“I called,” Sam said with a shrug before taking a seat on the chair next to Harrison.
“I know. So, to what do I owe the honor of this visit? Have you figured out why Garcia wanted to kill Sophie?”
“I think so.” Sam reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the two photographs. He handed them to Harrison.
Harrison picked up his glasses and put them back on before looking at the black and white snapshots. The first showed three men fishing at Sutter’s Lake; one of the men was a much younger Fred Garcia. Harrison recognized the other two men. He then looked at the second photograph; it was Fred Garcia, standing in front of two cars, a Lincoln Continental and a Jeep. The picture had been taken at night with a flash.
“Where did you find these?” Harrison asked, handing the photos back to Sam.
“At Garcia’s house. He has a scrapbook on Marino.”
“Anything else interesting in that scrapbook?”
“No, just a bunch of newspaper clippings. The only other thing was a ledger. Garcia kept good records. Regular payments from a J.W. Funny thing, when I came across the initials in my grandfather’s old calendars, I figured it was Jerome Walker, who was on the force back then.”
“Nope, wasn’t Jerome Walker.” Harrison reached into his top pocket and pulled out two cigars. Kim would give him a ration of shit for smoking in the living room, but it was still his damn house, and sometimes a man needed to smoke. He handed one to Sam, who reluctantly accepted the offering. Silently, the two men lit the cigars, each taking several puffs before resuming their conversation.
“So, tell me, Harrison, just how corrupt was my grandfather?”
“The man had his price. My father always knew how to take full advantage of someone.”
“Whose blood do you think was on Marino’s clothes? Gramps’ or Garcia’s?”
“My guess would be Garcia’s. I can’t imagine he’d go to such lengths to keep Sophie from running a DNA test on your grandfather’s blood. Or maybe he doesn’t know how the blood got there and was afraid it was his.”
“Why in the hell would they take a picture with Gramps’ Jeep and Marino’s car? And with Garcia grinning like a fool.”
“Who knows? Some people like trophies, I suppose. At least your grandfather wasn’t stupid enough to stand in the picture with Garcia.”
“No, but I can clearly see his Jeep and the license.”
“You knew it was his Jeep by just looking at the picture?”
“I was pretty sure. The license just confirmed my suspicions.”
“That fishing picture surprised me,” Harrison noted. “Never knew Weber was an angler. I know Dad didn’t fish.”
“Yeah, Gramps loved to fish.” Sam took another look at the tattered black and white snapshot. When he’d seen it in Garcia’s album, he had immediately recognized his grandfather in the picture, proudly holding up a stringer of fish. The other man looked vaguely familiar. It wasn’t until he had returned to his office that the pieces fit together.
“How involved were you, Harrison?”
“Why? You planning on arresting me?”
“No.”
“I knew something was going to happen. I didn’t know who was going to do it or how. Wasn’t until Weber died that Dad told me who had carried out his orders. I imagine Fred wouldn’t have been so nervous about that DNA if his son wasn’t in prison for rape. But with Billy Garcia’s DNA on record, it would only be a matter of time that it led to Garcia.”
“True. So, tell me, Harrison, why did your father want Marino dead?”
“Family business, Sam. What exactly, I’m not going to tell you. But I promise you, that bastard deserved what he got.”
“Do you think Sophie is going to press the FBI for a DNA test?”
“I’ll see what I can do. Fortunately, her father wants her to drop the whole thing. I don’t think we need to open that can of worms for either of our families. What’s the point? The past is the past. What are you going to do?”
“Right now, I’m going back to the office and sift through Garcia’s papers. If Sophie convinces the FBI to run that test, they will eventually look closer at Garcia, which means they’ll confiscate whatever we have on him. And frankly, there are some things they don’t need to pry into.”
“If I have to, I’ll tell Sophie the truth. Once she has that, there’ll be no reason for her to contact the FBI. It’s not like either one of us ordered the hit, and I think the only reason she started snooping around about Marino was to find something positive for her father. Calling in the FBI will just stir up Marino’s shit. And the man was thick in it.”
“Can you trust her to keep quiet?”
“And what if she doesn’t, Sam? Would you want to do something to shut her up?”
“God no, Harrison! This thing is embarrassing, but I’d never hurt an innocent girl to protect my grandfather’s reputation. I loved the man, looked up to him, but he climbed off that pedestal himself; Sophie didn’t push him.”
“Glad to hear it, Sam. But I’ll see what I can do to get Sophie to back off on the DNA if you’ll do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“See if you can put a rush on the DNA test you have out on Myrtle Scarlett’s killer.”
“Why do you want that?”
“Because I think I know who did it.”
“Who?”
“Get the test back, then you’ll know.”
“Come on, Harrison, you need to give me more than that.”
“Okay, but you have to promise to say nothing to Joe Carter. If you do, I’ll make sure everyone in Coulson learns about how corrupt your grandfather really was.”
“Harrison, to do that would implicate your own father.”
“So? The man’s dead, and most think he was a son-of-a-bitch anyway. Your gramps, on the other hand, retired with a glowing reputation in the community, something of a paragon.”
