Cat hung on to every word. “You were raised in Ohio?” she asked, greedy for information sure to benefit Ryan. He didn’t know where his extended family lived, or where his grandparents were buried. She’d keep Julia’s darkest secrets, but not this. “Your sisters still live here?”
“All four of them, yes.”
“How were you different?”
“I craved adventure. I can’t even tell you why. I had loving parents, and all the advantages of wealth. It was never enough.”
“You wanted more?” Of what, she couldn’t imagine.
“I wasted hours dreaming about a new life away from the family that gave me so much. I wanted adventure, no matter the cost. Or perhaps I hoped the cost would be high—high enough to puncture the cocoon of privilege I’d always known.” Julia pressed her hand to the scar beneath her eye. Blood fled the site. “Why are some people fascinated by danger?”
“I’m not sure. I’m not one of them.”
“You’re fortunate. When I left Ohio, my family was distraught. I loved California—the liberal thinking and the lively art scene. So I moved to San Francisco, nearly put an ocean between my future and the happy past.” Julia returned the teacup to the platter so her shaking hands wouldn’t spill the entire steaming cup. “That was one of my favorite sayings growing up: even an ocean between us won’t make me completely free. It made my older sister furious when I talked that way.”
“She didn’t want you to leave?”
“Heavens, no. Not that she could refute my success, how I made a new life on the rim of the Pacific. All of my sisters married, settled down—but I was content to design jewelry and work my way up the career ladder at Lux Jewels.”
A shadow crossed her eyes, bringing with it untold memories. In her lap, her fingers curled into the folds of her loose sundress. “I’d lived in San Francisco for many years before George came along. He was uneducated, utterly gorgeous, more than ten years younger. I let passion blind me.” She grimaced. “Willingly.”
Cat struggled to understand. “You knew about his temper before you married?” Surely he didn’t reveal the worst parts of his nature until after they wed.
“I wasn’t stupid. There were enough warning signs to ward off a sensible woman. If I was stupid about anything, it was my reproductive chances. Much as I wanted a child, I didn’t expect to get pregnant at forty-one. I knew what kind of life I’d bring our child into.”
“Why did you ignore the warning signs about Ryan’s father?”
Bitterness swirled around Julia. “The sex was enough to sway me. More than enough—it was everything. I’d never met a man so capable of giving me pleasure. I’m telling you this in confidence,” she added. “I’m relying on you not to share the worst aspects of my past with my son.”
“I won’t tell him.”
“Thank you. It’s best to leave Ryan with his illusions. I’ve destroyed enough relationships for one lifetime.”
“You mean with your family?” Cat whispered, astonished by her curiosity. The revelations were shocking. Beatings accepted in trade for passion, and a marriage descending into violence. The urge to shut down the conversation nearly brought her to her feet.
The impulse didn’t escape Julia. “Do you believe in coincidence?” She posed the question lightly, as if they were playing a game.
“I don’t.” The firm reply brought to mind the circle of women who met on the beach in dawn’s purplish light, and other meetings Cat had glimpsed through the years when the moon rode high in the star-flecked sky. “My mother is part of a women’s group. They believe every moment of our lives carries purpose. Not like predestination; we make our own choices. Each decision opens up new opportunities that wouldn’t exist if we’d made a different choice.”
“You’re referring to the Sirens. Ruth mentioned them on our walks. I do agree. Our lives are twined with surprising opportunities.” Regret punctuated the comment as she added, “When my son explained he’d fallen in love, he didn’t mention immediately where you live. When he did, I was frightened. Confronted with the worst sort of synchronicity, and the best. I’m still not sure if all of this is a blessing or a curse. I’ve done nothing to warrant the chance to heal the relationships I’ve destroyed. Certainly not the most important one.”
Cat’s mind sprinted ahead. “When did you break off contact with your family?”
“I don’t recall the exact date.”
“In September?”
Julia stared at her blankly. She swallowed a gulp of air. “Why, yes. It was September. I called her from Salt Lake—”
The words choked off, leaving behind a painful silence.
Cat used the moment to weave the threads into meaning. She latched on to Julia’s words, the ones spoken in jest to her older sister.
