Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

Gareth picked Katelyn up early the next morning in front of her house. Grinning as she came bounding down the walk, he admired her curves. Athletic, she had a great body showcased in black jeans and a pink sweater with a leather jacket. Professional and hot…what a combination.

  Deciding to check out Walter’s business first, they were taking a day trip across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. A seventeen-mile combination of tunnels and bridges, it spanned the bay from Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore.

  “Did you know this modern-day wonder is one of the reasons the railroad went out of business on the Eastern Shore?”

  Gareth glanced to the passenger side of his vehicle as Katelyn’s gaze turned to him, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses. “Nope, enlighten me.”

  “The whole Baytown area was formerly plantations. The land was then purchased in the late 1800s by a man intent on running the Pennsylvania Railroad down to the end of the Eastern Shore of Virginia where a harbor would allow goods and passengers to travel by water to Virginia Beach or Norfolk. By 1885, Baytown was already bustling with commercial and residential buildings.”

  “Have you been secretly hiding a historian behind your amazing looks?” Gareth laughed.

  Giving a playful slap on his shoulder, she said, “Oh, believe me, if you were born and raised in this area, you were taught all the local history from first grade on up!”

  “And the bridge?” he prompted.

  “Baytown was the epicenter of North Heron County for a long time but then took a nose dive during World War II. That’s when trucks and highways took over most of the carrying of goods after the Bay Bridge and Tunnels were built. The railways weren’t needed as much and, now, Baytown resembles more of a sleepy village until the warm weather vacationers come through.”

  “You have definitely enlightened me, Ms. MacFarlane,” he replied, a gleam in his eye. He looked out over the water as the sunlight glistened over the surface. “This is really gorgeous,” he said, his voice softer now. “First time I drove over to the Eastern Shore, I knew I needed to land there.”

  Katelyn stared at him, his handsome profile catching her attention as always, but his somber words snagged her interest even more. “Where are you from? I realize I know almost nothing about you.”

  His quick glance to the side found her sunglasses now perched up on her head, pushing her hair back from her face, as her eyes bore intently into his. Heaving a sigh, he rubbed his chin as he replied, “It’s not all that exciting.”

  Reaching over, she placed her hand on his thigh. “I’d really like to know.”

  “I’m from West Virginia originally,” he began. “My dad died in a factory accident when I was ten.” Sighing heavily, he added, “He was a good man…a good dad. Mama was never quite the same after that. She kind of checked out, if you know what I mean.” Gareth glanced sideways again and saw the sympathy in Katelyn’s eyes and explained, “Alcohol became her drug of choice when she just wanted to forget. Problem was, she sometimes forgot she had kids. She was also the type of woman who needed to have a man around and wasn’t always picky about who it was. She finally remarried but he was verbally abusive to her…well, to all of us when I was little. It wasn’t until I was about 16 that I got big enough that I could stand up for her…and myself.”

  Her mouth fell open as she thought of his words, but she found she was afraid to ask more. “Um…kids? So you have siblings.”

  Smiling, he said, “Yeah, I’ve got an older sister. She married young—right out of high school. I think she was trying to escape our mom and stepdad. But she married a decent man who works at the same factory our dad did. They’ve been married for about fifteen years. I’ve got a thirteen-year-old nephew and a ten-year-old niece.”

  “Oh, nice,” Katelyn said, her smile genuine.

  Shrugging, he continued, “Anyway, I moved in with my sister as soon as I graduated high school and her husband got me a job at the factory, but it just wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. Not that I knew what I wanted…I just knew slaving in the factory wasn’t it for me. So, I joined the Air Force, did a couple of tours before ending up at Dover Air Force Base.” Unsure if Katelyn knew about Dover’s reputation, he shot another glance toward her.

  She scrunched her nose as she tried to think why Dover AFB sounded so familiar. Gasping, she said, “I’ve heard about Dover in the news.”

  Nodding sadly, he said, “Yeah, I was assigned a job investigating the remains of some of the cases they took. They did more than just the returning of military remains.”

