Rock Harbor Series - 04 - Abomination

by Colleen Coble

  “Because I can’t shake the fact that not one of them has tried to contact me yet. What’s that all about?”

  Bree sighed. “True. That is strange. And I’m sorry. But you don’t have to look to some stranger whose motives we don’t know.”

  “Right now, everyone’s a stranger. I don’t want to depend on Nick. I’m sure we were divorced for a reason, and I want to discover what I need to know without him censoring the facts.” Eve threw open her door and got out.

  A dingy white building sat surrounded by tall pines. No one seemed to be moving about, but the twang of a guitar came from the piney woods. There were several signs around about “embracing the pain.”

  Samson bounded out of the backseat when Bree opened his door.

  The women followed him into the trees and found a group of young people sitting around a campfire, strumming guitars, sitars, and several other instruments Eve didn’t recognize. Her gaze swept the group, and she saw Will in the middle of a circle of teenagers and twentysomethings. He hadn’t noticed her yet.

  She searched her memory for some trace of his face and came up empty. Any memory of him was as lost as the rest.

  Samson bounded into the center of the group, and several women exclaimed over him and stroked his ears.

  Will saw Eve, and his smile broke out. He joined them at the edge of the clearing. “Where’s Keri?”

  “You know Keri?” Eve asked.

  “Of course. She’s the cutest toddler you ever saw.” He took her elbow and guided her away from the group. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to find out how we knew one another.”

  He glanced at Bree from the corner of his eye, then refocused on Eve. “Maybe you’d rather discuss that in private.”

  Eve pulled her arm away. “Bree is my best friend. I don’t have any secrets from her.”

  He shrugged. “We were lovers.”

  Eve put her hand to her throat. Her knees felt wobbly, and she wished she could sit down. Was he joking? If so, it was a poor attempt. She held up her hand. “Start at the beginning and cut the jokes.”

  “No jokes, Eve. We danced together about five years ago, then lost touch. I never forgot you though and managed to track you down about a year ago. Your marriage was on the rocks, and we just clicked.”

  “I betrayed my marriage vows?” Eve whispered. It was hard to grasp. She never would have thought she’d do something like that. Maybe that’s why Nick didn’t want to tell her why their marriage had failed. He was trying to keep this from her. If she knew she loved another man, she would be less apt to try to repair their marriage.

  She studied Will’s face. His blue eyes returned her gaze. If she loved him, why didn’t she feel the same surge of emotion as when she’d seen Nick again for the first time? Or for that matter, every time she still saw Nick?

  “We should go,” Bree said, tugging at Eve’s arm. “We need to get the kids.”

  “Let me come with you,” Will said. “I’ve missed you.”

  Eve held up her hands and backed away. “I don’t remember you, Will. I think it’s best if we don’t meet again.” She turned and ran back to the Jeep.

  Her pulse pounded in her ears. She didn’t want to believe it, but it made sense.

  Bree caught up with her when they reached the car. “I think he’s lying,” she said.

  “What possible reason would he have to lie?” Eve asked. She hugged herself and shuddered. “I feel so dirty.”

  Bree took her by the shoulders. “Stop it, Eve! Don’t just accept what he says as truth. Talk to Nick about it. Maybe your family too. I don’t trust that guy.”

  Eve wished she could believe Will wasn’t telling the truth. The thought of talking to Nick about this made her feel queasy. But it wasn’t going to go away.

  A FAMILIAR BOX VAN SAT PARKED ALONG THE STREET. NICK HAD been at the sheriff’s office, checking on the investigation, when Oliver called. Though barely nine o’clock, the sun was already heating the drops of rain from last night into mist that clung to the ground and sidewalks. It was going to be a hot one.

  The back doors stood open on the van, and Nick peered inside to see Oliver bending over a stainless table. “Hey, buddy, thanks for coming.” He climbed into the van.

  Oliver barely grunted in response, his broad shoulders stooped and intent. The harsh sunlight streaming through the open doors threw the pale bones of the woman Bree and Eve had found into stark relief. Was this all a human being was reduced to in the end, this small pile of calcium and phosphorus?

