exposed (Twisted Cedar Mysteries Book 3)

by C. J. Carmichael

  “Charlotte, is Cory okay?” He sounded breathless. “I was in a chat room with Ed when she first went missing so I didn’t hear about it until now.”

  “Wade brought her home, safe and sound, twenty minutes ago.” Charlotte ran through the explanation again.

  “You must feel like you’ve been through hell and back.”

  “I’m still in hell,” she reminded him. Chester had been missing now for three entire days and two nights.

  “And I know you are too,” she added. “How did your last session with Ed go?”

  “Brutal. He’s such a bastard. He’s getting a perverse thrill out of telling me his story and it makes me crazy knowing how happy he’ll be when the story is out there for everyone to read.”

  “Has he said anything about Chester yet?”

  “No. But I’m making progress with the story. I guess that’s something.”

  “It’s more than just something, Dougal. It could be everything.”

  “I hope so.”

  She sighed, then took the phone out the back door where she could look out over the ocean. This was a view that had never failed to calm her. Until Chester disappeared.

  “Are you taking a break for dinner?”

  “They’ve ordered in Thai food here. I think I’ll stay and work on my next chapter.” Dougal hesitated. “Unless you need me...?”

  She did need him. But how could she put herself ahead of what was best for Chester. “I’m fine now that Cory’s back. You keep writing. Give me a call later, if you have the chance.”

  chapter fifteen

  Stella had cooked many meals for Jamie and her brother over the years, she and Amos were like the grandparents Jamie had never had, so tonight Jamie wanted to prepare something really special in return. Knowing Stella loved Mexican food, she decided on baked chicken with mole sauce, black beans and rice, and a citrus avocado salad.

  It was enjoyable to putter around her brand new kitchen. Having spent most of her life in a park model trailer with her mother—as well as Dougal until he turned eighteen and moved to New York—the amount of counter and cupboard space seemed shockingly extravagant.

  In truth, her new home was modest by modern standards. Certainly smaller than the house she’d briefly shared with Kyle and the twins after her marriage.

  But those months had passed by so quickly, they almost didn’t feel real anymore.

  Within a few months the annulment would be finalized. And then, legally speaking, it would be like her marriage had never truly happened.

  It was time she thought about what she wanted next. It was too soon to consider a new romance. But she might plan a trip. Their mother had never had the financial resources to take them traveling, however now that Jamie was back at the CPA firm, with prospects of becoming a partner, there was no reason she couldn’t consider an excursion to South America, or perhaps even Australia and Southeast Asia.

  Jamie was considering these options when Stella arrived. It was shortly after six, and she’d come without her husband. She looked tired after a long day of cleaning houses, and her hands felt rough as she gave Jamie a hug.

  “You look exhausted, Stella.”

  “It’s been a long week with Liz off on holiday.”

  “What about Amos, is he coming later?”

  As often happened when she was speaking of her husband, Stella avoided direct eye contact. “Oh you know Amos. He said we’d have more fun if it was just girls.”

  Jamie was sad that Stella and Amos’s relationship seemed so damaged. Stella had shared with her some of the reasons, which included an inability to have children.

  Jamie was pretty certain there was more to the story than that.

  She gave Stella a tour of her place and Stella said all the right, complimentary things.

  “It’s such a nice evening I thought we’d eat on the back deck. Are you okay with that?”

  “As long as I can sit, I’m happy anywhere.”

  Poor Stella. Working as a cleaning lady for all these years had taken a toll. And yet, she’d always been there for Jamie or Dougal when they needed her. Jamie was glad to have the chance to wait on her for a change.

  “Go out and put your feet up,” Jamie instructed. “I’ll be right there.”

  She grabbed a prepared jug of sangria from the fridge and put it on a tray with some glasses. With Dougal’s help she’d moved the patio furniture she’d purchased for Kyle’s porch to her new backyard deck and had added a couple of occasional tables to make a pleasant seating area.

