Buried Secrets

By Cosette Snarr
 
Copyright 2020, Cosette Snarr. All rights reserved.
 Prologue
“M
other, how could you?” cried Melanie as she stormed through the door.
“How could I what?” Pat responded, looking up from her dinner
preparations.
“How could you send me there, knowing he’d be there?”
“Who?” Pat asked, confused by her daughter’s outburst.
“Matt! How could you ask me to go to the store knowing he worked
there?” Melanie’s voice cracked as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
“Oh my goodness! I’d completely forgotten.” Pat pulled the trembling
young woman into her arms.
“I’m so very sorry, honey. I wasn’t thinking at all. I was so focused on
dinner preparations and grateful I could send you on the errand rather than
me. Oh, Melanie, I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
Melanie rested her head against her mother’s shoulder and quietly
wept while her mother held her tight. Despite all the difficulties of the last
year, she’d never allowed herself a good cry.
After a few minutes, Melanie pushed away and whimpered, “It was
awful, Mom. If I’d known he worked there it might have helped, but to walk
into the produce department and see him standing there was such a jolt. I
could tell he was shocked, too. Oh Mom, it was just awful!” she wailed.
“I’m so sorry, Melanie. What can I do to make it better?” Pat asked
helplessly, continuing to embrace her daughter.
“Nothing. Nothing can make this better,” Melanie cried.
Pat closed her eyes and stroked her daughter’s hair, remembering how
the problems used to be so simple and easy to heal. Now the young woman
was almost an adult, making very adult decisions, and as her mother, she’d
been relegated to the position of spectator who oftentimes could do nothing
but love and pray for her.
 As the emotions receded, Pat gently guided Melanie to a chair and sat
down next to her.  Sighing deeply, Melanie continued, “I knew it was going
to happen eventually. I simply wasn’t prepared.”
“Did he say anything?” asked Pat gently.
“Maybe. I think I blubbered something to him. I was so surprised,
Mom. I ran away, leaving the cart filled with food at the store. I’m sorry,”
Melanie apologized wiping the last tear from her face.
“Not to worry,” her mother assured her. “I can make do. Right now my
concern is you. Worst case scenario, we can always have cold cereal.”
Melanie chuckled slightly at the remark. Her mother often made the
threat of cereal for dinner, but in her entire life she couldn’t recall a time
when that’s what they actually ate.
The two women sat in silence for several minutes, Melanie staring at
her hands, when Melanie’s little sister came running into the house.
“Mellie, come play with me. Sarah had to go home, and I don’t have
anyone to play with.”
“Beth, Melanie isn’t up to playing right now. Have you done your
practicing for today?” Pat asked, switching from compassionate mother to
stern mom.
“Ah, Mom, you know. . .”
“None of that now. Go on. You need to get it done before dinner.”
Beth rolled her eyes, and shuffled out of the kitchen, mumbling under
her breath. As the sound of Lightly Row filled the house, Melanie stood up
and said, “I’m going for a hike. I think I’ll head over to Bear’s Trail. It’ll be
good for me.”
“Are you sure, honey? Dinner will be ready soon, and I don’t like the
idea of you on that trail by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine. I need to get away and think. I’ll be back for dinner, I
promise,” Melanie guaranteed.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Pat repeated. “Just a few minutes ago,
you were hysterical.”
“I know. The fresh air will help clear my head. It always does. I need to
prepare for the next time I see Matt. I’ll be careful. I promise.” Melanie
gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek, said ‘I love you,’ and was out
the door before Pat could object further. Three hours later, she wished she’d
tried harder.
 Chapter 1
Ican’t keep putting it off. No one else is going to do it,” Kate said with
determination, as she finished pulling her long auburn hair into its usual
ponytail. “I can’t think of selling the house with all that stuff still in the
basement. I’m going to get it done today.”
Picking up the phone and putting it to her ear she continued. “No more
procrastinating. After all, the anticipation before the chore is the worst part.
Once I get going it won’t be bad.”
“Oh, Mom,” Ali replied. “I’m so sorry I can’t be there to help. Are you
sure you’re going to be okay? These are some big changes you’re
anticipating.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, I’m fine! It’ll be good to sort through all the
junk and completely clean it out. Downsizing was inevitable once you and
your brother moved out. It’s time. It’ll be cathartic. It’s been so long since I
went through so many of those boxes I may find some fun surprises. You
never know.”
Kate hustled into the kitchen and put the phone back on speaker,
automatically dumping her smoothie ingredients into the blender container
as she talked. “As far as my mother’s stuff goes, who knows what I’ll find.
She did have a tendency to save everything, and there wasn’t time to sort
through it all when she moved in here. I’ve seriously considered throwing it
all into a dumpster, but the responsible part of me won’t allow it. Hang on a
second while I blend up my drink, will you?”
The blender growled for exactly 60 seconds. The instant it stopped
Kate grabbed the pitcher from the base and poured the finished product into
her favorite glass. As she rinsed out the blender, she continued, “Sorry
about that.”
“Are you still making those awful drinks for breakfast?”
 “Not the ones you’re thinking of. These are good. I finally found a
good protein powder. As I was saying, once I sort through all the boxes and
know what I need to keep, I can start going through cupboards and closets.
I’m actually looking forward to it. It’ll be good for me. I promise.”
“I wish I heard true conviction in your voice,” Ali responded
skeptically.
Taking a deep sigh, Kate allowed her daughter’s statement to sink in.
Gently she continued, “Honey . . . this hasn’t been an easy decision, and I
haven’t made it lightly. I think it’s inevitable to have a little doubt. Didn’t
you have doubts before you left for school, even though you knew it was
the best choice?”
“Yes.” Ali said quietly then hesitated long enough for Kate to know
another argument was coming. “But, what about all the memories? That
house is home to me, Mom. I’ll never be able to come home again. I’ll
never have another opportunity to sit on the porch with you and talk about
my day.”
“There’ll be other places and other times to talk,” Kate said sternly, but
lovingly. “Look, we’ve been through this over and over again. I understand
the memories that’re attached to this house. I’m going to miss it too. But,
with you kids gone, I simply don’t want to care for it anymore.”
Leaning against the counter and nursing her drink she continued, “It’s
getting to the point where a lot of things need to be repaired or replaced,
and I don’t want to deal with it. You won’t be done with your schooling for
several more years and even then you aren’t planning on moving back
home. Mike’s location for the foreseeable future is at the discretion of the
United States Air Force. Seriously, Ali, you know this is the best decision
for me. You know that!” She hoped her added emphasis sent a clear message
the discussion was over.
“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m feeling a bit homesick today and
stressed about a test. That house was always my safe haven, especially after
Daddy died. You created that, even during the most difficult times. I
appreciate you so much, Mom.”
“Oh babe, I love you so much. It’s all going to be good. You watch. I’ll
get through the boxes and cleaning out the house, and you’ll get through
school. We’re on to new adventures. Now, I have to go. I need to work on
this while I have a good attitude, and I know you need to get back to your
studies. We’ll talk again soon.”
After one last ‘I love you’ the conversation was over. Kate quickly
gulped the rest of her drink, rinsed out the empty glass, and released a deep
sigh.
Kate specifically scheduled her entire day for this chore. Blocking out
time on her calendar was equivalent to carving it in stone. Now that she’d
received her weekly check-in call from Ali, there was nothing keeping her
from her planned activities.
There was a little part of her that relished the idea of getting down and
dirty, finally purging items she didn’t need. She consistently worked at
keeping her living area free from things she no longer used, routinely
sweeping her closet of clothes, donating old, making room for new. She
even insisted her kids take their treasures with them when they moved. “I’m
not going to be your free storage unit,” she told them.
But, these boxes were different. “No. No. No emotions. Must be
ruthless! Think of the weeds,” she said aloud as she quickly wiped down
the counter before heading to the basement.
Weeding was rewarding for Kate. She loved to choke the tops of the
pesky things, making certain to grasp them close to the ground, feeling the
roots surrender their grip on the earth. It gave her a sense of victory over the
enemy. She needed that kind of victory today. She was adamant that
sentiment was not going to slow her down.
She rinsed out her cloth and hung it to dry, then paused in the middle of
this once-bustling room and allowed the memories to flow. She couldn’t
deny she was saddened by the thought of leaving this house. She had spent
18 of her best years here. They purchased it when it was almost new. The
people who built it intended it to be their dream home, but the husband
unexpectedly lost his job, and his new job required them to relocate. That
family’s loss became the Dunham’s gain.
Kate and her husband, Chet, had finally finished medical school and
were considering job offers. A couple came from big clinics in large cities,
where he could easily build a substantial practice. One offer came from the
clinic in Oakdale, a smaller but growing town where a good family
physician was badly needed.
Kate was raised in Oakdale, and her mother, Maggie, still lived there
after having been widowed when Kate was only 13. Her father died in a
hiking accident, and both she and Chet felt strongly that their children
needed to know their only living grandmother—Maggie reminding them
how often and how far she’d traveled to see them was the clincher.
The house and situation were a perfect fit from the beginning. Many
old friends still remembered Kate and welcomed her family with open
arms. In Oakdale they finally felt part of a community.
Their children thrived in the schools with caring teachers and activities
galore. Chet’s practice flourished from the very beginning. At first, Kate
picked up a part-time job at the kids’ school. After a few years, she went
back for her master’s degree so she could teach at the college. Life was
wonderful! Then in 2010, while on a getaway trip to California with
friends, Chet was killed in a plane crash. Kate’s world turned upside down
for a second time.
On top of the incredible anguish she experienced as a result of losing
Chet, she ached even more for her children, knowing exactly how they were
suffering. Feelings of confusion and anger mixed with incredible grief
encompassed the whole family. Certainly someone was playing a very cruel
joke, and any minute their father would walk through the door. More times
than she could count, she had prayed it was all a bad dream.
As Kate reflected, she remembered very little of that first month. She
recollected standing by the casket and numbly thanking the guests for
coming. There were a lot of hugs and many people asking how they could
help. All she wanted to do was cry out, “What can you do for me? I’ll tell
you what you can do. Bring him back. Please bring him back!”
But the screams remained stuffed inside as she repeated over and over
