by Kathi Daley
The event was well organized, and when two o’clock rolled around, all the dogs but one had been adopted. I picked up the small terrier mix and looked him in the eye. “Seems we still need to find a mom or dad for you, little one.”
The dog growled at me with teeth bared.
“I think part of your problem might be your presentation. Most people don’t want to adopt a pet who growls at them.” The dog struggled to get down, so I set him on the ground. “Or a dog who doesn’t like to be held or cuddled.”
The little guy, whose name was Bruiser, was arguably a difficult placement because he was both ornerier than most of the dogs we placed as well as older. What he needed was a sweet older person who wouldn’t feel the need to cuddle with the dog, who clearly preferred to be left alone.
“I’d say that was a success,” Brady said after the last of the human guests had left with their new family members.
“We found homes for everyone but Bruiser.”
Brady’s smile faded. “He’s a tough one, but I’m committed to keep trying until we find the perfect placement. Lilly and I need to stay to clean up. Do you mind dropping him back at the shelter?”
“I’d be happy to. I’ll return Hattie’s cooler as well.”
Hattie closed early on Saturdays, so I drove around to the entrance off the alley. I’d opened the door to the cargo area to grab the cooler when Hattie came out to greet me.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
“Really well. We found homes for all but one of the dogs.”
Hattie’s smile faded. “Well, that’s too bad. Which dog didn’t get adopted?”
I pointed toward the dog crate in the back of the Jeep. “Bruiser. He’s an older dog, which makes him harder to place, and he’s a total grouch, which makes it doubly hard.”
Hattie poked her head into the Jeep. “He’s a cute little thing.”
“He is. Until you touch him. Then he acts like he’s going to take your head off.”
“Bring him in and I’ll give him a treat. I feel bad he didn’t find a home.”
I opened the door to the dog crate and attached a leash to Bruiser’s collar, lifted him out of the Jeep, then followed him to the door from the alley into the bakeshop. Not only was it warm inside but it smelled delicious. Hattie knelt down with a dog cookie in her hand. Bruiser trotted over and very politely took it from her.
“I’ve been thinking about getting a pet now that Hap and I have split up and I live alone,” Hattie mused.
“A pet is a great idea. I’d hate to go home to an empty house every night. We have several adult cats at the shelter if you want to come by to look.”
“No.” Hattie bent down and picked up Bruiser. “I don’t think I’d enjoy a cat.” I held my breath, anticipating bared teeth and deep growling, but Bruiser kissed Hattie on the cheek.
“Oh my God, he likes you,” I blurted out with such surprise that I forgot to keep my voice down, which made Bruiser turn to me and show me his teeth.
“Of course.” Hattie didn’t seem fazed by Bruiser’s show of irritation at my outburst. “I’m very likable.”
I lowered my voice so I didn’t anger the little dog again. “But Bruiser doesn’t like anyone. He snaps at me, he snaps at Brady, he snaps at every potential adoptive parent.”
Hattie scratched Bruiser under the chin. He wagged his tail and gave her another kiss before she set him down.
“Maybe Bruiser just has discriminating taste,” Hattie said.
“I guess so. I don’t suppose you’d like to take Bruiser home? For a trial, of course. There’s no obligation if it doesn’t work out.”
Hattie looked down at Bruiser. “How about it? Do you want to come home with me?”
Bruiser barked once and then trotted to the door. There was no doubt about it, I had just witnessed a Valentine’s Day miracle.
******
I left Hattie’s and headed home. I found a note from Tony, saying he’d taken Tilly and the kittens home with him and would bring them back when I got home. I’d had the best time the night before and wouldn’t mind a rematch. I’d promised Vern I’d stop by to talk to him, and I should check in with Bree and Coby too. I called Tony to say I had a few errands to run but if it was okay with him, I’d pick up a pizza and come to his place when I was done. He seemed delighted for the company and asked me to pick up some beer as well.
I called Coby and asked him if he wanted to go with me when I spoke to Vern, who’d been a handyman at the Honeycutt place while Daisy was staying there. He wanted to, so I arranged to pick him up at the Inn. When I got there, he thanked me for introducing him to Bree. Apparently, they’d had a wonderful time after I’d left the night before. Coby was just passing through, which was too bad; the two of them seemed perfect for each other.
Vern Sullivan owned the local feed store, so I’d arranged to meet him there. Saturday had the potential to be a busy day for him, so I hoped he had time to talk to us. I supposed we could come back later if he was busy, but I really wanted to help Coby wrap up his mystery as soon as possible.
As it turned out, Vern had been working in his office, not at the counter, so he did have time to speak to us. “Yeah, I remember her,” he said after Coby showed him the photo. “Name was Daisy. Real cute little thing.”
“I believe I might be related to her and am trying to track her down,” Coby said. “I’d appreciate hearing anything you can tell me about her.”
“Given the fact that you’re about the right age, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you must be the baby she was carrying.”
Coby looked at me. I raised a brow.
“I was adopted after being left at a church when I was an infant. This photo was left with me when I was dropped off. I don’t know for certain that she’s my mother; I’m trying to find out.”
