Chapter 48
Buying Information Instead
I should be used to walking through these doors and not buying groceries, and was now most likely gossip material for the locals. I shoved open the door, located Ben up front by the registers, and sidled up to him. “Ben. Do you have a minute?”
He whipped around in surprise. His frown said it all. “I guess,” he grumbled brusquely. “This better be quick. I’m really busy. Come on back to my office.”
It was an abrupt about-face from the last time I had spoken to him at the gas station. His lighthearted sarcastic humor had vanished, as though he wanted nothing to do with me or maybe no longer found my information or me worthy and important. Was it disinterest or caution? Obviously, he had been gathering just as many facts as I had. Every time we met he knew a little bit more about what I did or did not know. So, who was fooling who?
“Thanks for seeing me on the spur of the moment.”
“Well, what are you up to now? Got any new secrets?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” I said, keeping a neutral expression, eager to get to the reason for wanting to talk to him.
He straightened. “And what might those secrets be?”
“Ben, how could you be adopted when you had grandparents that you lived with? Did they adopt you?” I wondered what kind of tale would be told to me this time.
“What exactly are you getting at? What adoption?”
I bluffed. “Why don’t you stop trying to evade the issue and tell me the truth?”
“Who told you? No, don’t tell me. It doesn’t matter anyway. You would have found out eventually, I guess. You just don’t give up do you?”
“No, I don’t. Now, what about those grandparents and your adoption?”
“They weren’t really my grandparents,” he said, flatly, eyeing me for a reaction.
“Come on. Sounds pretty absurd, especially from you. Even Mike referred to them as your grandparents.”
“I told everyone to just refer to them as my grandparents. They were really my adopted parents. My reasoning? Simple. They were old, and they embarrassed me. So I kept calling them my grandparents and eventually the tag stuck. They didn’t even care to tell you the truth, because they finally had a son. Not a great one, mind you, but still a son. Miraculously, they put up with my antics and scrapes with the law too.”
I thought back to my conversation with Mike, regarding Ben. Ben was telling the truth. Mike had specifically referred to them as Ben’s so-called grandparents. I just never picked up on the sarcasm and insinuation in his tone. “So, you admit you misled me into thinking your grandparents raised you?”
“No. I just never specifically corrected your line of thinking. Why bring up unpleasant and unnecessary information when it really didn’t matter,” he shot back.
This guy was calculatingly full of omissions and disclosures. As a matter of fact, so were a lot of other people in this town. “Why would you deliberately string me along like that? Knowing you, you probably had some kind of motive, right?”
“Yeah, I had a specific reason. I needed information myself: to see what everyone else knew. You seemed to be doing such a great job rounding up the background info all on your own, saving me the trouble of tracking it down myself.”
“What information were you looking for?”
“Similar to yours, only it’s my parents I’m researching. On the other hand, you’re trying to locate Stephen’s parents, right?”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one playing the speculation game. I hated to own up to it, but he was right on target again. “Yes. I’m making inquiries into who Stephen’s parents were. Were my actions that obvious?”
“Keeping an eye on you was a pretty safe bet. So, what did you finally come up with?”
“You want the whole thing in a nutshell? I didn’t find out that much. Stephen died before anyone knew of their identity. But of course, you probably already know that, right?”
He smiled. “Was he close? Do you know that much at least?”
What did I have to lose by telling him?
“According to Martha, he was on the verge of finding out who his real parents were, but he didn’t want to divulge more, not even to Martha.”
Ben nodded. “I was confident Martha would know something. The two of them were tight for a while just before Stephen died. I figured she was the person to go to.”
“Why did you feel so sure of that, other than you observing them together a lot?”
He gave it some thought. “Martha knows just about everything that went on and goes on in this town. I don’t think there is one single thing she wouldn’t already know about all of us that we want becoming public knowledge. I mean, she’s harmless enough, but you never know with her. She may possibly get some foolish ideas in her head about whom she can manipulate and whom she should stay away from. She’s savvy in more ways than you think. And I might also add, she has a few secrets of her own that she’s tried to bury.”
“Like what?”
“I think you already know.”
“If I do, who could possibly confirm it? I can’t base anything on just hearsay.”
He laughed. “You need to link up with someone else. I suggest you try playing Jack.”
Chapter 49
The Jack Of Hearts
I sat in Jack’s driveway, debating how to approach him about Martha. I didn’t have much to go on, but felt there was a compelling reason why Ben was sending me this route. So far he was right on the money as to who I should go and see for information, but this could be nothing more than an intentional detour. I took it anyway.
Maybe I was getting too close to what Ben was up to, which was what? I had learned barely enough to keep me going and at a snail’s pace. Why? Was it to give someone else time to find the computer? Maybe one of them already had the computer. If so, were they concealing what was on it, only to reveal it later? I knocked on the door.
Jack opened the door, smiling. “Sam, come in. I was about to have some coffee. Interested?”
