“Who told you Destiny Falls is a small town?” he asked.
“Really? You just have to look around. It’s pretty obvious.”
“Hmm. Right,” he said, nodding. But he didn’t sound convinced. Oh, seriously? Was there more mystery surrounding this place? I was about to ask, but he launched into his update.
“Olivia was right. Nakita and her husband separated just about a year ago. They both started dating other people. He moved away soon after. For whatever reason, they didn’t file divorce papers, but she was living as a divorced woman. She had her own apartment with no signs of a man living there with her. She was dating, but casually, no one in particular.”
“That’s pretty much what Olivia told me,” I said.
“We still haven’t located her estranged husband, but they separated amicably. No kids, pets, or much in the way of assets. Since he hasn’t been seen in nearly a year, and we can’t detect any motive there, he’s an unlikely suspect.”
I thought about how Oliva had started to say the husband had moved away to ‘Glad’ but never finished her sentence. She refused to say more, but it was clear she was going to say Gladstone. After that, she told me it was a forbidden place to travel to and a topic to be avoided. Add to that the description I’d learned from Edna about the people in Gladstone being untrustworthy and aloof. I wasn’t entirely sure he should be off the list as a suspect.
Vessie came to the table with our breakfast and we took a few minutes to chat with her. Normally, I love talking with Vessie, but my leg was bouncing around under the table. I wanted to hear the rest of Jaxson’s update. And then, I would tell him about the box.
“Well, I don’t want to keep you from your breakfast!” Vessie said. “Enjoy!”
Jaxson took a bite of his omelet and chewed. Then he returned to our conversation.
“Oh, on another topic. I’m doing a background check on your three business neighbors. Nothing out of the ordinary has showed up yet, but there are some gaps. They appear to have been around for a few years, but I haven’t been able to figure out where they immigrated here from. Let me know if you discover anything about them, or if you can provide specifics about any odd behavior. That would give me something to go on.”
“Okay, sure,” I said.
“We have learned something of interest about the ferry captain that could lead to motive and opportunity.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. We’ve found evidence that she was involved in an illegal transport scheme. We don’t know what exactly she was transporting, but we’ve uncovered evidence that it involved large amounts of money and that it has been going on for years.”
What I said was, “Wow. That’s really strange.” What I was thinking was, “Holy crap!” I wondered where he had learned that information. I also speculated that what they were transporting illegally was passengers. Specifically the people on those lists.
“And we have a saying at the office, ‘Where there’s big money, there’s motive for murder.’ Even more, we’ve discovered that she spent a lot of time outside of work hours with Kerbie, the helmsman, and the two mechanics, known as Gronk and Shrek. We’re looking into the ferry records for their full names and backgrounds now.”
I took a deep breath. This was the perfect time to tell him about the box because now it seemed even more connected to the murder than ever before.
Jaxson’s phone rang. “Excuse me,” he said. “Redford here. Yeah . . . Yeah . . . Copy that. On my way.”
“Sorry, Hayden. Duty calls.” He stood up, threw some cash on the table, gave me a quick hug, and hustled out of the café.
32
The walk back home was excruciating. I had totally missed the opportunity to tell Jaxson about the box. And now that I was beginning to understand that it was a major puzzle piece, I was regretting not telling him sooner. I couldn’t really blame myself, though. I had received that frightening warning from the ferry captain. She had said it was life and death, and danger to my family. Then she was murdered. It was no joke.
However, I was new here. The Caldwell family and Sheriff Jaxson understood Destiny Falls. The unique, enchanted town and the odd people who inhabited it. It now felt like I had made the wrong decision to hide this from them.
Or had I?
Would I expose these people to danger? These people who I’d come to care deeply about? Would telling them be like pushing a snowball down a hill that I would not be able to stop? I felt a sense of impending doom, and my stomach clenched. A trickle of sweat ran down my back, and I realized I was making fists so tight that I was digging my nails into my palms.
I needed to stop this ruminating! I had promised Luna I would tell Jaxson. So, I would. I’d try to reach him later today after he dealt with whatever sheriff’s office emergency had caused him to run out of our breakfast.
I opened the door to Caldwell Crest and heard voices in the kitchen, my favorite room in the house. The warm cabin retreat-style design would never grow old for me. I could live in this kitchen and never tire of it. But this morning, I wasn’t feeling that warmth as I usually did. I felt cold and worried.
I followed the cheerful sound of conversation and was glad to see my youngest brother, Cobalt was home from college. He was always a burst of joyful energy in the house and seemed to make everyone just a little happier. I assumed his being the youngest in the family was the reason for that.
“Hey, hey! Look who’s here!” Cobalt sprang up from his seat, dodged the end of the counter, and leaped over to me. He gave me an enthusiastic, brotherly bear hug. “Good to see you, new sister,” he said.
“Have you had breakfast?” my grandmother asked. Ever the hostess, she always made sure that those around her had something to eat and drink.
“I have eaten. But I’d love some tea, thank you.”
Minutes later, I sat at the counter with a fresh cup of tea made by my always-quiet grandfather, along with some ‘just in case’ scones. Normally, I’d nibble on the scones, but right now my stomach was still churning.