Vern ran a hand through his longish hair. “I’m not sure I know anything that will help you, but I’ll tell you what I can.”
“I’d be very grateful,” Coby replied.
Vern cleared his throat, then began to speak. “I met Daisy on the day Edith brought her home. She had the look of a frightened deer about her, so I guessed immediately she was in some sort of trouble. I’m not sure how Edith knew her, but she had a kind heart and Daisy wasn’t the first stray she’d brought home.”
“I understand Edith told folks Daisy was her niece,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s what she told them, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t true. I’m not sure what the girl’s real name was; I’m sure it wasn’t Daisy. On the day she arrived, Edith told me Daisy would be staying with her for a while and I was to do what I could to make her comfortable. She also asked me to keep my eyes open and to let her know right away if I noticed any strangers lurking about. It didn’t take a genius to realize the girl was running from someone and Edith was hiding her.”
“Did either woman ever say anything to indicate who was after her?” I asked.
“No. Both were real careful not to say much of anything about who Daisy was, where she’d come from, or who she was hiding from. I always wondered what became of her. One day she was at the house and the next she was gone. I asked Edith, but all she would say was that she went home. Never did say where home was.”
“We spoke to Carl Willoughby, who said Daisy disappeared just about the time she was due to give birth,” I commented.
“Seems about right.” Vern looked at Coby. “If you’re the child she was carrying, I guess things didn’t work out for her to keep her baby.”
“Do you think she wanted to?” Coby asked.
“Oh, she wanted her baby all right. Something fierce. The poor little thing had this haunted look that took over completely when she spoke about her unborn child. She loved the baby, but I think she knew she couldn’t keep him. It was tragic, really. To know that as soon as the baby was born your time together would come to an end.”
I bit my lip to quell my tears. I felt so bad for the young woman and she wasn’t tied to me
in any way. I couldn’t imagine how Coby felt.
“You know, if you really want to know what went on, you should try to get a look at Edith’s attic,” Vern suggested.
“Her attic?” I asked.
“Edith liked to keep mementos from her life. Not only did she collect things, she kept a journal she wrote in every day. I’m not sure who inherited the house, but I don’t think anyone has been inside since she passed. I bet the answers you’re looking for are boxed up and waiting for you to find them.”
“That’s a good idea. Thank you. I’ll look in to it.”
We chatted with Vern for a few more minutes and then headed to the car. When we were on the road, Coby asked if I had any idea how to locate Edith Honeycutt’s next of kin to get permission to take a peek in the house.
“I have a friend who can find information like that. I’ll ask him tonight and let you know tomorrow. This same friend has a facial recognition program as well, if you want him to run it against your photo. It’s a long shot, but you never know.”
“Do you trust this friend?”
“With my life.”
“Okay, then let’s do it. The more I find out about the woman in the photo, the more I hope she’s my mother and I can find her.”
“Yeah.” I smiled at Coby. “Me too.”
I dropped him off at the Inn, then drove into town to pick up beer and pizza to take to Tony’s. I was looking forward to getting together with him tonight. Tony and I had been good friends since the seventh grade, but since he’d found the clues to my dad’s past, our shared secret had brought us even closer than before. The more time I spent with the remarkable man, the more certain I was that I was very lucky to be his friend.
Chapter 8
Tony was outside gathering wood for the fire when I arrived. Titan and Tilly ran over to the Jeep as soon as I pulled into the drive. I grabbed the beer and pizza and followed Tony inside. Tang and Tinder, who’d been sleeping on Tony’s sofa, trotted over to greet me when they realized I’d come in behind Tony.
“Looks like a storm is coming,” Tony informed me after dropping his armload of wood onto the stack near the fireplace.
“I did notice the wind had picked up. I guess we could use some snow. It’s been a light winter.”
“The ski areas could certainly use a boost. I was up last week and the runs were getting pretty icy.”
I set the pizza box on the counter, then went to the pantry for paper plates. I took a beer for myself and handed one to Tony, then put the rest in the refrigerator.
“Before we get involved in the game and I forget to ask, I need you to do me a couple of favors related to the mystery I’m trying to help Coby solve,” I said.
“The missing mother?” Tony clarified.
“Exactly.”
Tony picked up a large slice of pizza and slipped it onto his plate. He licked his fingers, then grabbed a napkin and his beer and headed to the sofa. “What do you need me to do?”
I grabbed my own beer and pizza and sat down beside him. “First, I have Coby’s permission for you to run the facial recognition program on the photo of the woman he believes to be his mother. I warned him it was a long shot, but I suppose it makes sense to take any shot we’re offered.”
“I’ll set up the program after dinner. Anything else?”
“We want to look inside the Honeycutt place. We’ll need permission from the current owner. I was hoping you could find out who that might be.”
“I can do that, although anyone can pull information related to property ownership. It’s a matter of public record. Do you know if anyone has lived in the house since the woman who owned it died?”
