Light from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 3)

by Becki Willis

  “I think the coast is clear.”

  Makenna shot out of the hidden driveway and hurried down the barely-paved road that soon gave way to a non-paved road. Dust kicked up behind them. They only slowed when they reached the overgrown lane that led up to the cabin.

  “What if they find us back here?” Kenzie worried. “There’s only one way in, one way out.”

  “I don’t know. I’m afraid someone will notice our tracks and know we’re back here.”

  “Why are you stopping the car?”

  “We need to throw a few limbs across the drive, make it look like no one’s been down here in a while.” She put the car in park but left the motor running and the door open. Gathering a few small limbs and twigs from the roadside, she said, “You keep throwing a few more sticks along the way, even as I pull up.”

  “Where’d you learn this trick?” Kenzie was clearly impressed.

  Makenna grinned. “From Hardin, of course. He did this when we were hiding out in the mountains a little north of here. Unfortunately for us, the electric company ripped down some of these limbs when they came out the other day, but maybe no one will look up. Just scatter them across the road like so.” She drug a limb across their tracks, then tossed it and a few others across the middle of the road.

  “Okay, I got this. Pull up some more. I’ll put that really big one right smack-dab in the middle. If anyone wants in, they’ll have to clear the road first.”

  Once their tracks were somewhat hidden, they hurried to the house and pulled around back, parking Yoko well out of sight.

  Too nervous and too busy making certain they weren’t followed earlier, they had not yet discussed their day’s findings. As they curled up on the sofa, they shared information.

  “I feel like there is some huge secret we know nothing about,” Makenna said.

  “The few times I mentioned the name Joseph Mandarino, it was like pulling a plug. Everyone totally shut down.”

  “Kenzie, I-I think our mother is dead.”

  “I think so, too,” Kenzie whispered. According to Cal, that was the only plausible explanation. The woman he knew would have never abandoned her family.

  They went through everything they had learned, sharing stories they heard and the few details gathered. Makenna made a chart of the information, and for once Kenzie did not tease her about her lists.

  After making them each a bowl of ice cream - their favorite brand was not available there, but they improvised with Ben & Jerry’s- Kenzie offered the cold confection to her sister and turned back to business. “So what do we know?”

  “Aside from the fact that we’ve been pronouncing the name all wrong? I thought it was three syllables, like Have-er-hill, but locals say two syllables, Hayv-rill, long ‘a’, no ‘h’.”

  “And the way all the different towns are still considered to be one town!” Kenzie said in amazement. “They’re several miles apart, with their own zip codes and city offices and businesses, even their own names, yet are considered ‘precincts’ within the one town of Haverhill. It’s very confusing, if you ask me. How do we even know we’ve been asking in the right town… precinct… whatever it is they call each community?” She waved her hand in a circle, indicating her confusion.

  “Because wherever we were today - North Haverhill, I think? - they seemed to know who we were talking about. Most of the people, anyway.”

  “So aside from the language barrier and the geography lesson, what else did we learn?”

  Makenna pondered her list. “We know that our great grandparents were highly thought of around the community. Aaron was a dairy farmer and Anna had a green thumb. They had four sons and a daughter. Unfortunately, we know more about our great uncles than we do our grandmother. I never even got a name, just that she married and moved to the city. About half of the people we talked to don’t seem to like our grandfather, although no one will say why.”

  She paused for a deep breath before continuing. “We know nothing about our grandparents, except that they apparently disowned our mother when she married our father. Our parents met in college and were married within a few months. From what I gather, we came along about a year later. No one has much of anything good to say about our father, except for Cal’s off-handed compliment that he must have been pretty special to capture our mother’s heart. What am I forgetting?”

  “Our supposed deaths. Depending on who you talk to, we either disappeared off the face of the earth or were killed in a car accident, alongside both parents.”

  “The woman at the funeral home said they handled our mother’s funeral arrangements. She must truly be dead,” Makenna said, her voice sad. How could it hurt so much, knowing a woman she did not even remember was dead?

  “Well, supposedly, so are we. Maybe they have the wrong body.”

  “It’s the only explanation, Ken. If she’s anything like the girl Cal fell in love with, only death would keep her from us.”

  “Unless her father forced her into it. He sounds evil. Maybe he threatened her life - or our lives, maybe - if she didn’t walk away. Maybe the only way to keep us safe was to give us up.”

  “Then why did she split us up? Why did she abandon me at that church in San Antonio? And what was that letter all about, the one she left you with all the evidence about the scam? No, she obviously knew there was something going on, something to do with Modern Power, and I think it got her killed.”

  Kenzie finished her ice cream before asking, “Are we staying here tonight?”

  “I think we almost have to, don’t you? We may have gotten in without being seen, but going out may be another matter.”

  “So, what? We’re just going to stay back here indefinitely? We have to go out sooner or later.”

  “The cruise gets back to port in two days. We have that long to find the information we need and get back home without raising any red flags.”

  “If that woman from the diner is who you say she is, the flags are already raised.”

  “What else could she want with us?”