Axel was busy in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and tending to a sizzling pan of bacon. He called a hello over his shoulder with a welcoming smile and a wave of a spatula.
The cheerful camaraderie and chatter in the kitchen ground to a halt when everyone’s cell phones pinged at once. I looked down at my screen to see a group message from Indigo.
Sapphire is gone. Omar and
I are on our way over. Be
there in 5. Calling Jaxson.
“What in the name of heaven?” Grandmother shouted. “What does she mean ‘gone’?”
Grandmother pushed the buttons on her phone so hard I thought it might break. “It’s gone right to voicemail.”
My grandfather came to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. “She’s probably talking to Jaxson. They are on their way. It’s a five-minute drive. They’ll explain when they get here.”
A few minutes later, I heard a police siren. I realized just then how rare that sound was here. Back in Seattle, I tuned it out. In the city, there was always a reason for a police car, an aid car, or a fire truck. I realized that here, in Destiny Falls, I rarely heard or saw any of these.
We all paced the room. There were quiet murmurs of concern and questions. One by one, everyone walked to the window to look out at the driveway. Sure enough, five minutes later, Omar and Indigo’s car sped up the driveway. The sheriff’s vehicle, siren screaming, and lights ablaze was right behind them.
Indigo jumped out of the passenger side of the car before Omar had fully come to a stop. She didn’t even bother to shut the door behind her. Omar slammed the car in park and came rushing out after her. Jaxson parked and ran up to the door behind them.
Jaxson held his hand up to the group of us. “No one talk but Omar.” He turned to face Indigo’s husband. “Explain what happened.”
Omar was, as always, reserved and serious, but spoke quickly. “We dropped Ian off at my brother’s, then went to Sapphire’
s home. She didn’t answer multiple rings and knocks at the door, even though she was expecting us. We walked around to the back of the house to find her patio door glass broken and the door wide open. She was not in the house. We found this note on the counter.”
He held a piece of paper out to Jaxson, who read it aloud in his booming sheriff-mode voice:
You have what I want.
Now I have something you want.
Meet me at the ferry tomorrow
just before first sailing.
Don’t try any funny business or she dies.
I will trade the girl for the box.
Then I will get on the ferry, and she
will come off. No one try to stop me.
Every voice except mine gasped in unison, “What box?”
33
There was a heartbeat of quiet while my brain and body were frozen in shock. Then I forced my mouth to work.
“I have the box,” I said.
“What do you mean you have the box?” Axel’s voice came out in a roar. I’d never heard him raise his voice or display any anger. He was frightening when he was mad, especially because he directed it at me.
“It was delivered to me the day of the postal worker’s assault.”
“And you have hidden it from us? Why, Hayden?” Axel’s jaw was tense, his hands were in fists, planted on his hips. Jaxson was beside him, an eerie twin of anger and frustration.
I felt numb all over, and I could barely breathe. I sucked in a ragged breath and tried to explain, “I met the ferry captain at the café. She cornered me and told me she had secrets. That she had something for me. She said if I told anyone, it would result in danger to our family. She said it was a matter of life or death.”
“Do you not trust us? Did you not think we would be equipped to handle this?” Axel’s face was tight and red. “And now my sister—your sister!—is gone.”
“But . . . she said it was life or death! And then she died! Was murdered! I was terrified that if I told anyone about the box, it would mean putting all of you at risk!” I could feel tears filling my eyes, and my chest felt heavy with fear and confusion. “I’ve been careful.”
“Careful?” Axel bit out the word. “You realize there has been a murder? And the victim sent you the box? Careful would have been you telling me what’s happening. Not dropping clues like this is some Nancy Drew mystery. Go!” he yelled, pointing at the house. “Get us that box.”
I rushed past the family, seeing the disappointment, fear, and anger on all their faces. I was crushed. I thought I was protecting them, but I had made everything worse. Now Sapphire was in danger! I ran up the stairs. I tore into the closet and threw the blankets and laundry aside.
I turned around to see Latifa staring at me with big, round eyes. “Calm down, Cupcake. What’s the rush?”
“Oh, Latifa!” I cried. “I’ve made a huge mistake.” I felt the tears dripping down my face. “Someone has kidnapped Sapphire! Kidnapped! By someone who wants this box.” I pounded my fists on the box.
“I knew it was important. But I had no idea! Now she’s in danger. She could be hurt! And the entire family hates me!” I sobbed.
“Honey, honey. Nobody hates you,” Latifa crooned. “Family can be mad at you and not hate you. Take them the box. Help them find Sapphire.”
“What if someone hurts her? It will be my fault!”
“Go. Give them the box. Help them find Sapphire. Don’t think about anything else.”
“But . . .”
“Hayden!” Latifa’s voice was deep and filled with authority. I’d never heard her use that voice before. She reminded me of Grandmother. “Take the box. Find Sapphire. Worry about the rest later.”
I brought the box downstairs and took it into the dining room, where everyone had converged. I placed it on the table.
“I’m sorry I didn’t show it to you sooner, I was trying to protect--” I started, but Grandmother interrupted.
