Storm of Secrets

by Loretta Marion

  “I must admit, it is exciting.” Laura was glowing, but who knew if it was more from her pregnancy or this milestone in her career. “I couldn’t have done it without Brooks.”

  “Nice of you to give credit where it’s due,” Jason deadpanned.

  “Well, I certainly never got a peep from you.”

  “It’s part of our deal.” He gave her a serious look. “We don’t talk about work.”

  “At least you have plenty of other equally important topics to discuss these days. Baby names, which type of jogging stroller to buy …”

  “Where to live,” Daniel added.

  Laura and Jason looked at each other.

  “We can tell them,” Laura nudged.

  “I suppose we can trust you guys not to outbid us,” Jason said with mock reluctance. “We’ve put an offer on the Parker place.”

  “That’s one of my favorites!” The home was located just on the outskirts of town. Private but still walkable. “Convenient to the station.”

  “That might be as much a curse as a blessing.” He dipped his head in dramatic fashion before adding knowingly, “But my bride fell in love with it, so what’s a man to do?”

  “It will be great,” Laura said, dismissing her husband’s worries. “You’ll be able to pop home for lunch, visit me and the baby. You’ll see.”

  “After all the hours I’ve put in during these past two weeks, I’ll be taking Brooks up on his promise of paternity leave.”

  “You deserve it,” Daniel said.

  “Is the case almost wrapped up?” I asked.

  “The plea deal for Helene Kleister is still being worked out, to her benefit with the strong-arming of her parents’ law firm.” Jason shook his head in dismay. “Brooks was hoping for reckless endangerment, but she’ll probably go to rehab instead of serving any time.”

  “Her story is that she wanted to call nine-one-one to report the fall, but Wes Creed intervened and convinced her otherwise,” Daniel said, indicating he was still in the loop.

  “Courtesy of some blackmail, which Helene paid,” Jason added with a smirk.

  “What will happen to Wes?” I asked.

  “Let’s see: perjury, covering up a crime, blackmail, and interfering with the investigation?” Jason pretended to add up the list.

  “Threatening a witness?” Laura added. Handwriting analysis indicated that Wes Creed had penned the menacing note to Zack Renner.

  “Two witnesses,” I said, reminding them of the incident on our porch. “He had Nicholas petrified.”

  “Creed will do time,” Daniel stated confidently. “He also continued to supply Helene with her Adderall after Lee Chambers was gone.”

  “What about the kidnapping charges?” Laura wanted to know.

  “Creed adamantly claimed no involvement but admitted that Chambers talked about it. Though he says they ultimately decided kidnapping was too risky. So instead they went with blackmail, threatening to reveal Helene’s drug problem.”

  “A deadly move as it turned out.” I shivered, picturing the scene in my mind.

  Forensics had been able to reconstruct the scene. Lee Chambers had been standing at the top of the stairs and lost his balance when Nicholas shoved him away from his mother. Damage to the railing, which had previously been blamed on the storm, was now determined to have happened during the fall. Miraculously, a tuft of hair had become tangled in the railing and had not been blown free by high winds. Even after the storm, there remained latent bloodstains on the revetment wall near the bottom of the stairs, where Lee Chambers’s head had landed.

  “Poor Nicholas,” I said. “Not only did he feel responsible for a man’s death, but there he was trying to save his little brother; I can’t imagine his terror when he went to retrieve Lucas only to find the ship had sailed.”

  “Then to hold on to the secret about Lee Chambers’s death.” Laura lifted her hands dramatically. “What was his mother thinking?”

  I paused a moment to reflect on how badly that might have ended.

  “Not to defend her drug use, but four kids under six are a lot to handle.”

  Laura looked down at her belly. “I’m worried about adjusting to one.”

  “You’ll be a natural.” I had no doubt Laura would breeze through all the challenges from teething to potty training, with Jason right at her side.

  “Nicholas will be starting counseling soon,” Daniel assured us.

  “He’ll need it,” I said.

  “Those poor children.” Laura held a protective hand over her belly.

