questions and were on the lookout.

  Jane sucked in the salty ocean air and took a good look at the architecture along the streets of Sweetfern Harbor. She envisioned simplifying her lifestyle and moving up there. It would be an ideal place to set up her design studio. Lost in her thoughts, she heard her name being called. Molly Lindsey waved to her and invited her in for a latté. It seemed to be Jane’s choice the two times she had visited Morning Sun Coffee Shop. Jane accepted. She had the rest of the day to herself and vowed to spend it leisurely. Molly chatted for a couple of minutes and then left to make the latté, but not before she called Brenda. When she came back with it, she smiled at Jane.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I take my break with you.”

  “I don’t mind at all. Logan left for New York and I’d like some company.” Molly poured herself a cup of coffee and joined her. Small talk flowed easily while she waited for Brenda to arrive. In a few minutes, the owner of the bed and breakfast walked in. She greeted Jane and Molly and ordered a cup of lemon verbena tea. She asked Jane if she could join her.

  “Of course,” Jane said. “Logan had an emergency in New York and left all of a sudden. Allie told me the room we are in is mine through Wednesday.” She laughed softly. “In fact, she said it won’t be booked again until next weekend. I’m getting attached to Sweetfern Harbor, much to my surprise, and I may stay until your next booking.”

  “We’d love to have you. Will Logan be back soon?”

  She shook her head. “Who knows? I didn’t even ask him this time what the emergency was. I can’t imagine what would call him back on a weekend. Usually, problems arise famously on Mondays or Fridays. He left in a hurry.”

  Brenda began to pave the way for an informative conversation. She told Jane how she met Mac when she inherited the bed and breakfast after her uncle’s death. “At first I don’t think he thought highly of me, though he adamantly denies that. Anyhow, we fell in love and in our mid-forties married. This is his second marriage. His first wife passed away ten years ago from an illness. Jenny’s Blossoms is owned by my step-daughter.”

  Jane’s expression was one of brief sadness. “You are lucky to have a daughter. I’ve never had children of my own, and as far as I know, neither has Logan. We met when I attended a textile convention to see what was out there. I don’t design anything of fabric, but I have to know some things to coordinate my housewares designs. We married a few years ago. Most of my life has involved my career.”

  “What did Logan do before he got into the textile business?”

  “He told me he worked for a landscaping company. My father was very much against the idea of me marrying someone he deemed penniless. He thought Logan was after my money. My father was wrong. I persisted until he gave in. He told me Logan had to promise to make something of himself or he would see that the marriage was dissolved.” Jane laughed. “We were in our forties by then, and I knew he was powerless to do anything. I have to give him credit, though. My father decided Logan’s career for him and trained him to be a broker in the industry.”

  “Why was Logan at a textile convention if he didn’t know anything about them at the time? I may be prying, but I’m curious.”

  “He was there with a wealthy couple who were getting ready to redecorate their family home. He had driven a second vehicle along with them to bring the stuff back. Now that I think about it, I have no idea how the truck driving correlated with landscaping. It was enough that he was handsome. Something drew us to one another, but we didn’t date until much later.”

  Molly asked if they would like anything to eat. Brenda ordered iced tea and Jane asked for the same drink.

  Brenda wanted to get to the meat of her visit with Jane Clark. “Will Logan call you when he gets into New York?”

  “I’m sure he will. He’s good about that. He’ll tell me what the rush was about.” The woman appeared completely relaxed. If her husband was involved in the cold case, she had no idea. Brenda realized Jane knew very little about her husband. His story about landscaping probably sounded better than admitting he was a handyman.

  Chapter 6

  Entwined Encounters

  Logan Clark loved Jane with all his heart. She was the first and only person he loved. He felt disgusted that he couldn’t tell her the real reason he had to escape Sweetfern Harbor. His life before meeting her may as well have been written into a fictional novel. The reality of what he had gone through and his actions would never be believed as non-fiction. Annette Pickard proved she knew Hal Pickard. It felt as if he’d looked directly into Hal’s eyes when he looked closely at hers. Other than that resemblance, she must have gotten her attractive looks from her mother. Who would have believed Hal would have a child who was into the literary world? He jerked back to his reality. He must find a place to hide out for the next several days. He would call Jane before he left the interstate. If his calls were ever traced, he didn’t want them to show up from somewhere that held no relevance to his life.

  He took the exit to the rest area and parked. He called Jane to let her know he was almost home. “Why don’t you stay there a few extra days, Jane? You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

  Jane told him she had already booked extra days. Brenda held her breath as she listened to Jane on her cell phone. When Jane ended the call, Brenda asked if he had arrived home. Jane told her he was almost there.

