by Dana Mentink
* * *
After Ava was settled into a small bedroom in the main lodge, the one her uncle stayed in frequently, the rest of them were installed in a separate little cottage, one that Luca suspected Sue and Harold used to live in when the resort was bustling. An upstairs loft area provided some privacy for Tate and Stephanie while he bunked in a small downstairs room with a window that looked out at the main lodge. A lone rag rug was the only spot of color to liven up the palette of brown cushioned furniture and paneled walls.
Stephanie surveyed the place with a resigned look. “Not four-star, but it’s better than the trailer,” she said as she headed upstairs to unpack. “At least we convinced Mack Dog to leave Tate and stay with Ava for a while. I was beginning to feel jealous.”
The place was musty. Even though it showed some signs of hasty cleaning, it clearly had not been in use for some time.
Harold knocked on the door. When Stephanie let him in, he dropped a paper grocery sack on the counter. “Some supplies. We don’t keep much on hand anymore. Just stocked up because the next storm rolling through’s supposed to be a bad one.”
He turned to go.
“Mr. Agnoti, when was the last time you spoke to Paul?” Luca asked.
Harold turned slowly. “He was here a couple days ago, but I didn’t talk to him. Popped in and out over the years since Mrs. Stanton died. Never knew how long he would stay.”
“Did you notice him acting strangely? Secretively?”
Harold sighed. “Listen. I’m a simple man. I try not to get involved in things. If you want to know what Paul was up to, you’d better ask Sue.”
“Were they close?”
“At one time they were, a long time ago.” A look very like sorrow crossed Harold’s face. “Paul was one of those men women like. Good-looking, fancy talker. Charming, is how Sue would put it, I guess.”
“And your wife didn’t mention anything about Paul’s plans?”
He rubbed his forehead. “She doesn’t have much to say to me anymore, period.” Before Luca could ask anything further, Harold had left, closing the door hard behind him.
Stephanie and Tate joined him.
“Sounds like Harold and Sue are not in the happiest of marriages.”
“Too bad,” Tate said, putting his arm around her shoulders and kissing her on the temple. “Marriage is the best.”
Luca smiled, but he felt a pang in his gut. Tate and Stephanie fit together like two puzzle pieces in spite of their opposite personalities. God brought them together, he was sure, even though they had to go through some horrifying times before they realized it.
He thought about Ava, what she must be feeling staying in the room her beloved uncle so recently made his home. Drifting to the window he looked out on the impossibly perfect mountain peaks, dusted with snow, impervious to the frigid conditions that battered them. Maybe Ava would become like them, hardened by the pain she’d experienced, unable to express the love and gentleness he knew filled her soul deep down.
A light flickered on in her bedroom window.
God, give her some peace, he prayed.
* * *
Luca was staring at his computer screen, eyes burning when the sound of a car pulling up the road brought him to the window. It was not the cops, as he’d expected, but a small sedan. He recognized Charlie Goren immediately as the man struggled free of the car, holding on to his hat against the freshening wind.
Why Goren? Why here? Had he come to express his condolences? Didn’t seem like something the nervous little jeweler would do. Stephanie and Tate were getting a walk in before the weather worsened and the sun disappeared. Luca pulled on a jacket and returned to the main lodge.
Sue had settled Goren into a comfortable room which must have served as a recreation spot at some point. Shelves filled with board games lined the walls and jigsaw puzzles almost overflowed a long wooden table.
Goren sat on a sofa upholstered in the same red checkered material as the curtains. Luca wasn’t sure how to play it. If the man had come to express his sympathies, then Luca had no business intruding. Ava looked up from her seat near the fire crackling in the old stone hearth. She gave him a small smile and gestured him over.
He moved to a chair. “Hello, Mr. Goren.”
The man nodded. “Hello. I’m sorry to intrude.” His eyes darted from Luca to Ava. “I’m not sure I should have come.”
Sue handed them each a thick mug filled with coffee. “If you were a friend of Paul’s, then we’re glad to see you,” she said, taking a seat on the other side of the hearth.
Goren’s face showed evidence of a struggle. Luca guessed “friend” might be too strong a feeling for someone who had cheated Goren.
Harold passed by. He looked at Goren and nodded slightly. “Going to town for batteries and water. Storm will be here tonight.”
Sue did not answer and Harold left.
Goren cleared his throat. “I should make this quick with bad weather on the way.”
Ava nodded encouragingly. “What did you come to talk about?”
He squirmed. “Well, first I wanted to say I’m sorry. Your uncle was not my favorite person recently, but I didn’t want him to die.”
She swallowed. “Thank you for that.”
“Paul came to my shop, like I told you, and showed me what he supposedly got from the storage space. It took me a while to examine the jewelry.” His smile was rueful. “I am very involved in my work once I get started. Anyway, while I worked, Paul made himself at home looking at the books on my shelf while he sat in my rocking chair. I was reading there last night and I found this wedged under the cushion.”
He pulled a long scrap of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. “Something he scribbled down, but I’m not sure what to make of it.”
