The Harvest Club

by Iona Morrison

  After a few minutes Pam’s soft voice broke through the heavy silence. “Gina loved that floral dress, and it sounds like something she would do to get help for her kids if she could. You must be overwhelmed, Jessie. It’s strange even to think of it as a possibility.” Pam looked at Jessie, her eyes moist with unshed tears. “Gina was a wonderful daughter, not perfect by any means, but caring and a very good mother. Whatever else she was, she was first and foremost a great mother.”

  “Her kids miss her something awful.” Don straightened in his chair. “We are trying to help them find a new kind of normal, but it’s not easy with the custody battle hanging over their heads. They’re not even Brad’s kids. He’s just doing it to make it look like he cares and give the impression he’s a loving father. The kids don’t want to be with him, but Brad had started the process of adoption before Gina was killed.”

  “Who’s their real father, if you don’t mind me asking?” Jessie looked at Don as she asked the question.

  “His name is Bill Johnson, but he’s had nothing to do with the kids for years. He’s in prison for drugs and armed robbery.”

  “Is there anything you can tell me that might lead to the person or persons who murdered your daughter?” Jessie threw out the loaded question.

  Don looked at his wife and clearly made a decision. “We are going to tell you what we know because I believe, however strange your story seems, Gina is trying to help us find her killer.”

  Pam leaned forward. “Ever since I can remember Gina wanted to be a pastor. She was assigned her first church, when Bill Jr. was little and Gina had just found out she was pregnant again. Bill resented her time at the church and became overly protective and jealous of her. He called her nonstop, wanting to know where she was and who she was with. Pastor Scott, the senior pastor, was trying to help Gina. He could see the problem escalating so he sent her to another pastor friend in the next town for counseling.” Pam stopped to collect herself.

  “Bill was becoming very abusive. To make a long story short, Bill followed Gina one day and caught her in an innocent embrace with her counselor and almost beat her to death.” Pam wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks. “To this day I don’t know how she didn’t have a miscarriage.”

  “Bill was arrested, and before his case went to trial, high on drugs, he robbed a liquor store and threatened the clerk with a gun. After he was convicted and sent to prison, Gina divorced him.”

  Pam continued. “After counseling, she seemed to be doing better. It was during this time she met Brad Martin, who fell head over heels in love with her. He left the priesthood to marry her. I’m not sure she felt the same way, but she saw it as a way to survive. Gina was assigned to the church here almost three years ago. Excuse me, my throat’s a little dry. I’ll be right back.” Pam went into the kitchen to get some water and brought Jessie a glass, also.

  “Thank you, Pam.” Jessie took a sip.

  Don took up the story. “Everything seemed to be going well, at least we thought it was. Then we started to notice bruises on Gina’s arms that were only visible if a sleeve slipped up. Bill and Sarah seemed to be fussy and always wanting to stay here. And then right before Gina was killed, she told us she had found out something and was going to leave Brad. When we asked her what it was, she wouldn’t tell us. She told us it was too dangerous, if we knew it could get us killed. It must have been what got her killed.” Don walked across the room to the desk and pulled out a piece of paper. He gave it to Jessie to read. It was a copy of a typed note: Now, dear Gina, you can no longer see anything. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Did you know that when they found the body her eyes had been removed? The public wasn’t given that information. The police wanted to keep it under wraps. She was shot after she died. The body was staged, and her blood was everywhere.” His voice trembled as he sat back down. “We still wonder how much she suffered.”

  Jessie felt sick. “I didn’t know.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “My daughter’s eyes were beautiful, so full of mischief and life.” Pam was openly crying and looked at Jessie. “They took her beautiful eyes. I get so enraged just thinking of it.”

