Colleen Coble

by Rosemary Cottage

  Edith turned on the baby monitor and carried it out of the room with her. “She’ll sleep a couple of hours. You two will have plenty of time to look through the spare room. If you don’t mind, I’ll run to the grocery store while she’s napping.”

  “Of course.” Amy took the baby monitor as Curtis joined them. “Where is the room?”

  “Here.” He stepped across the hall and pushed open the door to reveal a large bedroom painted in pale cream. A sleek black bed dominated the room. There was a cedar chest at the foot of it. “She loved that chest. Ben gave it to her.”

  “Looks Amish.”

  “It is.”

  “Call me if you need me.” Edith walked away without waiting for an answer. Moments later the door to the garage closed.

  Amy glanced around the room. “Where should we start?”

  Tension radiated from Curtis. “The chest, I guess. It’s hard to think about all the hopes she had packed into that chest.”

  She touched his arm. “I know this won’t be easy. Would you rather I do it alone?”

  The muscle in his jaw flexed. “I can do it.”

  A wave of protectiveness washed over her, and she wished she could hold him and soothe his pain. Instead, she cleared her throat and went to kneel by the cedar chest. “This is beautiful.” The wood was smooth under her fingertips as she caressed it. She released the latch and raised the lid. A rush of aromatic cedar wafted into the air. “Oh, it smells wonderful.”

  There was a white silky garment on top. “Is this a wedding dress?” She lifted it out and saw the intricate beadwork. “It’s lovely. Was it Gina’s?”

  “I didn’t know she had it.” Curtis’s voice was strangled. “Her hope was always that Ben would marry her.”

  A week ago she would have bristled at the condemnation in his voice. Instead, she ducked her head and bent to her task. With the gown in her hands, she rose and shook it out, then laid it on the bed before returning to her perusal of the trunk’s contents. The rest of the contents were paraphernalia like Raine’s baby book, candles, classic Jane Austen books, a silver serving tray, stainless tableware, a blue-and-white teapot with matching teacups, and a set of nice dishes.

  Some of the things seemed to be items that a woman about to be married would be compiling, and the realization brought tears to Amy’s eyes. Poor Gina. And her pain was Ben’s fault. If only Amy knew why Ben hadn’t married Gina. Surely there was a reason.

  One by one, she lifted the items from the chest until it was empty. She sat back on her haunches. “There doesn’t seem to be anything here with bank information. No notebook or anything like that.” It took less time to repack the chest than it did to empty it. She rose and picked up the gown again.

  Out of curiosity, she glanced at the label. “This is a Vera Wang.”

  Curtis looked confused. “What does that mean?”

  “It would have cost her the earth. Probably at least twenty-five thousand dollars!”

  His brows rose. “You’re kidding. Where would she have gotten that kind of money?”

  “Maybe this is where some of that money went. We should hang this up.” She shook it out again, and something fell onto the floor.

  Curtis swooped down to seize it. “It’s a journal. Maybe it will have some information in it.”

  Amy wasn’t sure she wanted to know everything. She didn’t want to see Curtis’s disappointment in finding out more about Gina’s activities.

  Raine was still sleeping, and the house was quiet as they sat on the sofa. Curtis held the journal in his hands and tried to get the courage to open it. He was no coward, but he dreaded finding out something about Gina he would be happier not knowing. What if she’d been selling drugs or stealing? A thousand possibilities raced through his head.

  Amy touched his hand. “Want me to read it?”

  He shook his head. “I want to do it.” He flexed the pages back and turned to the first page. The pastor’s name was on the first line, followed by the words STUDY TIME. Then Libby’s name was listed with the words DUE DATE APRIL 19. “I think it’s a prayer journal.”

  He flipped to the next page and saw she’d written out prayers. She prayed for his safety, for Raine to grow up to be a godly woman. His eyes burned at the evidence that his sister took her faith seriously. Whatever she’d been caught up in, he was ready to bet that it had been inadvertent. She’d changed so dramatically after she became pregnant with Raine.

