Can't Find My Way Home

by Carlene Thompson

  ‘The One-Hundred-Fiftieth Anniversary Festival of the founding of Genessa Point. He came to the store on Friday and the festival started today. Monday. Or is it Tuesday now?’

  ‘Officially Tuesday. Cassie, please. Mark.’

  ‘OK. At first, I didn’t believe him about coming for the festival, but he started talking about how he used to love them and he’d heard this was going to be the biggest one yet – it lasts two weeks now. Since you moved away, the tourism board has amped up the number of activities and the publicity. With it being on the Chesapeake Bay in the middle of summer, the festival draws about twice as many tourists as we did back when you lived here.’

  Brynn went silent for a moment before saying dryly, ‘Don’t tell me the business people didn’t add a little color to their publicity by mentioning that Genessa Point was the home of the famous serial killer, Stone Jonah Wilder.’

  ‘Oh, Brynn—’

  ‘Or that some criminologists believe Stone Jonah’s son Mark was his accomplice. Oh, and his daughter writes horror novels. They always say horror instead of supernatural or fantasy.’ She sighed. ‘Don’t try to spare my feelings, Cass. Just be blunt.’

  ‘OK, that’s all true, but we can’t change it.’ Cassie’s voice toughened. ‘Now, do you want me to tell you about Mark or do you want to go on being bitter?’

  Brynn drew a deep breath, trying to calm down and concentrate on the present, not her rage over the past. ‘I’m sorry. Tell me everything.’

  Cassie continued as if there hadn’t been a cross word between them. They’d always had the ability to overcome a squabble in a nanosecond. ‘Mark invited me out to lunch. I thought he was just being polite – we’d grab a quick sandwich, he’d dump me as soon as possible and that would be the end. Instead, we ended up spending two hours at lunch.’

  ‘Was he drinking?’

  ‘He had iced tea. Anyway, he brushed over his divorce and losing his job and just talked about you, how proud he was of your success and how much he missed you since you moved to Miami. Then he asked how things were going at the store and for me in general.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘Only general stuff but he seemed to be enjoying himself. He asked if I’d like to go for a drink that night. He was staying at the Bay Motel – it’s a small, new place with a nice bar. That evening he still seemed to be in a good mood. We each had a couple of drinks—’

  ‘He only had two?’

  ‘Yes. Two gin and tonics, to be precise. He walked me to my car around eleven o’clock. I saw him going toward one of the rooms.’

  ‘Did he say anything important?’

  ‘No. He mentioned how Genessa Point had grown since he’d been here, asked about how my family was doing since they moved to California and … well, made a couple of leading remarks about how I liked divorced life, and asked if I was seeing anyone. When I said I wasn’t, he suggested we take a walk around town the next morning. We met in Holly Park at ten. It was a beautiful day and he took a lot of pictures. He seemed happy, Brynn. He asked me to have dinner with him that evening. I couldn’t believe it. We’ve only seen each other a few times since you moved away. I felt like he still pictured me as a twelve-year-old with a mouth full of braces and a crush on him, so I was thrilled. Then he called me late Saturday afternoon and asked if we could skip dinner.’ Cassie paused. ‘He said, “I know this is late notice, but I’ve learned something about my father’s death.”’

  Brynn sat straighter on the bed. ‘And?’

  ‘And nothing. That’s all he’d say over the phone.’

  ‘But later …’

  ‘There was no later,’ Cassie said shakily. ‘I haven’t heard from him since that call.’

  ‘What? Nothing?’

  ‘Not a word.’

  Brynn’s stomach twisted. ‘Do you think he headed back to Baltimore?’

  ‘I tried to tell myself that, but he’d know I’d be upset after what he’d said about your father. Maybe he didn’t want to tell me what he’d found out, but I knew he wouldn’t have gone home without another word to me, even if it was just “goodbye.”’ Cassie drew a deep breath and rushed on. ‘I didn’t have his cell phone number, so on Sunday night I drove past the Bay Motel twice. I didn’t see his car either time. I drove by again this morning. Again, no car. I drove past the motel this evening around seven o’clock. No car. I went to the office and talked to the night manager. He said Mark had arrived last Wednesday evening and was registered until tomorrow, but he hadn’t seen Mark’s car since Saturday.’

