Topsail Sundays, page 11
part #2 of Summerhouse Reunion Series
“And Cherry?” I asked.
“According to Moon, she was a freethinking person, who, like him, tended to go where the wind took her. He told me that of all the girls he’s sponsored over the years—and there have been many more than just these five—she was the one he considered to be a kindred spirit. It was his opinion that she may simply have changed her mind about the dinner with Denver and left the island earlier than she originally planned to. It never occurred to him that anything bad might have happened to her.”
“Now that you have a name, though, you can look for her,” Quinn said.
“Which is what I plan to do tomorrow,” Sam confirmed.
I wasn’t sure I was buying the fact that this guy knew all the missing girls yet wasn’t involved in their disappearances. The likelihood of knowing all of them over a twenty-year period and not being involved had to be astronomical. I trusted Sam’s judgment, but something felt off to me.
“So, did this Moon offer an opinion as to what might actually have happened to the girls?” I asked after the conversation began to lag.
“Initially, no, but I pushed a bit, and he did say that to the best of his recollection, all the girls who went missing also liked to surf. He wondered if the link I was looking for might be in the surfing world rather than the art world.”
“Seems convenient to have a way to divert your attention away from art,” I said. “In fact, it almost sounds as if he had that particular reply planned and ready to go. You did call him yesterday, so he knew you were coming to ask him about his relationship with Veronica. Maybe he anticipated your questions and found a red herring for you to follow.”
“It sounds like you think he is the one who did something to these girls,” Sam said.
“I do think that it is just a bit too much of a coincidence that he knew all the girls, yet he insists he isn’t the man you’re looking for. Is there a way to check to see if girls have gone missing from other areas where he spends a lot of time? Maybe the school where he teaches, the town where his home is located, or even the galleries where his work is displayed.”
Sam nodded. “I can take a look. It would be interesting to see if I find other clusters that could be linked to the guy.”
“Moon told you that he had mentored a lot of different girls over the years,” Ryder pointed out. “It would also be interesting to get a list of those girls. And if his real interest in helping them is his love of art, has he also mentored young men who are looking for a place to start?”
“I did ask him about the men-versus-women thing, and he admitted that he is drawn to young women who are looking for a mentor and had no interest in helping young men of equal talent.”
“Sounds sort of creepy to me,” Quinn said.
“Yeah, it is,” Sam agreed. “Although, if he was trying to hide something, it doesn’t follow that he would make such a blatantly sexual statement.”
“I say we ask around about him,” I said.
“I agree,” Quinn seconded. “Based on what you’ve said, I have a bad feeling about the guy.”
Chapter 14
Today was the finals for the Perfect Tan Surfing Competition. Quinn and I had informed Carrie and Nora that we planned to spend the entire day at the beach so we could experience the final ratings as they unfolded, and while the non-surfing pair indicated that they might stop by the beach at some point that afternoon, both seemed to prefer to spend a quiet morning relaxing at the rental. So far, we hadn’t made plans for the evening, a situation I was struggling with because I was more than ready for some couple time with Ryder. On the one hand, I supposed I could just tell Carrie that I had plans with him, but she’d gone to a lot of trouble to arrange this get-together, and I didn’t want her to feel I was bailing on her in favor of spending time with her brother.
On the other hand, maybe she really wouldn’t care if I spent part of my time with Ryder. Maybe I was creating a problem in my mind that didn’t exist. She was busy with her move, so it wasn’t as if she was going to be able to spend all her time with the rest of us either.
“Do you have extra suntan lotion?” Quinn asked after wandering in through the adjoining room that had at one time belonged to Kayla. “I’m almost out, and I’d hate to get burned.”
“I have plenty.” I handed her a tube. “This is for your face, and I have a lotion with a higher SPF in my bag. I’m thinking of bringing a change of clothes as well, which I’ll leave in the car. I’m hoping it will work out that I can spend some time with Ryder this evening, and if it does, I’d like to be prepared.”
Quinn opened the lid to the tube, squeezed out some lotion, and began applying it to her lightly freckled nose. “That’s a good idea. I think I’m ready for another round with Sammy. I guess we can just tell Carrie and Nora that we made plans with the guys.”
“I guess we could.” I pulled my long hair back into a ponytail. “I am a little worried that Carrie might feel like we’re bailing on her, but she does seem to have more in common with Nora at this point in her life, so maybe she won’t mind. I suppose we can bring it up gently when they show up at the beach this afternoon.”
Quinn giggled, which was odd because I’ve never known her to giggle before. She laughed, snorted, groaned, and cursed, but never giggled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“I feel like a teenager making plans to sneak away from Mom for a night on the town with my guy and my best friend. Maybe we can sneak out the window and go down the trellis to make it even more authentic.”
I smiled. “I guess it does feel like we are trying to come up with a plan to sneak away from Carrie and Nora. Kayla and I used to stand in this very spot and do just that when we summered here. There isn’t a trellis to climb down, but if you go into the other room, there is a big tree that you can reach from the window in the corner.”