again, “Thank you for coming. We’re fine. Yes, he will be greatly missed.
Thank you for coming.”
As the days crawled by, she put on a brave face for her children. She
encouraged them to talk, and they spent a lot of time reminiscing over
family pictures. At night, she usually cried herself to sleep. Then she’d get
up the next day and do it all over again.
Over time, she found herself cursing God. It was one thing to punish
her, but now He was punishing her children. How could He do such a
thing? She stewed in that anger for about a year until her best friend, Lizzie,
told her to snap out of it. It was the kindest thing Lizzie ever did for Kate.
She understood completely that Kate still needed to grieve, but that process
would be a whole lot easier if instead of being bitter she allowed God to
heal her heart. That was a turning point for the family.
Now she was preparing to sell the home in which she experienced so
much, the best and the absolute worst. Determination, dread, and doubt
circled in her head, each one taking its turn at the front of the line. At this
moment, determination was in the lead. It was time. It was the right choice.
Her children had started their own lives. She needed to get on with hers and
that meant a new, smaller place.
 Chapter 2
Kate quickly descended the stairs, pausing for a minute before entering the
storage room. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been in there. It was an
easy room to avoid.
As she opened the door, she was greeted by a wall of boxes, uniform in
size, stacked three deep on top of each other. The smell of dust and old
cardboard assaulted her nose. She walked over to the first stack and blew
the dust away—and launched into a sneezing fit that lasted a full minute
and a half. Note to self: don’t do that again.
Along the sides of most of the boxes was written MCQUIRE in barely
legible black Sharpie. These were the boxes from her mother’s house. Kate
sold the house when her mother came to live with them after her stroke five
years previous. She hired an estate sale company to clean out the house and
sell what they could. Everything that wasn’t sold had been dumped in her
basement. Kate was hopeful that most of the boxes contained old canceled
checks and other meaningless stuff she could donate or throw away.
Okay, okay. Let’s do this! Kate pulled her iPod from her pants pocket
and scrolled through it to find her upbeat playlist. The first notes of Bruno
Mars’s Uptown Funk thrummed, and Kate mindlessly nodded along. Great
start!
She hefted down a couple of the top boxes and set them with a thud on
the floor. She reviewed the process out loud to make sure she used her time
effectively. “Once I empty one box I can use it for the garbage. Let’s see . . .
over there, I’ll start a small pile of the things that need to be saved. There
shouldn’t be much. Over here, I’ll put the stuff to go to charity.”
Taking another glance around the room and estimating the time it
would take to complete this task, she plopped herself onto the floor and dug
into the first box, slicing open the packing tape with a pair of scissors.
 Once she got going, she quickly recognized old bookkeeping records
from the store they sold long ago. Her mother may have saved a lot, but at
least she’d been organized in doing so, making it easy to relegate the
contents to the trash pile. One box, two boxes, three boxes of garbage. Yes!
Maybe this won’t take me as long as I thought. This is even easier than I
thought it’d be. The hardest part will be getting it all upstairs.
Box four wasn’t secured as the others had been—no tape, only the flaps
tucked into each other. Leaning over the box, she popped open the
cardboard and peered inside, stunned by what she saw. Staring back at her
were pictures and other treasures she hadn’t seen for ages. She breathed
softly, “Oh, wow! I didn’t know there was any of this down here. Oh my . .
. the memories!”
She settled back onto the floor, crossing her long thin legs, and reached
into the stash of long lost family photos. She shuffled through pictures of
her with her mother and father in front of the old store. Pictures of them
camping when she was about six or seven. Pictures of her father holding a
prized catch. Oh, how she missed her father. Losing him had been the most
devastating event of her life, next to losing Chet. In her eyes, her father
could do nothing wrong.
She clearly remembered the day she asked him if he’d marry her when
she got older. Her heart shattered when he said no. When he tried to explain
that someday she would find someone her own age she would love and
want to spend her life with, she ran into her room sobbing, refusing to ever
let that happen.
Her father doted on her, usually giving into most of her requests. He
was the epitome of love to both Kate and her mother. It’s not like she was
allowed to get away with inappropriate behavior of any kind, and there
were certainly expectations from both parents. However, any action that felt
remotely like discipline was always meted out by her mother. In retrospect,
she now understood how that happened. Mothers were usually the bad guys.
She herself had been the victim of tantrums thrown by her own children as
they informed her she was a terrible mother.
Kate’s parents had adored each other. Their relationship instilled in her
a sense of security. She was raised to be confident and accepting of others.
She was eternally grateful for the values they instilled in her. Indeed, she
credited her parents for the woman she had become.
Seeing the pictures of the three of them together made her feel 10 years
old again. As she leafed through the pictures, she was transported to another
time, and memories of her childhood flooded into her heart. The smell of
the dust in the room was replaced by the scent of pine and mountain air. She
could almost feel the breeze gently brush across her face.
There was the picture of her holding that first fish she ever caught. Oh,
my gosh, I remember that day so clearly. Her father insisted she learn how
to bait a hook. She could feel the slimy worm slip through her fingers as it
tried to wriggle away. She flatly refused any assistance from her father as
she was determined to prove she could do it all by herself. Her heart
swelled when she accomplished the difficult task without stabbing herself
with the hook.
Once she cast the hook into the water, it hadn’t taken long for her
fishing pole to form a perfect arch as she struggled against the pull of the
fish on the other end. Being a little frightened and surprised, she now
accepted aid as her father reached around her with his big, muscular arms to
assist her in reeling in the fish. She thought for sure it was going to be the
biggest fish ever caught. As her father released it from the hook, she
jumped up and down with glee. At least it was big enough to eat for dinner.
It was then her father informed her that before they could eat it, they had to
gut it.
This was something Kate hadn’t considered. It had been exciting
catching the fish, but gutting it? Eeeww . . . so gross! She grimaced as her
dad slit the fish up the center and yanked away her hand when he offered
for her to help him clean out the insides.
Patient man that he was, he convinced her that everything would be
okay, finally getting her to agree to the chore. He then guided her hand in
pulling out the entrails. Immediately Kate decided that if this was a
necessary part of the whole fishing experience, she was done. Still, it had
been one of the best days of her life. Luckily, she later discovered this thing
called “catch and release”—all the fun without all the yuck. Now that was
something she could do.
 The next picture was her when she was about five, sitting on her
father’s shoulders. Oh, I loved it when he sat me up there. When they would
go exploring in the woods, she would often get tired long before they made
it back to camp. Her father would effortlessly raise her high above his head,
at once making her taller than the whole world, or so it felt to her.
She never felt safer than when he was holding her. It gave her a whole
new perspective, being eye to eye with some of the critters in the trees. She
carefully watched for low branches, even though her father was mindful to
tell her to duck if there was a branch he couldn’t avoid. He always took
such good care of me. Oh, Daddy, how I miss you.
The next picture elicited a chuckle as Kate remembered that silly
squirrel. She’d squatted close to the ground, remained very still, and held
out her hand, exposing the few nuts she held. The squirrel inched its way
toward her but never dared get as close as she wanted. She’d coaxed in a
high-pitched voice that was supposed to make the squirrel feel safer, but it
still didn’t work.
She continued to sort, savoring the simplicity of the times. It was just
her parents and her, The Three Musketeers, they called themselves. Her
father had craved time in the outdoors; it fed his soul. As a family, they took
advantage of every opportunity to go camping, fishing, or hiking.
Oh, there’s that old green tent. Dad never would get rid of that. She had
loved to work with her father as they raced the clock to see how fast they
could set it up. She felt important helping with such an essential task. Then
there was gathering wood for the fire. She could only handle small twigs,
but her dad assured her they were most needed for the best fire. She could
almost smell the smoke from the burning wood as memories swept her
away.
The wood snapped and crackled as orange flames danced and smoke
drifted gently to the sky. As soon as the fire blazed, her mother carefully
placed foil dinners along the edge, where they cooked to perfection.
Nothing tasted as good as a foil dinner straight from the campfire. She
could almost taste the smokiness of the hamburger patty with the blackened
carrots and potatoes. The finishing touch for Kate had always been
smothering her entire dinner with catsup. She never used catsup for much of
anything else, but with foil dinners it was a must.
Afterward, they roasted marshmallows in the red embers. By this time,
it was dark, but the moon, stars, and glow of the dying fire provided all the
light they needed. Kate was supremely confident in her roasting abilities.
She positioned the stick perfectly as to not be in the flame, but close enough
so that with a little patience and consistent turning, the marshmallow would
toast evenly on all sides. It had to be perfectly golden before she withdrew
the stick from the heat. Then, ever so gently, she pulled the hot, airy sugar
ball off the stick and push the whole thing into her mouth. Heaven!
If she ever lost her focus, allowing the marshmallow to catch flame and
burn, she simply yanked it off her stick, threw it into the fire, and started
over. Nothing worse than a burnt marshmallow! However, that rarely
happened. Kate knew how to keep her eye on the prize.
She continued to rifle through the pictures, reveling in each memory.
Rummaging through this particular box allowed her an escape she hadn’t
felt in a long time. She was back in a world that was safe and perfect, where
everything felt right and nothing could go wrong. Picture after picture, took
her deeper into her recollections.
Then, as she neared the bottom of the box, she noticed an orange
envelope, aged with time, peeking through the treasures. She brushed aside
the remaining pictures and carefully pulled out the envelope. There was no
address or name of any kind on the outside. Assuming it was probably more
photos, she turned it over, unlatched the sharp, metal clasp, and lifted the
flap to reveal several papers inside.
As she slid them out of the envelope, she noticed the letterhead was
from a law firm in Salt Lake City. It appeared to be some kind of an
invoice, but the paper was wrinkled as if it had gotten wet and so faded it
was impossible to decipher.
In her quest to satisfy her curiosity, she turned to the second paper. At
the top it read:
 
