Last Chance Harbor

by Vickie McKeehan

  “I think we already have.”

  Chapter Ten

  The first Saturday in March Julianne showed up at the gingerbread cottage along with her dad to a waiting crowd of townspeople.

  Her jaw dropped at the sight. The group headed by Ryder and Troy stood on the lawn. She looked into the faces of Nick, Brent, Murphy, and a man she recognized as Wally Pierce from the service station.

  “What are you guys doing here?”

  “Ready to remodel a house,” Ryder stated with a grin. “Logan spared Troy and me for the day. Give the word where you want us to start first and we’ll kick this weekend project through the roof.”

  “All of you are…incredibly generous with your time. Look, Pop and I were prepared to do the work ourselves.”

  “No need for that,” Nick assured her. “Logan would’ve been here too but Kinsey is about ready to pop.”

  “Anything we can do for them?”

  “If there is, I’m sure Logan will let us know.”

  As Julianne led the way up the steps, she was all but bouncing on her toes. She stuck her key into the lock and turned to the group.

  “I really need to thank Nick and Logan, even though he isn’t here, for making this all possible, for bringing me to this point. But right now we have a house to renovate.”

  To make the most of the workforce, they split up into three teams. Julianne, Ryder, and Brent started in the kitchen, ripping up the flooring. Troy used his people to bust up the fixtures and cabinets in the bathroom, and then rip out an adjacent closet wall to make the space larger. Nick’s team spread out to the living area and the bedrooms. Using commercial sanders, they buffed out the hardwood floors.

  At their first break, Julianne turned to Brent. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about the case. Have you found who that shirt belonged to?”

  “My standard response is to say I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you at least tell me if Henry Nash was of any help IDing anyone in those photographs?”

  “Stubborn, that’s Julianne Dickinson,” Brent muttered to Ryder. “Henry was as helpful as his memory allowed. He has Alzheimer’s. I’m in the process of going through the list of students that I got from old records.”

  Julianne couldn’t help prodding, meddling. “That box belonged to a member of the Jennings family, didn’t it?”

  “How’d you come to that conclusion?”

  “Easy. The deed gave it away.”

  “I hate to burst your bubble but the box doesn’t belong to them. None of the Jennings kids recognized anything inside except for their grandfather’s deed and a couple of the class pictures. The photos were of classmates taken while Cooper and Drea were enrolled there. That was it. No big mystery.”

  She shrugged and traded glances with Ryder. “Okay, so much for me grilling the florist on my own.”

  “Julianne, do not do that,” Brent insisted. “Stay out of this.”

  “It was just a stupid plan that I never had time to put in motion anyway. But are you certain none of them claimed the box? Did you talk to each one? You don’t find that strange?”

  Brent cocked his head, gave her a withering stare. “Yes, I talked to each one. Visited Caleb at the garden center, Drea at the florist shop, and emailed Cooper wherever he’s living now. I think he mentioned something about Oregon, or it might’ve been Orinda. I forget which.”

  “But no one else in those pictures has a father who went missing,” Ryder insisted. “How did they explain the deed in the box? None of them laid claim to the toys?”

  “No. They had no idea how the deed ended up in there. But the store closed several years back after Andrew passed away. Who knows how long the deed had been lost? It’s a moot point anyway since the county collects the taxes on the store property and the three kids go in together every year to pay it.”

  The notion she’d been building of solving the case, evaporated. “Well, that’s disappointing.”

  To keep the conversation going, she told Brent about what Cleef Atkins had said accusing Eleanor of doing away with her own father. “If you had the original medical examiner’s report on Euell Jennings’ death it might shed some light on what happened that day.”

  Before Brent could answer, Ryder asked him, “Did you know Eleanor? Do you think she was capable of something that sinister?”

  “I didn’t know her. But I’m learning a lot about the woman’s state of mind back in the days before Layne took off with Brooke. You won’t find a person around town who will do much vouching for Eleanor. Not a single one. As to whether or not she could have shot her father, I honestly have no idea. But I suppose it’s worth looking into.”

  “Julianne doesn’t think Layne ever left town,” Ryder explained.

  Brent turned to stare at her. “Why not give up teaching for real. Come work for law enforcement. The pay’s just as lousy as teaching but the mayor says I can add on a deputy in about six months.”

  Julianne huffed out a laugh, tilted her head in response. “Sarcasm won’t work with me. But it is a nice way of telling me to butt out.”

  It was Ryder who piped up, “Actually, that’s his way of paying you a compliment because he agrees with you.”

  She glanced at Ryder then Brent. “Really?”

  “What I’m curious about though is why you made the jump,” Brent wanted to know.

  “Because everyone is of the same mindset. The consensus is Layne would never have left those kids behind in Eleanor’s care. She was too unpredictable, too unstable, too mean, whatever ‘too’ you want to apply to the situation. Layne felt very uncomfortable at the idea of walking away from them. I doubt seriously he would have.”

  Brent nodded. “After talking to half the town and those that were still around back then, Layne’s reluctance to leave seems to be the prevailing reason he didn’t. Layne didn’t trust Eleanor to take care of his kids. Period.”