“I promise… wait a minute… you said I can’t tell Joe Carter. Shit, Harrison, you’re talking about Angela. Good lord, you think she killed Myrtle?”
“Yes, I do. When Sophie was missing, and everyone assumed Angela had taken her, Adam and I had a long talk about Angela and his suspicions regarding her involvement in his neighbor’s death. From what I understand, Angela is currently out of commission and staying at the hospital and out of trouble. I’d like to see her locked up again before she’s released.”
“Harrison, I understand why Adam has it in for the girl. Hell if she framed me for murder and killed someone to cover it up, I’d do everything in my power to get her sent back to jail, but I have no control over what the parole board decides. All I can do is follow the letter of the law. Plus, I don’t believe Angela had anything to do with that woman’s death.”
“Maybe you’re right, Sam. But you get on that DNA test, and if it proves I’m wrong, then I’ll buy you a box of Cuban cigars. But if I’m right, then I’ll expect you to get me a box. Deal?”
Sam eyed Harrison and then said, “Okay. Deal.”
Chapter 38
“We need to talk,” Tony told Sophie when they reached her bedroom door.
“Dad, we’ve been talking all night. I’m exhausted.”
“I mean you and me, Sophie. Alone.”
With a sigh, Sophie opened the door to the bedroom and flipped on the light. Someone from the household staff had started a fire in the fireplace and turned down her bed.
“Wow, that’s nice,” Sophie said, glancing from the cozy fire to the turned down bed. She tossed her purse on the end of the mattress and slipped off her shoes before sitting in a chair in the small sitting area adjacent to the fireplace.
“They’re very nice people. They’ve been very generous in their hospitality, but it’s time for us to go home.”
“Dad, I’m not staying here forever. I planned to head back up to Clement Falls this weekend. I figured in the morning we could see about flights for you.”
“I called the airport this morn
ing. We have reservations for Sunday. For both of us. Time for you to go home.”
“Dad, you know I intended to stay for a month. I’ve already paid for my room at the B and B.”
“Sophie, I was never thrilled about you staying up at Clement Falls for so long. But I figured you needed a little space, time to think, an extended vacation before starting your life. I honestly didn’t think your primary intent for this trip was to dig around in my father’s past.”
“Dad, I promise, I’ll stop my digging. I believe you. He wasn’t a good man; I don’t need to know more. But I want to stay.”
“What for?”
“Adam’s offered me a job.”
“Now you’re talking about staying longer than a month?”
“Well, yes. I’ll be moving to Coulson. I can’t very well stay at Clement Falls indefinitely.”
“Sophie, are you listening to yourself? You haven’t even known this man for a week, and you practically want to move in with him?”
“Who said anything about moving in with him? He offered me a job; he will be my employer, not my boyfriend.”
“Are you sure about that? Have you seen how he looks at you? How you look at him?”
“Dad, would that be so bad? I am twenty-eight. Don’t you think it’s about time I find someone?”
“This is wrong in so many ways; I don’t even know where to begin.” Tony paced the space between the fireplace and the chair where Sophie sat.
“Wrong, why? How?”
“To begin with, you need to make up your mind if you want Adam as your boyfriend or your boss because if you move here full time and take the job and the boyfriend thing does not work out, it’s going to be uncomfortable for you. But, if you want him for a boyfriend, do you really think it’s rational to uproot your life and move to Coulson over a man you’ve known less than a week?”
“Well… technically, we’ve known each other a little over a week. I met him last Friday.”
“Oh, terrific. Now that is much better. You’ve known him, what, almost eight days?”
“Dad, you make me sound so… foolish.”
“Maybe because it is foolish. And there is one other thing.”
“What?”
“That young woman—Angela. She’s a convicted murderer, and she’s threatened you. I know about her threats at the diner, about her breaking into Adam’s house.”
“How do you know that?”
“What in the hell do you think we were talking about when you were missing? The weather?”
“Oh, Dad… But it wasn’t Angela who took me. It was Fred Garcia, and he’s dead now.”
“Adam also told me about your suspicions concerning his neighbor.”
“You can’t expect me to hide from Angela.”
“No, but you don’t need to hang around her hometown and give her an opportunity to run you down with a car or push you down a flight of stairs. Come home, Sophie. There are other jobs. If you don’t want to work in the family restaurant, fine. There are plenty of restaurants in the Portland area—far more than in Coulson.”
“But what about Adam?”
“Going home doesn’t mean you’ll never see him again. You can write each other, call, do that Facebook thing. Maybe he can come to Portland for a visit. If it’s meant to be, if something is there between you two, a little separation won’t hurt. When I first met your mother, she was in Ohio and I was in Portland. We had a long-term relationship for about six months before she moved to Oregon.”
Sophie was quiet for a moment. Tony stopped pacing.
“Dad,” she finally said, “if I go home with you on Sunday, I don’t want to ask Franklin and Nick for a refund. I know they would give it to me, considering the circumstances, and the fact they didn’t want to take my money when they found out I was a relative. But I just wouldn’t feel right about it.”
“That’s fine, Sophie. It’s your money; you can do what you want. Does this mean you’ll come home with me on Sunday?”
“Yes, Dad,” Sophie stood up. “I’ll go home with you.”
