The Lake House Secret, A Romantic Suspense Novel (A Jenessa Jones Mystery)

by Debra Burroughs

  “After all those years? Oh, my goodness, no. Ramey was already grown by the time Lucy ran off. What would have been the point?”

  “Then the new Mrs. Alexander perhaps?” Jenessa asked.

  “Lauren? Now that’s another story. I wouldn’t put it past that gold digger to do anything she had to, to protect the Alexander fortune.”

  ~*~

  It was six o’clock straight up. The doorbell rang and Logan was right on time.

  Pausing before she opened the door, Jenessa gripped the brass doorknob and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and blew it out in short puffs, the way she had learned to do in Lamaze classes. Funny how that training had stayed with her all these years. It occurred to her that she often used this method to relax in tense situations.

  The butterflies in her stomach seemed to settle down—butterflies which had hatched from their cocoons as soon as she agreed to have this friendly dinner with the young man who had ruined her life. She had no choice but to open the door or he would just ring the bell again. So she forced a polite, half-hearted smile on her face and flung it open.

  There stood Logan, more handsome than ever, his gaze locking onto hers. The bright summer sun was low in the sky behind him and the light from it gave his silhouette a glow, backlighting his blond hair. His alluring eyes held her gaze and seemed to be peering straight down to her soul.

  Struggling to break his magnetism, “Hello, Logan,” was all she could manage, flatly, no affable lilt to her voice.

  “You look beautiful tonight, Jenessa,” he said, giving her a winsome smile, “but then you always do.”

  Her back stiffened at the compliment and her smile faded as she looked away. Was this really only meant to be a friendly dinner to mend broken old fences? She fought to keep her discomfort from showing on her face, continuing to divert her eyes from his. “I’ll get my purse and we can go.”

  “Not going to invite me in?”

  His question prickled her. She didn’t want to be alone in the house with him. “I’m famished, so I’d really rather go to the restaurant for that burger you promised me.” She took another deep breath as she turned and snatched her purse off the entry table and stepped out the door, locking it behind her.

  Logan’s red BMW was parked at the curb. As they strolled together down the stone walkway to his car, his hand hugged her waist for the last few steps before he opened the door for her.

  The muscles in her back tensed at his touch. Irritated, she spun around to face him. “This isn’t a date.”

  “I know,” he said with a slight nod. “Just two old friends catching up.”

  Jenessa slid into the tan leather seat, not sure she believed him. His words said he knew it wasn’t a date, but his actions didn’t quite match them.

  ~*~

  With little conversation, they reached the burger joint and were soon seated in a red vinyl booth.

  “Are you glad to be back in Hidden Valley?” Logan asked, sitting across the table from her.

  “It’s taking a little getting used to.” Jenessa picked up her menu and read over the offerings, avoiding his probing eyes. “I’m happy to be around my family again, and Ramey.”

  “You and Ramey have been friends since high school, haven’t you?”

  “Yes.” Jenessa forced her gaze to remain on the menu items. “But you’ve probably known her all your life, since you were both born here.”

  “Actually, not until high school. We didn’t grow up in the same neighborhood, so we didn’t go to school together until then.”

  Of course they wouldn’t grow up in the same neighborhood. Poor Ramey was the illegitimate daughter, and Logan had the silver spoon firmly planted in his mouth.

  Was it really possible Logan never knew Ramey was his sister? Would his father have ever told him?

  “Too bad, she’s a great girl, like a sister to me.” Jenessa peeked over her menu at him. No reaction.

  “The body the cops found at the lake was her mother, right?” he asked.

  Jenessa dropped her menu on the table, cringing at the sharp slapping noise that rang out from it. “What do you know about that?”

  “Only what I’ve heard around town. Why the attitude?”

  She picked up the menu again. Who could have told him that? “Sorry, it’s just that the identity hasn’t been confirmed yet.” She scanned the menu selections once more, then gently set it down on the table. “Did you happen to know Lucy St. John at all?”

