At Hidden Falls (Angel's Bay Novel)

by Barbara Freethy

  “It’s me, Isabella.”

  “Are you all right?” Elena said worriedly. “Your mother told me you’d been in an accident. Why didn’t you call me?”

  She’d played down the accident to almost nothing when she’d spoken to her parents. But her grandmother had always been able to see past her white lies, which was why she hadn’t called her.

  “I’m fine now. I even have a job at the Angel’s Bay theater. They’re putting on a winter production, and they need costumers. It seemed like a lovely coincidence, until I discovered that a woman who apparently had eyes similar to mine worked here some fifty years ago. And the pendant belonged to her. Her name was Leticia.” She waited for her grandmother to respond, but there was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. “Do you know who she was or where she is? She’d be in her early eighties now, I would imagine.”

  “Leticia Cardoza,” her grandmother said slowly. “I haven’t heard that name in many, many years. She was a second or third cousin, and she did have your eyes. She died a long time ago; I don’t think she was out of her twenties at the time.”

  A chill ran down Isabella’s spine. Instinctively, she’d known that Leticia was dead, but she felt an odd wave of pain. Maybe because she was treading in Leticia’s footsteps, doing her job, wearing her necklace, talking to people who’d once loved her.

  “What else can you tell me about her?” Isabella asked.

  Her grandmother seemed hesitant, which made her more uneasy.

  “Grandmother?”

  “There was a rumor that she killed herself.”

  The words took her breath away. Finally, she managed to get out, “Why?”

  “Perhaps that’s for you to find out. She had your gift, Isabella. And you have her necklace. Maybe it’s her spirit that drew you there.”

  Isabella put her hand to the necklace. “If she killed herself, she didn’t care much for our gift, either.”

  “You’re not her, Isabella. You’re strong.”

  Was she? Sometimes her dreams made her feel as if she was going crazy. Isabella drew in a breath. “When I showed you the pendant, did you know it was hers?”

  “No. I’d forgotten that Carlos had moved into the house of a cousin. I thought it was tied to him or to your brother.”

  “I wish I knew what I was supposed to do.”

  “You’ll know what to do when it’s time. When you embrace what God gave you, when you believe in yourself.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Isabella said good-bye.

  Had Leticia killed herself? Harrison had told her that Leticia had left town. Was he lying? Or didn’t he know?

  EIGHT

  The week had flown by, Charlotte thought as she left the house late Friday afternoon. Taking care of the baby day and night, she’d lost all sense of time. Now she understood why all of the new moms who came for their six-week checkups were so excited to be out. It was amazing how much attention one tiny baby could need. She was gaining more appreciation for her own mother by the minute.

  Her mom was now in charge of the baby, and she was free. She’d called Joe, hoping for an update, but he wasn’t answering his phone, so she headed over to the church. Andrew wasn’t in his office, but his secretary directed Charlotte to his house next door, saying he’d gone home for a late lunch.

  Seeing the large two-story house with the big front porch and wide green lawn brought a knot to Charlotte’s throat. This was the house she’d grown up in when her father had been the minister. She’d spent all of her childhood here, and there were a lot of memories, both good and bad.

  She smiled as she climbed the porch stairs, remembering when she’d made out with Andrew on this very porch. They’d had a passionate teenage romance, and she’d thought their feelings were mutual—until he’d cheated on her. Things had fallen apart very quickly. After graduation, they’d gone in different directions, and they hadn’t seen each other in more than a decade until they’d both ended up back here in Angel’s Bay several months ago.

  It was odd how Andrew had stepped into her father’s life. She’d never imagined that he would become a minister. She had never thought of Andrew as a particularly spiritual person, but something had happened to send him in that direction. He was still finding his way, but he had a natural talent for counseling and ministering to the community. Some of the older members of the congregation weren’t quite ready to accept him as their leader, but he was slowly winning them over with his charm, something he had in abundance. There was a line of single women hoping to become the new minister’s girlfriend and possibly his wife.

  Although Andrew had been flirting with her since he’d come back, she’d been hesitant to get involved with him again. But she’d been equally reluctant to cut him completely out of her life. It was silly, but deep down inside, when he turned his golden boy smile on her, she felt like that insecure teenager who couldn’t quite believe the most popular kid in school wanted her.

  The door opened before she had a chance to knock. “Charlie,” Andrew said in surprise. “I was just about to head over to your place and see how things were going.”

  “I’d like to say it’s quiet, but Annie’s baby is rocking the house.”

  He smiled. “How do you like your taste of motherhood?”

  “It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

  “Come on in. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, thanks, I’m good.” As she stepped into the entryway, she was struck by an unexpected wave of emotion. She could almost smell dinner cooking in the kitchen, hear her mother and father chatting with friends at the dining-room table, see her brother racing his trucks down the hallway, and listen to her sister gabbing on the phone to her boyfriend.

  “You okay?” Andrew asked, his gaze sharpening. “It bothers you to see my stuff in your house, doesn’t it?”

  She took a deep breath. “It’s your house now.”