  Oliver touched his arm. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. It just got to me a minute.” Nick shook off his anger and picked up the skull. “Think you can show us what she looked like? It will take a couple of months to get DNA back, and there’s no time for that.”

  Oliver ran his fingers over the skull. “Let me see what I can do to bring this lovely lady home to her family.” His blue eyes held a sheen of moisture.

  Nick clapped him on the shoulder. “I know it takes a lot out of you, but some family will be able to have closure because of your work.”

  Oliver bent back over the remains. A shadow blocked the sunlight, and Nick turned to see a man step into the van. About thirty, he wore an air of authority as real as the police uniform on his body. His thick black hair stood up as though he’d leaped from bed without combing it, but its stiffness told Nick the style was deliberate.

  The man’s eyes flickered from Oliver to Nick. “You Captain Andreakos?”

  “Yep.” Nick tried to read the man’s demeanor. A tiny smile played at the guy’s mouth. Oliver looked up briefly with a distracted expression. “Nick, this is Jason Webster. The Marquette Post sent him to assist.”

  Nick nodded at the young man. “I didn’t think anyone was as nuts as Oliver.”

  Jason flashed impossibly white teeth. “Interesting stuff, eh?” he said in a thick Yooper twang. “What do we have?”

  “Female, young,” Oliver said.

  Jason took the skull from Oliver and turned it over in his hands. “Why are you so certain she’s female, eh?”

  “She was wearing a blue silk blouse and jeans, size 4,” Nick said.

  Jason scrutinized the skull. “You’re right, it’s female. I’d guess she’s African-American and in her twenties.”

  Oliver raised his bushy white brows and snorted. “She’s Caucasian, Scandinavian. Look at those cheekbones and the set of the eyes.”

  Jason reddened. “I have more experience in our population up here than you do.”

  Oliver straightened. “Boy, I started sculpting skulls when you were still in diapers. If this is how you plan to behave, then I won’t be needing your help.”

  His Santa Claus personage morphed into something not quite so jolly. Nick didn’t blame him. This guy wasn’t in Oliver’s league.

  “I’m in charge of this investigation,” Jason shot back. “We’ll play it my way.”

  “I was asked by the task force to get involved, so I would say you’re outranked.”

  Nick decided it was time to step in. “My special task force does have jurisdiction, Jason. I’ve asked Oliver’s help. He’s the best in the country. We need a really fast turnaround on identification.”

  Jason laid the skull back on the table, but his smile grew broader. “I take it you haven’t been notified.”

  “Notified of what?” Nick wished he could wipe the guy’s smile off his face.

  “You’ve been suspended. IA will be here sometime today. I’m in charge now.”

  Internal Affairs. Every officer’s worst nightmare. “What are you talking about?”

  Jason shrugged. “Someone complained about the violence you used in an arrest.”

  Probably the Mount Sinai group incident. His dad had warned trouble might be coming because of it. “I’ll get this straightened out.” He nodded at Oliver. “Our perp has done it before. I need to find out where he seized this woman. The only way to do that is to have her identified
as soon as possible.”

  Jason folded his arms across his chest. “The only ones that have surfaced lately have been dead awhile. What makes you think he’ll strike again any faster?”

  “He’s made threats against my wife.”

  “I doubt it’s coincidence this body turned up,” Oliver said, glancing at the bones. “Your man knew Eve was here and was letting her know.”

  “My thoughts too. He’s playing a game with her. She can’t remember anything, Oliver. Not even her name. She was going by Elena.”

  “Elena Cox? Police report says she found the vic,” Oliver said, eyebrows winging upward.

  “What are you talking about?” Jason demanded. “Why would your wife be here? I thought you lived in Bay City, eh?”

  “We’re . . . divorced.” The word tasted bitter on his lips.

  Jason smirked. “Trouble letting go, Captain?”

  Nick’s fingers curled into his palms. “You have an agenda, or do you just like to work at being a jerk?”