  “Not really.” There was a slight hesitation in his voice, then he went on. “My father said she had worked for him at one time, before Ramey was born.” Logan folded his arms on the table and leaned in.

  Was it Grey Alexander who told Logan the dead woman might be Lucy? He did seem to know everything that went on in this town.

  “I don’t want to speak ill of the dead,” Logan said, “but wasn’t Lucy pretty much a drunk when we were in high school?”

  “She had her problems. She certainly didn’t live the charmed life the Alexanders did—neither did Ramey.”

  He bolted up straight in the booth. “Charmed life? Just because my family has money doesn’t mean we lived a fairytale. You have no idea what I’ve been through, what it’s like being the son of the great and mighty Grey Alexander. It was…” Logan paused and stared at Jenessa for a moment, his eyes misting. Evidently, she had struck a nerve. “It was no picnic.”

  “I’m sorry,” she muttered, putting a hand briefly on his, a sympathetic ache stirring inside. Maybe there were things going on in that household that she didn’t know about—awful things. Maybe she had been so wrapped up in her own family drama that she never noticed. “I just assumed—”

  “Everyone always does,” Logan cut in, pulling his hand away. He sat back against the cushioned booth and his eyes cleared. “Someday, maybe I’ll tell you about it.”

  Would they ever get to the place in their new quasi-friendship where he would open up like that? Because he never did when they were dating. Would she ever dare to share the trials between her and her father with him?

  The waitress approached their table and took their orders.

  “How’s your mother?” Jenessa asked after the waitress left. “Do you get to see her very much?”

  He nodded. “When she’s not busy with her clubs and organizations, or traveling.”

  “She’s the president of the Hidden Valley Garden Club, isn’t she?”

  “No, my stepmother is. Why do you ask?”

  “I’ll be covering the Flower Show next week for the paper, so I thought I’d be interviewing your mother. Guess it will be Lauren instead.”

  “Mom will be at the high school this Sunday afternoon setting up for an auction next week. Maybe you should cover that. They’re trying to raise two hundred thousand dollars to renovate the auditorium.”

  “I loved that old auditorium—the ornate details and the thick burgundy curtains. It was like an opera house.”

  “That’s right. Didn’t we go and see Music Man there?”

  “We did—and Mame, remember?” Jenessa smiled at the memory.

  “We had a lot of good times together,” Logan said.

  Then her thoughts turned back to his mother again. “Did your mom know Lucy St. John when you were growing up?”

  “Boy, that was kind of out of the blue.” Logan frowned. “Why on earth would you ask that?”

  “I was thinking about the interview I want to do with her, and I figured I might as well kill two birds with one stone—” Jenessa cringed. “Wrong choice of words, I meant I might as well ask questions for the Lucy St. John case while I’m at it. To save time, you know?”

  “I have no idea if she knew her. Mom and Dad divorced when I was seven. If she wasn’t part of the well-to-do crowd around here, it’s not likely my mother would have been friends with her.”

  “She could have known her other ways. She could have known her from the bank maybe.” Jenessa watched for a flicker of agreement in Logan’s fac
e.

  He shrugged. “No idea.” He leaned in again, his brows knitting together in a serious frown. “You can’t think my mother had anything to do with Lucy’s death, can you?”

  “I’m just gathering facts at this point.” Jenessa took a sip of ice water, back-peddling while she kept her eyes from meeting Logan’s so he couldn’t see through her to what she was really thinking. “Besides, it’s the cops’ job to solve the murder, not mine.”

  Although, if Jenessa could help solve the murder, and be the first to publish the story, it would be a boon for her career. Maybe one day she could leave this quiet small town and go to work for another newspaper in a major city.

  “So where did you end up going to college?” Logan asked, an obvious attempt to change the subject.

  Jenessa shared that she had gone to Sacramento State and majored in journalism. Logan said he went to San Diego State and played football until he blew out his knee his junior year. He graduated with a degree in business, assuming his father would expect him to come back to Hidden Valley and take over the family empire. He was right.

