by Marta Perry
“I don’t think...” She was still puzzled, but not alarmed, and something that had been alert and protective in Joanna relaxed a bit. “Wait... It’s Emily, isn’t it? Cousin Emily.”
“That’s right.” Mrs. Graham’s blue eyes welled with tears. “You remember. I knew you would.” She grabbed her son’s arm and tugged him forward, while he gave every sign of wanting to be elsewhere.
Because he didn’t like hospitals, as he’d said? Or because he was afraid Meredith would name him as her attacker? He could have been the man in the hospital room that night, Joanna realized. That hospital jacket might have made him look bigger.
“You remember your cousin Owen, don’t you?”
“Hi, Merry?” He raised his hand in an awkward wave. “Good to see you.”
After a moment she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I... Things come in and out.” Meredith turned to the older woman with a look of relief, maybe at recognizing her. “When I saw you, the name just popped into my mind.”
“Never mind,” Joanna said quickly. “It’ll come if you don’t force it. That’s what the doctor says.”
She addressed that to both of them, hoping they really did understand and would control their eagerness. If they pushed Meredith, her recovery might be stalled, at least that was how Joanna had interpreted what Mary Ellen had said.
“That’s right,” Emily added, catching on. “You just relax. Do you want anything? A drink of water? Something to eat? Another pillow? Maybe just a little snack? Or I could brush your hair. Remember when I put your hair in braids when you were a little girl? You looked so sweet.”
Joanna had the feeling that if she’d been presented with that many choices, she’d have wanted to pull the blanket over her face. But Meredith seemed fine, maybe because she was used to Emily’s mannerisms.
“Give it a break, Mom. You’re overwhelming her.” Owen glanced at Joanna. “You should hear her fuss if I get a cold. If I sneeze, she’s all over me with remedies, everything from cold pills to peppermint tea.”
“Basil and ginger tea,” his mother corrected. “Peppermint tea for an upset stomach.”
“My mother is the same way,” Joanna said lightly, wondering how they would react if they knew she was, in a way, a relative. But no one said anything, although she thought Meredith’s gaze lingered on her. “She grows her own herbs and has something for every ailment.”
“That’s right,” Emily said. “You can’t beat nature for keeping you healthy. Now, if you had a tablespoon of molasses every day like I wanted you to...”
“Mom, please.” Owen grimaced, freckles showing up more as he flushed.
Surely, he was what he seemed. Joanna couldn’t believe that his reaction wasn’t genuine.
Meredith, smiling, touched Emily’s hand. “Never mind. Why don’t you sit down and talk to me? Maybe I’ll remember something more.”
For just an instant Joanna felt a tinge of jealousy that Meredith was turning to this newcomer instead of her. Then she chased the thought away. She should be delighted that Meredith was talking so much more easily and knowing her relative. That was a good step toward remembering other things, and if she remembered, she might be safe.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SOMETIME LATER JOANNA settled herself in a booth at the hospital cafeteria, accepting the cup of coffee Owen had insisted on getting for her. Meredith had drifted off to sleep again, maybe as a defense against Emily’s incessant chatter. If she didn’t wake when Emily rearranged her blanket for the third time, Joanna guessed it had been safe to show Owen the way to the cafeteria.
She’d come out of the room thinking she might call for her ride home. Meredith surely was safe with an officer on the door. But then it occurred to her that this was a chance to learn more about Meredith and her family. That was important, both because it might provide an indication of why she’d been attacked, but also for Joanna’s sake. Maybe Owen would drop a clue to where she might fit into the Bristow family.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t have taken a coffee up to your mother?” she asked, pushing the sugar bowl across the table to Owen. She watched in awe as he put three heaping spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee.
He caught her expression and grinned. “I have a sweet tooth. Not like Merry, who believes in eating healthy. As for Mom, I’ll take a cup to her when I go back, but I’m glad to have a break from that hospital room.”
“It’s hard to see someone you care about in the hospital.” And he was young enough that he probably hadn’t experienced it often.
“Well, yeah, it is, but we’re not really all that close as far as family goes. Merry lives in the city, while we’ve always been out in the suburbs. So we went to different schools and didn’t see a lot of each other.”
“Are you in college now?” She really wanted to ask about Meredith, but she’d have to lead into it, or Owen might feel he was being cross-examined. But no one ever objected to talking about himself, it seemed.
Owen nodded. “It’s my first year at Penn. That’s why Mom didn’t come as soon as we heard. She doesn’t like to drive this far, so she waited until my break started. That way I could bring her.” He made a face. “It isn’t that I’m not concerned about Merry, but it’s not what I planned for my fall break.”
“What about Meredith? Is she in school?”
“Not now. She has a year to go in Wharton, but she surprised everyone by taking a year off. I never did know why.”
Was it something to do with whatever had brought Meredith to her door? She couldn’t help but wonder.
“That’s a business school, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Just as well she’s interested in it, because she inherits control of her grandfather’s business and the trust she gets when she turns twenty-one.”
