Bitter Past, page 11
Zak gave each of them a kiss. “Sorry. I tried to be quiet.”
“You were. Jett woke up hungry. I’ll make him some breakfast. How about you?”
“Got to get going. That was Myrtle Ward on the phone. Her husband, Sam, didn’t come home last night.”
“That’s not like Sam.”
“No.”
They shared a worried look. A couple years ago another long-term resident of Lost Trail had gone missing, launching them into one of the biggest investigations in the history of the county. In that case, the affair had ended happily. Zak didn’t have the same hopeful expectations this time.
Zak showered, shaved, and dressed quickly. Both he and Nadine had their morning routine down to an efficient ten minutes. When he left the bedroom, he found Nadine feeding Jett a bowl of his favorite hot oat bran cereal. He paused to admire what a neat job she made of it. When he fed Jett, there was more cereal on the bib and the high chair tray than in the toddler.
“Okay, so I’m going to the office to make some calls, then I’ll question Keith at the Dew Drop. Sam met Edward and some others there for drinks last night.”
“Good luck, I hope you find him.”
Chapter Eight
Keith Dewy was not excited to be woken before seven. “I’m not a morning person,” he mumbled into the phone before agreeing to meet Zak downstairs in the bar.
“Sorry to bother you so early.” Zak passed one of the two cups of coffee he’d just bought from Patsy at the Snowdrift to the local businessman and married father of three adults. “But Sam Ward is missing, and this is the last place he was seen.”
“Sam is missing?” Keith rubbed a hand down his unshaven cheek, then waved Zak to an empty table by the door.
“He didn’t make it home last night. Myrtle’s sick with worry.” Zak sat down and looked around while Keith took his first drink of coffee. It felt weird to be in the Dew Drop bar in the morning. The place looked lifeless and a little sad. The wooden floors were beaten up, the walls needed paint, and even the ski posters on the walls had yellowed edges.
Before Jett was born, Zak had spent many hours in here, sharing beers and burgers with his good friend Tiff, then later with Nadine and Kenny. Now he couldn’t remember the last time he’d stopped in after work.
“I wish I could help,” Keith said. “But Sam left here around quarter after nine with Edward Cocker and that’s the last I saw of him. I assumed he was heading home, like usual.” Keith shrugged and took another drink of coffee.
“Did you notice anything different about Sam? Was he depressed or worried?”
“He did seem a little quieter than usual. Though at one point he and Edward got into a bit of a shouting match. That part wasn’t so strange. Those two love nothing better than to take opposite sides of an issue and duke it out.”
“Any idea what they were arguing about last night?”
“Wolverines” came a deep voice from behind. Edward Cocker strode toward them. “Saw your truck out front,” he told Zak. “Thought I’d save you a trip and join the conversation.”
“Hey, Edward.” Zak did want to speak with him. But Zak would have preferred to interview Keith and Edward separately. He watched as the big man turned one of the chairs at their table around and straddled it. Keith and Edward exchanged nods.
“I already told Myrtle all I know,” Edward said. “We left the bar around nine-twenty or so and got straight into our trucks. When I pulled off to my place, Sam was still headed on the highway home.”
What had distracted Sam in the short distance between Edward’s turnoff and his own? Zak wondered. Or had he never been intending to go home? “You say you were arguing about wolverines?”
“We sure were. Sam was insisting he’d seen tracks from a mother and her kit north of the Ancient Cedars trails. I told him he was dreaming. Wolverines are endangered in America. Experts figure there are less than three hundred in the entire country. Though, admittedly, the majority of those would be in Western Montana. But I highly doubt they’d be living so close to a popular network of hiking trails.”
Zak wished he’d forget about the wolverines and focus on what was important here. “Was there anything else Sam seemed worried or preoccupied about last night?”
“He wasn’t too happy with the Mariners as I recall.”
First wolverines, now baseball. Zak tried to hide his impatience. “Anything that might give a clue to what happened to him last night?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the old curmudgeon to have gotten it into his head to find those wolverines and prove me wrong.”
