Her Silent Spring

by Melinda Woodhall

  “We believe we’ve found your mother’s remains.”

  His voice suddenly sounded very far away.

  “The FBI is performing some tests now in their lab up in Quantico. We should know for sure in the next few days, but…well, we found some evidence that makes me think it’s her.”

  Raising his phone toward her, Hunter pointed toward the display.

  “And we found this,” Hunter said. “It was near…near the body.”

  The photo on the screen showed a silver class ring. The words Sky Lake High were engraved around a small sapphire.

  Transfixed by the image, Skylar stared at the ring. She’d seen it before in her dreams. Or was it a memory?

  “It’s time to go to sleep, Skylar.”

  Her mother’s words were soft as she snuggled next to Skylar in the twin bed and grasped her little hand.

  “But I’m not tired yet,” Skylar complained, not wanting to admit she was scared by the noises the Professor was making overhead. “I can’t sleep.”

  Her mother sighed and pulled her closer.

  “Well, how about I tell you a bedtime story? Would that help?”

  Skylar nodded, hoping the story would be about a princess, or maybe a magical kingdom far, far away from the safe room. She relaxed as her mother began to speak in a hushed voice.

  “Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived with her mother and father next to a beautiful lake-”

  “Was there a monster in the lake?” Skylar asked, pulling her mother’s hand closer so she could twist the pretty ring on her finger.

  “No, the lake was…perfect. In fact, it was so perfect that I named you after it,” her mother said. “It was called Sky Lake, and it was the most magical place in the whole world.”

  Skylar looked up to see the shine of tears in her mother’s light blue eyes. She thought hard for a minute, then lifted a small hand to tug on a long strand of her mother’s silvery blonde hair.

  “Were you that little girl in the story, Mommy?”

  “Yes, baby, I was that little girl.”

  Her mother sniffed, then hugged her even tighter.

  “I used to live by Sky Lake. One day we’ll go there together.”

  “Skylar? Skylar?”

  The persistent voice startled Skylar. She blinked and looked at Veronica, who was staring at her with worried green eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  The vivid memory of her mother faded back into the past as Skylar realized she was still sitting in the sunny garden, and still staring down at Hunter’s phone.

  The silver ring with the bright blue stone was same ring her mother had worn. The very ring her own small fingers had touched and twisted as a child.

  “That’s my mother’s ring,” Skylar whispered. “Sky Lake is where she wanted to go. The place where we’d live happily ever after.”

  Chapter Eight

  Watching the emotions play across Skylar’s face, Veronica sensed her sister pulling away again, slipping into the withdrawn, trance-like state that could last for a few seconds, several minutes, or even hours.

  Veronica had been tempted to try to draw Skylar back into the real world the first few times she’d drifted away, but Dr. Reggie Horn had recommended that, as long as the girl was in a safe place, they should leave her in peace to process her thoughts and emotions at her own pace and in her own way.

  “I’ll go get her some cold water,” Veronica murmured, heading into the kitchen. “I think I need something to drink as well.”

  Crossing to the refrigerator, Veronica lifted out the pitcher of water with a shaky hand. Unable to calm her nerves, she leaned against the counter and sucked in a deep breath, suddenly wishing her mother was home to offer Skylar comfort and advice.

  Ling Lee had developed a special connection with Skylar after the girl had come to live with them. Veronica suspected the suffering and heartache they’d each experienced at the hands of Donovan Locke had helped them forge a bond that no one else could understand.

  Her mother was the only one who truly knew Locke, and the only one who had also witnessed the level of depravity Skylar had been forced to live with all those years.

  But Ling wasn’t home, and Veronica would have to care for Skylar on her own. The town’s new mayor-elect was busy interviewing candidates to join her growing staff, and her schedule would only grow busier once she’d been sworn into office.

  “You okay in here?”

  Hunter’s broad shoulders filled the doorway. As he moved further into the kitchen, Veronica could see Skylar still sitting on the step with Gracie close beside her.

