“I was showing Aunt Grace my Fortnite Floss dance, and she showed me her favorite childhood dance,” Kaylee chirped. “Grandma told me I had to stay out of the way while the police are here, so Aunt Grace and I are practicing dance moves.”
“Oh… that’s lovely,” Nora managed.
“Kaylee’s an excellent dancer. Aren’t you? Show my mom your ballet moves!”
Kaylee obliged, and Nora smiled as the adorable little girl hopped and twirled around the room with her ponytail bobbing behind her. “Tada!” She finished with a big toothy smile and her arms spread wide. Nora gave her a round of applause.
“Wonderful,” she said. “You’re a natural.”
“An absolute star,” Grace agreed.
“You should come to my school’s dance show next week,” Kaylee said. “I’ll be performing.”
“Oh… I don’t know if we can...” Nora said.
“You have to! It’ll be so much fun! Please?” Kaylee squealed. “We’ll all be dressing up like Disney princesses. I’m going to be Elsa! And my best friend, Nina, is going to be Cinderella! We’re both wearing blue! I like blue much more than I like pink but my friend, Suzie, says it’s a boy color. But I think Elsa is the best princess and she looks so gorgeous in blue and—”
Nora’s eyes began to glaze over as Kaylee’s rapid-fire musings on princesses and colors continued. She just didn’t have the time or patience to discuss this now. Thankfully, Grace was there to keep Kaylee company.
Grace was smiling and giving Kaylee a fond look. Nora felt a sudden twinge in her heart. It felt like just yesterday that Grace had been this young. Of course, she’d preferred softball to dance as a child, but Grace had been just as cute and as full of energy and passion about her hobbies. Nora felt a sudden rush of tears come to her eyes. Grace was going to get married. Actually married. She’d known it before, but it hit her with sudden emotional force that her little girl — who had cried when she skinned her knees and had not known how to ride her bicycle without training wheels till she was nine — her little girl was all grown up and going to have a family of her own. Nora felt happy for Grace, really she did. But she also felt like her own heart was going to break into tiny little pieces as she realized how quickly time had flown by.
“Mom?” Grace gave her a concerned look. “Are you okay?”
“Just a little… emotional. Sorry. It’s been a crazy day.” Nora sniffed and turned away to discreetly wipe her face.
“Right…” Grace considered. To Kaylee she said, “Alright, kiddo. You better go to your room and start working on that homework of yours. I’ll see you later, ok?”
“Aw… can’t we dance some more?”
“Later,” Grace said, holding the door open. “Chop chop. Off to work with you.”
“Aw, no. I haven’t even shown Aunt Nora my new phone!” Kaylee said. “See? It’s pink with unicorns.” She showed off a bright pink phone with unicorn stickers all over it. “Grandma gave it to me today. She said I needed it for safety after what happened.” Kaylee made a face.
“She’s just worried about you, dear,” Nora said. “It’s hard for her. Something happened here and I think she just doesn’t feel very safe at the moment.”
“Ok, champ. Off with you,” Grace said firmly. “And hand over that phone! Otherwise, I know you’ll ignore homework and just keep playing on it.”
“Do I have to?” Kaylee walked slowly, her shoulders drooping exaggeratedly. She looked behind her once to check if her dramatics had changed Grace’s mind and, when Grace shook her head, Kaylee straightened her shoulders, laughed and tossed her phone onto Grace’s bed. Then she ran off to her own room.
“She’s such a sweet kid.” Grace smiled, then shut her door. “Ok, Mom, what’s up with you?” She sat down on the bed next to her mother and leaned her head on Nora’s shoulder.
“Oh, honey, I’m just being silly. Seeing you with Kaylee…it reminded me of when you were a kid.”
Grace smiled down at her mother. “I don’t know how you managed to run a diner and take care of me and Hazel all at once. You remember how we used to drive you nuts when we fought? I remember she and I fought so hard once over the remote control that people on the next block could hear us screaming. You grounded us for a week for behaving like savages.”
Nora threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, I remember.”
“Boy, I bet you’re glad those days are over, right?” Grace asked.