  Don’s hands tightened into a fist. “When you described Gina to us the way you saw her. It gave me comfort to know you saw her with her pretty brown eyes again. I wish someone could tell me—how we can ever get over this? I know in my heart that Brad had something to do with it. He was abusing her, and no matter what his alibi is, that bastard is somehow connected to this.” Don turned away, breathing hard. “He’s alive, fighting to get my daughter’s children, and she’s dead and has no say, at least until now.” His voice broke. “Maybe you can give her a voice.”

  “I’m certainly going to try.” Jessie stood. “Here is my phone number. You can call me anytime you think of something no matter how small you think it is. Something as little as a deposit slip or a phone number can sometimes break a case wide open. “She reached for Pam’s hand and held it. “Before I leave, could you please tell me some of your happiest memories of your daughter? Anything from when she was young and recent stories would be great, too.”

  She couldn’t imagine the pain they felt every time they thought about what had happened to their daughter. Don and Pam’s stories gave her a better idea about who Gina was before she hit the troubled times in her life. Gina had been a kind, generous person who was outgoing and very talented. She was a good mother, but maybe a little naïve when it came to men. But then there was probably at least one bad relationship in every girl’s life, Jessie reflected.

  “Thank you for sharing your daughter’s life with me. It sounds like she was a lovely person. I hope in some small way this will help the police solve her murder.” She walked toward the door. “I will stay in touch and send you a copy of Gina’s story before I send it to my boss. You can read and approve or disapprove it.” She stepped onto the porch and turned to leave.

  ****

  When Jessie got in her car, she checked her phone and noticed a message from Matt. He wanted her to give him a call.

  Interesting…She called before starting the car. “Hi Matt, this is Jessie, what’s up?”

  “Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”

  “I’ve been in Rocky Pointe visiting Gina’s parents.” She took a quick breath. “Before you go ballistic on me, I did tell you I was going to do a story, and I was very careful not to upset them.”

  “Could you meet me for dinner tonight at the Chowder House?” He sounded amazingly calm. “You could tell me about your visit, and we can talk about some other things I wanted to discuss with you.”

  Jessie couldn’t tell from his voice if he was angry or not. “Are you all right? You’re not mad or anything?” She was puzzled.

  “We can talk about it tonight.”

  “Only if you promise you’re not going to yell. I don’t want a scene in public.” She wondered if he was frowning.

  “I’m not going to yell, but I should ask for the same promise from you. You haven’t always been sweet and civil.”

  “Touché!” Was he smiling? “What time? I’m leaving Rocky Pointe now.”

  “Does 6:30 give you enough time?”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Now what’s he up to? Her mind went through several scenarios on the drive home, most of them not pleasant. She arrived back in Blue Cove with just enough time to change and get to the Chowder House without being late.

  Spraying her favorite perfume behind her ear, she checked her appearance in the mirror. Her blue floral sundress looked good with her black strappy heels. She didn’t know why she was dressing up. Jeans and a flannel shirt were more his style. She grabbed her sweater and headed for the door. Admit it. She was intrigued. Matt was full of surprises.

  Chapter Seven

  When she pulled into the parking lot, she saw him standing next to a fully restored beautiful old pickup. He looked like a male model from a cologne ad. Dressed in jean
s, a blue dress shirt, and jacket, his long muscled frame leaned against the truck. He actually looked a little sexy.

  Before she could stop herself, it flew out of her mouth. “You clean up nice.”

  “Well, now, aren’t you a pretty shade of red?” He smiled at her. “You clean up pretty nice yourself.” He motioned toward the restaurant placing his hand in the small of her back. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Sweet car, by the way. ’64 was a good year for the Mustang.”

  Jessie loved the restaurant’s décor, a charming blend of New England and old English country inn. The Chowder House was set on the waterfront in a recently remodeled building; it had a fantastic view of the sun over the ocean. Matt had reserved a table by the window, so they could see the sunset and it looked like it was going to be spectacular. There were enough high, thin clouds from the earlier storm for the sun’s color to paint a stunning picture of pink and orange. Matt pulled out Jessie’s chair, taking her completely by surprise.

