Close to the Bone (Widow's Island Novella Book 1)

by Kendra Elliot

  How fast does gossip travel these days?

  Julie looked abashed. “My fiancé, Bruce, was there. He’s a deputy. He doesn’t spread rumors, but he does share news with me. And I know how to keep my mouth shut,” she added hastily.

  Cate remembered the young officer. “My grandmother told me you and Bruce moved here recently.”

  Julie nodded. “Yes, we did. Dr. Powers is with a patient right now, but you’re welcome to wait.”

  Eyeing the padded chairs that had to be from the eighties, Cate sat on one and pulled out her laptop, determined to make the most of her time.

  First up: sex offenders.

  Sex offenders were the second set of people investigated in missing teenage girl cases. Family and boyfriends were first. The FBI had checked after Becca had disappeared, and no offenders lived on the island, but Cate wanted to look at the data herself. She searched and found one name had been added three months after Becca had disappeared.

  Maybe it takes a while to show up in the registry?

  Stan Irish. She made a note of his address.

  “Well now. Look at you!”

  Cate glanced up. Edith Starr had emerged from the back of the clinic and stood in the waiting room, glee on her face. Cate immediately stood and was enveloped in the massive hug. Edith was a close friend of her grandmother’s and belonged to the knitting and activist group. She also owned the Black Tail Bakery. Cate had wanted to stop in several times—she could almost taste her memories of the apple fritters—but she hadn’t wanted to answer questions.

  Those questions now shone from Edith’s eyes. “Are you here for your shoulder, honey?” she whispered.

  Cate stiffened. “No. I just have some questions for the doctor. My shoulder is good.”

  Edith’s smile widened. “I’m glad you came home to the island. Its earth is healing, you know. People who have survived life-changing illnesses often end up here.” She leaned closer to Cate and lowered her voice. “They don’t know why . . . but us islanders understand.”

  Acutely aware of Henry’s watchful interest from a few feet behind Edith, Cate could only smile and nod. Stories of the island’s healing power had been part of her childhood.

  “Stop by the bakery,” Edith insisted. “I’ll get you a brownie.” She winked.

  Cate couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up her throat. “I will.”

  Edith said her goodbyes and left.

  Silence filled the waiting room as the vivacious personality left, and she and Henry were abandoned to awkwardly stare at each other.

  His eyes are kind.

  The corners of his mouth rose in amusement. “What’s so special about the brownies? Do they contain a healing herb from the island?”

  “If you consider marijuana an herb, then yes.” His laugh sent warmth through her limbs. “Edith has supplied secret pot brownies for the last forty years or so.”

  “Not so secret?”

  “An open secret, I guess. To get one you have to ask at the counter if there are any fresh brownies still in the oven.”

  “I’ll remember that.” His countenance turned serious. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?”

  A fucking bullet ripped through it.

  “It’s good for now.” She changed the subject. “Have you studied the dental x-rays from Becca and Samantha?”

  A short pause told her he understood her shoulder issues were private. “I have. Come on back.” He turned and gestured for her to follow. Cate grabbed her laptop and trailed after him. He led her into an exam room and flipped on a large light box. A large plastic bin on the counter held human bones. She spotted the skull’s braces through the clear plastic sides of the container.

  Henry slipped two sets of dental x-rays onto the box. “Top is Becca. Bottom is Samantha.” Then he added two larger x-rays that showed the entire smile of a skull. “We’re lucky in that both girls had braces. The orthodontists typically do this larger film of the lower half of the head before starting treatment.”

  The grayscale grins were creepy. She stepped closer, studying the record of Samantha’s teeth, searching for anything familiar of her friend. Nothing. The films were impersonal. “What’s this?” She pointed at a white mark on the far side of Samantha’s large x-ray and noticed a similar mark on the other side.

  “Earrings.”

  “Of course,” Cate muttered, realizing it was the personal piece of Samantha she’d been searching for. Samantha had always worn a pair of tiny diamond studs that’d reportedly been handed down by Camilla Bishop. “A bit of my ancestor in my ears,” Samantha had said.

