The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “Exactly,” Austin said. “I remembered how she and I had a blast writing each other secret notes that entire week. Just silly things like ‘I left a chocolate behind the sofa’ or ‘I love you’. When I smelled lemons in her diary, it all came back to me. I knew that some of the pages weren’t blank. They just had invisible ink on them.”

  “Show me!” Sean demanded, his eyes alight. “What did you find out?”

  “And does this have anything to do with the woman you’ve come looking for?” Nora asked.

  Austin nodded. “You’ll see.”

  *****

  Chapter 3

  The Invisible Message

  Austin opened up the diary and the other three crowded around him to read what Lori had written. Lori’s handwriting was neat cursive - the perfect example of an elementary school teacher’s writing, really. The invisible ink had turned brown as Austin had applied heat to it, and a few parts were lighter and harder to read than the rest. Nevertheless, Nora read:

  Dear Diary,

  It’s true, I’m in love! I feel silly writing this in invisible ink, but just yesterday I found the babysitter snooping around near my diary, so I’m taking extra precautions. This isn’t something anybody can know about just yet. The gossip in this town spreads at the speed of light!

  Anyway, I’m in love!!! I’m so thrilled, I feel like my smile will burst out of my cheeks!! Of course, I have my darling little Austin to think of and I can’t just jump into anything. But MY MAN told me today what I’ve suspected all along. He loves me, he truly does. I love him, too. It’s so strange how these things happen! Destiny has a hand! I know we are going to break a lot of hearts when we announce our engagement but everyone will get over it eventually, I suppose. I only have Austin to worry about. How is he going to deal with having a new dad? The older he grows, the more I feel like he needs a strong man in his life. Well, so do I. And now I’ve got one!

  Then there’s HER of course. She hates me, I know it. She’s all sweetness and light around others, but a woman can always tell. I feel my bones creep when she looks at me. Too bad for her. She wants my man, but she can’t have him! Haha!

  Little Austin is off with his Aunt Evie and Uncle Joe. I’m going to miss that little tyke even if it’s just a weekend. He reminds me so much of his father sometimes that my heart aches. But I need some me-time. I’m off to the cabin this weekend, and we’re going to announce that we’re together! I’ll update you when it’s all done, in real ink this time, haha! Hooray and Goodbye!

  Lori

  Nora looked at the others. Harvey looked confused, while Sean’s brows were knitted together in a frown.

  “As soon as I saw this, I got into my car and, without a thought, I just drove from California to Wyoming,” Austin said. “I was in a trance. The only thing I could think of was… she killed my mom.”

  The other three were still speechless, digesting what they’d just read.

  “Well?” Austin asked impatiently. “Any thoughts?”

  “I’m confused,” Sean said. “I wish Lori had named names.”

  “That’s Mom for you.” Austin sighed. “I suppose that because she obviously knew the names and never guessed that anyone else would read the diary, actually naming them didn’t matter to her. Or maybe even with the invisible ink she was scared that the snoopy babysitter would somehow see it.”

  “Or maybe she just assumed everyone would know in a few days.” It was Nora’s turn to sigh. “Whatever happened to her, Lori never saw it coming.”

  “Exactly,” Austin agreed. “This diary entry convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt. This was not written by someone who was planning to run away, or kill herself, or abandon me. No. She was happy. Nearly ecstatic. Someone killed my mother.” His voice choked up a little. “It means so much to know - really know - that she loved me too much to run away.”

  “And you think…” Sean tapped a finger against his chin, stretching his neck. “You think that—”

  “I think that whoever this mysterious she is, that’s who killed my mom,” Austin said. “The woman who wanted Mom’s ‘man’.”

  “It could be anyone, though,” Nora said.

  “But it’s not.” Austin was smiling. “I think we can narrow it down!”

  “Austin is right. I think it’s one of the women in the group,” Sean said. “Either Irene or Anita.”

  “Exactly.” Austin had a triumphant smile on his face.

  “Except we all know Tucker and Irene are happily married,” Harvey said. “While Anita, at the time, wasn’t dating Johnny, but suddenly got engaged to him a year later. Suspicious, to say the least.”