Even an ocean between us won’t make me completely free.
The taunt brought to mind the feathers used by the Sirens for the most significant tokens. The talismans were meant to impart courage, or guide a woman forced onto a treacherous path. They were meant to provide spiritual protection during the most pivotal moments of a woman’s life.
The feathers used for those most significant tokens were always blue, like the ocean.
Breathless, Cat produced the token retrieved from the velvet pouch. “Does your older sister live in Sweet Lake?”
The question met with a small cry of anguish. “Where did you get this? Did Ryan find the token? It’s not possible. He doesn’t have any idea—”
“He remembered the velvet pouch,” Cat broke in.
Julia rose, as if to distance herself from the facts.
Cat withdrew the second token, the one she’d made for him. “I gave this to Ryan a few weeks ago. My mother taught me how to make tokens.” She paused long enough for Julia to draw in a ragged breath. “Did your older sister teach you?”
“We’ve dredged up enough bad memories for one day.” Julia went to the window. She shut her eyes against the stark, revealing sunlight. “I thought I had the courage to fix things. I don’t. We’ve been dead to her for years. She’s old now, too old for the shock my reappearance will bring.”
“You’re wrong. I’m sure she’ll be overjoyed to have you back in her life.”
“No, Cat. I took Ryan and disappeared. I dread imagining how my parents reacted to the news once they realized we were gone. How does anyone mourn a child and a grandchild at the same time? I’m sure they were devastated. My older sister watched over them, the dutiful daughter. She buried them with the knowledge I’d stolen all the joy from their waning years. She has every reason to despise me.”
Hot tears blurred Cat’s vision. Of all the errors made in her life, the foolish choices and rash decisions, none were so black as to destroy the family that grounded her. She pitied Julia for all she’d willingly thrown away.
Cat struggled to her feet. Julia’s back quaked, but she seemed determined not to give voice to her ravaged emotions. Her mute weeping was an awful sight. She curled into herself like an injured sparrow.
The desire to offer comfort grew strong. But instinct warned that Julia would view the gesture as an imposition.
Leaving her where she stood, Cat scooped up the tokens and stepped back.
Julia’s hollow gaze latched on to her. “What will you tell my son?”
Nothing.
Everything.
Caught in the maelstrom of secrets, Cat brushed her wet eyes. “I’m not sure.”
“Gemma, go back to sleep.” On the top bunk in their dorm room, Patty struggled onto an elbow to stare drowsily at her smartphone. “It’s not even six. We don’t have class for another three hours.”
“Sorry—I didn’t mean to wake you.” The statement wasn’t entirely true, but Gemma dimmed the backlight on her laptop anyway as she sat at her desk. With the trip to Sweet Lake one day away, she’d chased dreams in unsatisfying snatches before giving up. She wished Patty would give up too. “Midnight Boyz put a new post on their blog. Want to see?”
“I can’t read with my eyes closed.”
“They checked into the Wayfair.” Scrolling down the post, she paused at her favorite photograph. “There’s a new pic of Ryan with Cat and the Midnight Boyz in the Wayfair’s ballroom.”
“I still don’t care.” From her perch, Patty flung down a pillow.
Giggling, Gemma leapt out of range. “Liar. Your online stalking puts mine to shame.” Yesterday her roommate had found Ryan and Cat on Facebook, and Cat’s Instagram. “You’re totally invested in my family reunion. You said my big brother is hot.”
“Damn straight.”
“Stick to dreaming, pal. He’s taken. Plus he looks great with Cat. She’s a beauty queen.”
“Miss Ohio. I’d give her a big, fat crown, and a cool scepter with rubies and pearls.”
“Is Mendoza a Mexican name?”
“I’ll answer useless trivia if you stick to questions about Seoul or Beijing.”
Gemma held up the laptop like bait. “Come on, my little wonton noodle. You know you want to look.”
Her curiosity getting the better of her, Patty grudgingly climbed down. Wresting the laptop away, she skimmed the blog post, pausing at the photo of Ryan and Cat. “Have you figured out your game plan? We can check into Mrs. Riddle’s house tomorrow afternoon, then go right over to the inn. I still vote for finding Ryan before the concert. Wait until nightfall, and we’ll have trouble spotting him in the crowd. You agree?”
