“Must be very pretty.”
“It is.”
He rubbed his temple. “What’s the street number of your place?”
“Thirty-six ninety-two.”
“And your landlord?”
“Clinton Ryskie.” Edna’s chained body yanking her down, down in the water. “You know him?”
The chief nodded. “Yeah. He’s lived here all his life, like me. I used to mow his lawn when I was a kid.”
She managed a little smile.
The chief asked her a string of innocuous questions, then abruptly turned a corner. “Do you have any idea what happened to Edna San?”
Struggling for the surface, aching to breathe.
Paige widened her eyes. “Not at all. I don’t even know the woman.”
He regarded her for a moment. She forced herself not to look away.
He drew a breath. “So tell me about yourself and what made you come to Kanner Lake.”
Of course, Paige knew it would come to this. Rather ironic, after all her efforts last night to protect her anonymity. On the drive here she had dug deep into her soul, seeking strength to do what must be done, when she felt none at all. Just like last night. How many times in her life had she been faced with the same Sisyphean task? At this table, sitting with this cop, Paige Williams knew she was on her own once again, with neither God nor man to care. She’d been on her own since birth.
God bless you, Paige. Bailey Truitt’s words popped into her head. Not likely, after all she had done.
Paige swallowed. “No taking notes?”
Chief Edwards gave her a little smile. “You’ve watched too much TV.”
She nodded briefly. Under the table her fingers sank into her legs. “ ‘Tell me about yourself’ is kind of a broad question. What exactly do you want to know?”
He shrugged. “First tell me where you were born, where you grew up.”
The waiter returned with two cans on a small round tray, lowering it with a flourish, Paige’s soda on her side and the chief’s on his side. “Here you go.” They picked up their cans, set them down. The man looked satisfied. “Okay now, what can I get you for lunch?”
Chief Edwards ordered the chicken salad sandwich on croissant. Paige stared into the waiter’s face, her mind a blank. “Uh, same for me, thanks.”
“Coming right up.” The man withdrew, leaving Paige to her fate.
“Okay. So.” Chief Edwards spread his hands. “I’m listening.”
A strange, static-filled calm settled over Paige, like the sudden stilling of an electrical storm. She raised her eyes to the chief’s.“I don’t want any trouble, okay? I understand you have to ask me questions, and I’ll answer them. But I don’t like to talk about my past, because I’m trying to leave it behind me. Not everybody has a childhood worth talking about, you know?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I hear you.”
She licked her lips. “I was born in Kansas on April 12, 1981. My parents’ names were Betty and Justin. They were killed in a car accident when I was three. They’d left me with a babysitter while they went out to dinner. So I’ve been told, anyway.”
“Where in Kansas?”
“Whitsung. You probably never heard of it. It’s a small farming town a little north of Wichita.”
“I see. So who did you live with after you lost your parents?”
Paige sighed. “I had no brothers or sisters. No aunts or uncles who wanted to take me in. Evidently, my parents weren’t close with their families.” Paige watched a bead of moisture run down her soda can. “So I had to go live with a foster family.”
“What were their names?”
“I don’t remember. I didn’t stay with them long. Well, maybe two years. I really don’t remember much of anything about that time. Except that their house burned down and they lost everything. After that, they figured taking care of their own three kids was enough, so they . . . gave me back.” Paige affected a little shrug. “You know, kind of like a dog you don’t want anymore.”
Chief Edwards pulled in air, let it out slowly. “I’m sorry to hear that. The foster system can be so tough on kids.”
Their waiter returned, in each hand a plate with a croissant sandwich, cut in half, and chips. He laid the lunches down, asked if he could get them anything else. They shook their heads and he retreated.
The chief picked up a piece of his sandwich. “Then where did you go?”