Quinn looked into the middle bedroom that had been Kayla’s when we were kids. “It’s strange to be in this room and not have Kayla here to share the experience with us. I know we really haven’t talked about it, but you know how very sorry I am.”
“I know,” I said. “It was really hard to be here in the beginning, but now I find I am enjoying those quiet moments when I allow myself to be close to my memories. Close to Kayla and the childhood we shared. I even found some photos she left in the desk drawer only she and I knew about. I’ve really enjoyed looking through them and remembering the special times we had on the island. The special times we all shared,” I emphasized.
“We did have some good times,” Quinn agreed. “And I’ve been remembering odd moments since I’ve been here. Things that I haven’t thought about in years that suddenly pop into my mind as if they happened yesterday.”
I smeared some gloss onto my lips. “I know what you mean. Sometimes when I’m up here alone, I go into Kayla’s room and just remember. I remember the way she’d twist her hair if she was working out a complex problem in her mind. I remember that pair of bunny slippers she got for Christmas and then decided to wear everywhere she went that summer, including the beach.”
“And don’t forget those bright green sunglasses she had. The ones shaped like hearts.” Quinn smiled softly. “She really was creative, and no one can say she didn’t have her own sense of style.”
“She never did lose that, even as an adult,” I said. “Her home was about as eclectically decorated as any I’ve ever seen, but it seemed to work despite the fact that she put random items together that my logical mind insisted should not ever be placed in the same room.” I took a deep breath. “God, I miss her.”
Quinn stopped what she was doing and gave me a hug. I knew my friends were hurting over Kayla’s loss, but that they were trying hard to suppress their own emotions for my sake.
“Remember that summer when Kayla wore braids every day, and I tried to tell her that if she didn’t let her hair rest, it would fall out?” Quinn said in an attempt, I suspected, to reintroduce the lighthearted mood with which we’d started the conversation.
I laughed through the tears that had gathered and were threatening to spill down my cheeks. “I do remember that. And I remember that she woke up one morning and found a hair on her pillow and thought you’d been telling the truth. She sat up and tried to pull the rubber bands out of her hair, but they were twisted in there pretty tight, so the harder she pulled, the more hair came out with them. She got so hysterical. It was pretty funny at the time, but I tried not to laugh. Of course, our poor mom had no idea that we’d warned her about her hair falling out, so she had no idea how to help.”
“We really could be mean at times. Looking back, I’m not sure why. I liked Kayla. She was pretty awesome in her own right, but I guess you and I were closer then, and it’s natural for kids to want to pick on their siblings. Not that I’d know that for sure being an only child, but based on what I’ve observed over the years, that seems to be the case.”
“Yeah. I guess picking on your younger sibling is the natural order of things, even if your twin is only four minutes younger than you are.” My smile faded just a bit. “I know I’ve said this a million times, but I really do miss her. There are days when I don’t think I can survive the emptiness, and I find myself teetering on the edge of raw hopelessness, but then I tell myself that if I just wait for the passage of time, it will get easier. And maybe it will, but so far, it hasn’t.” I blew out a breath. “Honestly, I wonder if it ever will.”
Quinn leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “I know. And while I can’t make this easier for you, I do want you to know that I’m here for you. Always.”
“I know. That means a lot.”
She handed the tube of lotion back to me. “I’m going to head back to my room to grab some things in case we do end up spending the evening with the guys. I’ll meet you out by the car.”
“Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
After Quinn left, I walked into the room that had been Kayla’s. I hadn’t spent all that much time in there since I had first arrived. At least not as much as I probably should have. I wanted to take time with my memories, but in a way, I wanted to avoid them as well. I ran my hand over her desk, closed my eyes, and listened. I could hear the sound of the waves on the beach, the rustle of leaves shuffling in the breeze, and the drip of water coming, I assumed, from a faucet that hadn’t been turned off completely. I let my mind travel back in time to where all those sounds would have been drowned out by the melody generated by the people living in this house. The longer I stood there, the louder those distant echoes became. My dad mowing the lawn, my mom making pancakes for breakfast, Kayla listening to Boyz II Men in the next room. I smiled at the memory of the family we’d been. The family we’d never be again now that Dad and Kayla were gone.
“I love you, Jellybean,” I whispered, remembering the nickname I’d had for Kayla when we were six or seven. “I miss you and wish every minute of every day that you were here, but I want you to know I’m okay. I have a feeling you’re hovering around, worrying about me, but you don’t need to. I think I’m finally ready to let you go, in case you’ve been waiting.”
I realized that tears were streaming down my face, and I wasn’t sure my heart would be able to survive the promise of my words, but I also knew that I needed to stop hanging on to Kayla so she could move on to wherever it was she was meant to go, and I could find a way to be happy without her. I took a deep breath, swiped my arm across my cheeks to dry my tears, and headed back to my own room to pack a bag for the evening I hoped to have with Ryder.
Chapter 15
Quinn and I made our way out onto the pier to watch the heats that would begin in about fifteen minutes. The crowd hadn’t gathered yet, so Quinn didn’t need to use ninja moves to secure us a spot on the railing the way she had the day before. I looked toward the beach, which was already littered with spectators who’d brought blankets, umbrellas, and ice chests for the daylong event.