Nora looked at her seriously. “I’d do it over in a heartbeat.”
Grace got a little teary, too. “Aw, Mom. Nothing’s changing. Marriage is just… marriage. Jacob and I have been dating for years now. We’re just… signing a piece of paper. We’ll be legal roommates, basically.”
“You really think that’s all marriage is?” Nora shook her head. “Well, you’re going to learn. It’s all kinds of good and, if I’m honest, all kinds of bad. Your life is going to change forever in many ways. And your success is based on how you handle and respond to those changes.”
“Don’t scare me like that!” Grace flopped down with her head on Nora’s lap. “I don’t know, Mom. I keep getting scared. I keep telling myself the legal roommate thing so I don’t freak out and run far away. I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I?”
Nora blinked. “That’s not for me to answer. What do you think? Do you believe you’re doing the right thing?”
“I know I love Jacob, and we both know we want kids sooner or later… so this seemed like the logical next step,” Grace said. “But I look at you and Dad and I don’t know if I’m ready to be so… grown up. It’s a huge deal. I don’t feel grown up at all! I feel like a teenager still. So does Jacob, sometimes. You’re right that we aren’t just going to be roommates… I mean, Jacob and I are already having disagreements on so many things.”
“Like what?” Nora was concerned.
“Well, he just doesn’t seem to care about the wedding. I keep trying to interest him in flowers and decorations and food but he just shrugs and says ‘whatever you like’. He just doesn’t care!”
“Ah,” Nora said.
“And then…” Grace took a deep breath. “Jacob wants to move back here. Into his mom’s house. He wants to work for the family business. He keeps saying it’s a great decision. That we’ll be closer to you guys, we’ll be in Kaylee’s life a lot more, we’ll be able to put more money into savings...”
“But?”
“But I think it’s a terrible idea. I mean, I love Kaylee, and I’d love to be around her more. But the rest of it? Working for the family business? Moving back to this house? I feel like it would be a disaster. Not to mention that odious Ramona is always hanging about. She’d be working with him.”
“Ah,” Nora said. “Ramona.”
“She’s so fake, have you seen her face? It’s got more layers of makeup than a deck has cards. She hasn’t really tried anything with him…but a girl can tell, you know?”
“You think she likes Jacob?”
“I think she more than likes Jacob! And she absolutely loves the idea of being Mrs. Giordano,” Grace said. “What’s worse is, I know Viola would love to have her as a daughter-in-law. I’m just an outsider to her. Even after three years of dating Jacob!”
“Well, parents can be like that about their kids sometimes,” Nora said. “Viola’s nice to you, isn’t she?”
“On the surface, yes… but she’s so superficial with me. She’s genuinely warm with Ramona. I mean, I know she’s known Ramona all her life, so I shouldn’t feel bad. But still…I’m her future daughter-in-law and she hasn’t made any effort to get to know me.”
“Well, look, I’m not defending her, but I think she’s the type to be a little frosty at first but then she warms up once she gets to know you. Give her a little more time.”
“Look at how nice you are to Jacob. I just wish she was like that with me.”
“Ah, but look at your Dad.” Nora grinned. “Or haven’t you noticed that he’s always suspicious o
f Jacob, even three years later?”
“He is?” Grace stared at Nora. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Well, then I’ve said too much!” Nora said, miming a zip over her lips.
“No. Tell me more! Does Dad dislike Jacob? Does he think…does he think Jacob isn’t a good match for me?”
“Nothing like that, dearest. He likes Jacob just fine,” Nora said. “But you’re his little princess, aren’t you? Always have been. He’s going to take time to warm up to any guy. But none of that should worry you right now. You’ve got a bright future with Jacob, and the only opinions you should care about are his and yours.”
“I guess you’re right.” Grace sighed. “But do you think we should move back here, Mom?”
“I think you both should talk to each other and make a decision together,” Nora said. “Do what’s best for the two of you.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Well, yeesh. You should have been a diplomat.”
“What makes you think I’m not?” Nora laughed. “Now listen, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s about this man, Bobby Black.”
