“And this morning, Gareth and I were out on a boat and at one point, it was so peaceful…so quiet. I closed my eyes and my mind drifted off with the sun beaming on my face. I was taken back to when Philip and I would go out on his old boat, but then I couldn’t bring his face to mind. His blond hair was darker. And when he called my name, it wasn’t his voice. It was deeper. It was Gareth’s.”
Stopping suddenly, she turned to the others and her voice cracked as she asked, “What does that mean?”
Jillian stood toe to toe with Katelyn and placed both hands on her arms. “Sweetie, I think it means you are finally moving forward. You’re not being unfaithful to Philip, but you are letting him go. You’ve wrapped yourself in a blanket of grief for so long that it’s all you know. Now, life is giving you more and as you embrace it, you shed the grief blanket a little more each day.”
Sucking in her lips, trying to stave off the tears that threatened, Katelyn nodded. “I feel more alive than I have in so long.”
Tori wrapped her arms around Katelyn from the back, resting her head on her shoulder, placing her in the middle of a hug-sandwich. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling alive,” she said.
“But what if I forget Philip completely?”
“You won’t,” Jillian promised. “This town is full of places and people he knew. You’ll see him occasionally, on the ball field, in the diner, on a boat, and yes…sometimes when you’re with Gareth. But honey, you’re no longer living for his memory. You’re living with his memory. And you can do that and love Gareth at the same time.”
The three women held on to each other for a moment, silent emotions swirling around them as the breeze steadily blew inland.
Gareth leaned his arms on the wooden fishing rails of the city pier. The waves slapped against the pylons below and the gulls swooped down as a few fishermen cast their lines into the bay. The sun warmed him, although the breeze was cool, and as he dropped his gaze to the surf, he watched as schools of small fish moved as one around the rocks and crabs hovering nearby.
He felt a presence behind him, but before he could turn around, he heard a soft voice, instant recognition shooting through him.
“Hey.” The sound was barely more than a whisper but pierced his heart nonetheless.
Turning around, he observed the beautiful woman standing in front of him, her usual self-confidence replaced with a pinched expression.
“Hey, back-attcha,” he said. Leaning against the pier railing, he bent to catch her eyes. “You okay?”
Nodding jerkily, Katelyn replied, “Yeah. I was…well, you didn’t have to send…I was fine.”
“Hmmm,” he said, giving away little emotion. He lifted his hand to tuck a wayward strand behind her ear. “You want to sit?”
Taking her hand, he led her a few yards down the pier where a wooden bench overlooked the harbor. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” she said, linking her fingers with his while her heart beat an erratic rhythm.
“Did you and Philip ever sit on this pier together?”
Uncertain of his reason for asking, she nodded hesitantly. “Yeah…we did. All of us did.”
“And the ball field?”
Nodding again, she searched his face for a clue as to what he was feeling.
“Jillian’s coffee shop…the diner…the town beach…Mitch’s beach cabin…your pub…”
“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, to all of those.” Suddenly afraid, she blurted, “Gareth, I don’t know what you mean. Philip and I were kids together. Part of this town. So just about everywhere you look, I spent time with him.” Hanging her head, her stomach sinking, she said, “Does this bother you?”
Turning his head to stare at her, he said nothing, causing her heart to pound more. “I can’t change it, Gareth. I can’t make this little town with all my growing-up memories go away. I can’t make it any less a place I spent with Philip than I can change the history I have with Jillian.”
Reaching up to cup her cool cheek, he rubbed his thumb over the smooth skin as he said, “I don’t want you to forget, Katelyn. I know there will be things that you do with me that you also did with him. Places we’ll be that you and he were together first.”
Cocking her head, she peered at his face, trying to understand the meaning behind his words. His eyes held hers captive and she remembered the first time she saw them.
A crowded night at Finn's. Aiden cracking jokes and Brogan barking orders. Same old, same old. But then, Zac shouted a greeting. “Gareth!”