“You think?” It sounded crazy to Zak. But then again, wolverines were nocturnal creatures, and an old hunter and tracker like Sam wouldn’t be afraid of going out in the forest alone at night.
“Best way to find out is to go look for his truck in the parking lot. Want me to do that? I’m starting to get a bit worried myself.”
“I’ll go.” Zak was already out of his seat and headed toward his sheriff-mobile.
*
Joelle had trouble falling asleep after the book club event at Myrtle’s. Even with all the windows open, and the fan going full blast, the cabin was hot. She tossed off her quilt and got up to get a glass of ice water. Back in bed she alternated between replaying her conversation with Amanda, and worrying about Jamie Brooks, lost and alone in the wilderness. The young woman had to be related to Eve. Was she her daughter? Eve’s little girl had been four years old when Eve went missing in 2009, so the math worked. But why had Jamie decided to hike the same trail as her mother this particular summer?
Eventually Joelle did fall into a light sleep, though she was disturbed once again by her dream about being shut up in that dark, smelly trunk. It was almost eight when a video call from the twins in Syracuse woke her. Sitting up in bed, she blinked away her fuzzy vision and smiled at their excited faces.
“Aunty Jo, we got to pick blueberries and make pies. Today we’re going swimming, and we get to have ice cream!”
It was a relief to see them happy and secure, despite the trauma of losing their dad. Joelle supposed the loss mustn’t feel real to them yet. Five was very young to understand what death meant. Hell, even she had trouble facing the reality that she would never see her brother-in-law again.
The kids wanted to say hi to Trix, so Joelle padded over to the chair, which Trix had completely annexed, and turned the phone to focus on the mildly curious dog. Trix stared at the screen and gave a short bark, so possibly she recognized the kids. Who knew?
Once the kids were called by their grandmother to come put on their sunscreen, Joelle had a chance to speak privately with her sister.
“You okay?”
“I’m glad we came. Brent’s death doesn’t feel so real out here. I’m sure the grief will hit me hard when we return home though. How is Trix doing?”
“She’s tolerating me. There’s a hiking trail right out our front door. She seems to love that.”
“Have you figured out why Brent went to Lost Trail? Did it have anything to do with that note? It must have, right?”
“Slow down, sis.” Joelle went to the kitchen and filled the kettle. “I’ve been talking to people and I’m learning things, but I still don’t have the answers you’re looking for. I’m going to keep trying though.”
Olivia sighed. “Part of me hoped you would find a simple explanation for both that letter and Brent’s visit. I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Are you being careful?”
“Sure am.” No way was she going to tell her sister about the horse manure.
“Good. Thank you so much for everything, Jo. Taking care of Trix and checking into Brent’s visit.”
“Glad to do it.” Joelle sent her love and ended the call. As she ground coffee and added it to the French press, she glanced out the window toward Myrtle’s place. Through the screen of the spruce trees she could see that Shawn’s truck was parked in Sam’s usual spot next to Myrtle’s bright red SUV. Awfully early for Shawn to be visiting his mother. And where was Sam?
While the coffee was steeping, Joelle took Trix outside to do her business. When her friend the whiskey jack showed up, she tossed him a dog treat and made a mental note to pick up some proper bird seed while she was in town.
Back in the cabin, Joelle fed Trix then sat at the table with her coffee. She scrolled through news on her phone and was relieved to see that the missing hiker, Jamie Brooks, had been found overnight and was currently being treated at a local hospital. She clicked on the link to read the entire article and soon learned that she’d been correct. Jamie was Eve’s daughter.
Apparently, she’d been hiking the trail in homage to her mother, who disappeared from the CDT sixteen years ago. Somehow, she taken a wrong turn and ended up on a sketchy slope where she took a fall and broke her leg. She had a device with her that should have given her satellite access to call for help, but it had been clipped to the outside of her hiking pack and had gone flying down the slope during her fall.
