Hidden Secrets

by Jannine Gallant

  His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he shot around a big rig. Then there was Clea. Lucky for him, Radcliff was bound to be the prime suspect in her disappearance, thanks to his date with her. All he needed to do was fan those flames.

  The moron had practically handed him the perfect opportunity on a silver platter. Follow-through was the key now. Getting the address to the man’s townhouse had taken very little effort. It was almost a crime how simple it was these days to track down personal information. Not that he was complaining. As long as Radcliff spent enough time alone to blow up any alibi, his plan was pretty much foolproof.

  Leaning back in his seat, he tried to relax as he considered his next move. Another woman would disappear in the space of a week, and the cops would focus their attention on the only person with a connection to both. Chances were good, no new evidence would turn up in the investigation into Lucy’s death. He couldn’t be that unlucky after all these years. If all went well, the cops wouldn’t look past the obvious. He’d be safe once again.

  * * *

  When the door to her shop opened, Paige paused with her red marking pen hovering over the after-Christmas sale sign she was creating. “Leah, it’s good to see you.”

  Her friend flipped long, wind-blown hair over her shoulder as she approached. “I thought I’d stop by after fighting the crowds at the grocery store. Has your shop been busy?”

  “Extremely. You caught me during a lull.”

  “Good. We can have a chat.” She dropped her purse on the counter and leaned on her elbows. “Have you heard the latest gossip spreading through town? People are freaking out, and I don’t blame them.”

  “About what?”

  “Clea Merrick, the woman who bought a date with Quentin at the bachelor auction, has apparently gone missing. She disappeared four days ago and hasn’t been heard from since.”

  Paige’s shoulders slumped. “Chris Long stopped by after everyone left the party on Christmas Eve to talk to Quentin. Since they’ve officially opened an investigation, he told him he’d probably have more questions. Quentin is pretty upset because Clea disappeared the evening he took her out for their date.”

  A memory of the previous night flashed through Paige’s mind. Quentin hadn’t said much after showing up at her apartment, but his tension was palpable. They’d gone to bed early, and he’d simply held her through the dark hours. She was pretty sure he hadn’t slept at all.

  “I had no idea.” Leah laid a hand on her arm. “I can imagine he’s feeling sick about it.”

  “Clea was annoyed because Quentin wasn’t interested in taking their date any further than dinner. She insisted he leave her up in Newport, and apparently that’s when she disappeared. Quentin is blaming himself.”

  “How horrible.” Leah’s brown eyes were wide with shock. “Surely the cops don’t believe—”

  “God, I hope not. Quentin is cooperating fully with their investigation, of course.”

  “At least he has you in his corner. That’s got to be a comfort to him right now.”

  Paige ran a finger along a scratch in the surface of the counter.

  “What? You’re behind Quentin one hundred percent, aren’t you?” Leah asked sharply.

  The ache in Paige’s chest that never seemed far away intensified. “Of course I am.”

  “Why do I hear a but in your voice?”

  “We aren’t going to work out as a couple. I told him so on Christmas Day.”

  “Why not?” Leah’s tone held frustration and a hint of anger. “What the heck did he do to you?”

  “Nothing. This is my choice, not his.”

  “Then I don’t get it.”

  When Leo strolled out of her storage room and walked over to lean against her leg, Paige buried her fingers in his fur. “Leo knows I’m upset, but it isn’t Quentin’s fault. Ironically, I made my decision because of you and Nina.”

  Leah jerked back. “Me? What did I do?”

  “You’re so damn happy with Ryan, and Nina’s pregnant.” Paige’s voice broke. “I want that kind of stability. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’m tired of feeling like I’m always looking for something that isn’t there. Quentin loves me, but—”

  “He doesn’t want to get married and have kids?”

  “Not right now. He casually threw out a we’ll get married if it’ll make you happy proposal, but it’s not what he really wants. Maybe in five years—or ten—he’ll be ready. By the time he gets his crap together, I’ll be too old to have a baby.”

  “That sucks.” Leah rounded the counter and hugged her.

  “Yeah, it does, and I’m not stupid enough to set myself up for heartbreak down the road. I’d rather get it over with now.”

  “You’ll still be friends with him, won’t you?” She sounded like she wasn’t too sure she believed it.

  Paige stepped back. “Yeah, we will. I won’t give up our friendship, but I’m going to find a guy who’ll make me happy, even if it kills me.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Leah rolled her eyes. “You make it sound as enticing as eating liver.”

  “Said like a true vegetarian. Once Quentin opens the Poseidon Grill for business and heads back to Seattle, I’m going to make dating some serious contenders my number one priority.”

  “Good for you, but why wait? If the jerk doesn’t know how badly he’s blowing it with you, he doesn’t deserve your consideration.”

  “We’re kind of still sleeping together, so it might be a little awkward.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Leah’s voice rose.

  “Hey, I’m weaning myself off Quentin slowly. Going cold turkey would be . . .” Paige fluttered a hand. “I don’t have that kind of strength. This is what I want.”

  Sympathy filled her friend’s eyes. “If you say so, but don’t miss out on an opportunity if it presents itself. You never know who might walk through that door.”