As the crowd parted, Katelyn came to a halt in the middle of wiping down the bar as a pair of crystal blue eyes held hers. Men had come and men had gone from the old pub over the years, never catching her attention, but in that instant, her cold heart jolted with long-forgotten electricity.
“I don’t want you to forget,” Gareth repeated. “I just want to make new memories with you, but I need to know you’re okay with that as well.”
“I forgot.” Swallowing deeply, she tried again. “This morning…out on the boat…I forgot. I forgot Philip. When I closed my eyes, I didn’t see him…I saw you. I didn’t hear him…it was your voice that came to me.”
“Are you afraid of forgetting him?” Gareth asked softly, his thumb still caressing her cheek.
“I was at first. It felt strange…not disloyal, but just strange.”
“I’ll do anything to make it easier on you, Katelyn,” he promised.
Smiling, she felt a tear slide down her cheek, captured by his hand. “I don’t need anything to be easier,” she replied. “Jillian helped remind me that I no longer have to live for Philip’s memory. Instead I can live with his memory and still love you as well.”
“I love you, too.”
Nodding as her lips curved, she vowed, “With all my heart.”
Gareth’s breath caught in his throat as he captured her lips, the kiss taking everything she had to give while offering everything in return.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“And I’m telling you once and for all, we need to wind this case up!”
Katelyn’s grin toward Mildred as she entered the reception area of the Baytown Police Department dropped off her face at the sound of the very loud and very angry Corwin Banks, the town’s mayor.
“And I’m telling you that we’re working on it.”
Katelyn recognized Mitch’s voice, low but firm.
“This unfortunate incident has cost our town money with the cancelled golf tournament,” Silas Mills complained.
“The Tall Ship and Pirate Festival starts this weekend,” Corwin stated, “and I don’t want the idea of a murder hanging over Baytown’s head.”
Katelyn rolled her eyes in unison with Mildred’s at the mayor’s whining voice. “How long have they been in there?” she whispered.
“Long enough for me to want to run for mayor in the next election!”
Giggling, Katelyn said, “Well, you’ve got my vote!”
Just then the conference room door opened, Corwin and Silas striding out. Seeing Katelyn standing in the lobby, Silas sneered. “I heard the barmaid was now working as an investigator. No wonder nothing gets solved!”
Katelyn swung around, fire sparking from her eyes. Planting her hands on her hips, she said, “I’ve spent my life in this town and I can guarantee I know the residents a helluva lot more than you do, you pompous a—”
Gareth cut her off as he walked out of the conference room with a, “Hey, Katelyn. Come on back.”
She whirled around, her eyes narrowed as she stomped over to him. “Why did you stop me? I’ve had it with those two. Corwin’s just a hot-air nincompoop, too stuffed with his own self-importance. But Silas? That man’s a menace to this town!”
“No doubt, but let’s not give him a reason to make life more difficult,” he reasoned, kissing her forehead.
Blowing her cheeks out as she exhaled loudly, she nodded, her ire still firmly in place. Walking into the room, she observed Grant, Mitch,
and Colt already inside, now knowing they were the ones Silas had been yelling at.
Mitch grinned and shook his head. “Don’t make me have to arrest you for killing our town manager, Katelyn.”
With a sugary-sweet voice, she replied, “Me? Oh, Mitch. I was just going to whack him in the head…not kill him. Surely you could ignore a little assault when it’s warranted!”
The others laughed before sitting back around the table, looking at the whiteboard on the stand near the wall. Ginny, Burt, and Sam, the other officers came in and quickly took their seats as well. The mirth left the group as they stared at the names written before them, all leading down from the one at the top center: Walter Berry – victim.
Gareth’s gaze followed the lines drawn to the ones in Walter’s life with motivation and opportunity and his eyes kept landing on Carrie and her parents. “Why now?” he mused aloud before realizing he had garnered everyone’s attention. “I keep wondering why Cindy tells Carrie now about her dad. She said it’s because they ran into each other, but why didn’t she say anything before? She finally tells Walter twenty years later that he’s a father…goes to the trouble of getting Carrie the job…even has Jerry on board. But it’s the timing I don’t get.”