Jamie was receiving treatment for a broken leg and dehydration and was expected to make a full recovery. The article went on to describe the heroic actions of the local search and rescue units, sheriffs’ departments, and Two Bear Air Rescue in finding and retrieving the missing hiker.
The article left Joelle still wondering why Jamie had chosen to hike the trail now, less than a month after Brent’s renewed interest in her mother’s disappearance. Joelle wished she had some way of contacting Matt Gallagher, the boyfriend. Hadn’t he said he was staying at a bed and breakfast close to the library? Maybe if she was lucky, she could find him there.
She also wanted to return to the library. Amanda had been very clear last night that she didn’t want to talk to her. But in Jo’s experience, reluctant sources often changed their minds after a night of reflection.
*
Despite getting to bed late and sleeping poorly, Amanda was up early to make her family breakfast. There was more fencing to do today, and given the hot weather, it was better to start early and finish with a dip in the river to cool off. As she scooped scrambled eggs onto plates, Amanda studied the faces of her loved ones, wondering which of them had been prying into her box of mementos. Wyatt already knew everything about her past. She couldn’t imagine Bruce having any interest, which left Candace. But if she was curious about Amanda’s life before kids, why not ask her about it? Why snoop around?
She should just ask her daughter. But what if Candace had questions she couldn’t answer? Amanda toyed with her own serving of eggs, toast, and tomatoes. She was almost relieved when, partway through the meal, Wyatt got a call.
“It’s Myrtle Ward,” he announced, before accepting it.
The rule was no phones at the table, but Amanda said nothing, just listened intently to his side of the conversation.
“I see.
“No, I’m sorry, I haven’t.
“Yes, of course I will.” Wyatt’s expression was grim as he returned his phone to his pocket. “Sam didn’t come home last night. Myrtle was wondering if I’d seen him.”
Amanda sank back into her chair. Sam wasn’t the type of man who didn’t come home at night. She had a bad feeling about this. When she tried to meet her husband’s gaze, he was too busy eating to notice. She waited for the kids to finish and go upstairs to brush their teeth before saying anything.
“That’s bad news about Sam. What do you think it means?”
“Maybe he had too much to drink last night and went somewhere to sleep it off.”
“He would have called Myrtle. Or left her a text message.” Amanda pushed at the cold eggs on her plate. She wasn’t looking forward to going into work. She had a feeling that despite the way she’d tried to shut Joelle down last night, the journalist would be back, pestering her with questions again.
“You’re not eating. And you were late to bed last night. Call in sick,” Wyatt urged.
When she hesitated, he pressed her harder. “What if that journalist comes around again?”
“Okay,” she conceded. “I’ll stay home.”
“Good.”
Amanda sighed, relieved to have that worry out of her way, for today at least. Right now she was more concerned about Candace. She glanced toward the stairs. No sign of the kids, but to be sure of privacy, she nodded toward the back door. Wyatt took the hint and followed her outside.
It was a spectacular summer morning, the sky a dazzling blue, and a delicate dew clinging to the grass and perennial flowers growing around the house. Amanda longed for simpler times, when nice weather was all it took to make her happy.
“Wyatt, have you been going through the photo albums and journals I keep in the basement?”
He looked at her blankly. “What are you talking about?”
“Last night I noticed the box with my keepsakes from before we were married had been moved.” When he gave her a “so-what” look, she continued. “My journal from 2009 was in that box.”
Wyatt’s face went pale beneath his weathered tan. “Did you write about…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish.
“I wrote about everything.”
“Damn it, Amanda. We had an agreement.”
“I know. When I packed up those journals Candace couldn’t even walk yet, let alone read. And then I sort of forgot about them.”
“Ah, hell,” Wyatt said. “If Candace did read it, would she be able to figure out…?
“Yes.”
Her husband frowned, then rubbed his forehead. “I guess we have to talk to her.”