  Cate had been envious. She had never complained, but the Bishops had been wealthy, while Cate’s family—also descended from Elias Bishop—had struggled.

  “Any conclusions about the identity of the remains?” She turned her attention to the plastic bin, putting Samantha out of her thoughts.

  “Yep.” Henry lifted the skull and mandible from the bin. Cate noticed each bone had been marked in pencil with a code. Tessa had known what she was doing while removing the bones. He pointed at the upper front teeth. “See how the braces brackets are nearly as wide as the teeth on these two teeth? They’re extremely narrow for front teeth.” He didn’t point at the center two teeth but at the teeth flanking them. “There’s a name for the condition when these two teeth are abnormally small . . . I’ll have to search online to find it.”

  Cate immediately stepped closer to the two large x-rays. One had the tiny front teeth. “It’s Becca.”

  “No self-respecting forensic odontologist would make an identification off this one anomaly,” Henry said. “But the skull does have a large white filling on a molar that I can see on the x-rays too. Samantha’s films don’t have any fillings—still not conclusive . . . Samantha could have received the filling after the films were taken.”

  “But no dentist would make Samantha’s front teeth so tiny, right?”

  “The small teeth haven’t had any enamel removed; she was born with them that size. I’m comfortable saying this is definitely not Samantha and highly likely to be Becca,” Henry finished.

  “We’ll officially confirm with an odontologist’s report. Or DNA.” But the results were strong enough for Cate to move forward with Becca’s investigation. “I don’t think we should tell Rex until we get an official confirmation.”

  “It’s hard not knowing what happened to a loved one,” Henry said. His brown gaze was gentle.

  A wave of sorrow washed over Cate. “I’m relieved it’s not Samantha. Is that wrong of me?”

  “No. It means you still have hope.”

  “I do.”

  The awkwardness she’d felt with Henry in the waiting room was gone. She felt . . . comfortable.

  “Have you had lunch?” he asked. A dimple appeared on his left cheek, and she was instantly charmed.

  I have work to do.

  But she was surprised and pleased by the invitation.

  “I can have a quick lunch.”

  Henry chose The Little Garden for lunch because he liked the food, and it was close.

  “I’ve never eaten here,” said Cate. “It used to be an office building.”

  “I think the restaurant is only a few years old,” Henry said as he held the door open. As she passed, he smelled cinnamon, making his stomach growl. Good thing we’re eating. Something about Cate had held his attention last night on Ruby’s Island and again in his waiting room this morning.

  He’d suggested lunch because he hadn’t been ready to let her leave his office.

  They were seated immediately. Only three other tables were occupied. Cate sighed as she sank into the booth. “I love how quiet the island is during the winter.”

  “When I checked out the practice in September, it was mellow then too. Residents have warned me it’s a madhouse in the summer with the tourists.”

  “You won’t recognize it. People everywhere. Traffic. Hour waits at the restaurants. The locals stay away from the towns.”


  “It was warm and sunny when I bought the practice. This cold, dreary winter was a bit of a shock to my system. Especially for a California transplant.”

  “No consistent heat or sun up here,” Cate agreed. “Get used to gray and rain during the winter. Some snow when we’re lucky.”

  She wore a scarf that brought out the blue in her eyes, and some of her long black hair was casually braided, keeping it out of her face. Overall she made a very attractive and fascinating lunch companion.

  She said quick lunch.

  But she didn’t say no.

  “Good afternoon,” said a gaunt man in his fifties as he filled their water glasses. His crisp white shirt and black apron were pristine. “I’m Milton, and I’ll be waiting on you today. Can I bring you something else to drink?” he asked in a formal voice.

  “Coffee,” Henry and Cate said in unison.

  The waiter gave a stiff nod and vanished.

  Henry set his menu aside, knowing he wanted the burger. “What’s your next step in Becca’s investigation?”

