Kiss 'N Tell

by Kathi Daley

  My brow furrowed. “Why can’t Sherry Young be the social worker he called?” Gil had mentioned during one of our early conversations that if my dad was going to call anyone after finding a three-year-old girl alone in a burning building on Christmas Eve, it would have been Sherry.

  “Sherry was out of town on Christmas Eve. In fact, she was on a cruise from December nineteenth through twenty-sixth that year.”

  “So her accident really wasn’t related to all of this?” During an earlier conversation, Gil had shared that Sherry had died in an automobile accident two days after Christmas, which had me wondering if perhaps her accident hadn’t been an accident after all.

  “No,” Gil answered. “It looks like the accident was simply an accident. Nothing more.”

  I leaned forward and rested my forearms on my desk. “So if my dad didn’t call Sherry after finding me, do you think he called someone else?”

  “Honestly, no. I found absolutely no reference anywhere to your father contacting social services about a three-year-old girl found on Christmas Eve in nineteen ninety-five. And I called in some favors and really looked.”

  My stomach began to knot. I’d started to suspect that the story my dad had told me about how and when he found me and what happened after was nothing more than a story he’d made up, but having that suspicion confirmed was an entirely different matter.

  “I also checked hospitals in the area for Christmas Eve nineteen ninety-five. I couldn’t find a single reference to anyone matching your age and description having been brought into any hospital that Christmas Eve. I also spoke to one of the firefighters who was called in after the warehouse fire was discovered. He assured me that he didn’t see a child and that no one, including your father, who he did speak to, mentioned a child.”

  “So I probably wasn’t found in the manner my father told me about.” Ever since I’d begun this journey, I had thought it was odd that I couldn’t remember a fire or a warehouse. Of course, I couldn’t remember anything from that timeframe, so I supposed anything was possible at this point.

  “I don’t think so. If your dad found you in the fire, he didn’t take you directly to the hospital. If he had, he wouldn’t have been around to talk to the firefighter. No one I spoke to saw you with your father. It was late and dark, so I suppose you might have been lying down under a blanket on the back seat in his car. But if that was true, why didn’t he mention finding you in his report? Why didn’t he take you to a hospital or call social services as he told you he had? That would have been the logical path to take.”

  “Yes, it would have been,” I agreed.

  “I also looked and was unable to find any reference to adoption. It’s like one minute you were just there, and no one stopped to question it.”

  “Don’t you find that odd?”

  “Not really. Your dad was a popular guy. He was a good man and a good cop. Sure, he had commitment issues, and ending up raising a female child isn’t exactly what anyone would have expected from him, but he put together a believable story, and no one stopped to question the truth of what he told them, including you or me.”

  “I was a child.”

  “Yes, you were. I suppose deep down, I thought something was off, but as I told you before, you were happy, and he was happy. If he cut corners so the two of you could be together, who was I to open that can of worms?”

  I blew out a breath. “I’m glad you didn’t. Dad and I had a good life together.” I leaned back in my chair and stared out the window. “So if I wasn’t found in the fire on Christmas Eve, yet I was a part of my dad’s life from about that point forward, where did I come from? How did he end up with me? And why did he lie about how we came to be together?” I took a breath. “And if he needed to lie to protect me, why did he tell that lie? I mean, finding a child alone in the middle of a burning building seems like a pretty fantastic story to tell if it isn’t true. Why not make something simpler up. Maybe a long-lost cousin who asked him to raise her daughter or something like that.”

  “Yeah, that part didn’t make sense to me either.”

  I paused to gather my thoughts before continuing. “We know there actually was a warehouse fire on that Christmas Eve. You’ve already confirmed that for me. And we know my father actually was the first on the scene. He filed a report, and there are witnesses who saw him there. He said he found me in that fire, but we’ve found no proof that I was ever there. Yet, I do seem to have come into my father’s life around that time. When you went on leave, I was nowhere in the picture, and when you returned from leave in mid-January, I was already settled into my dad’s life. It makes sense that he really did find me when he said he did. I feel like the story he told must be based on truth to a degree. Maybe there’s a piece to this whole puzzle that we simply haven’t figured out yet.”

