by Kim Koby
She’d catch up with her mother another day. By calling, at least she’d made the effort and didn’t feel like a totally bad daughter. Dinner with her mother and brother was the last thing she wanted to do right now. They’d only get on her case about her research. Once they said their good-byes, she hung up, grateful that their conversation was over.
While she thought of it and with her phone handy, she made a quick call to the vet’s office. Shadow was due for his yearly shots. Abby scheduled an appointment with Dr. Keller for the following week. If she was one thing, it was a responsible dog owner.
It was easy enough to go into town. The office wasn’t far from that bridal shop. Wasn’t it for sale a while back? She wondered what became of it. Funny, she hadn’t noticed last time she was over that way.
Abby paced through the kitchen. She opened cabinets and closed them, scanned the fridge, then closed it. She wasn’t hungry. It was avoidance more than anything. She thought better of it, but then dialed her mother back.
“Hello?”
Abby was direct and dove in head first. “It’s me, Mom. We need to talk.”
Her mother let out a dramatic sigh. “I hate when you say it like that. What now?”
“It’s about Dad, and please don’t push this off. Every time I bring him up, you change the conversation or shut down. I need you to discuss it with me. It’s important.”
“What’s got you all worked up in a lather?” she asked.
“I still don’t understand why Dad was over by the barn on the Anderson property. Dad didn’t drive. Did you drop him off? What was he doing there? And what business did Dad have at a barn? None of this makes sense. I’m trying to investigate new information, but there’s not a lot to go on.”
Abby’s mother mumbled and moaned in disappointment. “Why do you have such a difficult time letting this go? Abby, it’s in the past. Nothing is going to bring him back. I miss him as much as you do, but it won’t change things.”
“This isn’t about changing things. It’s about finding answers,” she stated firmly, trying to keep her emotions in check.
“What if there isn’t one? It’s not healthy for you to keep going on about this,” her mother said.
“Mom, please. Do you know anything that might help me?” she asked. “Please. You refuse to talk about this, but I need to know more.”
She huffed into the phone, her aggravation obvious. “Fine, Abby. I brought him over there. Okay? He wanted to speak with Mr. Anderson and asked me to drop him off. Are you happy now? Don’t you think I already have enough guilt as it is? Now you want to drag our family dirt out for the world to see in some kind of book. Really, Abby, haven’t we gone through enough?”
Abby gasped. “You drove him there?”
“Yes,” she said flatly. “That’s all I know about that night, other than the fact that he never came home, and I lost my husband. Every time you bring this up, it’s like ripping a scab off a wound that’s trying to heal.”
“Why did he go, Mom? Why did he want to talk to Mr. Anderson?” she asked, hanging on to her mother’s every word.
“I don’t know. He didn’t say. He asked me to drop him off, then told me to head home and he’d see me later. I assumed he was getting a ride back, because he didn’t ask me to stick around and wait.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me this?” Abby asked, perplexed. She shook her head. If she’d had this small piece of information, what else might she have gleaned?
“What would it do? Cause some sort of speculation? It’s better not to get involved in these kinds of things,” she said. “You may not agree with my choices, but I had no idea what would happen to your father. Nobody could know.”
“Did he give you any indication of what he wanted to talk to Mr. Anderson about? Anything?” She pleaded for any tiny fragment of further information.
“No. Look, I’ve told you everything I know. I never wanted you to connect me to this, because I worried that you’d blame me for your father’s death. You’d already lost your dad, and you needed somebody to lean on. I’m sorry I lied to you, but it was for the best. I needed to make a decision and stick with it, which is what I’ve done. Now, we’re finished discussing this. I have nothing left to say, and do not tell your brother what I’ve just told you. He doesn’t need to know. He’s worked through his emotions with all of this. I think it’s time for you to put this behind you as well. Let it go, Abby. Do that for me?”
Abby’s voice softened. “I wish I could, Mom. I’m sorry. I need to know what happened.”
She could hear her mother’s disappointment.
“Thank you, Mom. I appreciate you finally telling me the truth. I’m going to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Abby’s mind reeled with the news. Would it have made a difference if she’d known years ago? Her mother took him to the property. It was like her mind exploded into tiny shards. Why hadn’t she known? She tried to understand her mother’s point of view, but it was difficult having been the one who was lied to.
Now she’d need to figure out why her father wanted to be dropped off, other than the obvious reason that was stated. He wanted to speak with Mr. Anderson—but why? She must have repeated that question a dozen times, but there was never an answer.
There was only one way to truly find out. She’d need to go speak with the man herself. Mr. Anderson was the only other person that would know. She dreaded facing him, after he’d made a fuss last time they were there, but if she didn’t at least try, what good would it do?
Abby’s rehashed the earlier conversation with her mother. It made her blood boil. Why had her mother held out that information for so long? It’s not like she committed the crime.
She clenched her fists and drew a deep breath to calm herself. Shadow came up beside her and leaned into her leg. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. With her anger in check, she slowly opened her eyes.