  They chatted about their college experiences and the various jobs they held, both carefully skirting around the subject of the unexpected pregnancy and the baby she had given up for adoption.

  That was a discussion for later…much later.

  It definitely was not a conversation she wanted to have in a public place. There would certainly be crying, maybe even some shouting and angry words. No, it was better not to bring it up in this burger joint where there was an abundance of prying eyes, and ears. No doubt just her sitting in a booth with Logan would be juicy fodder for town gossip long before morning.

  Jenessa and Logan reminisced about the prom and other school activities they remembered. They even laughed a few times over the memories of some crazy antics of their classmates. She caught herself twirling her long dark hair around her finger, a lighthearted giddiness coming over her. It was almost as though she was a teenager again.

  By the time the burgers and fries were consumed and conversation was winding down, Jenessa had become surprisingly comfortable with Logan. No bad memories were dug up tonight, no old wounds uncovered. Now she could at least run into him around town and avoid the spine-stiffening awkwardness they’d had up until tonight.

  He drove her home and walked her to the door. It was a little after nine. They paused on the porch, under the light, and said their good-byes. Logan leaned down and unexpectedly kissed Jenessa lightly on the lips.

  Before she could react, the sound of squealing tires split the air. Both Logan and Jenessa turned their heads toward the street, seeing a police cruiser racing away.

  Chapter 19

  With her nerves in a tangle over having dinner with Logan, and her phone conversation with Aunt Renee, Jenessa had forgotten Michael was dropping by around nine, after his shift. Oh, God. He saw Logan kiss her. Now he had the wrong idea. Jenessa was mortified.

  She unlocked the door, and the jingling of the keys drew Logan’s attention from the street back to Jenessa. She offered him a curt smile. “Good night, Logan.”

  “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  Second time that night he’d asked that question.

  If Michael’s squealing tires hadn’t broken Logan’s spell over her, she might have actually considered it. They were getting along well. It had been a surprisingly enjoyable evening—then his lips were on hers, even for a brief moment, and they felt so delicious that her defenses began to melt and her body went weak. But, no! She couldn’t let herself be drawn into his web again.

  Thank goodness Michael had been there to rescue her from Logan’s charms, but what had that saving moment done to her chances with Michael? She’d have to call him and try to salvage their budding relationship.

  Jenessa thanked Logan for suggesting they get together and catch up over dinner. If he was thinking of trying to kiss her again, she wasn’t going to wait around and give him the opportunity.

  “Good night, Logan.” Jenessa stepped inside her house and hastily shut the door. She had to call Michael, explain away what he saw, and see if he still wanted to stop by.

  It wasn’t like she owed Michael an explanation. They weren’t dating, but there was definitely something sparking between them. Maybe it could lead to something more.

  As for Logan, even now, something inside her turned to jelly when she was near him. But as for a future with that man? She couldn’t see it. Not after the past they shared.

  She dug her phone out of her purse and dialed Michael’s number.

  “Hello.”

  She was still surprised to hear his voice had grown so deep over the years, not the silly boy voice she had known when they were schoolmates.

  “Michael, this is Jenessa.”

  He didn’t reply right away and the air hung uncomfortably chilly between them.

  “Michael?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. What can I do for you?”

  “You promised you’d stop by and pick a lock for me tonight.”

  “I did stop by, but you were otherwise occupied. I didn’t want to interrupt anything.”

  “Logan wanted to talk to me about something, so I had a quick burger with him. There was nothing to interrupt.”

  “It didn’t look that way to me.”

  Well, that confirmed it. Obviously Michael had seen Logan kiss her. Was he jealous?

  “Really, Michael, that’s all it was. He gave me a quick peck on the lips, which I wasn’t expecting, nor did I want, then I sent him on his way. I’ll be up for a while if you’d still like to come by.”