UTAH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
OFFICE OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS
 REPORT OF ADOPTION
 
That’s bizarre! Why would they have adoption papers? As her eyes
quickly scanned the page, she realized the birth date of the adopted baby
was hers. Still not believing the words on the paper, Kate’s desire for more
information became frantic. She ripped through several more forms until
she discovered the finalized court documents. The truth of it all slammed
into her like a wrecking ball. She was adopted!
Jolted out of her reverie, Kate felt lightheaded and thought she was
going to faint. How can this be? No. This can’t be true! They would’ve told
me! Certainly they would’ve told me. Myriad unwanted thoughts invaded
her head. She read the words on the papers over and over again, trying to
digest their meaning. This can’t be right! No, this was real. I must be
dreaming. No, she was awake. In that moment, she felt betrayed, like her
whole life had been a lie. All those memories with those people in the
photos. How come they didn’t tell me? Why?? She felt deceived by her
parents, the people she had trusted most. The memories she had been
languishing in now felt like a sham. The music that had set an energizing
mood for her work turned into a violent pounding accompanying this
nightmare.
She slammed the music off as if by doing so would take her back in
time and erase the last few minutes. In the silence, the shock deepened. She
sat immobile, staring into space, oblivious to time. How come they didn’t
tell me? Why, oh why, didn’t they tell me? Gradually, as the initial shock
began to subside, those words changed to that makes so much sense now.
Oh, my goodness. That explains so much. It explains so much.
Kate loved her parents dearly. She knew they’d never do anything to
hurt her, but some things never made sense to her. Occasionally she’d ask
her mother how she could possibly have red hair when neither one of her
parents did. Her mother’s offhanded response was always, “You have the
most beautiful hair, sweetheart. It’s a wonderful gift from God.” She’d get
the same answer when she asked about her blue eyes and turned up nose.
She also wondered why her mother had been so protective of her.
There were times when Kate felt absolutely suffocated by her mother’s
concerns and hovering. She’d looked forward to the opportunity of going
away to college to get away from it. As the revelation of her adoption
started to sink in, it clarified her parents’ behavior. With these thoughts, the
anger lessened a bit and was replaced with more questions. Who am I
really? Who were my birth parents? Why did they give me up? What’s my
true heritage? How am I going to tell the kids? The questions swirled in her
head as everything else lost importance.
Coming to herself a bit, she felt the overpowering need to get out of the
room, run, if possible. However, as she attempted to stand up, she quickly
realized she had no feeling in her legs. It was like adding insult to injury.
Seriously? Now? She struggled to even untangle her lower extremities.
Gently and ever so slowly, she uncrossed her legs, praying for the tingling
pain to stop. As she got them straightened in front of her, she slapped them
repeatedly against the floor to stimulate the circulation. In her present state,
she would never get up the stairs.
After the pins and needles stopped, she gingerly walked to the stairs,
step by step, making sure her legs were functioning properly. This little
exercise took her mind off her new status for a minute, but as she made her
way up the stairs, the thoughts came rushing back. What do I do now? Do I
do anything? How do I tell the kids? Why didn’t they tell me? Does it really
change anything? It sure feels like it’s changed something. Everything feels
different! Dear God, what do I do now?
Rising from the basement, she unconsciously wandered to her favorite
chair. She flopped down, barely aware of her surroundings. After a few
more minutes of swirling thoughts, she forcibly took command of her brain.
Calm down. Calm down. Take some deep breaths. Focus. Focus. What’s the
main question here? Is there a main question? That’s the best question!
Should I just allow this information to settle? Yes. Yes. That’s it. There are
no decisions about anything that need to be made today. None. Nothing I
need to do today. But I can’t ignore what has happened here! I thought I
knew who I was, where I came from. Now I know it was all a lie. Stop! Stop!
This must stop, or I’ll go mad!
Again, she forced herself to take measured, deliberate breaths. In, 2, 3,
4, out 2, 3, 4. Gradually, the insanity in her mind eased a bit. Keep
breathing. In . . . out . . . in . . . out. “This doesn’t change who you are. It
may have changed where you were born, but you are still the same person.
Don’t let this revelation steal your belief in yourself.” These words caught
Kate’s attention as they didn’t originate from her own head. It was almost
like someone else was speaking to her.
She sat bolt upright and whispered, “Chet?”
Her call was met with silence. With a deep sigh, she sank back into the
chair. “Oh, Chet. Of all the times I need you.” She took another deep sigh,
leaned her head back against the cushion and closed her eyes. Her breathing
automatically became deeper as she allowed herself to simply be. She’d had
some major life-changing experiences before. How was this new discovery
going to affect her? With that thought, she drifted off to sleep.
 Chapter 3
“H
ellooo!” Lizzie called out as she let herself in the front door. “Kate? Kate,
where are you?”
“In here,” Kate responded wearily.
“What’re you doing in here?” Lizzie asked incredulously as she walked
into the living room surprised to see Kate reclined in a chair. “I thought for
sure I’d find you surrounded by boxes downstairs. In fact, that’s why I came
over. I had a couple of hours, so I thought I’d drop by and help. Are you
taking a break already?”
“You could say that,” Kate responded flatly, not bothering to glance up
at her friend.
“What’s goin’ on?” Lizzie asked, lowering herself slowly onto the edge
of the couch.
Kate handed Lizzie the life-changing envelope without saying a word.
“What’s this?” Lizzie asked as she turned it over in her hand,
examining the seemingly ordinary pouch.
“Read, and then we’ll talk.”
“You’re scaring me, Kathryn Dunham. What is going on here?” Lizzie
said as she hesitantly peaked inside.
“I said read, and then we’ll talk,” Kate repeated a little more forcefully.
Lizzie cautiously pulled the papers out of the envelope and started
reading. It took only a minute for her to respond with eyes big as saucers,
“Oh, my gosh! You had no idea? None? Ever?”
“None. Nada. I was completely unaware. Although in hindsight I can
see how there were clues along the way. Needless to say, I stopped going
through the boxes. I’ve had enough surprises for the day,” Kate said simply,
her eyes remaining closed.
 “Wow! I’m speechless,” Lizzie said, throwing herself against the back
of the couch. “What’re you going to do?”
“I don’t know, honestly. I have endless questions swimming around in
my head, and the only people with answers are dead. I want to pretend this
never happened, that I never found that envelope, but the genie’s out of the
bottle, and there’s no way to put her back. Is it possible for me to say, ‘Well,
isn’t that interesting!’ and move on? Not at this point. At least now I know
why my mother was so evasive whenever I asked her why I didn’t look like
her or Daddy.”
In her concerned and I’ll-do-anything-I-can-for-you way, Lizzie simply
responded, “What can I do to help?”
Kate loved her dark-haired best friend. The minute Kate had learned
that Lizzie’s last name was Bennett, she set out to make a connection—
Pride and Prejudice being her favorite book in the world. This wasn’t the
first time either had experienced significant trauma, namely Chet’s death
and Lizzie’s divorce. Since neither had siblings, they turned to each other
for sisterly support. Despite looking nothing alike, they often laughed and
claimed they were twin daughters from different mothers, a title they took
from a Dan Fogelberg album.
“Right now, the best thing you can do is listen,” said Kate sighing
deeply. “You’re good at that. There’s no way you have answers to these
relentless questions, the main one being, ‘Why didn’t they tell me?’ I’ll
never get an answer for that.”
“Did your mother ever keep a diary or journal that you can refer to?”
Lizzie scooting forward again on the couch and leaning toward Kate.
“Not that I know. She was more the type that was always moving. She
never sat down to watch television or read a book. That was another area in
which we were so different. I could sit and read all day. That never made
sense to her. I really can’t imagine her sitting down long enough to write
anything.”
“What about contacting the law office? You have the address and
phone right here,” Lizzie said holding up the adoption papers.
“I thought about that, but the only reason I’d do that would be to start
looking for my birth family. I’m not sure I want to do that.”
 “Oh! I guess I kind of assumed . . .,” Lizzie trailed off.
“I think right now I need to let this news settle in; then I’ll decide my
next step. Besides, don’t you think if that family wanted to know about me,
I would’ve heard something by now? After all, it’s been 45-plus years,”
Kate said quietly.
“You can’t make assumptions like that, Kate,” Lizzie said. “You have
no idea what the situation is there. For all you know, they may be out there
looking for you and frustrated because they’ve run into a dead end. My
understanding is that adoption records are sealed and it takes a lot of
research to find people. But don’t take my word for it; I know very little on
the subject. Maybe you could call the state.”
“I don’t want to call anybody!” Kate’s voice cracked, opening the
floodgates to the tears. “This is so hard,” she cried. “Why wouldn’t they tell
me? Why did I ever have to find out? If they didn’t want me to know, why
didn’t they throw away those stupid papers? Why did I have to go through
those boxes? I should’ve thrown them all out. Then I would’ve never
known. Wouldn’t that have been better? Don’t you think? Why wouldn’t
they tell me?”
Lizzie stayed silent as Kate lamented her situation. Crying was the best
thing she could do right now. It was a great release for all the stress and
tension. Besides, Lizzie suspected these tears didn’t come from today’s
discovery alone.
Over the last eight years, Kate not only lost her husband in a tragic
accident, but five of Chet’s colleagues were also on the plane. When
investigators determined the crash was the result of mechanical issues, Kate
took the lead in the fight for compensation against the airplane
manufacturer. That took five years of her life, during which time she sent
her daughter off to college, cared for her ailing mother, watched with mixed
emotion as her son joined the Air Force, and finally lost her mother to a
second stroke.
Kate had been a rock through it all. There were days when she would
break down, proclaiming she simply could not go on—but she always
picked herself up and moved forward. She felt the need to be the strong one
for everyone around her and did a pretty good job of faking it, especially
around her children. Now she’d finally made the decision to sell their dream
home and move to a place that served her lifestyle better. On paper, it made
perfect sense. But in her heart, she was struggling. In all likelihood, this last
revelation was simply the last straw to land on a very fragile camel’s back.
“I feel so ungrateful,” she sobbed with her face in her hands. “My
parents were wonderful! I never wanted for anything. Why would I even
consider looking for my birth family? Why am I so upset? Why is this so
traumatic for me? How could it not be? Who am I really? Oh, I just want it
all to go away!”
As Kate continued to bemoan the facts, Lizzie delivered a figurative
slap across the face. “Katie, look at me. Come on. Sit up. I need to talk to
you,” Lizzie coaxed.
Red eyed, Kate lifted her head and listened as Lizzie continued quietly,
“You need to snap out of this. Yes, this is hard news to take. I can’t even
imagine how you must feel. But the Kate I know doesn’t sit around feeling
sorry for herself. Let’s go for a walk to clear your head.”
Kate stared at Lizzie for a minute as her words sank in. “You’re right. I
can at least release some of this energy with a walk. That’s a good idea.
Let’s go.”
As they walked out the door Lizzie asked once again, “Now, seriously,
what can I do for you?”
Kate simply replied, “Be my friend, like you always are. There really
isn’t anything else.”
For the next 10 minutes, the only sound was the rubber soles of their
shoes thumping the sidewalk as they walked side by side in perfect unison.
Kate’s thoughts matched the rhythm of their steps.
Why. Didn’t. They. Tell. Me?
What. Should. I. Do?
As she walked and fresh air filled her lungs, Kate felt her shoulders
lower as the tension lessened, and the questions slowed. Finally, after about
20 minutes, Lizzie stopped abruptly and blurted out, “Kate! Remember that
DNA test we each took a couple of months ago?”
“Yeah?” Kate responded hesitantly as she tried to recall what Lizzie
was referring to.
 “I wonder if that might be a way to find out about your birth family,”
Lizzie suggested.
The two of them had developed an interest in genealogy over the past
year. To Lizzie, it seemed like a good way to help her friend work through
the grief of her mother’s passing. Lizzie reasoned that since neither of them
knew much about their ancestors it would be a great adventure.
On a lark, they decided to take one of those DNA tests that were
supposed to reveal your heritage. With everything else on her plate, and
now with this latest news, Kate had completely spaced it.
It took Kate a minute to grasp the implications of Lizzie’s suggestion,
“Oh my goodness! Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Well, if I understand it correctly, as long as the person you’re looking
for has had their DNA tested, they can match you up. They supposedly have
a database of over ten million people. It’s certainly worth a look. When was
the last time you checked your messages in Find Your Family?”
“Oh, goodness, I haven’t been back to that site since we took that test.
My mind has been on other things,” Kate added, shooting Lizzie a knowing
look but feeling the stirrings of anticipation.
She still wasn’t sure she wanted to connect with her birth family, but
checking a website was a simple, anonymous way to maybe do a little
exploring. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
“Well, what do you think? Should we go back and check or do you
want to keep walking?” Lizzie asked. Without answering, Kate performed
an abrupt about-face and broke into a run, leaving Lizzie behind.
“I’ll take that as a yes?” Lizzie said breathlessly as she struggled to
catch up. “I didn’t think you knew what you wanted to do.”
“I still don’t exactly,” she called back to her friend as she ran ahead,
“but this might help me decide. If there’s nothing there, then it’ll be easier
to let it ride for a little while. If there are some matches, depending on how
close they are, maybe it’s a sign I need to check it out.”
“Come on, Kate. You don’t believe in signs,” said Lizzie panting.
“You’re right, at least not that way, but I do trust my gut,” Kate said,
breathing between every other word. “My gut’s telling me to check my
messages and go from there.” As she spoke, her pace quickened. It felt
good to be certain about this particular step at least.
Kate skipped up the front steps, pushed open the front door, and dashed
into her office, leaving Lizzie straggling behind. She barely took the time to
sit down in front of her computer before she started typing in the website
address and logging in.
Please be there. Please be there.
Yes! The results were in. It took her a few minutes to comprehend what
she saw, but as her brain processed the information on her computer screen,
she suddenly realized someone was looking for her.
“Lizzie, look! I’ve got a match!” Kate practically shouted.
Lizzie stumbled into the room and dropped her head to her knees,
resting her hands on her legs.
“Great!” she wheezed.
“It looks like a match that could be an aunt.” Kate continued scanning
the screen. “Oh, wow! And she has left me a message. You were right,
Lizzie. I shouldn’t have a made a judgment on what these people were
doing. Oh wow!”
Finally able to catch her breath, Lizzie asked, “Now what? An hour
ago, you weren’t sure you even wanted to find your birth family, and now
you’re faced with the reality that one of them is reaching out to you?
What’re you going to do?”
Kate clicked on the address of the person who sent the message and
typed simply, “I think I’m the person you are looking for.” Then she quickly
added, “Please respond!”
 Chapter 4
Beth relaxed in bed, listening to the birds sing outside her window. She
breathed in deeply, savoring the smell of fresh rain. There was a hint of
chill in the air coming through her open window. It was her idea of a perfect
morning, and it rarely happened in the month of June. Normally, she would
allow herself some extra time to take it all in. Not today.
Although she felt a bit calmer since receiving the news, her stomach
still felt like a swarm of butterflies had taken up residence. Human remains
had been found a couple of weeks ago in the foothills north of town. Last
week, the police notified her that the remains had been identified as her
sister Melanie.
When officials originally announced that remains had been found, Beth
didn’t give it a second thought because the location was far from where
Melanie had been last seen. Now the police were not only saying her sister
had been found but they were sure she was murdered. Instead of bringing
the longed-for closure, the news raised more questions.
It had been 49 years since Melanie’s disappearance. For the first
several weeks, the family prayed daily, begging for her safe return. Her
parents carried a heavy load of guilt, always feeling they could have and
should have done something to prevent the tragedy.
‘If only’ and ‘what if’ were words that peppered many conversations.
Beth often wondered why parents seemed to think that because they loved
their children they should have magical powers to control everything that
happened to them. Life simply didn’t work that way. After a while, the
prayers started to change, and life continued—in a way—minus the joy that
had once filled their home.
Beth’s memories of her adored sister had faded away for the most part.
Pictures of the entire family in happier times hanging on the walls kept a
little flicker alive. Long ago, she accepted that Melanie would never receive
a decent burial. Now she was faced with the responsibility of planning a
memorial service. It felt surreal.
The discovery of Melanie’s remains was a fluke. Engineers were taking
samples and doing studies in a restricted area when they found her. Beth
was grateful her parents hadn’t lived to see this day. Knowing there had
been foul play would have been too much for them.