Gemma trudged to her unmade bed. “Still not sure.” She flopped face down.
When to approach Ryan, or how, remained the biggest dilemma.
Chapter 21
On the street of solidly middle-class homes, the Riddle house stood out like the party girl in a group of wallflowers.
Easing off the gas pedal, Cat surveyed the dwelling with its lavender paint and spring-green shutters. A variety of dragonfly and butterfly wind chimes hung across the cozy front porch, sending bright music down the sleeping street. Dawn hadn’t yet arrived, and garden gnomes in a variety of sizes smiled from the shadows. They sat beside black-eyed Susans still in bloom and late-blooming roses offering up their last buds.
From the backseat, Linnie gave a bleary appraisal. “Why are we at Penelope’s house?”
Jada, who’d received a tad more information after Cat shook her awake, pushed open the passenger door. “Stop bitching. Like we told you, Cat has to check something out.”
“With Penelope?”
“It’s about the conversation with Ryan’s mother. Cat isn’t comfortable telling Ryan anything until she gets some facts.”
“I’d like to remind you both that the Wayfair will officially reach full occupancy as of noon today. We should be getting ready for work, not embarking on a scavenger hunt. Besides, I thought you said we’re driving out to the cemetery to check on something.”
Cat opened Linnie’s door. “The cemetery is up next. Now, get the lead out. I have to see Penelope.”
“She’s expecting us?”
“This early? No.”
“Great move. You should’ve called ahead.”
“The next time I show up before daybreak, I will.” Since the disturbing conversation yesterday with Julia, Cat had been too upset to arrange her thoughts in an orderly fashion. With every layer of secrets Julia had peeled back, new and distressing questions had come to light. Needing answers, Cat pulled Linnie from the car. “I’m sure she’s awake—Ozzie heads to the post office early.” Penelope never let her mail-carrier son leave in the morning without making him a breakfast fit for a king.
Sure enough, the scent of searing ham greeted them as Penelope opened the door. Her robe, like her home, was Siren inspired: tiny silver stars winked on the purple fabric. She pulled the robe tightly across her stout frame and gave them a quizzical look.
Adjusting her glasses, she released a gasp. “Oh no. Has something happened?”
Linnie shoved past. “No one’s dead, but I am premeditating the murder of my friends.” She followed her nose to the kitchen, undoubtedly to snag a cup of coffee and a bite of Ozzie’s meal.
Cat gave the befuddled Siren a quick hug. “Everything’s fine. We aren’t here with bad news.”
“Thank goodness!”
Jada said, “We’re sorry about bothering you at the crack of dawn.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I have to get ready soon. I’m on patrol this morning at Frances’s house. Tilda and Yume are helping me.”
Patrol? A Siren thing, clearly, but there wasn’t time to sit through an explanation. “Penelope, I have a favor to ask,” Cat said. “May I see your Airbnb correspondence with the girl from Kent State? I need to verify a hunch about Gemma Mills.”
A more suspicious soul would inquire why Cat was curious about a girl she’d never met. The trusting Penelope merely gave a brisk nod. She trotted out of the foyer.
Jada leaned in, her voice lowering. “What’s she doing?”
Cat, whose familiarity with the Sirens went leagues past Jada’s or Linnie’s, gladly explained. “She’s getting her computer.”
“You show up unannounced, and she lets you into her Airbnb account without an explanation?”
“Yep.”
“What if you’d asked for a peek at her bank accounts?”
“Same thing.”
“You really are an honorary Siren.”
“This is one of the perks.”
Laptop in hand, Penelope led them into the kitchen. Ozzie was already gone; Linnie dragged a slice of toast through the egg he’d left behind.
Between mouthfuls, she asked, “Is there coffee?”
Penelope ushered Cat into a chair. From over her shoulder, she typed in the Airbnb password.
KindWorld4ever. Cat chuckled. Count on the softhearted Siren to create an idealistic password.
Penelope dropped a ham steak on a plate, slid it before Linnie “How do you take your coffee?”
“Lots of cream and sugar. Thanks.”