“Cindy never felt strongly enough about it to contact Walter and have him contribute, never once over all the years. But after he dies, she sues the estate for Carrie to share in the inheritance,” Mitch stated. “I agree—it’s odd.”
The group continued to sift through the clues, interrupted only when Colt’s radio called out. 10-54; 10-55. He listened and then turned to Mitch. “Possible dead body. The coroner is being called.” His gaze shot around the room as he stood. “Address is Eleanor Berry’s house.”
Gareth reached over, grasping Katelyn’s hand, stilling the constant fluttering. “We don’t know anything yet, so just hang in there,” he warned.
“What if it’s Eleanor? Someone killed Walter and now his wife and we didn’t solve it in time?” Her voice shook with fear as she watched the scenery fly by.
The Berry’s home was only fifteen miles north of Baytown, but the drive seemed interminable. Finally, turning onto the driveway, Gareth parked far enough away for the law enforcement vehicles and ambulance to have plenty of room. As Katelyn started to open the door, he pulled on her hand, catching her attention.
“Babe, remember—we’re not officially on the case like Colt is. Even Mitch is out of his jurisdiction here. We are just contracted to assist Eleanor and now the police. But we have to stay out of their way. Understand?”
She wanted to scream, but held on to her frustration. Nodding, she agreed. “I understand,” she said, squeezing his fingers before jumping out of his SUV.
Rolling his eyes, he quickly followed, hustling to where Colt and Mitch were standing. The coroner was kneeling on the ground by a woman’s body and Katelyn’s pace began to slow.
“My house! Why would someone do this and leave them at my house?” a woman’s voice cried from the front door.
Gareth and Katelyn’s eyes shot up as they watched a North Hampton female deputy put her hands on Eleanor’s shoulders and gently move her back into her house.
“Eleanor?” Katelyn gasped, turning toward Gareth, whose attention was on the ground before them as the coroner stepped back, waving toward Zac to bring the stretcher.
Beth. The dead woman lying in Eleanor Berry’s yard was Beth.
Katelyn felt dizzy with everything going on, but she shook it off, determined to maintain professionalism.
“You okay?” Gareth whispered into her ear. Nodding jerkily, she tried to speak then cleared her throat before trying again. “Fine…I’m fine.” Twisting her head, she said, “Can I go see Eleanor?”
“Sorry, but we need to wait until we get the all-clear from Colt.”
“But she needs me—”
“Katelyn,” Gareth said softly, taking her arm and pulling her gently out of the way as more cars came into the driveway. “She is our client, not our friend. I know it’s hard, but you can’t get personally invested in the situation. This is a murder scene. She’s going to have to be questioned—”
“Questioned?” Katelyn’s voice rose.
With his hand on her upper arm, he turned her so that she faced him with her back to the house. Bending slightly, he captured her eyes. “Think like an investigator. She will need to be questioned. What was she doing…where she was last night…when she found the body…all of that.”
Sucking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, she nodded. “You’re right. You’re right.” Dropping her chin to her chest, she studied her shoes for a moment, her thoughts a tangled mess. Lifting her gaze back to his, she asked, “Maybe I’m not suited for this.”
Moving his hand to the back of her head, he pulled her into his chest, his heartbeat solid against her cheek. “You’re smart, intuitive, and fearless. You’re doing great. You’ve only been doing this for three weeks. Don’t let this mess with your head.”
Swallowing deeply, she looked back into his face, willing his strength to seep into her. “You think I’ve gotten too close?”
“I think you identify with her. With her grief.” Seeing the flash in her eyes, he rushed on, “That’s not a bad thing, Katelyn. But when investigating, you’ll find a lot of heartache. A lot of grief. And you can’t let it all drag you in.”
Before they had a chance to talk more, Grant walked over, his gaze jumping between the two of them. “Body’s been identified as Beth Solaski. Bookkeeper and office manager at Berry and Associates Accounting, but, then, I reckon you know that.”