Paige eyed her plate. Her stomach grumbled with unexpected hunger at the sight, yet the thought of eating made her queasy. She picked up a potato chip, took a small bite. “Another foster home. But don’t ask me their names, because I don’t remember them either. See, I ended up in” — she narrowed her eyes at the hunting pictures on the wall — “six altogether. Some of the homes were okay. But most were awful. I was neglected, abused — in more ways than one — and put to work like Cinderella. The last home I was in had two teenage sons who were into drugs. The police must have gotten a tip from somebody, because they came to search the house. The oldest son found out they were on their way and stuffed the drugs under the mattress in my room. I wasn’t home at the time. The police found the stuff. The boys insisted it was mine. I was afraid they were going to arrest me so I ran away.”
The chief chewed his sandwich, frowning. “You must remember the name of this family?”
Paige hesitated. “Johnson was their last name.”
“First names?”
She shook her head. “I don’t remember. I just called them Mom and Dad Johnson.”
“How old were you at this time?”
“Fourteen.”
“Pretty young.” The chief sounded empathetic. “Where’d you go?”
Paige dropped her gaze. A potato chip had fallen from her plate onto the table, and she pushed it around with one finger. “I left the state, I was so scared. Ended up in South Dakota. I lived on the street for a while — at least it was summer, so I didn’t freeze to death.” Her voice tightened. “Then I found a boyfriend — a man in his twenties. And I moved in with him.” She pushed at the crumb. “It didn’t turn out to be a good thing, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go, you know?”
“I understand.” The chief’s voice was low. “He mistreat you?”
Paige closed her eyes and nodded.
A moment of silence passed.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Ms. Williams. I truly am.”
She lowered her head in a gesture of thanks. “The good part about it was, I had a decent job as a checker in a grocery store. I stuck it out a long time so I could save enough money to buy my used Ford Explorer.” She gave a wan smile. “With wheels and a little extra cash, I was able to get out of there.”
Chief Edwards gave her a minute to relax while he ate two more bites of his sandwich. With reluctant hands Paige picked up her own sandwich and took a small bite. It was surprisingly good.
“Looks like you scraped your palms a little there. What happened?” The question fell with such casualness that Paige wondered how long ago he’d noticed. Her mouth stopped chewing.“Oh.” She swallowed the food, suddenly tasting like sawdust. “I slipped yesterday on my gravel driveway. Caught myself with my hands.”
He nodded as if accepting her explanation. For a moment they ate in silence. Paige did her best to down a few bites.
The chief wiped at his mouth with a paper napkin. “So how did you end up in Kanner Lake?”
Memories of her lonely and fright-filled trip filled Paige’s mind. “I took to the interstate, not really knowing where I was going. Only that I needed to get away before Ronnie — the man I lived with — came looking for me. I went north and then headed west. I’d always liked the idea of being around forest and mountains, so Idaho sounded good to me. I could have ended up in Montana, but I wanted more space between me and the past.Guess I might have gone on to Washington, but Montana was so long that when I reached Idaho, I figured I’d gone far enough.”
“You came across on 90, then, into Coeu
r d’Alene?”
“Yes. I could have stayed there. I did for a day — it’s so beautiful. But I didn’t want anyone from the past to find me — ever —and Coeur d’Alene was a bigger town, with their resort bringing tourists from all over. I decided to look for a smaller place — somewhere near a lake. When I first saw Kanner Lake, I knew.” She shrugged a shoulder. “And then it seemed like fate when I saw the Employee Wanted sign in Simple Pleasures. Sarah said she’d just posted it and expected to find someone within a day. It’s like the job was waiting for me, you know? So here I am.”
Paige took a long drink of her soda. The chief finished his sandwich and started in on his potato chips. She attempted another bite.
“Well, I thank you for that story.” Chief Edwards looked straight into her eyes. For a moment Paige wondered at his choice of words. “Okay. Let’s get the necessary questions out of the way so I can take you back to work. Can you tell me where you were last night?”
Paige forced herself to look Chief Edwards in the eye. “At home.”
“All evening?”
“Yes.”
“By yourself?”
“Yes.”
He eyed her inquisitively. “Is that what you usually do, just go home from work and stay there?”