“Sure, that sounds great.” I followed him back to the kitchen.
“Barbara’s visiting friends for the afternoon, so we’re alone in case you want some privacy,” he said, turning to me, winking.
Had he been privy to my whereabouts too? Was everyone watching my every footstep?
“That’s okay. It doesn’t really matter. Barbara already knows what I’m looking for.”
“And what would that be?” he asked, pouring coffee for both of us and sitting down at the counter next to me.
“Finding out who Stephen’s real parents are,” I replied, as I sipped my coffee.
“Sam, of all the people I know, you had me completely fooled. I thought you were this little mouse of a gal who was afraid of stepping on anyone’s toes. But since you’ve come to town, you’ve managed to manipulate or persuade information from everyone that I can think of.”
“What can I say? I’m a work in progress and still perfecting my craft,” I replied, grinning.
“You’ve been stirring the pot and got everyone riled up in one way or another. I’ve been politely informed of a wide-range of reactions,” he said laughing, somewhat amused.
“It was probably about time. Besides, you’re not much better yourself. I’ve heard you’ve been known to stir the pot yourself, correct?”
“True enough. I admit that. Anything more and I plead the fifth,” he countered, laughing.
“Listen Jack, the truth is I didn’t come to make small talk.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Did you ever think Stephen might be your own son?” I asked point blank.
“You sure go for the jugular, don’t you, Sam?”
“I figured I would shed the helpless widow façade. You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, but you need to understand, Sam, that after Anna died, although disillusioned, I was still, to some extent, hopeful. I couldn’t let go of the fact that my son might still
be out there. I had to find him. I grew more obsessed as the days turned into years. When Stephen finally came into the picture, I was extremely vulnerable. In time, a remote thought snagged my interest. Then I began to seriously consider all the possibilities standing right in front of me.”
“But what specifically made you focus your attention in Stephen’s direction?”
“After a while, I began to observe his traits, mannerisms and habits. Characteristically, they were identical to mine, and his birth date seemed just about right too.”
“That sounds like wishful thinking on your part.”
“I know, but it gave me something to latch onto at the time. What threw me was his abrupt departure. It was an action I might have taken in my own youth: walked out in a fit of anger. But Stephen never explained why. He just up and went. His sudden death left behind this emptiness. I felt emotionally used up and bled dry, walking around for days on end without purpose. If it wasn’t for Barbara, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“I felt the same way myself, Jack. No one could talk to me. All that time I was oblivious as to what Stephen was after or his compulsive motivation. After his death, I got to thinking that maybe I owed myself something more than grief. I needed closure about why he was so upset. I had to find the answers to all those countless questions that wouldn’t let me go. It’s what still drives me to this day, and so, here I am, still plugging away.”
“I share your sentiments. You just have to know, don’t you?”
“Yes, it’s almost like Stephen’s obsession. Does that make any sense to you?”
“It sure does. Even now, I still search records, go on line and am always asking questions. As much as I loved Stephen, what if I was wrong and somehow my son is still out there? The sad thing is, in all probability, I will never find out.”
I changed direction, doing a one-eighty. “Jack, what do you know about Martha? I mean her suddenly leaving town when she was younger? She was in her thirties.”
He leaned back and stared at me, completely caught by surprise. “Boy, you’ve been digging deep. Where did you hear that one?”
“A good investigator tries not to reveal their sources,” I replied, hoping I wouldn’t really have to tell him. Besides, if I was lucky, throwing him a curve might stir up more information.
“Well, I was drinking pretty heavily back then, as you very well know by now I’m sure. You seem to be well-versed so far. Plus, I was wallowing in my own regrets and pretty much out of it when Anna came back to give me the devastating news of what she did with our baby. I’m not sure, but I believe that was about the time Martha was gone traveling. But later on, I found out she wasn’t traveling at all. She just needed to get out of town.” He turned in my direction.
“That explains why Martha went sort of crazy when Carl died. I never would have figured out that one at all. Talk about heartbreak! You just never know what goes on right in front of you, even as you’re searching for a way out yourself and trying to get a handle on why things happen the way they do.”
I pushed away from the counter. “I’m determined to dig up the truth and don’t intend to stop until then.”
It wasn’t just because I wanted to know who Stephen’s parents were. There was more to it. What and where were the key and the numbers? My life has been threatened and I need to find out who was the killer.
“Thanks for explaining some of Stephen’s past. It means a lot.”
Jack walked me back to the entrance. “If you hang in there and eventually find out the truth about Stephen, it may not only surprise you, but might change the whole picture. Be careful while you’re traveling down that road, Samantha.”
Why would he say that?
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. Be careful.”
I stopped at the door. “By the way, how did you find out about Martha?”
“Why, Barbara of course. She knows more than you think,” he replied, winking.
Chapter 50
Tea For Who?