  “I guess so,” Veronica said with a shrug. “I just hate to see her like that. She looks so…. lost.”

  “Reggie told you not to worry too much,” Hunter reminded her. “She said it’s just Skylar’s way of coping with her PTSD.”

  Pulling Veronica toward him, he wrapped his strong arms around her, and she allowed herself to rest her head on his chest.

  “Once Skylar has a chance to come to terms with what happened, and when she starts feeling safe, the episodes will stop.”

  His voice was soothing, but Veronica knew it wasn’t that simple.

  Leaning back, she looked up to meet his eyes.

  “How can she come to terms with any of this until she finds out who she is and where she comes from?”

  Veronica slipped out of his arms and stared down at a thick manila folder on the kitchen table. Hunter had brought it back with him from Montana, and she knew it held clues to Skylar’s past.

  She also knew any trail Locke had left behind would reveal further horrors that might cause Skylar more distress.

  Veronica had already seen her sister’s name carved into the wooden board in Locke’s barn. Hunter had shown her a photo on his cell phone as soon as he’d arrived from the airport.

  Gesturing toward the folder, Veronica tried to gather her courage. She shivered at the thought of the horrors it might hold.

  “Is there any information about Sky Lake in that?”

  Hunter hesitated, then nodded.

  “Sky Lake, Kentucky is Donovan Locke’s hometown.”

  Letting his words sink in, Hunter crossed to the table and opened the file. He scanned the printout on top, then flipped through a few pages until he found what he was looking for.

  “Deputy Santino recognized the name right away,” Hunter told her, pulling a map out of the file. “Sky Lake had been listed in Locke’s record, but Santino never put two and two together to link the name of Locke’s hometown with the name of his daughter.”

  Veronica’s mind spun as she tried to process the information.

  “So, Skylar’s mother is from the same town as Locke?”

  “We can’t know for sure, but it seems likely.”

  Trying to think through the possible next steps, Veronica started at the most obvious option.

  “Have you or Deputy Santino searched the database for any women that went missing from Sky Lake, yet?”

  “Charlie searched the FBI database, as well as all local and state databases,” Hunter confirmed. “Nothing looked promising.”

  Disappointment flooded through her at his words, then she frowned and cocked her head.

  “Charlie? You mean Agent Day is involved with the case?”

  “She’s leading the effort to identify the remains found at Locke’s ranch. She was at the ranch when we arrived.”

  He studied her with a thoughtful expression.

  “You aren’t still thinking there was something going on between me and Charlie Day, are you? Cause I already told you that-”

  “Of course not.”

  Veronica felt her back stiffen in spite of her best efforts not to let the thought of the attractive FBI agent get to her.

  “I’m just glad we’ve got people we can trust on the case,” she assured him. “With Agent Day and Deputy Santino helping us we’ve got to be able to find out who Skylar’s mother was, and how she ended up on Lock
e’s ranch.”

  “I hope so,” Hunter said, looking down at the folder. “But, no one reported a woman missing from the town in the last two decades, and there’s no evidence that Locke had ever gone back to his hometown after going on the run.”

  Reluctantly dropping her eyes to the table, Veronica saw Hunter studying a list of names in the folder. Her eyes widened at the first two names on the list.

  “Who are Harriet and Thomas Locke?” she asked, leaning closer to get a better look.

  “Says here that Harriet is Donovan Locke’s mother, and that Thomas is his brother,” Hunter said, tapping a long finger on the two names. “Last known address for both is still in Sky Lake.”

  Veronica was momentarily speechless at the thought that she and Skylar had a grandmother and uncle living in Kentucky. Ling Lee was the only family Veronica had ever known up until her father had made his untimely appearance the previous winter.

  “Could Locke have stayed in touch with his family?’ she murmured, thinking out loud. “Could they know what Locke was up to, and who Skylar’s mother was?”

