There was a slight pause. “But didn’t you expect that might happen, dear? I mean, did you really think that people who knew about that case wouldn’t make the comparison?”
Clare closed her eyes, tired of the question. “I know, Mom, I know. But today I met the reporter again and he said something very odd. Something I didn’t understand at all.”
“Oh? What was it?”
“He…uh, he told me to ask you the real reason for our moving away from Twin Falls that summer. After Rina was killed.” She waited a long time for her mother to respond. “Mom? Are you there?”
There was a light clearing of throat, followed by her mother’s voice, thinly distant. “Yes, dear. I’m here. I’m…uh, not sure why he would say that. What was the context?”
Clare thought for a moment. She’d hoped not to have to tell her mother all about the notes and the vandalism. Her mother was a worrier and would only be upset. “He’s going to write a book about the case, apparently, and he’d asked me if I would answer some questions for him.”
“What kind of questions? You don’t know any more about what happened than anyone else, surely.”
“Exactly. Anyway, I kind of told him to get lost and then just before he left, he made that comment about you.”
Another pause. “I see.”
“So what did he mean, Mom? I always assumed we moved so you could live near me while I was at college.”
“Yes, there was that, dear.” Her mother lowered her voice. “But there was something else, too, that made leaving necessary. I had hoped not to have to tell you about it, but if you think it’s important…”
Clare frowned, unsure where the conversation was going. “If you’d rather not tell me, it’s fine. It’s not as if I intend to see the guy again.”
“Just a minute, dear, while I close the bedroom door.”
Clare waited for her mother to return. She probably should never have brought up the matter, but now that her curiosity was aroused she couldn’t drop it. After a moment, her mother came back to the phone.
“It’s not a long story, but messy, I’m afraid. Right around the time that girl was murdered, some money went missing from the bank. Because I was in charge of the special accounts like some of the trust funds, the inquiry focused on me. Of course I was shocked, and even more horrified that my boss would even suspect I might have had something to do with it.”
“So what happened? Did they find out who took the money?”
“No, and things got very unpleasant. People started whispering about me behind my back. Eventually I was shifted into another department. It was made to seem like a lateral move, but we all knew it wasn’t. Finally, I was offered the choice to leave with six months’ severance or to undergo a full audit with the possibility of a criminal charge.”
Clare couldn’t speak at first. She tried to imagine how her mother—a single parent with a daughter about to head off to college—had coped. “That’s awful, Mom. I—I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Darling, you had your own difficulties at the time. Remember? The murder, breaking up with Gil—was a hard time for all of us. Most of all, for that poor girl’s parents. Did you ever hear what happened to them?”
Clare’s head was spinning. She wanted to get back to the bank story. “I’m not sure. I think Laura told me once that one of Rina’s parents died shortly after the murder and that the farm was sold.”
“So tragic for them. So sad.”
Clare waited a moment longer, then said. “Mom, this bank thing sounds very suspicious to me. I mean, if someone there was defrauding the bank why wouldn’t the manager go to the police right away? It doesn’t make sense.”
“He told me he wanted to spare me. That he’d be satisfied if I just left town.”
“But that’s crazy. You didn’t do anything.” She heard a sigh come across the line.
“I know, dear. But I couldn’t prove my innocence. I’d been working overtime a few nights alone. I had access to the funds and Mr. Carelli, the manager, knew I had a lot of debts. I felt completely powerless. I’d never been so frightened in all my life.”
“It sounds to me like he was intimidating you.”
“Not at all. He was very upset about the whole thing, too. He said because of my good record that he wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt. That he knew I had you to take care of, and he was willing to cover the missing funds through some special insurance he had.” There was a brief silence and then she said, “But at the same time, he felt that however much he believed me, he had to consider the other employees. There was a matter of trust.”
Clare shook her head in disbelief. She couldn’t understand how her mother could have let herself be coerced into such an agreement. When she was able to speak, she asked, “Did they ever find out who took the money?”
“I don’t think so. One of the tellers—her name was Fran Dutton—kept in touch with me for a while after our move to New Jersey. She said the mystery was never solved. Also, that the funds stopped disappearing.” Her mother’s voice cracked. “That made it worse, you know. Because the money stopped going missing after I left. I just don’t understand it myself.”
“I think it’s obvious. Someone was framing you.”
“Framing me? Good heavens, you sound like someone in a TV show.”
“But Mom, think about it. That has to be the explanation. For some reason, someone wanted to get you into trouble.”
A heavy sigh. “Dear, there was no reason for that. I mean, I had no social life at the time, and I doubt I had any enemies at work. Until this happened, I’d always considered myself to be liked by everyone. Why would anyone want to make me out to be a thief? That’s what doesn’t make sense.”
“So why didn’t you just quit the bank and look for work somewhere else in town?”
“Honestly, I couldn’t bear to be in town after what happened. I would worry about every second glance, or think people were whispering about me. You know how people talk.”
She certainly did. Now the sudden decision to move and the quick sale of their house made sense to her. “Well, Mom, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that by yourself.”