  “Supposedly the ferry will be running by tomorrow, and we can send her remains to the lab.” She lowered the menu and rubbed her eyes. “I want to call Becca’s mom in New York and retrace Becca’s last movements. I’ll also talk to Rex and Dustin again.”

  “You have a lot to do. What else?”

  Her lips flattened into a line. “I have a sex offender to follow up on.”

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised they’re on Widow’s Island.” He paused, remembering his unwelcome visitor from that morning. “Does the island have much of a drug problem?”

  She smiled faintly. “Everywhere has a drug problem, but drug problems have been rampant on Widow’s as long as I can remember. The only change is the type of drug.” Her eyes were somber. “There’s not a lot to do here. Unless you’re into fishing or own a business, you have a lot of time on your hands. Drugs are an easy entertainment.”

  “Until your life is no longer your own.”

  “That sounds personal.” Sympathy rang in her tone.

  “My sister. Overdose. I was eighteen.”

  “I’m very sorry.”

  “You could say I have a special hatred for the industry.” Understatement.

  “With good reason.”

  “Y’all ready to order?” asked a waitress. Her plump cheeks were very pink and gave her a jolly air. Unlike Milton, her white shirt had been the victim of a coffee spill.

  “You’re not Milton,” Henry joked, picturing the gaunt waiter.

  “No, I’m Naomi,” she said, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

  “Are you from the island?” Cate asked.

  “Yep. Born and bred. I’ve worked at every restaurant on the island at one time or another. Even the bakery. You get to know everyone’s secrets when you stay in the public eye like I do. The good ones and the bad ones.”

  “Have you heard anything about police activity in the last twenty-four hours?” Cate asked, surprising Henry. Maybe she’s testing the waters.

  Naomi’s eyes widened. “No. What happened?”

  “I was asking you,” Cate answered. “Something’s up. Was wondering if the word was out yet.”

  “Not that I’ve heard.” Anticipation crossed her face. “I’ll ask around. Do y’all know what you want?”

  They both ordered the burger.

  As she left, Cate reached for her bag and winced.

  “Okay,” said Henry. “We’ve ordered the same food and tramped around Ruby’s Island in the dark together. I think it’s safe for you to tell me what’s up with your shoulder. I knew you were in pain last night.”

  Cate took a tiny bottle of ibuprofen from her bag, shook out three, and swallowed them with water before looking him in the eye, her expression grim. “I was shot.”

  Shock rocked through him. “Shot? How?”

  “With a gun,” she said wryly.

  “You know what I mean.” He placed his forearms on the table and studied her closely. He’d seen his share of gunshot victims. Cate looked good from the outside, but he knew how a bullet could leave physical wreckage in its wake. Mental and emotional wreckage too. “What happened?”

  Indecision flickered in her eyes.

  “I won’t gossip,” he promised.

  She gave a short laugh. “Oh, the whole island knows already. Jane saw to that.”

  “Jane. Jane Sutton?” Henry couldn’t think of any other Janes he’d met. “Why would she do that to you?” Annoyance flickered as he thought of the pleasant woman he’d met that morning. Did Jane play me for a newcomer again?

  A wide grin filled her face. “Jane is my grandmother. She meant well by spreading my news.” Cate rolled her eyes. “You know her?”

  “I met her this morning. Nice lady. Didn’t treat me like an outsider.”

  Cate’s brows shot up. “Wow. You must have made quite an impression. Everyone is an outsider to her.”

  “Is she on your Elias Bishop side of the family?” He wondered what he’d done to get on Jane’s good list.

  “Yes. And very proud of her heritage. No one dares put our family down for being descended from the whore . . . not to our faces, anyway.”

  “Do people really say that?” Henry was stunned.

  “Oh yes. Even though it happened generations ago, some grudges go very deep.” She twisted her lips. “Welcome to Days of Our Lives. Island version.”

  “What is the real story of Elias and Ruby? There’s no mention of her in his museum.”

