Secrets at Cedar Cabin

by Colleen Coble

  Bailey rubbed her hand over her face. Had Mom been running from the killer all these years? After Eric died when Bailey was five, they’d moved so often that she had gone to seven different schools. How did she make sense of this? If only Mom had been able to tell her everything. What was she going to do? Where could she go if she followed her mother’s instructions?

  Mom’s message was specific, but how could she get away and hide?

  The deed Kyle had given her!

  She’d stuck that envelope and key somewhere when she’d gotten home, but where? She found it pushed into a desk drawer. She pulled out the papers and studied the attached home photo. Where on earth was this? It looked remote. The cedar-log home had a steeply pitched roof and floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the thick pines around the house, she caught a glimpse of blue water in the distance. It looked utterly charming, but the paper fluttered from Bailey’s numb fingers when she saw the address.

  Lavender Tides, Washington—the same town where Mom had grown up.

  When Bailey was little, she used to pester her about grandparents and her father, but Mom always said she could never go back. Any questions about her father were met with stony silence. Why would Kyle have a house there? And even more puzzling, why would he put the deed in her name?

  She thought back to every interaction between Kyle and her mom. Mom had been eager for her to marry Kyle, which was strange now that Bailey thought about it. There had been no counsel to wait until she knew him better—just girlish enthusiasm overlaid with a bit of desperation. At the time Bailey had thought Mom didn’t want her to miss the chance for a better life. But maybe she’d been wrong.

  A soft sound like something sliding across the icy deck came to her ears. She lifted her head and gazed out the office window. Her snug little house looked out on a wilderness area on the outskirts of town. She’d never had an intruder beyond the occasional deer or raccoon. The noise came again, and a chill darted down her spine when the knob on the back door turned.

  She scooped everything on the table back into the manila folder, then grabbed Sheba and bolted for the front door, pausing long enough to snatch her purse and coat off the hook by the door.

  She opened the door and stepped into the wind. Her SUV was down three steps and across a few feet of yard. She leaped from the porch and landed in three feet of snow, then slogged through it to the vehicle.

  Her breath frosted the windshield as she jammed the key in the ignition and cranked the engine. It sputtered a moment, then started. She put the gearshift in Drive and pulled away as a figure dressed in ski pants and a ski mask ran her direction.

  A sharp report in the cold air made her jump. He was shooting at her! The old Mazda Tribute’s tires spun for a heart-stopping second, then grabbed and hurled the vehicle down the street and away from the house. She glanced out the back and saw the figure racing down the street toward a white pickup she didn’t recognize.

  Even chains didn’t keep her vehicle from sliding on the icy streets, but she managed to reach the heart of town. She slowed to pull into an open parking spot in front of the sheriff’s office until she looked in the rearview mirror. Would the sheriff even be able to keep her safe? The note said “he” would hear about it if she went to the police.

  Stay or go?

  Her mom had said to flee, but how could she leave before her mother’s body was in the ground? She wasn’t sure when the coroner would release her mom’s remains. It could be a week, and the murderer was already after her. If she waited, the town might have to buy a burial plot beside Mom’s.

  Bailey glanced at the envelope on the passenger seat. There was a house in her name out in Washington. She couldn’t hide like Mom wanted her to. Her mother’s death proved hiding didn’t work. The killer had eventually caught up with her, and he’d catch Bailey, too, unless she found him first.

  She pressed her boot on the accelerator and headed for highway M-28. Somewhere she’d have to change vehicles, but for now she cranked the heat as high as it would go.

  She had hoped she’d found a home at last. Her heart squeezed as the lights of Rock Harbor disappeared into a swirl of white.

  Chapter 3

  The snowstorm had delayed Grayson Bradshaw’s visit to the Upper Peninsula town of Rock Harbor, Michigan, but he finally sat across the desk from the sheriff. “You’re telling me Bailey has been missing for two days?”

  Sheriff Mason Kaleva nodded. “What does the Coast Guard Investigative Services want with this kind of murder?”