  Shaking his head, Hunter pointed at the handwritten notes beside the names. According to the investigator, both Harriet and Thomas Locke claimed they hadn’t seen Donovan Locke since he’d been indicted on trafficking charges twenty-eight years before.

  “They aren’t likely to admit anything different now than what they told the U.S. Marshals when they were searching for Locke.”

  Veronica wasn’t so sure.

  “Now that Locke is dead, they may change their story,” she suggested. “Maybe they were too scared to talk before.”

  Movement outside the kitchen window drew Veronica’s attention. She watched Skylar cross to the vegetable patch and sink to her knees. As her sister began to pull weeds, Hunter came up behind Veronica and looked over her shoulder.

  “I don’t want to tell her she may have family up in Sky Lake,” Veronica said, keeping her eyes on Skylar. “At least not yet.”

  “I agree.” Hunter moved back to the table and picked up the file. “Which is why I’ve asked Frankie and Barker to go up to Kentucky ASAP and see what they can find out.”

  Tempted to offer to go along with them, Veronica held her tongue as Hunter went out the back door to check on Gracie and Skylar, reminding herself that her next special report on trafficking was due the following day. She couldn’t afford to leave Willow Bay now.

  If I’m late with another report, Spencer Nash might take the opportunity to cancel the rest of the series as he’s been dying to do.

  Her ongoing investigative series on organized crime had rankled the criminals she was trying to expose, and recently Channel Ten had received several anonymous threats against her and the station. The station manager was getting nervous and had been talking to Veronica about moving in other directions.

  Veronica figured the threats must mean she was getting close to the top of the trafficking network, and she was determined that nothing would stop her from bringing down those responsible for causing so much pain and suffering.

  The buzz of her phone on the kitchen counter pulled her eyes away from the window. She groaned as she saw the text message from Misty Bradshaw.

  Still haven’t heard back from WBPD. Any update on your end?

  Thumbing in a quick response, she winced as she tapped Send, wishing she had a real update to offer.

  Nothing yet. I’ll call Chief Ainsley to get an update. Will stay in touch.

  It had been several days since Misty had given her statement to Nessa, and Veronica had been too preoccupied to find out what the chief of police had done with the information since then.

  She tapped on Nessa’s name in her contact list and waited as the phone rang again and again. After five rings the call rolled to voicemail.

  “Nessa, I’m calling to find out if you’ve followed up on the information Misty Bradshaw gave you. She’s feeling a little nervous, as I’m sure you can imagine. Please call me back as soon as you can.”

  Disconnecting the call, Veronica wondered again if she’d done the right thing by convincing Misty Bradshaw to go to the police.

  If Amber Sloan ever finds out what she’s done, Misty’s brand new start on life might be over before it’s even begun.

  Chapter Nine

  Nessa had just gotten Charlie Day on the phone when she heard a ping in her ear and looked down to see a message pop up on her screen: Incoming Call from Veronica Lee. Tapping the icon to send the call to voicemail, she tried to concentrate on what Charlie Day was saying.

  The FBI agent had agreed to give her an update on the Donovan Locke investigation, and Nessa was eager to hear what the Bureau had uncovered during the latest search of Locke’s ranch up in the Bitterroot Valley.

  Willow Bay had been subjected to Locke’s wrath the previous winter when he’d come to town seeking revenge on his ex-wife, and the fugitive killer’s deadly partnership with the leader of the local Diablo Syndicate had left the town shaken.

  Nessa was eager to close the books on the case and put the whole ordeal behind her as soon as possible.

  “Please tell me you haven’t found any more bodies up there,” she said, holding the phone close to her ear.

  “We found another body,” Charlie responded dryly. “But we think it might be the last one. If all goes well, we’ll be wrapping up the crime scene in the next few days.”

  “Have you been able to identify any of the victims yet?”

  Charlie hesitated, then cleared her throat.

  “All the remains have been sent to a forensic anthropologist at the lab in Quantico,” she said evasively. “They’re working up DNA profiles to run through CODIS and then we’ll know more.”