Ava took the paper and moved to sit next to Luca, so they could both take a look. Her shoulder, warm from the fire, transferred the heat into his body. He leaned closer, and his arm went around her shoulders before he had thought about it, fitting perfectly as if her body was designed to snuggle next to his. He blinked as Sue stepped in behind them to examine the paper.
Danson, Belgium, 1913, Leuven
“What in the world does that mean?” Sue asked.
Goren sighed. “I’ve no idea. I thought you might. I believe Leuven is a university in Belgium.”
“An old one. It was looted by the Germans.” Luca’s mind whirled. “So Paul was researching a connection between the Danson family and the university?”
“And we’ve got a date,” Ava added. “1913.”
“But what does that have to do with the Sunset Star?” Goren said, rubbing his palms on his pants.
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Luca looked at Goren. “Okay to keep this?”
Goren shrugged. “Sure.” He stood up and ducked his head at them. “Just one thing.”
Ava gave him an encouraging nod as she and Luca rose.
“If...if you do find the Sunset Star...” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What is it, Mr. Goren?”
“If you do find it, could I be in on the discovery?” His eyes shone. “If I could be credited as helping find a gem like that, then...” He shrugged. “It would mean a lot to me, that’s all.”
Ava clasped his forearm. “Of course. And if we do find it, we’ll make sure you get back what you’re owed and then some. I promise.”
Goren’s mouth crooked in a slight smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Mr. Goren, while you’re here, would you mind looking at a set of pearls for me? I’ve had them for years and I wondered about their value,” Sue said.
“Of course,” he said, eyes shining. “I’d be happy to.” They left together and Luca sidled up to Ava.
“How are
you holding up?”
She shrugged. “I’m tired.”
“I can imagine.” They made small talk for a while, but Luca could see it was an effort for her. Sue and Goren returned, still talking about pearls.
“I’m sorry to tell you they aren’t genuine,” Goren was saying.
Sue smiled. “That’s okay. At least now I know for sure.”
Goren crossed to the door, but it opened before he got there. Sergeant Towers appeared, hair speckled with snow.
He greeted them and jutted his chin at Luca. “I took a look at the logs on my way up. You were lucky you got out of that with only a bang on the head.”
Luca saw something in the cop’s face that made his nerves jump. “Right, lucky.”
Towers’s gaze roamed the group. “While you’re all here, I’ve got some news about the Taser.” He wiped his boots on the mat and came farther into the room.
“You found out who owns it?” Ava said.
“Yes, we sure did. It’s amazing how much information you can glean from a tiny piece of metal. Good thing you picked it up, Mr. Gage.”
Luca had the feeling the cop was enjoying his moment in center stage. He did not press, but Ava was not so patient.
“Who does it belong to?” she demanded.
Towers looked around the room before he settled on Goren. “Would you like to tell us about your Taser, Mr. Goren?”
THIRTEEN
Ava watched the color drain from Goren’s face. This was the man who had killed her uncle? This quiet, unassuming jeweler whom she had felt sorry for a moment before?
Goren sank down into the chair. “This is not happening. It cannot be happening.”
Ava felt Luca’s arm circle her shoulders, the fingers squeezing some reality back into her body. Just listen, the touch seemed to say. We’ll sort it all out. She took comfort in the gesture as all eyes turned to stare at Goren, who was now visibly shaking.
“It’s mine,” he whispered.
Towers adjusted the cuff of his jacket. “The Taser is yours, yes. We have the purchase information. Mr. Goren, did you abduct Miss Stanton’s uncle?”
Goren jerked and looked at Towers. “No. The Taser was stolen from my shop.”
“There’s no police report to that effect.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t realize it was gone until later, but there was a break-in. You’ve got it on your records.”
Towers nodded. “You called in a burglary a few days ago. We sent an officer to take a report. Broken glass on the outside door. No major damage inside. The place was rifled, you said, but none of the jewelry was taken, just some petty cash from the register.”
“And my Taser,” he moaned. “I never should have gotten that thing in the first place, but Paul said...”
“What?” Ava snapped. “What did he say?”
“When he came to me for money to help him buy the storage unit, he said that the contents had to be kept safe, that people would kill for it. He was convinced we were getting our hands on something priceless.” Goren snorted. “Of course, he never trusted me to keep the treasure here anyway. I never even got to lay eyes on the contents. He kept it himself, except for a few pieces that he showed me.”
Ava exchanged a look with Luca. Hidden under the trailer until he or someone else moved it.
The red-spattered jacket came to mind again. Ava was sure if Paul was going to hide something, he would do it right here, at Whisper Mountain. She pulled her attention back to Towers.
“To be clear, Mr. Goren, you believe whoever broke into your store took the Taser and used it to abduct Paul.”
Goren nodded.
“And you didn’t call us later on to tell us your Taser had been taken?”
“I didn’t see the point,” Goren said. “I figured it was gone and got myself an old shotgun for protection instead.”
“Do you know what troubles me?” Towers said. “Why go to the effort of an abduction in broad daylight? With the potential for witnesses? Why the urgency?”
