When they arrived at the church, the limo pulled up to the front and the door was opened by none other than General Winstanley himself. Kelly had to marvel at how formal the man looked with his short-cropped white hair and stern demeanor in his dress blue uniform with all those stars on it.
The general held out his arm for Jane to take and then began to lead her toward the church entrance. Kelly was surprised when a member of the honor guard did the same for her grandmother while another one walked beside her grandfather as they walked behind Beth and her escort. Then two more did the same for Kelly and Wayne as well. She looked behind her and almost smiled at the uncomfortable look on her brother’s face.
She turned her eyes to the front just in time to see Grant Thompson standing by the door. He was wearing a black suit and didn’t look like a police detective. He looked so good in that suit. He could have been a model. Where had that thought come from?
Once inside and in their seats, Wayne leaned over and spoke softly in her ear. “Your boyfriend sure does clean up nice.”
She tried not to show any reaction on her face as she surreptitiously elbowed her brother in the ribs. She must not have been successful as she noticed her grandfather frowning down at her from her other side.
Movement behind her brought Kelly’s eyes around to find Grant Thompson taking a seat in the otherwise empty pew behind her. By the look on his face and the twinkle in his eyes, she was sure he had also caught her elbowing Wayne. She guessed she’d have to be a little more careful in the future.
Then she noticed his partner, Stan, take a seat on the other end of the same pew. It made her feel good, safe, to know that the two detectives were guarding her and her family so closely. Sure there had been uniformed policemen all over outside as well as military police, but she didn’t know them and they weren’t right here with her . . . and her family.
Just then the Air Force honor guard brought Harry’s casket in down the center aisle. Everyone stood, so she pulled herself up on the arm that her grandfather offered her.
Suddenly, Kelly could feel eyes staring at her from behind and knew that it was Grant Thompson. She didn’t dare turn around or otherwise acknowledge that she was aware of the fact. She didn’t like it though. It placed her at an unfair advantage. She liked to have all of her problems in front of her so she could face them head on.
Problems? Was that how she saw Grant Thompson? If that was the case then, was he a problem that she could simply avoid or one that she would have to face in some way?
* * *
Grant had awakened that morning with a strange feeling in his gut. He couldn’t quite figure out what was bothering him. He’d done high profile funerals before and they’d never bothered him like this one seemed to be doing. But there was just something about this one that was bothering him, but what?
He and Stan met Agent Scott in front of the church almost an hour before the service was due to begin. He was dressed as they were in a plain black suit. Scott gave each of them a small packet of three by five photos.
Grant began to look through the photos. The names and ranks were written on the back of each one. There were photos of the three generals that Scott had told them about, the four colonels who were the four generals’ executive officers, and also the four orderlies/drivers. The big guy, Leo, was in the last group.
Scott introduced them to the heads of the Air Force security detail and the honor guard then pulled them off to the side.
“Gentlemen, I can’t stress enough that our top priority at this service is going to be protection.” That got both detectives’ attention. “Yes, I said protection, primarily for the widow and secondarily for each of the other members of the family.”
Stan was, as usual, quick with the questions. “You don’t expect any kind of violence here do you?”
Scott shook his head and said, “No, not really violence. What I do expect is for one of more of the generals or their execs to try to approach Mrs. Newcomb. For all sorts of reasons, we can’t allow that.”
He held up a hand. “But, I do want them to try, so we can get an idea of who might be involved in this whole situation, if you will.”
Grant nodded and said, “Okay. What do we do then?”
“I have arranged for the pew behind the Newcomb family to be kept empty. The three of us will sit there to be close to them and also so we can walk out directly behind them.”
They went inside to stand in the foyer so they could remain cool while they waited for the family to arrive. When the limo pulled up, they all three stepped just outside the door to stand to the side.
Grant barely noticed Jane as she stepped out of the limo and was escorted past him. He was trying to keep his thoughts away from her. He wasn’t ready to deal with all the garbage that was sure to surface if she truly was his long lost mother.
Then Kelly appeared in the open door of the limo and climbed out with her grandfather’s help. Grant thought he’d prepared himself for his reaction to seeing her again, but he hadn’t been prepared for it at all. It was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that had been happening to him a lot lately, but he wouldn’t think about that right now.
Grant marveled at all that black which seemed to frame her face to show off its perfection to a tee. He couldn’t help but stare at her with her long black hair and long black dress that didn’t quite hide her brace. He continued to have trouble catching his breath.
By the time the honor guard had escorted her up to the door, he had composed himself enough to give her a brief nod of acknowledgment. She had stared back at him, looking directly into his eyes and then she had actually smiled at him. Sure, the smile had come and gone so quickly that Grant almost thought it hadn’t really been there in the first place. But, no, it had been there all right, and it had been there for him.
When he and Stan were taking their places in the empty pew behind the Newcombs, he was sure that he saw Kelly elbow her brother in the ribs. Maybe there was more to her than just the formal, almost cold, woman he had seen so far. He sensed that there was a lot more to this woman and he suddenly knew that he wanted to learn it all. He also felt that much of it had to do with the obvious injury to her left foot or ankle. There was a story there and he was certain that it wasn’t a pleasant one.