  “Perhaps,” he acknowledged.

  I looked up as a girl of about ten with long brown braids hanging over her shoulders came in through the front door holding a jar of coins. She smiled and headed toward the dogs the minute she saw them. As the dogs each said their hello’s, I decided to wrap things up with Gil. “I need to go. Someone just walked in. Can I call you back later?”

  “The wife and I have dinner plans tonight. There isn’t much more to tell. I do like to keep tabs on you, so call me in a few days. If I find anything relevant between now and then, I’ll call you.”

  “Okay. And thanks for looking into things. I’m not sure this brings me any closer to the truth about what happened, but I do feel like I have a better grasp on what didn’t happen.”

  After I hung up, I turned my attention to the young girl who’d gotten up from the floor where she’d been petting Kai and Kallie and was standing in front of my desk, shifting her weight from one side to another. “Can I help you with something?”

  “I want to hire you.” She put her jar of coins, mostly pennies and nickels, on the desk.

  I looked around but didn’t see an adult. “Is your mother with you?”

  “No.” She began to lace and unlace her fingers in a nervous fashion. “She’s at work. I live close to here and saw your sign when I walked home from school. I thought maybe you could help me find Snowball.”

  “Snowball?”

  “My cat, who has been gone for two days. Mom says I shouldn’t worry. She says she’ll show up. But there are a lot of cars on this street, and I only live two streets over. I’m afraid something bad is going to happen to her if I don’t find her soon.”

  Two streets away. “You must live in the Seahaven Apartment complex.”

  She nodded. “So, will you help me?” She pushed the jar she’d placed on my desk closer toward me. “This is my whole life savings. It’s yours if you find her.”

  I hesitated. Finding Snowball wouldn’t be easy, especially if she didn’t want to be found, but I supposed I wasn’t busy, and I did want to help the young girl. “My name is Ainsley,” I said, pointing to a chair, indicating that she should sit down. “What’s yours?”

  “Lizzy. Lizzy Hamilton.”

  “Okay, Lizzy. Before we can go much further, I’m going to need to talk to your mother or father if he’s available.”

  “My father is a no-good two-timing cold-blooded snake, who Mom and I are better off without.”

  I fought a smile as the child repeated a phrase I was sure her mother quoted quite often. “Okay, then I’ll need to talk to your mother. You said she’s at work. Where exactly might that be?”

  “She works at the Rambling Rose.”

  I lifted a brow. “Okay, I can work with that. I have friends who work there. What’s your mother’s name?”

  “Amy.”

  “Okay.” I picked up my cell phone. “I’m going to call the Rambling Rose and ask your mother for her permission for you to accompany me to her place of employment so we can all chat. Is that okay?”

  She shrugged. “I guess. She’s going to say I shouldn’t bother you.”

  “I’ll make sure she knows it isn�
�t a bother at all. In fact, I could go for a milkshake. Would you like to have one with me while we chat?”

  She grinned. “Okay.”

  I called Amy, who I’d actually met a couple times, and explained the situation. Just as Lizzy predicted she would, Amy responded that her daughter shouldn’t be bothering me with such things. I assured her that I really did want to help and that perhaps we could discuss things over a milkshake. She assured me the milkshakes would be on her, and I assured her that my investigation into Snowball Hamilton’s disappearance would be on me.

  Chapter 3

  “So I hear Lizzy Hamilton is the first official client of Ainsley Holloway Investigations,” Josie Wellington said after Kai, Kallie, and I had shown up at the cottage she shared with her roomie, Jemma Hawthorn.

  “She absolutely is,” I answered as Kai and Kallie trotted over to greet the cottage kittens, Stefan and Damon.