  Jason’s smile vanished. “Get out of here, Captain. This isn’t your baby anymore.” He picked up the skull.

  Oliver held out his hand. “I’ll take that. I want to cast it and get started immediately.”

  “I can handle it.” Jason glanced toward the back door and smiled.

  Nick glanced over his shoulder and saw a white van bearing the WBUK-TV 7 logo pull up. A man and a woman erupted from the vehicle and moved toward the forensic van. Nick rolled his eyes. “Did you call them?” he asked Jason.

  Jason shrugged, but that annoying smile played at his lips. He moved to the table and began to study the bones.

  “He’s an idiot,” Oliver muttered in an undertone to Nick. “It’s going to look nothing like the woman. Can’t you stop him?”

  “I’ll go see what I can do.” Nick jumped from the back of the van and jogged down the street to the jail. If Jason slowed down the investigation, they were all in trouble. Especially Eve. He glanced at his watch. Eve would be meeting with the lawyer, and he’d wanted to be there, but first he needed to get this problem here fixed before that numskull ruined their chances of finding Gideon.

  He dialed his dad’s cell phone number, but the reception was patchy since Cyril was on his way to Rock Harbor. But he got the gist of the conversation. Jason was telling the truth.

  He put his phone away and went back to find Oliver. “No go, buddy. This has to play out.”

  “I might as well go fishing,” Oliver said. “I can’t watch this butchering.” He turned to Jason, who flirted with the tittering brunette journalist. “Get outta my van!”

  “WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP HER?” EVE SAT IN AN OVERstuffed chair in the lawyer’s office. The soft green chenille upholstery, the calm décor of the office, was meant to soothe agitated clients, but her distress only mounted. Nick was late.

  Ronja Lankinen leaned back in her chair. About fifty, she looked more like a frumpy housewife than the best attorney in town. Her polyester pantsuit strained in all the wrong places, and her mousy brown hair coiled in an untidy knot at the base of her head. She wore no makeup.

  “Tell me what you did when your sister disappeared,” Ronja said.

  “We got guardianship. We meant to adopt Keri, but circumstances . . .” Eve looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. She didn’t want to tell the lawyer about her memory problems, though with the hubbub around town, she’d probably heard at least part of it.

  “I’m afraid I’m only going on what my ex-husband has told me. I—I’m having some trouble remembering.” She touched the tiny scar on her head. “I had a head injury a few months ago, and I can’t remember anything from before I arrived in Rock Harbor.”

  The woman sighed. “You’re telling me you can’t even remember the details of acquiring your sister’s child?”

  “Not from personal memory,” Eve said. “But Nick has told me how it happened.”

  “Why isn’t he here?”

  “He said he’d be here,” she said, stealing another glance at her watch. “I’m not sure what happened. Maybe there’s a problem at the jail. He wanted to come, but he’s in charge of finding the serial killer. You heard about the body that showed up last weekend?” Eve wanted him here, but she wasn’t sure she could meet his gaze after hearing what Will had to say.

  The lawyer nodded. “Has your sister provided any support in the last two years?”

  “No. We thought she might be dead.”

  “Do you have any proof of her unfitness to raise the little girl?”

  “Not really. Isn’t the fact she abandoned her enough?”

  Ronja twirled a pencil in her fingers. “It could be. It depends on what she’s been doing since she left. If she’s turned her life around, it might be harder for you. But we’ll see. I’ll dig around and see if she’s been in any trouble, where she’s been all this time.”

  “What should I do? She wants to see Keri. Should I allow it?” More than anything, Eve wanted to grab up her child and protect her. Patti wasn’t a fit mother for Keri. A mother needed to put her child first every time. Not just when she felt like it.

  Was Eve guilty of the same offense? What if Patti was able to show that Eve was unfit?

  “It would look better to the judge if you’re agreeable and reasonable. My gut says to allow her to have supervised visitation. Have her to the house for dinner. Be friendly. See if you can get her to agree to let you adopt Keri. You could allow her to see the little girl occasionally. It’s always better for the child if these things can be resolved in an amicable way.”