  Amy’s shoulder brushed his as she leaned closer to read the journal. “She loved you very much. And Raine.” Her voice was choked.

  “Gina had a lot of love in her. It wasn’t always channeled in the best way. I’m not saying she didn’t do something wrong that got her killed, but I’m sure where she is now.” He started to close the journal, then stopped. “I guess we’d better read all of this. There might be a clue in what she prayed for.”

  “These are dated. Maybe start at the back?” Amy suggested.

  He slipped to the back cover and found the last pages blank, so he fanned through them to find the last entries. “This one is two days before her death.”

  Amy leaned close again. “Mind if I read it with you?”

  He moved the journal so it was half on his lap and half on hers. “You might pick up some clue I miss.”

  Dear Lord, I’m so afraid that Ben and I are in too deep. I should never have let myself get into this situation. Ben’s arguments made sense at first—oh, who am I trying to kid? You know all things. You know I went into it with my eyes open. You warned us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It’s true. It’s so true. And so is vanity. I have tried to be truthful and honest, but I let my desire for Raine’s future security sway what I knew was right.

  I’ve been such a hypocrite. Help me make this right somehow, God. Maybe the truth needs to come out. In fact, I’m sure it does. I’m going to tell the truth. Protect us all, God.

  “Wow,” Amy said, her voice soft. “What could she be talking about?”

  “I have a terrible feeling that it might be drugs.” Curtis told her about Josh seeing Gina on Ocean Street.

  She scooted away from him. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “There was no proof, and I really didn’t believe it. But it’s clear she did something she knew was wrong because of money. And where else would she have gotten that kind of money?”

  Her hands balled into fists. “You think Ben got her involved, don’t you?”

  “I don’t think she would get into something like that on her own,” he countered. “I’m sure you don’t think your precious brother would do anything wrong, but unlike you, I try not to look at her through rose-colored glasses. Everyone has good and bad in them. Even Ben.”

  “Ben was a good man!” she fired back. She jumped to her feet. “I’d better go. Tell Edith I’m sorry I couldn’t stay.” She rushed toward the door.

  Curtis started to go after her, then heard Raine cry out for him on the monitor. What could he say to Amy anyway? Until she was ready to look at her brother clearly, they were at an impasse.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Amy spent the next two days finishing preparations for setting up her clinic. Dr. Hollensby called and agreed to supervise her, so she was fully legal. She’d already received several calls from pregnant women who were eager to have her help them deliver, but she’d put them off. After such a busy time, she quickly agreed to meet Libby for lunch at the Oyster Café.

  Libby was already seated under a red-and-white umbrella on the brick patio when Amy arrived. Noah slept in his carrier with his thumb corked in his mouth.

  “I love to see a baby sucking his thumb,” Amy said after she hugged Libby and settled into her chair.

  Libby grimaced. “I’m not going to be excited about the orthodontic bills, but it makes for a happy baby. He hasn’t even been getting up in the night.”

  “No wonder you look so rested.” Amy picked up the menu.

  Libby playfully smacked it out of
her hand. “Oh no you don’t. I want to hear about the car bombing. Curtis told Alec about it at work. You should have called to tell me about it.”

  “I didn’t want to worry you. We’re fine. Neither of us even got a scratch.”

  “But someone tried to kill you, Amy!”

  Amy’s heart faltered, but she managed a confident smile. “We don’t know that for sure. Maybe Curtis was the target or it was a random act.”

  Libby lifted a brow. “We both know better than that. And I bet you’ve turned up more evidence that Ben was killed, haven’t you? Which brought about the car bombing.”

  Amy told her about the money and the wallet they’d found. “I think Tom is beginning to believe there might have been foul play, but it’s so hard waiting to see what he can uncover.”

  “What else?”

  Libby was way too perceptive. Amy shrugged. “Well, Curtis and I had a little fight.” She told her about the prayer journal and Curtis’s suspicions. “But I know Ben would never sell drugs. Never. It has to be something else.”

