The face he had taken wasn’t right. No matter what he did to it, it would never be right. The cheekbones weren’t high enough—the lips weren’t full enough.
He had to have Eve.
EVE CUDDLED KERI CLOSE AS THE TODDLER PUT her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes. They sat on the back porch in a rocker looking out over the big lake. The sound of the waves and the foghorn should have lulled her as much as it did Keri.
She couldn’t lose her baby. The maternal love she felt for the child had welled up the moment Keri called her Mama. Keri belonged with her. If only she could remember everything.
The screen door behind her creaked, and the heavy tread of boots moved across the wood porch. “Mind if I join you?” Nick’s deep voice was low and pensive.
“I don’t mind.” She longed to ask him a million questions.
The other rocker creaked as he settled into it. Nick cleared his throat. “You okay?”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Nick? How could you let me stay in the dark about something so important?”
“I couldn’t do it. Keri is your port in the storm, especially right now. It didn’t seem pressing anyway. I thought Patti was gone for good.”
Eve held Keri closer and pressed her lips against the blonde curls. “What are we going to do?”
“Our first step is to get a lawyer. I expect your sister to go for the throat. We have to be prepared for that.”
“I don’t know any lawyers. Do we need to get one here or . . . or—?” She stopped. “I have no idea where we live.”
“Bay City.”
The name of the town meant nothing to her. “Is that in Michigan?”
“Yes, down on Lake Huron, north of Detroit. I’d guess she’ll try to get custody now. For some reason, she seems in a terrific hurry.”
“She can’t have Keri.”
“No,” Nick agreed. “The way she abandoned her can’t look good to a judge. And she never paid one dime in child support.”
“Did you?” The words burst out of Eve.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Yes, of course I pay support. I love Keri. My lawyer drew up a generous support schedule for her.”
Eve was past feeling shame. All that mattered was the little girl in her arms. “What did I do before? Did I have a job?”
“You ran a dance studio, ballet. When you were in your twenties, you danced with the New York City Ballet. It was hard for you to give it up when we married.”
“Why did I?”
He looked at his hand and twisted the wedding ring on his finger. “It was time.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me. Don’t you think the secrets have hurt me enough?”
He shifted and didn’t meet her gaze. “It’s not important, Eve. Keeping our daughter is important—not rehashing the problems with your career.”
So there were problems. Could they have a bearing on this situation? Eve didn’t see how, but she needed to know everything in order to understand her past. The blank slate was so frustrating. “What about Keri?”
He seemed to know what she was asking. “You took her to work with you every morning, and she learned to dance almost before she could walk. You’ve always put her first.”
“Then why didn’t we put her first when it came to making sure no one could take her away from us?”
“It was stupid,” he admitted, finally lifting his gaze from his ring. “Look, don’t freak, okay? We’ll get through this. No judge in the world would give Keri to a woman like your sister.”
Eve dropped another kiss on her daughter’s head and breathed in the scent of her baby shampoo. “Were we happy, Nick? At least for a little while?”
He leaned closer, and she smelled his cologne again. She should pull away, but instead she found herself leaning toward him ever so slightly.
“We can make a new start, Eve. Go on from here.”
“What if I never get my memory back?” she whispered.
“Maybe that would be good. You’d have none of the old baggage.”
She felt cold and pulled back. “I’d be all ready for a new wound, is that it?”
“That’s not what I meant. But sometimes it’s hard to believe something can change.”
“Did it ever change, Nick?”
He looked off toward the water. “No.”
“Surely I made mistakes too,” she muttered. “No marriage stands or falls on one person.”
He glanced back at her, and something flickered in his eyes. “Let’s forget the past, Eve. Both of us. Some things are better left buried.”
“What did I do?”
He stood and went toward the house. “It’s time for Keri to be in bed.”
Someone from her past would tell her the truth. Maybe Will. He still hadn’t come to talk to her, but she could go find him.