“No one has lived there; as far as I can tell, no one has even visited. The house and the surrounding land has got to be worth a significant amount of money. I’m kind of surprised whoever inherited it hasn’t put it on the market. I suppose there could be some sort of a dispute between family members tying the place up.” I got up, walked to the table, grabbed a second slice of pizza, and slipped it onto my plate. “By the way, thanks for bringing the kids over here today. I feel bad the kittens are left alone so much. I’m sure they enjoyed hanging out here with you.”
“No problem. I enjoyed having them,” Tony answered as I sat back down next to him. “And I know Titan has enjoyed spending time with Tilly. Did you work it out to hang out over here tomorrow?”
I nodded. “I told my mom I had plans. She actually seemed fine with the whole thing, so she may have plans of her own.” I jumped as a gust of wind pounded into the side of the house. “With the storm coming, I should have made plans to stay over in one of your guest rooms.”
“I have an extra toothbrush and a T-shirt you can sleep in. The storm is supposed to roll in at around eight with heavy snow overnight. It would be best if you stayed.”
I glanced out the window at the dark sky. “Thanks. I might just do that.”
“Let’s take care of the facial recognition and home ownership information you want before we start to play. I have a new game to preview that looks pretty awesome. I have a feeling once we get started, we won’t want to be interrupted.”
Tony put the leftover pizza in the refrigerator and then I followed him down to his computer room. I wasn’t sure how much he’d invested in computers, monitors, and other electronics, but I thought the room must hold a million dollars’ worth of equipment. Tony logged onto the system from one of the many stations he had set up. It only took him a few minutes to find out that when Edith passed away, her entire estate had been left to the son of one of her cousins, who lived in Chicago.
“I have a phone number if you want to call him,” Tony offered.
“Thanks. I do want to talk to him.”
I made my call while Tony logged onto a different computer he used to run the facial recognition software. The man who owned the Honeycutt house was fine with Coby and me going inside once I explained what we were looking for. An attorney in Kalispell had the key, and he’d get in touch with him about giving it to me.
I hung up and crossed the room to find Tony staring at the computer screen with a frown on his face.
“Is there a problem?” I asked.
“Not a problem. Just something curious.”
“Curious how?” I stood directly behind him, peering over his shoulder. On the screen was the image of a man standing on a bridge overlooking a wide body of water. The photo had been cropped tightly so the scenery behind the bridge was obscured, making it difficult to discern exactly where the bridge was located. “What am I looking at?”
“This was pinged by my software as a possible match for your father.”
“It doesn’t look like him,” I said.
“At first glance I would agree, but the longer I look at the photo, the less certain I am that this isn’t your father as a much younger man.” Tony pointed to the screen. “The program looks for spatial similarities such as the distance between eyes, facial length and width, height of forehead, etc. The man in this photo has a beard and mustache, but the overall shape of the face is very similar. And look at the eyes.” Tony pointed to the eyes, then held up one of the other photos he’d found next to it.
“I guess it could be him. He looks so different, but now that I think about it, I see what you mean. Do you know when or where the photo was taken?”
“No, but based on the lack of wrinkling around the eyes, I’m going to say this man is significantly younger than the one in the other two photos I found.”
I continued to stare at the photo on the screen. “I’m still not sure it’s him, but I suppose it could be. Can we figure out where the photo was taken?”
“Maybe.” Tony typed in some commands and then sat back. “It’ll take a few minutes. Did you get hold of the man who inherited the Honeycutt house?”
“Yes, and he’s fine with my looking inside. An attorney in Kalispell has a key. I’m sure his office will be closed tomorrow, but I’m hoping he’ll allow me to pick it up
anyway.”
“If we can get in touch with him, I’ll go there with you tomorrow.”
Tony’s computer dinged. He typed in a few commands and looked at the screen. “The photo was taken in Norway.”
“Norway? I don’t remember my dad ever saying he’d been there. In fact, I’m sure I remember him saying on several occasions that although he’d been back and forth across this country many times as a long-haul trucker, he’d never been anywhere fun or interesting and hoped to get to Europe one day.”
“Hang on. I want to try something.” Tony typed in another set of commands. After several minutes, an image of a young man with features similar to my father appeared.
“That looks like the man on the bridge.”
“I think it is. The program indicated a ninety-five percent chance of a match between the man on the bridge and the one in this photo.”
“Who are we looking at?”
“This is the passport photo of a man named Jared Collins, dated 1981.”
“Jared Collins? Are you sure?”
Tony nodded.
I stared at the photo but still wasn’t sure. On one hand, the man in the photo did have features very similar to the ones I remembered my dad having. The eyes especially were the exact same color and shape. Jared Collins’s passport photo would have been taken before my father and mother were married. If my father and Jared Collins were the same person, he must have changed his name before meeting my mother.
“Do you think you can find additional photos of Jared Collins? Maybe photos from differing perspectives will give us a better idea of whether Jared Collins and Grant Thomas are the same person.”
“I’ll keep looking. It would help if we could find a photo of Jared Collins without a beard. I’ll also look for photos of Grant Thomas taken before 1981. He must have had a driver’s license, and probably took school photos as well.”
“I wonder if my mom has photos of my dad as a boy and young man.”
“I suppose it would be worth it to ask her. Find out what high school he went to. We should be able to pull up a yearbook online.”