  “Not everyone is cut out for raising children,” Jason said.

  Daniel raised his eyebrows in a knowing way, causing me to tense. Had he confided in Jason his reluctance to start a family?

  “The senior Kleisters are going to move in with Matthew and the kids for a while. They seem like steady, sensible folks.”

  “I have a feeling Christopher will play a role as well,” I said.

  “You’ve been in touch?” Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes, in what? A hint of jealousy perhaps?

  “Only when he called to see if Gypsy could stay on a few more days.” The dog nudged my hand at the sound of her name. “He’s very grateful for how things concluded on his behalf.”

  “No kidding he’s grateful. To you,” Jason said to me. “Good job with the towel.”

  “A long shot and a lucky guess.”

  “Lucky for Savage, for sure,” Daniel added.

  As I’d suspected, a blue towel had indeed been found when Lee Chambers’s body was discovered, a detail Brooks had kept very quiet. Fortunately for Christopher, the towel had been the sole source of his DNA, which had been easily explained by his actions and corroborated by Wes Creed, who admitted he’d taken the rug from the storage closet at Land’s End. He’d grabbed the blue towel from the outdoor shower to wipe away Lee’s blood from his hands and later wrapped it around the dead man’s head before rolling up the body in the rug.

  “Was it ever determined how all the Kleisters’s DNA came to be on the rug?” Laura leaned in, drooling for details.

  “They presented as human hair strands, none of which had originated from the rug itself,” Daniel explained, having been involved in that aspect of the case. “Helene’s hairs could have transferred at any point of her physical interaction with Chambers, whereas strands of Nicholas’s hair became snagged by one of Chambers’s buttons when he pushed him. According to his mother, he had slammed the man head first.”

  “What I want to know,” I said, “is how Wes Creed managed to get the rug from that storage closet without being noticed by Christopher.”

  “Luck played a hand in that,” Jason answered. “He arrived just as Christopher was leaving to walk his dog. The door to the cottage was left unlocked, which allowed him to sneak in for the spare key and take the rug without being noticed.”

  “The key that was found by the dumpster,” I said, feeling the eyes of both Daniel and Laura on me.

  “Yep. He admitted that he’d lost it but had no idea where,” Jason continued. “He looked everywhere, but when it was never reported, he thought he was in the clear.”

  “He’s a sloppy criminal,” Laura observed.

  “Not a very bright one either,” Daniel said, shaking his head. “How could he imagine it wouldn’t be discovered that the rug came from Robyn’s house?”

  “I guess he thought the dumpster would carry the body away and get lost in some landfill,” Jason said. “Heartless creep.”

  “Did Robyn report the rug missing?” Laura asked.

  I tensed at this question, wondering how much Jason knew about my involvement.

  “According to Brooks, a set of keys went missing when Robyn’s boat was dry-docked during the storm. She went back to the cottage to look for her spare keys and found that some others were missing as well. After confronting Wes, she had a funny feeling, so she came forward and reported it.”

  My heart melted a little. Brooks had managed to keep me out of
it while not compromising his principles or the investigation.

  “If I were Robyn Landers, I’d have been freaking out.” Laura mock-shivered.

  “She was nervous about being implicated and offered to do whatever she could to help us.”

  “Good thing you spotted that key ring near the dumpster,” Laura said.

  “It was the key”—I flashed a grin—“to solving the mystery.”

  “Pun intended?” Daniel asked, rolling his eyes.

  “Always.”

  40

  Cassandra

  “Cassandra?” I’d nearly walked past Lu Ketchner, dressed to kill as usual.

  “Just who I was hoping to run into,” I told her.

  She arched her perfectly tweezed brows. “You have something to exhibit?”

  “You have a one-track mind, Lu.” I shook my head. “No, that’s not what I wanted to see you about.”

  She narrowed her eyes in a practiced way to prevent the formation of crow’s feet while waiting for me to gather my courage. “Well then, what is it?”

  “Did everyone but me know that Brooks is Teddy’s father?” I blurted out.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her usually smooth forehead crinkled convincingly, making me question my presumption.