“I know, dear. But it’s all in the past and frankly, best left there.”
“So you’ve no interest in trying to find out what happened and why?”
“Not at all. I’ve made a new life for myself here, and I’m perfectly happy with it.” She was quiet for a moment, then added, “Though I resent the fact that some people in Twin Falls think I’m a thief. Still, there’s nothing I can do about it after all these years.”
An idea was taking shape in Clare’s mind. “Maybe not you, but perhaps I could make some inquiries while I’m here in town.”
“I thought you were leaving tomorrow?”
“I may change my plans.”
“Darling, there’s nothing you can do. Really. Mr. Carelli is dead, I believe. What’s the point of dredging it all up now?”
“Because I have a feeling that’s going to happen regardless. Especially if this reporter goes through with his idea of writing a book.”
“You know yourself not many people actually follow through on these ideas, Clare. I’d drop the matter, if I were you.”
“Perhaps,” Clare demurred. “Anyway, thanks for being so honest with me.”
“I should have told you years ago, but once we were in New Jersey, I had the feeling we both wanted to start all over.”
True enough, Clare was thinking. She thanked her mother, promising to call when she was back in New York, and switched off her cell phone. In spite of her mother’s advice to let the matter stay in the past, Clare was beginning to think otherwise. She remembered what Gil had said that afternoon, about discovering the truth for his parents. A way of making up to them, in some small way, for the pain that the whole case had brought them.
She got up from the bed and began to search throu
gh her purse for the business card Gil had given her the other day. When she found it, she sat down to think through exactly what she wanted to say. Then she picked up her cell phone again and punched in his number.
FOR A SECOND, Gil thought he was still dreaming. He’d been holding Clare in his arms, trying to persuade her to go to the prom with him, and the next instant her low, urgent voice was at his ear. He sat up, dropping the pillow he’d been clutching when his cell phone had rung.
“Don’t tell me I woke you? It’s not eleven yet.”
“Hmm? Uh, no…no. But I was about to hit the sack. I finished the last of the packing after dinner and got everything ready for the pickup tomorrow.”
“Pickup?”
“I’m sending most of the stuff to one of those charities that sells it to secondhand stores. Some outfit in Hartford. Has…uh…something come up there? With Dave?”
“No, everything’s fine. Just that I called my mother tonight.”
“Oh yeah? How is she?” Gil rubbed a hand across his bleary eyes, wondering where she was heading with this totally out of the blue call. He couldn’t even remember the last time Clare Morgan had phoned him. Back sometime when the future still looked promising.
She didn’t answer for a moment. “Do you remember what that reporter said today about my mother?”
He did, but what was really etched in his mind was the look on her face at the end of their talk on the bench. When he’d made the remark about things being too late for them. Not that they both didn’t know he was right, but he saw at once that she’d taken it as yet another reminder of her rejection of him years ago. She was probably thinking he’d never let her forget that she’d told on him to the police. Gil had his own burden to carry from that time. Betraying him, he suspected, was Clare’s.
“Something about why you two left town.”
“Right. He told me to ask Mom why we left so quickly that summer.” There was a slight catch in her voice then and she paused. “That comment was bugging me all day so tonight I called my mother and…well, she told me something strange, but interesting.”
Gil sat up farther against the headboard of his childhood bed. “What did she say?”
“She told me that some money had gone missing in the bank in the days before or after Rina was killed. I’m not sure exactly when. Suspicion was directed at Mom because she was the person who checked all the debits and credits every day, and she had access to some special accounts.”
Gil frowned. He had a feeling where this was going. “And what happened?”
“Her boss, Mr. Carelli, assured her that he believed her when she denied taking any money but felt he had to do something about it.”
“Did he call the police?”
“No, that was the strange part. He said he knew she had to support me on her own and didn’t want to create any extra hardship for her. So he offered her the chance to quit and leave town, with the promise that she wouldn’t talk about it to anyone.”
“No bank manager in his right mind would do that. Did she realize that her leaving would be an implicit admission of guilt?”
When Clare finally spoke, her voice was wobbly. “I’m sure she did. I think she felt she had no options. She certainly couldn’t have afforded a lawyer to file a wrongful dismissal suit and Mr. Carelli showed her the evidence he had. She simply had no explanation for as to how the money disappeared and all fingers—literally—pointed to her.”
She stopped talking for a long moment, and Gil thought he heard her blowing her nose. He wished he could be there to wrap his arms around her and comfort her, though with their history, she would probably brush him off.
“I’m very sorry, Clare. It must have been awful for your mother.” He didn’t know what more to say, still unsure of her reason for calling.
“It was. She kept insisting it was all behind her but, I could hear something in her voice when she was talking about it. Hurt and that frustration you have when you know you’re innocent but no one believes you.”