  “This is lovely, Jamie.” Stella was settled into one of the cushioned chairs, her feet up on a stool as instructed.

  “Next spring I’m going to fill those planter boxes with flowers. And buy a big umbrella.”

  “It’s nice to be young and have plans.”

  Jamie filled two glasses with sangria, then went inside for chips and salsa. Once she was settled in the chair next to Stella’s, the older woman shared some surprising news.

  “Did you hear about Cory?”

  Jamie’s back went rigid. “What happened?”

  “She’s fine,” Stella said quickly. “But she ran away after school, and for a while no one knew where she was.”

  “Oh my God. Charlotte must have been terrified. Where did she go?”

  “To her old house on Fifth Avenue. Apparently she thought her brother might be hiding out there, but of course he wasn’t.”

  “Poor Cory.”

  “She’s such a dear little thing. No child should have to go through what she has.”

  “That reminds me.” Jamie went inside to get the envelope Charlotte had given her. “I was talking to Charlotte today and we were thinking about all the awful things that have been happening lately and wondering if there could be a root cause for it all.”

  Stella frowned. “I’m not sure it’s that easy.”

  “Well, it seemed to us that a lot of the trouble started when my father came to Twisted Cedars to find his mother. We’ve all been focusing on Shirley Hammond and what happened to her. But Charlotte and I wondered if his father might have been involved, too.”

  “Ed Lachlan’s father?” Stella repeated slowly. “Did you figure out who he was?”

  “We have no idea. We did find this photo of Shirley with the boy who escorted her to her high school prom. We wondered if he might be the boyfriend who got her pregnant.” Jamie slipped the old photograph out of the envelope and passed it carefully to Stella.

  Stella stared at it a long while. “I do believe that’s Sam Lemwick.”

  “From Sam’s Market?” Jamie took the photo back for a closer look.

  “Exactly.”

  “I had a part time job bagging groceries for him when I was in high school.” Sam had been a pleasant, easy-going boss. And he still insisted on giving her the employee discount when she did her shopping there—which she did on a regular basis. The prices might be cheaper at the big box stores, but Sam’s Market was always clean and enticing. Plus Sam seemed to work almost all the time, providing not only top notch service, but a friendly smile, as well.

  “I didn’t know he’d gone out with Shirley Hammond. Gosh, that must make him in his mid-seventies.”

  “I had no idea he was that old either. I used to wonder why he never married. Do you suppose Shirley broke his heart and he never got over her?”

  “Shirley was a beautiful woman. She looked like an angel but she had a very hard heart. Yes, I suppose it’s possible that’s what happened.”

  “Stella think of it. If Sam was the father of Shirley’s baby—that would make him my grandfather.”

  * * *

  Saturday morning Jamie went around to Sam’s Market thirty minutes before the regular nine o’clock opening. The door was locked, but when she knocked it only took a few moments for Sam to let her in.

  “Good morning, Jamie. I’m still closed, but of course for you I’ll make an exception.”

  Sam was dressed in his usual pressed trousers, butto
n-down cotton shirt and pristine white apron. His gray hair was clipped short and his eye glasses were eerily similar to the horned-rimmed pair he’d worn in high school.

  He seemed spry and energetic as usual, but as she looked closer Jamie noted the lines on his face and the sunken jowls that betrayed his age.

  “I’m not here to shop Sam. I was hoping to talk to you for a few minutes.” She glanced around the shop, wondering if any other employees had shown up for work yet. There was a cart filled with premium brand canned soups in one aisle. Presumably Sam had been restocking when she interrupted him.

  “I hope you’re here to ask for a job,” Sam teased. “I always said I’d hire you back in a New York minute.”

  “Tempting offer Sam. But I think I’ll stay with the CPA firm for now.”

  Sam chuckled, then noticed the way she was casing the joint. “We’re alone. I’m running a pretty lean shop these days.”