  Paige smiled. “Not a lot of hot guys in their thirties are antique buffs, but I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

  “You do that.” Leah pulled out her phone. “Damn, I’m running late. I told Gram I’d have lunch with her, and I have to go home to put away my groceries first. Are you going to be okay?”

  “I always am. Tell Evie I said hello.”

  “Will do.” She stepped around the dog on her way to the door. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Paige nodded. Once the door shut behind her friend, she pressed her fingers to her eyes. She refused to cry and screw up her makeup. Again. When the bells jingled, she jerked her hands away from her face. The professional, welcoming smile faded as Chris Long entered her store.

  His somber blue eyes met hers. “How are you, Paige?”

  “Uh, fine. Why do I feel like you have bad news?”

  “I guess I don’t make much of an effort to hide my feelings around my friends. Unfortunately, this visit is work related.” He turned to survey the shop. “If you have customers . . .”

  “Not at the moment. Should I sit down?”

  “You’ll be fine standing since I’m sure you’re expecting my news. The department put a rush on the DNA results for those bones we found in the woods. Confirmation came in this morning. They belonged to Lucinda Gordon. I wanted to tell you in person since you were key in the recovery of her remains.”

  Paige braced a hand on the counter. “I was afraid you had bad news about Clea Merrick.”

  His lips tightened. “We’re still investigating her disappearance.”

  This time his expression gave nothing away. Paige swallowed. “What’s going to happen now . . . about Lucy?”

  “We’ve reopened her missing persons case as a homicide.”

  Any response stuck in her throat. The word homicide sounded so very ugly.

  Apparently, Chris wasn’t expecting a comment. “Based on a fracture to her skull, it’s been determined she was killed by a blow to the head. I’d like to get a statement from you about the time she babysat you the summer she went missing.”


  Paige felt for the stool behind her and eased onto it. Her legs shook as she crossed her ankles. “I don’t know what I can tell you that’ll help. I didn’t see her talking to her boyfriend that day.”

  “But you might have other relevant information. Did Lucinda have a cell phone? Not everyone was attached to a phone back then.”

  Searching her hazy memory, she came up with an image of Lucy lying on a towel on the concrete apron of the public pool, her cell clutched in her hand, while she and Quentin tried to dunk each other in the deep end. “Yeah, she did. I remember her using it while we were at the pool.”

  “Did she call anyone by name during that conversation?”

  “I couldn’t hear her. It was unusually hot, and there were a lot of kids at the pool that day, laughing and shouting.”

  “Did Lucy meet friends while you were there?”

  Paige shook her head. “Not that I remember.” She paused as a recollection formed. “We were getting ready to leave, and she told me and Quentin to go change into our clothes so we wouldn’t get her car soaked from our wet bathing suits. I couldn’t find my underwear, and I was embarrassed I might have dropped them by the pool. I left the changing room to go look for them, and Lucy was standing by the fence, talking to someone.”

  “A man?” Chris’s voice was sharp.

  “I think so. I couldn’t see him even though Lucy’s head came over the top of the fence, so he must have been sitting on something.”

  “Like a motorcycle?”

  “That makes sense. Anyway, she said she took a test and it was positive. The male voice swore, words I’d never heard before. I stood there staring until Lucy turned around and noticed me. She looked mad. She asked me what I was doing.” Paige let out a breath as the memory unraveled. “I saw my underwear under a lounge chair and scooped them up, then ran back to the changing room.”

  “Was she still talking to the man when you came back out?”

  “I don’t think so. I only remember the first conversation because later I asked Quentin if he knew what a—uh, excuse my language—a cocksucker was. His face got red, and he told me not to say that again.”

  “Do you remember Lucy talking to anyone else while she watched you? Maybe a girlfriend?”

  “I honestly don’t. The only time we left the house was to go to the pool, and that was because I begged so hard. I think it was the second of the three days she sat for us. While we were hanging out at home, no one ever came over. Well, except for the man Quentin saw, but I didn’t know about him at the time.”

  Chris stepped back from the counter. “Thanks, Paige. You’ve been very helpful. Your story corroborates what Quentin told me.”

  “You think the test she mentioned was a pregnancy test?” Her voice rang hollow in her ears. “That asshole killed her because she was pregnant.”

  “I probably shouldn’t speculate, but it’s beginning to look that way.”

  She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as a chill shook her. “That’s just sick. Will you be able to find her boyfriend after all these years?”

  “I damn well intend to try.” He squeezed her shoulder as his eyes filled with compassion. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

  Everyone seemed to be asking her that question. First Leah, and now Chris. Maybe because she was anything but okay. Maybe because she was sad and discouraged.

  “This year, the holidays have been anything but joyful, all things considered.” She tried to smile as his eyes darkened. “But I’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so. Feel free to call me anytime if you need to talk.”

  Before she could answer, the door opened. Quentin paused on the threshold.

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  Chris took his hand off her shoulder and backed away as Paige stepped down from the stool. “No, we were finished talking.” He studied Quentin for a moment. “I had a conversation with the bartender last night. He remembers you, but not anyone resembling Clea Merrick.”