The announcement brought members of the press from all over the
region to camp out in front of her house. Beth became a recluse to avoid
them. Why couldn’t they leave her alone to grieve? She never could
understand the questions reporters would ask people involved in tragedies.
“How do you feel about your sister being killed?”
What kind of question was that? How ridiculous! How could these
people be so callous? Is that what they were taught in journalism classes?
Now they were gone. It was wonderful to be able to leave her windows
open without the concern of reporters trying to peek in. New day, new story,
evidently. Now she could deal with her grief and confusion in private.
She climbed out of bed, threw on an over-sized t-shirt and leggings to
cover her small frame, and slipped her feet into her soft slippers. She
padded into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror for a minute
before washing her face. As she applied moisturizer, she went through her
daily routine of checking for wrinkles and spots that she knew were bound
to start showing up soon. So far, so good. A miracle, considering her age.
Quickly, she tousled her red hair into place, one of the advantages of
keeping it so short, and headed for the kitchen.
Out of habit, she pulled the blender from the cupboard and gathered
ingredients for her morning smoothie as she reflected on the other events of
the week. Evidently, the planets were aligned in ways only God could have
designed. There was no other explanation. The same week they found
Melanie, she received a message from the daughter that Melanie had placed
for adoption.
Beth had been shocked to find out about the child when her mother
confessed, almost on her death bed, five years previous. Her mother gave
her a charge to find that child, who, of course, was no longer a child, and
maybe, Beth feared, didn’t want to be found. She promised to do her best,
but later wondered if it was really the best idea. She fully believed some
things were better left alone. However, there was a nagging feeling that
wouldn’t go away. Was it her mother who wouldn’t let go? Maybe Melanie
was the one who wanted the connection made? Whatever it was, the
feelings tormented her.
For months, she tried to ignore the promptings, telling herself she
couldn’t afford an investigator, until the day she became aware of DNA
testing. She felt it wasn’t a coincidence that she’d come across the
information and decided it was an easy way to put out some feelers. That
was three years ago. For six months she checked back weekly—then once a
month. By the second year she was almost to the point of giving up hope
but occasionally checked her messages on the website—more out of
curiosity than believing anything would be there. Then, two weeks ago, she
felt a strong nudge to check her messages again. There she was. Kate
Dunham, her niece, Melanie’s daughter.
Beth was getting ready to pour her breakfast into a glass when the
phone rang, bringing her back to the moment. She put the blender down on
the counter and checked to see “Aunt Peggy” displayed on the screen.
“Hello!” was her simple greeting as she stopped rested against the
counter.
“Hi, sweetheart. I wanted to check in with you before the day really got
going. How are you doing?” her aunt asked.
“I’m not quite sure, to tell you the truth,” Beth responded. “This is
going to be a big day. Did I tell you that Melanie’s daughter, Kate, is
coming up today?”
“Already? Are you sure it’s not too early for that?” Aunt Peggy
questioned.
“No, I think it’s good. The timing is so uncanny. I think I told you she
didn’t know she’d even been adopted until two weeks ago?”
“Yes. I find it incredible that her parents didn’t tell her. Of course, back
then keeping it a secret was more common than it is now. What a terrible
shock that must have been.”
 “We’ve had some wonderful conversations these last few days. She has
really struggled with the whole thing, bless her heart. She said at first she
wasn’t sure she even wanted to connect. I’m glad she did. I’m hoping that
meeting each other in person will help us both. I’ve found her to be a
delightful woman.”
“Does she know about Melanie yet?”
“She knows she’s passed, but I haven’t told her anything else. That’s
something I didn’t have the heart to tell her over the phone, you know?”
“That’s going to be hard news to receive.”
“I know.”
“Do you any more information?” Peggy inquired. “Anything from the
police? You know, Beth, I know they say they checked out that terrible man
when Melanie disappeared, but I can’t help wonder if he had something to
do with her death.”
“What man is this, Aunt Peggy?” Beth questioned, taken by surprise.
“Surely I told you about him!”
“This is the first time I’ve heard anything about a ‘terrible man’ as you
put it. I always thought they assumed she fell while hiking that day.”
“That was the belief, but they had to check out other possibilities,” said
Peggy.
“Of course they did, I just never heard of any suspects. Who is this
guy? Is he from around here?” Beth asked, becoming more curious with
each minute.
“Oh, no, dear. He was from up here. I don’t remember his name, but
I’ll never forget his face. He was an awful man. He literally terrorized us.”
“For goodness sake, Aunt Peggy. What on earth happened?” Beth
prodded.
“Well, it was soon after Melanie had the baby. She’d met another friend
at school. Certainly I’ve told you about Stephanie!” said Peggy.
“Maybe, but right off that name doesn’t sound familiar,” replied Beth.
“Well, Stephanie was one of the girls at the school Melanie attended.
One day she showed up to class with some bruising on her face, and
Melanie asked her about it. Stephanie tried to excuse it away by saying
she’d walked into a door. The first time Melanie let it pass, although she
didn’t really believe the story. The second time Melanie pushed for the
truth, and Stephanie admitted that her boyfriend was beating her.”
“That’s terrible!” said Beth incredulously.
“Yep! This guy was ruthless! Of course, Melanie couldn’t allow
Stephanie to go back to a situation like that, so she insisted Stephanie stay
with us. Melanie was like that, you know?” said Peggy.
“Yes. I remember her being so very kind,” said Beth.
“Two days after Stephanie came to stay with us, this thug comes to our
house looking for her. He was drunk, yelling all kinds of obscenities, and
making threats. Mark went out to try and calm him down, but without
success. I was in the back room with the twins and the girls, too afraid to
come out. I was sure I was going to become a widow that night.”
“Oh my goodness! That sounds terrifying,” admitted Beth.
“Thank heaven the neighbors called the police, and of course, they
hauled him away. I’d like to say that he didn’t come back, but he did, a
couple more times.
“Aunt Peggy, I can see why you’d think he was scary, but why would
you think he’d go to the trouble of coming clear down here to kill
Melanie?” asked Beth.
“Because he threatened to kill her! That very first night!” Peggy
exclaimed. “Somehow he knew that Melanie was the one who talked
Stephanie into leaving him, and he was furious. Swore he was going to get
even.”
“Wow! This is all news to me,” said Beth reflectively. “Tell me again
when this happened.”
“Well, let me think,” Peggy said pausing. “Melanie had the baby about
a month before Stephanie came to stay with us, so about April, maybe the
first part of May. It wasn’t that long before Melanie left to go back home.”
“And you really think this guy would’ve driven clear down here to hurt
Melanie?” Beth questioned.
“I wouldn’t put anything past him,” said Peggy emphatically. “That’s
why I want to know if the police have checked him out.”
“They haven’t said anything to me about him, but it’s still early in the
investigation. They just barely confirmed it was Melanie’s body. However,
I’m fully confident that they’re investigating every possible angle,” Beth
assured her aunt.
“Well, I hope so, since it doesn’t appear they did a good job 19 years
ago,” Peggy huffed. Without waiting for a response she continued onto
another subject. “Do you know when they will release her remains? Have
you thought about a memorial yet?”
“As far as I know they’re still working on a cause of death, and I’m
still getting used to the idea that I even need to have a memorial service.
Finding Kate has been such a blessing in that regard. I’ve been able to focus
on happy things rather than thinking about how my sister died.”
“I’m so sorry, Bethie.”
Beth’s smile reflected in her response. “Aunt Peggy, you haven’t called
me that in years.”
“I wish I could do something more to help, although I don’t know what
that would be.”
“There really is nothing. Any memorial will be kept very simple. I’m
not planning on many people attending except you and Uncle Mark and
maybe a few people in town. I don’t even know how many people around
here still remember her. Oh, of course there’s Matt and Julie. I’d want to
include them, too, but that’s about all.”
“People don’t come for the deceased, but to support the living. You
know that. People in your community love you. You may be surprised who
shows up.” Peggy continued, “Speaking of Matt, have you told him about
Kate yet?”
“No. But he should be here any minute. I called him last night and told
him I needed to talk to him. True to form, he didn’t even ask why, just said
he’d be here. I love that man. He’s been a trooper for me through this entire
week. He’s the one who got the media people camped in my front yard to
leave me alone. I suspect his being the mayor helped a lot with that.”
“How’s he holding up? This has to be hard for him, too.”
“Oh yes, Melanie’s discovery has affected him dramatically. So many
memories are coming back for both of us. He loved her so much, Aunt
Peg.”
 “Melanie loved him, too. Very much. There were many tear-filled
nights after she found out she was pregnant. She wondered if she could
follow through on her decision. My heart literally broke for her,” said
Peggy.
“You know even after he left for school—after Melanie was gone—
he’d come over and check on me when he was home for the summers. He
was the big brother I never had. I’d never do anything to hurt him. I think
he’ll be happy to hear he has a daughter, but the news will also affect his
family. That’s where my biggest concern lies.”
“Well, let me know how it goes. That initial shock will be difficult to
be sure, but this may be wonderful news for him.”
The conversation switched to small talk about Peggy’s children and the
aches and pains of aging. They ended with the usual ‘love you,’ and Beth
went back to her breakfast preparations.
It was always nice for Beth to talk to her Aunt Peggy, who, along with
Peggy’s kids, were her only living relatives. Melanie had gone to Idaho to
live with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mark to help when Peggy was pregnant
with twins. It was only supposed to be for the summer. However, after
Melanie had been there for a month, she realized she was pregnant. In
discussing the matter with her parents, they all decided that staying in Idaho
for the school year would be best.
Beth finished her drink and started to rinse out the glass when she
heard the front door open and Matt’s familiar voice call out, “Good
morning, Sunshine. Where are you?”
“In the kitchen. Come on back,” she called as she put things away.
Matt paused for a moment in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling in
the frame. Holding out a box of bagels he said, “I come bearing food.” With
his huge, friendly smile, it was easy to see why people liked him so much. 
Matt was easy going with warm, caring eyes, and his white hair was the
only thing remotely giving away his age.  He’d play football in high school
and college and, despite his busy schedule, still made time keep in shape. 
He approached the woman, who barely came up to his chest, bent down and
pecked her on the cheek.  Handing her the box, he said simply, “What’s
going on, kiddo?”
 He still addressed her as if she was 10, but she didn’t mind. It seemed
to be the perfect way for him to show her affection without being
inappropriate.
“Thank you so much for coming over. Oh, and for the bagels,” she
said, setting them on the counter. “I can always count on you for a good
treat.”
“Well, I’m not as generous as you think, sorry,” he said, reaching into
the box. He withdrew a bagel and a small container of cream cheese.
“You got a knife I can use . . . and a plate? I haven’t eaten breakfast yet,
so if it’s alright, can we eat and talk? I need to go straight to the office once
I’m through here. You didn’t say what this was about, but I’m assuming it
won’t take us long. Those reporters aren’t bothering you again, are they?”
Beth handed him a butter knife and a small plate. “No, thank heaven.
Thanks again for taking care of that.”
She sat down at the table, indicating that Matt should join her. He
followed with his bagel and cream cheese in hand, smoothly pulling out the
chair across from the girl and taking a seat. Carefully he pulled the bagel
apart and started to spread the cream cheese—making sure every inch was
covered equally as he continued.
“I think they realized there are bigger fish to fry. They seem to be
spending more time now covering the debate about the development. I’ve
never seen this town so divided on an issue in my life. It makes me very
sad,” he said as he started to eat.
“Aren’t you going to have one?” he said taking another bite.
“No, thanks. I just ate. I’ll save it for later if that’s okay with you,”
Beth replied with a smile.
“Sure. I brought your favorite, you know, cinnamon raisin.”
“I see that. Thank you."
“This whole development proposal is even affecting things on the
home front for me. Julie is determined it’s not a good idea and insists we
need to squelch any more building, at least on the north end of town. But
I’m not so sure. I see some real positives that could come from it. The
discussion has even created a couple of chilly nights at the dinner table.
But, hey, that’s not why you called me over. What’s up? You hangin’ in
there okay?” Matt asked casually, taking another bite of his bagel.
“I’m fine, thank you for asking. I could ask you the same thing. I know
finding Melanie has been a blow for you too.”
“Yes, it has. I try not to think about it. I keep busy. That helps.” His
words were measured and his tone serious.
Beth then paused for a moment, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath
in preparation for her delivery. “I’ve got something important to tell you,
Matt.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good, kiddo. What’s going on?” he asked,
setting his bagel onto the plate and focusing solely on his friend.
Taking one more deep breath she began, “Do you remember the year
that Melanie went to live with my aunt and uncle to help take care of their
new twin babies?”
“I’ll never forget that summer!” He paused, looked down at the table,
and said softly, “I could never figure out why she insisted we break up.”
Looking Beth straight in the eyes he continued, “I loved her so much. I
know we were only kids, but I really did want to marry her. I guess she
wasn’t as ready for a serious relationship as I thought. I don’t know. I’ll
never forget the last time I saw her in the store. She couldn’t get out of there
fast enough once she saw me. I still want to know why.”
With each word, Beth could see Matt reflecting on the events leading
up to Melanie’s disappearance. Despite his cheerful affect this morning,
Beth knew him well enough to know finding Melanie’s remains had really
thrown him for a loop.
“Well, helping Aunt Peggy with the kids was the reason she originally
went to Pocatello, but it wasn’t the reason she stayed.”
Beth paused, took Matt by the hand, looked in his eyes, and continued,
“She was pregnant, Matt, with your baby.”
Stunned silence filled the room as Matt fell back against the chair and
stared at her in confusion. After taking a minute to wrap his head around
Beth’s words, he protested, “What are you talking about? That’s nuts.
Melanie wouldn’t have kept something like that from me. We loved each
other.”
 Talking quickly to deliver the rehearsed words before she was
interrupted, Beth responded, “I know, I know, but put yourself in her place.
Think about Melanie and what she was like. She’d always put others and
their needs first. It’s obvious she was thinking of you and the baby and what
was best for all concerned. She’d never do anything to take away your
dream of becoming an attorney. If you’d known she was pregnant, you’d
have walked away from all that to marry her. She didn’t want that! She
couldn’t live with that! She was afraid you’d end up resenting her and the
baby forever. She couldn’t take that chance. She also knew neither one of
you was ready for that kind of responsibility. She decided in order to give
your baby the best chance at a good life, she needed to give her up for
adoption.”
Matt shoved back the chair and stood over Beth accusingly.
“How in the world would you know what Melanie was thinking?” he
protested. “You were too young to be told any of this. Melanie certainly
wouldn’t have confided in you. You were her baby sister. Why are you
saying this?”
Beth knew Matt would be upset, which made it easy to excuse his
outburst. She continued on, basically delivering the evidence he requested.
“Before Mom passed we talked a lot. She knew she was dying. She
regretted so much. She felt so guilty for letting Melanie go for a hike that
day. She talked about how terrible she felt for neglecting me when she was
so consumed with grief. She carried such heavy burdens.”
Matt fumed as Beth continued, trying hard to be consoling,
“One day she got to talking about Melanie and told me about the baby
and why Melanie decided to do what she did. Mom said it was her decision,
and she and Dad supported her. Aunt Peggy really did need the help so it
was convenient that Mel was already there.”  She paused for a minute
before whispering, “I’m sorry, Matt. I didn’t know how else to tell you.”
As Beth talked, Matt closed his eyes and hung his head, slowly
lowering himself back to the chair.
Beth continued softly, “I called Aunt Peggy when I found out. She
verified that everything Mom said was true. She told me of the many hours
spent in long talks with Melanie. She said Melanie ached over the decision.
In the end, she did it because she truly believed it was best for all
concerned.”
Beth fell silent to allow the news to sink in. Then she gently reached
out for Matt’s hand, and gave it a squeeze. “I’m so sorry. I know this is a
terrible shock. I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t think it was necessary.
You know I’d never do anything to hurt you. Ever!”
“Yeah, I know. But I don’t understand. After all these years. I feel so
terrible to not have known. I should’ve known that she wouldn’t break up
with me like that without a really good reason. I should’ve pushed harder
for an explanation.”
The room became silent again as Matt pondered on the revelation.
After several minutes he came back from his thoughts and said, “You said
something about it being necessary. What on earth happened to make you
tell me this today?”
“I found her Matt. I found your daughter. And she’ll be here this
afternoon.”
  