NICK WAS GONE WHEN EVE GOT UP. SHOWERING and dressing quickly, she found Bree in the kitchen, putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. “I want to talk to Will,” Eve said. “Would you take me out to that Job’s Children place?”
“Don’t you think Nick wants to go with you?”
“He doesn’t have the right to make that decision,” Eve said, aware her voice was too sharp.
Bree held up her hands. “Don’t bite my head off. I’m not too impressed with that Will guy, that’s all. He hasn’t even checked in on you since his surprise appearance. Don’t you think that’s a little strange?”
“He probably saw all the hoopla and wanted to stay out of it. But he knows things about my family, about my past. Nick isn’t telling me everything, Bree. I have to find out what I can.”
“Why do you think Nick is keeping something from you? It’s clear he loves you.”
“He didn’t tell me Patti was Keri’s birth mother. I think there’s more. Will might be able to tell me.”
Bree sighed. “Let me see if Anu will keep the kids.”
“You’re a good friend,” Eve said. While Bree called Anu, Eve went to the office and searched the computer again for anything under Eve Andreakos. She found nothing that might tell her about her past.
She and Bree rode in silence out to the forest. Samson lay on the backseat.
“Don’t be mad at me,” she told Bree when the car came to a stop in the parking lot.
“I’m not mad, Eve, but this feels like a mistake. I don’t like what I’ve heard about this place. People in town call it a cult. Nick is a good man. Can’t you feel that yourself? And you’ve had your family’s phone numbers for two days. Why haven’t you called them yet?”
“Because I can’t shake the fact that not one of them has tried to contact me yet. What’s that all about?”
Bree sighed. “True. That is strange. And I’m sorry. But you don’t have to look to some stranger whose motives we don’t know.”
“Right now, everyone’s a stranger. I don’t want to depend on Nick. I’m sure we were divorced for a reason, and I want to discover what I need to know without him censoring the facts.” Eve threw open her door and got out.
A dingy white building sat surrounded by tall pines. No one seemed to be moving about, but the twang of a guitar came from the piney woods. There were several signs around about “embracing the pain.”
Samson bounded out of the backseat when Bree opened his door.
The women followed him into the trees and found a group of young people sitting around a campfire, strumming guitars, sitars, and several other instruments Eve didn’t recognize. Her gaze swept the group, and she saw Will in the middle of a circle of teenagers and twentysomethings. He hadn’t noticed her yet.
She searched her memory for some trace of his face and came up empty. Any memory of him was as lost as the rest.
Samson bounded into the center of the group, and several women exclaimed over him and stroked his ears.
Will saw Eve, and his smile broke out. He joined them at the edge of the clearing. “Where’s Keri?”
“You know Keri?” Eve asked.
>
“Of course. She’s the cutest toddler you ever saw.” He took her elbow and guided her away from the group. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to find out how we knew one another.”
He glanced at Bree from the corner of his eye, then refocused on Eve. “Maybe you’d rather discuss that in private.”
Eve pulled her arm away. “Bree is my best friend. I don’t have any secrets from her.”
He shrugged. “We were lovers.”
Eve put her hand to her throat. Her knees felt wobbly, and she wished she could sit down. Was he joking? If so, it was a poor attempt. She held up her hand. “Start at the beginning and cut the jokes.”
“No jokes, Eve. We danced together about five years ago, then lost touch. I never forgot you though and managed to track you down about a year ago. Your marriage was on the rocks, and we just clicked.”
“I betrayed my marriage vows?” Eve whispered. It was hard to grasp. She never would have thought she’d do something like that. Maybe that’s why Nick didn’t want to tell her why their marriage had failed. He was trying to keep this from her. If she knew she loved another man, she would be less apt to try to repair their marriage.
She studied Will’s face. His blue eyes returned her gaze. If she loved him, why didn’t she feel the same surge of emotion as when she’d seen Nick again for the first time? Or for that matter, every time she still saw Nick?
