The Gift, page 19
part #1 of McKenna Mysteries Series
“Worth a try. Thank you so much. And please thank Rain for me. What does she like? I need to get her a thank you gift.”
“She likes sugar . . . and animals.”
“Hmmm . . . is a chocolate reindeer off limits?” Grace was half-joking.
“The girl is so dedicated to being a vegetarian, she probably wouldn’t even eat a chocolate version of a furry creature.”
“Okay, I’ll work on something else. In the meantime, Jenny is still missing. Doesn’t seem like she has any concerned family members out looking for her. And it’s Christmas break, so it’s not like it’s weird that she isn’t at school.”
“Speaking of Christmas, what are your plans?”
“Um, it’s usually just me and my mom, but apparently she has invited a bunch of strangers over. You?”
“Sounds fun. I have breakfast with Rain and my mom, then we all go our separate ways. Rain goes to her dad’s house and their family and my mom and stepdad are having dinner with his kids.”
“And you’re not invited to join them?”
“Oh, I am, I just choose not to go. It’s not my scene. I guess I’m kinda the black sheep of the family. Me and Rain get each other; we click. But the rest of the family . . . eh, not so much.”
“Well, would you like to come to my place?” Grace was feeling impulsive and the invite exploded from her without a thought. “I mean, it’s pretty chaotic and my mom is always trying to get us to participate in some type of yoga chant with essential oils, and God knows who she’s invited to my house, but—”
“I’d love to.” Mark cut her off and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead. She could feel his sweaty kiss leftover as she walked back up the stairs and to her office, giddy with excitement.
***
Grace needed some fresh air, so she decided to walk the short distance to the library. It was evident that it was school vacation, by the number of kids wandering all over town. Grace passed a cluster of elementary-aged kids standing outside the convenience store, enjoying a serious sugar high, all bundled up in their fresh winter gear. The high school parking lot to the left of the library was deserted, except for a few lonely cars, one of which belonged to Principal Woeburn. The stairs to the library were freshly salted, prepared for the masses of children who would be entering the building over the next few days for the scheduled magic and storytelling performances. Every now and then Grace offered her help at the local events, greeting and directing families where to go. Last year, she had made the mistake of volunteering for a magic show at the senior center. Instead of impressing the kids with his magical talent, the magician actually made them cry and Grace had to be the one to ask him to stop the show, right in the midst of the bunny disappearing act. The scheduled activities at the library didn’t start until the week after the holiday, so when she opened the old wooden doors, she was greeted by a calming silence. Just a few college students home from break, whispering to one another in the corner and a couple of older ladies knitting and discussing their latest read.
“Good morning, Detective and how are you doing on this fine day?” Mr. Willis looked up from organizing some files and straightened the glasses that had slipped down his nose. The man had been the head librarian for as long as anyone could remember. When Grace had inquired about his length there, none of the townie officers could give her an answer as to what year he started. All they could tell her was that he was ancient, and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.
“I’m good. How are you, Mr. Willis? Getting ready for the rush of kids?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s always such a pleasure working with the youngsters. Do you have children who will be attending the events? Here, I can give you a handy activity calendar.” He reached for a bright orange sheet that lay in a stack on the desk.
“I would love one,” she said, not having the energy to explain that she didn’t have children. It was a harder path to cross with older people. They assumed every woman had a child and that at Grace’s age, she should have a house full of teenagers. “But, I was wondering about taking an art class. Does the library happen to offer anything for someone like me?” She was getting good at acting.
“Oh my, why no, I can’t say we do. It sounds like a lovely idea, though. Maybe we could get one of the local artists to teach a class. I probably wouldn’t be able to pay them, but maybe they would be willing to volunteer their time.” He rubbed his chin as his eyes followed the idea that he was concocting in his head.
“So, you’ve never offered an art class here? Never?”
“I’m sorry to say, but no. I’ve been here for . . . oh, how many years now?” He slapped a hand on the desk, and let out a loud laugh. “By golly, I can’t even remember! Never get old, Grace. Enjoy your youth while you have it, my dear.”
