“Are you done?”
Breath coming in heavy gasps, Karina gaped at her mother. “Seriously? Am I done? I’m just getting started.”
“Before you blow a gasket or destroy your other hand, perhaps you should take a good look at your surroundings.”
“I know where we are, Mom. Gram and Grampa’s farm, although I have no idea why now, after everything that’s happened, you decided to bring me here. I didn’t want to come back yet. The memories are too painful!”
Cupping her hands over Karina’s cheeks, LiAnn turned her head toward the house. “That’s why.”
Jerking away, Karina started to say something else until her gaze settled on the new house. An adorable country home, complete with a wrap-around, screened-in porch and floor-to-ceiling windows all along the front. Vibrant red azalea bushes surrounded the house as far as she could see, interspersed with budding pampas grass. A new, white picket fence encircled the place, framing the rose-colored brick and white gables. “Oh, my God.”
Placing her hand on Karina’s elbow, LiAnn led her daughter toward the newly-constructed home, wishing she had a key so they could tour the inside. “Some secrets are good things, Karina Ruby. Gram and Grampa did this just for you, and even I didn’t know they built this just for you until last week. Stop focusing on the negative things in your life and look at all the love and kindness provided by people who care about you.”
“I…I…don’t know what to say,” Karina stuttered before bursting into tears.
Wrapping her arms around Karina’s quaking shoulders, LiAnn hugged her close. “Words mean nothing unless followed up by actions, daughter. The best way you can say thank you to Gram and Grampa is by being happy and learning to let go of the disappointments and fears in life. If you don’t, you’ll end up all alone, just like Betty.”
“Like you did with Andrew?” Karina mumbled.
“Exactly. Don’t let this one moment in time define who you are, Karina. Absorb it, learn from it, yet be a better person because of it. If you succumb to the rage, you’re no better than those who hurt you. Yes, some people in this world are horrible beings wreaking havoc on those around them. Others share their blessings and love. I know Bo’s betrayal and death hurts, and I’m so sorry you’re forced to endure this pain, but trust me, it will pass with time. Look around and truly see the wonderful people around you who love you and have done everything in their power to make you happy and safe.”
“I don’t know how to do that anymore, Mom. I don’t.”
With gentle fingers, LiAnn raised Karina’s chin to meet her gaze. “Yes, you do. You accept people for who they are, faults and all, and welcome them into your life instead of pushing them away. The secrets Bo’s family kept were the kind that cause damage. The one’s in our close circle were done for love.”
“Please tell me this is the last one,” Karina whispered.
“Actually, there’s another. I was going to tell you earlier, but now seems to be the appropriate time.”
While staring at the house, Karina wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “If it’s a bad one, I don’t want to hear it.”
“It started out bad, but the ending is just how you like your books—a major twist with a touch of revenge.”
LiAnn opened the door to the porch just as the sound of a vehicle approaching caught their attention. Karina let out a string of expletives. “Not today. Seriously, not today! My God, I woke up in Hell this morning!”
Smiling at the irony of timing, or perhaps a telephone call from Andrew, LiAnn stayed on the last step as Cal parked and he and Lucas Hill emerged from the truck. “I believe this last secret should be revealed by Cal.”
Karina’s mouth dropped open. “That’s it. This is all a horrible nightmare, and any minute, I’m going to wake up. Please, God, let me wake up.”
Ignoring her daughter’s words, LiAnn stepped off the porch, extending her hand to Lucas. “The yard looks wonderful, you two. Ah, I see you brought more lovely flowers. They look like Karina’s favorite—gardenias.”
“Afternoon, Ms. Tuck. Yes, they’re gardenias. Some things you just don’t forget,” Cal replied, gaze never leaving Karina.
“You two have done a lovely job with the landscaping. Lucas, will you please help me carry these to the barn?”
“Sure thing, ma’am.”
Unsure if she’d just had a mind break and truly was stuck in a horrible hallucination, Karina stared at Cal and said nothing as he walked to the porch. Instead, she turned and walked over to the swing and sat, cursing her inability to comprehend the entire situation. She couldn’t begin to fathom what Cal was doing here or why in the world her mother would let him be the one to reveal a secret.
Leaning against the doorframe, Cal kept his voice and tone low. “I’m really sorry about what happened. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now.”
Karina snorted. “Pft. Neither can I. Everything’s all jumbled up inside me, and just when I think I’m about to get a handle on my emotions, you drive up. Figures. Mom said you have some big secret to reveal, and since today seems to be the day to pop shit balloons and let them splash all over, go ahead. I’m already covered from head to toe. What’s one more dousing?”
Chuckling softly, Cal smiled. “You’re at your funniest when under a lot of stress. Your humor gets really dark.”
Closing her eyes, Karina started to rock the swing, enjoying the sound of the creaky chain. It reminded her of all the times she’d spent as a child with Gram and Grampa. “My day can’t get any worse, so please, let the revealing begin.”
“You wanted to know why I really moved here, right?”
