Ellie nodded and held her hand out as Danny approached. “I’ve always wanted three or four. But I count my blessings everyday with this one,” she grinned, grabbing his hand and pulling him to her, kissing the top of his head.
“Mom! Stop that!”
“Not until you’re eighteen,” she said. “Now, come on, Gabe promised his mom that we’d stop by and see her.”
***
“It’s no bother at all, Ellie. I’ve had this huge pot of soup on all afternoon. And I’ve made up two pans of cornbread. I’ll be hurt if you two don’t stay and eat with us.”
“She won’t let up,” Gabe told her. “And she’s right, there’s plenty.”
“Please, Mom,” Danny begged, pulling on her hand with his. “Gabe says there’s chocolate cake!”
Ellie sighed inwardly. It wasn’t a good idea to spend so much time with Gabe. And now, his mother was encouraging it. Not that there was anything going on between them. At least, she didn’t think so. “I suppose we can,” she smiled.
“Good,” Cora beamed. “Everything is ready except filling the glasses and setting the table. And I think Gabe and Danny can handle that. You just relax in here until everything is ready, Ellie.”
Cora’s living room walls were lined with photographs. Some very old, from their appearance, but most seemed to be from Gabe’s childhood. She stared intently at one that had been taken down at the cove, right about the spot where they had just been. Gabe was posed, with his friends Cal and Tuck on one side of him. She was on the other, holding a large catfish.
She searched her mind for that memory. June, she thought. She had just finished her junior year in high school. The day had been hot and windy out on the water. It was Gabe that caught the fish. Cal had helped him reel it in and get it in the boat. All that rocking and wavering of the boat had made her feel sick, and she had kept thinking about how embarrassing it would be if she threw up. But you could not tell how she felt in the picture. She looked sunburned and happy, standing there with her friends.
She blinked her eyes and turned away from the pictures. She moved to the big picture window that framed a beautiful view of the lake when the sun was up. Now dark, only the lights shining from houses across the lake reflected in the water. She swallowed back a small sob that pushed up her throat. There was no need to yearn for times that were gone. Her life might not be like the one she had dreamed of, but it was good, full of love and blessings.
It was the loneliness that got to her the most. Her heart yearned to be loved in a way that Harry had loved her. But, maybe that wasn’t possible for her again. Maybe Harry had been her one chance at love. And, now. . .
Pulling a tissue from her jeans pocket, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. No need to ruin a fun supper with her depressing thoughts.
“It’s ready,” Gabe’s voice spoke just behind her.
She stuffed the tissue into her pocket and turned, a smile on her face. “It smells wonderful.”
***
Gabe followed Ellie and Danny up the stairs, carrying the basketball that Danny had discovered in his mother’s garage. The same one he had played with as a teenager. Ellie had protested, but he had finally talked her into letting the boy have it. It wasn’t doing anyone any good, just sitting out in that cold area with the cars, and Danny liked the idea of owning one himself.
Ellie inserted the key in the lock and pushed open the door. She turned and took the ball from Gabe. “It was a great evening,” she smiled. “Your mother is a wonderful cook.”
“Well, if the meal is the only good th—”
“And the company was great, too,” she added, as if knowing the next words he was going to say. He could tease her to no end, if she would let him.
He laughed. “You always did know what I was about to say.”
She nodded. “You’re not as complicated as you might think, Gabe,” she grinned. Then the happy face vanished. “Really, thank you. Danny loved all of it. It’s nice for him to have other people to spend time with.”
Gabe’s phone rang and he pulled it from his jacket and stared at the screen. Phil. Odd time for him to be calling.
“Well, we’ll get on inside so you can take your call,” Ellie said, turning.
“I’ll return the call in a minute,” Gabe said, stuffing the phone back in his jacket pocket. “First, I’m going to check around back for you. So, if you hear anything, it’s just me.”
“But that’s not necessary. If I hear even a peep—”
“No arguing. Get inside and lock the door. And be sure and call me if you hear anything suspicious. Any time.”
In back of the store, he spotlighted the door and let the light travel all around the edges of it, including the lock. If Ellie had it replaced only a month or so ago, as she said, all those scratches were suspicious. And tonight, he was going to see if there were more of them. It was a feature that was not normal for a new door, especially a door that was probably usually unlocked from inside the store. He was going to mention it to Cal, when he saw him tomorrow.
The flash showed what he took to be fresh scratches. Maybe. It was hard to know how many were already on there a few nights back. A wave of worry settled over him as he stood. Ellie had been on the verge of tears at his mother’s house, just before they ate. It would have been hard to ignore her misty eyes and nose reddened from the paper tissue. No doubt, all of this was worrying her more than he cared to think about. The quicker Cal got the problems resolved, the better, not only for the town, but for Ellie and Danny.
Back in his car, he punched in Phil’s number and waited.
“Gabe! I’ve been sitting here on pins and needles just waiting for you to call!”
“What’s up?” Phil was prone to get excited. He was different than Gabe had imagined a book agent to be. Maybe he was an optimist with all of his clients.
