Down in Whisper (9781311456113)

by Elizabeth, Bonnie

  “About five minutes or so,” David said. “If we hit traffic.”

  Meg allowed herself a small smile as she kept typing. Peter had left her alone, at least physically. She could sense that he was around, but that was pretty normal, especially in Whisper proper. While Amy thought it would be suffocating to know he was always there, Meg found she rather liked having him there, always only the briefest thought away. She just wished he didn’t have to always be around for everyone else too.

  “And you said we’d be right there?” Meg asked, still scanning some articles on airplanes. Peter had let her see it through his eyes and she got the impression it was more of a military jet, although it was laid out differently from the images she was seeing in old pictures.

  “I said we’d be there in ten,” David said.

  Meg nodded, reading something about the mechanics needed, which she really didn’t understand at all. She hoped that she could formulate enough questions to ask John before they got up the mountain.

  “Well, let’s prove you wrong,” Meg said, standing up. “I’m about ready to go now.” She grabbed her chai, the second of the morning, to take along.

  David led the way out of the office. Meg waved at Kaitlyn.

  “Do you know how long you’ll be gone in case anyone asks?” Kaitlyn asked as Meg walked through the office with her father.

  “I’ll be on my cell. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

  “But what if someone wants to make an appointment?”

  “Have them wait until this afternoon or tomorrow,” Meg said. She tried not to sigh. Kaitlyn was always getting corrected for her mistakes and sometimes that meant she asked questions that she really ought to know by this time. On her good days, Kaitlyn could figure out the reasoning behind quantum physics. On bad days, she couldn’t get an order right at the Cuppa. Which was tough, considering the Cuppa knew everyone who worked there.

  “RaeLynn and Rain are both here if you have questions,” Meg added as she let the door close behind her. Her father was already holding the elevator for her.

  “Kaitlyn’s a little slow catching on?” David asked.

  “I wish she weren’t. I like the idea of giving Lacey’s cousin a chance, but I swear, I don’t know what she’s thinking half the time.”

  “She’s probably not.” David let Meg precede him out of the elevator. She set her returnable chai mug on the counter at the Cuppa when they passed the kiosk in the center of the building. The dark haired barista set it under the counter with a salute to Meg as she left.

  “Everyone is thinking about something,” Meg said, getting into her father’s truck without an argument about who drove. She didn’t want her father backseat driving the whole way up the mountain. “It’s just that she’s not thinking about the office.”

  David started the truck, not saying anything as he looked around to be sure no one was behind him. The day was surprisingly nice for September, which meant it was only partly cloudy. The anniversary of Lacey’s death was approaching quickly. Maybe after that, Meg thought, she could re-evaluate her receptionist. Maybe the anniversary would let her feel a little less like she had to hang on to Lacey in any way she could.

  “Tell me more about John,” Meg said, hoping that would distract her from her memories of her best friend.

  “I mostly knew his daughter Beth,” David said. “We went to school together. She still lives here in Whisper. I think she’s writing books now or something. She’s done a lot of odd jobs really. I think she even worked over at the Autumn Haven Cemetery for a while.”

  Meg watched the scenery go by, noticing the flash of a deer’s tail as it moved farther into the brush. Her father wasn’t driving fast, but the truck was noisy. There was always a tell-tale smell about the fumes that let Meg know it was her father’s truck.

  “At the time we were in school, he worked at Boeing. I know that later on he did some contracting for other businesses. He was sort of an expert in the field. He retired here and he’s been working on researching the history of flight. I think he and Beth have talked about doing a book. He’ll do the research and she’ll be the main writer.”

  “Does he know that much about fighter planes?” Meg asked. “It looks more like a prototype of some strange fighter plane to me.”

  “Navy pilot, remember?” David said. “I know he was in the reserves for years too. I think he retired when the first Gulf War started. He was 60 but they were talking about calling up the Reservists. He hadn’t kept up his pilot’s license and I’m not sure he was eager to go to war at that age.”

  “I can’t believe you just talked him into seeing us.” They were turning down one of the side roads and slowly passing houses on large lots. These homes had been there awhile. Meg liked the older architecture with additions that sometimes looked like part of the original homes and sometimes looked like the later addition that it was.

  “I spent a lot of time picking his brain when I was a kid,” David said. “I thought I wanted to be a pilot or an astronaut back then. John had actually considered applying for the astronaut program but his Mom was pretty upset that he might do that. Too dangerous and she didn’t want to lose her youngest son.”

  Meg hadn’t been aware that her father had had dreams of being a pilot or an astronaut when he was a kid. That was probably one reason her father liked Marcus so much even though he seemed to know little about the man. Marcus understood the dreams of flying. Well, maybe not dreams. Marcus could actually fly. Of course only a few people knew that. Meg’s dad was one of them. Still, Meg knew that Marcus offered her father a view of something he’d long since given up achieving.

  David turned into a narrow driveway, which curved through a few trees and shrubs, clearly placed for privacy. At the end of the long curve the view opened to allow them to see the house. It had been one of the older Whisper homes that had undergone a pricey facelift, probably done by Meg’s father. It looked like his work and his ideas. She had no doubt the inside had been redone with rooms that opened up onto each other making the living spaces seem bigger than they really were. He’d probably ripped out walls to put in cable for hardline connectivity too.

