Past Secrets, Present Love

by Lois Richer

  “Smart girl.”

  Kelly studied her, decided to admit the truth. “I had this idea that acknowledging you as my birth mother, letting you into my life—I felt that would somehow negate the past I had with my parents. But if I look at it from your viewpoint, maybe that past was a preparation for today.”

  “I like to think so. But, Kelly, please don’t ever think I want to take away what Carol and Marcus gave you. They were your parents, they were there when you needed them and they loved you with all their hearts. Treasure that.”

  It took a lot of courage but Kelly looked her straight in the eye and voiced the question that had raced around inside of her for the past week.

  “Where do we go from here?”

  “Wherever you want. I’d like to think we could become friends, that maybe we could share lunch sometimes, talk like we have today. But that’s totally up to you. I’m not going to press you to pretend anything you don’t feel. I’m just delighted God allowed me to know you better.”

  Tears welled at the words. How could she be grateful for so little? Kelly didn’t know. She did know that she’d learned a lot about herself today, that she’d allowed a few of her fears to see the light and found out nothing was as bad as she’d anticipated. Sandra had helped her realize that.

  “I have to go,” she mumbled, glancing at her watch. “I’ve got a client coming in a few minutes. But I really enjoyed this.”

  “So did I, my dear. I hope we do it again soon.” Sandra rose, walked her to the door. “I hear you’re cooking Ross dinner tonight.”

  Kelly nodded, slightly embarrassed that she knew.

  “He’s a wonderful man, Kelly. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone more honest or loyal. He doesn’t play games, he doesn’t pretend to be someone he isn’t. I’d trust him with my life.”

  Kelly frowned. “But?”

  “He’s got some issues with God that need sorting out.”

  Kelly chuckled. “Believe me, I know. We’ve talked about them several times. He has this idea of God as some kind of fairy godmother.”

  “Not so different from our own view sometimes, is it?” Sandra murmured, then chuckled at Kelly’s downcast face. “But we’re learning. That’s a good sign.”

  “More change.” Kelly pressed a hand against her stomach as a spasm clenched it painfully. “I sure hope the doctor figures out what’s wrong with me. I’m getting sick of feeling nauseated all the time.”

  “I’ll be praying.”

  Kelly couldn’t help herself. She leaned over and hugged the short, frail-looking woman. “Take care of yourself, Sandra,” she whispered.

  Sandra hugged her back, her arms tight before she finally let go. “You, too, my dear.”

  “Bye.” Kelly drove back to the office thoughtfully. She didn’t really notice the broken glass in the lobby, wasn’t aware of the voices in the offices beyond. All she could think about was that she’d finally faced one of her fears and the experience had left her empowered.

  Ross leaned against the porch column of Kelly’s house and tried to get his nerves under control. Since when did eating dinner with Kelly make him as nervous as a schoolboy?

  Since he’d realized he didn’t want to leave Chestnut Grove, didn’t want to return to the emptiness of his former life in Richmond, didn’t want Kelly to face whoever was targeting her alone.

  The people here were friendly, the town charming, life more simple. But it was more than that, and he knew it.

  The thing that made his day worthwhile, that made his spirit perk up, was imagining Kelly. She had this way about her that made him feel strong—protective and yet cared about. He had no college degree, no special training in anything but police work and yet she’d never looked down on him or made him feel the way some people did about his job as a private investigator.

  Kelly accepted him for who he was, that was the thing that Ross liked the most about her. And of course there was her spirit. Green at the gills or dressed to kill, Kelly Young faced up to life instead of looking for the easy way out. Unlike him.

  “What are you doing standing out here, Ross? Afraid of my cooking?” She stood in the doorway, her smile wide, a flicker of fun dancing in her eyes. “Wanna come in, or do you need some more time to think about it?”

  “Ha-ha! You’re calling me a coward?” He stepped inside, shrugged out of his jacket. The aroma tantalized his nose. “Something smells delicious.”