Gil wondered if she recognized the irony in what she’d just said. He was tempted to quip that yes, he could relate to all of the above, especially the part where no one believes you. It’s even worse, he thought, when that no one is someone you love. But that would be a sure way of eliminating Clare Morgan permanently from his life. So he said nothing at all, figuring she’d eventually get around to the real purpose of the phone call.
She did, a minute later. “Remember when you said today that you wanted to find out the truth behind Rina’s murder so that you could restore your parents’ good name in the community? At least, that’s how I interpreted what you said.”
“That’s exactly it. Why?” He swung his legs over the side of the bed. Some premonition of what she was about to say set his heart pounding.
“After I got off the phone with Mom, I decided that I wanted to do the same thing for her. She still carries this…this burden of doubt around with her. That’s probably why she’s never wanted to come back here for even a visit. So, I’ve decided to take you up on your proposal.”
For a second, Gil wondered what proposal he’d actually made that day. Maybe this was still part of his crazy dream.
“Did you hear what I said?” she was asking.
“Uh, yes, I did. Just that I’m a bit surprised and…well…maybe confused, too. You sure about this? What about the rest of your book tour? Getting back to the city?”
“I’m calling my publisher first thing in the morning. I didn’t have anything else booked until the end of the month anyway. I—I just wanted to call you right away to find out if you still meant it. About the two of us looking for Rina’s killer.”
Said like that, the idea chilled him. Had they both lost their minds? Too late to back off now. Besides, the prospect of being around Clare another few days was very appealing.
“That’s great. Listen, how about if we get together in the morning? Someplace private is better. We don’t want anyone overhearing. And it may be best not to tell Dave and Laura right away. What do you think?”
After a slight pause, she said, “I agree. There’s a lot we have to discuss and a public place isn’t suitable. But where?”
“Do you want to come over here?”
A longer pause. She hadn’t been in his house since the night before Rina Thomas was murdered. “Sure. Okay. I’ll bring coffee. See you about—?”
“Nine,” he quickly said. “You’ll be up early anyway, because of Emma.”
“Right you are. See you then. And…thanks Gil, for letting me change my mind.” She hung up.
Gil sat on the edge of the bed for another few minutes, just to convince himself that he was awake and not still dreaming.
CHAPTER TEN
“I THOUGHT YOU were leaving today.” Laura was perplexed.
Clare couldn’t think of a credible explanation for her friend. In spite of Gil’s suggestion that they keep their plan a secret, Clare knew she couldn’t deceive Laura and Dave. Besides, experience had taught her that one lie usually led to another.
“Sit down, Laura. I have to meet Gil at nine o’clock,” she said, ignoring Laura’s widening eyes, “and this may take a few minutes.” Then she gave a brief summary of the encounter with Jeff Withers and the subsequent phone call to her mother.
Laura’s face got redder with each new detail. “This is unbelievable,” she kept repeating. When Clare finished, Laura said, “I can’t believe any of this.”
“Believe it,” Clare muttered. “So after I talked to Mom, I knew I had to do for her what Gil was doing for his parents. I thought about this all last night, after I called Gil. It’s about time the record was set straight. You know?”
Laura nodded. “I can understand that, but Clare, you and Gil aren’t private detectives. What makes you so sure people will speak to you? And what makes you so sure you and Gil…I mean…I can’t see the two of you working together as if you didn’t have a past.”
She’d been waiting for Laura to
bring that up. “I understand what you’re saying. But we’re adults now—I think we can make an effort to keep the present and the past separate. Anyway, we’re going to try. Searching for information is going to be a challenge, but I know how to research, and Gil has contacts in law enforcement.”
“Here? In Twin Falls?”
“Well, in New York.”
Laura held up her hands in a there-you-go kind of gesture. “Frankly, I’ve seen a lot of tension between you two over the last couple of days. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
Clare gave her friend a little smile, “Not exactly. But I’m hoping Gil and I can put aside our…issues with one another while we do this.”
“Issues? Now you’re sounding like one of those so-called experts on a talk show. I’d say you two have more than just issues between you.”
Clare felt her face heat up, but she refused to back down. “We have a painful and unresolved history, Laura. I’m not naive enough to think this is going to result in some miraculous change but I’m hoping—since we’re both Emma’s godparents—that we can come to some kind of friendly understanding.”
Laura shook her head. “Psychobabble, Clare. Don’t kid yourself. The plain truth is, you and Gil haven’t forgiven one another. Until you do, you’re never going to reach that friends state. And frankly, Clare,” she added, “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Laura’s bluntness was a trait that Clare had always both admired and feared. She knew there was no point arguing with her and besides, an inner voice told her Laura was right. Forgiveness. A simple word for such a complex act.
“Promise you and Dave won’t breathe a word of this to anyone,” she went on to say, putting an end to any further talk about her and Gil.
“Of course we won’t.”
“Not even to Anne-Marie.”
“No one, Clare. God!” Laura rolled her eyes.
“Okay. I should go now.” Clare got up and collected her purse and coat from the chair next to hers. She stared out the window in the kitchen door. “What a miserable day.”
Past, Present and a Future (Going Back) Page 13