Chapter 5
Kate rolled her neck from side to side, back and forth as best she could
while keeping her eyes on the road. Her shoulders were tight and her hands
stiff from gripping the steering wheel for a solid four hours. Her aching
knees told her they were ready to make a significant shift in position;
something she was unable to do in her vehicle. As much as she loved her
little bug, the message was clear: she should have brought the SUV.
 
Driving up the canyon, she could feel her car complain with each
successive hill. I really didn't think this whole thing through very well. She
pressed the accelerator harder, but to no avail. The floor of the car
prevented further movement. She glanced to heaven, said a quick thank you
for the light traffic, and then shook her head as another semi-truck passed
by her.
 
She reminded herself that although this car was far from the fastest or
most luxurious vehicle she owned, she felt great emotional support from
this little treasure that had belonged to her father. It was the first car Kate
remembered riding in. She chuckled as she recalled kneeling in the back
seat and looking out the rear window as the family drove down the road.
Since seatbelts weren't the standard back then, her mother was constantly
reminding her to turn around and sit down. Kate never sat for very long
before she was jumping up and looking out the window again. How'd she
ever survive?
 
Her father babied the car. Kate always got excited when he invited her
to help him wash it. She would dip the big sponge into the warm, soapy
water and wipe it along the side of the vehicle. However, it only took a
couple of swipes before she became bored, and turned her attention to the
hose, whipping it back and forth with no concern as to what or who got wet.
Her father allowed her to play until he became a target, at which point the
water fight began.
 
It wasn't until she got a little older that she found out this particular car
was one of the last original VW Bugs made, making it a unique treasure.
When her father died, her mother simply couldn't part with it, so it sat in
their garage until Kate turned 16. Her mother covered the cost to get it
working properly, and Kate cherished it from that day on.
 
Years later, after she married, Chet also thought it was cool to have a
"real" little red VW. He was pretty good with engines, so he made sure it
was maintained. Of course, she didn't use it exclusively, mostly for quick
jaunts around town and never with her children—it still didn't have seat
belts in back. Today, despite the hassle, she felt comfort driving it, like her
father was with her. Her nerves were playing havoc with her stomach. She
hadn't eaten much of anything for a couple of days, and sleep was nearly
impossible. Thank heaven for caffeine. She was able to get a few answers to
her questions through conversations with Beth, her biological aunt, but her
head still spun with the most important question of all, the one she'd never
receive an answer to—why did her parents keep it a secret? She knew she
needed to let it go, but found no success in her efforts.
 
Up until now, her life of total ignorance had been beautiful. Sure it had
its ups and downs, but it had been a good life. Would meeting any of these
people change that? There was still a part of her that felt she was betraying
her parents to even engage with Beth. However, once she made that initial
connection, it was like the situation took on legs of its own. In a few
minutes, she would come face to face with her aunt, the sister to her birth-
mother. It still felt so unreal. She'd always wanted an aunt. And Beth told
her there were siblings. However, she wasn't sure they'd want to meet her.
I'll think about that later. Oh, the anticipation was maddening. Deep
breaths, deep breaths.
 
As she reached the summit, she let out a deep sigh of relief, taking
another quick glance toward heaven and mouthing the words, "thank you."
Since the rest of the way was downhill, she no longer feared being stranded.
 
After about 20 minutes, Google directed her to exit the freeway. As she
did, her shoulders relaxed, and her grip on the wheel loosened. Now, she
could at least keep up with the traffic. The closer she got to her destination,
the more nervous she felt. It was one thing to talk to this woman on the
phone. Now she was going to meet her face to face. How was that going to
be? What had she gotten herself into?
 
"You have reached your destination on the right."
 
This is it! Slowly she pulled into the driveway. Letting out another deep
sigh, she allowed herself a minute to settle. Before her sat a humble brick
home that appeared to have been built in the early 1950s. A small, tidy
porch led to a handsome front door painted a beautiful shade of red. Kate
considered that a good sign. She loved red doors.
 
A large picture window took up most of the space between the door
and the garage. To the right of the door were two much smaller windows
she assumed looked into bedrooms. Matching red shutters trimmed those
windows, giving the house much needed dimension. The yard was neatly
landscaped with petunias lining the sidewalk from the front porch to the
driveway. Neatly trimmed bushes, surrounded by more petunias, rested
under the picture window. The home sat amongst other residences of
similar size, style, and age, all of which showed evidence of caring owners.
 
Kate opened the car door and slowly moved her stiff legs to a place of
deliverance. She took a minute to send a text to Lizzie, letting her know
she'd arrived safely and would call later. Lizzie had offered to come along
for support, but Kate refused, feeling the need for time alone. Taking one
last deep breath, she alighted from the car. Here goes nothing!
 
Kate didn't even have a chance to knock before the door swung open,
and she was greeted by a beautiful, petit woman she immediately
recognized from pictures as her aunt.
 
Beth stood at the door with a big smile and simply said, "Welcome
home." She reached out to give Kate a big hug, and Kate hugged her back,
surprised the embrace felt so natural.
 
"Come in, come in," Beth said excitedly, wrapping her arm around
Kate's shoulders.
 
Beth stepped back slightly and faced Kate directly.
 
"Let me look at you. Oh! You're far more beautiful than your pictures. I
can't believe how much we look alike." She laughed heartily at her own
words, "Well, that didn't come out like I intended. Oh, but it's so good to see
you face to face finally. How was your trip?"
 
"Good. My car isn't the best in the canyon, but she made it all the
same," responded Kate. She glanced around a room that was neat and
tastefully decorated.
 
"Can I get your bags for you? Can I get you a drink? Are you hungry?
I'm sorry, too many questions and I haven't even given you time to answer.
I'm just so excited."
 
Kate lightly touched the older woman’s arm and spoke more
confidently than she really felt, "Beth, I know how you feel. Let's take some
deep breaths and get to know each other. I'll get my bags later."
 
 Beth's shoulders visibly lowered as she relaxed and released a deep
sigh of relief. "Of course, of course. I know I'm being silly. Please, come
this way."
 
She led Kate back into a large family room that appeared, simply due
to its size, a later addition to the original house. There was a lovely
conversation area with two couches and a couple of chairs that faced a
television on the wall. An upright piano sat against the opposite wall,
framed on both sides with bookshelves filled with all kinds of books.
 
French doors led to what looked to be a reasonably large patio area.
She wasn't close enough to see for sure. Along the same wall as the doors
hung a beautiful landscape painting, along with some family pictures. Then
she noticed one portrait of a red-headed young woman, set off a bit from the
others. She felt drawn to it and walked over to get a closer look.
 
"This is her, isn't it," she said, her fingers brushing the glass.
 
"Yes, that's Melanie. Isn't she beautiful?" Beth responded.
 
"Yes, yes, she is," Kate said softly. "When was this taken?"
 
"On her 16th birthday, shortly before she got pregnant with you."
 
Kate stared at the picture, lost in thought, while Beth looked on. After a
minute, Kate turned around and surveyed the room. "You have a lovely
home," she said. “You're closer to the mountains than I thought you'd be.
You've lived in this house your entire life?"
 
Beth made her way to the couch and sat down, and Kate followed suit.
"Except for a few years. I moved out when I went to college. I got a job in
another town, thinking that I was done with Colden Hills. After a while, I
realized that although it was good to see how other people lived, home was
still home. When my parents' health got bad, it only made sense for me to
come back."
 
"I can certainly relate to how that feels. I think I told you I took care of
my mother when she had her stroke, didn't I?” asked Kate.
 
"Yes, yes, you did."
 
"Taking care of parents is an interesting experience, don't you think? It
was painful watching my mother lose her faculties. She was a fiercely
independent woman and fought me on the move, but after the stroke, I
couldn't allow her feelings to keep me from making a sound decision. My
son was still at home, too, so I was the mother to my child and to my
parent. It was weird."
 
"I agree," said Beth. "Daddy actually went pretty fast after his heart
attack, thank heaven. Mother was diagnosed with cancer shortly after. She
literally wasted away. I desperately wanted to stop her pain, and I couldn't."
 
"Melanie was gone at that point?"
 
"Yes."
 
"What happened? You've still not mentioned anything about how she
died."
 
"I'll get to that in a minute. Right now, I want to tell you about Matt,
your father."
 
"Biological father," Kate corrected her.
 
"Yes. I know, sorry."
 
 "I can't call him my dad, Beth. I want to meet him, but calling him dad?
I don't know that I'll ever be able to."
 
"I understand. Don't worry. I wanted to let you know, I met with Matt
this morning," Beth said.
 
"How did he take the news?" asked Kate.
 
"It was difficult for him at first, as you can imagine, mostly because he
couldn't imagine Melanie keeping such a secret from him. He wants to meet
you, but he's asked for a couple of days to wrap his head around all the
implications. He needs to figure out how he's going to tell his wife and
children."
 
Kate kicked off her shoes and folded her legs onto the couch. "You
know when I found out I was adopted, all I could think about was how it
affected me. As time's gone on, I realize how far reaching this situation
really is. I certainly don't want to create problems, and I won't force
anything."
 
"Did I mention that Matt's wife, Julie, was Melanie's friend?"
 
"I don't think you did, but we've talked about so much you could've.
How do you think she's going to feel about Matt having a daughter?"
 
"Another daughter," Beth broke in. "He already has one."
 
"Yes, of course," Kate said. "I don't know how I'd feel if my husband
came home with such news."
 
"Honestly, I don't know how Julie will react. I'd like to say she'd be
thrilled, but she's a hard one to read sometimes."
 
"What about his kids. You said there were two?"
  
"Yes. Here again, I'm not too sure. Their son, MJ, is a great guy who
reminds me of Matt. They practice law together. He and his wife have a
couple of kids who are the apple of their grandpa's eye. Abbie, Matt's
daughter, lives in Salt Lake. I really don't know her very well. My
understanding is that she works at some high-powered law firm and keeps
very busy there. She's not around much. I wish I had better answers for
you."
 
"It's okay. There are lots of questions without answers right now, so
let's move to questions that can be answered. Please, tell me more about
Melanie. I get the impression you're avoiding the subject?"
 
"No. Yes. I guess I am. It's kind of a long and complicated story," Beth
stammered.
 
"Really? After everything that's happened, you're worried about long
and complicated?
That's why I'm here. No more putting it off," insisted Kate smiling.
 
"Okay. Here goes. I must say I don't remember much of the details
since I was only ten at the time. I learned what I'm going to share from my
mother shortly before she died."
 
"Melanie's been gone that long?" asked Kate, surprised.
 
"Yes, she has."
 
Beth closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began. "About a month
before Melanie's sophomore summer, my mother's sister, Peggy, asked if
Mel could come and live with them for a couple of months. My aunt was
pregnant with twins and apparently struggling to take care of daily needs
around the house. Melanie was thrilled to be able to help. She loved babies,
and she would be there when they were born. After being in Pocatello for
about a month, that's where Peggy and Uncle Mark lived, she realized she
was pregnant herself."
 
"Oh, that explains why my birth certificate says Pocatello. One more
question answered," said Kate.
 
"That's right. Mom told me when the initial shock wore off, they all
decided it would be better for Melanie to spend the next year with my aunt
and uncle. They needed the help anyway. Staying in Pocatello gave Mel the
privacy she wanted, and there was a local night school especially for
pregnant teens.  Back then those kinds of girls weren’t allowed to attend the
regular public schools.  You know, a bad influence and all.”
 
“Honestly!” exclaimed Kate.  “I’m glad we’re not there nowadays.”
 
“Right?  With Melanie so adamant about not telling Matt, it really was
the only way.”
 
"So you really feel the decision to give me up was Melanie's?" Kate
asked.
 
"Absolutely! My parents would have advised, but I'm certain they
allowed Melanie to make the final choice. They believed it was important
for us to learn to make our own decisions whenever possible."
 
"That's good to know," said Kate. "That would be a difficult situation in
itself, without having to fight parents, too."
 
"After the baby was born, sorry, you were born, and school was done
for the year, she came home. She'd only been home for a few days when she
told Mom she was going for a hike. That wasn't unusual. There're lots of
trailheads close by, and she often hiked to clear her head. Evidently,
Melanie was upset about something, and she said she needed to get out.
That was the last time she was seen."
  
