“Was it easy to walk away?”
“No. No…” she sighed, easily weaving through traffic. “But it’s begun to get to me and I don’t trust me anymore. Too much anger inside.”
“Change can be fun…revitalizing, I think. Do you like gardening?” Anna shifted the topic, a little portion of her brain still puzzling out the politician visiting her nursery.
“That’s next on my list…a place with room for me to put in raised beds and grow stuff. Flowers and maybe even food…” she said, laughing with Anna as she pulled into the parking lot of the nursery.
Anna only smiled, picturing the back yard at the house and how the raised beds could be arranged. It received full sun, so it would be a great growing place.
“Aaron can’t keep a houseplant alive,” she confided as they walked through to her office.
“He mentioned that,” she watched Anna move to sit behind the desk, the worn journal pulled out and set on the desk. Catherine moved to lean on the desk, her palms on the journal, forcing Anna to meet her eyes. “I can’t move like Carter and Aaron right now. If you go eyes up, you’ll hit the floor.”
“I’m okay,” Anna pulled in a long breath and opened the book.
“The dates are all accurate?”
“Yes. We had TV, computers…even a little kid calendar from the grandparents,” Anna looked through the book. “It was a matter of pride, I think…I wanted it to look…grown-up,” she said with a little smile. “One of the books I read…didn’t understand it all but…the Diary of Anne Frank.”
“That’s a little scary for a kid…”
“We didn’t know…we read things that…that we didn’t fully interpret until a couple years later when we re-read them. It’s like the words he used…I didn’t understand his intent,” her voice fell considerably. “But instinct…intuition…I honestly don’t know what….but it frightened me to the core, Catherine.”
“Take a break…look up at me…clear your mind of him and his words, Anna,” She put her palm over the page on the book, she met the dark eyes with a little smile. “You and your brother have the same eyes…other than that, I’m not sure I could have pegged you as twins.”
Anna smiled and found a page, opening it and laying it out for her to view. “I made this one of Aaron…and he made me sit in front of a mirror so I could put me in here, too. We looked like twins then…our hair was lighter…they kept his cut short and boy…I had these wicked ringlets…”
“Oh…how adorable…” Catherine looked at the portraits and shook her head. “You were…are…amazing with the pencil, Anna…you should have these made into prints and framed for you both.”
“I can scan them…” she stared at the portraits for a long minute. “The other grandparents might like that, too…” She knows she said the words out loud, her head shaking a little.
“What’s wrong? I don’t think Aaron mentioned the other grandparents.”
Anna sighed and closed her eyes. “The first two days I knew Carter, I was a raving lunatic,” she met the violet eyes filled with surprise. “I hated him…I hated what he’d done…one of his business ventures, is locating people who’ve gone missing.”
“You and Aaron.”
Anna nodded slowly. “The maternal grandparents evidently started a search and used Carter Shipley to find us because of his success rate with difficult cases. His file indicated he was ninety-eight percent and suggested a DNA test to confirm.”
“You haven’t met them yet,” Catherine frowned, that tidbit of information bouncing inside her head with all the rest.
“I…my head is so messed up right now, Catherine,” she exhaled and looked back at her book, slowly turning pages. “Here…Rod Spencer…” A shiver took her slender form, the book snapping shut, the rubber bands put back into place and the book dropped into her lower drawer.
Catherine had the pages from the white board, making notes on them before perching on the edge of the desk.
“I need my office…I hate convo…”
“What do you need?” Anna stood up and stretched, collecting things in her pack.
“A big board like that…mainly…markers that erase…pacing room,” she said with a little laugh.
“Use Aaron’s office,” Anna said simply, picking up a memo pad and printing across the surface. “He’s got a first rate computer system…here’s the login name and password. He thinks he’s slick…” She grinned cheekily. “I’m going there now, getting some clothes…I have two of these boards in my portion…I can easily move one into his office for you.”
“You got his password?”
