“Why don’t you tell Nora?”
“I put my name on the adoption registry. She might do the same one day. Then the decision is hers, not mine. Since you showed up, I’ve been having serious doubts about whether to wait. I’ve met Ethan and want to be in his life.”
* * *
Kalin arrived back at Stone Mountain and found Connor Olsen sitting in the HR reception area. She nodded as she passed him and headed toward her office.
“Don’t snub me. I want to talk to you.”
Kalin glanced over her shoulder at Connor. Can’t hide anything in a small town. He stood but didn’t follow her and used his eyes to try to intimidate her.
“Does Connor have an appointment?” Kalin asked her administrative assistant. The man smiled at her and shook his head. His eyes twinkled as if he was enjoying the confrontation. She would have to remind him to shave before coming to work. The dark stubble covering his square jaw might appeal to women, but the look wasn’t what she wanted at the office.
Tessa entered the reception area.
“You were with her,” Connor said to Tessa.
Tessa stepped half-way behind Kalin and held her elbow.
Kalin heard Tessa’s deep breathing. “What do you want?” she asked Connor.
Connor took a step forward and pointed his finger at Kalin’s nose. “Why were you in Kicking Horse asking questions about me?”
Kalin moved a step, positioning herself solidly between Tessa and Connor. “How do you know that?”
“Should I call security?” Kalin’s administrative assistant asked.
Connor put his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the wall, reminding Kalin of a cowboy. She shook her head. She didn’t want Connor to think she was afraid of him, not like Tessa was. “We don’t have a problem, do we Connor?”
Connor used his tongue to slide a wad of tobacco from one side of his mouth to the other. “I asked you a question.”
“First tell me how you knew I was in Kicking Horse.”
“The receptionist called me. She’s a cousin.”
Kalin was relieved Stan hadn’t called him. “I’m investigating the fire.” She watched Connor carefully, wondering what his reaction would be.
“I had nothing to do with the fire.”
“The fire started on my site. The site you’d been working on with Pete Chambers.”
“That fire could put Pete out of business, then I lose my job. You have no reason to suspect me.”
“Do you still hate the resort because you were fired?”
Connor laughed, not a friendly laugh, but menacing. “I was a kid. I don’t care about that. Who’d want to work in this crummy place anyway? Stay out of my business.” Connor turned and left but not before glaring at Tessa.
They waited to speak until they heard the outer door slam shut.
Tessa’s knees let go, and she leaned against the reception desk.
Kalin put her hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “Everything’s fine. He’s gone.”
“He thinks Pete Chambers started the fire,” Tessa said.
“How do you know?”
“I overheard him tell someone else.”
This was big news. “Did you—”
“Tell Constable Miller? Yes. That’s what Connor was talking to me about at the deli. He was pissed I told Miller what he’d said. I didn’t want to tell you because you’re friends with Pete.”
“I wonder why he didn’t tell the RCMP about Pete. It’s not like you told Miller that Connor started the fire. Do you know Connor’s family?”
Tessa nodded. “The Olsens are everywhere, and they’re tight. Threaten one of them, and they all gang up. Connor’s one of the youngest, so the rest kinda look out for him.”
“Are you afraid of him?”
With her blue eyes stretched wide, Tessa nodded.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Pete grabbed a poop bag and picked up after Farley. He was embarrassed doing this in front of Janet and couldn’t explain why. He avoided her gaze, and he dumped the brown bag into the first garbage can they passed.
They’d been walking along the lakeshore for over an hour. He’d spent more time talking to her now than the night he’d slept with her and created Nora. He’d made his decision. He was going to tell her what he found out.
“The private investigator I hired years ago was very good. He was young, in his mid-twenties and just starting a business. He remembered me when I called him a couple of weeks ago.”
Janet stopped walking and turned to face him. “You hired him to investigate me?”
“I wanted to know if you were a threat to Nora.” Ethan and Nora had to be his priority now. Even if they didn’t know who he was, he would protect them. He thought what he was about to do was the right thing. He didn’t know how he’d live with himself if it wasn’t.
Janet reached low to pet Farley. It might have been a way for her to avoid his gaze, except that after a moment, she faced him full on, without blinking, and said, “I’m not a threat.”
She’s telling the truth. “I believe you.”
“Why would you? No one else does.”
He took in her green eyes, her sincere expression when she spoke, and what he saw reminded him of Nora. “I’m not convinced you killed your son.”
Tears ran over Janet’s cheeks and dripped off the edge of her sharp chin. Pete didn’t know what to make of that. It wasn’t the response he’d been expecting, and a crying woman made him uncomfortable. “Shit,” he said under his breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“You’re being so kind to me. I’ve waited a long time to hear someone other than Lisa say those words. I think even my lawyer believed I killed Ethan. He was court appointed, and I guess he wanted to win, but he didn’t really care about me.” Janet hiccupped. “I don’t understand why you of all people would believe me.”
“My investigator found out some interesting things. Here. Let’s sit.” He pointed to a wooden bench on the side of the path. An elm tree shaded the area, and Farley tucked himself underneath the bench’s slats. Pete opened his canvas briefcase and pulled out a file.