He jumped to his feet, when he realized that everyone else was already on their feet, as the honor guard began bringing the casket down to the front of the church.
He couldn’t keep his eyes off Kelly, though. When she sat back down, she arranged her long black hair down her back so that it was hanging down the back of the pew in front of Grant. It was all he could do to keep his hands off all that silky hair.
Grant was given just the right distraction that he needed when Agent Scott slid into the pew and sat next to him.
Grant took that as his cue to get his mind back on business. He looked around the auditorium, but didn’t have to look far to find all of the men in the photos that Scott had given him earlier. They were all in the section to his right. The three generals were with the higher ranking general who had escorted the widow into the church. They were all sitting in the front pew with the four colonels in the pew behind them which was directly across from the one Grant was in. The orderlies were all in the pew behind the colonels with Leo towering above the rest.
Scott leaned over to speak softly in Grant’s ear. “Remember, we need to keep everyone away from Mrs. Newcomb.” He glanced up at the pew in front of them and said, “No one is to come near her and especially not talk to her.”
Grant nodded and turned to Stan to repeat Scott’s reminder.
Grant was surprised at how long the service was. Besides the minister, two others also spoke. The top ranking general, who was introduced as Lieutenant General Winstanley, spoke a lot of formal stuff concerning the Air Force and how proud they were of General Newcomb. Then the general that Scott had identified as the one who had been with Newcomb when he
was shot, General Chet Walker, spoke also. Walker mentioned that he and Newcomb had been best friends for thirty years, ever since they had gone through flight training together.
When the church service was over and the casket had been carried out to the hearse, the honor guard came back inside to escort the family outside to their waiting limo.
Grant and Stan followed Scott who stayed close behind the family.
Everything went smoothly until after the rather elaborate graveside service was over and the family was again being escorted to their limo. It was then that General Walker worked his way through the honor guard and the assorted others who were escorting or rather guarding the family.
Agent Scott quickly worked into position and took a stance in front of the general, blocking his way.
“I would like a word with Jane, if you don’t mind.” Walker was glaring at Scott and when Scott didn’t move said, “Who do you think you are?”
Grant was positive that Scott smiled when he pulled out his badge wallet and stuck it in the general’s face.
“General, you will have ample opportunity to speak with Mrs. Newcomb once she is back at the Newcombs’ estate. Now is not a good time.” He hesitated a moment then said, “And I would suggest that you phone ahead before you do try to visit her.”
With that, Scott turned his head toward Jane and together he and the general watched her walk the rest of the remaining few feet to the open limo door. Once she was safely inside and the car was moving slowly out of the cemetery, Scott turned back toward the general. Grant was sure that Scott wanted to finish their little confrontation and was disappointed when the general only grunted and began walking toward the parking area.
Grant and Stan stepped up to where Scott was standing and Stan said, “You don’t like generals very much, do you?”
Scott smiled at him and said, “Not all generals, just that particular one. If you get a chance, look him directly in the eye and you’ll see what I mean. The guy’s got a mean streak and he’s one of those who’s always pulling rank every opportunity he gets.”
After that, there was a reception at the community center. The honor guard was no longer present so the three of them along with half a dozen uniforms, both military and local police were stationed around the five family members as they accepted the condolences of Air Force and local dignitaries.
This time, General Walker simply shook Jane Newcomb’s hand and moved on down the line without any further incident. Grant breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Scott and the general really tangle, at least not on his turf.
* * *
Kelly couldn’t wait for the limo to park in the enclosed parking court at the estate. The first thing she wanted to do was get out of that dreadful black dress. On her way through the back patio, she grabbed a bag she’d packed that morning so she could change after the service.
Ten minutes later, Kelly breathed a sigh of relief when she stepped out of the bedroom that had been hers while growing up here, still was in fact. It still held some of her things from her teen years. She used the room quite often, staying over occasionally, especially on long weekends.
Now, the next thing she needed desperately was to sit in a comfortable chair and get her ankle up. Her therapists had always told her that she would have more pain when she was tense or upset. Well, she certainly was tense right now, not to mention that she’d just stood for an hour at the reception at the community center. Not a good combination.
When Kelly stepped off the elevator and began walking down the hallway toward the family room in the rear of the downstairs, she noticed that Beth and Jane were sitting on a sofa in the middle of the room. As she walked through the room toward the other women, she heard voices coming from Harold’s study. It looked as if this was going to be ‘girl time.’
Kelly sat in a recliner which was her usual chair in this room. It allowed her to raise her ankle up enough to ease the pain and swelling some. She knew that her grandmother had chosen that particular sofa because it was next to Kelly’s chair.
It felt so good to rest and get her leg up. She smiled up at Maria as the housekeeper gently placed an ice bag on Kelly’s ankle. “Thank you Maria, you’re the greatest.”
Maria blushed and smiled as she went back to the kitchen.