  Grayson had flashed his badge to get in to see the sheriff. “She’s my sister. What can you tell me?”

  “Footprints marked all along the back patio, and she left her front door open when she fled. I’m fairly confident the intruder tried to break in, then shot at her as she was making her escape. We retrieved a spent shell casing. The house was tossed and quite a few items taken, including her computer.”

  “A routine theft?”

  The sheriff shook his head. “I think the killer wanted us to think that, but with this coming on the heels of her mother’s murder, I don’t buy it. There’s very little evidence one way or another though.”

  Grayson hadn’t expected anything like this when he arrived. “Any idea where she went?”

  “All we know is Bailey retrieved something from her mother’s safe-deposit box at the bank an hour or two before neighbors reported the break-in. My deputies arrived on scene almost immediately, but no one has seen her since. We’ve been dealing with a blizzard, so most residents have been holed up inside, out of the wind. I don’t know how she managed to navigate the roads out of here without mishap.”

  “Could she still be in the area, maybe staying with a friend?”

  “We checked with her coworkers and her church. No one has seen or heard from her.” The sheriff leaned back in his chair. “I thought her brothers were all quite a bit older.”

  An explanation was in order. Grayson cleared his throat. “She doesn’t know anything about me. I’m not one of her stepbrothers. From what we have been able to dig up, Bailey was actually stolen at birth by Olivia Fleming twenty-four years ago. I was two at the time, and our sister Shauna was eight. We were with our mother at the grocery store when an earthquake struck. Our mother was killed from injuries suffered in the quake after giving birth to Bailey. After rescuers dug us out, Shauna thought we were dead until a few months ago. She immediately started searching for us and found me a month ago.

  “My birth name was Connor Duval, but my new parents changed my name. Olivia was a paramedic in the grocery store at the time of the earthquake and helped deliver Bailey, whose real name is Brenna. No one even knew Bailey survived until Shauna started digging. Shauna called Olivia a couple of weeks ago to talk to her about delivering Bailey but got nowhere. In fact, Olivia hung up on her. So I came to talk to them face-to-face.”

  Sheriff Kaleva rubbed his five-o’clock shadow. “It all makes me wonder if this kidnapping is somehow tied in with Olivia’s murder.”

  “What can you tell me about her murder?”

  “Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was shot in the head. It was brutal.”

  “An execution?”

  “Looked like one. She was a nice lady and well liked in town. She’d worked as a paramedic here for a couple of years.”

  “Have you been able to find out anything about her background?”

  The sheriff’s broad forehead wrinkled in a frown. “She doesn’t really exist. I couldn’t find a birth certificate, and we’ve only been able to track her employment back about ten years. Bailey mentioned to a coworker that they had moved every few years.”

  “On the run maybe.”

  The sheriff nodded. “Looks that way now. I’m sorry I can’t be more help. If you find Bailey, please let me know. I have plenty of questions for her.”

  Grayson recognized a dismissal when he heard it. He stood and extended his hand. “I’ll do that. Thanks for your help.”

  He exite
d the building into a winter wonderland in front of colorful Victorian storefronts. The smell of coffee enticed him to the Suomi Café, and he ordered coffee and a Finnish pancake he couldn’t pronounce. He pulled out his phone and called his girlfriend.

  Ellie didn’t even say hello. “Gray, did you find her?”

  “Sorry, hon, it’s bad news.” He told her what he’d discovered. “So she’s on the run, probably from whoever shot her mother. No one knows where she’s gone or how to find her.”

  “That poor girl.” Ellie’s voice trembled.

  “If only I’d gotten here a few days sooner.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. You left as soon as you wrapped things up here.”

  Ellie was trying to put a good spin on things, but if Bailey was hiding from a killer, she would likely change her name and disappear with no trace.

  “I’ll keep searching, but she’s not going to be easy to find.”

  “I know.” Ellie’s voice wobbled again. “You’ve come this far though. I have to believe she’ll turn up.”

