Coulson's Secret

by McIntyre, Anna J

  “Yes, Adam told me.” Kim smiled politely. She wished Sarah and Hannah would barge in and drag her away.

  “They got officially engaged in September and have been talking of getting married this summer.”

  “That will be nice,” Kim said lamely, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. She thought Adam had mentioned next Christmas as the possible wedding date, not summer.

  “I know you and Adam used to date in high school, but that was a long time ago, and if you have some romantic notion that you might get him back…”

  “Mr. Carter,” Kim interrupted, standing up, “Adam and I are simply old friends, nothing more. If it will make you feel any better, I’ll be leaving after the New Year.”

  “Why are you staying so long?” Carter obviously didn’t want her to stay in Coulson, which pricked Kim’s ire.

  “I really don’t see why I need to explain myself to you. Heck, maybe I will stay. Mom’s house is much nicer than my condo back home, and I imagine I can sell real estate in Coulson as well as back in Arizona.” Joe Carter’s attitude irritated Kim, and for a brief moment, she meant her words.

  Carter glared at her as if trying to decide what to say in rebuttal. Then a laugh came from the doorway. Carter and Kim turned toward the sound and saw Harrison Coulson wheeling himself into the room, still chuckling.

  “You tell him, girl. Carter has always been a bossy son of a bitch. And if that girl of his can’t hold on to her man, that isn’t your problem.”

  Carter looked suddenly deflated, and instead of arguing, he grumbled his goodbyes and exited the room. Kim found the entire encounter bizarre, especially considering they were at the house for Harrison Junior’s wake.

  Harrison Senior moved his wheelchair completely into the room until he was just a few feet from Kim.

  “I told you I’d be watching you. Good thing, too. No telling what you were about to do to poor old Carter.” Harrison chuckled again.

  “I’m really not trying to break up his daughter and Adam.”

  “Adam is a good boy; you could do worse. He had a bit of an attitude when Garret first married his mom, but I rather like the kid.”

  “He likes you, too.” Kim smiled, no longer upset over the confrontation with Carter. She sat back down in the leather chair.

  “Did he tell you that?” Harrison eyes narrowed.

  “I believe right after he said you were an ornery old SOB.” Kim smiled sweetly.

  Harrison broke into a heartfelt belly laugh and started to cough but quickly brought it under control and gave a final chuckle. “Well, I can be an ornery old SOB. How come you don’t seem to be afraid of me?” Harrison was sincerely curious. He was used to people feeling intimidated in his presence.

  “Why, do you bite?” Kim asked with a grin.

  “I used to.” Harrison laughed. “You remind me a bit of my daughter-in-law, Kate.”

  Kim was startled by the comparison, since she didn’t see any similarity between herself and Adam’s quirky, artistic, and vivacious aunt.

  “You aren’t afraid of saying what needs to be said,” Harrison explained.

  Kim reminded herself why she was at the Coulson home and then shifted the conversation. “I was wondering how are you doing, Mr. Coulson? I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you.”

  “Not as hard as it should be,” Harrison muttered under his breath.

  Kim caught the words, yet chose not to respond. Instead, she stood up. “I suppose, I should go see the others and then get back to my mother’s house. I have a lot to do to get it ready to list.”

  “Can an old man give you some advice?” Harrison asked, sounding far more serious than she had ever heard him.

  “Yes, certainly, sir.”

  “Don’t rush things. Give yourself some time. Don’t list her house just yet.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, but I really can’t afford to keep it.”

  “Give it time, girl, and if money is an issue, you come see me.”

  Kim was momentarily speechless. “Thank you, sir, but for now, I’m okay. But thank you.” Without thought, Kim moved closer to Harrison, leaned down, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before leaving the room.

  A few moments later, Harrison Coulson sat alone in the library, looking at the doorway.

  “Harrison,” he said to the empty room, his gaze still fixed on the doorway, “what in the hell were you thinking?”

  Chapter 11

  “Garret, it’s getting late. Are you ever coming to bed?”