Beth reached over and patted Kelly’s hand where it gripped the arm of her chair. “Are you hurting much, dear?”
Kelly shook her head. “No, Grandmother, it’s about the way it usually is in the evening after a normal day.” She tried to laugh. “The only problem is that it’s just two o’clock in the afternoon.”
At the look of concern on Beth’s face, Kelly rushed to add. “But I’ll be all right now with my leg up. Don’t worry Grandmother.”
Maria returned with a glass of iced tea for Kelly. As she thanked Maria, Kelly had to smile to herself. Maria certainly had her priorities straight. She knew that Kelly needed the ice pack long before she needed something to drink. Kelly thought for a moment about how truly special Maria really was. She was always there with an ice pack, iced tea, or whatever else Kelly desperately needed at the time.
Maria had been with her grandparents since before Kelly and Wayne had come to live there. To all of them, she was part of the family. Maria was a widow in her sixties with five adult children and more than a dozen grandchildren scattered around the valley. She had lived in a small apartment over one of the garages since her husband died more than ten years earlier. Kelly loved her almost as much as she did her grandparents.
Kelly was wondering how she was going to get Jane on the topic of Harry and her relationship with him when her grandmother beat her to it.
“Jane, dear, I sense that things weren’t always good for you being married to Harry.” When Jane started to protest, Beth waved her hand and continued. “You see, Harry’s first wife, Kelly’s mother, Gwen, was a true sweetheart, but Harry treated her shamefully.”
No one said anything for a moment. Jane seemed to be processing what Beth had just said.
“I know that Harry pushed Gwen away by being so possessive, trying to control her every movement, and always telling her how she couldn’t do anything right. She finally had to get away from him.” She looked out through the patio doors toward the swimming pool. “I never blamed her for divorcing my son.”
Kelly was still trying to process all that Beth had just said. Her mother had never told her and Wayne all the things that her grandmother had just said about their parents’ marriage. She had a sudden pain in her heart for what her mother must have suffered through. And one more reason to have wanted to talk to Harry.
It was quiet for a moment then Jane leaned forward, buried her face in her hands and burst into tears. Beth immediately scooted over and wrapped her arms around Jane’s shoulders.
“It’s okay dear, you’re among family now. We will help you in any way that you need.”
“I always thought it was my fault.” Jane said through her sobs. “I could never do anything exactly the way Harry wanted it.”
Well, Kelly had wondered about Jane’s seemingly lack of emotion at the service, and also why Jane always seemed so timid and nervous. Now she had her answer, but it wasn’t what she’d expected it to be. She couldn’t help the stray thought that passed through her mind. Maybe she and Wayne had been better off with Harry out of their lives all those years.
Jane used the tissues Beth had handed her to wipe her cheeks and eyes. “I don’t’ want you to think that Harry abused me. He actually treated me like a queen . . . most of the time.”
Beth shook her head. “No, Jane, there is more than one kind of abuse. Harry never touched Gwen in anger either, but the emotional abuse was almost unbearable.
Kelly was glad when Harold and Leo came out of the study and joined them, thus ending, at least for now, the painful discussion.
When the discussion moved to the military parts of the ceremony and the graveside service, Kelly retreated to her own thoughts.
/>
To say she was confused about her emotions was a drastic understatement. Her feelings about several subjects were causing her to lose sleep at night and lose her concentration at work. For that reason, she was glad it was the weekend.
She was beginning to feel better about Jane, the more she learned about the woman and her relationship with Harry. But she was totally confused about her feelings about Harry and especially about his death.
Her thoughts left Jane and Harry, but they turned, instead, to Grant Thompson. There lay the most confusing of all her thoughts and emotions. She didn’t want to think about Grant Thompson, but it was hopeless.
Oh, she’d tried to convince herself that he didn’t faze her at all, but she was only deceiving herself. Every time she was around him, her emotions seemed to go crazy. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she was certain that she couldn’t go on this way indefinitely.
* * *
The next afternoon, Kelly turned her Mustang into the drive in front of Wayne’s house, glad that he was standing there waiting for her. She was looking forward to this Sunday afternoon dinner with her grandparents and Jane. Kelly was feeling more and more comfortable around Jane, especially after yesterday’s talk.
She attempted a smile for her brother, but it didn’t do any good as he plopped down in the passenger seat and began complaining immediately, “I wish grandmother would have had this get acquainted dinner, as she’s calling it, some other time. Sunday is my day to play golf. I had to call around all over the place to find a replacement for me in our foursome.”
He continued before Kelly could say anything. “I’m just not in the mood to sit at a table and play nice to a complete stranger who was supposedly married to that other complete stranger.”
“I’m sorry Wayne, but Grandmother said that Jane needed to rest yesterday. On top of that, it must have been quite a change for Jane to pick up her life back east and just drop it out here into this unfamiliar place with a drastically different climate, not to mention into the middle of all of us unfamiliar people. I can see where she would have needed more than just rest.”
Lost Memories (Sycamore P.D. Series Book 1) Page 11