  “I could still use some decorating help.” He led her into the living room which didn’t boast much beyond a sofa and two armchairs that didn’t look at all like Andrew’s taste. “My aunt sent over some furniture,” he said in answer to her unspoken question. “I’ve been so busy with the church that I haven’t thought about replacing it.”

  “Well, it works,” she said, taking a seat. “Have you heard any more about Annie?”

  “The chief isn’t keeping you updated?”

  “He is, but I haven’t heard anything since he showed me the cross they found near the bag from the market. I can’t believe anyone in this town would want to take Annie away from her baby.”

  “It could have been random.”

  “That’s almost harder to believe, given the circumstances.” The doorbell rang, three sharp peals of impatience. “You’re popular.”

  “Looks that way.”

  She waited in the living room as Andrew went to get the door, but as soon as she heard Joe’s angry voice, she jumped to her feet and walked into the entryway.

  Joe had his hands on his hips, fury in his eyes, and when he saw her, he looked even more pissed off.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Your boyfriend here just made things a lot worse,” Joe said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Andrew shared Annie’s secret with several of the men in question—against my express wishes,” he added, sending Andrew a killing look.

  “Why does it matter?” Andrew challenged. “We need to get to the truth, and I have a relationship with those couples. I’m the one who set up the meetings between them and Annie. I thought I had a better chance of getting whoever the father is to confess.”

  “Well, it didn’t work that way, did it?”

  Andrew frowned. “There’s still time.”

  “Time is what we don’t have. Dan McCarthy and Steve Baker have hired an attorney. They’re refusing to answer any more questions or give their DNA. I can get a court order, but that’s going to take a little time. Whatever chance
we had of getting someone to give something up without realizing it just went out the window.”

  Charlotte couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why would they get an attorney, Joe?”

  “To avoid being dragged into a kidnapping charge or having their reputations smeared across town. Because the rumors are all over Angel’s Bay.”

  “I didn’t realize. I’ve been in the house all day,” she murmured. “Andrew was only trying to help.”

  Joe’s frown deepened. “This is a police investigation. You both need to stay out of it.”

  “What are you going to do now?” she asked.

  “Keep looking for Annie while I try to set up some DNA tests. Not that paternity will necessarily lead us to Annie, but it will tell us who’s legally responsible for the baby. That will get you and your mother off the hook.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. She’d bonded with the baby, and she felt a responsibility to Annie to keep him safe until she came back. Whoever the father was, he hadn’t acted honorably or responsibly so far. “Why would two of the men hire attorneys? They both can’t be guilty. I don’t think Annie slept with more than one guy.”

  “They’re friends. They could be protecting each other,” Joe said.

  She glanced at Andrew. “What do you think?”

  “That would be my guess,” he said tightly, a glint of anger in his eyes.

  Joe and Andrew didn’t care much for each other, which she found a little surprising since they were both community-minded men. A tiny, vain part of her wondered if their animosity toward each other was in part because of their interest in her, although until very recently, Joe had been married. And Andrew had been out of her life for a long, long time.

  “Did Dan or Steve say anything to you, Andrew?” she asked.

  “No, not really,” Andrew answered. “They both acted surprised. Erin and Tory weren’t present when I told them about the paternity issue. I spoke to all of the men privately.”

  “Someone is lying.” Joe fixed Andrew with a pointed gaze. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t have any more contact with the parties involved.”

  “I won’t go out of my way, but if someone wants to speak to me, I will listen.”

  “I’ll walk you out, Joe,” Charlotte suggested quickly, sensing that Joe didn’t like Andrew’s answer. “We’ll talk later, Andrew.”

  “Definitely.”

  She stepped onto the porch, pulled the front door shut, then followed Joe out to the sidewalk. “I’ve never seen you so mad,” she said, stopping by his car.

  “Andrew screwed things up.”

  “I’m sure that wasn’t his intent. While I understand that you don’t want him in the middle of your investigation, it is possible these men would talk more freely to him, because they’ve shared some very personal things already. You and Andrew should find a way to work together.”

  “That’s going to be tough to do, with you in the middle.”

  She drew in a quick breath. They’d both been tiptoeing around their relationship ever since he’d signed the divorce papers. “I’m not in the middle.”

  “Sure you are.”

  “Look, Joe, we can’t do this now.”

  “Agreed,” he said. “But someday . . . soon.”

  The promise in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. She almost called him on it, but she couldn’t. Not yet. She needed to find Annie, and Joe’s divorce needed to be finalized.

  She changed the subject. “I’ve been thinking about who could possibly want to take Annie, and I wonder if we should try to talk to her father again.” The last time they’d attempted that, the man had run them off his property with a shotgun.

  “I went up there earlier today. Annie’s father is no longer living at that shack. It’s been abandoned for at least a few weeks. And he picked up his last disability check at a post office box more than two weeks ago and hasn’t been back since.”

  She’d never thought about the fact that Annie’s father had probably been to Angel’s Bay in the past few months. “Do you think he ever came by the house and saw Annie?”

  “What do you think?”