  “Oh, wow,” she breathed, her thoughts drifting off for a few minutes. Giving a slight shake, she pulled her mind back to the present. “Is that why you got into investigations?”

  Nodding, he replied, “I was interested in the knowledge needed for investigating, but had no desire to go into police science. I liked the idea of working for myself.”

  “Do you think you’ll ever want to move back? To where your family is?”

  He heard the tentative sound of her voice and was unable to hold back his snort. “Hell, no!” Noticing her startle at his vehemence, he apologized. “Sorry…didn’t mean to snap at you, but,” shaking his head, “there is no home for me in West Virginia anymore. To be honest, it never was much of a home. Just a place to be raised. Mom died while I was overseas…alcohol poisoning. Her worthless husband is long gone. And, other than seeing my sister and her family occasionally, I’ve got no ties there.” Rubbing his hand over his jaw, he added, “Baytown is my home now.”

  She smiled, his answer sliding warmth throughout her being. After a moment of quiet reflection, she decided to change the subject since it appeared he had given her more than he felt comfortable with. “Did you talk to Colt about Walter?”

  “That’s right, I did that last evening and forgot to tell you. With the Berry’s home in North Heron County, and not Baytown, I had to involve the Sheriff and not Mitch. I gave Colt all the information that Eleanor had given us and let him know what we were doing.”

  “Does he have any ideas?”

  Shaking his head, Gareth added, “No. Said they had no records about the Berrys at all…no calls to their house, no complaints filed. Live in a nice area.”

  Falling into an easy silence for the rest of the trip they soon parked outside Walter’s business. Sucking in a deep breath, Katelyn let it out slowly.

  Looking over at her, Gareth said, “Are you all right?”

  “Strangely nervous,” she admitted. “Up until now, when clients came in to talk to you, the investigation was mostly what we could dig up from our offices. Now, this seems real.”

  He agreed with her assessment and reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’ll be fine. Just relax and, if something comes to mind, it’s okay to ask. But follow my lead. Consider this a learning experience.” Nodding his encouragement, he released her hand and grinned. “Come on…let’s go search for clues.”

  Entering Berry and Associates Accounting, they were greeted by an attractive receptionist sitting behind a neat, large wooden desk. As the woman stood to greet them, Katelyn immediately noticed her youth. Is she even twenty years old? She was wearing a black, pencil skirt paired with a lilac, silk blouse and her hair was pulled back from her perfectly made-up face and held with a large clip.

  “Hello. Welcome to Berry and Associates Accounting. May I help you?”

  Gareth introduced the two of them and asked to speak to one of Walter’s associates. As the receptionist walked from behind her desk, Katelyn noticed the designer boots as well. Damn! Leaning toward Gareth, she said, “The accounting business must be doing well. Did you see the clothes on the receptionist?”

  “I noticed but had no idea of the costs,” he admitted.

  “Certainly not cheap,” she replied.

  Just then, the receptionist reappeared and asked them to follow her. They were led down a plush-carpeted hall to a closed door. With a knock, the woman opened the door and motioned for them to enter.

  Making their wa
y into the large office, they were greeted by an older man. He stood and introduced himself.

  “I’m William Maskey, one of the partners here at our firm. How may I help you, Mr. Harrison…Ms. MacFarlane?”

  “We have been contracted by Mr. Berry’s wife to locate him and wanted to know what thoughts you may have about his disappearance.”

  William’s ruddy face immediately reddened more as his lips pinched into a thin line. Nodding toward the chairs, he said, “Please, sit down.” Once the three were settled, he shook his head and said, “I don’t understand what’s going on. Walter told me last week that he was taking a trip and would be out on Friday and Monday. Then Eleanor called yesterday, wondering where he was.”

  “Did Walter say Eleanor was taking the trip as well?” Gareth asked.

  Wrinkling his forehead in thought, he said, “I honestly can’t remember. I mean, I guess I just assumed he was talking about him and Eleanor, but…maybe he didn’t mention her.”

  “Would you consider this behavior to be normal for Walter? Either going away without his wife or lying about it?”