“Thanks, Mr. Willis,” Grace started to walk to the door, content with her confirmed answer. While Mr. Willis could be accused of losing his memory, she was pretty sure that she’d take his answer over Anthony’s.
“You’re welcome, dear. Oh and you’re not going to leave without checking out a book now, are you?” He walked out from behind the counter and motioned to a display that appeared to contain all holiday romances. “The ladies love these romance books. They’ve been flying off the shelves.” And because Grace didn’t have the heart to deny Mr. Willis, she ended up checking out a book titled “The Christmas Date.” Grace was certain that by the cover, she would end up returning the book at its two-week deadline. The cleavage that was peeking out from behind a red dress was enough to cause Grace to throw it in the trash, but she couldn’t turn the old man down. Grace wondered if he was the one who was actually reading the naughty Christmas books.
Chapter Twenty-One
The beach was already scattered with teenagers by the time Mackenzie pulled into the only remaining spot on the narrow sandy side street that flanked the beach.
Taylor turned to Mackenzie, holding her cell phone up to her mouth, the flashlight lighting up her face against her dark hair. “Do I have anything in my teeth?”
“No, goofball, you’re in the clear. But I think you’re going to have a lot more to worry about than a few pieces of cilantro stuck in your teeth if Jake’s girlfriend comes tonight.”
“Whatever. You still haven’t told me—where did you score a VW Bug, anyway? I can see your dad caving and buying it for you, but I find it hard to believe your mom agreed. She’s beyond strict.”
“Yeah, well, I guess the perfect grades finally paid off.” Mackenzie reached into the small backseat of the Bug and pulled her purse to the front, the wine coolers clanking against one another.
“You little devil. Well, she’s a beauty,” Taylor said as she slipped out of the car and slid a hand along the rounded edges of the pale blue framework. “I hope you realize you will be carting me around until I head out to Cali for school.”
“Well who knows, maybe I’ll be joining you in Cali,” Mackenzie said as she sidled up to her best friend.
“Still haven’t heard back from Harvard yet?” Taylor normally hesitated to ask Mackenzie such questions, but the shot of peppermint schnapps earlier had helped her loosen up a bit.
“Nope.” The single word came out of Mackenzie’s mouth clipped and emotionless.
The two girls braced each other as they trudged through the thickening snow-covered sand beyond the seawall. The bonfire flame sprouted out from a thick circle of high school seniors, some huddled together braving the cold and others sitting on pieces of driftwood with blankets draped across their laps.
“TaylZEEE!” A group of male voices called out the nickname of the two girls. It had been well-earned, as the two of them spent so much time together. They were one of the many female duos that infiltrated the halls of Bridgeton High.
Taylor bolted to the voices and jumped into the arms of Liam Donovan as Mackenzie eased into the crowd more cautiously. Having been involved in so many school activities, she naturally had to be outgoing, but the past few weeks had left her feeling a bit unlike herself. Ever since the accident, Mackenzie hadn’t been able to free her mind from thoughts of Jenny.
“Hey Mackenzie, how’s it going?” Rain Hildebrant stood over her as she bent down to retrieve a wine cooler out of her bag.
“Good, how are you, Rain? Got any big plans for break?” As badly as Mackenzie wanted to ask the status of Rain’s college acceptances, she was afraid she would have to admit that she herself hadn’t heard back from Harvard.
“Nah, just catching up on essays and stuff.”
“Want one?” Mackenzie tilted her bottle of Jack Daniels Downhome Punch toward the girl.
“Sure,” Rain said as she twisted the top off the bottle of pink liquid and took a tiny sip. Her eyes danced around like she was afraid of being caught.
“Hey Rain, what’s up?” Taylor sidled up to the two of them, forming a small circle. “Oh my God did Kenzie tell you about the new ride her dad bought her? It’s—”
“Taylor! Stop. It’s not a big deal.” Mackenzie cut her off, the heat rising through her body as she realized that Rain could very well be aware that Miss Silva drove the same kind of car. Maybe she would just think it was a coincidence, blaming it on chance that the two of them had pale-blue VW Bugs.