  Brynn felt her neck muscles tightening, sweat popping out on her forehead, but she tried to keep her voice steady. ‘So we’re now very early Tuesday and Mark hasn’t been seen since Saturday?’

  ‘At least not by me or the motel manager. I’ve sat here for hours wondering if I should call you. I thought maybe you’d heard from him, but you haven’t.’ Cassie paused. ‘Brynn, some people who still live here believe your father was the Genessa Point Killer and Mark was his accomplice. This is a dangerous place for him …’

  ‘I know,’ Brynn said tonelessly. ‘That’s why I’ll be there this afternoon.’

  TWO

  On the phone last night, Brynn had surprised Cassie by telling her that an hour earlier she’d reached the anxiety point of scheduling a flight to Genessa Point. ‘There’s a plane leaving Miami at eight twenty-five, arriving in Baltimore at ten fifty-five. I want to take that one, but I have a dozen things to take care of before I leave Miami. I’ll be on the one forty-five flight and arrive at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport around four-thirty. I should be able to get my baggage, rent a car and drive to Genessa Point by six. I’ll come to your house.’

  ‘No,’ Cassie had said quickly. ‘I’ll pick you up at the airport.’

  ‘Why should you waste all that time?’

  ‘Because … well, I just want to pick you up.’

  Brynn had smiled. Cassie had always been maternal. ‘You’re afraid for me to drive because you think I’m too upset.’

  ‘You are upset. You just won’t admit it. Brynn Wilder still thinks she’s the bravest girl in the world.’

  ‘I am the bravest girl in the world, although I’m thirty – not a girl anymore.’

  ‘Oh, well, I have an extra car here you can drive.’

  ‘The one you bought for your snake of a husband Ray but never put in his name?’

  ‘You mean my ex-husband for five months now and yes, the same car. It’s nice – too nice for Ray. Think of the money you’ll save by using it and not renting one.’

  ‘Yes – all I’ve been thinking about this week is saving money.’

  ‘Don’t you get sarcastic with me!’ Cassie retorted, her tone slightly lighter. ‘I’m picking you up at the airport and while you’re in Genessa Point, you’re using my spare car, and that’s final.’ Cassie had paused. ‘Brynn, I’m so glad you’re coming. You’re more capable and resourceful than I am.’ Her voice had thickened again. ‘I just feel like I should have done something earlier—’

  ‘I swear, Cassie, if you start crying I’ll hang up.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘Take a sleeping pill or have a couple of drinks and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll see you soon and we’ll find Mark.’

  Brynn had hung up and curled into a ball, wishing she felt as confident as she’d tried to sound. She wanted to see Cassie tomorrow, but even more, she wanted to see Mark. Deep down, though, lurked the fear that she might never see him again.

  ‘No. Don’t. No more … no more …’

  Pressure on her arm. Gentle shaking. The sense of someone bending over her.

  Jonah Wilder’s agonized voice filled Brynn’s mind as she blinked against the sun on that beautiful beach she’d once loved. Dad! she called to the man staggering onto the sand then falling, face down. Dad!

  ‘Ma’am?’

  Brynn jerked to a sitting position, looking wild-eyed at the man seated beside her.

  ‘You were h
aving a bad dream,’ he said gently. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, but we’re at the airport and deboarding.’

  Brynn blinked, her senses slowly sharpening. She realized her head had been lying on the shoulder of a good-looking older man to her left. She blushed furiously. ‘I’m so sorry!’

  ‘It’s quite all right.’

  Brynn stood up, pulled at her white jeans, a silky red T-shirt with three-quarter-length sleeves and a low-slung gold chain belt, and smoothed the long brown hair she’d pulled into a ponytail this morning. She retrieved her duffle bag from overhead storage and managed to get in front of a group who seemed hell-bent on stampeding to the door. I’m not like them, Brynn thought. I don’t really want to get off this jet at all. I’d like to stay on here, go back to sleep for hours and have pleasant dreams. I don’t want to face what might be waiting for me when I reach my destination.

  But her immediate destination was not Genessa Point – it was the Baltimore/Washington International Airport where Cassie was waiting for her. She’d called her around eleven this morning and told her she’d already talked to the police. They’d promised to start looking for Mark and let her know if they found anything. So far, the police had found nothing.

