Dr. Clifton: What did you talk about with Christopher?
Nicholas Kleister: All kinds of stuff.
Dr. Clifton: Fishing?
Nicholas: Yeah. And sailing. He took me out on his boat once. It was so cool.
Dr. Clifton: What else did you talk about?
Nicholas shrugged.
Dr. Clifton: Did you talk about Lucas?
Nicholas: Maybe. I dunno. Christopher’s mom was real sick.
Dr. Clifton: He told you that?
Nicholas: Yeah. We have to look after our moms.
Dr. Clifton: Is your mom sick too?
Nicholas: Yeah, but different.
Dr. Clifton: Different how?
Nicholas: (Shrugs and glances at his parents)
Dr. Clifton: Would you do anything to protect your mom?
Nicholas: (Nods) I don’t want mommy to be sent away where we could never see her again.
Dr. Clifton: Who told you that?
Nicholas: mumbles (inaudible reply)
Dr. Clifton: Can you say that again?
Nicholas: Mommy. But the bad guy was talking about taking Lucas.
Dr. Clifton: Who’s the bad guy?
No audible reply.
Dr. Clifton: Is that why Lucas was hiding on the boat?
Nicholas: I need to talk to Christopher. Can I? Please?
Dr. Clifton: Did Christopher ask you to keep a secret?
Nicholas: We have a pact.
“It’s a good thing Lucas was found safe and Nicholas confessed to hiding him.”
“Right? Otherwise it would have been a rather incriminating discussion.”
I flipped the page to the second transcript, which was of the closed conversation between Christopher and Nicholas with the judge and the court reporter present.
Nicholas: I don’t want Mommy to go away.
Christopher: Why would she have to go away?
Nicholas: They’re going to send her away for hurting that man.
Christopher: Who did she hurt?
Nicholas: The bad man who was going to take Lucas away. But it wasn’t her fault.
Judge Simmons: Can you tell us more about the man who was going to take Lucas?
Nicholas: The one with the beard.
The judge produced Exhibit A, a mug shot of Lee Chambers.
Judge Simmons: Is the man you’re speaking about in one of these photos?
Nicholas: That’s him. He came to our house with another man.
Judge Simmons: For the record, Nicholas has identified Lee Chambers.
Christopher: Who was the other man?
Nicholas: The one I told you about. He had a snake on his arm.
The judge produces Exhibit B, a mug shot of Wes Creed.
Judge Simmons: Is the man with the snake on his arm in one of these photos?
Nicholas: Yeah. That’s him.
Judge Simmons: For the record, Nicholas has identified Wes Creed, who has a tattoo of a serpent on his right arm.
Christopher: Tell us what happened when they came to your house.
Nicholas: The guy with the beard and my mom were yelling so loud the twins started crying.
Judge Simmons: Did the man with the beard come into your house?
Nicholas nods.
Judge Simmons: You must speak your answer, Nicholas.
Nicholas: Yes.
Christopher: Where was the guy with the snake on his arm?
Nicholas: Out on the porch.
Christopher: What happened next?
Nicholas: The man with the beard said he was going to tell on mommy to daddy.
Judge Simmons: Did the man visit you before that night?
Nicholas nods.
Judge Simmons: Don’t forget to speak your answer.
Nicholas: Yes.
Judge Simmons: Do you remember how many times he visited?
Nicholas: No.
Judge Simmons: Did he visit more than twice?
Nicholas: Yes.
Christopher: What happened when he visited?
Nicholas: Mommy made us all go watch TV.
Christopher: What happened the last time he came to the house that was different?
Nicholas: He made Mommy cry and they both went outside. I saw him grab Mommy, so I followed and started yelling at him to leave her alone. She told me to go back inside.
Christopher: Did you?
Nicholas: No. (Nicholas has started to cry now.)
Judge Simmons: Can you tell us what happened next?
Nicholas: Mommy was trying to stop him from leaving, but he kept walking and dragging her and hurting her. I ran at him and pushed him away, and that’s when he fell down the steps. Mommy didn’t hurt him. I did. But she said I should never tell anyone what happened. You won’t send her away will you?
Judge Simmons: Let’s take a break.
* * *
Judge Simmons: Nicholas, do you know what an accident is?
Nicholas: Yes.
Judge Simmons: It sounds to me like it was an accident that caused the man to get hurt. Did you mean the man any harm?
Nicholas: I just wanted him to leave us alone.
Christopher: You were protecting your mom.
Nicholas: That’s what we do, right?
Christopher: Yep. That’s what we do. You were very brave, Nicholas.
Judge Simmons: What did the man with the snake on his arm do after the other man fell down the steps?
Nicholas: I don’t know. Mommy took me inside.
Judge Simmons: Is that why you decided to hide Lucas on the boat?
Nicholas: I put him there because they said he was worth a lot of money. (Nicholas is crying again) But when I went to rescue him, the boat was gone.
Christopher: But he’s okay now. You were being a good brother.
“Wow,” I said, my fingers shaking as I pushed the transcripts back across the table. “That is one heck of a lot for a child to have to deal with.”
“No kidding.” Laura tucked the file into her backpack.