“He sent me your trial transcripts. The pediatric forensic pathologist testified Ethan was asphyxiated. Ethan’s pediatrician testified he suffered from epileptic seizures. You testified Ethan was caught up in the sheets and not breathing when you found him. The jury convicted you of second-degree murder. You did your time in the Grand Valley Women’s prison. That about right?”
“Yes.”
“My investigator also checked out the people who testified at your trial.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I really. The pediatric forensic pathologist who testified has been stripped of his license.” Pete hoped his instincts were right about sharing this information with Janet.
“What does that mean?”
“He gave false testimony in another trial. A trial that was similar to yours.”
* * *
Nora bounced Ethan on her hip and paced the living room. If she hadn’t been doing that, she wouldn’t have looked out the window, and wouldn’t have had time to prepare herself. Pete Chambers parked his Chevy in her driveway, walked around to the other side and opened the door for Janet Wood.
Instinct told her Pete was a decent man, so what was he doing here with that woman? She shifted Ethan from one hip to the other. Think. She turned the dead bolt in place and went back to the window. Pete and Janet were walking to her front door.
Using her cell, she called Ian. “Pete Chambers and Janet Wood just parked in the driveway. They’re coming to the door. What should I do?”
“Don’t let them in. I’ll be there in five minutes. If they try to break in call 911.”
Even though she was expecting the sound, Nora jumped when she heard the knock. She waited, holding her breath. The knock came again. Unfortunately, Ethan chose that moment to wake up and cry.
“Nora. Are you there?�
� Pete’s voice sounded muffled.
Nora pressed herself against the wall and waited.
“Nora? We can hear Ethan. We only want to talk to you. We won’t come inside, if you don’t want,” Pete said.
Nora remained silent and hugged Ethan.
“How about we meet you at the end of the driveway? You’re safe outside.”
“Hey,” Ian said.
Nora heard Ian’s voice. She returned to the window and watched him lead Pete and Janet to the road. She opened the door and hesitantly approached them.
Both Pete and Janet smiled at Ethan.
“What’s going on?” Ian asked.
“We have some things to tell Nora. It’s a long story,” Pete said.
Ian nodded in the direction of Janet. “She’s not welcome here.”
“I have some information that might change how you feel.” Pete offered a folder to Ian, but Ian only stared at it.
Nora hovered behind Ian, waiting to see what they wanted. She had one arm holding Ethan and the opposite hand resting on the small of Ian’s back. Ian was an Olympic-caliber ski racer, and she used his bulk as a safety barrier.
“Any chance we could go inside and sit?” Pete asked.
Ian shook his head. “No way.”
Janet spoke for the first time. “I’ll wait in the car. Pete, you talk to them. Then we’ll see.” She turned to Nora. “Would that work?”
Ian pulled Nora close. “Up to you.”
Ian’s steel thigh pressed into hers, and it was as if his strength gave her courage. “Okay, but she stays out here.”
Pete followed Nora and Ian into their small living room. With three adults and a baby, there didn’t seem to be enough air. To give herself a moment, she placed Ethan in his crib and returned to the living room. No one sat.
Pete cleared his throat but didn’t speak.
“Did she ask you to come here?” Nora asked.
“It was my idea,” Pete said.
“Why?”
Pete clasped his hands and drew a long breath. “There are some things I think you have a right to know. I’ve no idea how you’re going to react. I wish I knew you better. I think it’s the right thing to do, talking to you, but to be honest I’m not sure.”
Ian shifted closer to Nora. “Why don’t you say whatever it is and get on with it?”
Nora gave Ian a fleeting smile, a silent acknowledgement of his protectiveness, and put her hand on his. “Give him a chance.”
“I was worried about Janet being near you and Ethan, so I hired a private investigator.”
“Why would you do that?” Nora asked.
“This is difficult. I’m not good at this kind of thing.”
“This is frustrating,” Ian said.
“Janet and I had an affair almost twenty-one years ago. I recognized her one day when I saw her walking on Main Street.”
Nora was dizzy and getting confused. She needed to sit, but her feet didn’t seem to be working. “So?”
“After my affair with Janet, I went overseas. Then I got married and had a daughter. I shouldn’t have left it so long, but I wasn’t sure I believed what Janet had told me.”
Nora hugged herself. Hold it together. “What are you talking about?”
“Man, this is hard. It’s not the way I imagined sharing this with you. I thought someday you’d find me.” Pete rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Do you think I could have some water? My throat is parched.”
Nora’s stomach tightened. She wanted to stop Pete from talking, to prevent his words from touching her.
Ian poured water from the fridge and handed the glass to Pete.
Pete drank the entire contents within seconds. “When Janet put you up for adoption, she sent me a letter letting me know I had a daughter. She didn’t tell me where you were, just that you existed. After I lost my family, I started searching for you.”
Nora held her fists tight at her side. “How dare you come here with such a bullshit story? Get out of my house. Now.”