  Quentin entered the shop and let the door shut behind him. “I told you that.”

  “Strangely, no one at all remembers seeing her. Not the cocktail servers, any of the regular patrons I contacted, or the members of the band who were playing that night. It’s almost like she wasn’t there.” Chris paused for a moment. “The waiter at the restaurant where you ate dinner does remember her. He said you two looked pretty cozy.”

  Quentin jammed his hands into his pockets. “Clea made a few advances. I told her it wasn’t going to happen. I can’t help what our situation looked like.”

  When the bells jingled again and an elderly couple entered, Quentin held the door wide before moving out of the way.

  Paige forced a smile for her customers. “Welcome to Old Things. Please just ask if I can help you find something.”

  “Thank you.” The diminutive woman studied the police officer as she leaned on her walker. “We’re browsing today, but I’ll let you know if I have any questions.”

  Chris cleared his throat. “I’ll be in touch, Quentin. Expect a call from me in the next few days.”

  “I may need to leave town.”

  “Oh?” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Why’s that?”

  “Issues at my Seattle restaurant. I’m waiting for a call now, but chances are I’ll need to head up there immediately.”

  “How long do you expect to be gone?”

  Quentin stepped past him to stand beside Paige. Tension radiated from his stiff shoulders. “I’m not sure. Hopefully no more than a couple of days.”

  “I have your cell number. I’ll contact you if need be.” Chris smiled at Paige. “Thanks again for your help.”

  “I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. Bye, Chris.”

  “What loop is that?” Quentin asked as the door shut behind the officer.

  “The DNA test came back.” Paige stopped speaking as the door opened again and three women entered. “Hi, welcome to Old Things. Please let me know if I can be of assistance.”

  A tall blonde spoke up. “Actually, I’m looking for red Fiesta dinnerware. The pieces made back in the thirties, not the more recent stuff. Do you have anything?”

  “I have a couple of bowls you might like.” Paige gave Quentin an apologetic look before smiling at her customer. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”

  “You’re busy. Come on, Leo. We’ll wait in the storage room.”

  “Thanks.” She squeezed past him and led the group of women to her dishware selection. By the time she’d rung up their sale, the older couple had chosen the white marble cat she’d bought from Margaret LaPine’s daughter. “It’s a beautiful piece. I hope you enjoy it.”

  “Oh, we will.” The elderly woman beamed. “It looks just like our Fluffy who died nearly fifty years ago. I have a whole collection of cats.”

  Paige handed the reinforced bag over to her husband. “Be sure to come back the next time you’re in town.”

  “You can count on it.” The woman waved one arthritic hand. “This place is a treasure trove.”

  Once the customer had maneuvered her walker through the doorway, Paige headed toward the back of her store. Quentin sat on a stool at her workbench with his cell clamped to his ear. When she retreated a step, he waved her forward.

  “I’ll be there this evening, Val. Yeah, we’ll get everything straightened out. This isn’t your fault. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Paige leaned against the doorframe as he dropped his phone on the bench. “What’s going on?”

  “An employee is threatening a sexual harassment suit if we don’t pay him off.”

  Her brows shot up. “Him?”

  “Yeah, him. Val, my manager, has been trying to handle the complaint for several days now, but the situation has gone south. I need to personally step in.”

  “Was he harassed by another one of your employees?”

  “I did some digging, and the guy is up to his eyeballs in debt. I think he’s looking to make a q
uick buck.” Quentin stood. “Still, I need to get to the bottom of the situation. If the man was sexually harassed, someone is going to get fired, and I’ll report it to the cops. If he wasn’t, the idiot is going to wish he hadn’t taken me on. Either way, I’ll deal with it.”

  “One more piece of bad news. This day just keeps getting better and better.”

  “You said something about DNA results.”

  “They identified the bones Leo found at the creek. Someone killed Lucy and buried her up in the woods.”

  “She was murdered?”

  “According to Chris, someone hit her over the head and cracked her skull. They’re still trying to identify her boyfriend. He questioned me about what I remembered from that summer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much.”

  “Is that what he was doing?”

  She stuck out her foot to rub Leo’s belly when the dog rolled over. “What do you mean?”

  “Long was questioning you? When I showed up, it looked like he was asking you out.”

  “You mean like how the waiter said you and Clea looked ‘cozy’ together.”

  “Hey, I told Clea to back off. If I hadn’t, she might not have gone missing.”

  Turning away, Paige blinked back tears. “Whatever. I guess you’d better go home and pack if you’re leaving shortly.”

  He stepped up behind her, hauled her back against his chest, and held on tight. His breath brushed her ear. “Sorry. I guess seeing you with another man, even if his intentions were innocent, made me a little jealous.”

  “I’m not planning to date Chris, for heaven’s sake. He used to have a thing for Nina. Even if she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, it’d just be . . . weird.” She rested her cheek against his chest. “You should go.”

  “I know.” Turning her fully in his arms, he tipped up her chin to kiss her. “I wish I didn’t have to leave right now. We need to talk.”

  “Why? We’ve said everything that needs to be said. Several times.”