Grace shuddered. “Poor Jacob. He was downright traumatized. He’s the one who found the body.”
“Yes. About that…why was he downstairs in the kitchen so late at night?” Nora asked.
Grace shrugged. “Getting a drink of water, I guess? I don’t know. Like I said, I was fast asleep in my own room.”
Nora hesitated. “Do you believe Jacob? That he was getting a drink of water, I mean?”
“Of course, I do.” Grace stared at her. “Mom! You don’t seriously think Jacob pushed the man down the stairs, do you?”
“No dear, of course not,” Nora said. “But I just thought it was a pretty big coincidence that he should be downstairs.”
“I won’t hear a word against Jacob,” Grace said. “He’s everything Bobby Black was not. He’s honest and kind and hard working and loyal. There’s no way he was involved in any of this.”
“So you’re very sure that Jacob didn’t know Bobby Black?” Nora asked.
“Of course!”
“Find out for me, will you? Ask him how come he didn’t recognize his old friend. Just like that.”
“Mom…” Grace paused. “Are you really saying Jacob might be involved? This was all an accident. Wasn’t it?”
“I just want to clear him from my list completely,” Nora said. “Just for my peace of mind.”
“I know Jacob,” Grace said. “I’m sure he’ll give me an explanation. But Mom, trust me. It’s ridiculous to even think he might be involved.”
“Good,” Nora said. “I’ll be glad when I find out definitively that he isn’t.”
*****
Chapter 14
A Breath Of Fresh Air
Wanting a bit of fresh air, Nora decided to take a walk. There was a lot for her to think about. This murder — if it was a murder, for the police hadn’t officially declared anything yet — was unique. It scared her in a way that none of the other cases she had been involved in had ever done. She supposed it could be because Grace was involved but, really, there was more to it than that. She took a deep breath and tried to lose herself in nature instead of thinking obsessively about Bobby Black.
Around her, the trees stood in solemn council, the sunlight trickling through their green leaves and creating a golden glow around them. The path was well-maintained, with dried orange leaves hugging the sides. In only a month or two, this same path would be unrecognizable, a blanket of white snow covering it completely.
Vaguely, Nora could hear cars whizzing past her on the highway. But, here in the woods, she felt as though she were the first human exploring a new planet. She smiled at the thought.
There was a crunch of leaves and Nora nearly gave a scream as a body collided with her, knocking her to the ground. She looked up in surprise and saw Lucas towering over her, a pair of earphones tangled around him. He gave her a hand up and apologized profusely.
“I was jogging. I guess I was just so lost in my own thoughts I didn’t even see you,” he said. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Just my ego,” Nora said, dusting herself off. She winced. The truth was, he’d barreled into her pretty hard, and her hips felt a little sore already. But she wasn’t about to make him feel worse than he clearly felt already.
Awkwardly, they both began walking back towards the house. Lucas stuffed the earphones into his pocket and wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. He looked at her sideways, hesitating, then asked, “Is it true what Aunt Eugenie says about you? That you’re a famous detective of some kind?”
“Did she say that?” Nora asked.
“She showed me newspaper articles,” Lucas said. “So it is true, then?”
“I’m an ordinary woman, Lucas. I have enough work to do keeping my house and business running smoothly. The detective business was… a long time ago.”
“But still, you did do all those things the articles claimed you did?” Lucas asked.
Nora shrugged. “There’s something else you want to ask me,” she said. “What is it?”
“Just that…with all your experience, if a person around you were plotting murder or had committed one, do you believe you would recognize it? In their eyes, I mean?”
Nora shook her head. “Unlikely,” she said.
“Why not?”
“Humans aren’t just one thing, that’s why not,” Nora explained. “You could know someone all your life and, in one terrible moment, they could betray you completely. You just can never tell. Sometimes, good people do bad things. Sometimes, bad people do good things. As for murders, sometimes a demon comes into a man and makes him commit the most atrocious of crimes. Sometimes, there’s just a vein of cruelty hidden deep within. The only thing we can do, really, is solve a crime after it’s happened. But before? No, I don’t think we could ever look into someone’s eyes and know that they were planning to kill. Not with any accuracy, at least.”