As Linnie drank happily from the jumbo mug, Cat found the correspondence on Airbnb. The photo of Gemma was grainy, taken in dim lighting.
She looked up at Penelope. “You didn’t happen to ‘friend’ Gemma on Facebook, did you?” she asked. Like many of the Sirens, Penelope was happily addicted to Facebook.
Penelope gave an energetic nod. “Of course I did. She posts the cutest photos of her family. They live in Shaker Heights. We had such a nice chat when Gemma booked the room last weekend. She’ll arrive tomorrow with her roommate sometime in the morning . . .”
The lively explanation barely reached Cat. Navigating quickly, she found Gemma’s Facebook page. As she peered at the large professionally shot profile picture, her heart thumped wildly. Gemma’s high school graduation portrait, she guessed.
Jada, standing behind her in a state of fevered curiosity, whooshed out a breath. “Wow.”
Shoving a wedge of ham into her mouth, Linnie garbled, “What? What did you find?”
“Cat’s right,” Jada told her. “Our mysterious Gemma Mills must be Ryan’s sister. A lot younger, but she looks just like him. She’s blonde, but her features are the same.”
“Wait. Ryan has a sister? Since when?”
Shutting the laptop, Cat dropped a kiss on Penelope’s cheek. “Thanks for your help.” She started off, hesitated. “Don’t tell my mother I stopped by. In fact, don’t tell any of the Sirens. I need to get to the bottom of this first.”
“You have my word.”
Linnie took a last slurp of her coffee. “I’m totally lost.” She scrambled to her feet. “Isn’t Ryan an only child?”
Cat pushed her toward the door. “We’ll explain in the car.”
On the twenty-minute drive to Walnut Grove Memorial Gardens, Cat shared the cryptic details she’d gleaned from Julia. Wrapping up, she pulled into the wide, paved circle marking the entryway to the cemetery. Parking near the grass, she cut the engine.
Jada asked, “What’s the plan?”
A maple tree spread
its generous arms over the wrought iron fence. Perfect. Cat got out of the car with the intention of climbing over. It was still dark, but if she took care, she’d make it over the fence without a problem.
Fighting off a yawn, Linnie caught her intent. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She hung her head out the window. “Tell me we’re not climbing over.”
“You won’t fall.” Jada unhooked her seatbelt. “We’ll go first.”
“I’m going first.” Grabbing on to a low branch, Cat swung herself up. She’d reached the second branch when she noticed Linnie still in the car. “Oh, come on. We’ll help you over.”
“Didn’t Silvia and Frances pull this stunt with a ladder? Where’s our ladder?”
“I didn’t bring one, all right? I was occupied with waking Jada and sneaking out of the south wing without disturbing Ryan or his mother.”
“This is stupid. Let’s wait until visiting hours. We’ll drive through the gate like normal human beings.”
Reaching the third branch, Cat sent a look of exasperation. “We’re checking this out before Ryan notices I’ve left the inn. I can’t tell him what I discussed with his mother until I’m sure of what I’m dealing with. I have exactly no idea how to tell him about his kid sister.”
Linnie nodded sympathetically. “Sheesh, the news will blow him away.”
“So, will you get the lead out? We have to get back before the Wayfair turns into a madhouse. As of today we’re at full occupancy, remember?”
Taking care not to lose her footing, Cat fixed her attention on the sharp finials decorating the fence. Gingerly she stepped over, finding purchase on a sturdy limb on the opposite side. Frowning, she assessed her options. A halo of light spread from the horizon to finger the tops of Walnut Grove’s undulating hills. Ten feet below, a sea of shadow rippled on the ground. Jump from this height, and she might sprain an ankle.
She was still working it out when Jada gave a soft growl. She hoisted herself into the tree.
Nearing the trunk, Linnie flapped her arms. “All right, Cat. I’ll risk serious injury if you’ll explain why we’re checking the mementos Frances left for her dead cat. So she fills a tin with trinkets to memorialize the critter. Who cares? She’s old. She’s entitled to her eccentricities. If you want to know what she puts inside, let’s drive over and ask.”
The Comfort of Secrets (A Sweet Lake Novel Book 2) Page 23