“What? You should be happy that your dad was so proud of his little girl that he bought her one of the coolest cars ever.” Taylor pulled her into a side hug, grabbing her cheek like she was a little girl. “You look so California in it. Oh my gosh, imagine if we both go to Cali and we can cruise around with the top down!”
“What kinda car did you get?”
“A PALE-BLUE VW BUG! It’s soooo adorable!” Taylor answered before Mackenzie could stop her. She could feel Rain’s eyes suddenly heavy on hers. Mackenzie had always been uneasy around the girl; there was always a mysterious layer hovering around her. The way she could feel Rain’s gaze on her in art class, and the way she was so eerily quiet, always having her nose buried in a book. Mackenzie wondered why she was there. A beach bonfire party wasn’t exactly Rain Hildebrant’s scene.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool. I’ve always wanted a Bug. Wait, doesn’t Miss Silva drive a pale-blue Bug?” Rain’s eyebrows danced on her forehead, eagerly awaiting an answer to the question.
“Does she? I didn’t know that. I guess I’ll have to ask her where she gets it serviced.” Mackenzie was at a loss for words, and well aware that she sounded like a complete idiot. She was regretting taking the car. She was feeling the fluidity of her well-thought out plan start to slip like it was sliding down a funnel. But, she wanted one night to live. To feel like she was Jenny herself.
“Ohmygod, Kenz. You have the same car as your art teacher. I knew you were oddly obsessed with that class but seriously . . . you got the same car?” Taylor poked fun, bumping against Mackenzie’s shoulders and giggling between sips from a red cup.
“Well, congrats on the car. Good seeing you girls. Thanks for the drink.” Rain tipped her bottle toward the two girls and walked toward a group that was seated around a long-haired guy playing an acoustic guitar.
“Dude, what’s your deal . . . you got a crush on her or something?” Taylor asked, as she used a hand to lift Mackenzie’s chin, closing her mouth. “You’re acting weird.”
“You’re just drunk. Let’s go find Dana,” Mackenzie said as she draped an arm around her friend’s shoulders and tried to change the subject. A wave of heat passed through her body, even in the midst of the cold winter night. She felt her insides twisting into a combination of nerves and fear. She could feel Rain’s eyes on her from across the way. “Give me your cup.” She wrapped her hand around Taylor’s red cup, rested her lips on the rim and tipped her head back. She felt the liquid burn down her throat, swimming amongst the unsettling nerves in her stomach.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“There’s no art class offered at the library. Never has been,” Grace said into her phone as she opened the glass door to Rizzo’s. The handprints on the door were enough to send any newcomer away, but the food was worth the scary germs.
“Shit, well I guess that doesn’t surprise me. Sounds a bit advanced for Bridgeton.”
“You want anything from Rizzo’s?”
“Ummm, sure . . .”
“Don’t worry, they have salads. And veggie burgers. I won’t make fun of you if you ask me for something animal-free.”
“Thanks. Surprise me.”
“Okay. Meet me in my office in five minutes. Don’t make it obvious.”
After spending the day catching up on paperwork and meeting with the Chief to hand in her promo packet, Grace finally had the opportunity to focus on the Jenny Silva case. The night shift had started, so she was hoping the day staff wouldn’t notice her ruthless dedication to hours spent at the office these days. Inquiring cop minds would surely want to know what she was so focused on.
“You said five minutes?” Mark greeted her outside her office, the door closed and locked.
“Sorry, there was a line of high school kids filling themselves up on fried food before going home and being forced to eat a healthy home-cooked meal.”
“And you’re any better?” Mark took the takeout bag out of her arms so she could unlock the door. A large order of fries was spilling over the top of the bag, grease decorating the outside of the paper bag in big blotchy spots.