“He’s not the only one who learned things growing up…” Anna told her, lifting her pack and doing a once look around the office. “I’ll help you set up then I’m going to Carter’s and work with the crew on the landscaping.”
“So…you guys worked out the grandparent thing?”
“Umm…not really. We mostly don’t talk about it,” Anna shrugged and dropped her pack into the SUV. “I’ll meet you at the house, Catherine.”
Catherine placed a call to her partner, giving him the name Anna had found in her journal and requested as much information. She offered the promise of an explanation as soon as she had one. She also dug for data on the two men that assaulted Aaron. She’d spent a long time trusting her instincts when it came to her career. Now wasn’t the time to stop that practice, she thought as she parked in front of the large house.
Chapter Nineteen
Anna met Catherine at the front door. “Aaron told me you guys remodeled this place…”
“We did…a couple summers and a lot of arguments,” Anna said with a laugh. “My portion is all on one level…I have an office room, a large bedroom and two baths. The kitchen and dining area are shared and there…” she pointed to the door beside the patio doors. “Is the connecting door to his office…the stairs go to his upstairs bedrooms and two baths…and we have one bath here.” Anna gestured to the door to the side of the kitchen. “We have separate laundry stuff in one of each bathroom. I think we spent so much time together when we bought the house we just wanted chilling spaces for a little while…and it was funny…”
“Because you ended up spending a lot of time here,” Catherine said with a smile, glancing into the kitchen. “I should see what I can do for dinner…”
Anna slid sideways along the hall, carrying the large white board. “You want it in here? It’s nice and warm with some sunshine today…I can lean it against the fireplace for you.”
“Thanks…yeah…this way I have the computer, a desk and the board,” she cast another look into the kitchen.
“Dinner? I can help with that…easy…because…” Anna pulled the large freezer door open and swept her palm over the contents. “I do the shopping. Aaron likes to cook, but he’s not big on remembering to hit a grocery store. And…I cook on the weekends and freeze stuff…and it’s all labeled. So…you like pasta?” She waited for Catherine to come closer, the smile of relief on her face making Anna laugh.
“You’re brilliant…so…a bag of pasta…a bag of sauce…”
“Soak in warm water,” Anna took them to the sink, put the plug in and turned on the water. “Microwave the sauce with a lid on it…pour over pasta…and in the fridge…” She opened the crisper and pulled a bag of butter lettuce from inside. “Rule one…never put tomatoes in the fridge. All other salad stuff is in here…soak in cold water for an hour…dump into the drain…dump into bowl…” Anna moved around pulling out the things she would need.
“Thank you…I can impress him with my shooting scores…but in the kitchen…” Catherine stopped when she saw the look on Anna’s face. “I’m sorry…did I…”
“Oh…no…no…guns…I know Aaron has one. I…I saw them…he learned when he was in the military,” Anna shook her head. “I’m good. Anyway…the desk has all kinds of stuff in it that you can use. Just rummage, Catherine. Aaron wouldn’t have given you a key or the code if he didn’t trust you,”
Anna grinned and reached into her pack, her hand surfacing with a vial. “This yours?”
“How did you?” Catherine took the bottle.
“Please…he’s done it to me often enough. If you don’t want them, crush them and sweep them into the trash. When he’s done it to me in the past, I refill the bottle with candy,” Anna tossed a packet of candy coated chocolate to the counter. “Makes him nuts. He hugged me in the office…I picked his pocket. Guess he figured they were safe with him. I’ll be at Carter’s if you need anything…” Anna printed out her number, adding Carter’s beneath it. She lifted the gym bag of clothes. “And I’m serious, Catherine…we’re about the same size. Help yourself if you need anything. I got girl soaps and shampoos in my shower…I have a feeling I’ll be slowly moving in with Carter…so you won’t have to worry about me being in the way.”
