Bitter Truth

by C. J. Carmichael

  “This may sound crazy—but do you think Lacy was capable of pushing Jack and causing him to fall off that ledge?”

  Sybil gave a small snort. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself. If Jack goaded her, maybe. Then again, she had a strict moral code and she wasn’t a violent woman. So I don’t know.”

  “Wow. You think you know someone and then you find out you didn’t have a clue.” Zak scrambled to his feet. “Thanks a bunch, Sybil. You’ve filled in some important gaps for me.”

  Sybil got to her feet gracefully. “Good luck with your investigations, Zak. If possible, please try to find some reason to arrest Cora. That woman has been a blight on this community for too long.”

  It was five minutes past the official closing at Little Cow Pokes Day Care when Justin ran through the door.

  At the craft table Debbie-Ann was sitting with Geneva and Ashley. She glanced up and smiled at him, not looking the least bit annoyed.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He didn’t want to be the annoying parent who was always pushing the boundaries of his child’s caregivers. Nor did he want Geneva to carry the stigma of always being the last child to get picked up.

  But Clayton Stillman had called him a half hour ago with the news that his daughter Nikki was missing, and he wanted advice on what he should do. Apparently Nikki and Luke had gone to the bar last night and no one had seen her since she’d dropped Luke home.

  Though Nikki was an adult, she still lived at home with her parents. According to Clayton she always let him and Vanessa know if she wasn’t going to be home at night.

  Ford had both his deputies out looking for Nikki but so far he was refusing to open an official missing person’s file and put out an APB.

  Justin had given Clayton the name of a private investigator. Other than that, all he could offer was reassurance. And Clayton needed a lot of reassurance. Vanessa was cutting her spa vacation short to come home. She was not going to be pleased if Nikki was still missing when she got here.

  “It’s not a problem.” Debbie-Ann was an average-looking woman, but her easygoing disposition and generous smile made her seem more attractive than she was. “The girls and I are having fun making snowflakes. Did you ever do this as a child?”

  She folded a piece of paper into quarters, then cut notches strategically on the sides. When she unfolded the paper she had a delicate-looking snowflake.

  “Look at mine, Daddy.” Geneva held up several of her own snowflakes. “Aren’t they pretty?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Sure are. We can use them to decorate our Christmas tree.” Noticing Ashley watching him with saucer-wide eyes, he moved to her side of the table. “Did you make snowflakes, too?”

  Shyly she showed him one, holding the corners gingerly with both hands.

  “Gorgeous. What a great job you guys have done. And yes, I do remember making those when I was a kid, but I don’t think mine were anywhere near this pretty.”

  He straightened, glanced back at Debbie-Ann. “I’ll gladly pay for the extra half hour, but don’t worry. I don’t plan on making a habit of being late.”

  She waved off his offer of extra money. “It’s not a big deal. Everyone is late at one time or another. But since it is almost dinnertime...would you and Geneva like to eat with us? I have a pot roast in my slow cooker.”

  Her tone was friendly and there wasn’t even a hint of a flirtatious glint in her eyes. Still, alarm bells rang in his head.

  If he wasn’t careful he was going to set up expectations with this woman...and maybe her daughter, too.

  He didn’t know much about Debbie-Ann, only that she was in her mid-to-late twenties and a single parent, like him. Ashley’s father, for whatever reason, wasn’t in the picture.

  “Yes, Daddy, please say yes!” Geneva was tugging at his arm, while Ashley fixed wide eyes at him, hopefully.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked in front of the girls.” Debbie-Ann started tidying the craft table. “Sometimes I speak before I think.”

  “It’s a really nice offer. But you shouldn’t reward me for being late.”

  “Maybe you should taste the pot roast before you consider it a reward.”

  He smiled. And then, without him even saying yes, it seemed to be decided.

  “We live right here, in an apartment above the day care,” Debbie-Ann explained as she locked the front door.

  “The stairs are back here.” Ashley ran to show the way, and Geneva followed.

