Suddenly Greg’s entire frame jerked. He swung his gaze in Meghan’s direction. From the distance of forty feet or so, she spotted his smile. He gave the thumbs-up sign, and as if the gesture released a button, Sheila burst into tears. Her spine seemed to collapse. She covered her face with her hands and folded over her lap, sobbing.
Meghan’s heart constricted. She rubbed the younger woman’s back. “Shhh, shhh, it’s all right.”
Greg trotted to them and squatted on Sheila’s other side. “That was insensitive of me. I’m always glad when we find the answers we’ve been hunting. I should’ve remembered that this time it’s a little different. I’m sorry, Sheila.”
She took a shuddering breath and sat up, lowering her hands. She turned her tear-stained face first to Meghan and then to Greg. “I’m crying because I’m happy. Now I know he didn’t leave us on purpose. Like Mom kept saying, he really didn’t walk out on us. But I’m also crying because I’m sad. He won’t ever come back. The boys and me really are orphans now.” A sob broke from her throat, and then she gasped. “But…”
Greg leaned close, worry evident in his frown. “But what?”
“I still have a Father in heaven.” She fell toward Meghan, and Meghan held her.
Greg stood. He gave a nod to Meghan, then strode toward the divers, who were climbing the bank in their wet suits. The three men talked for several minutes while Meghan continued to soothe Sheila. By the time the divers headed to their vehicle, Sheila had calmed.
Meghan pulled loose and helped her stand. They crossed the grassy rise to Greg, but then Sheila changed direction and moved to the edge of the pond. She gazed across the water, her arms crossed and spine stiff.
Meghan sidled close to Greg. “What’d they say?”
“They found an older-model Honda Accord down there, and human remains are belted in the driver’s seat.” Greg kept his voice barely above a whisper and flicked glances at Sheila while he talked. “They said the back left bumper is pretty badly smashed in.”
“So it matches Wallingford’s story.”
Greg nodded.
Meghan puffed her cheeks and blew out a big breath. “I’ll want an autopsy performed. To make sure he didn’t die some other way than drowning. You know, to confirm that Wallingford didn’t do more than ram his car. And, of course, we’ll want to do a DNA test to make sure it really is Anson Menke in the car.”
“I agree.” Greg’s forehead crinkled. He aimed a pensive frown at Meghan. “One of the divers said the driver’s-side window was down. If that’s the case, wouldn’t Menke have been able to unbuckle and swim to the surface? If he was alive and conscious, that is.”
“No, he couldn’t.” Sheila climbed the bank. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her nose was bright red. She stopped near them, blinking hard. “When Daddy was in high school, he cut off his right thumb on a table saw in shop class. So he had to unhook the seat belt with his left hand. He was a big guy, and it was a hard reach. We used to t-tease him about it.” She began to cry again. “At least Daddy and Mom are together. They loved each other so much. They should be together.” She sank onto her bottom, facing the pond, and fell silent.
Greg took hold of Meghan’s elbow and guided her beneath a maple tree several feet away from Sheila. “We’ll have to hand this over to the local authorities now. They’ll most likely send out a team with equipment and pull the car from the water.”
“I wonder if Wallingford’s indictment will be amended since it was likely that his bump sent Menke’s car into the pond.” Meghan turned her attention to Sheila. Such a forlorn figure, hugging her updrawn knees and staring at the place where her father had been hidden for so long. “I hope she’ll be okay.”
Greg released a half huff, half laugh. “She will be. People with faith…they seem to make it through better than those who don’t believe in any kind of higher power.” He bounced his fist on the tree’s trunk and took a step toward the house. “Let’s go let Edwards know what was found. He’ll need to give permission for the equipment to come on his property.”
Meghan walked alongside Greg. Their feet stirred old leaves, and sunlight filtering through tree limbs dotted the ground. Beautiful. Peaceful. Incongruous with the car and its passenger trapped under the murky water. “How long do you suppose it’ll be before Sheila and her brothers see the money from their father’s life insurance policy?”