  “No, no,” William said, his jowls shaking as he shook his head.

  “Do you know if he talked to others about his plans?” Katelyn asked.

  His grimace caused his face to appear bulldoggish as he replied, “After she called, I did ask the other employees if they had heard from Walter. No one had.” Thinking for a moment, he said, “Well, I asked Sandra, the other accountant that works here, and Beth, our office manager. Ed, our accounting intern, wasn’t here yesterday morning but he came in later and, well, Carrie, our receptionist was off sick yesterday.”

  “Have you noticed any strange behavior from Walter lately or, say, within the last six months?” Gareth queried.

  Once more shaking his head, William said, “Not that I’ve noticed. Walter’s a very honorable man. A very conscientious accountant. I’ve never once noticed any behavior from him that made me suspicious of anything.” He sat for a moment, his head slightly down, as he appeared to be pondering his next words. Looking back up, he asked, “Do you think something has happened to him?”

  “We have no way of knowing, at this time. All we know is, his behavior from last week to now has left his wife wondering where he is. Do you have any information…or even thoughts that might shed some light on the situation?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never thought of him as a philandering man but,” shrugging a little, he added, “but I sometimes wonder if we ever really know someone.”

  Tuning into what William said, Gareth prodded, “Is there anyone in particular you’re speaking of?”

  Reddening, William admitted, “Oh, no. Not in particular. Not really…”

  “But you can think of some people you aren’t so sure about, can’t you?” Katelyn said, her warm smile focused directly on the older man.

  Meeting her smile with a small one of his own, he said, rubbing his chin, “Things are different nowadays. Used to be just me and Walter, along with a secretary who also served as our office manager…and she always called us Mr. Berry and Mr. Maskey. When she retired, he hired Beth, who is very efficient, but seems to be liberal with her sick days as well as her greetings.” Shaking his head, he added, “I liked the old ways. Now, we have another accountant, who’s uh…much younger than myself. Sandra’s very professional—no complaints there. But then Walter hired a really young receptionist. Carrie. The first time I saw her, I thought she was just a teenager. He took a real shine to her and she’s been with us for a few months now. And then Walter wanted to take on an intern, so we have Ed. He’s much closer to Carrie’s age, but I swear…there were times I thought Walter might be jealous of him.” Sighing heavily, William said, “I feel guilty saying these things.”

  “I understand, but if something has happened to Walter, then it’s best to look at all possible issues that might have a bearing,” Gareth assured. “Would it be possible for us to talk to the others that work here?”

  “Well, Sandra is off today. She called in sick this morning and Ed is in class. He only works three days a week for us. But you met Carrie when you came in. You may certainly talk to her. And Beth is around as well.”

  With goodbyes said after handing William a business card, they made their way back to the front, finding the receptionist behind her desk again. With a charming wink, Gareth asked, “Would it be possible for us to have a few minutes of your time?”

  “Of course,” she replied, a mega-watt smile reaching her eyes as she stared up at Gareth.

  Katelyn mentally rolled her eyes, but plastered a smile on her face in return.

  “I suppose Mr. Maskey told you that Mr. Berry appears to be missing?” Gareth began, noticing as the smile immediately left Carrie’s face.

  “I was out sick yesterday, but he asked me this morning if I knew anything. I have no idea why he thinks I would know but, then, Walter has been so good to me since I started here. Perhaps William thought that Walter confided in me.”

  “And did he?”

  Shaking her head, she answered, “No. He didn’t say anything to me about his weekend plans.”

  “And you were out yesterday?” Katelyn threw out, her eyebrow lifted as she kept her smile in place.

  “Yes. I was terribly sick. There may be something going around the office because Ed was out part of yesterday also and Sandra is out today.”

  “And you’re sure you haven’t heard anything from Mr. Berry?” Gareth continued.

  “No. I saw him last Thursday as he left at the end of the day. That was the last time I saw him.”

  “I understand he’s the one who hired you?” Gareth pushed.