“I can’t wait to see what Grace brings to the party today,” Quinn said. “She really is one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
“She is great, but I feel bad for Lizzy. I know that is a crazy thing to say, given the fact that Grace is Lizzy’s daughter too, but she seems to really want Hope to win.”
“Hope is good, but not good enough,” Quinn commented. “Even if Grace wasn’t competing, I’m pretty sure Hope wouldn’t win.”
I knew Quinn was right, but I couldn’t help feeling bad for Hope and Lizzy.
“Who’s that guy over near the announcer’s platform talking to the girl with the red hair?” Quinn asked.
“That’s Wilson Montgomery. Gavin Montgomery is sponsoring the event now, and Wilson is his son. According to Lizzy, he comes out every year to cheer on the surfers and say hi to everyone.”
“You know who that is?”
“Wilson Montgomery,” I replied. “I just said that.”
“I guess what I meant is, do you know who that was?”
I narrowed my gaze and tried to get a better look at the guy. “Was? What do you mean by was?”
“Remember those two guys who were stalking us the year you won the competition?”
“Sure,” I answered. “They were both around our age, maybe a year or two older. One had blond hair, and one had brown. They were total nerds. I remember we referred to them as Beavis and Butt-Head.”
“Beavis was Wilson Montgomery,” Quinn informed me.
I raised a brow. “Really? Are you sure?”
“I am. I ran into him a couple of years after we’d been stalked by them at the surf competition and recognized him. I was with a friend who knew who he was. I’m not sure who the brown-haired guy we called Butt-Head was, but I am certain that the boy we referred to as Beavis was Wilson Montgomery.”
I put my hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun and tried to get a closer look. “I guess I can see it now that you mention it. He was such a jerk. Both of them were. Not only did they follow us into the changing room, but I heard later that they had figured out a way to set up cameras so they could peep inside even when they weren’t around. I can’t believe the kid who pulled those childish pranks was the son of a billionaire.”
“I did a story on Gavin Montgomery once,” Quinn said. “It was early in my career before I was assigned the juicy stories when I was mostly stuck with the feel-good, fluff stuff. The story about Gavin was a bit different, though. It had some meat to it, which I welcomed.”
“What sort of story?” I asked.
“Gavin Montgomery, who had, and I assume still has, a lot of money and a creative mind, had joined forces with a German company to develop a guidance system that was supposedly better than anything on the market at the time. The system was unique enough that people were talking about it. I was assigned to look into the issue of application. It seems that while the system had been designed for commercial use, there were those who insisted that it had military applications and would never actually hit the private market.”
“I thought Gavin never left his island. How was he able to be involved in something like that?”
“Gavin’s part in the enterprise was to provide the funding and the oversight, which he did from his island. The guy is impossible to get to. I tried at least a hundred times to get an interview with him, and even tried to sneak onto the island via private boat, but the place is a fortress, so I had to do my story with nothing more than an interview with his project manager. I was a young reporter hungry for my first big break, and I remember being both angry and disappointed that I couldn’t figure out a way to get to the guy. I hear that he even isolates from most of the employees who live on the island. I don’t know this for a fact, but I’ve been told he never leaves his suite, and the only people who have direct access to him are a few trusted employees who see to his needs and act as his eyes and ears, allowing him to interact with the rest of the world.”
“I guess that might explain why Wilson is so odd. It can’t have been easy growing up on an isolated island without any other kids his own age.” I glanced toward the beach, where Wilson had moved on and was now talking to a group of surfers, one of whom, I was certain, was Grace. “I wonder how he even knew that brown-haired kid he was with.”
Quinn shrugged. “He might have met him here on the island. Wilson had to be around seventeen or eighteen by then. I’m sure his dad allowed him to bring the boat over and spend time on Shipwreck. If not, he wouldn’t have been here to spy on us that weekend.”
“I guess that’s true.” I watched as several of the surfers in Grace’s group walked away, leaving her alone with Wilson and just one other girl. Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable with the fact that the guy who set up cameras in the shower when I was sixteen was spending time with Lizzy’s youngest daughter. “He seemed really immature for someone who was basically an adult by that time,” I said. “In fact, spying on girls in the shower sounds like something a twelve-year-old would do rather than an eighteen-year-old.”
“Maybe having grown up on the island in relative isolation stunted his social development.”
I supposed that might be the case. The guy was over forty now, and it sounded like he was still pretty socially stunted. If what I’d heard about him keeping women on the island he visited from time to time but never actually developing relationships with them, it seemed that stunted development and exhibitions of socially unacceptable behavior are something he never had grown out of.
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked.
“Dangerous?” Quinn replied. “Dangerous, how?”
“He has a lot of money, so it stands to reason he can make happen pretty much anything he desires. He also seems to be emotionally immature, or at least he was when he was stalking us. I suppose he might have matured by now, but he was such a pervert when he was younger, and I’ll never be able to forget that. I’ve been told he has women on the island he keeps on retainer, but I have to wonder if he limits himself to them, or if he is the sort to force the issue if he wants someone who isn’t interested.”