  “So if Brooke and Layne didn’t run away together, that could only mean one thing.”

  “Don’t go leaping,” Brent urged them both. “I’ve submitted the piece of shirt for DNA testing and if I have to I’ll ask for swabs from Layne’s kids.”

  “To see if there’s a connection blood to blood?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Isn’t there a Native American ceremony that covers this sort of thing?”

  “You mean moving into a new house? Sure.”

  “Hmm, interesting, that would be cool, too. I’d like one of those here. But no, I was thinking more along the lines of a ceremony for clarity, something that would tell us what happened to Layne and Brooke.”

  “Oh for God’s sake,” Brent huffed out. “Why don’t you say what you mean? You want to procure the services of my father or brother and their psychic abilities?”

  “Well, they have done it before. And your father is known for that, Ethan not so much. He keeps that side hidden from everyone else other than his close circle. Even if we just got a few of those people to come together for a…”

  “Séance?”

  “That isn’t where I was going with this at all. I was referring to an enlightening ceremony.” Just to needle him, she added, “But we could definitely add séance into the mix. The more people, the merrier.”

  “It’s fairly ridiculous. I prefer old-fashioned police work, if you don’t mind.”

  “The séance thing was your leap, not mine. The more energy we generate there has to be power in that. We might learn something we didn’t know. Besides, you’re Native. I know for a fact you’ve used your father or brother before on some of your more desperate cases. Why not now on a case this cold?”

  Ryder realized the two squabbled like brother and sister. “She has a point.”

  “You’ll go talk to both of them no matter what I say, won’t you?”

  “No, not if it’s something that upsets you this much.” When she saw Brent take a calming breath she had hope.

  “I�
��ll think about it. Right now, that’s the best I can do.”

  “Then I guess we’re on hold until you get back to me.”

  “Why don’t you stick to what you know best? Getting teachers lined up for next year. I’ll do what I do best.”

  “Fine,” she muttered under her breath.

  For the remainder of the morning the three of them worked in companionable silence. But their conversation caused a cloud to hang over what should have been a festive gathering. Her fault, she decided.

  The idea that the bloodstained cloth might belong to Layne meant someone, presumably Eleanor, had killed him. Or were they rushing to blame the evil wife without proof of anything? Could Brooke have killed Layne in a fit of rage because he had refused to leave with her and then fled to parts unknown?

  Those questions lingered while they worked. Around noon they hauled out the mess they’d made—old laminate, rotting wood—then started knocking down the old pine cabinets. Once that was done, they dragged everything out, filled up the dumpster again at the curb.

  By three o’clock they were exhausted and starving.

  “I’m buying everyone dinner,” Julianne announced.

  “Not me,” Nick said. “I gotta get home and relieve Jordan from having two toddlers all day.”

  “Same here,” Brent said. “River’s planning spaghetti.”

  Julianne looked at Troy, but he shook his head. “Live music at McCready’s tonight for me and I’m spending the evening with Bree, even though she has to finish her shift. I have to get home and clean up.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “Gotta look my best.”

  “I can’t stay either. We’re expected at Carla’s mother’s tonight for chile relleno,” Murphy called out.

  “What about you, Ryder? Want to join Pops and me for dinner?”

  “Count me in. But I need a shower first.”

  “Oh no you don’t. We all smell. Which means I’m ordering takeout from the Diner. I already know Pop wants a burger with everything. So what’s your pleasure?”

  “I’ll take their Saturday special, the steak sandwich with everything.”

  “Got it. Be back in a flash.” She took her dad’s truck and cruised past the pier and the dig site, spotted River trying to corral her three-year-old.

  On impulse, Julianne pulled to the side of the curb and waved. River jogged over but continued to keep an eagle eye on Luke since the toddler was running around on the beach like a little wild man.

  “Your hubby’s back at the house packing up for the day.”

  “I know. He sent me a text. I’m letting Luke burn off excess energy. Did you get a lot done? I’d have joined in the fun, but trust me, with Luke underfoot it would’ve been a challenge.”

  “It’s okay. We had plenty of hands on deck. We got off to a great start. I felt like one of those shows on DIY where everyone pitches in to renovate my house. I can’t believe how generous the town’s been.”

  “This is a good little place to live.”

  “What about you? Is the dig over?”

  River glanced back at the area they’d recently expanded. They’d originally started among the dunes directly under the lighthouse but over the last few months, after having trouble extracting the canoe, they’d slowly moved southward and closer to the pier. Keeping the tide out was still a problem. By utilizing sandbags, they were able to keep the work zone as dry as possible.

  “I was prepared to shut down the site but last week my crew spotted several more artifacts at a depth of eight feet—namely, hunting tools and a harpoon. As the rep for the tribe, Brent gave us another three months of dig time. Getting an extension wasn’t easy even if I am married to the guy in charge.”

  “That means more goodies for the museum.”

  “You bet it does. I’m stoked. And Brent’s been getting really lucky this week.”