I arranged for Barbara to join me for tea at my shop late in the afternoon when it wasn’t so busy. It was slow and I could still mind the store, while questioning her. I was curious as to why she was so knowledgeable about what went on so long ago, and apparently still had her ear to the ground as to my whereabouts. This woman, who was so demure and quiet on the outside, was teeming with undisclosed personal histories that I wanted access to.
She arrived right on time.
“Hello, Barbara. Glad you could make it. Come on in,” I gestured, escorting her in.
She whirled around in one spot at the center of the shop. “Samantha! How nice! It’s like entering someone’s home. You’ve done a marvelous job in decorating. I love it.”
“Thanks. Coming from you, after being in your home, I take that as a considerable compliment. Come on. Let’s have tea in the back, shall we?” I pointed to the room at the rear of the shop. “I have everything ready for us.”
She settled in easily, after an admiring comment on the view. I didn’t want to waste a minute in getting right to the point. What was the purpose? I hadn’t pulled the wool over anyone’s eyes.
“Jack said you knew Martha left town for about a year when she was much younger.”
“And you’re wondering how I knew?”
Talk about getting straight to the point. I should have been taking lessons from this woman from the beginning. It might have saved me a lot of time running around this town. Somehow, I couldn’t come up with a complete sentence. “Correct.”
She laughed. “Relax, Samantha. Go for it. Ask away.”
“Well, exactly how did you know about Martha’s pregnancy?”
“We crossed paths at the doctor’s office way back when we were still both young and foolish,” Barbara said, laughing. “She, obviously from the scared and frightened look on her face, was pregnant, and I was there trying to get pregnant. I put two and two together…”
“Yeah, I know the drill. And you got four,” I answered, as I bit into a cookie.
“It was easy enough. Carl was the one,” she said, sipping her tea.
“And you? Were you able to get pregnant?” I asked, as I drank some of mine.
“No. Unfortunately, nothing worked. But now that I look back, it was a very strange time. You know how ironic it was to see her get pregnant from a one-night stand? Here I was trying for years and coming up negative every time. I felt life was mocking my efforts and me. It was frustrating. Eventually though, Frank and I came to terms with that fact of life and accepted it.”
I steered the subject back to Martha again. “What about Carl Bently?” I asked. “How did you match the two of them up?”
“Easy. I knew he was married to someone else and, by chance, happened to catch sight of him leaving Martha’s place late one night on my way home as I passed by in my car. Later on I overheard that one liaison got Martha pregnant. Back then married men didn’t leave single women’s apartments at one in the morning if they were just having a cup of tea.”
She had me on that one. “I guess you’re right.”
She stood up to leave. “I’ve got to get back.”
We slowly walked back through the shop.
“So what about when she came back to town? Were you surprised to see her without the baby or did you think you might have possibly been wrong?”
“No. Anna returned home about the same time I was visiting at my parents’ house. One day I overheard her on their phone talking to Martha about an orphanage and that Martha should solve her problem the same way Anna solved hers, because in the end, it was best for the baby. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the name of the baby.”
“But why didn’t Martha tell Jack the name of the orphanage when she found out he was looking for his son? Don’t you think that would have helped him in some way? Couldn’t you have approached her when you went back to Jack after you found out about his son?”
“I tried to intervene, but by that tim
e Carl had died and Martha shut herself in like a hermit, not speaking to anyone, let alone me. No. It was a dead end. That subject was closed for her and everyone else, I’m afraid to say.” She paused. “Maybe, you should ask her now. She might be more willing to divulge the name, not that it would help much. You see if the baby was dropped off anonymously and with just a note pinned on the clothing, then even they can’t help you because of the privacy laws. You could be anybody falsely claiming that the baby was yours. There would be no tangible proof.”
After locking the door to the shop, I started to clean up, mulling over what she admitted and confirmed. Suddenly, I stopped short and shook my head and began laughing when I suddenly remembered Barbara’s slip of the tongue.
What in the world was she doing out at one in the morning?
Chapter 51
Molding Clay
If ever there was a certainty, it was having Clay show up totally unannounced and challenging my sanity and questioning my safety. He always seemed to be two steps ahead of or behind me, always lingering on the sidelines. For some strange reason though, he had given me a wide berth lately conveniently disappearing out of town. I hadn’t heard from him in several days.
It wasn’t that I minded–of course not! It’s just that I took note of his obvious absence, as another day passed by in my store. In any case, I had too much to think about. Mentally, my plate was full.
Physically, I was currently lugging a dresser from one side of the store to the other. It was backbreaking work, but I had convinced myself it would do better in another location. The bell jingled on the door of my shop. I turned expectantly. I swear, he must have extra sensory perception, instinctively knowing just when to show up on my doorstep.
Clay entered, wearing a smile that promptly vanished when he saw what I was doing. “Uh, maybe this is a bad time. I’ll come back later.” He turned to leave.
“Not so fast. Obviously, I could use some help.”
“You seem to be handling it just fine without me.”
The Puzzle Page 18