"What do you mean? What happened?" asked Kate taken aback.
 
"Just that. Apparently, Melanie told Mother she'd be back for dinner,
but she didn't show up. At first, Mom said Melanie had been upset and
probably lost track of time, but when it got dark, my parents started to
worry.
 
"Oh, no! That's terrible. I can't even imagine how your parents must
have felt."
 
"It was awful! That I do remember. My parents called the police, but
they couldn't start searching until the next morning. They searched
officially for two or three weeks if I remember correctly. Matt and a few
others searched on their own even longer than that, but they never found
her. You wouldn't think those trails are that rugged, but they are. There are
some pretty steep drop-offs. Besides, the area is heavily wooded. They
believed there was a possibility she could have fallen into some brush, and
an animal could've carried her off. Mom always blamed herself for waiting
too long."
 
Kate felt sick to her stomach. Beth was describing events that were
similar to her father's death. She was only too familiar with hiking trails that
seemed safe enough. She bowed her head and allowed silent tears to streak
down her face.
Beth quietly sat as Kate absorbed this new information. "Did they ever
find her?" Kate finally whispered.
 
"Actually, yes," Beth said softly, hesitating. "A couple of weeks ago.
But she wasn't found in the area where we thought she'd gone hiking. She
was found buried in the foothills north of town. Kate," Beth paused, "it
appears Melanie was murdered."
 
 Kate's head snapped up. Horrified, she challenged Beth's statement.
"What? Are you serious? Are they sure?"
 
"I'm so sorry. I know this isn't easy to hear," Beth consoled.
 
"Tell me . . . tell me more," insisted Kate.
 
"There's not much more to tell. Melanie told Mom she was heading up
to Bear's Trail, which is just south of here. When her remains were found on
the other side of town, buried no less, it left no doubt about foul play."
 
Tears dripped onto Kate's lap. Her stomach was in a knot, and her heart
was pounding so hard she felt it was going to burst through her chest. The
feelings were tragically familiar. At first, she thought it odd, considering
she'd never met this woman. At the same instant, she did know this woman.
This was her biological mother, who sacrificed much for her. Learning she'd
been murdered brought raw emotions to the surface.
 
Silence, punctuated with an occasional sniffle, filled the room as Kate
tried to compose herself.
 
After a few minutes, she started firing questions at Beth. "What do they
know so far? When was the last time the police gave you an update? Do
they have any suspects? Is there anything we can do to help?"
 
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Beth said, holding her hand up to stop the
questions. “Calm down, Kate. One question at a time, please."
 
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Of course. I'm out of line here." Kate apologized
and forced herself to pull back. "I am so sorry!"
 
"No apology necessary. Both of us have experienced extreme
emotional trauma over the last two weeks. At this point, the fact we're
appearing fairly sane is a miracle in itself."
  
"That's for sure," said Kate with a sigh, wiping a final tear.
 
"I've got an idea," said Beth smiling. "How ‘bout we take a little break?
I've made some fresh lemonade for this special occasion. It's a beautiful
evening–perfect for spending out on the deck. What do you think?"
 
"Oh, I'd really like that. Thank you," Kate said, heaving another deep
sigh.
 
Kate untangled her legs and followed Beth into the kitchen. Beth
retrieved the pitcher from the fridge and directed Kate toward the glasses.
With refreshment in hand, they headed out the door.
 
Beth poured lemonade into both glasses as Kate sat down, once again
pulling her legs in under her. She took a sip, then a deep breath, and closed
her eyes. "Thank you. It's delicious!"
 
She opened her eyes and surveyed the surroundings. The yard was
encompassed by trees, mostly evergreen, creating a deep green wall of
privacy. The mountains provided a rugged mahogany backdrop with
random patches of snow still visible.
 
"You're most welcome. One of my favorite things in the world is to sit
out here and listen to the birds. It's so peaceful. I feel like it's a world in and
of itself."
 
"It is beautiful! I think I could sit out here all day and just drink in the
tranquility."
 
They sat in silence for a moment, sipping on their drinks when Beth
continued, "It appears to me you're a person who likes to take charge and
get things done."
 
 "Yes, I'm afraid so," Kate admitted. "It's a blessing and a curse."
 
"I'm so grateful you're here, Kate, even though I know this is hard for
you. I've felt so alone. It's difficult wrapping my head around the idea that
Melanie's death wasn't accidental. Everyone loved her. I can't even imagine
who'd want to do her harm. If I'm perfectly honest, a part of me wants to
run away and avoid the whole thing. There's another part that wants to find
the son of a b and get revenge. My family was never the same once Melanie
disappeared. Whoever did this destroyed so much."
 
"Unexpected, premature death is difficult to handle. When I got the call
about my husband's plane going down, I told them they'd made a mistake.
Certainly, God wouldn't allow such a thing to happen. Chet was such a good
man, and we needed him. I couldn't stand the thoughts of my children
experiencing what I went through when I lost my father. I stayed in denial
until the moment I saw his body. Then my life stopped. If it hadn't been for
my children, I don't know what I would've done."
 
"I'm so sorry," Beth whispered.
 
"Thank you. Isn't it funny how life continues no matter the
circumstances in our lives? The birds keep singing, people continue to go to
work, stores are still open. On TV when something big happens, there's a
big announcement, and they interrupt the programming. There's no
interrupting life despite how terrible you may feel." Kate continued,
"Through everything I've experienced, all the loss over the years, it never
ceased to amaze me how nothing stopped, even when I wanted it to."
 
The two women remained silent while occasional bird calls punctuated
the air and a woodpecker attacked a tree in the distance.
 
Beth reached over and touched Kate's hand. "I believe whenever
terrible things happen, there are always equally wonderful things to balance
them out. Sometimes we have to look hard to see them. For me, having you
here is the balance to this terrible news about Melanie. Thank you again for
coming."
  
Chapter 6
The morning dawned bright and beautiful. Beth and Kate had spent the
evening talking about Melanie, family, and all the things they had in
common. Kate's original hesitancy was rapidly replaced with peace and
connection.
 
Today they planned to continue with more of the same. The evening
before, Beth had informed Kate she'd pulled out a bunch of Melanie’s
keepsake boxes in preparation for her visit.
 
"Would you like to go through them," Beth had asked. Kate laughed at
the thought and confessed she was a bit leery about old boxes and the
surprises they might hold.
 
Kate languished in the peacefulness of the morning until she
remembered she hadn't updated Lizzie. Immediately she sat up, grabbed her
phone off the nightstand, and keyed in the number. She knew her friend
would be on pins and needles and none too pleased about waiting all night
for a report.
 
"It's about time! I’ve been so anxious! Tell me everything." Lizzie
always got right to the point. "How are you? How was it to meet your aunt
face to face? Have you met anyone else in the family? Tell me everything!"
 
Kate laughed. They'd been through significant challenges together, and
she loved having a friend who always had her back. She apologized for the
delay and recounted the events in as much detail as possible, holding off
about the murder until the very end.
 
"Are you kidding me?" Lizzie gasped. "Seriously?"
 
"As they say, you can't make this kind of thing up, Liz. Her remains
were found a couple of weeks ago. The timing on our connecting is . . .,
well, interesting, for sure. It's weird to be connected to a murder—even in
the slightest. It saddens me to see how Melanie's disappearance affected her
family all these years, and now to find out she was actually murdered is
very difficult. I'm glad I can be here for support."
 
"Does she feel like family to you?" Lizzie quizzed.
 
"Beth and I have gotten closer than I expected, but it’s still going to
take some time. However, I do feel a strong pull toward Melanie. It’s like I
have this strange compulsion to get out there and find her killer myself. She
was a beautiful young woman with her whole life ahead of her, and some
idiot thought it'd be a good idea to cut it short. That's just wrong, terribly
wrong, and you know how I deal with those kinds of things," Kate said.
 
"Sure do! Kate, are you sure you don't want me to come up? You say
you're supporting Beth, and that's great, but you need support, too. And now
with this murder thing? What an inconceivably emotional time for you! You
just say it and I’ll be there in less than six hours," Lizzie assured her.
"Oh, Lizzie, you're the greatest—thank you! But, I still think it's best
this way. Beth's a good support for me, too. Of course, she'll never take
your place, but we are creating a wonderful bond. Actually, Liz, you'd
really like her," Kate added.
 
"I'm sure I would, but we'll never know unless you let me come up or
you bring her down here," Lizzie teased. "I'm sorry. I sound like a pouting
child. Of course you know what is best, and I trust that.  The truth is Kate,
I'm bored. The gym isn't nearly as fun without you, and I'm almost done
with my spring yard work. If you don't come home soon, I'll have to start
thinking about home projects and you know I hate those."
 
"For goodness sake, woman! Get a grip!” exclaimed Kate.
 
“I know I sound pathetic. You’re the one who’s had your whole world
turned upside down and I’m the one complaining. I am concerned about
you. You know that, right?”
 
“Of course I do!” Kate assured her friend. “I won’t be here too long—
maybe a few more days. It’s not like I’m going to spend the whole summer
here. Beth said they should be releasing the remains soon and then she's
planning on a small memorial service. I want to stay until then. I won't have
a timeframe until we hear from the police. You know . . . you can always do
some more genealogy work. Weren't you were on a pretty good trail for
some of your ancestors?”
 
"After your experience, I'm a little nervous about what I might find,"
chuckled Lizzie. "I know I'm being a brat. I'll stop. I'm thrilled you've found
Beth and a connection to your roots. It’s crazy how our lives can change so
quickly. Less than a month ago you didn't know there was even a
connection to be made."
 
Kate sighed, "Has it only been that long? It feels like a lifetime ago.
Listen, I'll stay in touch. Paint your bedroom. You've been putting that off
for, what, two years now? I'll call you in a couple of days."
 
Kate clicked off and promptly jumped out of bed, hastily yanking the
covers into place. Recognizing the smell of bacon, she quickly threw on a t-
shirt and yoga pants, and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it into a
hurried ponytail. Her bare feet softly thumped on the hardwood floor of the
hall as she headed toward the smell. "I'm a sucker for bacon," she said,
rounding the corner into the kitchen.
 
 "Oh, good. I wasn't sure about your morning routine, so I took the
liberty of whipping up something special. It felt like a great way to start a
lazy day at home. How'd you sleep? Is the mattress okay?" Beth inquired as
she flipped the bacon and dumped some hash browns into another skillet.
 
"I slept great, thank you. My morning routine usually includes a trip to
the gym with my friend Lizzie. Today, instead, I allowed her to harass me
over the phone." Kate continued, "My best friend's Lizzie Bennet, isn't that
cool? I'm assuming you know who Elizabeth Bennet is."
 
"Pride and Prejudice, of course. Are you serious?" laughed Beth.
"There's got to be a story there."
Kate leaned against the corner of the doorway, crossed her delicate
ankles, and folded her trim arms as she continued, "Not really. Her parents
named her Elizabeth, and she married a guy named Bennet. We both started
teaching the same day at UUS in the English Department. I've loved Pride
and Prejudice since I was a teen. Jane Austen was one of the reasons I
decided to teach English lit. After I was told her name, I walked straight up
to her, reached out my hand, and blurted out, ‘We must be friends, Lizzie
Bennet.’ She laughed, said she liked my style, and a friendship was born."
 
"I love it!" said Beth without interrupting her breakfast preparations.
 
Kate continued, "I couldn't have made it through losing Chet if it hadn't
been for her support. A couple of years later, Mr. Bennet decided he didn't
want to be married anymore, so I got to be her rock. She's been like a
second mom to my kids, which worked out great because she was never
able to have any. I consider her friendship one of my greatest blessings. It
was at her suggestion that we took that DNA test."
 
"I love that! Oh, I want to meet her!" exclaimed Beth.
 
"Oh, you will! Lizzie wanted to accompany me on this trip. Despite my
anxiety, I felt it was better to do this alone. However, the next time I'll bring
her and drive my SUV," Kate said, shaking her head and chuckling to
herself.
 
"So that Volkswagen isn't your only car?" Beth asked sheepishly,
turning to face Kate.
 
"Oh my, no! It's my form of a security blanket. It was my father's. My
mom gave it to me when I turned 16. Chet kept it working until . . . you
know. Now I have a mechanic who gets a kick every time I take it in. It was
one of the last true Beetles made in 1975. The ones you see nowadays are
not the same at all. I didn't think this trip would be so hard on the old girl,
or me for that matter. Those cars weren't known for their comfort, you
know. They were built strictly for economy, which was great back in the
60s and early 70s when they were all over the place, so I'm told. I only use
it to run around town because it's cheap. But with everything that has
happened these last few weeks, I needed to have the comfort she often
brings to me. Does that make sense?" Kate asked.
 
"Perfect sense!" assured Beth, turning back to the stove. "How do you
like your eggs?"
 
"Sunnyside up, runny," Kate responded. When Beth grimaced, she
simply smiled and repeated, "Yes, runny."
 