  Sensing the agent was holding back information, Nessa wondered what the feds had found that couldn’t be shared with the local PD.

  “There isn’t anything else I should know, is there?” Nessa asked. “I mean, you didn’t find anything up there that could bring more trouble to Willow Bay, did you?”

  Another long pause on Charlie’s end confirmed Nessa’s suspicion. The FBI agent wasn’t telling her everything, and whatever she was keeping from her may have something to do with Willow Bay.

  “I’ve gotta go,” Charlie said abruptly. “But I will let you know what we find out as soon as I can.”

  “But, Charlie, I need to know-”

  Realizing the call had been disconnected, Nessa dropped the phone on her desk with a dissatisfied huff.

  “Great, that’s just wonderful,” she muttered in frustration.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Chief, but Agent Marlowe is getting ready to meet with the state prosecutor about the deal with Amber Sloan. I thought you might want to sit in on that.”

  Looking up to see Peyton standing in her doorway, Nessa felt a flush work its way up her neck.

  Nothing like having a tantrum in front of your team to instill confidence.

  She tucked a red curl behind her ear and straightened her jacket.

  “Thanks, Detective Bell, I think I should,” Nessa agreed, peeved that Marlowe hadn’t invited her himself. “I’ll be right there.”

  Before she could make it around her desk, Jankowski stuck his head into the office.

  “Can I have a word, Nessa?”

  He stepped inside and shut the door before she could respond.

  “You never told me that Detective Ramirez was so…so experienced when you assigned me to be his new partner,” the big detective murmured in a low voice. “The guy is what…like sixty?”

  Nessa crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the big detective. She’d worked with Diego Ramirez before she’d moved from Atlanta to Willow Bay, and she knew the older man was a good detective as well as a decent human being.

  “Ramirez’s age has nothing to do with his ability to do the job,” Nessa snapped back, not bothering to lower her voice. “He’s one of the best detectives I’ve ever worked with, and this department is lucky to have him.”

/>   Holding up his hands in surrender, Jankowski shook his head.

  “Okay, maybe you’re right, but why’d I get saddled with him?”

  Nessa shook her head in amazement. She’d managed to hire in one of Atlanta’s finest detectives to replace Marc Ingram, who was currently fighting charges of corruption and aiding and abetting the Diablo Crime Syndicate, and here she was getting push back from the one person she’d counted on to help Ramirez settle in.

  “You’re the senior detective in the department, so I thought you’d be the best choice to partner with the new guy,” Nessa admitted. “I figured I could count on you to show Ramirez the ropes and get him started out on the right foot. Maybe I was wrong.”

  Smoothing a strand of blonde hair back into place with a big hand, Jankowski sighed. His face softened as he read the disappointment in Nessa’s eyes.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll give it a shot,” he said, backing toward the door. “But you know better than anyone that I’m not an easy partner to deal with. Ramirez has his work cut out for him.”

  Nessa watched Jankowski’s broad shoulders disappear down the hall with worried eyes. He wasn’t going to be happy when he found out her ulterior motive for bringing in Ramirez.

  Resting a hand on her stomach, Nessa looked down and sighed. Somebody would have to run the department when she went out on maternity leave. She thought Ramirez would make a fine acting chief.

  I just hope Jankowski and the rest of the team will think so, too.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Nessa’s appearance in the briefing room seemed to surprise Marlowe, but he quickly regained his composure.

  “Chief Ainsley, I’m glad you’re here,” he called out. “I was just asking Ms. Odell to review the immunity agreement we plan to offer Amber Sloan in exchange for her help.”

  Taking a seat next to Riley Odell, Nessa frowned over at Marlowe.

  “What exactly is this woman going to help us with?”

  She stared pointedly at Peyton and Vanzinger, who flanked Marlowe on the other side of the table.

  “What does she know…or should I say, who does she know?”