  “I don’t think so. I’m almost at my folks’ house. I need to pick up Jake and get him to bed.”

  It couldn’t have been more than three or four minutes between when Michael peeled away and this call. How would he have had time to be close to his parents’ house? He was jealous. “I could really use your help tonight. Pretty please.”

  Again, silence hung between them. Finally he spoke. “Fine. I’ll call my mom and have her keep Jake overnight. See you in a few.”

  ~*~

  In less than five minutes, Michael was standing on her doorstep, ringing her bell.

  She swung the door open wide and greeted him with a friendly smile. He was still wearing his navy blue uniform. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

  “I got a call there was a woman in distress at this address, ma’am.” He wore a poker face.

  “That’s right, Officer.” Jenessa grinned as she played along and stepped to the side to let him in. “Right this way,” she said with a sweeping motion toward the main hall.

  He followed her to the study. “What seems to be the problem?”

  She pointed to the desk. “This may sound silly, Officer, but I can’t get the stupid lap drawer open.”

  “Well, little lady, let’s see what I can do about that.” Michael dragged the chair out and crouched down behind the desk to examine the lock. He whipped a small leather case out of his back pocket and unzipped it, displaying several sharp instruments. He worked a couple of them into the lock, but it wouldn’t budge. He kept after it for quite a while, but no luck.

  “I hoped that would be all it needed.” Jenessa pursed her lips. “Just a little love from the handsome policeman.”

  Michael burst into a loud, deep laugh. “I’ve never heard picking a lock described like that.”

  “Well, for all your effort, how about a piece of fresh peach pie.”

  Michael’s eyebrows arched. “Did you make it?”

  She laughed as she stood in the doorway. “You really don’t know me, do you?” She turned and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Is that a no?” he asked, following close behind her.

  “Ramey brought it to Aunt Renee’s for dinner the other night. It’s from The Sweet Spot. My aunt insisted I take the leftovers home.” Jenessa pulled the half-eaten pie from the refrigerator and set it on the counter.

  “Got any vanilla ice cre
am?” Michael asked.

  Jenessa rifled through the utensil drawer for a knife and an ice cream scoop. “Let’s look. Mom used to always keep some in the freezer for my dad. Maybe he still did too.”

  Michael stood behind her as she poked through the freezer side of the refrigerator. The cold air felt good on her face, which had unexpectedly grown hot at his closeness. She plucked the container of ice cream out of the freezer and spun around.

  “Here it is.”

  He was only inches away from her. A palpable energy vibrated between them. She sensed he wanted to kiss her, she saw it in his eyes, and she would let him. Their gaze locked for a moment. Instead of a kiss, though, he went to the counter and cut the pie. Had he suddenly remembered seeing Logan kiss her?

  “This thing looks delicious,” he muttered.

  She set the ice cream container beside the pie, the loud thumping in her chest beginning to subside, thankfully, or she was afraid he was going to hear it. “You want to do the honors?”

  When Michael was finished loading the pieces of pie onto the plates, and adding a scoop of ice cream to each, they carried their dishes to the table.

  Jenessa took a seat. “I haven’t had a chance to ask how the review board went.”

  “Seemed to me like everything went well. I should hear the results in a few days, I’m hoping.” He dug into his dessert.

  “Soon, I’ll have to call you Detective Baxter.” She laughed, sticking a forkful of pie in her mouth.

  He swallowed and grinned at her. “Hey, how’s your story going? The one on the body that was found up at the lake?”

  She explained to him about the locket that had been discovered with the body and how the photo inside looked a lot like Ramey. It was her assumption, she continued, that the body must have been Ramey’s mother.

  “How did you get to see the inside of the locket? I thought it was up in Sacramento at the crime lab.”

  She gave him a smug feline grin. “I have my ways.”

  “Ramey’s mother, huh? Does Provenza know?”

  “I called him, but I’m not sure if he believes me. He said he needs to have some way for the lab to prove it—you know, DNA, dental records, or something.” She took another bite.