Ava thought for a moment. “Because the abductor found out Uncle Paul was meeting me, and the secret would be out of the bag.” Her stomach twisted. “So whoever it was knew Paul well, knew he was going to meet me at Melody Lake.”
Sue shook her head. “He didn’t say anything while he was here about going to meet you. I didn’t even know you were in town until I heard about what happened to Paul.”
Goren sighed. “I didn’t hear anything, either. I’m not sure Paul ever told me one true thing in all the years I knew him.”
“I believe he did,” Towers said. “He told you people would kill for whatever he found. He was right about that.”
A chill wriggled up Ava’s spine. She left Towers to go over the particulars with Goren again and escaped to the kitchen. The yellow curtains and the old chipped cookie jar reminded her of her mother. The irony was strong in the cheerful hues she always chose, in such contrast to the dark shadows that she could not shake.
“It’s got claws into me, Ava, and I can’t get away, no matter what I do.”
Would depression take possession of her, too? Ava wondered. Would she see the world through joyless eyes one day? Uncle Paul, for all his bad qualities, had always shown her the bright side of life, the optimistic, wide-eyed wonder with which he viewed things. The world was indeed his oyster, and she was the pearl, or so he’d told her.
Luca cleared his throat. “Ava?”
She grabbed a mug and fixed herself some tea. Tears welled up, but she blinked them away. “Do you think Goren is telling the truth?”
Luca shrugged. “I don’t know. The break-in isn’t a lie. The police can attest to that.”
“Someone knew about our meeting. It could have been someone at Peak Season. Bully maybe? A visitor we don’t know about?”
Luca gazed out at the heavy curtain of snow. “Maybe someone had access to his phone and checked his texts.”
They watched Towers return to his car and head off slowly into the falling snow.
Sue joined them and fetched a glass of water for Goren. “He doesn’t look very good. I think he’d better sit for a while before he tries to drive back.”
“Sue, are you sure there wasn’t anyone else who could have heard Paul talk about meeting me? Or gotten hold of his phone and seen the text he sent?”
She scrunched up her face. “There’s no one here at Whisper, no one who could have heard.” She hurried back out with the water.
“That’s not quite right,” Ava said, seeing the same conclusion in Luca’s face. “There were two people here. Sue and her husband.”
“What do you know about Sue?”
Ava thought a moment. “Paul met Sue decades ago when she sang at a concert in Texas, I think. She was really into music and wanted to sing professionally. Paul helped her along for a while and she came with him to Whisper. Mom and Dad hired her on as a caretaker, and she’s been here ever since.”
“Things between her and Paul didn’t work out, I take it?”
Ava sighed. “I thought they would get married. He used to call her his blackbird.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure. I know Sue has a son. He was a young teen when she and Paul were an item. Uncle Paul always said God didn’t give him children for a good reason. I think he was scared of the responsibility. She married Harold a few years ago. He’s been working on the mountain for twenty years, and my father trusted him.”
“Do you?”
She met Luca’s gaze. “I don’t know. He was always quiet, reticent almost and never a fan of my uncle. He kept to himself and stayed away from the guests. He can fix anything. He used to keep that horrible old Mack truck Uncle Paul owned running. That’s the one thing they could talk about without sniping at each ot
her.”
Ava felt suddenly overwhelmed. “Luca, if it is here, this treasure, how am I ever going to find it?”
He flashed her an arrogant smile that made her stomach tighten, just as it had when they were teens.
“Didn’t I mention that I’m an expert treasure hunter?”
She smiled back. “I believe you did, but this might be too much even for your legendary skills.”
“No way,” he said. “I’m invincible.”
“That’s good to know because we need something going for us right now.” She didn’t know why she’d used the word we. She busied herself rinsing the mug, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
“First thing we should do it search his room. That’s the obvious place to start.”
Sue appeared in the doorway looking frazzled. “We’ve got a little problem,” she said.
* * *
Luca crunched out in the snow. It was nearly dusk and the heavy bank of clouds made it even darker. He held a flashlight to Goren’s tire.
“Flat, all right.”
“Do you have a spare?” Ava asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” Sue said. “All four are flat.”
Luca could not tell exactly how the damage was done, but it was true that all the tires had been flattened.
He looked around, unable to see any footprints, and cast an eye to the tree line. “Has your husband returned yet, Sue?”
“Yes, he got back a few minutes ago.” She frowned. “Why do you ask?”
Luca shrugged. “No reason, other than we’re going to have to find a place for Mr. Goren to bunk for the night.”
“No need for that,” Goren said. “Can’t someone else drive me back to town?”
“Not in this weather,” Luca said. “You’re stuck here until morning.”
They returned to the lodge, and Luca caught her arm, letting Sue and Goren go ahead. “Ava, I want you to be careful. Don’t go out walking around on your own and keep your door locked tonight,” he whispered in her ear, the soft strands of hair tickling his cheek. He pressed closer, maybe closer than was strictly necessary. “Something is going on.”