Beth finished cooking while Kate located plates and silverware.
"There's some orange juice in the fridge if you'd like," Beth told Kate.
 
"Fresh squeezed?"
 
"Sorry, not this time."
 
"That's okay. I wouldn't do it either." Kate retrieved the bottle of juice,
set the plates by the stove for Beth, and carried everything else to the table.
 
 "I still can't believe you eat your eggs runny," Beth remarked as she set
them down.
 
"It's the only way," Kate chuckled, then continued, "Beth, I know we
talked about going through those boxes, but I'd prefer not to spend the
entire day doing it if that's okay."
 
"I agree. I thought it would be fun to go out later and see the town. It's
small but nice," said Beth.
 
"I'd like that. You know Oakdale isn't a whole lot bigger than Colden
Hills. From what I can see so far, the biggest difference is the weather.
We've got mountains, but they aren't as close as yours, and ours are red,"
said Kate.
 
"I love the red rocks in southern Utah. I haven't visited there often, but
I'm always amazed at the colors. God really got it right, didn't He?
 
"Yes, He did," chuckled Kate.
 
"Listen," said Beth, "I feel I should clarify something here. I told you
I’d pulled out some boxes. Actually, it was more like I located them.
They're still in the basement. I figured you wouldn't mind helping me carry
them up. Unless of course, you want to go through them down there, but I
don't recommend that at all!"
 
"Oh, we are not rummaging through boxes in a basement! I’ll help
bring them up. No problem. Just let me finish my runny eggs," said Kate
with a smile and a wink.
 
The women stopped talking to focus on finishing their food. After
cleaning up, Beth led the way down a long flight of short, steep stairs
covered with vinyl flooring, a reminder of how old the house really was.
 
 The basement was cold and dark, with walls of grey cement and rows
of two by fours overhead supporting the floor above. Small, murky
windows, covered with hard water deposits, set in the walls a few inches
below the ceiling, made it impossible to see out and let in little light. Kate
was grateful Beth suggested bringing the boxes upstairs. Although it
required several trips for each of them, she knew it was effort well spent.
 
Each box was sealed with brittle, yellowed masking tape, and
MELANIE was written on the outside. The women lugged them into the
family room, stacking them two deep, for easy access. "Might I suggest we
not sit on the floor to do this?" asked Kate. "The last time I went through
boxes, my legs fell asleep, and it took me forever to even stand up straight.
I'm getting too old."
 
"I like that idea," said Beth, getting comfortable on the couch across
from Kate. "I have to tell you . . . I don’t know that I’d be doing this if you
hadn’t come into the picture. It’s just that right after Melanie disappeared,
her room became somewhat of a shrine. None of us went in, and when we'd
walk past the closed door, it was done with a sense of reverence mixed with
grief. It was like that for a couple of years."
 
"Then what happened?" asked Kate.
 
"Mom cracked, simply put. I know that sounds terrible, but that's how
it felt to me at the time."
 
"I can't imagine. I've tried, but in my wildest dreams, I can't. Even
having gone through my heartaches, I can't imagine what it'd be like to lose
a child," said Kate. "Do you mind telling me about it?"
 
"Well, it was a Saturday, and we'd just finished breakfast,” Beth said
relaxing into the back of the couch. “Usually, Mom and Dad would discuss
their plans for the day. Then she'd get up and do the dishes, and Dad would
head out into the garage or something. That day was different, though. We
ate in silence. It was like there was a bigger cloud than usual over the room,
and I remember feeling a bit confused. All of a sudden Mom stood up,
cried, ‘I can't do this anymore,’ and headed to Melanie's room.
 
"I remember so clearly her walking with such determination that
morning. At first, I thought she was angry, then it felt like she was
possessed. I remember feeling a little confused because it was so different
from how she'd been ever since Melanie's disappearance. So I followed her.
She stormed into Mellie's room and headed straight to the closet, where she
started yanking clothes off the hangers, throwing them on the bed. I was
stunned and felt paralyzed on the spot. I'd never seen her behave in such a
manner."
 
"Oh my goodness!" remarked Kate, touched by the picture forming in
her mind of this grieving mother.
 
"After a minute, I realized she was crying. Really sobbing. She
continued to frantically pull things out of the closet until there was nothing
left. Then she crumpled to the floor and continued to cry. Dad knelt down
next to her, wrapped his arms around her, and cried too. I didn't know what
to do, so I stood there and watched my parents in a way I'd never seen them
before. I was only 12, but it broke my heart."
 
"Oh, how horrible for you! And of course, for them, too!" said Kate
sympathetically.
 
"It's one of those memories that's engrained in my mind, that's for sure.
I hear people talk about how they remember exactly where they were the
day President Kennedy was shot. I wasn't alive then, but my memories of
my parents that day are vivid even now," mused Beth.
 
"That reminds me of the day I learned Chet's plane had gone down. I'd
barely walked in the door from bringing the kids home from school. It was
a perfectly normal day. I'd taken off my sunglasses and put them next to my
keys on the counter. I glanced at the dirty dishes in the sink, thinking I
needed to get them done before I could start dinner. I made a brief critique
of my clothes, noticing the spot on my red shirt, making a mental note to
get it in the wash, when the phone rang.
 
"Mrs. Dunham?" the voice said.
 
"This is she," I said. Then the voice told me that Chet's plane had
crashed. I remember slumping down onto the floor, the kids asking me what
was wrong. I couldn't speak."
 
"Oh, Kate. We've both had our share of heartache, haven't we?"
 
"That's for sure," Kate said. Then shaking her head to escape the
memory, she said, "I'm sorry. I interrupted your story. Please go on."
 
"Well, the next thing I remember, I was sitting on my bed. Mom came
in, sat down next to me on the bed, and gave me this really long, tight hug. I
can still feel her arms around me. She said she wanted to make sure I was
okay. That was the first and only time I ever saw my mother really lose it.
There was so much I didn't understand back then."
 
"You were only 10, I guess 12 by this time, but still, how could you, as
a child, possibly make sense of any of it?"
 
"That's the thing. Nothing made sense. I knew Melanie was gone, but
nobody was telling me why. I felt like I'd been pushed into the background.
Everything was about her. Even the silence in the house was about her.
People were always asking if there was any news, always telling us how
sorry they were. Mom and Dad were never the same. Things we used to do
as a family, we stopped doing. It was hard. Very hard," Beth said, her voice
trailing off at the end.
 
 "Beth, if this is too much for you, we can stop," Kate assured her. "I
want to learn about Melanie, but there are other ways. Please, don't feel
obligated if you're uncomfortable with this in any way."
 
"I'm fine. Really I am," Beth said, recovering from her thoughts, and
bending toward a box. "I want to go through these boxes. I want you to get
to know my sister and love her as I do. I think this is the best way to do it."
A sharp popping sound punctuated the air as she pulled on the edges of one
of the boxes. "I guess it doesn't matter where we start since we'll be going
through it all, right?"
 
Beth's eyes widened as she recognized what was in the box. "Oh,
wow," she whispered as she gently pulled out a lace christening gown,
yellowed with age. Attached to it with a small safety pin was a little
matching cap. "This wasn't just Melanie's; this was mine too," she said. She
set the dress in her lap and traced over the delicate lace and tucks with her
fingers.
 
With a touch of melancholy, she continued, "I remember Mom showing
me this dress when I was little and telling me the story of when I was
christened. Melanie wore it, too. She made it sound like such an amazing
day. She hoped at some point, one of her daughters would have a daughter
who could wear the dress, too."
 
Beth's fingers continued to follow the folds of the dress in silence. "It
would have been nice," she whispered to herself.
 
Breaking free from her reverie, she went back to the box. There she
found more baby clothes, hand-knit booties with matching sweaters, lacy
bonnets, and a couple pairs of white baby shoes.
 
Beth chuckled as she inspected the shoes that looked a little like
miniature high tops. "Well, we certainly dress our babies differently now,
don't we," she said lifting the clothes out of the box.
  
"Oh, yes, but aren't these adorable!" chimed in Kate as she fingered the
shoes, examining them closely. "I think I had some similar to this."
 
It didn't take long for them to realize there wasn't much in this
particular box to really give them information on Melanie. Gently, they set
the clothes back in the box.
 
As Beth folded the top down and shoved it aside, Kate said, "Those
clothes are so sweet. I have boxes of similar things from my kids I need to
go through, too. It's the kind of stuff you hate to throw out but also hate to
save. After all, it just takes up a lot of storage space, right? Pictures of those
times should be enough, shouldn't they? I mean really, shouldn't they?"
 
"Maybe, but I don't think a picture could possibly be as special to me as
actually getting to touch that dress. It literally takes me back in time," Beth
said wistfully.
 
"You’re right, of course. I guess that's why I still have the boxes,"
admitted Kate.
 
When they popped open the next box, they were met with treasures
galore of Melanie's early years. There were hand-drawn pictures in crayon
that probably were done as early as kindergarten, each with a big red
checkmark and the words "Very Good" printed at the top.
 
It quickly became evident that Melanie liked to draw pictures of her
family. There were a few with Mom and Dad stick figures, one of them
holding the hand of a little girl stick figure, presumably Melanie. With each
picture, her art skills improved. The stick figures gave way to more people
with more detail. There was a picture with Dad and Mom, Mom holding a
baby, and Dad holding the hand of Melanie. Each person carefully labeled
in Melanie's handwriting.
 
 The last one showed both girls holding the hands of their parents in
front of their home, everyone with big smiles on their faces. The pictures all
had blue sky, with a big yellow sun in the corner. No wonder they'd been
saved! Kate was sure they'd hung on the fridge for quite a while before
being relegated to storage.
 
Family pictures were set aside as new discoveries were made. "Ah,
report cards. Let's find out what kind of student Melanie was," Beth said
glancing over the first one she picked up.
 
After a minute, she exclaimed, "Oh! I did not expect this. Listen . . .
Melanie is a lovely child; however, she has a tendency to boss the other
children around on the playground. She has never been unkind, but it has
caused a little grief with a couple of the students on occasion. I have
mentioned it to her, but some reinforcement from home would be
appreciated."
 
Kate and Beth laughed together, imagining Melanie in the way the
teacher described. They continued through each report card, focusing on the
handwritten notes from the teachers more than any grades—all of them
basically singing Melanie's praises. "It would appear that the bossiness
ended, or at least they got used to it," said Beth as she returned them to their
place on top of the artwork.
 
Further exploring revealed printed programs from performances in
which Melanie participated. "She loved to sing," said Beth. "I remember
going to some of these concerts. Of course, I didn't want to go, but it was
required of all family members. However, I did love seeing her up on the
stage. She looked so impressive from my young perspective."
 
Both Kate and Beth relished each discovery, taking time to talk about
each new find, which brought up more memories for Beth and stories to
tell. When they opened the third box, they found it filled with books.
 
 Beth exclaimed, "Oh, Melanie was an avid reader. Even after Mom
tucked us into bed and turned out the light, Melanie snuck a flashlight under
her covers to continue reading. Mom started to suspect something was
going on when Melanie would be so tired in the mornings. She finally
confessed, and the flashlight was confiscated. It seemed like there was a
time when that's all Melanie wanted to do, especially on Saturday mornings.
She'd always go missing when it was time for chores. Mother would call
her over and over again and then send me down to the basement to find her,
where she'd be sitting in the laundry room, reading."
 
As they popped the lid of the fourth box, they found a book sitting on
top with the word "Journal" engraved on the front. Kate exclaimed, "Oh,
yay! I was hoping she kept journals. Did you know about these?" she asked
Beth.
 
"No. I didn't. I never saw her write in one. Of course, we were in
separate rooms so she could've done a lot of stuff without me knowing,"
explained Beth.
 
Kate lifted out the top book, revealing three more just like the first. She
opened the journal to find the date, September 8, 1968, with the entry: Mrs.
Hansen, my English teacher, suggested we start a journal to keep track of
things that happen this year. I've never done anything like this before, but it
sounded fun, so here I am. I'll try to write something every day.
 
"Well, I don't know if she made it every day, but it's obvious she wrote
more than once. This is so exciting!" said Kate, reaching in for the other
journals and noticing a couple of small photo albums.
 
"Oh my," said Beth seeing the new discovery. "I thought I stored all
these in a safe place on the shelves. Apparently not."
 
Beth started thumbing through the pictures as Kate delved into the
journal.
  
All of a sudden, Kate stopped. "Wait. Before we go any further on this,
I need to take a break. I need to get up and move my legs, and this seems
like the perfect time to do so. What do you think, Beth?"
 
"Now?" Beth asked, surprised. "We're just getting to the good part."
 
"I know. This is the kind of thing I was hoping to find, but my bottom
is telling me I need to move. We don't have to go for long. Then we'll be
ready to spend some serious time with these journals. Make sense?"
 
"Actually, I would love to get out and take a little walk. The weather
has been so perfect," Beth replied. "My head needs a break, too."
 