“I’m okay, boy. Thanks for being here for me. I just don’t get it. All this time…every time I tried to ask, to bring it up, and she acted like she didn’t know anything. Why? She knew this was important to me. How could she keep lying about it? It’s been two years!”
Shadow didn’t answer, but he stayed by her side.
“First thing tomorrow, I’m going to head back over to the Andersons’ house. Do you think we should tell Ben about it?” It would be nice to see him again, but maybe it was smarter to go it alone. After all, he admitted he’d gone looking for Mr. Anderson when she’d left earlier, and that didn’t go so well.
Chapter Eleven
The following morning, Ben decided to check in with Abby to see what she was doing. He’d spent the night thinking about her and looking forward to a date. He’d finally decided to keep things simple. Instead of planning something over the top, dinner and a walk after for Shadow seemed like a good first step. If things went well, they could plan something a little more adventurous.
He was happy to have bumped into her on the trail. It was a nice surprise. He glanced at his watch. He’d call her a little bit later. No need to smother her with an early morning call. He didn’t want to appear overly anxious. With time to spare while under suspension, he decided to go over to the Redwood Cove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. His grandmother was recovering from surgery and could probably do with some extra cheering up. He didn’t think he’d get to visit with his work schedule, but now that it had cleared up, nothing was stopping him.
It was a nice facility and well thought out with shade trees and flower gardens for the residents. Being trapped inside all day didn’t help a patient’s disposition, but fresh air and company was always a win.
Ben went out to his truck. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he’d skipped his early morning meal. He’d grab a breakfast sandwich and a good dose of caffeine at a local café, then be on his way.
Ben slipped into the small café and ordered a bacon and egg sandwich which was piled onto a toasted bagel. It was exactly what he needed. He grabbed
a couple of ketchup packets on the way to his truck. Once seated, he unwrapped his sandwich and ate it faster than anticipated. He was hungrier than he thought. He’d opted for an extra-large coffee which worked well to wash down the sandwich. Finally satiated, he was ready to take on the day.
It didn’t take him long to get there. He parked his truck and went inside, stopping by the front desk. “Hi, my grandmother is here recovering from surgery. I’m not sure which room she’s in.”
After speaking with the admissions desk and another quick pitstop, he turned down the hallway and made his way to her room. He peeked around the corner, making sure she was awake, so he didn’t disturb her.
Her face lit up upon seeing him. “Benjamin!”
“Gram, it’s good to see you. How are you feeling?” He held out a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers he’d picked up at the gift shop that sat next to the admissions office.
“Oh, those are so pretty and colorful. Thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome. Are you in pain, or are the pain meds keeping you comfortable?”
“I’m doing okay, and I will be as long as they stay on top of my dosage. I slept most of yesterday, and so far, I’m feeling good today. Your mother was here after the surgery. Tell me, shouldn’t you be at work? Your mother said your schedule was full.”
“I have a little bit of time off. I’m glad. It gives me the chance to visit,” he answered.
“Well, it’s a wonderful surprise to see you. Have a seat,” she said. “Tell me what’s going on in your life. I haven’t seen you for a bit.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry about that. I was putting in a lot of extra hours at the firehouse, trying to rack up some overtime. I’m finally saving up to buy a house.”
“That’s wonderful, Ben. What other exciting things are going on?” she asked.
He sat and placed his hands on his thighs. “I met a girl.”
Her eyebrows went up. “You did? It’s been a while since you’ve dated, according to your mother.”
Ben laughed. “You were gossiping about me?”
“If there was any gossip, I’d be thrilled. Sounds like you’ve been working a lot. No fun makes for a dull boy,” she teased.
He flashed her a school boy grin. “Well, there you go. Now you’ve got something to gossip with my mom about. She doesn’t know yet. You can scoop her.”
“Ooh, I get to hear about her first. What’s her name?”
“Abby. She’s a writer. She’s sweet and gentle, and she has a service dog named Shadow. I met her when she came into the firehouse looking for some information. She’s got a beautiful creamy complexion with a couple of freckles that dot across her cheeks. She’s really cute.”
“Oh? A writer? What kind of writing does she do? And what kind of information was she looking for?”
Ben laughed. “That’s a lot of questions.”
“It’s so dull in here. Fill me in with the latest gossip!”
Ben answered. “Well, Gram, she’s writing a book about a fire that happened a couple of years ago. She came to the fire house looking for a copy of the report. Turns out, her father was involved in the arson. Not as the person who set it, but as a victim. His remains were found at the scene, inside the burned down barn. Now that time has passed, she’s trying to gather as much new information as she can. She wants to figure out what exactly happened that night.”
“Ooh, that sounds fascinating. A barn fire? Hmm, that sounds familiar. Wasn’t there a big fire a couple years ago, where was that…?”
“The Andersons’ property,” he reminded her. “I was there. I didn’t think much about it until she showed up asking questions. It stirred up the memory of the incident and I remembered being there.”
“Oh, I do think I remember that. When I heard the news story, I was relieved that all the animals made it out safely. I don’t remember much more. There was a man?”