“They took it! Rough Road to Freedom. And you’ve got a pretty hefty advance coming to you, too.”
Gabe opened his mouth, but nothing came out. It seemed too good to be true. “You’re sure?” he finally managed to say.
“Sure as the sun’s gonna rise in the morning,” Phil laughed. “And, they wanted to take a look at the other novel you wrote, too. In fact they’re already reading it, and loving it. Said they like your style.”
Gabe let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “That sounds great, Phil.”
“Great? Don’t you mean awesome. . .fantastic. . .never-in-a-million-years?”
“Yeah, all those things,” Gabe chuckled. “And you say there’s a good advance?”
When Phil named the figure, Gabe let out a low whistle. Was it possible he could finally leave behind all the travel and concentrate on the new novel he was writing? “You’re a good man, Phil,” Gabe told him, his thoughts still reeling. This was a turning point for him, a turn to something good.
“I told you I’d sell ‘em for you, buddy. And I always keep my promises.”
***
Back at his mother’s house, he told her goodnight and headed to his room. He was going to have to absorb his good news before he shared it with anyone. And probably Marisa should be first to hear it. Well, she should be first. But he could almost imagine her reaction. Her only concern would be the amount of the advance.
So why did Ellie’s face keep popping into his mind? How would she react to the news? She would be happy for him, he was sure of it. She probably wouldn’t even mention the money.
The thought settled a feeling of unease over him. No doubt, it was going to keep him awake most of the night. So, he might as well reconcile himself to it, and deal with it. And, just maybe it was a good time to start on the next chapter.
Chapter 14
If only Danny would stop banging on that toy drum. Where did he get it? She didn’t keep them in the shop. And what was wrong with her legs? Why was it taking her so long to get into the living room to quiet him?
Her eyes opened and she stared into the dim light of her bedro
om. And the banging was still echoing throughout the room. But it wasn’t a toy drum, it was coming from the front of her apartment. Someone was outside, knocking.
Heart pounding, she glanced at the clock. Just after midnight. Who would be at her door at this hour? Grabbing an old flannel shirt thrown over the chair next to her bed, she pushed her arms inside the sleeves as she hurried to the door.
Turning on the porch light and looking through the peephole, she could see a uniformed police officer. She pulled the door open at once.
“Is something wrong? What happened?” With the officer’s face plain in the light, she could see that it was Barton Brown. He had been on the local force for almost ten years and was well respected.
“Sorry to disturb you, Ellie. I just noticed that there’s a light on in the store, and I know you don’t usually leave them on. Just wondered if everything was OK?”
The concern in his voice set her more at ease. At least there was no emergency. “You’re right, I don’t leave lights on. I’ll go check in a few minutes. I probably just left one on by accident. I’ll have to wake my son, first. I don’t want to leave him here.”
She hurriedly pulled Danny’s jacket and boots on over his Superman pajamas. His eyes were barely open and he wasn’t objecting, so she didn’t see any need for an explanation.
Grabbing her keys, they stepped out to the landing. The sergeant was waiting for them. “I’m sorry sergeant, you didn’t have to stay.”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to let you go in there alone. Too many odd things going on in town, right now.”
Well, he was right about that. The two other break-ins in the past week had everyone’s nerves on end.
Ellie and Danny followed Barton down the stairs and to the front door of the shop. She peered inside, as she inserted the key. “I think the light is in my office. Maybe I just forgot to turn it off.”
She hadn’t, though. She was sure of it, as she always double-checked everything before she closed up each evening. The thought sent a tingle of fear through her. What if someone was still inside?
“Let me go in first,” he insisted, switching on his flashlight. “In fact, you and your boy wait here.”
The last sounded like a command, so she and Danny stood, huddled close together.
“What’s going on, Mom?”
She looked down at her sleepy-eyed son. “The officer is just worried about a light inside. He wanted to check it out.”
Danny said no more, but he took a step forward and peered inside the doorway. “He could see more if he turned on the lights,” he suggested.
Ellie suppressed a nervous giggle. “Yes, he could. Maybe he just likes using the flashlight.”
Danny ought to identify with that. He would keep all the lights off in their upstairs apartment if he could use his flashlight once it was dark. Just last week, she’d caught him crawling around the dark coat closet, flashlight in hand, pretending he was exploring a cave.
It seemed to take forever for Barton to search out the store. Her toes were beginning to freeze in the thin moccasin shoes on her feet. She glanced at the old clock tower that glowed in the town square. Twelve-forty. Her brain must have still been sleeping when she stepped outside in these flimsy house shoes. How she wished she had put on her furry boots before venturing out in the cold night air.
Maybe now was the time to call Gabe. He had made her promise before he left. Still, she felt silly. Her phone glowed in the dark night and she punched his number. The conversation was short, with his promise to be there in a few minutes.
“I think you can come on in, Ellie,” the officer called to her.
Taking Danny’s hand, they walked into the store, pulling the door shut behind them. She reached over and switched on the Christmas lights. Not as bright as the overhead bulbs, but it gave the large space a nice glow.