  “This used to be my grandmother’s house.” Debbie-Ann picked up a piece of Lego and tossed it into a plastic tub, without breaking her stride. “She and my grandfather raised me. She died just a year before Ashley was born. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand I would have loved for Ashley to know her. But I’m afraid Grams would have been disappointed in me. She wanted me to study dance in college. Maybe become a teacher one day.”

  They’d reached the narrow stairwell. Though he couldn’t see the girls, he could hear them tromping above them. Justin paused to let Debbie-Ann go ahead.

  “What happened to your parents?”

  “My mom was just fifteen when she got pregnant with me. She’s lives in L.A. She’s a yoga instructor, I think. Or she was when I last saw her.”

  “And when was that?”

  “At Grandma’s funeral. I hate to say it, but I think Mom only came back to Lost Trail to see what she got in the will.”

  The stairs opened up into a bright room with a denim-blue sectional in one corner and a wooden pedestal table in the other. In the third corner of the space was a small kitchen, then a hallway, which presumably led to bedrooms and a bath.

  The aroma of the pot roast was mouth-watering. “Dinner smells pretty awesome. Wish I at least had a bottle of wine to contribute.”

  “No worries. I have some. Hope your taste isn’t too expensive.” Debbie-Ann opened the fridge. “I also have a bagged salad in here somewhere.”

  “Want to see my Troll collection?” Ashley asked his daughter.

  Geneva nodded her head vigorously.

  “It’s in my room.” Ashley took Geneva’s hand and led her down the hall.

  “How old is Ashley?”

  “Six.” Debbie-Ann had found what she was looking for. She set the bag of sweet kale salad on the table, then pulled a bowl from the cabinet.

  Two years older than his daughter. “She’s really patient with Geneva.”

  “Growing up in a day care has made Ashley good at getting along with kids of all ages.”

  “That’s a plus.”

  “Is it? I hope so. When she was younger she had a hard time sharing me with so many other children. She’s gotten used to it now. But I do feel guilty about that sometimes.”

  “At least she’s with you, and not some babysitter.”

  Debbie-Ann paused in the midst of tossing the salad ingredients into the bowl. “Do you feel guilty about leaving Geneva in day care?”

  “I did at first. But with Willow gone, I don’t have a choice.”

  Debbie-Ann handed him a corkscrew and nodded at a bottle of Pinot Noir on the counter. Taking the hint, he went to open it. “Now that I’ve gotten to know you and Ashley, though, I feel damned lucky to have such a great option for childcare. And just a block from my office.”

  “I’m happy to have Geneva. She’s a great kid. A little quiet, but given all the changes in her life, that’s not surprising.”

  He thought about some of the pictures Geneva had brought home from the day care. Lots of them were stick-figure families, with a mother and father and little girl. The worrisome thing was that often Geneva made a dark, angry scribble over the father.

  “I suppose you’ve noticed Geneva’s odd pictures of our family.”

  “Hm. I’ve seen pictures she’s drawn of herself with her parents. I don’t think they’re of you.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I’ve asked her about them. The pictures are of her and her mother and a ma
n named Paul.”

  His heart lurched. “That’s her biological father.”

  “She told me he was a bad man.”

  “Wow.” He set down the open bottle. “How do you get her to open up to you that way?”

  “It’s pretty simple with kids. You just do fun stuff together. And ask questions. Most of them are incredibly open. A lot of my parents would be very embarrassed if they knew some of the stuff their kids tell me.”

  “Oh.” He tried, in vain, to think of something embarrassing Geneva might have said about him.

  Debbie-Ann laughed. “Don’t worry. Geneva hasn’t shared any of your secrets with me.” She put the salad bowl on the table, then turned back to look at him. “At least not yet.”

  Dinner was delicious. Justin made a mental note to order a slow cooker from Amazon later that night. And get Debbie-Ann’s pot roast recipe.

  As he’d seen her do before, Debbie-Ann involved the girls in cleanup. Once they’d put their dishes in the sink—there was no dishwasher—she gave them the okay to go back into Ashley’s room to play.