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Just take a look at them.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve seen Teddy maybe twice since I met him at your exhibit last year.”

  “He’s Theo Howell’s son. Zoe told me Theo and Brooks had a fling back in the day.”

  Lu blinked quickly, as if images of the past were clicking through her head. But all she said was, “Ahh.”

  “I just can’t believe nobody ever told me.”

  “This could be a figment of that overactive imagination of yours, which I love by the way when it’s coming through a brush and onto a canvas. But you’re being dramatic, Cassie.”

  “That’s rich! If there’s drama here, it lies in Zoe’s quick disappearance all those years ago.” That silenced Lu, so I continued my mini-rant. “Not to mention it would have explained a lot about her reasons for leaving Whale Rock.”

  “Trust me, it would only have explained a small part of your sister’s history.” Lu placed her hands on her hips. “Look, I don’t enjoy turbulence when I’m flying, and I certainly don’t expect it when I’m on terra firma. But for some reason, when it comes to you and your sister, it’s always a bumpy ride.”

  With that, she bid adieu, leaving me even more curious about Zoe’s Whale Rock past.

  I was itching to find out the truth about Brooks and Teddy and decided my best bet was to pry it out of Evelyn. When I arrived at Hilliard House, I found the inn eerily quiet, making the old-fashioned counter bell sound even more startling. Evelyn came scurrying out, wiping her hands on the tattered apron she wore when baking.

  “Morning, Cassie.” She motioned me to follow. “I’ve got some muffins in the oven.”

  “Where is everyone?” I asked, trailing her into the kitchen.

  “George is at Costco, restocking supplies.” She opened the oven door to test one of the muffins with a toothpick before sliding the rack back in and resetting the timer. “We’d donated just about everything we had: toilet paper, paper towels, all our canned goods.”

  “Where are all your guests?”

  “The AC went on the fritz during the storm, and with this heat?” She made a fanning gesture. “We needed to make sure it was up and running before we welcomed anyone back.”

  “Feels cool in here today.”

  “It’s finally working. Hallelujah!” She cracked open the oven door for another peek, then removed two large trays of muffins, filling the room with a most intoxicating aroma. “We’ll be full again tomorrow.”

  “Those smell yum.”

  “Cranberry walnut. We’ll each have one when they cool.” She pointed her chin toward the small table in a quiet kitchen corner reserved for her and George and filled two cups with coffee. “I am so ready for Whale Rock to return to normal.”

  “Were you able to see the Kleisters before they left?” I asked as she set one cup in front of me.

  “Briefly.” She shook her head. “What a long road they have in front of them.”

  I nodded.

  “And that other mess?” She took the chair across from me. “Homicides aren’t good for business.”

  “The Lee Chambers case is almost all tied up I’m told.” I then segued to my primary subject of interest. “Brooks needs a vacation.”

  “No kidding. I can’t recall the last time he took any time off.”

  “He also needs a love interest. Do you know if he’s dating anyone?” I asked casually.

  “I’m not sure.” Evelyn slowly stirred cream into her coffee. “Brooks has always kept that part of his life private. It’s touchy considering his history with Zoe.”

  “He’s not seeing Theo Howell again, is he?”

  Evelyn’s shocked expression was telling.

  “Look, I know Teddy Howell is Brooks’s son.” Might as well cut to the chase.

  “Who told you?” she asked. “Surely not Zoe?”

  “No, but why would she keep such a secret from me?”

  Evelyn peered at me suspiciously. “If it wasn’t Zoe who told you, then how did you find out?”

  “I figured it out. I’m only embarrassed that it took me so long. Anybody with eyes can see how much Teddy looks like Brooks. They even have similar mannerisms. If Teddy had inherited the famous Kincaid chuckle, there’d be no denying it.” I took a sip of coffee before delving deeper. “What about Teddy? Does he know?”

  She nodded, then stood and walked to the oven and brought back two muffins.

  “Zoe tells me Theo never married.” I peeled off the paper lining of my still warm muffin and took a bite. “Mmm.”

