Calculated Revenge

by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

  Noah’s heart went out to her but he couldn’t shield her from this revelation.

  “I won’t listen to this.” She slapped George’s headrest, and the guy didn’t even duck. Too snockered to appreciate his danger. “You’re a liar! Are you a killer, as well? Did you kill my little sister?” She half lunged across the seat and grabbed George’s collar.

  Noah hastily pulled the car over to the curb, turned, and disengaged her fingers. Laney’s frantic gaze stabbed hot shards of anguish through Noah.

  He kept his grip around her wrists firm but gentle. “It’s time for this to come out. Don’t you see? We’re unlocking a door that may show us what really happened to your sister and lead us to the person who threatens you and your daughter now.”

  Laney sobbed and wrenched her hands away, then fell back against her seat.

  George fumbled with the door handle. “I don’ gotta shtay in here with no crazy woman and some guy who’s tryin’ to shay I killed a kid.”

  Noah set a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Where are your wife and son now?”

  George went still. Then his whole body slumped. “You Thompsons think you’re the only ones to lose a child. Adelle found out about the affair after your family left town. She took my boy.” A whimper finished the sentence.

  “Where?” Noah persisted. “Where did they go?”

  An exaggerated shrug answered. “Don’ know where Adelle is, but Watts is dead.”

  A gasp erupted from the backseat.

  Noah’s breath caught. “Your son is dead? Where did you attend the funeral?”

  George snorted. “Not welcome at the funeral. Adelle shent me his obituary from the newshpaper, his death certificate and the urn with his ashes. Her brand of kindness.” The man gave a blubbery snicker. “Showed them FBI agents that shtuff, when they came sniffin’ around, wonderin’ why I dove into the bottle.” He nodded ponderously. “With no dad around to guide my boy, he turned into a wild teen. Got high one night and wrapped his car around a tree-ee.” The last word broke in half as the man began to wail in earnest. Great wet gasps heaved from his chest. “A-and it’s all because of what we done…m-me and Loretta.”

  Laney’s sobs melded with George’s.

  Noah hung his head.

  FIFTEEN

  “I don’t know who I hate more,” Laney spat toward Noah, her stomach in a thousand knots. “George Addison, my mother…or you!”

  “Me?” Noah rocked back.

  They stood in the darkness outside her motel room door.

  “It was your bright idea to go see George again.” Laney knew her words were unfair even as they sprang from her mouth. She waved a hand between her and Noah. “I don’t mean that. I don’t know what I mean.” Her fingernails chewed her palms. “I’m angry and I want to hit somebody, and you’re close.”

  Noah scooped up her fisted hands and pressed them between his palms. “I’m sorry. I should have insisted you stay behind tonight.”

  “And then what would you have said to me after you found out all this from good old George?” She tugged her hands away and clutched her arms around herself. The evening breeze was cool, but her shiver didn’t come from chill. “It’s better that I heard this straight from the adulterer’s mouth.”

  Noah frowned. “Are you going to call your mom?”

  “No! Yes.” Her breath came in ragged gulps. “No, I can’t. First of all, I’m afraid of exactly what I might call her. Second, I can’t talk to her on the phone about this. I need to see her face, look her in the eye. Third, what if my father answers the phone? He’ll know instantly by my voice that I’m beside myself. I can’t risk him finding out what Mom did to him—to all of us.” A bile-tasting sob spurted between her lips. “But how am I going to live with this knowledge all alone?”

  “You’re not alone.” Noah wrapped his arms around her.

  She wilted in his embrace, but the real tears remained dammed behind a wall of outrage and disbelief. What could her mother have been thinking?

  “How do you know your dad doesn’t know?”

  Noah’s words passed through Laney’s ears but went unregistered for several heartbeats. Then Laney gasped and pulled away.

  She stared up into Noah’s moon-shadowed face. “If my dad knew, it would have wrecked my parents’ marriage the same as it did the Addisons’.”

  “Maybe.”