  Justin washed the dishes while Debbie-Ann put away the leftovers. Soon everything was clean except their wineglasses, which Debbie-Ann had just refilled.

  “Want to sit and relax for a minute?”

  It wasn’t even seven yet, so he couldn’t plead needing to get Geneva home to bed. Not that he wanted to leave. He was enjoying Debbie-Ann’s company. A lot.

  He just didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.

  They sat in the living room and Debbie-Ann turned on the TV, setting the channel to a nature show. “Are you okay with this? I like watching shows where you can still talk.” She sat cross-legged on her end of the sofa, cradling her wineglass with both hands.

  On the screen a photographer dressed in a thick parka, hat and scarf was filming a moose and her calf in the forest in the middle of winter. It looked like a very uncomfortable enterprise. The baby moose was so ugly it was kind of cute.

  “Debbie-Ann, I really like you. I enjoy hanging out with you. I just need to be upfront about my situation. You know I’m still married to Willow?”

  Debbie-Ann did not look at all fazed by his awkward ramblings. If anything she seemed a little amused.

  “No need to worry. Not that I wouldn’t be open to romance if the right man came along. But I never got that vibe from you. Besides you’re almost ten years older than me.” When she saw the reaction on his face, she quickly added, “I hope that doesn’t offend you.”

  “No. Not at all.” He took a sip of wine. Which turned into a gulp. So he wasn’t as irresistible as he thought. Reality check.

  “I’m sorry. I have upset you.”

  “Nah. Seriously, don’t worry about it.”

  “About Willow. Do you think you’ll get back together?”

  “I can’t see that happening. She’s gone back to the guy she was with before we got married. His name is Paul Quinlan.”

  “Paul. So he’s Geneva’s father?”

  “Biological father. He gave up his legal rights when Willow and I married so I could adopt Geneva.”

  “Lucky for Geneva. I think you’re a pretty awesome father. But why would Willow go back to Paul if he’s such an awful guy?”

  “You have to know Paul. There’s something about him. He’s funny, whip-smart and crazy-rich. The three of us were inseparable in college.”

  Debbie-Ann tilted her head. “You sound like you’re in love with Paul, too.”

  Wow. This woman. Justin couldn’t remember the last time he’d talked to someone who had really listened to him. Who truly seemed to get him. “You’re right. I was. Even more crazy...I loved Willow as well.”

  “Complicated.”

  Justin laughed. “My life became much more pedestrian after we graduated. Paul and Willow took off to travel the world, on Paul’s unlimited budget.”

  “You weren’t invited?”

  “I was. But I wasn’t born for that sort of lifestyle. I knew my father missed me and I’d always planned to return to Lost Trail. So I decided to study law.”

  “I wonder if I could ask you—”

  Before she could finish, Geneva ran into the room, anxious to show him some of Ashley’s Trolls.

  “Aren’t they funny-looking, Daddy?”

  “Sure are.” He made a mental note to pick up one for her Christmas stocking. “Glad you’re having so much fun, but it’s getting late. We have to go home now.”

  To Debbie-Ann, he said, “Next time we have dinner, we’re talking about you.”

  “Next time?”

  “I hope I’m not too old to be your friend? Especially since I’ve just spilled some of my darkest secrets.”

  She squeezed his arm. “You are the perfect age for a friend. And Ashley and I would love to come for dinner.”

  “How about Saturday?”

  “Terrific.” She leaned forward, put a hand on his arm. “You’re not the only one with secrets. Saturday I’ll tell you some of mine.”

  Chapter Ten

  Wednesday, November 29

  Snow came on Wednesday morning. Chunky flakes that decorated the ends of Tiff’s red scarf and the branches of the evergreens lining the path between the house and the barn. Tiff hummed It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, timing her steps so the crunch of her boots in the snow provided percussion to the song.

  “Someone sounds happy today.”

  She looked in the direction of Kenny’s voice just in time to avoid the snowball he flung at her.