  “Whatever it is, it sounds like it was illegal.” Libby’s words were gentle. “You need to quit assuming anything. Ben wasn’t perfect, honey.”

  Amy tensed. “I know he wasn’t! But he was a good man. I don’t like hearing someone trash his name. Not even Curtis.” Her eyes burned, and her hands shook as she raised her water glass to her mouth.

  “Why are you so mad, Amy?”

  Libby’s gentle words made her slump back in her chair. “I don’t know. I’m just so . . . so angry that he’s dead. That I didn’t get to say good-bye. That he didn’t get to raise his daughter. It’s not fair.”

  Libby reached over and squeezed Amy’s hand. “It’s okay to be mad. It’s not fair. And the whole situation stinks. You can yell and cry all you want with me. I’ll listen.”

  Amy swallowed the thickness in her throat. “I guess I’m still just grieving.”

  “It takes time, a lot of time.”

  She noticed Libby’s gaze wander over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ned Springall just came in.”

  “The guy who was surfing with Ben?” Amy twisted to look for the man. She’d never met him.

  A man of about forty stood waiting to be seated. His grizzled hair hung down his back in a ponytail, and the sleeveless shirt he wore revealed arms covered in tattoos. He was as tanned as a chestnut and very fit. When Libby beckoned him, he headed their way.

  He approached their table with a smile. “Miss Libby, you look like a happy mama. What a fine young man. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks, Ned. Would you care to join us? My friend here would like to talk to you. This is Ben’s sister, Amy Lang.”

  His eyes were very blue in his tanned face, and he flashed a white smile at Amy. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Amy. I thought a wicked lot of your brother.” His Boston accent put a broad emphasis on the A in her name. “And I’d hoped to ask you to help me get a community herb garden going in the plot behind the church. Think I could talk you into helping?”

  His manner immediately put Amy at ease. “I’d be glad to. When do you want me to look at it?”

  “Would you have time after lunch?”

  She nodded. “It shouldn’t take long.” She liked the twinkle in his eyes and his easy manner. “I wanted to speak with you about the day Ben died.”

  Heather came to wait on them before they got into the discussion. She looked tired today, but her smile was bright. “Hey, Amy! I didn’t realize I’d see you here today. My boss says I can give you my discount since you’re like family. What can I get you?”

  Amy smiled at her enthusiasm. When Heather had first come here, Amy thought she wouldn’t last at the challenging job, but she’d buckled down. “I’ll have the lobster bisque.”

  Heather scribbled down the order. “It’s super good today.”

  While she took the other orders, Amy took a moment to think about what she wanted to ask Ned. She didn’t want to forget anything. She had so many questions about Ben’s death.

  Ned took a sip of his water. “So what do you want to ask?”

  She leaned on the table. “You said Ben was leaving for the mainland after surfing. That he’d driven to the beach, right?”

  “Right.” Ned nodded.

  Amy studied his expression, seemingly open and honest. But who really knew what went on behind someone’s innocent face? She was beginning to think no one ever knew anyone else. “Did you see him drive to the beach?”

  Ned’s eyes grew puzzled. “No. I was already in the water when he arrived, and I didn’t pay any attention until I couldn’t find him. I first noticed his car after I called the Coast Guard for assistance, so that’s when I realized he’d driven instead of walked.”

  Maybe he was telling the truth. Amy wanted to believe him. “Did you speak to Ben that morning? Did he tell you he was heading for the mainland?”

  “He’d told me the day before that he was going back home after we surfed. We grabbed a couple of great waves, then conditions started getting gnarly. The last wave I rode threw me down wicked hard. He went back for one last wave, even though I told him it was looking too dangerous.”

  “Did he act upset about anything? Worried?”

  Ned frowned. “He wasn’t himself on that last visit.”

  “In what way?”

  “He was quiet, rather somber. You know what a jokester he was, always kidding around. He liked to go out at night and meet up with friends. There was none of that. Instead, he refused invitations and hung out at the house.”