  “I rarely meet someone who doesn’t know the story.” She rested her chin on her hands, her eyes distant as she thought. “Elias started as a shipbuilder in Seattle. He built ships for the US Navy but moved to the islands for an early retirement because Camilla loved this location. She came from a poor coastal family on another island but became a snob with Elias’s success. I heard she never spoke to her family once she’d married Elias. When they’d settled here, their son joined them and started his own family. Somewhere during that time, Elias met Ruby. He was much older than her.”

  “Of course.”

  “I don’t know how long the affair went on, but at some point Elias built a home for Ruby on Widow’s—my grandmother still lives there. It’s not huge like the Bishop mansion, but it’s a nice, quality house. And he constructed a small summer place for her on Ruby’s Island.”

  “The location where Rex Conan built his colossus.”

  “Yes. Ruby had a baby, and Camilla was furious and made her life hell. Elias and Ruby’s affair was a poorly kept secret.”

  “Understandable, since he built her two homes. The public had to notice that.” He couldn’t look away from Cate. The animation in her face as she told the story had hooked him.

  “After that the story gets a little murky, but Ruby and Elias were found dead among the rocks at the bottom of Widow’s Walk one morning.”

  “Camilla did it,” Henry said flatly.

  “Did she?” Cate asked with a quirk of an eyebrow. “Or did they leap off the cliff together, wanting to be with each other in the afterlife, where it’s peaceful?”

  “No one falls that deeply in love. Only in movies. What happened to their baby?”

  “She was raised by Ruby’s sister, who had been her nanny. That baby was Jane’s mother.”

  “Did Camilla go to jail?” The story had sucked him in.

  “No, she had an alibi from her groundskeeper.”

  “Right. Groundskeeper. You weren’t kidding about the soap opera reference. What happened next?” Henry was enamored that Cate was part of the crazy bloodline.

  “Well, Camilla became the most hated woman on the island. Ruby had been a kind young woman, so Camilla was now the evil crone who many believed offed her husband and his lover.”

  “I feel a little sorry for Camilla.”

  “Me too. Being ostracized can’t be fun. The islanders decided to name the tiny bay island Ruby’s Island, and you can imagine how Camilla reacted. I suspect the
y primarily did it to annoy her.”

  “But the other two nearby islands are named Camilla and Elias. She complained even though she had her own island?”

  “Yep. Anyway, Camilla lived a long, miserable life in the Bishop mansion. They say she haunts the mansion, but my friend Samantha lived there and never saw anything. Samantha’s mother, Marsha, lost the huge house a while back. She’s been a little mentally unstable since her daughter vanished.” Cate looked at her plate and fiddled with a fry. “It didn’t help that her husband committed suicide not long after Samantha disappeared. He was suspected in Samantha’s disappearance and hounded by the police.”

  “You didn’t agree.”

  “No. He barely paid attention to Samantha. He was too busy with the Harbor View Inn and Elias’s little museum. He was kind . . . just overworked.” She laid the fry down without eating it. “The Bishop bloodline fizzled out after that.”

  “You have Bishop blood.”

  She shrugged. “To me, my side of the Bishop blood represents strong women. The other side of the blood was about Elias’s money. Ruby’s sister proudly raised that baby despite all the rumors and taught that little girl to be resilient and tenacious. The pride and strength continued through each generation. Jane is a perfect example.”

  Jane’s granddaughter is too. She was shot and is back to work like nothing happened.

  “Everything you’ve told me is true, right? I won’t make a fool of myself if I mention some of the story?” Uncertainty filled his voice.

  Cate choked on a sip of water. “Yes. All true. I’m sorry you’ve been teased.”

  “You told me about Ruby’s ghost in the lighthouse last night.”

  “That’s true.” Her tone was sincere.

  Henry studied her. I can’t tell if she’s joking.

  “No teasing. I actually saw her during my teenage years, but please don’t tell anyone.” Her eyes were earnest, stronger than any gaze he’d seen from her. “Jane says I see her because we’re related.”

  I believe her.

  “You made a believer out of me somehow,” he said slowly, accepting the truth in his words. He was floored. He didn’t believe in ghosts. Until now.