  “Doesn’t it feel like a wonderland to you?” She spread her hands wide to indicate...everything. The red-and-white barn, the stately trees, even the wood rail fencing all looked so much nicer with a trimming of snow.

  “Yup. The view sure is pretty from here.” He was looking at her, smiling, his stance casual and relaxed even as snow accumulated on his wool hat and the shoulders of his plaid jacket.

  He looked good here, solid, handsome, a little bit of a wild gleam in his eyes. She had a feeling Kenny could fit in wherever he found himself. He had that easy confidence some men seemed to be born with.

  “Did you set aside the trees for the Stillmans?” She’d sent him a text message after she got home from the pub Monday night.

  “Fourteen-foot noble fir for Luke Stillman and sixteen-foot for Nikki Stillman. Yup, they’re tagged and ready to go. Will they be here to pick them up soon? We’re getting crammed for space in the loading area.”

  He started toward the barn and she fell in beside him. “I’m not sure.”

  “Oh?”

  She’d texted Zak this morning, asking if there’d been word from Nikki. There hadn’t. “Something odd is going on at the Lazy S. Nikki’s gone missing since our night out.”

  “That was Monday, right?”

  “Yes. They drove in from the ranch together, in Nikki’s Jeep. They were at the Dew Drop for about two hours. Nikki drove Luke home, dropped him off at his front door, and no one’s seen her since.”

  “She didn’t say anything to Luke about late-night plans?”

  “No. He was surprised like everyone else when he heard she hadn’t spent the night in her home.”

  “Is it possible she went for a drive and had an accident?”

  “Zak tells me the sheriff’s department combed the roads between the Lazy S and town. There’s no sign of her truck.”

  “The family must be worried.”

  “Nikki may be an adult, but she’s in the habit of letting her folks know if she won’t be home at night. They’re plenty worried.”

  “And now she’s been missing two nights.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I hope she turns up soon. Maybe she just needed a breather from her family.”

  “They’ve been arguing a lot about whether to sell a tract of land to a developer. So that might be it. I just hope she either comes home soon or lets her family know she’s okay.”

  They walked a few strides in silence, then Kenny asked, “How
’s your mom doing today?”

  “About the same as yesterday. She didn’t have a great night.”

  She’d had more strange dreams and had come to Tiff’s room again in the middle of the night. It had taken a lot of talking to get her to calm down and go back to sleep.

  “Right now Aunt Marsha is making sure she eats her breakfast.” Tiff sighed. “I don’t know how she has coped all these years. I’ve only been home about a month and caring for Mom is starting to wear me down.”

  “From what I’ve seen your aunt gets lots of breaks. Days when she isn’t working, she usually heads off on her own. Until you came back your mom spent most of her days by herself.”

  “Yeah, I’m beginning to appreciate that. But I can’t begrudge my aunt the time off. She can’t spend her entire life looking after my mother.”

  “You see your aunt as some kind of saint. But she has a good thing going here in lots of respects. She has the run of that big farmhouse. And her living expenses are covered, even her gas and car insurance.”

  Tiff almost asked how he knew all this until she remembered he’d been doing the farm books before she took over the accounts.

  “Covering Aunt Marsha’s expenses is still cheaper than paying for home care. Plus she had to give up her own house to come live with Mom and me all those years ago. That’s a big sacrifice.”

  “She grew up here. Maybe she considers this house hers.” He shrugged. “Just saying.”

  They’d reached the barn and Kenny pointed out where he’d set aside the Stillmans’ trees.

  Seeing them bundled and ready to go gave Tiff an idea. “I’m going to take those trees over to the Lazy S myself. It’ll be one less thing for them to worry about.”

  “Plus you’ll be able to nose around and see if there’s any news about Nikki.”

  “There’s that.”

  Several times Tuesday night, Zak woke with ideas that had him groping for his cell phone and mumbling reminders to Siri. Each time Watson, who slept at the foot of his bed, had dug his claws into Zak’s feet, registering his disapproval over night-time disturbances that weren’t of his own making.