She dropped her eyes, feeling the sting of his question for more reasons than one. “I don’t really know anybody here yet. I mean, that I would hang around with. I hope to make friends, but that takes a while, you know? I’m not all that good at it yet.”
“I’m sure you’ll make friends, Paige.” His voice was gentle.“This is a great town, with good people.”
For a moment they were silent. Chief Edwards ate some more potato chips. “What did you do all evening?”
Paige sighed inwardly. “Read mostly. I didn’t used to read much, but it’s something I started doing since I came here. I get novels from the library. I like to sit out on my deck with a book. The view is beautiful.”
“What time did you go to bed?”
Paige focused on a truck driving by outside. “I don’t know. Eleven thirty, maybe. Twelve.” She looked back to him, her heart pumping. Please don’t ask if I stayed there.
“Okay. So. Now if you’ll just tell me what happened when Edna San came into your store.”
The memory surged through Paige. “Not a very nice story, but if you want it . . .”
She began with the two teenage girls — apparently sisters — who’d entered Simple Pleasures. How she’d started to approach them but stopped halfway, watching as they oohed and aahed over the glittery jewelry and picture frames. “I was thinking how much I’d like a sister. Someone who’d really understand and accept me, you know?” Paige glanced at the chief. This dream of her heart wasn’t easy to relate. But if he saw her sincerity here, he might be less inclined to question other parts of her story.
He nodded.
Paige turned her gaze out the window again, the heat of yesterday’s humiliation stealing through her veins.
One of the girls had turned and caught her staring. Paige looked away, embarrassed, pretended to straighten a few items.“Excuse me?” the girl said, holding up a blue-rhinestone-studded address book. “Do you have one like this in pink?”
Paige apologized that she didn’t, then thrashed about for something to say, just to keep the girl talking. Suddenly the girl’s eyes rounded, focusing on something behind Paige. Paige turned to find herself face-to-face with a woman she knew from old movies — Edna San.
“Good afternoon, Ms. San,” she stuttered. “May I help you?”
The actress’s lips were pink and outlined in fuchsia; bleached blonde hair hung straight to her shoulders. She waved a bejeweled hand at Paige. “No, no, just looking.” Her whiny drawl sounded just as it did from the movie screen. She wandered a few feet to inspect a silk flower garland.
Paige looked back toward the girls. They busied themselves at the display of address books, furtively watching every move Edna San made. Paige faded toward the counter, eyeing her as well. The woman dropped the garland upon its table as if it failed to measure up. She moved on to a vase and bouquet, feeling one petal before turning to Paige with an impatient frown. Her long-nailed fingers sought the sides of her head, massaged the temples. “Is this all you have in silk flowers?”
Paige flushed with self-consciousness, aware that the two girls watched. Edna San’s scowl seemed directed at her personally, as if her employment at this disappointing shop devalued her worth. She pushed away from the counter. “We have some other arrangements farther back. Would you like me to show you?”
Another dismissive wave. “Don’t bother. I can see for myself.”
Paige could do nothing but return to her stool behind the counter as Edna moved from one display area to another, mere glances apparently enough to tell her that what she sought could not be found. Just as Paige thought the woman would give up, Edna slowed before a soft pink cashmere blanket draped over a chair. She felt the fabric, then picked up the blanket and unfolded it, checking its length. She turned toward the cash register, item in hand.
Near the address book table, the two girls still took in the scene. By now other customers in the store had noticed the actress and were casting sidelong glances at her as they feigned nonchalant shopping.
“I’ll take this.” Edna heaped the blanket, still unfolded, upon the counter and rubbed her forehead. She plopped down her purse, pulled out a pair of expensive-looking sunglasses, then a wallet, and set them both beside her purchase.
“Do you have a headache, Ms. San?” Paige reached for the pink fabric, seeking the price tag.
Edna closed her eyes, flicking a hand in the air as if sending an annoying servant from the room. “Yes, yes. Just ring it up quickly.”
The coldness in her tone rattled Paige further. The last thing she needed was to upset this woman in front of the whole store. Hurriedly Paige pushed the edges of the blanket around, looking for the small white tag.