  Now, as soon as Brynn stepped from the jetway into the small waiting room, she saw Cassie Hutton, who rushed to her. ‘Any news?’ Brynn asked immediately.

  Cassie shook her head. ‘I called the police again ten minutes ago. Nothing yet, but they’ve only been looking for a few hours. They promised me the search would go on all night if necessary.’

  ‘Oh. All night,’ Brynn said desolately.

  ‘Maybe not. Like they said—’

  ‘It’s only been a few hours.’

  ‘Right. Have faith.’ Abruptly, Cassie enfolded her in a hug, smelling sweetly of vanilla cologne. ‘Oh, Brynn, it’s wonderful to see you,’ she almost whispered.

  Have faith, Brynn thought. Don’t expect the worst. She forced a broad smile. ‘It’s wonderful to see you, too. If I could see you.’ Brynn pushed away and looked Cassie up and down. At five foot two, she stood only three inches shorter than Brynn, but gave the impression of being even shorter. She wore a blue tank dress and sandals, and she’d lost what looked like at least fifteen pounds since Brynn had last seen her just over a year ago. Her shoulder-length light brown hair now bore a reddish gold sheen and bangs that touched her brows and flattered her large, dark brown eyes.

  ‘Cassie, you’ve always been pretty, but now you’re downright gorgeous!’

  Cassie tried to look nonchalant and failed. She grinned with pleasure – that little-girl grin she’d never outgrown. ‘I’m not gorgeous, but I think I’ve improved. After my divorce, I lost the weight I’d gained during my marital misery. I started going to an expensive salon in Baltimore to get this haircut and they put a rinse on my hair to brighten it up. Also, these days I wear eye makeup, just like you always said I should.’ She batted her eyes. ‘And you look—’

  ‘Don’t even try to be gracious,’ Brynn interrupted. ‘I didn’t sleep all night and this morning just threw on some clothes that were handy. Then I fell asleep on the plane and I’m sure the little bit of makeup I did put on is a mess.’ Brynn sighed. ‘I’m a wreck, but you look fabulous. You should have sent me a picture of yourself.’

  ‘I was planning a vacation to Miami this summer to let you see for yourself.’ Cassie hugged her again, then gazed at her seriously. ‘I’m so sorry about all of this.’

  ‘Thanks for helping me. Even back when Dad died, you did your very best to help.’

  ‘Let’s not talk about that,’ Cassie said gently. ‘It was a long time ago.’

  ‘But it still haunts Mark and me.’ Brynn sighed. ‘Oh well, let’s take care of this latest trouble. Then I want you to come on an extended vacation to Miami. We’ll lie on the beach and drink piña coladas.’

  ‘That sounds heavenly.’ Cassie paused. ‘You know what will be even more heavenly?’ Brynn raised her eyebrows. ‘When Mark joins us.’

  Brynn smiled at Cassie although her mind said darkly, if Mark is alive to join us.

  ‘There’s my car,’ Cassie pointed as they crossed the airport parking lot.

  Brynn almost stopped walking when she saw a sonic orange Hyundai Genesis Coupé with a black hood and roof shining in the bright July sunlight. ‘Cassie, what a cool car! What a great color! You always drove … well …’

  ‘Boring cars in even more boring colors?’

  ‘Well, used cars in muted colors.’

  Cassie beamed. ‘This was a gift to myself for divorcing that creep Ray and losing the weight.’

  ‘Where is that creep Ray these days?’

  ‘Don’t know, don’t care,’ Cassie said briskly of Ray O’Hara, a moderately talented writer with delusions of grandeur, always hitting the road for research on the next In Cold Blood. ‘Do you really like the car?’

  ‘I love it. It’s perfect for the new you.’

  As they headed south toward Genessa Point, Brynn asked abruptly, ‘Is Tessa Cavanaugh still around?’

  ‘Yeah. I thought she’d go to college, but after high school she got a job at the library. She still works there,’ Cassie said. ‘She never moved away from home. Her mother died when Tessa was in her early twenties.’

  ‘Mrs Cavanaugh died? Of what?’

  ‘Cancer. It turns out she’d been sick for years but the family had covered it up.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Her husband said she was a very private person and also very proud. She didn’t want people feeling sorry for her. Anyway, supposedly that’s why Tessa didn’t go away to college – she didn’t want to leave her mother. After she died, Tessa stayed with her father.’