  Knowing that Jane Clark wasn’t going anywhere soon, she excused herself and told her guest to enjoy the rest of the day. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”

  On her way back to Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, Brenda called Jenny and Hope to tell them they didn’t have to be on the alert any longer. She called Mac to tell him she thought Jane had no idea of anything amiss with Logan. She explained the conversation.

  “They are definitely in love,” she said. “That may be the one thing that brings him back here.”

  “He may be innocent of any serious crime, Brenda, but my gut feeling is he knows more than he’s letting on. And I’m sure it has something to do with the Mackey murders.”

  Brenda couldn’t argue with that. “If we can find out who he is protecting, that may explain why he is hedging around the truth of his background.”

  When she came into the foyer, Brenda asked Allie if Logan’s signature was on file. Allie stated he signed when they arrived. Brenda looked over Allie’s shoulder at the signature on the screen. She asked Allie to print it off for her and then took it upstairs. Mac had decided to leave the handwritten note in their apartment when he took the chest and items to the precinct. She spread the note open carefully and looked at the letters one by one. Once again, she vowed to take classes in how to decipher handwritings. She put it al
l aside, hoping Mac would see something she missed.

  Everyone gathered in the dining room for dinner, including Mac, who arrived home on time. Brenda sensed he had something to tell her and both excused themselves before desserts were served. Mac told her he spent the rest of the afternoon looking at the records of a criminal who once hung around Sweetfern Harbor.

  “I still haven’t gotten to the end of reading the cold case. Quite a lot of work was done on the case, and it’s a thick folder. However, one name that caught my attention was Hal Pickard. He was someone the police suspected early on. They never gathered proof and so he wasn’t charged with the crime.” Brenda already knew this but she waited. “I looked into back files on Hal Pickard. He delved in petty crimes, mainly stealing. However, in one instance he got caught for attempted kidnapping. And this is the kicker, Brenda. A Logan Clark was a suspect as someone in on it with Hal. They proved Hal tried to take the bank teller along with the money she put together for him, but there was nothing to tell them Logan was the driver of any getaway car.”

  “But Hal did get caught and was tried. Isn’t that why he’s in prison?”

  Mac nodded. “Also, there was never any real proof a getaway car waited for him. He never admitted how he planned to escape. The only thing that kept him from going to prison for life was the fact that he didn’t actually pick up the bag of money. The second security guard came in behind him in the middle of things and took over. They couldn’t say he robbed the bank when he didn’t walk out with the money. He didn’t even have time to put his hands on it.”

  When asked, Mac told her Hal Pickard lived in Sweetfern Harbor from 1978 until early 1983. He disappeared until the most recent crime that landed him in jail, where he presently resides. Mac didn’t know why Logan was suspected at all. Once they cleared him among others questioned, he was allowed to go free.

  “I’m curious about Annette Pickard. Don’t you think it’s a little interesting that she shares the last name with Hal?” Brenda asked. “I think she should be questioned now that you’re opening the cold case. We may find something out about her that never came up.”

  “This is some case, Brenda. I feel like we are in the beginning stages, but the fact we have guests named Pickard and Logan Clark may hurry things along.” He told Brenda that Logan had not arrived home in New York and had not been located yet. Brenda reminded him that Annette Pickard remained in Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. She glanced at her watch when they heard guests coming up to their rooms.

  Brenda went into the hallway and saw Annette coming toward her room.

  “Mac and I would like to talk with you for a few minutes, Annette.” Annette looked at her closed door just a few steps away and back at Brenda. “It won’t take long.”

  Mac went downstairs to Brenda’s private office with his wife and their guest. Annette stood inside the door until Brenda told her to sit down. She decided to be blunt. The time for beating around the bush was long past.

  “Do you know Hal Pickard?” she asked.

  “What about him?”

  “Do you know him?”

  Annette’s shoulders slumped. Her mouth evolved into a thin line. “He’s my father.”

  Mac scooted forward on the edge of the folding chair. “Do you know why he is in prison right now?”

  “I heard he robbed a bank or something. What does this have to do with me?”

  “Did you know he lived in Sweetfern Harbor during the time of the Mackey murders?” Mac eyed her closely. Her face grew ashen. She didn’t answer. “I’m not saying he had anything to do with the crime. I’m just asking if you are aware of that.”

  “I don’t know about my father’s life except things my mother tells me on occasion. There wasn’t much love between the two of them.”

  “I understand your book is based on facts that you believe happened, though it will come out as fiction,” Brenda said. “What is the subject matter of the book?”

  “It is about a murder that took place in a small town. I’ve taken things my mother has said about crimes she knows of and I’ve interviewed some people to gather information. I am putting it all together into a fabricated story that I hope will sell well. I have editing ready so the book is written.”

  “Where does your mother live today?” Mac said.

  “She lives about thirty miles from me in Scranton, Pennsylvania.”

  “I’d love to read your book and give a review for you ahead of your sales,” Brenda said.