  “Roast chicken,” she told him. “It’s not quite done so we can sit by the fire for a while if you want.”

  “Sure.” He accepted the glass of punch she handed him and followed her into the den. The fire flickered, casting its golden glow on the comfortable room. In the background soft orchestral sounds hinted at hidden speakers.

  “It’s funny, I kind of thought your house would be more…feminine, when I first knew you lived here. But this room is a guy’s room.”

  “Is it?” She looked startled, glanced around. “Why?”

  “Maybe that was the wrong way to describe it,” he backtracked, embarrassed by his outburst. “I just meant that some places are more feminine. Like at Sandra’s, I always worry I’ll bump one of those fancy vases over or sit down too hard and her furniture will collapse.” He waved a hand. “This room is all about comfort. Something funny about that?”

  “I think so. When we first looked at the house, Simon mentioned he’d love to turn this room into a media room. He said it should be a place where he could bring his friends over and they could watch football games together.”

  Ross glanced around. Not a television in sight. “I’m not much into sports, but I guess a television would be okay.”

  “I’m not into them, either, at least not watching them on television. But I did put a TV in here, I just hid it.” She touched a panel beside the fireplace, which opened to reveal a black screen. “Simon’s idea ranged more in the neighborhood of five feet by six.” She made a face.

  “Ah. A big-screen man.”

  “I guess. I’m not fond of dedicating a room to a TV. If I want to watch the news or something, it’s there, but I’d much rather sit and talk to the teen group when they come over to plan what they’re going to do at Tiny Blessings.”

  “What could they do?” An adoption agency didn’t seem the kind of place where teens would want to go in their spare time.

  “You might not have noticed but we have a little playground and sort of picnic area at the back. Sometimes they come after school or during the summer to watch the children while our staff holds meetings with the mothers and parents-to-be.” She smiled. “From time to time they get industrious and decide we should hold an open house where people can come in and learn about what we do. We usually ask the teens to do the tours and host the coffee room. They have a baking session and bring in the treats to serve to the visitors. Things like that.”

  Ross had no idea she’d involved so many members of the community in the agency. A new thought came to his mind.

  “Could it have been one of the kids who trashed your sunroom last night?”

  She lifted her brows.

  “Oh, yeah, I heard all about it from Zach. I’m just sorry I wasn’t around. I had to make a quick trip to Richmond this morning or I’d have been over here.”

  “I was fine, Ross. Shocked a little, I guess. But I’ve had the locks changed. Ruth Fraser, our pastor’s youngest daughter, came over and cleaned up for me after school so it isn’t such a disaster zone anymore. Just a little empty.” She swallowed the hurt. “I had to throw the plants out. They were ruined. Even The Thing got its head bashed in.”

  “Now there’s a loss.” He lost the smile. “I’m sorry, Kelly.”

  “So am I. But I can get some more plants. And I’ll choose my own statuary, next time. There was nothing precious lost.” Except her privacy, her peace of mind, her security.

  She rose. “I’ll go check on that chicken.”

  Ross stood, followed her. “I can help. I know a little bit about
a kitchen.”

  At least he knew how to carve a chicken. Two years of after-school work in a butcher shop had taught him the fine art of deboning. Ross laid the pieces on the platter she provided, content to sneak glances as Kelly drained and mashed the potatoes, placed tiny green peas in a serving bowl and pulled a salad from the fridge.

  She wore a long black skirt that flowed whenever she moved. She’d paired it with a printed green blouse tucked into a wide leather belt that emphasized the narrowness of her waist. Her sleeves had been folded back to reveal her forearms, and on one of those she wore a small silver bracelet with a jade-colored stone in the middle. Her golden hair was pulled to the top of her head and held in a matching silver clip, though here and there a tendril had escaped and now caressed her cheek or her slim neck.

  “This is quite a spread,” he murmured, when at last she bade him take his place at the beautifully set table in her dining room. The soft light of candles, the glistening china and sparkling silver all added to the beauty of the meal.