  A wide smile returned to Carrie’s face as she gushed, “Oh, yes. He hired me and has been super sweet to me as I’ve learned the duties of the job. Very patient…very kind. Just a super sweet boss.”

  “How did you come to know about this position?” he asked.

  Carrie’s face scrunched for a moment. “My mom saw an advertisement and suggested I apply. I was so excited when Walter hired me. I was just sure that he would think I was too young.”

  Gareth, seeing Katelyn about to make a comment, jumped in and asked, “What about Sandra or Beth? Did he also hire them as well?”

  Leaning forward, her voice lowered, she glanced to the hall behind her as she said, “Yes. It’s my understanding that he and William had a few words over hiring Beth. She wasn’t as experienced as William thought she should be.”

  “And you were?” Katelyn jumped in again, earning a slight frown from Gareth. Shooting an apology toward him with her eyes, she smiled back at Carrie.

  “Well, I’m just a receptionist, so my position doesn’t have to be so precise.”

  Gareth, with a slight nod toward Katelyn, asked Carrie, “May we meet with Beth now, please?”

  “Certainly,” Carrie responded, jumping up and hustling down the hall.

  Turning to Gareth, Katelyn asked, “How am I doing?”

  “Pretty good, but you need to go slowly,” Gareth warned. “You’re letting your suspicions show and that can shut down a possible witness or source of information.”

  Katelyn’s shoulders slumped, knowing he was right. “I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment.”

  “This is your first day in the field. It’s bound to happen. Just follow my lead, okay?”

  Nodding, she clamped her mouth shut as Carrie came back in. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to Beth’s office.”

  As Carrie stepped back from the doorway to another office, Gareth and Katelyn observed as an attractive brunette stood from behind her desk, her smile greeting them. After introductions, they questioned the office manager as to what she might know.

  Shaking her head, Beth replied, “I’m afraid I was out at the end of last week so I wasn’t around for Walter to tell me of his weekend plans.”

  “You were out right before the weekend, Carrie was out yesterday, and Sandra is out today. Is that usual for
the office?” Gareth asked.

  Beth’s lips tightened as she retorted, “I assure you, Mr. Harrison, this is a very professional accounting firm. No, we are not usually out, but like any workplace, employees can have sick days.”

  “Oh, I totally understand,” Katelyn said, her smile warm as she cut her eyes toward Gareth. “My boss comes to work when he’s sick, but I’d so much prefer that he didn’t.” Beth returned Katelyn’s smile. “Can you tell if Mr. Berry’s behavior has been different recently? With you or with any of the other staff?”

  “Well,” Beth leaned in closer to Katelyn than Gareth, “I was surprised when he hired that child for a receptionist! I mean, really!” Seeming to recall that she should not speak ill of her boss, Beth quickly added, “I’m not saying anything inappropriate was going on from his end, but Carrie seems to adore him…more than she should, if you ask me.”

  A few more minutes of questions followed, but it appeared they had squeezed all the information they could from William, Carrie, and Beth for the time being.

  As they began the return trip over the long bay bridge and tunnels, Katelyn turned to Gareth and said, “Okay, I admit…I’m totally confused. Every time we talked to someone, I thought I might have a handle on what was going on. But now, I have no idea who might know where Walter is.”

  “So, how do you feel about investigating now?” he asked, glancing to the side, observing the faint glower on her face.

  “It was hard to control my nerves…I didn’t expect that. Hard to keep my face impassive like yours.”

  “Hey, don’t worry about it. You’re learning. We both want answers, we just have to be careful with how far and how fast to push people.”

  Taking in his ready and welcoming smile, she let out a relieved breath. “Thanks, for saying that. I don’t want to let you down in this.”

  “You won’t. You did great.”

  Looking out over the water, she was quiet for a few minutes, her mind working the new information. “Investigating’s like a puzzle, but I have no idea if I have all the pieces to even work on it.”

  Nodding, he said, “That’s about right. Katelyn, I don’t solve every case. Sometimes I have to go back to the client and tell them I can’t find out what they want. Other times, I have to turn it over to the police, because what I find out is in their jurisdiction.”