  “It’s got to be Anita, then, doesn’t it?” Austin asked eagerly. “We just have to prove it.”

  Nora recoiled, feeling her cheeks heat up. Anita was a good friend! She couldn’t believe it. “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” she said. “Anita’s a good woman. I’ve known her for years. I’m not sure she could do something like this.”

  “Someone did!” Austin exclaimed. “Mom didn’t just leave me. Someone killed her! I have to find out who. More importantly, I’ve got to gather proof.” He turned to Sean, his eyes large and pleading. “Do you think we could open up an investigation? I’ve got new evidence, after all.”

  Sean sighed. “It’s not in my hands anymore, Austin. I’m not the sheriff. I’m retired. It’s Dave Ellerton you have to talk to.”

  “Still, you surely have influence in this town,” Austin said. “Will you help me? Please? I have to prove that Anita killed my mother. I can’t rest until I’ve got her justice.”

  Sean’s jaw clenched. “We’re together on that one, buddy. Now that I’ve seen this, I don’t think I can have a good night’s sleep until I find out exactly what happened that weekend. But don’t get your hopes up. Ellerton might decide this is too little, too late.”

  “Well, then it’s up to us!” Austin said. “That is, if you’re willing to help.”

  “I’ll help,” Sean said. “I promise you that, son. I’ll do everything I can. Just don’t get your hopes up. These things take time, and effort. It might take years.”

  “I’ll live here the rest of my life if that’s what it takes!” Austin exclaimed. “But I won’t let this go.”

  Nora’s eyes misted a little. “You really loved your mom.”

  Austin nodded. “The worst part is…how little I’ve got left of her. Six is such a young age. I’ve got tiny fragments of memories here and there. I can remember she always wore lavender perfume. I can remember how soft her hair was after she’d just washed it. I can remember her running to catch me before bath-time each night - I always hated bath-time.” He bit his lip. “And I remember she’d make me coconut cake from scratch for my birthdays because it was my favorite. But that’s it. She’s slowly become like a ghost to me. All I have are a few pictures and a few memories.”

  “I’m sorry, Austin,” Nora said.

  Austin shook his head, frustrated. “Whoever killed my mom robbed her of a life. And they robbed me of a mom. I can’t bear the thought that they’re living their lives peacefully while mine has been shattered.”

  Nora put a hand on his shoulder. “Austin. I promise you, everyone in this room is going to try their hardest to help you find the murderer.”

  “Thank you,” Austin said. “That means a lot.”

  “Just promise me you won’t jump to conclusions,” Nora said. “Don’t assume that Anita did this before we have a chance to find out more.”

  Austin rolled his eyes. “It’s got to be her.”

  Sean shook his head. “Nora’s right, Austin. Investigations don’t always follow a linear path. People can surprise you. If we go into this assuming Anita’s the one, we might overlook clues and the real murderer might slip away unharmed.”

  “Exactly,” Harvey said. “Speaking of the murderer slipping away unharmed, it’s been almost 20 years since Lori disappeared. Any physical evidence is sure to have vanished by now.”

>   “What are you saying?” Sean asked.

  “I’d think twice about handing over this evidence to Dave Ellerton just yet,” Harvey said. “Our sheriff’s a good, solid man but he isn’t much of an investigator. You know it.”

  “Still, you’ve got to follow procedures.” Sean frowned.

  “Sean, stop thinking like a sheriff for a moment and start thinking like a detective,” Harvey said. “Won’t it be better if we keep this to ourselves for now? If we tell Ellerton, the whole town will find out. The murderer will be warned and might destroy clues that we could otherwise find.”

  “He’s got a point,” Nora had to admit.

  Sean still wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know. The police can do a lot of things we can’t.”

  “Like what? You have access to the old case-files. Between us, we can talk to anyone related to this case and do it in a way that won’t send alarm bells ringing,” Harvey said. “I vote we keep this secret until we’ve got more proof. Then, when the time is right, we can bring in Ellerton.”

  “I’m with Harvey,” Nora agreed. “It’s an unusual way to go about it, I know, but this is an unusual case.”