“Hey.” Edna’s hand shot toward her sunglasses. “Watch — ”
They slid off the counter and clattered to the wooden floor.
“Oh!” Paige froze. “I’m so sorry!” She moved to go pick up the glasses. “Here, let me — ”
“Never mind,” Edna spat. She bent over to retrieve them, then straightened, withering Paige with a look. In one hand she held the glasses, in the other, a single lens that had popped out. “See what you’ve done.”
Paige’s cheeks burned. “I’m really sorry, Ms. San. I’ll pay to have them fixed. Or if I have to, I’ll buy you another — ”
“You couldn’t afford these with a month’s salary.” Edna’s sharp tone reverberated through the store. She blinked her eyes and winced, as if the sound of her own voice heightened the pain in her head.
The noise brought Sarah Wray hustling from her rear office.
“Just forget the blanket.” Edna threw the broken glasses into her purse and grabbed her wallet. “With this headache, I don’t know why I came in this place anyway.” She glared at Paige. “As for you, learn to pay attention to what you’re doing. You were so gaga-eyed, watching those two girls, you could hardly focus.”
The perfectly fired poison arrow buried itself in Paige’s heart. Behind Edna, the two girls stared at her, wide-eyed and pitying. It was the pity she couldn’t stand.
“What’s going on here?” Sarah reached the counter, blinking with dismay from Paige to Edna. “Ms. San, what can I do for you?”
Edna pulled her head back, heavily mascaraed eyes flaming.“You can hire some better help, that’s what.” She pointed a shaking finger at Paige. “If I ever come in here again, I expect her not to be here.” Snatching up her purse, the actress swiveled on her heel and sailed out the door, chin held high.
In the store, shoppers remained locked in stunned postures. Paige felt cemented to the floor. Sarah pressed her lips, her indignant face flushing. A man near the entrance broke the spell, slipping outside. He spoke a few words to Edna, wh
ich only seemed to anger her more. A moment later her car appeared and picked her up.
Paige’s one solace was the disgust shared between the two young sisters. “Nasty old bat,” whispered the girl Paige had spoken to. The sister rolled her eyes. “No kidding.”
Across the table from Chief Edwards, Paige stared at her plate. She gave a little shrug. “And that’s what happened.”
The chief made a sound in his throat. “Didn’t exactly make a good impression on you, did she.”
Paige shook her head.
He pushed his plate away. “You remember who all was in the store?”
She looked at her half-eaten sandwich. “Those girls and two or three other women, each by themselves, I think. And the man who talked to Ms. San outside. I think he was trying to calm her down, but it obviously didn’t work.” Paige took a slow drink of her Coke.
Chief Edwards pursed his lips, as if confused. “You sure you told me everything? After Ms. San left the shop, you didn’t say anything else, do anything else?”
Paige thought a moment. “No. I don’t think so.”
He gave one slow nod — a nod that sent prickles darting down her back. Some suspicion in his law enforcement brain was pushing through his friendly facade, some aha that her last words had birthed.
“That’s not quite what I’m hearing,” he said.
Paige stilled, her fingers lingering upon her can of soda.“What do you mean?”
He leaned forward, his eyes probing. “I heard you threatened to kill Ms. San.”
FORTY
The house is huge.
Rachel turns off the engine of her ten-year-old Honda and gawks at Rosa’s new home. The stucco walls are perfectly white, windows trimmed in blue. A graceful porch extends the length of the first story, creating a deck, bordered by sculpted posts, for the upstairs front rooms. Wicker furniture on the porch, a green lawn, even flowers.
And nothing but dirt living inside.
Rachel gets out of her car and stares some more. Myriad reactions hit her, then bounce off. This house is like the ones in her childhood dreams — where she was loved and nurtured, and friends came over to play and spend the night. Now she is twenty. Two years on her own since high school, living in a tiny dump of an apartment — and Rosa lives here?
Violet Dawn Page 15