  Kenzie shrugged. “Scouting for new voters? Don’t give me that look. I’m joking around because I’m nervous about tonight. Sleeping out here in the boonies gives me the heebie-jeebies, especially knowing people from Modern Power may be on to us.”

  “I know, but I think it’s our best chance at staying hidden. We’ve been asking a lot of questions in town. Obviously someone told.”

  “It was probably the newspaper guy from last night. He was on the phone the second we left.”

  “So we’ll put blankets over the windows to keep out the light, turn on only the lights at the back of the house, and go to bed early.”

  “Do we have any weapons?” Kenzie asked wistfully.

  “There’s a drawer full of knives in the kitchen and a machete out in the well shed. And I have a gun.”

  “A gun?”

  Makenna shrugged. “Hardin insisted I have one to keep at the apartment. I sort of snuck it into my suitcase.”

  Kenzie beamed at her sister. “That is so downright sneaky and under-handed! Makenna Reagan, soon-to-be-Kaczmarek, I am impressed!”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Sleep was elusive that night and came only in snatches. Each creak of the logs walls, every brush of a limb or rustle of leaves, each stir of breeze, each hoot of an owl or bark of a far-away dog brought the sisters out of their restless slumber and whispered insecurities into their ears. Long before the sun was fully up, they were on their second cups of coffee.

  “Well, that went well,” Kenzie groaned, ruffling her dark curls with a weary hand.

  “I slept pretty good from about one fifteen until about two. What about you?”

  “I got most of my sleep between three and four.”

  “So maybe tonight we’ll take turns. No sense in both of us staying up all night long.”

  “We’ve got to stay out here again tonight?” Kenzie groaned.

  “We might as well, don’t you think? We leave tomorrow.” He
r voice was heavy. They had no more answers now than they did when they arrived, and their time was quickly slipping away. “How about some breakfast? We have the makings for scrambled eggs and toast.”

  “Well, if we can’t sleep, we might as well eat.”

  “One of my personal mottos, as you well know,” Makenna grinned.

  As they worked together to produce the simple fare, they discussed the possibility of talking to neighbors.

  “There’s not really any houses down this road. We would have to go out on the highway, and then we would be more exposed,” Kenzie reasoned.

  “I wonder if that truck in the yard runs.”

  “Even if the motor starts, it can’t run far. The tires are dry rotted.”

  “And the battery is probably dead.”

  “Still, I bet it would be worth some money. It looks like it is in excellent shape, practically mint condition.”

  Makenna looked up from stirring the eggs, her expression one of surprise. “You want to sell it?”

  “I guess. What else are we going to do with it?”

  Makenna was slow in answering, finishing the eggs before transferring the skillet to the bar. “I thought we might could get it running and use it when we’re up here.”

  “As in we plan to come back?”

  “Well, sure, I guess. I mean, we own a house here and it’s a beautiful place to vacation. Why? Don’t you intend to come back?”

  Kenzie shrugged. “I don’t know. I know New Hampshire is sentimental to you, because this is where you met Hardin and fell in love, but my memories aren’t so good. Bernard Franks and all.” The bread popped up from the toaster and she carried it to the small eat-in bar.

  She hopped onto a stool and reached for the small jelly jar, but stopped mid-motion.

  “Kenzie? Are you all right?”

  “I-I think I remember something,” she whispered. “I think I remember sitting here as a child, waiting for breakfast. Our-Our mother was standing there, wearing some sort of apron. It looked like one of those from the old television shows, gingham with lace. Yellow, I think.”

  Makenna gripped her sister’s hand. “Kenzie, you have a memory!” she whispered in awe.

  The fleeting glimpse into the past was already gone, but it was the first time she had recalled anything pleasant about her past, except for the one happy memory of playing outside. It was, they both hoped, a beginning.

  “So what do you plan to do with Yoko?” Makenna asked as they picked up the conversation.

  “I guess I haven’t thought about it.”

  “We could always leave her here, and hire a taxi to take us to the airport.”

  “Maybe. That way if we did come back here on vacation, we would have something to drive. And if the truck runs, we’d have two vehicles. Hardin would like that.”

  “I miss him so much,” Makenna said miserably. “I wish I could call him.”

  “We can’t take the risk of our phones being tracked. And if you call him from that throw-away phone, he would know something was up.”

  “I know, I know. That’s why I’ve been good and not talked to him in five long days.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m going on thirteen.”

  Makenna could hear the misery and worry in her sister’s voice. “He’s going to be okay, Kenzie. And maybe by the time we get home he’ll be done with his undercover assignment and you can talk to him every day.”

  “I wonder if he’s tried to call me. He might think I’m mad at him and not answering on purpose.”

  “In which case he would call Hardin and find out we are on a cruise. Or that we’re supposed to be, anyway.” Makenna gave a worried frown. “I hope Hardin forgives me for this!”

  “He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to hold a grudge. He’s pretty easy going.”

  “For the most part, you’re right. But he’s a different man when he’s upholding the law. He might laugh and joke around a lot, but behind that badge he can be downright scary.”