Nodding, Gareth confirmed. “Yeah, we’ve interviewed her a couple of times. But I’ve got no idea what the hell she’s doing here. Does it look like she was murdered here or brought in?”
Grant’s gaze cut over to Katelyn, noting her pale complexion. She noticed that he had stopped talking and shifted her eyes to his. “Grant, I’m okay. I’m not going to pass out or anything. I admit I’m shocked and really want to comfort Eleanor, but please, continue.”
Shooting her a quick nod, he said, “All I can say right now is that it looks like she was murdered somewhere else and brought here. There’s no blood around the wound on her head.”
“Tire tracks?” Gareth asked.
“Not in the gravel, but the ground near her body appears to have been disturbed to avoid any shoe prints.”
“So she was brought here for the specific reason to scare Eleanor?” Katelyn asked, her eyes now flashing with anger.
Shrugging, Grant said, “Way too early to hazard a guess right now.”
“When can I see her?”
Just then, the North Heron deputy who had been with Eleanor walked over. “Are you Katelyn MacFarlane?” Seeing her nod, the deputy said, “Mrs. Berry would like you to be with her while she’s being questioned.”
With a hasty glance toward Gareth and obtaining his nod, she followed the deputy into the house, sliding down on the sofa with Eleanor.
The tearful woman offered a wane smile directed at Katelyn, grasping her hand before turning to Colt. Katelyn noted Mitch stood in the background, out of his jurisdiction but here since Walter had been found in Baytown and the two murders were most likely connected.
“Mrs. Berry, it would be best if you would begin by telling us exactly what led to you discovering the body,” Colt commanded, his voice steady and soothing.
Nodding, she reached out with a shaking hand to take the coffee cup offered by another deputy and took a fortifying sip. “I didn’t hear anything last night at all. I’ve…” she blushed before continuing. “I’ve been taking sleeping pills at night since Walter’s death. My doctor prescribed them because I just couldn’t sleep. I was never a good sleeper when he was out of town on business and with him gone now…well, I just can’t sleep.”
“What time did you go to bed?”
“Right after eleven,” she replied definitively. “I know because I watched the headlines of the eleven
o’clock news, but turned if off after only a few minutes. The main story was about some crime and I just can’t deal with anything like that anymore.”
Taking another sip of coffee, she winced and Katelyn noted it appeared to be black. She remembered how Eleanor liked her coffee from the visits to the office and she quickly hastened to the kitchen, grabbing the creamer from the refrigerator and the sweetener packets from the counter. Placing them in front of Eleanor, she received a smile in appreciation. They waited as she doctored her coffee, taking another sip with a sigh of contentment.
“I usually rise about seven in the morning and sit on the back porch as I have my breakfast and coffee. Our…well, my newspaper gets delivered about nine o’clock and if I have no plans for the day, then I go out and get it then. Today I was a little late. I’m still writing thank you notes for the condolence flowers and memorial donations that came in. It was probably closer to ten o’clock before I walked out the front door to go to the mailbox to get the newspaper.” Shuddering, she continued, “That’s when I saw her.”
Wiping her brow, she continued after another sip of coffee. “At first, I thought someone had fallen—my brain simply couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing. I ran over and that’s when I could tell she wasn’t breathing.”
“Did you recognize her?” Colt asked.
Shaking her head, Eleanor said, “No…at least, not at first. I ran back into the house to call 9-1-1. To be honest, I didn’t go back out until the ambulance showed up.” She turned her glazed eyes toward Katelyn, and asked, “Who would do such a thing? And why here?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The silence in the cab of the SUV was ominous.
Gareth looked over at Katelyn, uncharacteristically quiet as they drove back to Baytown. Parking in front of the office, he turned off the engine, noting she made no movement to get out.
“Katelyn?” he said softly as he reached over to take her pale hand in his much larger one, causing her to jump.
Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series Page 21