  “Good. I wanted to ask you about something.” Jamie let out a long breath, then took the photo out of her purse. “Charlotte Hammond and I were looking at some of her old family albums yesterday and we found this.”

  She passed him the picture, and as he studied it, she tried to read the expressions on his face.

  There were quite a lot of them. First he smiled, then he seemed to turn sad and possibly...regretful?

  “Shirley was a beauty back in her day. I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to go to prom with her.”

  “She asked you?”

  “I know. Amazing, isn’t it? I had friends, but I was pretty much the dorkiest guy in our class. I’d been expecting to attend the dance solo.”

  Jamie took in the news with a strong sense of disappointment. “So this was your first date?”

  “First and only.”

  She couldn’t help sighing as she put the photograph away.

  “What’s this about, anyway?”

  “Sam, you must know Shirley left high school for a year to have a baby.”

  “There was a story concocted about a year in a posh eastern school to build up her credentials for college.” He shrugged. “But yes. Everyone in school knew she was pregnant.”

  “When Charlotte and I saw this photo we wondered if you might be the father of that baby.”

  Sam let out a surprised laugh. “Nope. Definitely not me.”

  “Do you have any idea who was?”

  Sam’s expression turned serious. He brushed a hand over his head, as he pondered his reply. “There were rumors. This boy or that one. But no one ever owned up to it. And Shirley never breathed a word. She’d been a real sweet girl at one point. But this experience...it changed her.”

  “This isn’t idle gossip on my part. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but my father, Ed Lachlan, was Shirley’s biological son. She gave him up for adoption, but when he became an adult my father tracked her down to Twisted Cedars.”

  “Yes, word has gotten around,” Sam admitted.

  “And that means, whoever fathered Shirley’s child is my grandfather. To be honest, Sam, I was hoping it was you.”

  chapter sixteen

  After an early morning meeting with his team, Wade asked Marnie if she’d made his travel arrangements to Sacramento.

  “I’ve booked the flight and arranged for a rental car at the Sacramento airport. Since I know you have a bad habit of running down your cell phone battery, I have confirmation numbers and your printed boarding pass on my desk.”

  “Great work.” Especially considering it had been after eight last night when he’d called and told her he needed to interview Muriel Quinpool ASAP.

  As they walked side-by-side down the corridor, Marnie updated him on a press conference she’d organized for later that afternoon.

  He wished they had something positive to report, but as had been so clear in this morning’s meeting, the only progress they had to show for their long hours and overtime was a growing list of places where Chester wasn’t.

  Wade nodded at each of the talking points Marnie outlined. Marnie had been working just as hard, if not harder than any of his deputies. And as with all of them, signs of strain were visible. Usually she was meticulous in her grooming, make-up and dress, but today her hair was in a ponytail, her pale face had not even a trace of makeup, and she was wearing—if he wasn’t mistaken—the same pants and blouse as yesterday.

  “Did you get any sleep at all last night?”

  “Four hours on your sofa.” She gave him a weak grin, before tackling the stacks of paper on her desk.

  At that moment, the phone in Wade’s office rang and he excused himself. Five minutes later when he returned, Frank Dunne was leaning over Marnie’s desk. He said something in a low voice, then pulled back with a chuckle as Marnie waved her finger at him. “Behave yourself Deputy!”

  As soon as Dunne spotted Wade, his smirk vanished and he made a bee-line back to the conference room.

  Meanwhile, two pink splotches on Marnie’s cheeks were rapidly spreading over her entire face.

  “Was Dunne out of line just now?”

  “Oh, he’s harmless.” She handed him the printout with his confirmation numbers and another with the boarding pass.

  Wade glanced at the papers before folding them and slipping them into his pocket. “Make sure you let me know if he does anything...inappropriate.”

  Marnie tilted her head. “I wonder what you’d consider inappropriate.”

  That surprised him. “Anything that made you feel uncomfortable, I suppose.”

  “Or do you really mean anything that would make you feel uncomfortable?”