  Garret glanced up from the papers on his desk and looked at his wife, who stood in the doorway wearing a short, white satin robe tied loosely at the waist. Her pose was provocative, and it was obvious sleep wasn’t on Alex’s mind. He could tell she wasn’t wearing anything under the garment. His wife would be sixty in a few years, yet she didn’t look like it, and she still made him want to peel off her clothes and kiss every inch of her body. Yet, that wasn’t about to happen tonight, considering what he needed to tell her.

  “Alex, honey, we need to talk. Can you come in and close the door?”

  Alex didn’t like how solemn he looked. She suddenly felt guilty trying to seduce her husband on the night of his brother’s funeral.

  “Can we talk tomorrow? It really is late, and you look beat. I promise I won’t pounce on you.”

  “Sweetheart, I love it when you pounce, but there is something I need to tell you. It has to do with a couple of documents I found in Harrison’s papers.”

  Alex cautiously approached the desk.

  “It has to do with Adam,” Garret explained, as he picked up several papers from the desk and handed them to his wife.

  “Adam?” Alex whispered as she took the papers and began to read them. Focused on the words contained in the papers, Alex sat down in the chair facing Garret and continued to read. When she finished, she set the papers on the desktop, her face ashen as she looked up into Garret’s face.

  “What does this mean?” Alex asked with a whisper.

  “It means if Peterson gets a hold of these papers, Adam becomes a prime suspect in Harrison’s murder.”

  * * *

  He pulled the box out from under his bed and set it on the mattress. It was stupid to keep the gun, What was I thinking? Lifting off the box lid, he looked inside the container. Seeing the gun, he felt a sense of relief. I’m being paranoid, he told himself. What did he expect, that the gun would vanish?

  It was the only thing tying him to the double murders. Already he had cleaned the gun, removing all traces of his fingerprints. Ballistics would prove the weapon was used to murder two people, which is why he needed to dispose of the evidence.

  Yet, he was paranoid. He just knew he wouldn’t be lucky twice. After he’d shot Harrison, no one had seen him leave the Senator’s office. There was nothing linking him to the double murder. No, that wasn’t entirely true. One thing, aside from the gun, linked him to the murders.

  What really pissed him off was that none of this was his fault. Well, maybe a little. Perhaps he should never have gotten involved with that son-of-a-bitch Harrison Coulson in the first place. As far as he was concerned, all of this was Harrison’s fault.

  He put the lid back on the container and returned the box to its hiding place under the bed. Maybe he would get rid of the gun tomorrow. No, not tomorrow; he’d already made plans for tomorrow, and he certainly didn’t want her with him when he got rid of the weapon. Soon, he would get rid of it, and then he could put all this behind him.

  Chapter 12

  Someone was knocking on her door. Go away, Kim silently pleaded as she rolled over in the bed and pulled the covers up over her head. Whoever was knocking was persistent. Kim moaned and rolled over again, reaching for the alarm clock on the nightstand, dragging it toward her so she could have a better look. The dial read 8:03.

  “Crap,” Kim cursed, remembering her half-brother was picking her up at eight. She pulled herself from the comfort of the warm quilt and grabbed h
er robe, which she had laid on the foot of the bed the night before.

  Stumbling like a disoriented drunk, she made her way from the bedroom and down the hallway and staircase while pulling on the robe. She was just tying the belt around her waist when she pulled open the front door.

  Nick couldn’t help but laugh. He stood on the front porch, looking at the adorable but disheveled daughter of the late Carol Myers. It was obvious Kim hadn’t bothered to run a comb through her hair, and there was evidence of sleep around her eyes, although she was making a good attempt at removing it by rubbing the back of her right hand over her eyes, which only helped to smear whatever mascara remained on her eyelashes.

  “I overslept,” Kim explained as she tried to focus.

  “I sort of figured that out. What, no alarm clock?” Without waiting for an invitation, Nick pushed pass Kim and headed straight for the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?” Kim asked after closing the front door and following Nick through the house.