Greg made a face. “A while. Think of everything that has to happen first. They’ve gotta confirm it’s Anson Menke. And there might be an investigation to prove he didn’t commit suicide. Some insurance companies won’t honor a policy if the person takes his own life.”
Meghan sighed. “So they might not have the money in time for this coming school year.”
“Yes, we will.”
Meghan gave a start. Sheila had followed so quietly that Meghan didn’t realize she was behind them. She held out her hand, and Sheila grabbed it. Her face was moist from tears and her eyes were red and puffy, but when she spoke, she did so with assurance.
“God knows we need the money to send Brandon to school. God knows Brandon wants to help other people. So He’ll make sure we have what we need to get him enrolled this fall.” A smile grew, brightening her entire countenance. “ ‘God will make a way where there seems to be no way’—Mom used to sing that to us. And I believe it.”
Meghan put her arm around the younger woman’s shoulders and squeezed. “I believe it, too.”
Greg didn’t say anything, but his thoughtful expression said enough. He also believed it would happen.
* * *
Meghan tossed the last of her dirty clothes into her suitcase and zipped it shut. It was so hard to believe their work in Fort Smith was done. She and Greg had spent all day Monday with the local sheriff, sharing the information they’d gathered and outlining a plan to complete the investigation. She trusted the local officials to take the reins. Time to return to Little Rock. To Sean.
He’d called last Wednesday and let her know he and Tom were finished and he would give her all the details when he saw her. She couldn’t wait to see him, to return to their normal partnerships, and to talk more about expanding their family of two to three. Or maybe four. Her heart went fluttery.
“You ready?”
Meghan released a startled gasp. Sheila waited beside the hotel room door, her duffle dangling from a strap over her shoulder. Meghan grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I guess I got lost in thought.”
Sheila smiled. “It’s okay. You were thinking about your husband, weren’t you?”
Meghan received a second jolt of surprise. “How’d you know?”
The younger woman shrugged, her face blushing into a sweet pink. “When you talk about him, you get this look in your eyes and your lips form a special smile. Like you’re talking about something precious. You had that same look and smile a minute ago.”
Meghan hadn’t realized her expression changed when she thought about Sean, but it shouldn’t have surprised her. Sean was special. He held such an important place in her life, so of course it should show.
“I hope I meet someone someday who makes me feel the way your husband makes you feel. I can tell…you love each other. The same way my mom and dad loved each other.”
Meghan crossed the carpet to Sheila, dropped her suitcase, and delivered a hug. “I’ll pray for your future husband—that he’ll be a loving, God-honoring, hardworking, faithful man, just like Sean and your dad.”
Still in Meghan’s embrace, Sheila said, “And super-hunky handsome?”
Meghan burst out laughing. She gave Sheila one more squeeze and let go. “And super-hunky handsome. Now, we better go. Greg’s probably out there pacing and grumbling about us yakking again.”
Sheila laughed, and they headed for the lobby. They rounded the corner and, sure enough, Greg was waiting by the counter. He glanced
at his wristwatch as they approached and then aimed a mild frown at them.
“Checkout’s at eleven. You barely made it—it’s ten fifty-eight.”
“But we did make it.” Sheila’s nose wrinkled with her impish grin. “So no need for fussing.”
“Women’s logic.” Greg rolled his eyes, and Meghan and Sheila shared another laugh.
They placed their key cards on the counter and turned for the doors, Greg in the lead. A tall, distinguished-looking man wearing a spring-green polo and tan khakis rose from one of the chairs in the corner of the lobby. “Excuse me…Detective DeFord?”
Meghan paused, a smile ready. “I’m Detective DeFord. Can I help you?”
His blue eyes developed a sheen, and his lips quivered. “I wanted to meet you. I’m Kevin Harrison.”
Meghan’s weight seemed to leave her body. Her suitcase fell from her hand, and for a moment, she feared she might faint. “K-Kevin Harrison?”
Greg appeared on her right. He braced his palm in the middle of her back and glared at Kevin, as protective as a mama cat defending its kittens. “Meghan, are you all right?”