  “I almost never eat in here so when someone comes over, I like to use this room. I hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s fine,” he said. “But I was actually talking about the food. It looks like a Thanksgiving banquet.”

  “Confession time. I love chicken salads, chicken sandwiches, roast chicken. I always buy the biggest bird I can find so I’ll have lots of leftovers.” She grinned at his surprise. “It isn’t much fun to cook for only one person.”

  “True.” He waited while she said grace in a soft natural tone that told him it was part of her normal routine, then helped himself to everything. “This is excellent,” he told her appreciatively.

  “Thanks.” She served him a little more punch from the crystal decanter.

  Ross found himself relaxing, totally content to enjoy the meal seated next to her at one end of the table, the clink of silver on china a companionable punctuation to his thoughts.

  “Did you get another look at the stuff in that cabinet?” he asked.

  She set down her fork, her face startled. “Actually I forgot all about it,” Kelly admitted.

  “Oh.” Vague disappointment washed over him. He’d hoped she’d find something in there that would make him feel less guilty about keeping her father’s name from her.

  “Which is really silly when you consider what could be in there.” Kelly shook her head. “I guess I’ve been a bit busy. But I’ll take a look tomorrow, I promise.” She frowned at the sound of the phone.

  Ross saw the faint flicker of worry fill her face and knew she thought her phantom caller might be on the other end. “Shall I answer it?”

  “Thanks,” she murmured, relief washing over her face, though she remained perched on her chair as she watched him move toward the phone.

  Ross picked up the receiver. “Young residence. Oh, hello, doctor. Yes, she’s here. Just a minute please.” He walked back into the room, handed the phone to Kelly. “Dr. Cavanaugh.”

  “Thank you.” Her long narrow fingers brushed his as she accepted the telephone. “Eli? Hi. You’re working late. Oh, that was Ross. I invited him over for dinner.”

  Ross heard the doctor’s voice but couldn’t tell exactly what he was saying.

  “I bought everything this afternoon. I’ve sort of let my groceries run down after the holidays. I wasn’t feeling well so—why are you asking me this?” As she listened her eyes lost their glow, her face grew paler than he’d ever seen. “Are you serious? But—how?” She listened for a few minutes then held out the receiver. “He wants to talk to you.”

  Ross took the phone. “Van Zandt.”

  “Listen to me carefully, Ross. The results from Kelly’s tests are in. There are fairly high levels of arsenic in her system. Too high to be acceptable. Ben told me that someone had broken into Tiny Blessings and then into her house. Is that right?”

  “Yes.” He kept watch on Kelly, who had slumped in her chair and was staring at the food. “There have also been some threatening phone calls and other incidents.”

  “For the levels to build this high, she’s probably consumed it in her food. If someone’s been in her house, they may have contaminated it.”

  “What?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean that’s why she’s been sick?”

  “Yes. Don’t get crazy on me now. You should both be all right if you only ate what she bought today.”

  “Yeah. Okay. Just a minute.” He held the phone so Eli could hear. “Kelly, is everything on this table fresh from the store or did you use something you already had here?”

  “I bought the chicken, peas, potatoes, salad stuff—it’s all fresh. Except for the milk. I bought too much before New Year’s and I’ve been trying to use it up, but it’s probably spoiled by now. I didn’t use it in the potatoes because I got fresh cream for that.”

  “You heard that?” Ross checked with the doctor on the other end of the line.

  “Yes. Okay. Go ahead and finish your meal. I’m quite certain it’s not the source. But I have a hunch that something there has been contaminated and I’m going to find out what. I’ve contacted Zach since Ben said he was handling her case. Zach requested a medical team from Richmond. They’ll be there some time within the next hour. They’ll take samples and find the source. Until then no one is to consume anything else in that house. Do you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear.” Ross thought a moment. “What about the water?”