  It’d be nice to have a house, Meg thought with a pang. If Peter were human they could be planning their home together. She could be saving towards it. While she did save, she didn’t have much hope of finding a home that she could afford on Whisper. Peter had a home there, but it was a cabin that hadn’t been updated in years. Peter had initially taken her there a lot but he’d stopped doing that lately. Meg wasn’t sure why. Perhaps that was another thing he preferred to share with Rain. It didn’t occur to her that perhaps Peter thought Meg would hate sharing a home that held memories of Rain.

  Meg followed her dad around to the side of the house. A bit behind and beside the main house was a small building. It was a single story and had once been a garage. There were still faint traces of tire tracks where cars had driven back here once upon a time. In a few more years, they’d be gone, hidden under the landscaping and pathway that brought people back to a rather secret garden.

  “Nice place. Did you build out from the old garage?” Meg asked looking around.

  “We tore down the old garage. It was more of a lean-to carport than a building anyway. This allowed us to add a larger footprint as well.”

  David stepped up the single step to the front porch which ran the length of the house. He hadn’t even rung the bell when John opened the door, gesturing to them to come inside.

  Meg noticed the small entry area and a large great room. To her right was a doorway which probably opened to a small hall with a bathroom and bedroom and possibly a laundry room. It was perfect for a single person. She wondered if her father would ever consider building something like this for her, maybe on the same land as her parent’s house or, if Peter let her, on his property towards the top of the mountain.

  French doors opened on the other side of the room and appeared to lead to a back porch every bit as nice as t
he front, if a bit larger. Although the day was cloudy, she could see John had a lovely garden out there. It looked like a place to sit and enjoy the nice days. She could feel Peter’s agreement. He was probably wandering around out there taking a closer look while in spirit form. He had once told Meg that sometimes he took certain parts of the mountain for granted. When Meg noticed them, he got re-interested and had to investigate.

  “Can I get you anything?” John asked, holding a hand towards the kitchen. He hadn’t introduced himself to Meg. She wondered how much her father had told the other man.

  “I’m fine,” David said, moving towards the sofa.

  Meg nodded. “I’m fine too. And I’m Meg, if my dad didn’t tell you.” She held out her hand.

  John nodded, taking it, giving her a firm handshake, if a bit short.

  He sat on the recliner that was at a 90 degree angle to the sofa where Meg and her father sat.

  “So there’s a plane up on the mountain,” John said, breaking the silence. His voice was low. There was the slightest hint of a quiver when he spoke, giving away his age.

  “Yeah. I think it looks a little like some sort of fighter prototype, but it’s not quite right. I’m not sure how to explain it. It’s different than the pictures of older fighters I’ve seen,” Meg said.

  “New planes often have a lot of differences,” John said easily. “Whoever built it is probably out looking for it. If it’s contracted through the defense department, they’re probably looking as well.”

  “They won’t find it,” Meg blurted out. John wasn’t an old Whisper family but he’d lived on Whisper most of his life.

  John nodded, not saying anything, but taking the fact that there would be no one official coming to examine the plane in stride, or if they did, that they weren’t likely to find anything. He didn’t bother to ask her how she knew.

  “What about the pilot and copilot?” he asked.

  “I’ve heard there was only a pilot,” Meg said.

  “Not uncommon for a test flight,” John said, stretching. “It’d be best if I hiked up there and looked at it.”

  Meg wanted to suggest he didn’t. He was a generation older than her father, probably well into his eighties now, for all he seemed pretty healthy and fit. He had a bit of extra weight around his middle. She worried such a hike would be too much for him.

  “Great,” David said before Meg could say anything.

  “I can lead you up there,” Meg said.

  “No,” David said. “John and I can get up there while you do the research down in this area. I can get my own camping gear in case we have to spend the night up there. We’re getting a rather late start. I’ll drive up to Peter’s and talk to him once we get our stuff together.”

  “I know this mountain Dad.” Meg left the edge in her voice, hating how it sounded pleading or maybe a little bit whiney. When had she become a whiner?

  “I’ve already got my stuff out,” John said. “Your dad and I will probably hike more companionably. I’ve seen you young people running up the hill. I have to take my time now.”

  Meg smiled, thinking she wanted to persuade him otherwise.

  “Look, I’ll drive you back down the hill and you can do your investigative stuff and John and I will get started hiking up to the crash site within the next couple of hours. You know how to reach Peter if you need to get us,” David said standing up before Meg even realized they were ready to leave. She followed him out the door, annoyed. She was a hiker, not some desk jockey. That kind of stuff she could leave to someone in the office while she got out onto the mountain for what might be the last long hike of the season. Besides, she really wanted to see that plane. She didn’t even notice that she hadn’t had a chance to ask John any questions.

  Rain

  By afternoon, Dillon still had not called or made contact. I was starting to worry. I hoped that he would get back in touch soon.

  “Dillon is close enough to Peter’s land that he can sense where he is, even if he can’t quite make contact,” Zari purred.