  After they were seated, an older man approached the table. He was carrying a couple of menus. A broad smile on his face crinkled the corners at his eyes until his whole face seemed to light up.

  “How are you tonight, Matt?” He looked over at Jessie. “Who is your lovely companion?”

  “I’m fine, Roger.” He turned toward her. “Jessie, this old womanizer is Roger Blackman. You’d do well to stay clear of him.” He chuckled.

  “Don’t believe a word he says. I’ve been married to the same woman for almost forty years. You have nothing to fear from me.” He handed her a menu. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you new to the area?”

  “I moved here two weeks ago today.” She smiled at him. “I’ve already learned to take what Matt tells me with a grain of salt.”

  “So you see, Matt, this lady is intelligent. She’s too smart to believe everything you say. It could spell trouble for you, my friend.” He waved for the waiter. “Peter will take good care of you tonight. I recommend the filet mignon and lobster.”

  Matt went with the steak and lobster, and Jessie settled on a large salad, with grilled chicken, apples, walnuts, and gorgonzola. Roger sent over a complimentary bottle of wine and two glasses. Peter poured the Merlot into each glass.

  Jessie sipped her wine and waited for Matt to explain the real reason they were out to dinner. She knew this wasn’t a date. Be patient. She waited for him to begin.

  “I have a proposition for you.” His deep voice intruded into her thoughts. “This is a truce of sorts. You and I both know we have strong opinions about each other. We are hardly together for a minute, and I say something that raises your hackles, and you get in my face. However, I thought it only fair to start this evening by telling you I did do a background check on you.”

  “What, are you kidding me?” She started to stand up. “And you think that’s a truce?”

  “Sit down,” he said curtly. “I acted within my boundaries as a professional, and I make no apologies for it. Be honest. If our roles were reversed, wouldn’t you do the same thing?”

  “I suppose I would.” She frowned at him.

  “I know you would.” A flicker of amusement lit his blue eyes. “I found out a lot about you from Neil Dempsey and Lieutenant O’Malley.”

  “And what was that?”

  “You are well-liked, respected, and came highly recommended. I was also duly warned that if I didn’t treat you right, I would have to answer to several people in New York. The question is now, are you going to tell on me?” His lips quirked into a half smile.

  “I guess it depends on how vengeful I’m feeling.” She smiled. “So what’s this all about?” She motioned around the restaurant.

  “This is my peace offering and a set-up of sorts before I make a request of you. I’m not smooth enough to ask it without help from the Chowder House, and I figured you won’t make a scene in public.”

  “Cut the bull.” Her lips twitched. “The one thing I know about you is you’re not too shy to tell me what you’re really thinking.”

  “I’ll just spell it out then. What I learned about you tells me we could have a professional relationship. It will have to be incognito for now. No one besides you, the chief, and I can know about it. Not Katie, Dylan, or anyone. The more people who know, well, it could put your life in jeopardy. That could change in the future, but is necessary for now.” He looked at her, his expression serious.

  “I want to bring your eyes, ears, and research in on Gina’s case. For everyone else, you must be the sweet little church secretary writing a freelance story about Gina. On this point, we must totally agree. We can continue our public dislike of each other, which shouldn’t be hard. Whatever you do has to be discreet because every question puts your life at risk, and these guys are real professionals who will let nothing or no one stop them.”

  “Won’t this little scene change all that?”

  “No, because you can get mad and walk out on me after dinner.” He smiled.

  “It should be easy enough to do with very little acting on my part.” She chuckled.

  “Ok, sweetheart, now that’s just mean and personal.” He clutched his heart. “Seriously though, how did it go with Gina’s parents?” He nixed the flirtatious banter.

  “They’re great people, and I learned a lot about Gina. It’s hard for them, especially the way Gina was murdered, and the fact that her eyes were missing.”

  “They told you? It was pretty awful to be sure.” His voice trailed off, and he seemed lost in thought.