“Has this been verified?”
“According to the Kleisters’s attorney, Helene confirmed his statement. The attorney was laying the groundwork for mitigating circumstances by claiming the reason for her reluctance to cooperate with the police was because she was protecting Nicholas.”
“No matter how misguided her thinking was, she was trying to protect her child.”
“Among other things.” She raised her eyebrows.
“And hide her drug use?”
“Yep.”
“Why then was Matthew Kleister arrested?”
“He confessed.” Laura shook her head. “Not knowing what Nicholas had said in the closed conference with the judge, he felt it was the only thing he could do to protect his son. Turns out, he wasn’t even in Whale Rock that night.”
“I guess he’s the true hero in this story,” I said. “But now that Lee Chambers’s death has been declared accidental, what’s next?”
“Well, his death may have been accidental, but he didn’t put himself in that dumpster. I guess they’ll have to figure out what exactly took place after Nicholas pushed him, including how everyone’s DNA ended up on the rug used to dispose of his body. That includes Christopher Savage’s.”
* * *
When I got back to The Bluffs, I found my laptop opened to my documents as the room filled with a distinctive and familiar aroma.
“Now what are you trying to tell me?” I said to the mischievous spirits who seemed to enjoy communicating with me through more modern means. “Which one would you have me open?” I asked aloud of my spirit guides. Voila! Highlighted was Zoe’s most recent email about Dr. Zane.
“You’re right!” I slapped my forehead. “I never called her.”
I picked up the phone and was put through to the doctor’s voicemail. While I waited for a callback, I decided to fold some laundry and found that I’d never actually returned the socks and underwear and shorts that had all been soiled when Wes Creed scared Nicho
las. Looking at those small socks prompted me to recall how Lucas’s bloody shoe had been found at Christopher’s cottage. I thought back to the conversation in which Christopher was telling Daniel and me what had happened. Could I have just uncovered the answer to Christopher Savage’s DNA dilemma?
* * *
“Up for company again?” Daniel asked, a bit chagrinned, when he arrived home.
“Who?”
“Jason stopped by the harbor and asked if he and Laura could stop by.”
“For dinner?” I opened the refrigerator, pondering what we could whip up on short notice.
“They’re bringing takeout. Giuseppe’s has reopened for business.”
I let out a nearly orgasmic groan. “I’ve been dying for a Margherita pie.”
“Now you can live.” Daniel headed for the stairs. When Laura and Jason showed up with sparkling grape juice, I had more than a hint of the reason for the spontaneous dinner.
“We have some exciting news,” Jason announced, barely through the door. He was the happiest I’d seen him in weeks. Even Gypsy had emerged from her hiding place under the table to wag a greeting.
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” I said, sending a surreptitious wink in Laura’s direction as Daniel took the pizza boxes from Jason’s grasp.
“We’re pregnant!” Laura and Jason shouted in unison.
“That’s great news.” Daniel hugged Laura, then patted Jason’s back, saying. “I’m pretty sure I have some porch cigars for later.”
“When are you due?” I asked, pretending this was all news to me.
“Late February.”
“A winter baby?” Daniel feigned freezing and made a face. “Brrr!”
“I’ll have you know,” Laura said, wagging a finger at him in response, “I just read a report yesterday that babies born in the winter are smarter and more easygoing than babies born in the summer.”
“That’s what they study these days?” Daniel scrunched his face in bewilderment, then asked as he opened a pizza box, “What about babies born to mothers who eat anchovies?”
“That one’s for me.” Jason grabbed the box away. “Margherita for Cassie and my girl, and sausage and peppers for you.”
“Are you going to find out the sex?” I asked.
“We’re divided on that one. Still working through it.” Laura smiled up at Jason as he popped the cork on the sparkling grape juice.
“Cheers!” Daniel rejoiced, though not once did he look at me. I wondered if he was also thinking about our earlier talk.
My phone chimed while the pizza was being divvied up.
“Be right back.” I held up the phone and walked into the library, Gypsy following at my heels. “Hey, Christopher. Thanks for calling me back.”
“Is Gypsy okay?”
“She’s fine, though missing you.” I reached down to pet her head. “How’s your father?”
“Better than expected.” That was all he offered. “What did you call about?”
“I need to know if you remember something.”
“Okay, what?”
“When we first met, you had a bandage on your hand. How did you get hurt?”
“I cut it chopping vegetables with one of Land’s End’s kitchen knives.”
“Did that happen before or after you bandaged up Lucas’s foot the day he cut it?”
“Before, I think.” A few seconds later he said, “Actually, I’m certain it was before.”
“Try to remember exactly what you did before and after you bandaged Lucas’s foot.”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at here.” His frustration was palpable.
“Humor me, please? Step by step.”
There was a long pause before he began to recount what he recalled about the incident.
“Lucas slipped while climbing on the rocks and cut his foot on a shell. I was sitting on the cottage deck when Nicholas brought him to me. Lucas was crying. I walked over to the clothesline and grabbed a towel to wipe away the sand and wrap up his foot. I had Nicholas hold it tight while I went inside for some bandages. I came back and put some ointment on the cut and bandaged it up.”