“We should go,” Bree said, tugging at Eve’s arm. “We need to get the kids.”
“Let me come with you,” Will said. “I’ve missed you.”
Eve held up her hands and backed away. “I don’t remember you, Will. I think it’s best if we don’t meet again.” She turned and ran back to the Jeep.
Her pulse pounded in her ears. She didn’t want to believe it, but it made sense.
Bree caught up with her when they reached the car. “I think he’s lying,” she said.
“What possible reason would he have to lie?” Eve asked. She hugged herself and shuddered. “I feel so dirty.”
Bree took her by the shoulders. “Stop it, Eve! Don’t just accept what he says as truth. Talk to Nick about it. Maybe your family too. I don’t trust that guy.”
Eve wished she could believe Will wasn’t telling the truth. The thought of talking to Nick about this made her feel queasy. But it wasn’t going to go away.
A FAMILIAR BOX VAN SAT PARKED ALONG THE street. Nick had been at the sheriff’s office, checking on the investigation, when Oliver called. Though barely nine o’clock, the sun was already heating the drops of rain from last night into mist that clung to the ground and sidewalks. It was going to be a hot one.
The back doors stood open on the van, and Nick peered inside to see Oliver bending over a stainless table. “Hey, buddy, thanks for coming.” He climbed into the van.
Oliver barely grunted in response, his broad shoulders stooped and intent. The harsh sunlight streaming through the open doors threw the pale bones of the woman Bree and Eve had found into stark relief. Was this all a human being was reduced to in the end, this small pile of calcium and phosphorus?
Oliver touched his arm. “You okay?”
“Yeah. It just got to me a minute.” Nick shook off his anger and picked up the skull. “Think you can show us what she looked like? It will take a couple of months to get DNA back, and there’s no time for that.”
Oliver ran his fingers over the skull. “Let me see what I can do to bring this lovely lady home to her family.” His blue eyes held a sheen of moisture.
Nick clapped him on the shoulder. “I know it takes a lot out of you, but some family will be able to have closure because of your work.”
Oliver bent back over the remains. A shadow blocked the sunlight, and Nick turned to see a man step into the van. About thirty, he wore an air of authority as real as the police uniform on his body. His thick black hair stood up as though he’d leaped from bed without combing it, but its stiffness told Nick the style was deliberate.
The man’s eyes flickered from Oliver to Nick. “You Captain Andreakos?”
“Yep.” Nick tried to read the man’s demeanor. A tiny smile played at the guy’s mouth. Oliver looked up briefly with a distracted expression. “Nick, this is Jason Webster. The Marquette Post sent him to assist.”
Nick nodded at the young man. “I didn’t think anyone was as nuts as Oliver.”
Jason flashed impossibly white teeth. “Interesting stuff, eh?” he said in a thick Yooper twang. “What do we have?”
“Female, young,” Oliver said.
Jason took the skull from Oliver and turned it over in his hands. “Why are you so certain she’s female, eh?”
“She was wearing a blue silk blouse and jeans, size 4,” Nick said.
Jason scrutinized the skull. “You’re right, it’s female. I’d guess she’s African-American and in her twenties.”
Oliver raised his bushy white brows and snorted. “She’s Caucasian, Scandinavian. Look at those cheekbones and the set of the eyes.”
Jason reddened. “I have more experience in our population up here than you do.”
Oliver straightened. “Boy, I started sculpting skulls when you were still in diapers. If this is how you plan to behave, then I won’t be needing your help.”
His Santa Claus personage morphed into something not quite so jolly. Nick didn’t blame him. This guy wasn’t in Oliver’s league.
“I’m in charge of this investigation,” Jason shot back. “We’ll play it my way.”
“I was asked by the task force to get involved, so I would say you’re outranked.”
Nick decided it was time to step in. “My special task force does have jurisdiction, Jason. I’ve asked Oliver’s help. He’s the best in the country. We need a really fast turnaround on identification.”