  “Do you actually think you can find Snowball?” Josie asked as she poured me a glass of wine.

  “I intend to try.” I accepted the glass. “We have a good start. After I spoke to Amy, Lizzy and I went back to their apartment. She gave me a photo of Snowball, who I assumed would be all white given the name, but turned out to be mostly gray with a white chest.”

  “Really? I wonder why she named her Snowball,” Josie commented.

  “I asked her that, and she said it was snowing the day she got the cat, so she named her snowball in honor of the snowy day.”

  “I guess that makes sense.”

  “After we got the photo, we went back to my office and called the animal shelter just to make sure she wasn’t there. Once we confirmed she wasn’t, we made a bunch of fliers. The two of us made sure that everyone on Main Street had a flier in their window by the time we were done. I also called Parker.” I referred to Parker Peterson, a good friend and a reporter for the local newspaper. “She’s going to put a lost cat announcement in the newspaper. In my opinion, that alone might do the trick, but just in case it doesn’t, I’ve arranged to meet Lizzy when she gets out of school tomorrow. We’re going to walk around the neighborhood closest to the apartment complex Snowball disappeared from and hand out fliers and talk to any neighbors we might find at home.”

  “And if you still don’t find Snowball?” Josie asked.

  I shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to up my game, but I’m hoping that will be enough.”

  “It seems like Amy could have done all that herself,” Jemma said, having entered the room from upstairs as we were discussing the situation.

  “She could have,” I agreed. “But the woman is really busy and simply hasn’t had time to do any of that. I could see that Lizzy was upset, and I’m happy to help.”

  “Amy is always strapped for money,” Josie said. “She’s always looking for extra shifts at the Rambling Rose. I feel bad for her. It’s hard being a single mom.”

  “Is the dad in the picture at all?” I asked.

  “No, I don’t think so. I don’t know the story, but it seems like Amy is doing this alone financially. Based on what Amy has said about the guy, he sounds like a real loser.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Lizzy made a few comments that left me with the same impression.”

  Jemma poured herself a glass of wine, and then we all sat down in the living room.

  “Before I forget to mention it, the local theater company is doing a play next week,” Jemma said. “I’d really like to go. If the two of you want to join me, I’ll get three tickets.”

  “Sounds fun, but make it four,” Josie said.

  “You think we should ask Parker,” Jemma assumed. “I considered asking her, but she’s planning on going to the play with a guy she’s been dating the past few weeks.”

  “Actually,” Josie corrected. “I wasn’t thinking of Parker. I got a call from Valerie today. She has a meeting of some sort in Seattle, so she’s going to hop over to Gooseberry Bay and spend a few days with us. Isn’t that great?”

  I glanced at Jemma when she didn’t answer right away. Josie sounded perky, as was her usual style, and she seemed to be genuinely excited about Valerie’s visit, but Jemma’s smile had most decidedly turned into a frown.

  Josie ignored Jemma’s lack of response and turned to me. “Val and I used to be roommates back before Jemma and I became roommates. We really had a lot of fun together, but she got a job offer in Chicago that she really couldn’t turn down, so she packed her bags and headed east. We aren’t as close as we once were, but I still enjoy her visits when she comes to the area.”

  I glanced at Jemma, who was scowling by this point. Not wanting to add fuel to the fire by asking about her apparent dislike of Josie’s friend, I decided to change the subject. I filled them in on my discussion with Gil and the news that Sherry Young definitely hadn’t been the one who approved my dad as my temporary guardian.

  “So it’s looking more and more like the entire story your father told you was fiction,” Josie said.

  “It does seem to be looking that way. I don’t understand why he’d make up such an elaborate lie.”

  “It does seem that if he didn’t want to come forward with the truth, he would have kept the story simple,” Jemma agreed.

  “I suppose he didn’t want to make up a story that could easily be picked apart. You have to admit that if the whole thing is a fabrication, as lies go, it’s a complex one,” Josie pointed out.