Karina’s eyes popped open. “Now you want to tell me? Today? After all that’s happened? Not good timing on your part, and I certainly can’t understand why my mother would think—”
“Melissa Doster is alive,” Cal interrupted. The look on Karina’s face would have been funny if the subject matter wasn’t so intense.
“I…wait. What did you just say?”
“Andrew and I faked her death after her husband put out a contract hit on her. I handled the accident scene, and Andrew drove her here, to Arkansas. She’s been in a cabin hiding out ever since, waiting until May 24th for the appeal. That’s why I’m here, Karina. Between Georgia Kincaid’s threat and then the contract on Melissa, I knew you might be in danger. Of course, you were down here pissing off mobsters, and I didn’t know that until it was too late. What little dark brown I had left on my head instantly turned gray when I watched the news report. The only reason I didn’t move sooner is because Andrew was here, keeping an eye on you two, and I felt I needed to monitor what was going on in Cali and not have even a modicum of suspicion about me and Crigger moving back at the same time.”
Floored by the news, Karina couldn’t engage her mouth to say a word. Overwhelmed with too much information, she just stared at Cal as though he’d spoken a foreign language. Suddenly, she felt the pain in her hand thump in time with her heartbeat. A dull headache throbbed in her temples as she tried to sort through not only the information, but the rampant emotions spinning inside her mind. It was like her brain was a tennis court and the ball kept bouncing from hate to love, anger to grief, with each smack of the racquet.
Finally breaking the gaze, Karina stared down at her hand, noting the swelling and drying streaks of blood. “I think it’s broken.”
Cal knelt in front of Karina and inspected the injury. “You really need to stop hitting things, Karina. Yeah, I think it is too, but all broken things heal with the right amount of care, even things you think may be damaged beyond repair.”
Karina’s eyes filled with tears at the sentiment, yet she couldn’t utter the words she knew Cal wanted to hear. Her head was too screwed up to think straight. “Healing takes time, Calvin.”
Nodding once, Cal stood and held the door open. “I’m aware, and since I’m finished being your private landscaper, I’ve got all the time in the world to wait.”
After a brief conversation with her mom, Cal and Lucas climbed inside the truck and left.
LiAnn returned to the porch and sat next to Karina on the swing. She put her arm over her daughter’s quaking shoulders. “Pretty shocking about Melissa, huh?”
“How long have you known?”
“Andrew told me last week after I shared the whole Maud Crawford mess. When we arrived at the hospital and I saw Cecil skulking around, I got that sick feeling in my stomach. Andrew noticed I was distraught, so rather than lie to him, I told him what we knew. He had the same reaction you did—told me to let it go. Of course, I didn’t, so that’s when he proposed. I think it was a ploy.”
Looking over at her mother, who had a wide smile on her face, Karina chuckled softly. “Obviously it didn’t work.”
“No, it didn’t. God forgive me for saying this, but I did suspect Cecil. I feel awful about that now. I should have known better.” LiAnn sighed and stood, holding her hand out for Karina’s. “I planned on telling you, but things have been so hectic, I thought I should wait until things calmed down. The plan was to tell you at lunch, and then, well, this day went to hell in a hand basket.”
“No doubt.”
“Come on. I have something to show you.”
Groaning, Karina stood. “Are you trying to make my head explode today? If so, you’re doing a fine job.”
Stepping out into the yard, LiAnn headed toward the barn. “You’re not the only one grappling with this nightmare, Karina. While I was in here with Lucas, my mind was rehashing all we already knew before talking to Cecil.”
Opening the barn door, LiAnn ushered Karina inside. The familiar sights and scents made Karina’s heart clench. Even though it sported new wood and fresh paint, the old place still retained the aromas she recalled from childhood.
Pointing to a small workbench, LiAnn motioned for Karina to sit. “Before we head back to Hot Springs, we should talk about what we will and won’t share with the police and with Gram and Grampa.”
“I agree, but why in here? What did you want to show me?”
“Hang on. Let me share my thoughts, okay?”
Sighing heavily, Karina nodded.
“As I mentioned, I continued to investigate. I found a lot of blog posts, just like you mentioned, and most of them pointed the finger of guilt at Mike Berg.”
“Yeah, most, though some mentioned the mob was sending a message to Senator McClellan. Others liked Clyde for it.”
“Right—and we know for a fact now it wasn’t Mike or Clyde—and Bertrand was in the military.”
Karina’s eyes widened in shock as the fire in her stomach erupted. “What are you getting at, Mom?”
“One poster mentioned the eminent domain land grab of 1943. Said a relative worked at the county clerk’s office back then and Maud was infuriated at the way the government treated the uneducated farmers. Then, when whispered rumors started about the Shumaker base slated for closure after the Korean War ended, Maud came in every few months and checked the deeds.”
Furrowing her brows, Karina asked, “Why would she do that?”