  He just hoped she didn’t turn up dead like Olivia. The first thing he planned to do when he got back to Lavender Tides was investigate Olivia Fleming. If he discovered more about her background, it might lead to Bailey. He still had to call Shauna. That wasn’t a call he was eager to make. His sister would be extremely upset since it had seemed the three of them would finally be together.

  Now it might never happen.

  Lavender Tides looked charming with its painted Victorian storefronts. From the street Bailey could see the white boats of the marina in sharp contrast to the gorgeous blue of the water. Every night in the various motels she’d stayed in across the country, she read everything she could about this town. Part of the Olympic Peninsula, it sat in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and had a drier climate. The signature crop in this area was lavender, but the purple flowers were long gone in November, and she had no idea if she’d be here long enough to see them next year.

  Why had her mother ever left this idyllic place? Just looking at it, Bailey felt an inexplicable draw.

  Her stomach rumbled, and she drove down to the water and parked by the Crabby Pot. Sheba meowed behind her, a plaintive reminder that she was hungry too. Delicious seafood aromas wafted toward her, and her mouth watered. It was already three, and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast in the motel.

  She harnessed Sheba and walked her across small pebbles to the food truck where she ordered fish tacos for her and plain raw fish for Sheba. The server eyed the cat but said nothing. Bailey took Sheba and the food back to a picnic table where she shooed away several gulls peering at her with hungry black eyes. They squawked in protest at the cat but didn’t fly far.

  Sheba hunched over her food to eat and kept her eye on the birds.

  Bailey couldn’t believe her life had changed this much in just a few days. Now that she was here, what was she going to do? First order of business was to find the cabin. Then she’d hunt for work. The money her mother left wouldn’t last forever. She planned to hire a private investigator to look into her mother’s death. Last night in the motel she’d searched the internet for an investigator and had emailed one but hadn’t heard back yet. Once the murderer was behind bars, she could resume her normal life.

  Something told her catching the killer wouldn’t happen fast or easily. She wouldn’t keep running like Mom had done though. This place was where she’d make her stand, get to the bottom of what drove her mother’s fear, and uncover the identity of the monster who stalked Bailey now.

  Sheba finished her meal and meowed up at her. The cat needed exercise, so she got out a ball and released Sheba from the harness. They spent several minutes playing fetch.

  “Hello,” a female behind her said. “You’ve got a good arm. And what an interesting-looking cat.”

  Bailey smiled at a young woman holding a tray of food. About her age and on the thin side, she had blue eyes and curly brown hair. “I was a softball all-star.”

  “Mind if I join you? There’s gull poo on the other three tables. I swear, the owner can spray those things off and in five minutes they’re dirty again.”

  “Sure, glad for the company.” Friendly conversation would keep Bailey’s thoughts from spinning around and around like a gerbil on a wheel.

  “What kind of cat is that?” The woman set her tray down on the table as Bailey scooted over.

  “She’s a Savannah cat, bred from the serval with a domestic animal. She’s about six months old.”

  “She looks like a small cheetah. Really amazing. Is she mean?”

  Bailey put her hand on Sheba’s head, and the cat purred as she licked her chops. “She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She’s very playful and sweet.”

  The woman sat across from Bailey. “You just passing through or here for a visit? I’m Mackenzie Blackmore, by the way. Friends and family call me Mac.”

  “Um, Bailey. Bailey Fleming.” Should she have used a fake name? But she had to work, and her ID was in her real name. It was a common enough name, so she should be all right, at least for a while. “I’m actually just moving to town.”

  “You’re kidding! Welcome to Lavender Tides.” Mac scooted on the bench and pointed. “See that beauty out there? That’s my tall ship, Lavender Lady. I teach Asian studies at the college, but sailing is my passion. Once I get my strength back, I’ll take her out for her maiden voyage.”

  “She’s beautiful. I’ve never gone sailing. You’ve been sick?”

  A shadow clouded Mac’s eyes. “It’s a long story, but I’m doing okay. I need to gain a bit of weight, and I’ll be right as rain. I’ll have to take you sailing sometime.” She waved at a distinguished-looking man in his fifties who smiled and came their way.