  This was in line with everything Amy had heard so far. “What about Gina? Did he see her much?”

  Ned sipped his water. “Yeah, she was at the house most of the time, her and Raine. I stopped by one day. Things were tense.”

  “Did you overhear anything that might indicate what the disagreement was about?”

  He fingered the ring in his left ear. “Gina was laying into Ben something fierce. Something about a bad idea, maybe? His idea, she said.”

  “His idea,” Amy repeated. “What did that mean?”

  Ned shook his head as Heather brought their food.

  His idea. Ben always had schemes to make money or increase business. His help had been invaluable to their father. Could it have anything to do with his business? Only her dad would know.

  Amy eyed the angle of the sun and nodded to Ned. The large space behind the church was perfect for an herb garden. “I think there’s enough space. You say Gina left this to the town?”

  His ponytail swung when he nodded. “How much work do you think it will be?”

  “Get a fellow with a tractor in here to till it all up, and we can get the plants in, or even seeds, if you want to do it more cheaply. I can draw up a list of what to plant where and what kind of soil and light the herbs prefer.”

  “That would be wicked good of you.”

  She touched his tattooed arm. “I have another question about Ben if you don’t mind me asking.”

  He put his hands on his hips. “Sure. Don’t know how much help I can be, but I’ll try.”

  “You and Ben surfed a lot, is that right?”

  He nodded. “Nearly every morning when he was here. That man was a born fish.”

  “Did he ever mention why he didn’t marry Gina?” It was a personal question, but maybe he’d been close enough to be Ben’s confidante.

  Ned’s smile faded. “Not exactly, ma’am.”

  “What does that mean? He did or he didn’t.”

  Ned shuffled in his flip-flops. “He sometimes called his fiancée from the beach. I think he was torn between her and Gina, though he never really said so. But he was always a little quiet when he hung up.”

  “Did he talk to Elizabeth a lot in the weeks before he died? Their wedding was supposed to be next week.”

  Ned nodded. “I’d hear him talking about wedding plans.” He nodded toward the hill. “Here comes Libby.”

  Amy turned and wave
d at her friend, but her thoughts stayed on her brother. How could he have kept two women on the string this way?

  TWENTY-THREE

  Amy expected her parents by seven on Friday night. She’d put fresh sheets on the guest room bed and had set out fresh flowers. She gulped when car doors slammed at 6:40. Curtis had originally offered to be with her when she told them about Raine, but after their tiff, she wasn’t about to invite him over. The last thing she needed was for him to say something disparaging about her brother. Plus, she wanted to avoid any confrontation about Raine’s custody. If her parents immediately planned to see an attorney, Curtis would not be able to hold his tongue.

  She met them at the door. “You made it. Welcome.”

  Her mother, dressed in a tan suit, offered a sweet-smelling cheek. “Amy, you look positively brown. You haven’t been wearing your sunscreen.”

  “I don’t believe in sunscreens, Mom.” It was a familiar argument. “I never get burned, and I want the vitamin D.”

  Her mother’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t answer as she walked past Amy and sniffed. “You’ve painted recently.”

  “I’ve readied a room to see patients.” Amy knew that announcement would not go over well. Her mother thought she should finish her training to be a doctor. And preferably set up practice down the street from where she grew up.

  She stepped out of the way for her dad to lug in the two suitcases. “Hello, Dad. Glad you could make it.” He barely paused long enough for her to brush her lips against his cheek before barreling into the entry.

  He headed for the stairs. “Our usual room?”

  “Yes,” she called after him.

  Her mother didn’t follow her husband but wandered toward the living room. “I’d like some iced tea if you have any made up.” She paused to study the pictures of Ben that Amy had put out a few days ago.

  Her mother picked up a photo of Ben leaping high to clear a hurdle in high school track. “He still holds the school record, you know.”

  “I know.”

  Her mother put it back on the table, then went to her favorite chair, a pale lemon armchair by the fireplace.