“Not you?” Was that a possible source of conflict in the family?
“Not a chance. With his own children gone, the old man settled everything on his only granddaughter, as far as I know. Not that I care,” he added quickly. “I wouldn’t mind coming into the money, but I don’t want to be stuck in an office for the rest of my life. Merry can have it.”
Owen sounded genuine, but she didn’t know enough about his world, and Meredith’s, to judge.
“I’m sorry about asking so many questions. It’s just that it seemed such a long time that we didn’t know who your cousin was. We felt so helpless. So naturally, I was curious.”
“Sure, I can see that.” He stirred his coffee vigorously. “She’s probably curious about you, too. I never knew any Amish people, except for the ones that bring things to the city market, and I doubt she does, either.”
“She’d be busy with school, I guess.”
“Busy with everything. Mom keeps holding her up as an example to me. Merry volunteers for every charity that comes along, gets A’s at school, visits her grandfather’s business, you name it. And she’s happy doing it.”
The surprise in his voice amused her. “Not you?”
“Listen, if I did all that, I’d just be waiting for an excuse to run off. I figured old Gregory Bristow wouldn’t have left any part of the business to me anyway. The business was all he ever thought about, and Merry was his little partner.”
Did Owen realize he was handing her a reason for the attack on Meredith? Or did he assume everything that happened was an accident? She couldn’t tell.
“Just Meredith? Didn’t he have any other grandchildren?”
“Just Merry. Her father was the first boy, the one who was supposed to inherit everything, but he died in an accident when Merry was small. He had a sister, but she fought all the time with the old man and finally ran off. So it just came down to Merry.”
She tried to digest all that information, filing away the runaway sister for future considering. “What about her mother?”
Owen shrugged. “She remarried, moved out to
San Francisco with her second husband and left Merry with her grandfather. They get along okay, I guess, but they don’t spend much time together.”
A wave of pity went over her for the child who seemed to have lost both parents. “That’s such a shame.”
Owen drained his cup. “I guess. I should get the coffee to take to Mom. Are you coming back up?”
“No, I’ll let you visit with your cousin. Will you be going home soon?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Mom was talking about staying until Merry could go home and taking her with us. I think she wants to talk to the doctor about it first.”
“I must go and find a telephone to call for my ride. Perhaps I’ll see you again.”
“Here, don’t bother.” He pulled out a cell phone. “Modern convenience, see?”
She smiled as she took the phone, wondering if he thought she’d never seen one. He waited while she called and then retrieved his phone.
“Denke. Thanks,” she added, sure he wouldn’t understand the word.
“No problem. See you later.” He headed for the coffee, and Joanna started down the hallway toward the entrance where she’d been dropped off. Chief Jamison had said he’d meet her there.
It was sprinkling when she reached the door, so she stood inside to wait. True to his word, Jamison pulled to the curb a few minutes later. Hurrying through the drops, Joanna scurried to the car and got in beside him.
“Good,” he said, pulling away. “I’m glad you were sensible enough to stay inside until you saw me. No point in taking any chances.”
Since that hadn’t even occurred to Joanna, she could hardly accept his praise. Better to remain silent, she decided.
“Well, what did you think of them?”
For an instant she was startled. “I thought you wanted to see what Meredith thought of them.”
“Both will do. Start with either one.”
“I didn’t really have a chance to hear what she thought of them, but she did recognize Emily, and she seemed perfectly friendly to her.” She hesitated, not sure she liked the role of informer.
“What about the son?” Jamison was determined.
“She didn’t seem to recognize him, but she wasn’t at all afraid of him. In fact, she explained that her memory wasn’t back entirely, so I guess she knows that and accepts it.”
He frowned, seeming to file the information away. “What did you think of them?”
“I couldn’t really form an opinion in such a short time,” she protested.
“They must have made an impression on you. What was it?”
If Owen had felt like this when she was asking him questions, he probably disliked her.
“I thought Emily was concerned about her. She fussed a lot, and she talked a lot about things that had happened, I guess to see if Meredith remembered them.” She frowned, thinking it over. “I couldn’t tell if Meredith did or if she was just going along with her. Eventually, she dozed off, and I took Owen down to the lunchroom for coffee. He said he hadn’t been able to find it,” she explained.
“Hard to believe a city type couldn’t find his way around our little hospital,” Jamison said. “What did he have to say for himself?”
She shrugged, not sure what he was looking for. “He’s a college student, and he brought his mother because she doesn’t like to drive. He said... Did you know that Meredith comes into her grandfather’s business and money when she turns twenty-one? Yes, I guess you mentioned it. She must be almost that now.”
He nodded. “I did find out some information from the Philly police. Most people would call it a fortune. That’s enough to make a person think about how to get a piece of it.”
Joanna thought of her own family and shuddered. “It’s hard to believe any of her relatives would try to kill her, money or not.”