  A woman about his age accompanied him. She was dressed in slacks and a too-tight sweater she kept tugging down. The wind tossed her salt-and-pepper hair around her genial face.

  Mac smiled up at them. “This is Mayor Thomas Weaver and his wife, Melissa. He’s been our fearless leader forever. Meet Bailey Fleming, our newest resident.”

  The mayor smiled and reached out to shake her hand. “Welcome to town, Ms. Fleming.”

  “Thank you. Call me Bailey.” She touched fingers with his wife, and they chatted a few minutes before the two moved off.

  “Nice people.” How often did one meet the mayor right off the bat? What a sweet, friendly town. She felt safe here—or at least like she might be safe eventually.

  Mac took a bite of her food. “Where will you be working?”

  “Well, that’s the thing. I don’t have a job yet. I’m a nurse, so I hope it will be fairly easy to find something.”

  “A nurse, you say? There’s a small hospital with a few beds on the outskirts of town and a doctor’s office on Main Street.” She fell silent a moment. “Actually, my ex-husband could use a little looking after. He’s been blind since an accident. The doctor says he could recover his sight at any time, but it’s already been two weeks, and everything is still black.”

  Bailey heard the concern in her voice. They must have had a friendly divorce, or else it hadn’t been Mac’s idea. “That’s terrible. I’ve seen a few cases like that, and they usually do recover.”

  They talked a few minutes about the injury and the things Bailey had seen in her training and her work.

  Mac raked her curly brown hair back from her face. “He’s impossible to deal with. Black moods, grumpy as all get-out.”

  “That’s pretty normal. Blindness is hard to deal with. I’m sure he’s depressed.”

  “I’ve been bringing him food, but he hates me checking on him. Would you be interested in paying him a visit every day?” The salary she named seemed generous for the small time investment.

  “That’s not exactly nursing work, but I’d be glad to do it. I could check his eyes and help clean him up. I’ve taken care of nearly blind patients with macular degeneration. I could start teaching him how to do things for himself
too. Has he had any training like that?”

  “Are you kidding? He’s sure his sight will return, and he refuses to try to learn anything. His mom, Helen, has been stopping by, too, but she doesn’t get anywhere with him either. Maybe a stranger, a health-care professional, could get him to listen. I mean, he might not recover his sight. It’s a possibility.”

  “Yes, it is. Do you want to see my résumé? I have a copy in the car. I’ve worked at a nursing home for a year. I’m an RN, graduated with top honors.”

  “Sure, I’ll take a copy, but I can see you’re a good person, calm and steady, too, which is what Jason needs.” She reached for her purse and drew out a small notebook to scribble on. She tore off a paper and handed it to Bailey. “Here’s his address. I’ll tell him you’ll be stopping by to meet him. He’ll probably grouse about it, but I think you’ll be good for him.”

  And just like that she had a job. While it wasn’t for a ton of money, it would help preserve her cash, plus she’d have time to investigate her mother’s past. Bailey fetched her résumé from the car, finished her lunch, then headed out to find her new home.

  Chapter 4

  Her supposed haven didn’t appear to be much of a sanctuary out here in the middle of nowhere. An engraved wooden sign with the words Cedar Cabin swung in the wind from a pole at the road. The home lived up to the picture in Bailey’s possession. She steered the white Ford Fiesta she’d bought at a used-car lot in Ironwood into the drive and parked. Wildflowers tangled their way through weeds and grass all the way across the yard to the edge of the forest. The rosebushes in the planting bed could use a trim as they sprawled over the sides of the brick that should have corralled them.

  The house appeared in decent shape, though it could use some minor repair. The siding’s cedar planks fit tightly together, and the windows turned blank faces to the deserted road fronting the place. Bailey had seen only a couple of other houses as she’d followed her phone’s GPS to this spot. A mile back the pavement had given way to macadam and then to dirt. The road seemed to end just past the cabin.