“Hey, nothing wrong with a little grease every now and then. You could use some to balance out all those tasteless vegetables,” Grace said as she used a foot to guide the door open while sipping the fountain soda in her hand. He followed her into the office, setting the bag down on her desk as she slid into her chair, the door slamming behind her.
“So, what’s the deal?” Mark asked, trying to spear at his salad with a flimsy plastic fork.
“Everyone’s gone, right? I mean Barb and the day shift?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just don’t want them catching on to the secret case we’ve got going on here.”
“Is that what this is?” Half-joking, he tore into a piece of bread, the muscles in his jaw working hard to shrink the chewy carbohydrate.
“You know what I mean.” Grace plucked a fry out of the bag, drenching it in a pool of ketchup before popping it into her mouth.
“Hold that thought.” Mark picked up his vibrating phone from the desk. Grace could make out a picture of Rain lighting up the screen and suddenly remembered the bonfire.
“Sup, kid?” He balanced the phone between his ear and shoulder while stabbing at the lettuce. “Okay. Are you sure? Hold on.” Moving only his eyes, he looked toward Grace. “Did Jenny Silva drive a pale-blue VW Bug?”
“Yep.”
“Yep. Okay. We’re on our way.”
“What’s she got?” Grace said the words between bites of her burger. “Mackenzie is driving what Rain thinks is Jenny Silva’s car. She drove it to the bonfire. It’s parked on First Street, by the beach entrance. Rain remembered a bumper sticker on the right side of the back window. Something about coexisting. But it looks like the sticker has been peeled off.”
“Did she get the plate numbers?”
“Yep. She said she’s gonna text them to me.”
“Damn, that girl doesn’t miss a beat.” Grace dropped the remaining half of her burger in the bag, a smattering of ketchup was left behind on her lower lip.
“I trained her well.” He looked up from his salad. “Wipe your mouth. You looked like you just kissed a vampire.”
Slightly embarrassed, Grace used a napkin to dab at the leftover ketchup. She wasn’t far enough into this relationship or whatever it was to feel comfortable leaving food on her face. He still hadn’t seen her completely free of makeup, as she was always sure to put a stroke of blush on her cheeks and a coat of mascara on her lashes before she knew she’d see him. That’s how Grace knew she was in deep trouble. She was rolling out the red carpet for a guy.
She stood from the chair and slid the file that held all of Jenny Silva’s info into her bag. The file was purple, camouflaged from the normal bland manila folders that the station used. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” Mark stood, dropping her greasy bag and his plastic salad container into the trash that sat beside her desk, before he followed her out the door. “I know you’re into girl power and all that stuff, but do you mind if I drive? I know this town like the back of my hand and I’d prefer—”
“Go for it.”
“Thanks.” He aimed his keys at a gray minivan.
“Seriously?”
“Hey, I’ve had to cart my sister around for years and I just got comfortable with the ease of a convenient vehicle, equipped to hold the necessities while ensuring my family is kept safe.”
“You sound like a frickin’ commercial!”
“Well, that was actually one of the lines that was used on me when I was car shopping. So I guess commercials work.”
“How the hell do I get into this contraption?” She stood by the passenger door, confused by the additional door handles.
“Here, you can put your bag in the back seat.” He pressed a button on the back door, and the door opened and slid backwards in one fluid motion, revealing a plush backseat complete with a television in the headrest of the driver’s seat.
“Do you have like, five kids that I don’t know about yet?”
“Not yet.” He glided over to the driver’s side and slid into the seat.
“So, you want kids?” The words slipped from her mouth.
“Woah, slow down there, cowgirl. Just because I drive a minivan doesn’t mean I’m ready to be a father.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“I’m just messing with you.” He rested one hand on the steering wheel and leaned back, managing to look seductive in a car that was typically designed for soccer moms. “But, yeah, I’d love kids someday.” He paused. “Be the father that mine wasn’t,” he said before turning up the volume on the console. Suddenly the innocence of the vehicle was lost as rap music boomed from the speakers.