  “Putting on a pot of coffee. Looks like you could use it,” Nick called back to her, making himself at home.

  “You sure are pushy,” Kim told him as she hiked herself up on a barstool and sat at the breakfast bar. She watched as Nick poked around the kitchen, looking for coffee and coffee filters.

  “Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?” Nick asked, ignoring her comment.

  “Yes, I did. I finally got to see in the Coulson House.”

  “The one on the hill?” Nick asked as he filled the glass coffee pot with water from the kitchen sink’s faucet.

  “Yes. It has an amazing home library. Even has one of those little ladders that slide along the walls to get to higher shelves.”

  “Seems a bit old fashioned, considering everyone reads eBooks.” Nick reached into an upper cabinet and pulled out two coffee mugs and set them on the kitchen counter while waiting for the coffee to brew.

  “I don’t. And I sort of like old fashioned, like your bed and breakfast. I’d like a tour.” Kim combed her fingers through her hair, attempting to untangle the mess.

  “I’ll take you on a tour today,” Nick offered.

  “I think I’ll go get dressed.” Suddenly she felt self-conscious. “I won’t be long.” Kim quickly got off the barstool and ran to the stairs. She didn’t notice the way Nick watched her in a most un-brotherly fashion as she ran from the room.

  When she returned to the kitchen twenty minutes later, she wore a black sweater, denims, and boots. Nick couldn’t help but notice what a tiny thing she was—such a compact little package but with sufficient curves to keep a man interested.

  He poured her a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks, that looks great.” Kim reached for the mug.

  “No cream, sugar?” Nick asked.

  “No, black and hot.” Kim practically sighed; she needed coffee. She took several sips, then said, “You make good coffee. Must run in the family.”

  “How so?” he asked.

  “I make a mean cup of coffee,” Kim explained, taking another sip.

  “Not really much to it. Coffeemaker does all the work.”

  Kim just shrugged and took another sip. “Does he know I’m coming?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is he okay with it? I got the feeling he really would prefer I not contact him again.”

  “It’s complicated,” Nick told her as he sipped his own cup of coffee.

  Fifteen minutes later, after feeding Jake and cleaning his litter box, Nick and Kim were on the road, heading toward Clement Falls in Nick’s pickup truck.

  “How long have you known about me?” Kim asked. She sat in the passenger seat of the pickup truck and studied her brother as he drove the vehicle down the highway. He really did look like her father but with a darker complexion, she thought.

  “I think I always knew Dad had been married before. We never really discussed it until I was in high school.”

  “So you found out about me in high school?” Kim asked.

  “Yes.” Nick didn’t elaborate on his answer.

  “And you went to high school in Clement Falls?”

  “Yes.” Nick glanced over at Kim and then looked back down the road.

  “You never were curious to meet me? We lived so close.” Kim didn’t mean to sound so needy and instantly regretted the question.

  “I really didn’t see the point, considering everything,” Nick replied. “It doesn’t mean I wasn’t curious about you. When did you find out about me?”

  “Just a few weeks ago.” She took a deep breath and then continued. “For years, Mom told me my father lived in Colorado. We never really discussed him. Well, Mom never would. All I knew is that he never tried to contact me. Strange. I never really thought about him remarrying or having other children. For some reason, I just pictured him living alone in Colorado, some kind of a recluse who walked away from his wife and daughter.”

  “How did you find out?” Nick asked, stealing glances at his passenger.

  “An Internet search. I knew his full name and information such as his birthday and birthplace. Mom gave me that when I was in middle school and had to create a family tree for a class project. It was a bit of a shock when I found him at Clement Falls. So close all these years. Then to discover I had a brother, another surprise. Something else Mom failed to tell me.” Kim sounded bitter.

  “What did your mother say when you asked her about it? You did ask her?”

  “Yes, I did. She wouldn’t explain. I’m afraid the last few conversations I had with my mother were not pleasant.”