  She planted her hands on her hips. “Do you really think a marriage could withstand the loss of a daughter and the shattering of marriage vows?”

  Noah’s fingertips brushed across her forehead and tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. “I’m just saying there’s a whole other side to this story that we haven’t heard yet. Maybe things didn’t happen exactly like George said.”

  A bitter laugh tainted Laney’s mouth. “Funny to hear you defending my family when I’ve been the fanatic up to this point. I’m so stunned. I—I can’t think straight. I think I’d like to be alone for a while.” She pressed fingertips to her temple.

  “Sure. I’ve got work to do anyway.”

  “This time of night?” Laney retrieved her room key from her purse.

  “If Adelle Addison is out there somewhere nursing a grudge half the size of her ex-husband’s, I need to find her fast.”

  “What about George? He could be the sick pervert who’s doing all this.”

  Noah frowned. “Can you really see that wreck of a man planning and carrying out the kind of taunting that’s being done to you?”

  Laney didn’t respond. The answer was self-evident. George wasn’t a good candidate.

  “I’ll thoroughly vet George, too,” Noah went on. “Find out what kind of alibi, if any, he had for the time of Gracie’s death and for the days when evil pranks were played on you.”

  “Thanks, Noah. I’d be a raving lunatic right now if not for you. I mean that.” If he could feel the waves of gratitude flowing out of her, he’d be bowled over.

  “You’re welcome.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Try to get some rest. Maybe things will look better in the morning.”

  “Sure,” she said as she inserted the key in the lock. But with every stone they turned, more ugliness oozed out. How could things be right in her world ever again?

  Inside her hotel room, Laney locked the doors and assured Noah she was bolted in. Next she switched on the bedside lamp and put her pajamas on. Then she paced. Physical exhaustion drew her toward the bed, but rest was far from her mind and emotions.

  She’d lost her little sister. And now she’d lost her mother just as cruelly and completely. But at least this time the devastation wasn’t her fault.

  How could she not have noticed something going on between her mom and George Addison? Sure, there were times she’d seen that there was distance between her parents, but there’d been no fighting. Nothing to indicate their marriage was so sour that one of them might look elsewhere for love.

  Could it even be called love when an adulterous couple got together? Where did they hold their secret trysts? When?

  Her mom hadn’t worked outside the home. Dad worked hard as a top insurance agent and brought in enough money to support the family. That way Mom could be home when Laney and Grace were little, which was especially important with a special needs child.

  Of course, Mom would have had more free time after she and Grace were both in school, but George Addison had a thriving building contractor business. Especially in the summertime, he was gone from dawn until dusk, even more absent than Laney’s father. George and her mom must have been extremely clever and creative—not to mention driven and obsessed—to risk so much on a fling.

  Laney flopped onto the coverlet of the bed and lay with her arm across her face. A sudden jangling brought her bolt upright. Bleary-eyed, she checked the time on the bedside clock as the phone rang a second time.

  5:30 a.m.

  Who would be calling at this hour? Noah? Another taunting call?

  Gingerly, she picked up the handset. “Hello?” />
  “Laney-girl?”

  “Dad! Is something wrong? Is Bree—”

  “The little princess is fine.” Her dad’s voice came across strong and calm.

  Laney swallowed her heart back into place. “Why are you calling so early?”

  “It’s six-thirty here, but I couldn’t wait any longer in case you and Noah got busy early today.”

  A sour taste rose from Laney’s throat. They’d been investigating early all right, but she didn’t dare mention anything to Dad about last night’s bomb that blew up her life.

  “Your mother told me you had a run-in with George Addison yesterday.” He clucked his tongue. “We were hoping they’d moved from the area by now, and you wouldn’t cross paths with the Addisons.”

  “What are you saying?” Laney rubbed a suddenly clammy hand against her pajama pants.

  A deep sigh answered her. “Your mom and I are devastated about what happened to their family. We had no idea. We were up most of the night discussing what we need to do about it.”