  Sean bit his lip. “It’s useless anyway. The second Austin’s name is heard around town, everyone will know. Birdwhistle is a unique name, after all.”

  “Sure.” Harvey grinned. “That’s why Austin is going to be the son of a very distant cousin of yours, Sean. After all, nobody knows he’s even in town right now, other than us. What do you say? Austin Dracon has a nice ring to it.”

  Sean’s eyes lit up and a slow grin spread across his face. “Austin Dracon, eh? I’ll have to explain the situation to Karen but I’m up for it. At least for a little while. What do you say, Austin?”

  “I’m ready.” Austin grinned.

  “As for a job,” Nora butted in. “My diner needs a new line-cook anyway. If you’re up for that, too.”

  “Absolutely! Let’s do this!” Austin exclaimed.

  *****

  Chapter 4

  The New Cook

  “Mmm!” Hazel exclaimed. “This burger is amazing. Are you doing something new at the diner, Aunt Tina?”

  Hazel was sitting at the counter, dressed in a chambray shirt and work pants. Ever since Hazel had started her own landscaping company and moved out, Nora only ever saw her daughter for lunch at the diner. She treasured these moments, when they’d chat about everything and nothing together. Landscaping was a very physical job, and Nora felt that Hazel had gotten far too thin because of it. Her solution was to make sure she was eating right. Or, as Hazel would put it, by stuffing her full of food till her seams nearly burst.

  “Seriously, who cooked this?” Hazel asked.

  “We’ve got a new line cook,” Tina said, answering Hazel from behind the counter, a dishrag draped over her shoulder. “Austin is a relative of Sean’s, all the way from California. He’s decided to move here.”

  “Who would move from California to Wyoming in the middle of a freezing winter?” Hazel laughed. “This Austin must have a few screws loose. Still, the man can cook.”

  Tina got a sudden twinkle in her eye. “Why don’t you tell him yourself? I’m sure he’ll appreciate the compliment. Oh, Austin! Come out here, would you?”

  Nora rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what her friend was up to. Tina was a compulsive match-maker, even if she had been mostly unsuccessful so far. Austin and Hazel were the same age, after all, and Nora could see the gears turning in Tina’s head.

  Austin came out, wearing a stained apron over an olive-green t-shirt and faded jeans. His long hair was propped up in a man-bun on top of his head, and he’d thankfully shaved the poor excuse of a mustache that had previously dominated his face. Nora suddenly felt the gears turning in her own head, too. He was a sweet boy. And he didn’t look half-bad, though she wasn’t crazy about ‘man-buns’, and Hazel really needed to stop being such a workaholic…

  She stole a glance at Hazel’s face but, to her surprise, Hazel had turned suddenly pale. She dropped her burger back on the plate and stammered, “A-Austin?”

  Austin’s eyes widened, too, and Nora saw his shoulders stiffen.

  “Do you two know each other?” Tina asked.

  “No,” Austin said strongly.

  “Yes!” Hazel exclaimed. “Of course, we do! Don’t you recognize—”

  “Can we talk?” Austin asked, his eyebrows knitting together. “Alone?”

  Hazel looked from Nora to Tina, utterly confused. Then, shrugging, she said, “Sure.”

  The two went into a corner and Tina waggled her eyebrows at Nora. “Well?” she asked.

  “Well what?” Nora grinned.

  “Oh, don’t just stand there as if every inch of your Jane-Austen-loving-body didn’t just light up at the thought of those two getting together,” Tina said.

  “I don’t know…”

  “You do know,” Tina said. “Grace is married now and it’s Hazel’s turn to find a nice boy and settle down.”

  “Oh, Tina. It’s 2018. She’ll probably want to live out the rest of her life with a virtual reality console or something.” Nora laughed.

  “It could be 3018 and Jane Austen would still be right. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

  “But this Austin doesn’t have a fortune.” Nora grinned.

  “Of course, he does,” Tina said. “Or didn’t you notice that the boy’s wearing rare Air Jordans and a Hermes Arceau watch?”

  “A what?” Nora blinked.