“I wouldn’t think of you as in the way…more like a sister,” Catherine said honestly, laughing at the stunned look on Anna’s face. “Is that okay? I…sometimes just burst out with stuff…”
“Oh…no…yes…I mean…I’d love to have a sister,” Anna nodded rapidly, impulsively hugging her. “I’m off…enjoy…oh…” she stopped and pulled the journal from her pack, handing it to her. “Leave it…in the middle desk drawer when you aren’t using it, okay?”
“I’ll take care of it, Anna, I promise. Anna…call me when you get to Carter’s please?”
“I…sure…” Puzzled dark eyes studied the other woman. “Why?”
“Just…I have to work out some things, but…I just worry. Please?”
“Okay…easy…he’s gated…” Anna waved and closed the door behind her.
Catherine took the thick journal and moved to the desk, perching on the corner and staring at the board. Bracing herself carefully, she pulled her phone from a pocket, tapping in Carter’s number.
“Catherine? What can I do for you?” Carter asked, picking up after the third ring.
“I’m a naturally suspicious type…Anna told me your house is gated. She’s on her way there now and I made her promise to call me when she gets there,” Catherine could almost see Carter straightening behind a desk. “I don’t have anything concrete and when I do, I promise you, I will share. Just…”
“My personal assistant and housekeeper live on the grounds, too. I’ll call Leo and have him make certain the gates are closed and he’ll keep an eye on things,” Carter said firmly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Carter and I’ll be in touch, I promise,” Catherine closed the phone and set it down. She went and set up the dining table with everything but the food before going back to the computer.
With a careful eye on the clock, she read through the files on the people she requested and stood braced in front of the white board, marker in her fingers. First, a credible witness tying individual from past to present. She drew a time line on half the board, writing on the top side. Four years old. Next was fourteen years old and then thirty-three. On the underside she wrote, first contact with Rod Spencer. Under thirty-three, she wrote, Rod Spencer/William Barrow and mugging (?) Aaron Carson. Too coincidental, her cop mind told her firmly.
Under age fourteen she made notes. Explosion. Death by beating of Rod Spencer. Identified by brother as face was unrecognizable. Now isn’t that a nice coincidence, she thought, tapping the capped marker against her cheek. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t lament the demise of a character like Spencer. His criminal record sheet included drug dealer as well as known pedophile.
Coincidentally, at the age of twenty-four, William Barrow begins a business career with several service oriented businesses, temporaries for restaurants and offices. He follows that with a step into the construction business, which also takes off in the Olympia area. At the same time, he slowly works his way into local government. She moved cautiously back to the board, selecting the area beneath thirty-three.
Grandparents seek twins. In searching, is it possible it attracted the attention of someone else?
Catherine took careful steps back, sliding onto the desk and staring. She set the marker down and put two hands on her neck, one hand pulling the band from the braid and ten fingers massaging and working the long hair free. She stared at the collection of words for a while longer before wandering to the kitchen and remembering everything Anna had told her. She had the salad and dressings on the table. Found a bottle of red wine in the chiller and set it out, chewing on her lip and trying to decide if she should open it or not. She left it closed. Next, separate the pasta to two plates and pour the sauce into the bowl, place plate over and heat for four minutes.
She inhaled deeply. It smelled heavenly. Curiosity had her peeking into the freezer at the labeled collection of bags of prepared sauces complete with instructions. Cooking wasn’t so hard, she decided, jumping a little when the alarm released. She stared at the man coming through the door.
“I think I’ve wandered into the wrong house,” he said with a frown and audible sniff. “I smell food.”
“You really shouldn’t mess with the girl who’s been semi slaving over a mostly cool microwave for at least ten minutes,” Catherine gripped the cane and went back to the desk, using it to lean against. She couldn’t stop the uncomfortable squirm when he stared at her, moving fluidly toward her. She slid back a little further on the desk but found herself trapped with a hand on either side of her thighs. Breathless and a little shaky, she stared into the dark eyes when his mouth lifted from hers.
“Hi…”
“Hi…” She returned in a whisper, blinking when he leaned closer and sniffed.