  Annette’s hands clinched into fists and her breath came in subtle gasps. “I don’t usually do that. My agent is very good at taking care of initial sales. If you will excuse me, I have a deadline and should get back to my work.”

  After the writer left, Mac chuckled. “Nice try, Brenda. Do you think she is writing facts she knows are true?” Brenda nodded her head yes vehemently.

  “I think I’ll ask Allie to talk to Annette more about her book tomorrow. She isn’t due to check out until three in the afternoon.”

  When they emerged from the office, Tim Sheffield walked into the foyer. The corners of Brenda’s mouth almost reached her ears. “What are you all dressed up for, Dad?” she teased.

  “I have a special date with Anna tonight. I had hoped you’d let her go home early for once.”

  “I had no idea you two had anything planned or I would have told her to leave early. Where are you going?”

  Tim’s eyes danced. He pressed his finger to his lips. “That’s for the two of us to know. Tonight’s a very special night. I’m going to take her home now so she can get ready.”

  “I want to hear everything no later than tomorrow morning, Dad.”

  Mac and Brenda headed back to their apartment. Brenda told Mac she thought her father was finally going to propose to their chef. Mac told her to give them space. “Mark my words, Mac Rivers, tonight is the night. I wish Phyllis hadn’t gone home yet. She could get it out of Anna. It’s my father who is the impenetrable rock.” Mac laughed at his wife. He took her hand, and warmth flooded through both of them.

  Brenda and Mac awakened early the next morning. Mac planned to spend some time in his office on the cold case. Bryce’s interest increased, and Brenda and Jenny resigned themselves to not seeing either of them for the rest of their Sunday. Phyllis sat in the dining room sipping coffee.

  “I didn’t expect you in today, Phyllis. You and William need a day you can call your own.”

  Her head housekeeper waved her hand. “He and the archaeologist Everett Bennett plan to spend their day in the musty archives at the museum. I have the entire day to myself, even though William told me he would be home by noon.” Brenda told her she was without Mac all day. She suggested the two of them pick up Jenny and all go down to Morning Sun Coffee Shop.

  “It’s been a while since Jenny has had a break from her flower shop. And a while since the two of us have had a chance to catch up on the town’s gossip channels.”

  Allie worked this Sunday because she had an entrance exam for college to take on Tuesday. Since Sundays were more laid back, she expected to get some studying in. Brenda asked her in private to find out all she could about Annette’s book, specifically suspected facts that would be included. Allie preferred that challenge over studying for a college entrance test and agreed to do it for Brenda.

  Jenny was delighted to get away for a while. “We’ve been swamped the last few days. The nice weather has brought everyone in to admire and buy flowers. I’ll have to plan bouquets for the big business convention coming up, too.”

  When they walked past Sweet Treats, the drifting aroma of freshly baked goods drew all three inside. Hope pushed a tray of samples toward them. She pointed out the new cheesecake petit fours that she came up with.

  “I hope to get it right and add it to the business convention desserts,” she said. All three proclaimed her success. Phyllis asked her if she could get away to join them at the coffee shop. “I’d like to, but David is picking me up in a little while. We’re going to s
pend the day on the water.”

  Jenny felt a twinge of envy but quickly brushed it away. Hope Williams rarely took time from her shop. Her treats were in high demand around town. Jenny told her to have a relaxing day and a few doors down, the women entered Molly’s shop. Jane Clark sat with a familiar man and his wife.

  “Hello, Andy,” Brenda said. “You and all the crew are doing a great job on our new cottage. I can’t believe your progress.”

  Andy’s wife Tracy greeted the women. “I’ll have to come around and take a look,” she said.

  Molly approached and hugged her mother. “Where’s William today?” Phyllis explained his mission for the day. Morning Sun Coffee Shop had a few customers in it and Molly pushed another table onto the one Jane and the Sheltons sat at. Molly immediately caught Brenda’s attention when she spoke.

  “I’ve been hearing rumors that the construction crew dug up an old chest,” she said. “Was there buried treasure in it, Brenda? I want to hear the whole story.”

  Brenda told her Rich Turner had known there was something hard beneath the surface and how she and Mac dug it up by hand that evening. “There were a few things inside, but we don’t know yet if anything is significant.”

  “I remember my husband talking about an old chest that was buried somewhere. I’ll have to ask him the details when I see him again.” Jane briefly explained how he had returned to New York on urgent business.

  This was one comment that Brenda wouldn’t let hang. “Did he say how long ago?”

  “I don’t think so. It had something to do with before I met him, but he’s tight-lipped about his former life. I think he’s still afraid of my father and his threats to stay steady in his career. He was a landscaper before we met and my father didn’t think that was good enough.” The others smiled, imagining a doting wealthy father concerned about his daughter’s choices in men.