  “He’ll forgive you, Sis. Now Travis on the other hand…”

  “He’ll forgive you, too.”

  “I don’t know. We seem to have one of those love/hate relationships. And so far, most of the love seems to be on my end.” Kenzie sighed, propping both elbows onto the bar as she sipped her coffee. Her lids were already sagging. “Is it time for our nap yet?”

  “I’ll wash the dishes if you want to lie down for a little while. I think I’ll wait to take a nap, but I probably can’t make it through the day without one.”

  “Since we’re stuck out here in the woods, I thought maybe we could do a little exploring today. Poke around in the well shed, walk along the property. Let’s go this morning, before it gets too warm.” Kenzie grinned and added, “Then we can come back and take our nap.”

  ***

  They spent most of the morning exploring the woods behind the cabin. The terrain was rocky and the undergrowth thick, but a few trails led along the side of the foothills, worn down by deer and other wildlife. Following the trails, Kenzie took her camera and snapped several pictures of the natural beauty around them. Maybe vacationing here would not be such a bad thing.

  They were especially excited to find a small stream winding down from the mountain and a low but charming waterfall. They made plans to visit the falls again, perhaps having a picnic there that evening. In an overgrown field not far from the cabin, they found another hidden treasure, a small but neglected orchard. The trees were in need of pruning but were heavy with offerings of apricots and pears. Laughing with delight as they picked all the fruit they could carry, the sisters made their way back to the cabin with much lighter spirits.

  “Let’s look inside the truck,” Makenna suggested as they finished lunch. “Maybe there’s something in the glove compartment that could be useful.”

  “It’s worth a try, I guess. I’ll get the key from the china cabinet and see if it fits.”

  A few moments later, the truck door swung open without protest.

  “Oh my gosh, is that a rat I just saw?” Makenna squealed in terror as she swung the door open.

  “Judging from the half-eaten seats, I would say yes.”

  “Okay, this is your department.” Makenna stepped away, holding her hands up in surrender. “I’m done.”

  “Chicken.” Kenzie made a squawking sound as she leaned inside the vehicle and reached for some papers on the dash. “Looks like something nibbled on these,” she said, handing the papers to her sister. “So much for our mint-condition sale. Looks like the seats will definitely need replacing. But look, there’s a plastic tub of some kind. Hopefully it was rat-proof.”

  Kenzie slammed the driver’s side door shut and went around to the passenger side. She lifted out a large plastic tub and set it on the ground. Opening the glove compartment, she pulled out the driver’s manual, a stack of tattered and chewed napkins, and a handful of discarded candy wrappers. “This was definitely our father’s truck,” she confirmed. “He loved this kind of candy.”

  “I wonder what’s in the tub.”

  “Open it and see.”

  “There-There might be a rat inside.”

  “It’s still sealed.” Just in case, Kenzie pulled the lid off, then stood back. Makenna was at least twelve feet away, nibbling on her lip in worry.

  “Oh my,” Kenzie said, staring down into the tub.

  “What? It is horrible?” Like a spectator drawn to a horrific wreck, Kenzie stepped forward. “Little baby mice? Rats? A huge nest of them?”

  “N-No.” Kenzie shook her head. “No mice. The tub was sealed.”

  “Then what is it?”

  Kenzie reached into the tub and pulled something out. The expression on her face was odd, a pensive mix of sorrow and joy. Holding it up for her sister to see, her voice came out strangled as she showed her the framed photograph. “Us.”

  Makenna’s hands flew to her mouth. “The-The pictures from the house!” she breathed.

  “They must not have had t
ime to dispose of them.”

  “Oh, look, Kenzie, this is our parents’ wedding!” Her voice hitched as she took the photograph out and held it up for closer inspection. “They-They look so happy.”

  “This is you. Look at those freckles!”

  “And that one is of you. Look, you’re on a swing set. That swing set, actually.” She pointed to the sad, sagging contraption in the yard. “I guess it was red at one time.”

  “Let’s take these in the house so we can spread them all out and look at them better.”

  The tub was heavy, stuffed full of picture frames and photo albums. Each sister grabbed a handle, but still had to stop twice to get a better grip and to draw a deep breath. They moved as fast as they could, both eager to see the treasures stuffed inside. They were making their way through the doorway when they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle.

  Kenzie gasped. Makenna faltered, dropping her side of the tub. “What do we do?” she breathed.

  “Let’s get inside and lock the door. Maybe they won’t come all the way up to the house.”

  “Did we close the truck door?” Makenna worried.

  Kenzie gave the tub a hard shove to scoot it across the threshold. “I’m not sure, but it’s too late now.”

  Without a spoken word between them, they began turning off lights and fans. They ran to the living room, locked the front door and closed the windows, pulling down the blankets they had tied aside just that morning. The additional cover made the house immediately darker, more sinister. They worked their way to the back of the house, closing and latching all the windows, then hurried back to the front window to peek out.

  “It-It’s her,” Makenna confirmed, her voice little more than a squeak. “The woman from the cafe.”

  “How did she find us?”

  “Shh!”