Jason laid the skull back on the table, but his smile grew broader. “I take it you haven’t been notified.”
“Notified of what?” Nick wished he could wipe the guy’s smile off his face.
“You’ve been suspended. IA will be here sometime today. I’m in charge now.”
Internal Affairs. Every officer’s worst nightmare. “What are you talking about?”
Jason shrugged. “Someone complained about the violence you used in an arrest.”
Probably the Mount Sinai group incident. His dad had warned trouble might be coming because of it. “I’ll get this straightened out.” He nodded at Oliver. “Our perp has done it before. I need to find out where he seized this woman. The only way to do that is to have her identified as soon as possible.”
Jason folded his arms across his chest. “The only ones that have surfaced lately have been dead awhile. What makes you think he’ll strike again any faster?”
“He’s made threats against my wife.”
“I doubt it’s coincidence this body turned up,” Oliver said, glancing at the bones. “Your man knew Eve was here and was letting her know.”
“My thoughts too. He’s playing a game with her. She can’t remember anything, Oliver. Not even her name. She was going by Elena.”
“Elena Cox? Police report says she found the vic,” Oliver said, eyebrows winging upward.
“What are you talking about?” Jason demanded. “Why would your wife be here? I thought you lived in Bay City, eh?”
“We’re . . . divorced.” The word tasted bitter on his lips.
Jason smirked. “Trouble letting go, Captain?”
Nick’s fingers curled into his palms. “You have an agenda, or do you just like to work at being a jerk?”
Jason’s smile vanished. “Get out of here, Captain. This isn’t your baby anymore.” He picked up the skull.
Oliver held out his hand. “I’ll take that. I want to cast it and get started immediately.”
“I can handle it.” Jason glanced toward the back door and smiled.
Nick glanced over his shoulder and saw a white van bearing the WBUK-TV 7 logo pull up. A man and a woman erupted from the v
ehicle and moved toward the forensic van. Nick rolled his eyes. “Did you call them?” he asked Jason.
Jason shrugged, but that annoying smile played at his lips. He moved to the table and began to study the bones.
“He’s an idiot,” Oliver muttered in an undertone to Nick. “It’s going to look nothing like the woman. Can’t you stop him?”
“I’ll go see what I can do.” Nick jumped from the back of the van and jogged down the street to the jail. If Jason slowed down the investigation, they were all in trouble. Especially Eve. He glanced at his watch. Eve would be meeting with the lawyer, and he’d wanted to be there, but first he needed to get this problem here fixed before that numskull ruined their chances of finding Gideon.
He called his dad’s phone but the reception was patchy since Cyril was on his way to Rock Harbor. But he got the gist of the conversation. Jason was telling the truth.
He put his phone away and went back to find Oliver. “No go, buddy. This has to play out.”
“I might as well go fishing,” Oliver said. “I can’t watch this butchering.” He turned to Jason, who flirted with the tittering brunette journalist. “Get outta my van!”
“WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP HER?” EVE SAT IN an overstuffed chair in the lawyer’s office. The soft green chenille upholstery, the calm décor of the office, was meant to soothe agitated clients, but her distress only mounted. Nick was late.
Ronja Lankinen leaned back in her chair. About fifty, she looked more like a frumpy housewife than the best attorney in town. Her polyester pantsuit strained in all the wrong places, and her mousy brown hair coiled in an untidy knot at the base of her head. She wore no makeup.
“Tell me what you did when your sister disappeared,” Ronja said.
“We got guardianship. We meant to adopt Keri, but circumstances . . .” Eve looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. She didn’t want to tell the lawyer about her memory problems, though with the hubbub around town, she’d probably heard at least part of it.
“I’m afraid I’m only going on what my ex-husband has told me. I—I’m having some trouble remembering.” She touched the tiny scar on her head. “I had a head injury a few months ago, and I can’t remember anything from before I arrived in Rock Harbor.”
Haven of Swans Page 15