  “I checked with the municipal office. They flushed their lines right after New Year’s as per standard procedure. It isn’t coming from them. Is she using some kind of filtration system or bottled water?”

  Ross asked Kelly, who shook her head. He relayed her response.

  “Then water is probably not the source. Those antibiotics she was taking for her ear infection might have saved her life. God was protecting her there.” Eli’s voice hardened. “We’ve got to find out where this is coming from. Right away.”

  “No kidding.” Ross wasn’t ready to give God any credit. He could have stopped the whole thing.

  “Let me talk to her.”

  Ross touched Kelly’s shoulder to draw her attention, then handed her the phone.

  “Yes?”

  Eli’s voice was clearly audible. “Kelly, I’ve asked the pharmacy to deliver a new prescription for you. I want you to take two of these pills three times a day—breakfast, lunch and dinner until they’re all gone. Some people are coming to do tests. Until then, don’t eat any more meals at home. Nothing, do you understand?”

  “Yes.” She looked like a little girl who’d just lost her best friend. Ross felt the old anger seethe inside at the pain someone was causing her.

  “I want you to go back to the clinic every day after work for the next week so we can monitor the levels in your blood. It’s important that we clear this up fast.”

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll be okay, Kelly. It was high but I think we got it in time. There’s no evidence of liver breakdown.”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  “No problem. You just take care of yourself.” He paused, then lowered his voice. “Rachel said to tell you she’s got a prayer line going.”

  “Thanks. I guess I need it.” She glanced sideways at Ross, half turned away from him and whispered, “Who would do this, Eli? What did I do wrong?”

  “It’s not your fault. Somebody’s sick is my guess. You just stick close to Ross. He’ll watch out for you.”

  “Yes. Okay. Thank you.”

  “Take care.”

  Kelly pushed the off button, then laid the phone on the table. She glanced at the beautiful meal she’d prepared, then pushed away her half-eaten plate. Ross didn’t blame her. Who wouldn’t be afraid to eat after news like this?

  The doorbell rang. He rose, answered it, paid the delivery boy from the drugstore. Then he went to the kitchen tap and ran it for several moments before filling a glass. He handed the white bag and the glass to Kelly.

  “Here
are your pills. You’re supposed to take two now, right?”

  “Yes.” She took two from the bottle, put them in her mouth, then swallowed them with a huge drink of water. The doorbell rang again.

  Ross opened the door to Zach and a team of individuals who asked how to get to the kitchen, then set to work.

  “Where is she?” Zach asked sotto voce.

  Ross motioned to the dining room next door.

  “Let’s get her away from this. Where do you suggest? I need to ask her some questions.”

  “She’s pretty fragile at the moment. She just talked to the doctor.” He swallowed his questions. There was no way he would hinder the process that would expose whoever had done this. “Go to the den,” he suggested. “I’ll bring her in a minute.”

  Zach nodded, talked to the technician in charge. Ross went back into the dining room. He hunkered down beside her, kept his voice soft as he touched her arm to draw her attention from whatever she was staring at.

  “Kelly, Zach is here. He needs to talk to you. He’s in the den. There are a bunch of people in the kitchen, too. They’re testing for the arsenic.”

  “Oh. Yes. Okay.” She rose, tossed her napkin on the table. “I’m sorry to cause you so much trouble. It seems like something bad happens every time we’re together.”

  He tried for humor. “Are you kidding? You’re the most exciting date I’ve ever had.”

  She smiled but her eyes were sad, hopeless.

  Date? Who was he trying to kid? He wasn’t the kind of man Kelly Young would date. Besides, by next week he’d be long gone.

  Who’d watch out for her then?

  Chapter Eleven

  Kelly stood at the front door as the last of the technicians left. Zach was at the end of the line, his face grim.

  “I don’t have to tell you not to eat anything from here, do I?”

  “Not hardly,” she snapped, then smiled apologetically. “I get it, Zach. Really I do. Someone is trying to poison me, though I have no idea why. I’ll start throwing stuff out right away.”