  Wade felt he’d landed himself in conversational quicksand but had no idea how to extradite himself.

  Marnie took his silence as an invitation to continue. “For instance, is there a rule against dating co-workers, Sheriff?”

  Was it possible she would seriously consider dating Dunne? “No rule. But it’s not a good idea.”

  “But there’s no rule against it?”

  “Not per se...”

  Marnie stood up, so she was almost right beside him. Quietly she said, “Then why don’t you ask me out?”

  Wade stared at her. He could feel heat building inside of him—some of it embarrassment. Some of it something altogether more dangerous. “Because I’m your boss.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  Wade considered the question. Women never ceased to amaze him, that was for sure. “If I don’t leave now I’m going to miss my plane.”

  She gave him a half smile. “I guess you better go then.”

  He did.

  * * *

  Wade tried not to think about Marnie as he drove south about an hour and a half to Crescent City, where he caught his short haul flight to Sacramento.

  Instead he focused on the questions he wanted to ask Muriel Quinpool. This was his second visit to her upscale condo this summer. His first had been in July when he was trying to establish the exact circumstances of Daisy Hammond-Quinpool’s death. But though she’d been incredibly tense and nervous, Muriel hadn’t deviated by as much as a word from the script Wade was certain she’d been fed by her son and her husband.

  When Chester had first been reported missing, the state police had questioned Muriel at Wade’s request. She’d claimed to have no idea where her grandson was, or who might be responsible for his disappearance. But Wade wasn’t sure whether to believe her.

  Muriel had no credibility with him.

  It didn’t help that he simply didn’t like her.

  As a kid he’d found her aloof and cold, and he felt the same now.

  Since she’d moved here four years ago, after divorcing Jim, and leaving behind the grandchildren she’d helped raise since Kyle and Daisy’s separation, she rarely saw her family. At one point it had seemed she wouldn’t even attend Kyle and Jamie’s wedding, and even when she did, she’d scurried back to Sacramento as soon as it was over.

  The reasons behind the Quinpool’s divorce had been a topic of some di
scussion when it happened. Wade’s own parents—now happily retired in Arizona—had speculated in vain.

  Wade had his own theory. He suspected the guilt of Daisy’s unreported death and illegal burial had eventually become too much for her to stand. Rather than confess to the authorities, she’d opted to create a new life for herself.

  Maybe she’d hoped putting distance between herself and Twisted Cedars would be enough to bring her relief.

  But Wade had a feeling she was still tortured by her memories. And he dared to hope that today she would finally unburden herself.

  Wade had phoned ahead and Muriel came to the door immaculately dressed, with her trademark strand of pearls at her throat. With a regal wave of her hand she invited him to sit at the sofa in the living room.

  She had tea made, and a plate of chocolate-covered shortbread on the coffee table. Wade noticed a photo of Chester was now taking center stage in the family grouping on the antique bureau.

  It was all very staged—decorous grandmother doing her best to help the legal authorities find her grandson.

  But studying her face, he saw anxiety—yes. Concern for her grandson—no.

  “You must be terribly worried about Chester,” he opened. “I want to assure you we’re working around-the-clock on our investigation.”

  “Jim thinks he’s run away. That he’s hiding out in one of the summer cottages that have been shut up for the season.” As she spoke she smoothed imperceptible wrinkles from her freshly pressed skirt.

  Wade took note of the rings on her fingers. While she no longer wore her wedding ring, she still owned several spectacular stones. The Quinpools had always been one of the wealthiest families in town, and she had seemed the pampered and adored wife who presided with some entitlement over the local woman’s auxiliary group among other charitable endeavors.

  Had there been an ugly side to her marriage with Jim?

  Or was he right, and it had been Daisy—her psychosis, her affair, her death—who had upset the perfection of Muriel’s life?

  “We’ve checked a lot of the local summer places, already. Unfortunately, so far we haven’t found any trace of Chester.”