Pete’s eyes teared, and Nora thought he might cry. She held firm and pointed at the door. “Out.”
Pete stumbled to the front hall. He shoved the file he held into Ian’s hand. “Please. Read this. It explains a lot.”
* * *
“Burn that.” Nora pointed to the folder Ian had placed on the coffee table.
“Are you sure?”
“No.” The second the door closed behind Pete, she’d gone to Ethan’s crib and picked him up. She examined his face. If what Pete said was true, then Pete was his grandfather. She searched for any resemblance but found none. She strode to the front hall mirror and examined her own face. Nope, no resemblance there either.
“What are you thinking?” Ian asked.
“That six months ago, Lisa Hudson had been my adoptive mother. The only parent I’d ever known. Now it seems I have both a mother and a father. I don’t understand how Pete could forgive Janet for killing her son. He didn’t even say if the baby was his or someone else’s.”
“You didn’t really give him a chance. Do you want to read the file?”
Nora pursed her lips and stared at the folder as if it were a dangerous object, something that might scald her if she touched it. In that moment, she trusted Ian. “Can you read it? Then tell me what’s in it, or not, if you think it’s all garbage.”
“Sure.” Ian picked up the folder and walked to the bedroom.
Nora busied herself making herbal tea, her new drink since becoming pregnant. Spending her entire life thinking of herself as an orphan had been one great big lie, a lie from the person she’d trusted most. Nora finally understood Lisa had good reasons for lying about Janet. She planned to lie to Ethan about Janet too. And for the same reasons. Nora’s heart ached when she thought about how badly she’d treated Lisa. She’d refused to talk to her and never had the chance to hear Lisa’s side.
She didn’t know Pete well, but knew he’d been in Holden for years. If he was her father, why didn’t he approach her when he moved here? He didn’t even try to spend time with her. What kind of father lives in the same town as his daughter and hides from her?
The bedroom door creaked open.
Ian emerged and said, “I think you should read the file.”
“Can’t you just tell me what’s in it?” Nora set her tea on the coffee table and put Ethan on his quilt on the floor.
Ian sat beside her. “It’s true what Pete said. He hired a private investigator. The guy tracked you down. There’s a copy of the letter Janet wrote him, saying he had a daughter. The file also contains a newspaper clipping about his family dying. After that he moved to Holden. It makes sense, what he said. I think he’s your father.”
Nora examined the photos on her mantelpiece. The family she’d grown up with. Lisa and Rachel, both gone now. Rachel had been her adoptive sister and had died before Lisa. Nora had pictures of her adoptive cousins, Jeff and Donny. She didn’t have photos of her real family. She’d never expected to have any. Calling them real was a betrayal to Lisa and Rachel. She amended her thought. Birth family, not real family. “Pete seems like a good guy. I guess I could do worse for a father.”
“I don’t think the baby boy was his. The file said he’d gone overseas before you were born, and Janet didn’t write him a letter about you until she was already in prison.”
“Why would he bring her here? He knows her history.”
Ian reached forward and caressed her arm. “That’s the second part of the file. He has a reason.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Kalin rode her bike from Stone Mountain to Holden, keeping close to the side of the road. She preferred the paved shoulders on the highway in the valley, but the downhill ride to town got her adrenaline rushing. She rode her prize possession as often as she could. Today was her day off, and she needed to work out the stress.
She missed Ben. He hadn’t called her, and she didn’t know if that was a good or a bad sign. She would quit her job if the sacrifice me
ant getting him back. Nothing mattered but him. Finding out who started the fire and placing blame would help him recover. She pumped her legs harder as if that would make her feel better or at least feel less.
The downhill ride took forty-five minutes. She kept an eye on both sides of the highway, searching for wildlife and using her brakes occasionally to slow her speed. The way home wouldn’t be as easy, and she hoped the twelve hundred meter climb would exhaust her.
Kalin’s friend, Charlotte Summers, worked as a reporter for the local newspaper. They’d met when Charlotte interviewed her about being the new director of security for Stone Mountain. Kalin was the first woman to hold the position, and Charlotte had been writing a series of articles about professional women working in the area.
The shingle in front of The Holden Press had been swinging in the same spot for over thirty years. If anyone knew something about the Olsen family, it would be someone working there. Kalin arrived, sweaty and tired, and locked her bike to the bike rack. She removed her helmet and did her best to straighten her hair. She tucked her riding gloves into her fanny pack and grabbed her wallet and cell. She found Charlotte sitting behind her desk in a cube.
Charlotte wore her hair waist length and tied in a single braid down her back. She looked eighteen but was twenty-six. Her brown eyes carried an innocent and curious expression. The first impression she exuded was that she was trustworthy and that gave her an advantage. People often found themselves talking openly with her, forgetting they were talking to a reporter.
“Hey, what’s up?” Charlotte asked when she spotted Kalin entering the office.
Kalin greeted her and got right to the point. “I need to find out what you know about the Olsen family.”
“Where should I start? There are so many of them.”
Blaze (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 2) Page 18