  “He’s loaded, my dear. Oh, he tries to act like he’s a humble working man sort, but a sharp eye can tell. His shoes are worth thousands. The watch alone probably costs a quarter of a million dollars, and he treats it with the casual attitude of a man practically pickled in wealth at birth.” Tina laughed.

  “I…” Nora shook her head. She had a fixed idea in her mind of what ‘rich’ looked like. Flashy, mostly. As a connoisseur of fine things, Tina had a good idea of the true value of this watch. But to any casual passerby, it just looked like an old, worn, leather watch. Nora frowned. Why had she gotten the impression that Austin was hardworking and poor? Had Austin been working hard to convey that impression? Why?

  She looked into the corner, where Hazel was nodding as Austin said something to her in a low voice. Suddenly, Nora wondered whether she’d had blinders on because she’d felt such pity for the little boy whose mother had vanished. The truth was, they knew nothing about Austin, really, or what kind of a man he’d grown into. Suddenly, she wanted to keep Hazel quite far away from him.

  “Alright?” Tina snapped her fingers in front of Nora’s face and Nora nodded.

  “I’m feeling a little sick,” she said. “I’ll just take Hazel and head home, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure.” Tina looked baffled. “Call me later, will you? And tell that cute little chef to get back in the kitchen.”

  Hazel agreed to come away with Nora almost instantly. She hadn’t shut the door of the car before she turned to Nora, excitement in her voice.

  “That’s Austin Birdwhistle,” Hazel said. “Mom, Austin Birdwhistle. Do you remember? He was my best friend when I was six. We were always playing together in school. Then we went for that vacation to Europe and, when we came back, he’d moved away.”

  Nora bit her lip. Sure she knew. She knew all too well.

  “I was just so thrilled to see him,” Hazel said. Her face fell a little. “But…”

  “But what?”

  “He told me not to tell anyone else,” Hazel said. “He said you’d know about it, and that I’m to pretend like I never even knew him. What do you know, Mom? Why does he need to keep it a secret?”

  Nora sighed, sinking back into the soft leather seat of the car. She really didn’t want Hazel involved in any of this, but she was sure her daughter was about to get sucked in.

  “I never forgot him, you know,” Hazel said. “I think I spent half tha
t summer heartbroken that I never even got to say goodbye. Now here he is...and I don’t know what to say to him. You have to tell me what’s going on, Mom. I need to know.”

  “Alright,” Nora said. “I’ll tell you. If you promise not to talk to him again.”

  “What?” Hazel looked confused. “Don’t be silly, Mom. Of course, I’m going to talk to him.”

  “Hazel, it’s just that. We don’t really know anything about who he is, or where he’s been. The six-year-old you knew might have been a sweetheart, but the 24 year old you don’t know may be a cad.”

  “A cad?” Hazel burst out laughing. “Honestly, Mom, has Aunt Tina been forcing her regency novels onto you? Next you’ll tell me to use a chaperone when I meet him.”

  “Well…” Nora grinned. “I won’t mind if you don’t mind.”

  Hazel shook her head. “Quit it with the mysteries, will you? Just tell me what’s up. I’m a big girl, and I can handle it.”

  “So you are.” Nora sighed. “Fine. Here’s what’s going on…”

  Hazel listened carefully as Nora told her the whole story. She shuddered a little at the mention of Lori’s disappearance, and her face grew sad.

  “I remember her now. She was always smiling and cheerful - a great teacher,” Hazel said. “How do you suppose it’s possible, Mom, that I’d completely forgotten all about her?”

  “You were very young,” Nora said. “Children accept and forget things faster than adults can. You simply accepted that she and Austin were gone and moved on with your life. It was the natural thing to do.”

  “Have you found out anything else?” Hazel asked, her eyes bright. “You are going to help him, aren’t you, Mom?”

  “I’m trying,” Nora said. “But I don’t know where to begin.”

  “How about Mason?” Hazel asked. “I think he’d talk.”

  “Mason?” Nora mused.

  “He’s still a bachelor, isn’t he?” Hazel asked. “He never got over Anita Teaks, I’m betting. He’ll talk to you, Mom. I know he will!”