He nodded. “Abby’s father. She doesn’t know why he was there or what business he had at the barn. He died in the fire and she doesn’t understand what exactly happened. Apparently, he didn’t drive so even getting there was a question she was hoping to clarify. Did he take a cab? Did somebody drop him off? It’s been sitting on her mind all this time. I think underneath it all, she’s hoping for closure.”
“I love a mystery. If you find the answers, let me know,” she said. “I’m sorry about your friend’s father. That is quite sad. So, is it serious between you and this girl?”
“We only just met, but we’ve hit it off. I’m helping her look for new clues. Otherwise, we’re going to go on a date hopefully over the weekend. We’ll see where it goes from there.”
“Where are you going on your date?” she asked, happy to have an interesting topic to discuss.
“I’m not sure. Probably out for dinner. I didn’t want to do anything too big. Also, Shadow is always with her, so I need to keep that in mind. I don’t think Shadow would be up for kayaking, though you never know,” he teased.
“Well, he’d make you do all the paddling,” she said with a chuckle.
“How long do you have to stay here until they spring you from this place?” he asked.
“Two more days. Normally, I’d go home sooner, but because of my medical history, they’re keeping me a little bit longer.”
“Anything I should be concerned about?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, it’s standard procedure. They dot their i’s and cross their t’s, so they don’t end up with liability issues. You know how it is. After that, there will be some physical therapy, but they’ll send a traveling nurse or therapist to my home which is nice.”
They chatted a bit longer. Ben finally excused himself. His grandmother looked ready to nap. “I’m going to head out and let you get some rest. It was nice to see you. I’ll check in on you when you get home.”
“I’m so glad you came by,” she said. “It was such a nice treat. And I’ve got the scoop on your new girl before your mother. I can’t wait to tell her about it. I can, right?”
“Of course. Go at it,” he said, then leaned over and kissed his grandmother’s forehead. “Love you, Gram.”
Ben headed down the hallway on his way back outside. A thought came to him. What if…?
He’d give Abby a call and see what she thought.
Ben sat in his truck and dialed her number. When she answered, his heart fluttered unexpectedly. He smiled when hearing her voice. He was more drawn to her than he realized. It wasn’t until hearing her speak that it hit him. He was going to be wrapped around her finger if he wasn’t careful!
“Hey, it’s Ben. I hope it’s okay that I called. I just had a thought and wanted to get your input.”
She sounded excited to hear from him. “Neat, what is it?”
“Well, what if…okay, so I was thinking what if we go to the library and see if there are any old newspapers about the fire. I know they have some of their content online, but I’m not sure if older newspapers are. Maybe we can find a shred of info that’s been overlooked. Maybe a witness’s name or something will pop up.”
“That’s so sweet of you to be thinking about this. It is a great idea, but I’ve actually followed through on that angle. I have copies of them. I went and picked through them when I first started researching for my story. I figured the archives were a good place to start.”
“Oh, so much for my good idea,” he said.
“No, it was a smart one. I appreciate that you’re taking time out of your day and even thinking about this stuff. It’s not on you to consider the library and archives, but it was really sweet.”
“Speaking of your day, what are you doing this afternoon?” he asked. Was it too forward? He kind of wanted to see her again and waiting felt like forever.
Abby sighed, not sure whether to admit to what she’d planned. “Well, to be honest, I’m thinking about going over and speaking with Mr. Anderson. I wasn’t sure whether to say anything to you about it or not.”
�
�Why?” he asked.
“Given what happened…anyway, it sounded like he wasn’t thrilled you were asking more questions by how he reacted. I thought maybe if I went alone, it would be better. I’m hoping I’m less of a threat to him in some small manner.”
“Yeah, maybe you being a girl will have his guard down. I doubt he’d act hostile toward a woman. He’s pretty old school. Can I ask why you’re going back?”
“Yeah. I’m still trying to absorb the latest news I got. I’m still reeling. I’ve been lied to for years, and I’m trying to control my emotions over what I learned last night. All this time, my mother had information, but she never shared it with me. I guess I should be happy she finally did, but all I can think about is how much time was wasted. What if I’d known sooner?”
“Known what?” he nudged. He had no idea what she was talking about.
“Oh, right. Sorry. I know how my father ended up at the Anderson’s that day. Turns out my mother dropped him off. It doesn’t explain why, but it at least tells me how he got there. She said he wanted to talk to Mr. Anderson about something, but she didn’t know what for. When I asked for more information, she refused to go into more detail. I guess I should be happy to even get that much from her, but I’m left with a lot of mixed feelings. It’s been two years. How could she have held that from me for so long? She said she was protecting me, while protecting herself. She was afraid I’d blame her for my father’s death, but that me being angry with her wouldn’t have helped the situation, since I needed to rely on her for grieving. I’m hurt she held out so long, and curious as to the real reason why. Does she know more than she’s saying? And if so, why is she clamming up? Things just don’t add up, you know?”
“Interesting. So, she was the one that brought him there, but she doesn’t know why he wanted to go? Or you think she might know more, but isn’t willing to talk about it?”