He slowed as they approached the corner by the quilt shop. “Listen, Joanna. I’ve just heard that the other cousin is coming back, lawyer in tow. They’re going to push taking her home, and I’m not sure how I can stop it. If you know anything you haven’t told me, now’s the time.”
“If I knew anything that would help, I’d tell you. But I don’t. If she goes home...will the police there protect her?”
“I don’t know.” He looked grim. “What I do know is that both of you are clearly in danger.” He reached out and patted her arm. “Be careful. If anything feels wrong, you call for help.”
She nodded, but he grasped her arm.
“I mean it. Don’t risk your life because you don’t want to cause gossip. It’s not worth it.”
* * *
NOAH, LOOKING OUT the window for at least the hundredth time that afternoon, spotted Jamison’s car turning into the alley with Joanna seated next to him. That meant he was taking her to the back door.
He was already moving to the back of the store. He told himself that it was his duty to make sure she got in safely...as a neighbor. It was a simple act that didn’t mean anything.
And if he could believe that, he could probably believe anything. He went out onto the stoop and headed down the three steps.
The car had pulled to a stop, and he saw Jamison glance at him, smile and say something to Joanna. She turned away and got out, apparently not answering.
They met in the middle. “I just wanted to be sure you got back safely. Are you in for the rest of the day?”
Joanna nodded. “You don’t have to stay on watch. I’ll stay where no one can bother me.” She smiled, but it was a strained gesture.
That obvious effort to smile and the way she’d turned away from the chief troubled him. “What did Jamison say to you?” he asked on impulse. “Just now, I mean, when you were getting out.”
She looked startled, and then a pink flush tinged her cheeks. “He...he said I should be nice to you.” Before he could react, she hurried on. “He doesn’t understand. He thinks just because he’s seen us together a lot lately that we’re...well, involved.”
No wonder she was embarrassed. It was hardly fair to her that the circumstances had thrown them together. Some instinct told him to treat it lightly.
“He’s like an Amish grandmother. Always wanting to pair people up. Funny for someone as hardheaded as he seems.”
She appeared relieved at his response, but he could see the worry clouding her eyes.
“What’s wrong? I mean, besides all the things that were already wrong.” He drew her a little closer to the building, where they couldn’t be seen easily by someone glancing their way.
“Nothing new, I guess. I was just thinking about the relatives of Meredith’s that I met today. Nice people. I can’t believe they’d have anything to do with attacking Meredith.”
“That should make you feel better,” he pointed out.
Her eyes flashed. “How can it? Someone has done these things. Chief Jamison said he suspects everyone when there’s a lot of money involved.”
Noah turned that over in his mind. “Do you mean that he suspects you?”
“How could he suspect me? I had no idea Meredith was related to me until after the accident.” She hesitated, obviously considering it. “You mean he might not believe that I didn’t know. I guess that’s possible. He’d just have my word to prove it. But even if I did know, it wouldn’t benefit me if anything happened to her, even if I were that wicked.”
“No one who knows you could possibly believe that,” he assured her. “I’m just trying to figure out how a policeman thinks.”
She gave a reluctant nod. “I suppose you’re right. But I think mostly Chief Jamison is just worried about Meredith’s safety. He told me that other cousin is coming back to town, and he thinks they’ll insist on taking her back with them.”
He leaned against the wall, looking into her face and trying to read the warring emotions there. “You don’t want her to leave, do you?”
/> Her gaze escaped his. “I don’t think she will be safe.”
Noah wanted to lift her chin so he could see into her eyes, but it would be too dangerous to touch her. Even just imagining the silkiness of her skin against his fingers had him longing for what he could never have.
But regardless of his emotions, it was important that Joanna face the truth.
“Komm, Joanna. We both know that’s not all. She’s a link to the mother you never knew. Isn’t that it?”
“I know my mother,” she said instantly. And then she paused. “Maybe there’s something in what you say. I’ve learned such a very little about my birth mother. Nothing about my birth father. Isn’t it natural that I’d like to know what kind of people I came from?”
He wanted to say that he’d be just as glad not to know everything he did about his parents, but that wouldn’t help Joanna. He didn’t suppose it would help him, either.
Still, it was hard to get rid of that old anger and frustration and disappointment. He hadn’t realized how hard it was until he’d fully accepted it and really wanted to.
“I guess so,” he admitted. “But I’d hate for you to get hurt. Or anyone else, either.”
“I have to take that chance for myself. I’d rather know the truth, even if it’s that my birth parents regretted I’d ever been born. It’s the uncertainty that’s so hard.”
That was his Joanna. Brave and vulnerable at the same time. He just had to remember that she wasn’t his Joanna.
“I hope you won’t be disappointed. But even if she goes back home soon, she might still remember later why she came here. It might even be easier for her once she’s there. And if she did come here to find you, she can still get in touch with you.”
“I know that. But only if she’s all right. That’s what Chief Jamison is worried about. He’s afraid the police there aren’t taking it seriously, and if she goes back, she won’t be protected.”
Her fear for Meredith reached out to him, and he tried to resist.