“What color was the towel?”
“Blue. Every towel in Land’s End is blue. It must be Robyn’s favorite color.”
“Then what? And try to be as specific as possible.”
“Let’s see. I put his socks back on. I then went to get the beach cart to give them a ride back up to their house.”
“Did you take the towel with you?”
“Take it where?”
“To get the cart.”
“Um, yeah. I threw it over the outdoor shower door.”
“Do you remember what you did with that towel later? Maybe you washed it?”
He paused to consider the question. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
“Where’s the outdoor shower located?”
“Between the carport and the storage room.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I took the beach cart down from its hook and brought it back to the boys and lifted Lucas into the cart.”
“Where were his shoes?”
“I thought Nicholas was carrying them, but obviously not. Or they fell off. I wasn’t paying that much attention. I was just trying to get two small kids back home.”
“Okay, thanks. This has been helpful.”
“Helpful how?”
“I can’t say yet.”
“You must have a theory.”
“It’s such a long shot, Christopher. I’d rather wait until I’m on firmer ground with this.”
“A long shot, huh?” His tone was wary.
“Yes, but one I still believe is worth betting on.”
* * *
I was distracted as the four of us munched on pizza, chatting idly about Laura and Jason’s plans to look for a different place to live.
The conversation eventually drifted to the Lee Chambers case.
“Brooks told me after the hearing today that the death was ruled an accident,” Laura said, casting a furtive look in my direction.
“We still have some details to work out.” Jason’s tone was cautious.
I worried Laura would try to steer the discussion toward the subject of the transcripts. Sliding my plate aside and leaning my elbows on the table, I said, “I can’t help but wonder what will happen to that family.”
“I doubt that marriage will survive,” Jason said, finishing off one last slice of pizza. “It seemed to be on shaky ground to begin with.”
“Not all couples are meant to be together,” Daniel said. I couldn’t argue as both Daniel and I had one failed marriage each under our belts. He pushed back from the table and began collecting the dishes. “Jason and I will clean up.”
When the kitchen was as sparkling as two men can leave it, they retired to the porch with their stinky cigars. I had to smile as Jason started coughing.
“Your husband is not broken in on cigars.”
“And I don’t want him to be,” Laura said, holding her nose. “Definitely not with a baby around.”
“I don’t think you need worry.” I peeked out the window to the porch. “He’s looking kind of green.”
“Is something bothering you?” Laura asked and then lowered her voice. “I’m not prying, it’s just, there seemed to be a little tension between you and Daniel tonight.”
“We’re both really tired.” I smiled. “Don’t worry about me. You’ve got other things to think about now.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t be available if you need a friend.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, but truly, everything’s fine.” Though I couldn’t ignore the calling-card scent of Percy and Celeste, as the room suddenly filled with the acrid scent of burnt sugar.
* * *
Laura and Jason departed, taking their aura of happiness with them. Daniel claimed exhaustion and went to bed while I took Gypsy for a moonlight stroll. I punched in Brooks’s number and waited. A
fter the seventh ring, he finally answered.
“Is it too late to call?” I asked.
“No, but your timing isn’t great.” He kept his voice low, leaving me guessing whether he was working a case.
“This will be quick.”
“What have you got?”
“Was a blue towel found with Lee Chambers’s body?”
39
Cassandra
The Bluffs ~ Present day
It had been two weeks since the storm hit Whale Rock, and Laura’s article was being published in the weekend edition of the Cape Cod Times. We’d invited her and Jason over to celebrate, but once again my cupboard was bare. Daniel had promised to cook if I did the shopping, so I made a mad dash to Orleans for some special ingredients. Now that people were starting to return after the storm, the grocery store shelves were emptying faster than they could be restocked. But I managed to purchase what I needed.
After the marketing was finished, I navigated a shortcut, to avoid Route 6, which took me past Wizards, the dive bar where I’d met Teddy last year. Lo and behold, there was his gray Jeep. I slowed, considering I might pop in and join him in a nice cold beer. That’s when I spied the WRPD cruiser at the other end of the parking lot, where Teddy and Brooks were engaged in what appeared to be a serious discussion. Both men had their arms folded, standing with the same don’t screw with me posture. What I wouldn’t give to be listening to that conversation. Teddy brushed aside his dark blonde hair in that very familiar way, and that’s when it hit me. Oh my God! How had I missed it for so long?
I drove home in a distracted fog as images passed through my mind of all the similarities between the two men. For as long as I’ve known Teddy, I’ve been trying to figure out who he reminded me of. I did a quick approximation of Teddy’s age and calculated the timing of a potential love connection between Brooks and Theo Howell. Now at least Zoe’s reactions to the woman made sense. My dilemma was figuring out just who I should ask about this epiphany of mine. Certainly not Zoe. Lu had already shut me down once. Probably not good timing to ask Brooks either. Would he have confided in Daniel? Doubtful. I had no time to ponder this revelation further as I had offered to be Daniel’s sous chef.
* * *
“Here’s to your first byline on a big story.” I raised my glass of sparkling water.
Storm of Secrets Page 28