  Nick wondered if Kim’s angry tone was directed at Carol or at herself. Perhaps, he thought, at both.

  “Family secrets can get complicated,” Nick murmured.

  “Family secrets? I don’t think I’ve ever thought of this like a… a… family secret. Secrets seem to imply something deeper, more sinister.”

  “If you aren’t trying to unravel some family secret, just what do you want, Kim?” Nick asked in a soft voice. Kim didn’t answer immediately but looked out the side window and watched the landscape roll by.

  “I suppose I would just like to understand my mother a little better. I’d like to get to know my father and you. After all, you are the only family I have.”

  “It depends how you define family,” Nick muttered. Kim turned her head and looked at him.

  “I don’t quite understand you. One second, I get the feeling you resent any claim I have on our father, and the next, you seem to be reaching out to me. Why are you taking me to Clement Falls today anyway?”

  “To be honest, when you ran into me at the grocery store I was immediately attracted to you. And not in a brotherly way,” Nick told her. He didn’t sound particularly apologetic.

  “Um, that is just kind of icky.”

  “Why, do you find me that repulsive?” Nick sounded genuinely offended.

  “Well, no, but gee, you are my brother.”

  Nick laughed at her response. “Yeah, well, I think you need to get over that.”

  Kim thought his comment odd and decided not to respond; the conversation made her uncomfortable. If she didn’t know better, she would swear he was flirting with her. Kim then recalled a true story she once read, about siblings who met later in life and fell in love. At the time, she had thought the story disgusting, yet not half as disgusting as the fact she found herself sexually attracted to Nick. She moved restlessly in the truck seat and wished she hadn’t agreed to the trip to Clement Falls. After all, her father didn’t want her in his life.

  As if sensing her discomfort with the conversation, Nick turned on the radio. Neither spoke the rest of the road trip.

  When they reached the bed and breakfast, Nick learned there was a plumbing issue upstairs, which his father was attempting to repair. He showed Kim to a private sitting room in the house not used by the guests and asked her to wait there while he helped his father with the repair. Before he left her alone, he brought her a cup of coffee and sweet roll and tol
d her to make herself at home.

  Kim looked around the cozy room. On one wall were a number of framed photographs; many included her father and a woman whom she guessed to be his second wife. There were also pictures of Nick at various stages of development. One showed a preschool-aged Nick on his father’s shoulders at the beach while another showed Nick in a graduation cap and gown, his parents by his side. The family gallery was a harsh reminder of her father’s rejection. She felt a bit sick inside.

  Turning from the wall of photographs, she picked up the cup of coffee Nick had brought her and took a sip before taking a bite of the sweet roll. When she set the remainder of the roll back on its plate, she glanced over at the opposite wall, lined with bookshelves.

  Licking the sticky residue of the sweet roll from her fingertips, she approached the bookshelves and noticed a scrapbook album. Curious, she pulled it from the bookshelf and flipped through the pages. It appeared to be a scrapbook chronicling her father’s years in the military. She then remembered her mother telling her that her father had been in the army when they were married. Kim took the book, sat down on a chair, and began looking through the pages.

  What first caught her interest were photographs of her father in Germany. She had no idea he had been stationed abroad. As she flipped through the pages, she began taking note of the dates scribbled in ink adjacent to each picture. Kim frowned and quickly flipped through the book, moving back and then forward through the pages. The dates didn’t make any sense. She closed her eyes and began a mental calculation and then again looked at the pictures, rechecking the dates.

  She sat in the upholstered chair, the scrapbook in her lap, trying to understand what she was seeing, when the door opened and in walked Franklin and Nick Myers. Apparently, they were finished with their plumbing repair. Nick wore a smile but Franklin looked uneasy, as if he didn’t want to be there.

  “You aren’t my father,” Kim blurted out, still holding the scrapbook in her lap.

  “How did you know?” Franklin asked. He looked a bit relieved. He glanced down at what she held in her lap and saw the scrapbook.