Tony took his daughter in his arms and gave her a hug. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
Sophie couldn’t sleep. Wearing her nightgown and robe, she walked down the hall to her father’s room and opened the door slightly. She could hear his snores. Gently, she re-shut his door. It was a little creepy traipsing around the halls of the third floor of Coulson House.
This would make a great haunted house, she thought. Walking down the dark corridors, she made her way to the first floor; her destination was the library. Kim had told her to make herself at home and explore the library while she was at Coulson House. Since she would be leaving for Clement Falls in the morning and flying back to Portland the next day, this would be her last chance to get a better look at it.
When she got to the first floor, she noticed a light coming from the direction of the kitchen. Thinking it might be Kim, she went to investigate. To her surprise, she found Harrison Coulson in the kitchen, attempting to open a cupboard from his wheelchair, using a pole-like grabber contraption.
“Can I help you?” Sophie asked, walking into the kitchen.
“I thought you’d be asleep by now. You’ve had a rough couple of days. Looking for a late night snack?” Harrison asked.
“No. I just couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d see if I could find something to read in the library. So, would you like me to get something for you?”
“Didn’t Adam say you’re a chef?”
“Umm… yes. I recently graduated from culinary school.”
“I’m starving. You want to make me something to eat?”
“Well, sure Mr. Coulson. Didn’t you have dinner?”
“It’s Harrison, remember. No, I didn’t have dinner. That’s not entirely true. Mrs. Carpenter made me meatloaf. I just didn’t feel like meatloaf.”
“You should have come with us to the Lucky Lady,” Sophie told him as she opened the refrigerator to see what was on hand. “We had a great dinner. What would you like me to make you?”
“I heard your family has an Italian restaurant. Can you make me something Italian?”
“Sure.”
An hour later, the two sat alone at the kitchen table, enjoying the impromptu shrimp scampi Sophie had thrown together. She was surprised at how easy Harrison was to talk to, something she hadn’t expected since she had found him rather intimidating on their first meeting. He was friendly, chatty, and asked her about her life, as if he were truly interested.
“This is damn good, young lady.” Harrison took another bite of the scampi.
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it. I hope your cook doesn’t mind I pilfered the shrimp from the freezer.”
“It’s my shrimp, and I like how you prepared it.” Then he added with a chuckle, “You know, you really should think about opening a restaurant.”
Sophie laughed. “Well, my dad wants me to start working in their restaurant again. But… I don’t know.”
“I thought Adam offered you a job?”
“I’ve decided to go home. I’ll be returning to Clement Falls in the morning—say goodbye to Franklin, get the rest of my things. Then Dad and I will be flying out on Sunday.”
“You don’t sound too excited about leaving.” Harrison studied Sophie.
Absently, she speared a shrimp with her fork and pushed it around her plate.
“Not really.” She gave a little shrug. “But, dad has a point. One of the reasons I was staying so long was to see what I could find out about my grandfather. I was doing it for dad, but, well I guess the chances of me finding out my grandfather was really a nice guy was a foolish quest.”
“So you aren’t pursuing any of it… the DNA?”
Sophie considered his question for a moment. She remembered what the man in the care center had told her, about Vera Coulson and her grandfather. Vera Coulson—Harrison’s wife. She thought about how her grandmother was forced to flee Anthony bec
ause of the abuse, and then she remembered what Harrison had said just hours earlier, in the library—I witnessed first hand what he was capable of doing. She took a deep breath, suddenly realizing how careless she had been, digging around in family secrets, opening old wounds. Her father was right; she had been a reckless Nancy Drew.
“I don’t think I was ever going to pursue the DNA,” she said at last. “It was just bluster because Fred Garcia annoyed me so much when I first met him. Foolish in the extreme on my part, I realize now.”
“It’s probably for the best,” Harrison told her, taking another bite of his food.
“Mr. Coulson… I mean, Harrison…”
“Yes, Sophie?”
“I’m sorry for anything my grandfather might have done to hurt your family. Sincerely sorry.”
“Sophie, you aren’t responsible for the deeds of your grandfather. You’re only responsible for your own actions.” Harrison eyed Sophie and wondered how much she had figured out. “Adam is going to be sorry to see you go, young lady.”
“He’s a nice guy. I’m going to miss him. But my father has a point. He reminded me that taking a job with someone who I might be interested in, well, isn’t such a terrific idea. Too many complications if the romance—or the job—doesn’t work out. And frankly, I don’t think I’m up to dealing with this Angela thing, especially after what happened with Fred Garcia. I haven’t thought about her too much today because I know she’s at the hospital and can’t go anywhere. But when they do release her, I would hate to be constantly looking over my shoulder.”
“Just remember, Sophie, there’s always a chance that crazy girl will be put back in jail.”
“I hope so, for Adam’s sake.”
Chapter 39
Sophie looked out the diner’s window. It was just beginning to snow. Adam sat across from her in the booth. Minutes earlier, the server had brought them their lunch. Adam had already taken two bites from his burger, but Sophie hadn’t yet touched hers. Instead, she silently looked out the window, watching the tips of the pines trees turn white.
Coulson's Reckoning Page 23