“Explanations later. Do you recall what I taught you about Caldwell women? We keep our emotions in check. We get focused. You are a Caldwell woman, are you not?”
I swallowed and nodded. She still called me a Caldwell woman, even after my failure. There was hope.
As Jaxson was the only non-family member, and a law enforcement professional, he remained unruffled in the middle of this hurricane. He stepped in and took charge. “Open the box. Tell us what you know of its arrival and its contents.”
“The box was delivered right after someone attacked the mail carrier.” I looked at my father and he nodded. He recalled the delivery.
“It was from the ferry office. It was packed with a mess of files and papers as if someone had overturned a drawer into it. I’ve been sorting everything and putting things in order.”
“What have you learned from the contents?” asked Jaxson.
“Most documents pertain to the ferry travels. The most unusual are these lists of names.” I pulled the files out of the box and laid them on the table. “There are several of these folders. There are about fifty pages of names. None are dated.
“The names are printed, followed by what appear to be signatures. Each name is labeled either Approved or Denied, but by whom, I don’t know. All the amounts are excessively large for a ferry trip. There is a column that shows the name of an agent, and one that indicates each has been paid and to whom, but that is just labeled with initials.
"Jaxson told me this morning that he discovered the captain was involved in an illegal transport scheme. I surmised that what they were transporting illegally was passengers. Specifically, the people on these lists.”
I could see Axel out of the corner of my eye. He looked furious, but he was focused and tightly contained. It made me sick to my stomach, but I continued talking.
“I have been at the library, learning more about the island of Gladstone. I believe that people would pay sizable sums to achieve the rumored magic from there. There may be a connection.”
Everyone remained silent, listening. Since there was no great gasp after my bombshell about Gladstone, I surmised that they all were familiar with Gladstone and the myths.
“I found this note at the very bottom of the box.” I placed the oddly cheerful, yellow post-it on the table and shuddered at the hastily scribbled words: Hayden—I’m sorry. I tried. Be careful. N.
Everyone clustered around the table. They were listening attentively and scanning the documents.
“I want to show you one other very strange finding.” I glanced at my father. He was standing up, listening intently, and looking at the documents. I wasn’t sure how he would handle this next piece of news. I flipped through the pages and pulled out the one I had looked at over and over again. I pointed.
“I found this name on the page. Emily Caldwell. The last column says Denied.”
My father fell back into the chair behind him. His eyes opened wide, and he turned ghostly white.
Eleanor turned to Leonard and spoke loudly. “Leonard. Keep your focus. We must find Sapphire. Examine your emotions on this point later.”
My father shook his head, flexed his shoulders, and sat upright. With a valiant effort, his expression cleared. He looked at Jaxson. “What is the process?”
Jaxson gave each person a handful of papers and files and instructed us to read carefully and look for any clues to where they might be holding Sapphire. He said any mention of a location or address could be a lead.
“Two other things,” Jaxson said, as was handing out papers. “We have suspicions about the ferry helmsman, Kerbie Gomez, and two mechanics, known as Gronk and Shrek. They are brothers, actual names Jared and Herman Serano. Keep your eye out for those names.”
I was eternally grateful that he left out the reason he suspected them was based on the photo I took on the day of the package delivery. That would give the family one more reason to be furious with me.
“Also, watch for names with the initials of A, K, V, L, or M—those that are on the ledgers. Obvio
usly, Kerbie could be the K, but that’s not a given. Watch for these names also—Lester Wright, Archibald Zimmerman, and Vito Stallone.” He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote done the names and initials.
“I have two officers scouting the ferry area and the general downtown area. Obviously, we can’t search all of Destiny Falls, so any tips could be critical. I’ll head to the ferry myself. Call me immediately with any locations mentioned and text me any addresses you find. Our goal is to find her as soon as possible. We don’t want to wait until the appointed time tomorrow morning. It’s to our advantage to catch the perpetrator off guard.”
With that, Jaxson left to begin his search for Sapphire. We all gathered our stacks of papers and folders and took seats around the dining table.
A minute later, Cleobella entered the room, pushing a cart of sandwiches and beverages. In keeping with the somber tone of the gathering, she was dressed in relatively normal clothing. Though I did get a glimpse of her mile-long eyelashes and sky-high heels.
34
The dining room was silent, except for the shuffle of papers as we read through the files in front of us. The air was thick with worry and tension. A painful hour ticked by with not a single word spoken.
Indigo’s gasp broke the silence. “I found something,” she said. “It’s a hand-scribbled note on the edge of the page. It says, ‘Andrews group—DF to Gladstone’ with a question mark.”
Axel spoke up. “That could verify that Gladstone was a destination. Might be evidence of the illegal transport scheme. Let’s put any papers with tips like this aside.” He got up and took the page from Indigo and placed it on the far end of the table.
“Illegal transport doesn’t quite define this situation,” said Omar. “If Gladstone is protected by dark magic, it would prevent the transport, regardless of whether it was legal or not. I fear something wicked is behind this. Something powerful that can break through the shield.”
The Disappearance of Emily: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series Book 2 Page 16