Amanda nodded. He was right. But would their daughter ever forgive them for not disclosing the identity of her biological father before it was too late for her to ever meet him?
*
Myrtle’s trick with the coffee grounds had worked. There was no trace of the foul manure odor in Jo’s car that morning, though she did find herself craving more coffee. She drove the now-familiar route to the library, this time ensuring her windows were closed and doors locked, before heading into the library with her backpack.
But at the front desk she was told Amanda wasn’t at work today. She’d phoned in sick. Joelle didn’t buy it. Amanda had seemed perfectly healthy last night. But would she fake illness just to avoid a possible visit from her? That seemed a little extreme.
Dispirited, Joelle left the library and headed toward the nearby Sweet Dreams Bed and Breakfast. A rental car was parked out front. It might be Matt’s, or it could belong to another B & B guest. Still she decided to check if Matt was there. The house was a two-story with an enclosed front porch and a wreath of dried flowers on the main door. A sign welcomed her to come in, and so she did, setting off a tinny-sounding bell in the process.
A man in his forties made his way down a long hallway from the back of the house, a question in his pale green eyes. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Joelle Medler. I was hoping to speak with one of your guests—Matt Gallagher?”
“Ah, yeah, the poor lad was up most of the night. They found his girlfriend, did you hear?”
He did not speak like an American. Joelle guessed he’d come from Ireland at some point. “I did. Such good news. Is this your B & B?”
“It is. Me and the missus decided to make the family home a business after our boy moved out. Gone east on a scholarship. Studying something in physics neither of us understand. Let me see if Matt is awake.”
“I am” came a voice from the top of the stairs.
Joelle turned and saw Matt tucking his T-shirt into a pair of baggy jeans. His long hair was loose and damp, suggesting he’d just showered.
“Hi, Matt, I’m not sure if you remember me but I’m Joelle Medler.”
“Sure, I remember.” He trod quickly down the stairs. “You gave me your newspaper.”
“That’s right. I was so sorry when I heard your girlfriend hadn’t shown up on time. And then relieved to hear they found her last night.”
“Thank God,” he said fervently.
“Will you be wanting your breakfast?” the B & B owner asked.
“No thanks, Paul. I have to drive to Missoula to pick up Jamie’s dad. His flight is arriving at eleven. We’ll probably go straight to the hospital. Hopefully they’ll be ready to discharge Jamie by then.”
They were happy plans made in the wake of a crisis diverted, and Joelle didn’t want to delay him unduly. But as she walked out with him toward his car she had to ask. “News reports say Jamie was doing the hike in memory of her mother.”
“That’s right. Her mom went missing sixteen years ago while she was doing the CDT. Jamie and her dad have never really gotten over that.”
“I’m not surprised. But why did Jamie decide to tackle the hike this year? I mean, it’s been a long time.”
“The Sheriff asked me the same thing. About a month ago, her dad got a call from an investigator wanting to know if the family had ever found out what happened to Eve.”
Jo’s adrenaline spiked. Brent had been thorough. It would have been just like him to call the Brooks family. “Do you know the investigator’s name? Was it Brent Culver?”
“Boy, you and the Sheriff keep asking the same things. I think that was his name. You’ll have to ask Jamie’s dad, Steve, to be sure.”
“I will, thanks.”
Matt rested a hand on the driver’s-side door. “What’s going on here? The Sheriff told me this Brent Culver died in an accident.”
“Yes. He was my brother-in-law.”
“Oh. Sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
“When he told Steve and Jamie he was looking into Eve’s disappearance, they were hopeful that he’d finally get some answers. It’s been hard for them. Not even knowing if she’s dead or alive.”
“I can imagine.”
“I think that’s why Jamie wanted to do the hike. To find some sort of closure. The timing worked for her since she was between jobs. But I wanted her to wait until I’d accumulated enough vacation days to join her. I should have just quit and gone with her anyway. She could have died out there. She came damn close. It’s only thanks to the infrared cameras and the tracking dogs that they found her.”