  “You have spoken to her about this?” In a reflexive gesture, Evelyn placed her hand on her heart.

  “Teddy came up in conversation a couple of times. Zoe made a few comments of the green-eyed monster variety, which piqued my curiosity. She left the rest for me to figure out on my own. I think she wanted me to know but didn’t want to be the one to tell me.”

  “You could be right.” She tilted her head thoughtfully, popping a bite of muffin into her mouth.

  “Did Mama and Papa know?”

  “Are you kidding?” Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Only the inner circle knew. And Brooks and Theo, it goes without saying.”

  “So how did this all happen?”

  “You need to promise you’ll keep this between us.” She was in damage control mode.

  “I won’t say anything.” Though I thought it would inevitably come out. That it had remained a secret this long in such a small town was just short of impossible. I gave a nudge to keep her talking. “If I understood Zoe’s past better, I think it would help our relationship.”

  Evelyn’s forehead puckered. Finally, she said, “You have a point. We’ve always thought of you as Baby Cass. You were so much younger, and we felt a responsibility to protect you.”

  “Look at me, Ev.” I pointed dramatically at my face. “I’m a grown woman. I deserve to know what happened.”

  “I suppose you do.” She was gazing into her coffee cup. “But where do I start?”

  “The beginning?” I suggested.

  “It was the beginning of the end. The end of our own age of innocence.” She sighed, her expression mingled resignation and regret. “It was so long ago, and yet I remember it like yesterday.” She took in a deep, resigned breath and began. “Zoe and Brooks broke up right before our senior year of college. I don’t even remember what the fight had been about, but it had lasting ramifications.”

  “Is that when Theo entered the picture?”

  She sighed sadly. “It was the briefest of flings.”

  Apparently not brief enough.

  “Anyhow, Brooks and Zoe made up during Thanksgiving brea
k, and we were all relieved and preparing for their happily-ever-after. Brooks had dropped hints of a proposal on New Year’s Eve.”

  “But it wasn’t to be.”

  “No. By the time Zoe came back home for Christmas, Brooks had learned of Theo’s pregnancy and that he was the father.”

  It was the confirmation I’d been seeking, but hearing it made it a wrenching reality.

  “Poor Zoe. She must have been devastated.”

  “I think it was even worse for Brooks.”

  “Why didn’t he marry Theo?” It surprised me Brooks wouldn’t choose the honorable path.

  “He offered, but Theo refused. Brooks never confided in us about the arrangements he and Theo made, but we assumed he’d agreed to step aside since he was never involved in Teddy’s life while he was growing up. I’m sure he must have had mixed emotions. Not wanting to abandon his son and yet free to return to Zoe.”

  “But he didn’t.”

  “It was too late. Too much irreparable damage.” Evelyn was looking at me intently, probably assessing how much more she should say. I sent her a pleading look. “You must never give Zoe an inkling that you know. It would kill her.”

  “Promise.” I crossed my heart. “Our relationship is complex, and I find her incredibly annoying at times, but I would never do anything to intentionally hurt my sister.”

  “Not a word to anyone.” She pointed a finger at me, accentuating each name with a jab in the air. “Not Brooks. Not Teddy. Not Lu. Not even Daniel. Nobody.”

  “I will never repeat what you tell me to another living soul.”

  She hesitated for a long time, making me wonder if she was reconsidering, and then finally said, “In the midst of all this, Zoe found out she too was pregnant.”

  Was my gasp audible?

  “It had happened when they got back together at Thanksgiving. Your parents didn’t know. She never even told Brooks.”

  “My God. How horrible for her.” My eyes were stinging, but I blinked back the tears. I had only been a kid myself then, but I felt awful that I’d had no idea.

  “It was,” she agreed. “As you can work out, your sister chose to terminate the pregnancy. I went with her to a clinic in Boston. It was New Year’s Eve. The night Zoe should have been sporting a sparkling engagement ring, she was lying on a cold sterile examination table in an abortion clinic, sad and frightened.”