  “Okay,” Eve said with great reluctance. “I’ll arrange it.”

  Ronja’s gaze lingered on Eve’s face. “Can you put your differences aside for Keri’s sake?”

  “It’s not that. I just hate to have Keri’s life disrupted. I tried to tell her about Patti last night, but she’s too young to understand.”

  “She calls you Mommy and Daddy?” Ronja’s eyebrows winged up.

  Eve nodded. “It just sort of happened.”

  It felt odd parroting everything Nick had told her. When would she begin to actually have her own memories?

  “She called you Mommy right from the start?”

  Eve ducked her head. “Nick says we knew Patti wouldn’t be back. She abandoned Keri at the day care and left an empty apartment behind. At least that’s what Nick said.”

  “Do you have any other corroboration, since you don’t remember it yourself?”

  “Maybe my parents?” Eve needed to call them too. But what did she say to a faceless couple who would want her to love them when she had no idea about them at all?

  “Check and see. We might need their testimony. What about the father?”

  “Patti never told us who he was, according to Nick. He’s never supported her either.” Eve tried to stuff her panic back into the dark place from where it had arisen. Everything would be all right. It had to be.

  “This is quite a tangle. I really recommend you try to work things out amicably with your sister.”

  “I’ll try, but she seems to be determined to have Keri. I can’t let that happen.” Eve’s voice broke.

  Ronja gave her a sharp look. “I do hope you’re not thinking of doing something foolish. Like running off with Keri.”

  Eve bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. “I’m not giving up my daughter.”

  Ronja sighed. “At least promise me you’ll call me before you make any decisions.”

  Eve didn’t answer. She couldn’t promise anything. Keri’s happiness came first. She stood. “Thanks for your time. Let me know if you find Patti has a record.”

  “I will. And have faith, Eve.”

  Eve nodded. Easy enough for the lawyer to say. Her life wasn’t hanging in the balance.

  She exited the office and walked along Houghton Street. The sidewalks teemed with jostling tourists, and flowers lined the tree lawn. Glancing at her watch, she picked up her pace and headed into the coffee shop. The bell on the door jingl
ed as she pushed it open and inhaled the scent of espresso.

  “Good morning,” she told the barista before ordering a mocha.

  The coffee shop was housed in an old Victorian storefront with high tin ceilings painted blush. Debris was easy to sweep up from the wooden floor, and the bright windows added to the airy feel. She’d quickly fallen in love with the place.

  The door opened, and a man with short white hair and a white beard entered. The rosy red cheeks above his beard reminded her of Santa Claus, especially with the smile he leveled at her. “You must be Eve. I’ve seen your picture on Nick’s desk for years.” He extended his hand. “Oliver Harding.”

  Eve took his hand. Hard calluses made it feel like grasping a fistful of sand. Nick had mentioned him. “You’re here to re-create our Jane Doe?”

  “I was. A young upstart from Marquette hijacked the project, but he was botching it so badly, I couldn’t stand to watch. I decided to get a trim to escape the pain. Can you suggest a hair establishment?”

  “There’s a barber down the street.” Eyeing his hair, Eve couldn’t see it needed trimming. “How could he take it away from you? Nick says you’re the best in the country.”

  “Bless you, child, for saying that. Nick would have come to my aid, but he’s been relieved of duty.”

  Eve took her mocha from the barista and turned at his words. “What?”

  “You haven’t heard? Internal Affairs has suspended him pending results of an investigation.”

  “Nick is one of the most honorable men I know.” From the moment he reentered her life, she’d known that.

  “I’m sure it will be sorted out soon. Nick won’t let any grass grow under his feet.” Oliver heaved a large sigh. “In the meantime, I believe our Jane is Caucasian, and the young man from Marquette is sure she’s African American. I don’t believe he has much training. If he hadn’t been so impudent, I might have taken him under my wing. As it is, I will have to redo the bust.

  “But until then, everything is delayed,” Eve said slowly.