  The silence gave her time to watch him as he leaned back in his chair, turning the stem of his wine glass slowly in a circle, an indescribable expression on his rugged features. “Can I ask you something?” she asked him.

  He lifted his brows. “Sure.”

  “How do you do it? I mean examining the crime scene for evidence, seeing the victims in gruesome reality, and telling their families? I could hardly stand to see the pain on the Bradley’s faces.”

  He frowned briefly. “In the beginning it used to twist my insides into knots. Eventually, I disconnected my work from my life. It’s a job. Some might think I’m hard, but in truth I’m trying not to feel anything.” He paused to watch her for a moment. “I do have a certain sense of satisfaction when a case is solved and another bad guy is off the streets. I imagine it’s something a little like what you must feel when a story you’ve labored over is published or read on a newscast somewhere.” His face closed down suddenly. He was done sharing.

  “You guys see some of the worst parts of humanity.” She shook her head.

  For the next hour, as they ate, she told him what she had learned from Pam and Don Bradley, the people at the church, and how oddly Pastor Rick had been acting. She was able to fill in some information that he hadn’t gotten in his interviews. She gave him her email address so he could send her information from Gina’s file. Earlier, he had mentioned to her that he wanted her to draw her own conclusions and do her own research. To let him know what she was thinking. She liked that idea. She already had an angle working in her head.

  “How did you end up in New York?” He put off the inevitable clash.

  “My father’s good friend Neil Dempsey, as you now know, offered me an internship when I graduated from college. It was a great start for me. I learned so much from him. In the beginning, I did his research. Neil demanded excellence, and legitimate sources. Everything had to be corroborated. I was given opportunities to advance based on real merit. In other words, I had to work for it. My favorite area was investigative work. I worked with some of the best in the field.” She smiled not quite believing they were actually talking normally.

  “Why didn’t you go home if you wanted to leave New York?” He tried to hide his grin.

  Her chin lifted in reaction to the way he had phrased his question until she saw his smile. “I had thought about it, but I’m an only child and my dad has a hard time not interfering in everything that has to do with me. Plus, I wanted to stay by the ocean�
��something my hometown doesn’t have. And of course, then there is Katie, my best friend since childhood. When she came here, it was perfect. It made it easy for me to decide this was where I wanted to be.”

  “I hope you won’t be sorry for leaving your great job behind.”

  “I’m still doing work for Neil and, to tell you the truth, I’m happy to be out of the hectic pace of life.” Her expression softened.

  “Ok, Jess.” He touched her hand and winked. “It’s time for you to get upset and walk out on me. Before you do, I want you to know I’ve learned a few new things from you, today. Lieutenant O’Malley was right when he told me people naturally trust you and open up to you in a way they won’t with the police. They consider you safe. So don’t listen to me, keep on being exactly who you are.” Had he actually complimented her?

  He handed her a card with his email address and cell phone number. “If anything comes up, let me know. If you feel afraid or think someone is watching you, let me know. You got it?” He leaned forward in his chair. “Now, sister, remember what a damn pain in the ass I can be and let me have it.” He frowned.

  Jessie jumped up and in her haste knocked over the chair so everyone in the restaurant looked at them. “Well, I never, don’t even think of getting up. I’ll see myself home!” As she snapped at him, loudly, she felt the familiar heat rising up from her neck and knew her face was red again. Jessie turned her back on him and stormed out playing the scene to perfection.

  ****

  Roger walked over to Matt. “It looks like it didn’t go so well with your pretty lady. I’ve never known you to treat a woman bad. What gives?” He studied Matt’s face.

  “I’m not sure.” He gave Roger a sheepish look. “She seems to bring out the worst in me. I’ve only met her a few times, and every time we get into some kind of argument.”

  “That’s too bad, my friend. She seemed real nice. You’ve been a bachelor too long. Maybe you don’t know how to treat a woman anymore. I could give you a few lessons.” He laughed.