She blindly flapped her hand toward Greg, unable to take her eyes off her father’s face. “It’s okay, Greg. I…I know who he is.”
Greg slowly lowered his arm. “Are you sure? I’ll get rid of him if you want me to.”
“No. It’s all right.” The light-headed feeling was dissipating. “He’s an old friend of my mother’s. He just took me by surprise is all.”
Greg still seemed uncertain, but he nodded. “All right, then. I’ll put your suitcase in the SUV, and Sheila and I will wait for you there.” He grabbed her suitcase and turned to Sheila. “C’mon. We’ll give Meghan a minute or two.” He shot one more glower over his shoulder and then ushered Sheila out.
For several seconds, Meghan stood stupidly and stared into her father’s face. Lines fanned from the outer corners of his eyes, and his hair was completely gray—what Grandma would call the color of a galvanized washtub. But despite these signs of aging, he was a very handsome man. She understood why Mom had been attracted to him.
“Did—” Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. “Did Mom tell you where I was?”
He gestured to the chairs, and she forced her shaky legs to carry her to them. They sat, and he leaned in with his elbows on his widespread knees and his fingers laced together. “No, I heard it from local scuttlebutt. The whole town’s buzzing about the missing banker and the cold-case detectives from Little Rock who found him. The hotel received a bit of notoriety for hosting you.”
He glanced around the lobby and pursed his face. “The next time you’re in Fort Smith, please let me make your reservations. I think we can find nicer accommodations.”
Meghan didn’t know when—or if—she’d be back. She stared at him in silence.
He stared at her, too, with the oddest expression in his piercing blue eyes. It was a combination of agony, embarrassment, and—the part that put an ache in her chest—pride. His thumbs tapped together. “What are you thinking?”
“Why am I so short?”
He blinked twice. His thumbs stilled. “What?”
Of all the stupid things to say. A nervous laugh found its way from her throat. “I’m trying to understand. Mom’s actually fairly tall for a woman, definitely above average. So was my grandma before age started shrinking her. And you’re really tall. But me? I’m five three, at the upper end of the petite scale. I’m trying to figure out how that happened.”
He grinned. “My mother’s petite. Not even five two.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Really.” The pride she’d glimpsed earlier returned. “Maybe you take after her in that way.”
“Maybe…”
They fell into silence again. The front door swung open, and Greg strode in. He searched the lobby, and his gaze connected with Meghan’s. He crossed to her in two long strides and frowned down at her. “Are you ready to go?”
No, she wasn’t. There was so much she wanted to know. Questions that had lain dormant inside her for decades pined for release. But maybe this wasn’t the time. She held out her hand to her father. He took hold with both of his, sandwiching her hand between his wide, warm palms. A coiling warmth, what she could define as the feeling of being protected, climbed her arm and slid into her chest.
She swallowed against unexpected tears. “It was nice to meet you. Can we exchange phone numbers, talk to each other more later?”
He kept a light grip on her hand. “Or maybe I could drive you back to Little Rock. I’d like to take you to lunch, show you my office, maybe introduce you to my mother.” He glanced at Greg, who was glowering at him with the most distrustful look Meghan had ever seen. “That is, if your bodyguard approves.”
Meghan slipped her hand free, discovering a sense of loss as she did so. “Greg, you don’t need to worry. Kevin Harrison is my father.” Tears filled her eyes, distorting her vision. It was so freeing to acknowledge his title that she couldn’t resist repeating it. “This is my father.”
Greg leaned in and squeezed her shoulder. “All right, then. I’ll get your suitcase.” He offered a brief nod in Kevin’s direction, then hurried out of the lobby.
Kevin—her father—smiled at her. “Thank you. I really appreciate the chance to get to know you.” He extended his hands, and this time she took hold and held tight. “I’m sorry it took so long. If I could go back in time and do things over, I’d be there for you from the beginning.”
His face twisted with regret. “I’ve asked God to forgive me, and now I’d like to ask you the same thing. Can you forgive me for abandoning you and your mother?”