“The anonymous blog entry mentioned if the government planned on selling the acreage, Maud wanted to make sure it was offered back to the original owners first.”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
“Like Cecil said, everything ties back to the land. The laws pertaining to eminent domain back then clearly stated if property acquired by a government, state, or city entity occurred and then the entity decided to sell, they had to offer it back to the original owners at the same price the entity paid. I searched for archived records online about how much the government shelled out for the sixty-four thousand acres they bought from a little over three hundred farmers, but came up with squat. But you know they didn’t offer up full price for the value of the land. I did, however, find snippets of the sale transaction in 1959. A little over half the acreage was bought by International Paper Company, and the other half was bought by Brown Engineering Corporation—a corporation, mind you, that was partially owned by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson’s wife. Between the two transactions, the land sold for millions of dollars. The government made a huge profit.”
“Holy shitballs! And Bertrand was in the military and told Cecil the blame would be placed on Mike Berg’s head! My God, it’s crazy but makes sense! Maud worked at McClellan’s old firm; Camden’s a small town, and I just bet you the rumors about Mike Berg’s shady dealings made it all the way to D.C.! Let me guess. McClellan and Johnson were senators at the same time?”
“Yep, and when the first rumors about selling the land tickled the ears of potential buyers, McClellan was asked if there was anyone he could think of in Camden who might cause a stink, and Maud’s name was mentioned. Of course, that’s just a theory, yet I do believe it holds some merit.”
“And Mike Berg was the perfect patsy!”
“Glad I’m not the only one who smells the stink of the connection.”
“Jesus, what a ginormous cover up!”
“Exactly…which is the reason I brought you in here because I think all this mess needs to remain hidden.”
“What do you mean?” Karina asked while watching her mother stand and walk over to the door.
Pointing at the section of the original barn door, LiAnn couldn’t stop her fingers from shaking. “That does say 1871, correct?”
Karina burst from the bench and ran to the door. As she’d done so many times during her lifetime, her fingers caressed the indentations of the old wood where the words “Tuck Manor – Est. 1871” had been carved by her great-great grandfather. “Oh, my God.”
“Yeah, that was my reaction too when I noticed it as Lucas and I were walking out. Am I crazy for thinking that’s what Cecil’s last words meant?”
The air inside the barn suddenly seemed stifling. Karina pushed the door open and stepped out into the bright afternoon sun. “Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit! He buried her here?! Underneath Grampa’s barn?!”
“I hate thinking it, but it does make sense. The police didn’t search this far north and had absolutely no reason to consider Cecil a suspect. I know he said he moved her body because he didn’t want Mike Berg framed for something he didn’t do, but I think there’s more to his decision. He knew Bertrand could turn on him at any time, confess his involvement to someone, and then bring Cecil’s name into the conversation. Or worse, lead someone to the spot Maud’s body was buried and turn the story around, saying Cecil is the one who forced him to participate and threatened to tell the military police Bertrand had been driving the car the night of the accident. Whatever Cecil’s reasons, he outplayed all those involved by moving Maud here.”
“Too much. This is just too much! We’ve got to be way off base here, but good Lord, what if we aren’t? How do we tell Grampa?”
Grabbing Karina by the shoulders, LiAnn did her best to remain calm. “We aren’t saying a word to Grampa and you know it. We don’t say a word to anyone. We let this mystery remain unsolved, and we let it go. Like you said, there’s no sense in ruining any more lives. The deaths that happened today will be hard enough on Gram and Grampa. What was it you said to me that day in your room? Leave sleeping dogs alone or suffer a wicked bite?”
“Yeah, that was it. God, I wish I could go back in time and—”
“But you can’t. We can’t. I’m not tangling with the government. They’re worse than the mob. We walk away, Karina Ruby. Everyone except Betty—er, Carolyn—involved in this mess is dead. The remaining relatives of all those associated with the case will just have to continue to learn to live with the unsolved mystery.”
“It has, but that’s not the reason I feel the way I do. I’m protecting my family from an untold amount of pain by remaining quiet. Just like Cecil did. Come on, we aren’t just leaving a sleeping dog alone. We’re going to pretend we don’t even see it.”
“Mom, I…are you sure you can? Like Gram mentioned earlier, you’re cut from cop cloth.”
Opening the driver’s door on the Tahoe, LiAnn smiled. “I can, and I will. For my family, I promise, and that’s a promise I won’t ever break.”
Sliding in the passenger seat, Karina sighed. “There are no more secrets left, right? Because if the next one is something like I’m adopted or some other crazy shit, just drop me off at the mental ward.”
“Nope, all secrets have been exposed, yet some are going to remain between us. And there’s no doubt in my mind you’re my offspring. Like Grampa says, we’re two peas from the same pod.”
“Grampa’s going to be devastated.”
Turning onto the main highway, LiAnn gunned the engine. “Yes, he will. But he’s a tough man, and he has us to lean on. Now, let’s get that hand looked at before we face the music.”
Chapter 15
Hot Springs, Arkansas – Early Sunday Morning, March 12, 2017
“Care if I join you?”
Blood Loss - A Magnolia Novel Page 19