  Julianne howled with laughter. “That must be why he worked like two men. I guess it’s okay to admit now that I was afraid you might be standoffish since everyone in town seems to think Brent and I were an item. We weren’t, by the way. You seemed so…friendly at the party I thought I should say something.”

  “My turn for honesty then. Brent and I had words about you moving here, a misunderstanding. He told me months ago that nothing happened between you two. And even if it had, it was well before we got together. Your being here doesn’t bother me at all. So relax.”

  “That’s a load off my mind. Brent and I are just friends. But no matter how many times I deny it, someone always comes up to me assuming we had a torrid affair at one time.”

  “I hear ya. It’s the mentality of the small town. Don’t worry about it or me.”

  “How does the tribe feel about you taking charge of the proposed cultural center?”

  “Because I’m Pueblo and not a Chumash descendant? Good question. It was a struggle at first. But Brent carries a lot of weight with the elders. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I’m the most qualified person around for the job. I’m absolutely committed to making sure the antiquities are handled properly. The Codys know that now and have been very supportive.” All the while they talked River kept watch on her son who sat on the sand playing with his trucks. “I’m so glad the town’s reopening the school. As you can see, we have a vested interest. I’m glad it’s you they selected for the job.”

  “That means a lot to me. I hope all the parents feel that way. A lot of people think I’m making a big jump from first-grade teacher to principal.”

  “Sometimes we have to leap to get anywhere.”

  She told River about her idea to consult with Marcus and Ethan, to employ the men’s abilities in a mystic way that might give up what happened to the missing couple. “You want to talk about taking a leap, that’s a major hop, skip and a jump.”

  River grabbed her arm. “But it’s not! That’s a terrific idea! I’ve seen ceremonies like that performed all over the world.”

  “Surprisingly, your hubby didn’t think so.”

  “Of course not, let me guess. That would be veering off the normal track cops usually take. But this is a cold case. Why not shake things up a little?”

  “Or a lot. If you ask me, and no one did, a cold case needs all the help it can get from any source.”

  “Exactly. So when is this taking place?”

  “I don’t know yet. Next weekend maybe. I hadn’t really planned it out that far ahead mainly because Brent is not onboard with it yet.”

  “If you need help, let me know. By the way, how’s it going with the hunky construction worker?”

  Lines formed on Julianne’s forehead. “Ryder? We’re in the early stages of…something.”

  “Relationships are thorny, aren’t they?”

  “I don’t have many to compare to but I’d have to agree. Are all single guys in their thirties stuck in a holding pattern? When it comes to trusting women, Ryder’s wedged in the past. He prefers to remember the ugly someone who hurt him.”

  “If they’ve been burned, it’s difficult to get them past it. Brent certainly fell into that category. It’s like the legend of the two snow-white, wolf lovers who mated for life, Myko and Zeeka.”

  “I guess I don’t know that story.”

  “Ah. Allow me… Like any alpha male, Myko strutted back and forth in front of Zeeka with his head held high, trying to get her attention. But Zeeka was no pushover. She made him work for the privilege of being with her. After several hours of watching him showing off, Zeeka finally let him get close to her. Even though their attraction was smoldering, Zeeka still made him work for it. But soon, both wolves became cold and hungry and went off to find food together. The hunt took them through thorny bushes and rough terrain until they finally found fresh food, an elk. Being the alpha male, along with trying to show off a bit, he tried to take down the animal alone, by himself. Big mistake.”

  River took a breath and went on, “All the while Zeeka sat back, ever patient, and waited to see what would happen next. It became clear
Myko couldn’t handle the beast by himself, he needed help. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t do it alone. It would take both of them to attack and bring it down so they could eat.

  “Zeeka went to Myko, explained that if he would put his pride aside and let her work as his equal, they could do it together. So together the two wolves stalked and circled. And that night, they ate a feast of elk.”

  “I love legends,” Julianne said with a smile. “If only life was more like the inspirational folktales handed down through the ages.”

  “It can be. Brent and I are living proof, it can be. You just have to hang in there.”

  Once the others packed up and headed for home, Ryder found himself left alone with Julianne’s father—a towering man who leaned toward a quiet nature rather than joining in the earlier conversations. After busting up flooring and cabinets together, Ryder decided to break the awkward silence between them.

  “So how long have you been at this?”

  “Been a carpenter since I was fifteen,” John answered. “Worked alongside my father growing up, couldn’t get enough of his workshop. How about you?”

  “I started working construction during the summer months in high school. It paid well enough but at the time I wanted to see someplace else other than Philly so I joined the army.”

  “No desire to go to college?”

  “None whatsoever. I always did okay in school but hated the structure. The idea of spending four more years going to class made me cringe. I like working with my hands.”

  “School’s all I heard from Julianne. From the time she was five she’d pretend to be the teacher, in charge of everyone. She used to drive me crazy begging me to listen to her plans for all the other kids in the neighborhood. I used to have to remind her, you can’t always make people do what you want them to do. I know part of it was the fact she wanted her mother. But Ruthie was gone.”

  “Hey, my parents didn’t stay together either. Sometimes matchups just do not work out, no matter how much those online dating services tout their success in commercials.”