Looking into his remorseful, moist eyes, Meghan experienced a wave of compassion. So many thoughts swarmed her brain—memories of lying in bed wondering about him, of trailing after the D.A.R.E. officer in lieu of following a daddy’s footsteps, of wishing she could go to the father-daughter dances. The hurt of those moments wrapped around her heart and constricted, but at the same time, a recognition bloomed.
She stared for several seconds at their joined hands, then shifted her gaze to meet his eyes. Without effort, a smile lifted the corners of her lips. “You weren’t there, but my heavenly Father always was. He used my longing for an earthly father to draw me to Him. He also used elements of my lonely childhood to mold me into the person He designed me to be.”
Kevin angled his head, curiosity lighting his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I might not have become a cold-case detective if, in my desire for a father figure, I hadn’t developed a relationship with a police officer at my grade school. That means I wouldn’t have met Sean, the most wonderful husband in the world. I would’ve missed getting to know Sheila and helping her find her father, as well as helping countless other people who were caught in places of pain and loss. I would’ve missed so many blessings. So…yes, I forgive you.”
The relief flooding his features touched Meghan more deeply than she could have imagined. His grip tightened, and he blinked rapidly. “Thank you.”
She nodded, but her throat was too tight to speak.
Greg returned, Meghan’s suitcase in hand. He placed it on the floor next to her. “There you go. We’ll see you back in Little Rock.”
Meghan released her father’s hands and stood. “Thanks, Greg. Drive safe.”
He nodded. “You, too.”
Kevin rose, picked up her suitcase, and gestured toward the doors. “Ready?”
All at once, nervousness swooped in. What had she agreed to? An entire day with Kevin Harrison. With her father. She hoped she wouldn’t throw up. She linked her hands and pressed them to her jumping stomach. “Yes.”
As they exited, he said, “What would you like to do first? Lunch? My office?”
“If you don’t mind, could you take me t
o meet your mother? My grandma is one of the most important people in my life.” She offered a shy grin, nervousness fading beneath a sprinkle of excitement. “I’d love to add another grandma to my Christmas card list.”
He laughed, a merry sound that lifted her heart and chased away the rest of her nervousness. “You bet. Let’s go.”
Thirty-Eight
Kendrickson, Nevada
Diane
Diane laid the phone on her nightstand and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Her entire body quivered, adrenaline still racing from her conversation with Meghan. Ignoring the movie still playing on her notebook, which she’d been watching before the phone rang, she trotted out of her room and through the hallway to the living room. Mother relaxed in her chair with Miney in her lap, balancing an open book against the dog’s back.
When Diane entered the room, Mother glanced up and immediately set the book aside. She fixed a worried frown on Diane. “What’s the matter?”
Diane sank onto the ottoman next to her mother’s feet and clamped her shaking hands over her knees. “Meghan spent the day with Kevin.”
Mother half sat up, and Miney whined. She stroked the dog’s ears, her gaze pinned on Diane’s face. “How did that happen?”
Diane repeated Meghan’s explanation about finding Kevin waiting for her in the hotel lobby, then choosing to let him drive her to Little Rock. “She not only met Kevin, but she met his mother, who cried buckets when she learned she had a granddaughter. Meghan said his mother—her name is Melinda—went to lunch with them.” She grabbed Mother’s foot. “And get this. Melinda ordered Meghan’s favorite sandwich even before Meghan placed her order. She already has something in common with her. Well, besides height. Melinda is short, too.”
Mother chuckled. “I always thought Meghan got her height from my mother, who was, as they so elegantly say today, vertically challenged. But maybe it came from her paternal grandmother, too.”
Diane nodded. “She said at first she was uncomfortable—for Pete’s sake, who wouldn’t be?—but by the time they finished lunch and toured Kevin’s office, she felt as if she’d known them forever.” Tears filled Diane’s eyes, and she whisked them away with her fingertips. “I’m so happy for her. I’m so glad she feels at ease with her father.”
Unveiling the Past Page 30