  ‘I think she had a crush on Mark for a while. She started taking piano lessons from Mom. She didn’t seem to have any real interest, though, and whenever Mark was around she couldn’t hit one right note. The lessons didn’t last long.’

  ‘Well, Tessa wasn’t alone. I had a crush on Mark, too. Poor guy. I actually thought I had a chance with him that last spring you lived here. I was twelve! Anyway, about two months ago, Tessa’s dad died in a car wreck.’ Cassie paused then said, ‘I didn’t tell you any of this because you said you didn’t want to hear about Genessa Point people.’

  ‘I didn’t, until now. How did Tessa take her father’s death?’

  ‘I don’t know. I don’t see her much, Brynn. She came in the store at Christmas and bought a silk scarf. Occasionally I see her at some town event. She’s what – thirty-three? She looks older. She’s always polite, but not chatty. If she has any close friends I don’t know about them. I don’t think anyone holds her responsible for … well, what happened to your dad. She’s a loner. Nathan is some kind of computer genius and he goes all over the world setting up computer systems that have something to do with ships,’ Cassie went on.

  ‘Computers aren’t my thing. I hate them. I hardly ever use my home computer except to look at email every week or two. Anyway, Nathan only comes back to visit a couple of times a year. He’s been married at least twice. I don’t know his current status.’

  ‘Did Mark ask you about Tessa?’

  ‘No. He only asked about your dad’s friend, Edmund Ellis, and his daughter. She died last week. Her funeral was on Tuesday.’

  ‘Joy?’ Brynn had a brief, sharp memory of a beautiful little girl with a buoyant spirit and a weak heart who’d taken piano lessons from Brynn’s mother. ‘Was it her heart?’

  ‘Yes. She was only twenty-five.’

  ‘How sad,’ Brynn said quietly.

  ‘Yeah. She spent her last few months at home with her dad. I saw them together a couple of times and she was very frail but always smiling and upbeat. She even came in to see the store since I remodeled it. Her dad bought her a beautiful designer jacket. She looked so pretty in it.’ Cassie sighed. ‘What a shame that she had to go so young.’

  ‘I barely knew her, but I remember her as being adorable. My mom loved her. She
usually didn’t take on seven-year-olds as students, but she said Joy had talent.’

  ‘Mark said he didn’t know until after the funeral and he was going to visit Doctor Ellis.’

  ‘How did Mark find out about Joy’s death?’

  ‘He had a subscription to the local newspaper for years, Brynn. You didn’t know?’

  ‘No. I never dreamed …’

  ‘Oh. Well, he knew how much you hated this place. He probably thought you might not like him keeping up with things around here.’

  ‘How I felt shouldn’t have mattered. His feelings are just as important as mine.’ Brynn sighed. ‘I haven’t been a great sister, especially this last year.’

  ‘You did the best you could for Mark ever since your dad died. Now he’s a thirty-four-year-old man, Brynn. Get real. You can’t tell him what to do. As for him being missing for days, I’m more to blame than you. I wanted to think he’d only come back for the festival. But I didn’t – not really. Face it – I was so concentrated on making him like me, I just tip-toed around trying to be charming and I missed something.’

  Brynn could feel waves of anxiety shimmering off Cassie. She turned and smiled at her. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong, Cassie. I’m sure if you’d started asking Mark questions, he would have pulled away from you like a shot.’

  ‘You really think so?’

  ‘I’m sure of it. I know my brother.’ Brynn paused. ‘Sort of.’

  ‘Well, if you believe I didn’t do anything wrong by not following him, questioning him, or calling you sooner, then I do feel better.’

  ‘Good. Because I think he told you about finding information about Dad because he’d come to trust you.’

  ‘Really?’ Cassie asked again, looking relieved, her hands relaxing on the wheel.

  ‘Really.’

  Cassie, now sitting less rigid in her seat, smiled at Brynn. ‘I hope you stay a while. I don’t want you immediately running back to Miami. I know you don’t like Genessa Point, but you’re here now and it’s the festival and … well … maybe you can manage to have a little bit of fun. After we find Mark, that is,’ she added quickly. ‘And we will find him, Brynn. Don’t you worry.’