  “Did Gil have a theory as to why your father made up such an elaborate story?” Jemma asked.

  “No. Gil’s as baffled as I am about the whole thing. We both agree that whatever my dad did, he did to keep me safe. I know it sounds like he crossed a line in terms of professional conduct, and he may even have broken a few laws, but my dad was a good guy who loved me. Whatever he did, he did for the greater good.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Jemma said.

  “Is there anything else new going on with the case?” Josie asked after picking up Stefan, who was trying to climb up her leg. “I know that Adam has been out of the country, and that’s put a kink in things.”

  “I don’t have much to share. I have started to remember little things about Winnie. Flashes of memory that I hadn’t previously had access to.”

  “And you are sure the memories relate to her?” Jemma asked.

  I nodded. “Adam gave me a photo of Winnie. I’ve been looking at it before I go to bed, almost willing myself to dream of her. She’s already told us what she knows, which isn’t a lot, so I doubt that dreaming of her will really help me reach my ultimate goal, but it really bothered me that she was the one who took care of Avery and me and I didn’t remember her at all. I guess I feel like remembering her will help me to remember the rest.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Josie said. “This whole thing must be so frustrating for you.”

  “It really is, but the urgency I once felt to figure it out has abated a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I still want my answers, but now that I’ve settled in here in Gooseberry Bay, I feel a lot more content than I once did.”

  “I’m really glad you came,” Josie said. “And I’m really glad you’re going to stay.”

  “Me too,” Jemma seconded. “Gooseberry Bay is such a warm and friendly place. You really do fit right in.”

  “I feel like I do,” I agreed. “And I’ve enjoyed meeting all my neighbors and the people in town. They’re all so nice, and everyone has really gone out of their way to make me feel welcome.”

  “I’ve met Bev and Edna from Then and Again,” Jemma said. “And I know Peggy and Ella from Hair Affair, but I’m not sure I know the kids who work in the yogurt shop.”

  “They’re both really nice,” I shared. “If you want to stop by my office this week while I’m there, I’ll buy you a yogurt and introduce you.” I paused. “At least I’ll introduce you to Kim. I think Kevin said something about having friends in town for the fitness competition and being off this week.”

  “There are a ton of college-aged kids in town for
that competition this week,” Josie said. “The bar and grill has been slammed since last Friday.”

  “I noticed the boardwalk is busier than it’s been since Christmas as well,” I added.

  “Gooseberry Bay is a big draw for college students in the area who are off on break over Presidents Day,” Josie informed me. “I think the fitness competition helps draw them in, but there are other events going on to attract that particular crowd. I heard there’s going to be an outdoor concert down by the harbor. I even saw a kissing booth on the boardwalk next to the waffle cart.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Why would anyone pay to kiss a stranger?”

  “Have you seen the girls they get to do the booth?” Josie chuckled. “Practically every male in town over the age of thirteen has been lined up at that booth every day since it opened.”

  I knew that was most likely an exaggeration, but I did admit that the young men and women who were in town for the competition did seem to have been blessed with superior genetics.

  “I heard that five women are chosen for contracts with Sunfit, but the overall winner of the contest will receive a spokesperson contract worth over a million dollars,” Josie added.

  “I guess that’s why so many people have come out for the event,” Jemma said.

  “But why have a kissing booth?” I asked.

  Josie shrugged. “The proceeds go to charity, and it gives the women involved in the contest exposure. The competition has several parts. One part is, of course, overall physical fitness and stamina, which I imagine all the contestants have in spades. Another part has to do with the contestant’s charisma and ability to speak in front of large crowds. But a major component of the competition has to do with public opinion. Everyone who buys a ticket is entitled to vote for their favorite girl. The girls know they can’t win without a lot of spectator votes, so they make a point of getting out into the community and meeting people. I guess a kissing booth where the proceeds go to charity is one way of garnering public support.”