  “Do about it?” Laney echoed. How did Mom and Dad propose to fix a friend’s marriage that one of them had helped destroy?

  “What we needed to do as far as you’re concerned,” Dad hastily clarified. “We decided we should to be the ones to tell you before you contact George again, and he spills the beans.”

  Laney’s pulse stalled. Her dad knew!

  “I’m afraid you’re too late.” Her voice rasped through a tight throat. “How…could…she?” Every word carried the force of a punch. She heard her dad’s intake of breath as if it were him she’d struck. “And why isn’t she the one on the phone with me, instead of electing you to do her dirty work? I thought my mother had more guts and honesty than that. But evidently there are lots of things I don’t know about the woman who raised me.”

  “Hold it right there, young lady.” Laney’s dad broke in. “I insisted on being the one to talk to you first. You have no idea the agonies she’s worked through—she and I both.”

  Laney hugged her knees to her chest. “Why did you stay with her, Dad?”

  “Because I love her unconditionally, and what happened was my fault.”

  “Your fault!” Her voice rose an octave. “You were innocent. You didn’t—”

  “No, you and Grace were innocent. We tried to protect you. We failed with Grace, but we wanted to spare you the knowledge of what the Lord and some Godly counselors helped your mom and me to work out between us. You weren’t the only one to attend therapy after Grace died, you know.”

  Laney swallowed more angry words. If her dad could speak calmly, she could, too. Maybe. “I still have no idea what makes you responsible for her infidelity.”

  “As our stories came out in the counseling sessions, I could finally see my sin of neglect. The affair began only a few months before Grace disappeared, but I divorced Loretta emotionally long before she strayed. My bad choices of how to spend my time and energy left her adrift. Alone.”

  “That doesn’t excuse what she did.” Laney’s jaw clenched and her teeth ground together.

  “No, it doesn’t, but nothing excuses my sin, either…except the blood of Jesus. Without that, we’re all lost.”

  Words dried up on Laney’s tongue. There was no argument against that statement. “I suppose you expect me to forgive Mom just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “And everything will be hunky-dory.”

  “No, sweetie pie.” His voice ached in Laney’s ears. “Your mother and I know that nothing will be the same again.” The words came out solemn, but not sad. “When life throws us curve balls, things never are, but one day they can be better than before—like your mom and me. Our marriage has never been stronger, and it keeps getting more like heaven on earth.”

  Laney frowned at her bare toes fisting against the sheets. “I’m happy for you and Mom. I am. But right now I…” Her voice trailed away.

  “We understand. Your mom is on pins and needles to talk to you about this. She’s okay with you yelling at her, but I’m not.” He gave a wry chuckle. “So we’ll give you some space to process, and then you two can visit woman to woman when you’re ready.”

  Laney inhaled a long breath. “I’m not sure when that will be.”

  “We know that, too.”

  They ended the call, and Laney stared at the cradled phone. How did one regain shattered trust? She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms.

  What if Noah’s suspicion proved true, and Grace’s death was connected to the adulterous affair? How would her mother live with herself then? If there was one thing Laney understood, it was the crushing burden of guilt.

  Noah waited until nearly 9:00 a.m. to call Laney, though he’d been up for a couple of hours researching on the Internet for Adelle Addison. He might as well have stayed in bed for all the progress he made.

  Faintly through the wall he could hear the phone ringing. She didn’t answer. His stomach clenched. Did she leave her room alone? Had something happened to her?

  He strode outside and pounded on her door. No response. He tried again as panic squeezed his vitals.

  “Laney!” If anyone was still sleeping in the complex, they weren’t anymore.

  A rattling sound came from inside, and the door eased open to expose a bleary-eyed face, complexion pasty from sleep. Noah went weak at the knees. She was all right.

  “What?” Laney blinked at him.

  “You didn’t answer your phone.”

  She ran splayed fingers through tousled hair. “I didn’t hear it. I must have been lost in la-la land. After my dad called at five-thirty, I laid back down and—”

  “You talked to your father? Did you discuss…last night?” He cringed at the pain that pinched her features. “What did he say?”