  She thought for a moment. “I can’t imagine Annie wouldn’t have told us. She was afraid of him.”

  “Annie might not have wanted to spook you,” Joe suggested. “She was happy with you and your mom. She wouldn’t have wanted to risk getting kicked out.”

  “But Annie’s father washed his hands of her when she got pregnant. He was adamant several months ago that she was dead to him. But if not him, then who? A random stranger? Or one of the potential fathers? Hiring an attorney seems to imply some sort of guilt. I can’t imagine what Tory and Erin must think. And the guys are only postponing the inevitable. It won’t be difficult to prove DNA; then the lie is over. I don’t get it.”

  “People do funny things when they’re running scared. Actions aren’t always logical.”

  “But what does taking Annie get anyone?”

  “Maybe she knew more about this guy than that he was just unfaithful.”

  Goose bumps tickled her nerves. “You have to find her, Joe.”

  “I intend to.”

  She liked his confidence, but Annie had been gone several days already. The trail had to be growing cold. “When you find the father, will he automatically get the baby?”

  “Barring any reason he shouldn’t, I would think yes.”

  “If he wanted his son, he would have come forward already,” she protested.

  “But claiming his son might end his marriage.”

  Charlotte sighed. “I know several of the wives. Not one of them deserves what’s coming.”

  “People rarely get what they deserve,” Joe said heavily. “I learned that a long time ago.” The flash of hurt in his eyes was gone as quickly as it came. “I’ll be in touch.”

  She nodded. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me. I know you don’t want amateurs getting in the middle of things. But I care a lot about Annie and her baby. If she wants to give her child away, I want it to be her decision, not someone else’s. I just hope it’s not too late.”

  “Let’s go, we’re going to be late,” Megan declared.

  Nick was surprised that his daughter cared about the time. But when she jangled the car keys in her hand, he realized why. “I take it you’re driving.”

  “I need to practice. And you said you’d let me,” she reminded him.

  “All right.” He grabbed his jacket as Megan opened the back door. She had announced that she’d agreed to babysit for his cousin Colleen’s younger daughter, and while he appreciated Megan’s desire to work, he’d hoped to spend some time with her. Apparently, the only time she wanted with him was while she was behind the wheel of his car. He supposed he should be grateful for that.

  “What time will Colleen be back?” he asked as he got into the passenger seat. “And why isn’t Cord watching his younger sister?”

  “Cord is going to some party. And Colleen said they’d be back around midnight. I can’t imagine anything in this town goes later than that.”

  “I’ll pick you up.”

  “I wasn’t planning on walking.”

  He sighed. Megan was so afraid to let him in, even just a little bit.

  “How did it go at the theater today?”

  “Fine,” she said as she buckled her seatbelt.

  “Where did you work?”

  “Mostly in the costume shop.” Megan shot him a quick look. “Isabella thinks you’re a superhero because you saved her life. I told her she didn’t know you at all.”

  That stung, as he was sure she’d intended it to.

  She started the engine and adjusted her mirrors.

  “Megan, wait. Before we both have to concentrate on the road, I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”

  She sighed. “What?”

  “Do you remember anything about your life with me before your mom took you to London?”

  She stared straight ahead and was qu
iet so long he thought either she didn’t remember or she had no intention of answering him. Finally, she said, “I remember a place with stripes on the window and round tables and ice cream.”

  “Sweet Treats. It was an ice cream parlor down the street from our apartment. I used to pick you up at preschool, and we’d get an ice cream. You were a vanilla girl, just like me.”

  She turned to look at him. “How come you picked me up from school? Didn’t you have a job?”

  “I had a couple of jobs—bartender, courier, busboy, whatever I could find. I wasn’t qualified for much, with just a high school diploma and a lot of theater experience.”

  “Why didn’t you get a job in the theater, like Mom?”

  “I never wanted to act.” He paused. “Whatever I thought about your mom, I never doubted her talent. Kendra was really good.”

  “Yeah, she could make you believe anything,” Megan said. A small sniff ended her sentence.

  He gave her a quick look and saw tears in her eyes before she looked away. “She loved you. She still does.”

  “She loves herself the most,” Megan said. His daughter might pretend not to notice much, but she saw everything.

  “She always wanted you with her, Megan.”

  “I was a good prop until I got too old.”

  He hated the cold cynicism in her voice.

  “You were lucky she took me with her to London,” Megan added. “You got to go to school and become an architect.”

  “Yes. But most of what drove me to find a career that I was good at and that I could be successful in was you.” Expressing his emotions had never come easily for him—one reason he’d never been a good actor. “I wanted to be someone you could look up to, Megan.”

  “Me? Or my mother?” she challenged. “Did you do it so you could get her back? Isn’t that why you came to London and left without seeing me, because she was getting married to someone else, and you realized you were too late?”

  “That wasn’t it at all.”

  “You’re seriously telling me you don’t still have a thing for her? She’s beautiful. Every man wants her.”

  “I don’t feel anything for her except extreme disappointment and anger. I messed up, but she did, too. And you were the one to pay for our mistakes. I’ll regret that till the day I die.”