They walked to her office and stopped in the doorway. A small gasp escaped her throat. Someone had been there. Papers were spread on the floor, and a couple of the little drawers above the desk top were pulled out, their contents scattered across the smooth, oak top. “Who would do such a thing?” she exclaimed.
“Did you keep any valuables in here?” Barton asked, shining the beam of the flashlight on the now empty compartments of the desk.
She shook her head. “No. I make after hours deposits at the bank every evening. I’ve never felt good about keeping a lot of cash on hand. Just enough to start business the next morning. And that money is in the safe, not my desk.”
“We’d better check your safe. Where is it?”
“In the closet,” she pointed to the door to the left of the desk.
“Chief Burns will be here in a few minutes. We’ll wait until he arrives.”
***
Gabe came through the front door, just as the police chief’s car pulled to a stop. Relief floated through her, and she resisted running to him, or latching onto his arm for comfort. Making a public spectacle of herself would help nothing. And the gossip it would create in town would last longer than any story of a break-in.
“Are you all right?” he asked, as he hurried toward her, his arm going round her shoulders.
“Yes.” She nodded and swallowed hard. “I didn’t even hear anything. Barton saw the light on and came upstairs to get me. And when I saw the office. . . .”
Gabe’s eyes left her face and traveled through the doorway. “I heard it on mom’s scanner, right after you called.” He stared into the room. “I’d say someone was definitely looking for something,” he said, barely above a whisper.
“We’re going to need you to show us the safe, Ellie,” Cal Burns called to her.
She was still amazed at their old pal. Mostly a fun-loving guy and Gabe’s favorite fishing buddy when they were teenagers, he was now police chief of Candle Cove. At the moment, he was standing just inside the small closet that held the safe.
Ellie walked into the closet area and knelt by the small safe that Rory had helped her install. Observing the locked metal door, she doubted it had been opened. She turned the dial back and forth, her fingers quick, sure of the combination. The door swung open and she pulled out the small bundle of cash that she had deposited only a few hours ago. She counted out the bills. “It’s all here,” she told them, putting the money back inside the safe.
She stood and heard Gabe speak to Cal. “What would they have been looking for, if not money?”
Cal shrugged. “No idea. But somebody in this town is looking for something. There are all sorts of rumors flying around. Anything from a treasure map to old man Sinclair’s hidden will.”
Rory’s words swam through her head. Could it be? By now, the case seemed to be settled and closed, since an heir had been named. If that was the case, someone wasn’t too happy with the ruling.
Cal turned and looked at her. “Now, not tonight, Ellie, but in the morning, I’m going to send someone to photograph all of this. You’re obviously tired, but I need you to go through all this mess tomorrow, once the photos are done, and see if you notice anything missing or find anything that’s not supposed to be there.”
She nodded and stared at the papers on the floor. It all seemed hopeless. How could she possibly remember the way she had everything arranged? “I’ll try.”
Cal shifted his shoulders and turned to look at the desk. “Is there anything special about this desk? Does it have any secret compartments? It looks old enough for that sort of thing.”
Ellie turned her scattered thoughts to the old piece of furniture. It was a real beauty, with the elaborate carvings around the edges, and hand painted gold scrolling surrounding each compartment. It had surprised her at the time that it had been included in the auction. But a man as rich as Mr. Sinclair, probably owned several such desks. “Not that I know of. It used to belong to Charles Sinclair. I bought it at an auction at the estate a few years ago.”
Cal let out a whistle and glanced at Gabe. “That Sinclair name keeps turning up in all these crazy
happenings. I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t have something to do with that old estate.”
The front door of the store banged open and they all turned to see Rory, his leather jacket unbuttoned and green knit hat askew on his head. “What happened? Is everything OK? I heard on the scanner that there was a call from the store.”
Ellie grinned and shook her head. That boy. “Somebody broke in, but I can’t see that anything was taken. Just a big mess in the office where they went through some papers.”
“Are you sure they weren’t trying to steal the desk?” He asked, staring through the door at the papers scattered around the room.
“It doesn’t look like anyone tried to budge it, son,” the police chief grinned. “I take it you have some theories about all the goings on in town?”
Rory’s freckled face reddened. “Well, maybe a few. I just know it’s all got to be related to the old Sinclair place. That’s when it all started. I mean, if you just look at the evidence from the statements people gave, you can work it out for yourself.”
Ellie nodded. Coincidence or not, she believed that he was right.
Chapter 15
Gabe poured another cup of coffee for her. She stared into the dark liquid and took a deep breath. Just what she needed. There wouldn’t be a wink of sleep tonight, with all that had happened. Even without the coffee, her mind was buzzing on its own.
“Rory’s in the kitchen making sandwiches,” Gabe told her as he passed the creamer to her.
She made a face. Food did not sound good to her stomach, busy pitching and rolling without any added sustenance. “No thanks.”
Gabe laughed. “A boy his age can eat unlimited amounts of food at anytime.”
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