“Hmmm…I still smell food…”
“I’m going to start feeling insulted here, Carson…” she shoved against his chest, ignoring his laughter.
“You’ve been busy,” he said very slowly, his eyes landing on the white board, taking it all in swiftly and meeting her eyes.
“Anna set me up…helped me create dinner, too. Thought I might impress you just a little…”
“Talk to me and laugh with me and…” Aaron stepped back to stand before her, long slim arms circling his waist. “Yeah…some of that, too…I’ll hire a cook…I don’t care about that…” he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. “You think there’s a connection? From almost thirty years ago?”
“I don’t like coincidence in my mysteries,” she said carefully, her hands rising to frame his face. “This is what I do. I’ve spent twelve years doing it.”
“I…Christ…I had some really stupid notion all that was…history,” he turned and stared at the printing again. “You’re going to investigate all this?”
“I’m on leave…what I do in my spare time, is my business…but I do so love a good mystery,” she said, sliding to the floor. She steadied herself, lifted the cane and went into the kitchen. She used the mitts, carefully removing the sauce and pouring it over the pasta. He carried the plates to the table and opened the wine while she sat down, sighing heavenly as she sampled the sauce. “Anna is a really good cook. This sauce is delicious.”
“You believe what she said?” Aaron asked after a few quiet minutes. He lifted the wine and took a drink. “About the voices being the same man?”
“I do…but it’s not enough. I’ve got a theory…and when I have more information, I’ll share,” she promised. “I did advise Carter to keep his gates locked. I don’t like the guys who went after you on the break-way. If they’ve been watching you, they’ve been watching her. The WHY is where all the answers are usually hidden.”
“We were little kids, Catherine. We didn’t know anything. Weren’t involved in the drug stuff going on in the house,” Aaron pushed a long breath from his lungs and took a bite of the pasta. “You cooked…I think I’m in shock…”
“You’re bordering on dangerous territory…” but she saw the teasing gleam in his eyes and smiled. “Anna told me I could use the stuff in the freezer and gave me a quick, easy lesson on the kitchen,” she watched him for a quiet minute. “She gave me th
e journal to read, Aaron. And I know you were kids, but something is very wrong in all this. Something that should have been looked into a long time ago and wasn’t.”
“Is it okay if I ask you to be careful?”
“I am always careful…with the exception of a week ago,” she added hurriedly. “I sent a text to Carter…I need to see his file on how he located the pair of you. Who he spoke with to narrow it all down.”
“Anna had a copy…I think she shredded it, though,” he continued eating, his fingers up and loosening his tie and opening his shirt. “Isn’t this charming dinner conversation to romance my girl…”
“Hey, I’m a unique kinda girl,” she told him with a wink, taking a big bite of salad covered in dressing. “And I made food!” She let out a giddy little laugh.
Aaron couldn’t stop the deep laughter, his head shaking as he followed her example. “How did you manage to miss home-ec in school?”
“No cooking classes in my school…and no interest, really,” she admitted easily. “I can do it…I’ve proven that to myself…but what’s on the board…that’s where the brain goes,” her head shook slowly. “I don’t like where my brain is taking me, Aaron. At all.”
“And you’re really going to work for the resort? I’m sorry…I never asked about your job. Part of me thought you might not want to discuss your work,” he said quietly.
“It’s not easy pairing up with a cop, no matter the department,” she told him honestly. “I guess I made the decision about a month ago to explore other options…and I found one at the resort through a friend who works in the computer section. You said you were working with their financial planner, you might know her, Faith Morrison? Dominic Matthews is her fiancé.”
“Huh…the small world thing…so even if I hadn’t fallen at your feet on the break-way, we would have met eventually,” Aaron met the grin with one of his own. “Fate.”
“Blind luck,” she answered, stacking plates and making the move to stand that was halted by his palm.
WindSwept Narrows: #16 Anna Carson & Catherine Jenkins Page 16