Lucas sighed. “I figured.”
“Why?” Nora asked. “Who do you suspect?”
“Well, until yesterday, nobody,” Lucas said. “But now? Everybody. What’s worse is that I’m worried about my mother, Nora. Really worried.”
“You seem genuinely close to her. Yet you didn’t come home for five years. Not even for your sister’s funeral.” Nora probed. “Why was that?”
Lucas’ face tightened up just for a second and his gaze became distant. “I don’t know.”
“Sure you do,” Nora said. “You just don’t have the words for it, maybe. But you know why you did what you did.”
“When my dad died…” Lucas shook his head. “I never believed the rumors, you know. In fact, I got into a lot of fights with people who said that my mother had murdered my father on that hike.” He rubbed his face. “But then, when I started working for the family company, I realized exactly how rich we were. My mother and father, they look well-off, but they never gave us the impression we were anything more than just average upper-middle class folks,” Lucas said. “When I joined the company and really started seeing how much money we made…”
“That’s when you first started doubting your mother?” Nora asked.
Lucas looked miserable. “I love her. She’s my mother.”
“That’s right,” Nora said.
“But…after Dad died, Mom started spending her money more freely. Like she just didn’t care anymore. I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous. But then I saw how she was with Uncle Finley.”
“You don’t like your Uncle very much, do you?”
“I hate his guts,” Lucas said vehemently. “Dad hated him, too. Uncle Finley is broke. He inherited half of the company and sold the stock to Dad in exchange for cash. Then he spent his life blowing all that cash on fast cars and women and gambling. And, when he’d finally spent the last dollar, he came back and started begging for more money from my father. Only my father told h
im he had to work for it. Uncle Finley hated him for that, even though he was very careful never to show it. He took out his anger and frustration on me, bullying me when I was a kid. Just making snide remarks all the time. Then, a year later, my father died. I think he was actually happy about his own brother dying.”
“Your Uncle Finley sounds repellent,” Nora said.
“He is! Thank you.” Lucas laughed. “Of course, Mom is totally blind to his flaws. He’s only ever charming around her. You don’t know the kind of pressure my mom came under when Dad died. She knew nothing about running a company and, suddenly, she was the sole owner, since Dad left all the stock to her. Plus, the entire town was talking nonsense about her…I don’t blame her for leaning on Uncle Finley and Aunt Eugenie and Aunt Sophia. She just didn’t trust anyone else.”
“But you actually suspected her? Your own mother?”
“I don’t know!” Lucas exclaimed. “I talked to Chief Andrews once. I asked him honestly if he thought that my father had been pushed off a cliff.”
“And?”
“And Chief Andrews, who is the most honest man I know, lied to me. He lied to spare my feelings,” Lucas said. “He told me to bury the past and look to the future instead. He said my father’s death was an accident for sure.”
“How do you know he lied?”
“I bribed one of his deputies and got access to the case file,” Lucas said. “Chief Andrews basically closed the case because he couldn’t get definite proof that it was murder. But…based on what was in that chart…I don’t think the Chief believed that it was an accident. I think he believed my father had been pushed off that cliff.”
“So you think your mother lied about the bear attack? About everything?”
“I don’t know!” Lucas sighed. “I just don’t know what to believe. I was so young then. And I was working in the company, seeing how Uncle Finley behaved with Mom…I think I went a little mad, to be honest.”
“So that’s when you ran away to Seattle?”
Lucas nodded. “I did. I just wanted to be as far away from my mother as possible. Now I wonder if that was the worst decision I could have made. Uncle Finley got a chance to charm my mother even more with me gone. Then my sister died, and none of it mattered anymore. I never wanted to see Greenfield again. I wanted to…I can’t explain how painful it was. I wanted to cut off my past and create a new person. Of course, it doesn’t work that way. All I did was make myself more miserable. I don’t think Jacob ever forgave me for skipping Annie’s funeral. But I just couldn’t face it. I just…I couldn’t. I still can’t bear to even think about her.”
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