  Her shoulders sagged. “He’s known for years.”

  A spark of hope brightened Noah’s insides. Maybe she’d see by that example that her relationship with her mother could heal, too. “So they worked out their marriage after all.”

  “So he says.”

  “Laney, I saw for myself that they have a strong relationship.”

  “I don’t get it.” She crossed her arms. “The affair tore the Addisons apart, and here my folks are better than ever.”

  “Tell you what,” Noah said. “I’ll let you grab a shower, then we can talk about what’s next over breakfast. There’s something I need your help with…or maybe one of your parents will have the answer.”

  Laney’s face darkened. “You’ll have to call them yourself, then. I’m not ready to speak to either of them right now. But let me talk to Bree when you make the call.” She shut the door in his face.

  Noah’s heart ached to see her so devastated. She’d likely try to close everyone out while she nursed her pain. He knew that instinct well. Unfortunately, there was no time for processing and recovery right now.

  Urgency rode him hard. They hadn’t heard or seen any sign of Laney’s tormenter here in Grand Valley. Where was he—or she—and what was the monster planning next?

  Forty-five minutes later, Noah sat across from Laney at the Pantry Café. She sipped sullenly at a cup of coffee.

  Noah ran a finger up and down the handle of his cup. “If Adelle is part of this vendetta against your family, then she has a male accomplice.”

  “Obviously.” Laney fidgeted with her silverware, gaze dull and distant.

  Noah cautioned himself to patience. “The accomplice could be a boyfriend or a new husband, but in order to know, we need to find Adelle.”

  Her brows lifted. “And how do you propose to do that?”

  Noah looked away and gave his own coffee some attention. Lord, give me wisdom how to break through this bitter wall she’s erected. The prayer surprised him. He was doing that more and more. Softening his heart toward Laney was also softening his heart toward God. If only she didn’t harden her heart toward relationships, because of her disappointment with her mother.

  As he took a sip of his coffee, soft fingertips
brushed the back of his free hand. “I’m sorry.” Her gaze confirmed the apology. “Life is looking pretty sour to me right now. But that’s not helpful, is it? I’ve still got to think about Bree.” She said the words as if her daughter was the only family she had left. “What do you want to know?”

  Noah set his cup down and let the waitress give him a refill. When she left, he leaned toward Laney.

  “I’m coming up empty on finding the right Adelle Addison. There are dozens on Facebook, but only a few that might be the right age. I need you to take a look at their profile pictures.”

  She nodded. “I can do that.”

  “I’ve also run several public record searches, and there are Adelle Addisons all over the country, and a few in Minnesota, but none living in the vicinity of Cottonwood Grove.”

  Their breakfasts arrived, and conversation paused until the waitress withdrew.

  Laney spread a napkin on her lap. “Would Adelle need to live near us? Maybe she looked me up the same way you’re using to find her.”

  Noah poured syrup on his pancakes. “Maybe. But why wait eighteen years to do that and suddenly reappear? This has the feel of a vendetta that’s been reawakened in response to a stimulus. You turning up in her neck of the woods would qualify. As a new teacher, your picture would have been in the area newspaper. She wouldn’t even have had to encounter you face-to-face to know you’re around.”

  Laney wagged her fork at him. “That’s assuming she’s the person we’re looking for.”

  Noah nodded. “We only have suspicions and possibilities, but we need to locate her in order to eliminate or confirm her as a suspect.”

  Laney popped a bite of eggs into her mouth and chewed as if she were also chewing on her thoughts. “What if she’s reverted to her maiden name?”

  “Smart woman.” Noah laughed. “I’m impressed. Her maiden name is what I needed to find out from your parents, if they know. I was pretty sure you wouldn’t since you were only ten years old the last time you saw the Addisons.”

  A faint smile registered on Laney’s face. “You’re correct in assuming that the neighbor lady’s maiden name was outside my scope of interest at that point in my life. But I meant what I said about you doing the calling.”