  “Too bad,” I said. “I’d love to know what he’s found.”

  “Peter would as well, but there are too many trees in that area so he’s not able to stand at the edge of his land and watch. Do you suppose Marcus could see what’s happening?”

  I picked up my phone as it rang, still thinking about whether I should contact Amy and Marcus about looking in on my investigator.

  “This is Rain,” I said.

  “It’s Ian,” a male voice said.

  “Hey. Does this mean you can make the appointment in North Bend later on?” I asked, suddenly hopeful.

  “Nah. This guy here isn’t dishonest so much as stupid, I think. I’m still shadowing him and working out how much we have to retrain him. Has Dillon called in yet?”

  “No,” I said. Ian was a great worker and I trusted his instincts. Employees who didn’t think seemed to be on the agenda this month, what with Kaitlyn and now the security person. I was surprised though. Over all, Dillon did a great job of hiring. I bit my tongue to keep from asking if this guy was related to Lacey. Maybe Meg was insisting all Lacey’s family have jobs here but that really was mean. From everything I had heard about Meg’s friend, she’d been a smart woman.

  “Guess that means I’m making the trip,” I said. Ian and I talked a few more minutes before I hung up. I’d need to get going soon if I were going to make it across the Valley in time for the appointment.

  “Keep an eye on the office, okay?” I asked Zari who was snoozing in her cat tree. The clouds had come in and were darkening with the afternoon. We might get some rain that evening. I hoped it could hold off for a little longer. I wanted Dillon to be safe.

  “Of course,” Zari purred, stretching out a paw before closing her eyes again.

  I wished my life were as hard as hers. Carrying my bag, I walked out, stopping to wave at Kyle.

  “Where’re you off to?” he asked, looking up from his laptop. His curly dark hair was slightly mussed. Kyle not looking perfect was something I was still getting used to. He’d even been talking about a tattoo.

  “I have an appointment out in North Bend about security. Machine shop. Don’t suppose you want a break to keep me company?” I asked. I turned my head a little watching him out of the corner of my eye.

  “Can’t,” he said, looking back down at the lap top.

  “Busy huh?” I asked. Kyle usually liked getting out of the office.

  “Yeah. This one bothers me. The affidavits I see all tell me the guard says he’s innocent. Not one of ours, of course,” Kyle told me, in case I was worried. “And I’m not finding a lot that’s not circumstantial to hold him. I don’t get why his boss is being such an ass about it. I think he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “Good luck with that then,” I said, smiling a little.

  I waved at Kaitlyn.

  “Is Meg back yet?” I asked.

  “She went to lunch I think,” Kaitlyn said. “I just got back myself.”

  “Great,” I smiled, although really it was anything but. Hopefully our phones would get answered, although Kyle and RaeLynn were both good about that. It was possible that Colleen might make it in, depending upon what she had scheduled.

  I took the elevator down to the parking garage. My parking spot was the one nearest the elevator. It was also extra wide, although I’d made sure all the spaces were plenty wide enough even for a large vehicle. The garage had secondary parking spots that apartment tenants could pay extra for. It was a popular upgrade and I was glad I’d thought of it.

  I got in my car and pulled out of the garage. The clouds were darkening as I drove out of the garage and headed down the mountain towards the Carnation Duvall Road. Once out of the mountains and onto the highway that ran through the Snoqualmie Valley, I could see that the cloud cover was less deep than I thought. There were dark areas but some blue sky poked through here and there. The river was remained low, but it wasn’t yet winter. Late seas
on flowers continued to bloom and the leaves hadn’t turned on the deciduous trees. The poplars still had their leaves, as they stood sentinel near the edges of farms.

  Cows were out grazing and birds flew over the fields. It was a pleasant drive. I slowed as I drove through Carnation, one of the small towns that dotted the Valley below Whisper. I considered pulling into the Starbucks for a coffee, but decided I’d wait to get something in North Bend. I didn’t want to have to stop to use the bathroom as soon as I got there. I slowed down to go over the bridge, noticing just as I was about to cross Tolt Hill Road that there seemed to be a military convoy going in the other direction. There was a line of cars behind the olive drab vehicles that were slowly moving along the Valley highway.

  I suspected that they were moving to positions around the area to check for the plane. I considered calling Meg so that she could relay the information to Peter but then figured I could tell her when I got back. If the convoy got to Whisper, Peter would make sure no one found anything he didn’t want found.

  I cruised on through more fields, enjoying the drive. There were still a few signs for blueberries and I wondered if they still had them or if those signs had been forgotten. It had been a wet, early summer but now it was drier than usual.

  Maybe on my way back, I’d stop and see about picking some. I’d gotten spoiled with fresh berries and nuts living with Peter. He’d almost always come in with a small amount that I could eat for breakfast or snack on throughout the day. They always seemed sweeter and more flavorful than those I purchased at the store, even when I did buy local and organic.

  I had to slow once more as I drove by the Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls. I’d gone in there once to eat, mostly because it had been used in the television show Twin Peaks. The clouds were thicker here. I wondered if they were moving north or south or east or west. I had no sense of how things moved sometimes, particularly when I was driving.