"Great! I'll get my shoes, and we can head out," Kate said standing up
and padding back to her room.
 Chapter 7
Stepping outside, Kate took a deep breath and filled her lungs with sweet-
smelling air. Glancing up at the deep azure, cloudless sky, she estimated the
temperature to be about 72 degrees.
"You lead the way," Kate said to her aunt. Heading toward the
sidewalk, the pair established a synchronized, moderate pace within
seconds.
Kate was the first to break the silence. "I went to a counselor soon after
Chet was killed. After the first couple of visits, we started to walk around
the block during our time together. He said I seemed to have greater insight
to my feelings when we were outside. Up until that time, I hadn't really
noticed the difference, but he was right. I think much better breathing fresh
air."
"Is there something specific you want to discuss for why you feel the
need for such clarity?" Beth asked.
Kate paused before continuing. "Maybe . . . Hearing the story of the
day your mom finally went into Melanie's room was so touching, and now
going through her things has created some interesting emotions. On the one
hand, I feel like an intruder into Melanie’s life. After all, she’s really a
stranger to me. On the other hand, I keep reminding myself that she’s the
one who gave me life. I feel like I’m being drawn into this newfound
connection. At the same time, I’m so grateful for the wonderful relationship
I feel developing between the two of us. I'm not sure where it's all headed.
I'm angry someone took the life of this sweet girl, and I want justice for her.
You deserve to know who did this, too, so you can put it behind you. I'm
wondering if there's a part I need to play in all of it."
Kate’s comments were met with silence as the two women continued
their little jaunt. There was so much going on right now that if she dwelt on
the questions for too long, she found herself unsettled. She figured that Beth
was also working through a great many emotions, although different from
hers. The steady thumping of their shoes created a consistent
accompaniment that felt appropriate for the moment.
"You know, I thought I had closure to all this,” Beth finally said. “I felt
I had found a place of peace, as much as I could, not knowing for sure what
had happened to Melanie. Sure, I missed her, but life had to go on. I was
still young, and I think that helped. I found a career, and for the most part,
I've been happy with my life. I love what I do. I have good friends, and I
live in a wonderful community where I feel a good deal of support."
Beth paused for a minute as if to organize her thoughts, and then
continued, "Finding Melanie the way they did has stirred up a lot of
uncomfortable emotion. I'll admit I tend to stuff them. I really think if you
weren't here that's exactly what I'd be doing. You said at first you didn't feel
the need to learn about a family to which you felt no connection. Maybe
you're here for other reasons."
"Hmm. I'd never thought about it that way."
They reverted back to silence for a few minutes when Beth's phone
rang. "Oh, hi . . . yes. . . . I can meet you at my house in about ten minutes.
Will that be okay? . . . Great! See you soon."
Beth hung up and said, "Dennis, uh, Dennis Halverson, from the
police, is on his way to the house. He says he has some information. I guess
our walk is over."
Approaching the house, they could see Dennis's car sitting in the
driveway. Beth walked to the window and knocked, startling Dennis. The
man ducked as he emerged from the vehicle, ready to acknowledge Beth,
but stopped short when he noticed Kate. Without wasting a minute, Beth
said, "Dennis, I'd like you to meet my niece, Kate Dunham. She's Melanie's
daughter." Dennis was obviously taken aback, but only for a couple of
seconds. When he recovered, he raised his eyebrows and responded, "Well,
I didn't see that coming! How do you do, Ms. Dunham."
"Oh, please, call me Kate."
"Certainly, and please call me Dennis," he said with a nod.
 Kate did a quick critique. He reminded her of the Magnum, P.I. version
of Tom Selleck—tall, muscular, with a square jaw and nice eyes.  At the
same time, she wondered if he had the experience required to solve a cold
case of this magnitude.  After all, this was a small town.  What kind of
background could he possibly have with this kind of situation?
"Let's go inside, shall we?" said Beth, leading the way. Dennis lowered
himself to the couch and said, "Once again, let me say how sorry I am for
your loss. I know that statement seems trite under the circumstances and all,
but please accept my sincere condolences."
"Thank you, Dennis," said Beth. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but,
I'm assuming this isn't a social call. Do you have more information?"
"Yes, I do. We finally have a cause of death," he said. "It looks like
blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The coroner was also able to get
a little DNA from under her fingernails."
"There were still fingernails? After all this time?" Kate exclaimed.
"Fingernails can actually take a long time to decompose, thank heaven.
However, it'll be a while before we get results back on that test, and we can
only get a match if we have a sample from the person who killed her."
"Dennis," said Beth, "I was talking with my Aunt Peggy yesterday, and
she said there had been a person of interest in Melanie's disappearance. She
didn't remember his name but said there had been threats. Do you know
anything about this guy?"
"Actually I do! His name is Ronny Klienman. Evidently, he made
threats to the whole family in Idaho, and we know he was here in Colden
Hills the day Melanie went missing."
"Oh!" exclaimed Beth. “When Aunt Peggy mentioned him, I thought
her memory might be a little off. According to my recollection at the time,
everyone thought she'd probably fallen and was hurt. You're saying this guy
might have been involved?"
"Maybe. Right now, all I have is what's in the file, which isn't a lot,"
said Dennis.
"Have you been able to locate him? Is he even still alive?" asked Kate,
her interest piqued.
 "We're working on that. We have a last known address in Boise, but it's
10 years old," explained Dennis. Right now he’s our best lead, but I'm
afraid that's not sayin' much. Sorry. I'll keep you updated on our progress, I
promise. With a case this old I can pretty much guarantee the investigation
will take some time."
Dennis directed his next statement to Kate. "Right now I'd like to know
about you. There's nothing in the file about Melanie having a baby."
"No, there wouldn't be," Beth interjected before Kate had a chance to
even open her mouth. "Mom and Dad didn't see a reason to tell anyone.
What difference would it have made to let that information out and hurt her
reputation?"
"I can see their point; however, those are exactly the kind of details we
need to conduct a thorough investigation. Can you tell me who the father
is?" Dennis asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Honestly, Dennis?!" huffed Beth.
"Of course, I assume it's Matt, but I need to know for sure." He
remained detached and professional.
"Oh, for goodness sake! Yes, it's Matt, but he didn't know about Kate
until yesterday."
"Detective, are these questions going to help you find that guy who
made the threats?" interrupted Kate, a bit annoyed. "I should think that
would be your focus."
"No, but certainly you can see the need to fill in gaps," the detective
responded.
"Well, consider that gap filled," declared Beth. "Nothing more need be
said. Kate herself barely found out two weeks ago. Please tell me this won't
be part of that file of yours. It has nothing to do with Melanie's murder."
"I won't tell a soul unless it becomes absolutely necessary," assured
Dennis. But I'm interested in how you all connected."
Beth began, "Mom told me about a month or so before she passed. She
asked me to find the child, saying she regretted not doing so sooner."
Beth and Kate took turns sharing the details of their individual
experiences. Kate ended brusquely saying, "Does that satisfy your curiosity,
Detective?"
 "Yes, it does, thank you. And please call me Dennis."
"Okay, Dennis. Anything else?"
"Hey, I'm not trying to pry here, you two.  I’m just doing my job by
getting as much information as possible, even if it doesn’t feel relevant."
"I'm sorry, Dennis. I didn't mean to get so huffy," apologized Beth.
"This has been an overwhelming couple of weeks for both of us. And so
you know . . . I’ve told Matt, but he hasn't had time yet to tell his family.
You understand the need to keep this quiet for now."
"I do, and I will," he promised.
"I also want to keep my visit here quiet," said Kate. "I don't need
people staring or whispering about me. I know how that goes in a town like
this."
"Got it!" Dennis assured, nodding. "Oh, one more thing. We found a
gold chain clutched in Melanie's hand I wanted to ask about. Beth, are you
aware of a necklace Melanie may have worn that day?"
"Not that I recall. Certainly not something she wore all the time,"
confessed Beth.
"Okay. I had to ask."
Frustrated Kate said, "So what do we do now? I feel like I need to do
something. I'm not good at sitting and waiting."
"I suggest planning a memorial service," Dennis said. "Her remains can
be released immediately, Beth, and I assume you want to bury her
properly."
"Thank you, Dennis. Yes, I do," said Beth.
"And that guy in Idaho? You'll let us know when you find him?" Kate
prompted.
"I promise! I'll let you know if anything comes up," he responded
curtly. "Beth, where do you want them to send her remains? Memorial?"
"Yes, that'll be fine. This is still so surreal to me. I never, ever thought
I'd be doing a memorial service for Melanie. I resigned myself years ago to
never knowing what happened. Now I keep wondering who'd have done
this to her. It doesn't make sense. Be honest with me, Dennis. Do you think
you'll be able to solve this?"
 "I can't promise anything, but I'm certainly doing my best," Dennis
reassured her standing to leave. "Now I really need to get going."
Both women walked Dennis to his car. As he reached for the handle of
the door, Kate said, "You know, there's a huge database of DNA available
through several genealogy sites. Those people wouldn't necessarily be
criminals. Do you guys check that, too?"
Sighing to maintain his composure, he said, "Yes! Kate, I assure you,
we check every possible avenue. I'll keep you informed." He paused as he
opened the door to his car, tilted his head sharply, and scrunched his eyes.
"Is that your car?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, it looks to me like you've got an oil leak. I'd be getting that into
Lenny if I were you. Just sayin'. Good day, ladies." With a tip of the head
and a smile, he bent back into his car and drove away, as Kate dropped to
her hands and knees.
"Oh, shoot! I hate to say he's right, but I think he is. Standing up and
brushing off, she said, "I love this car, but it can be trouble, too. Who's this
Lenny guy Dennis mentioned?"
"Oh, Lenny owns a gas station/auto repair shop on the north end of
town. He knows cars, that's for sure. You just have to get past his chatter.
He's a nice enough guy; he just doesn't know when to stop talking. It's
actually kind of endearing unless you're in a hurry."
"I really don't want to wait on this, and I certainly don't want my car
leaking oil in your driveway. You're sure he can do a good job?" asked
Kate.
"For your car, there's not another person around I'd take it to. I'll tell
you what. I need to go to the mortuary, but I can handle that by myself.
Why don't you take your car to Lenny's, and then we can meet back here in
a couple of hours. From my experience, it shouldn't take Lenny long to get
you fixed up. How does that sound?"
"I like that idea. Are you sure you're going to be okay doing the
mortuary thing alone?" Kate asked.
"Yes. Yes, I'm sure. There's really not that much to do. Thank you so
much for your concern and especially thank you for being here. You have
no idea how much it means to me."
 
 
 

 
 Chapter 8
The instant Kate pulled into the station, a man, whom she assumed was
Lenny, hustled out from the garage, greeting her as if she were a long-lost
cousin—his chatting starting before he was even close to her. She quickly
understood Beth's warnings.
"Whoa. I haven't seen one a-these for a long time. Ya know, the new
ones are made completely differt from these classics. You must be from out
a town. I know all the cars ‘round these parts, an’ I ain't seen one a-these for
a long time."
"Yes, I am. I'm a friend of Beth Grimes. I . . ."
"Yes ma'am, I know all the cars' round here. Worked on most all of 'em
at some point. You say you're a friend of Beth's? Terrible thing that
happened to that family, findin’ Melanie that way."
Suddenly he paused, squinted at Kate with a hint of suspicion, and said
slowly, "You look just like her…like Beth. That's weird."
Kate took advantage of his apparent confusion and said, "Yes, it is, isn't
it? You know the family? Did you know Melanie?"
"Sure did. We grew up together. She was a real nice gal. Always treated
me good. When we got older, though, she and I was, well, we hung around
with different people. She was still nice an' all. We just wasn't really friends.
Ya know what I mean? I loved to spend my time here workin’ on cars. She
was Matt Jenkins's girl. Two different kinds a people, we was. Ya know
him? The mayor? Mellie never was with anyone else. He was right upset
when she left that summer. It sure seemed to affect his game and all. I hear
he almost lost his scholarship. He played football, ya know. He got over it
though. Went and married that Julie Hollingsworth. I wasn't too fond of her
. . . comin' from all that money. Thought she was better than everybody
else. Still does, I think. I just don't trust her. She's been fightin' this
development they wannna to put in up north here, and I don't ‘preciate that.
I think she wants them developers to buy the land she owns south a town
instead. That don't help me none. What difference would it make to her
livin in that big house a theirs if I made some money off that whole thing?
She don't need no more money. She's not dependin' on it like I am. They's
wantin' to pay me big bucks for this here station. Well, not really for the
station. I know they don't care 'bout that. They want the land, but unless
they get permission to build up in them hills, they won't buy my place, and
I'm gettin’ too old to keep fixin' up cars. I tried to talk to her ’bout it one
night at the city council meetin’ to see if I could talk some sense into her.
She'd have nothin’ to do with me. Told me I was only watchin’ out for
myself and not interested in the good of the community. Like she's all
concerned about us little folks. Sure, it'd be real good for me. But it'd be
good for the people' round here too. Anyways, that's what I think."
During this whole monologue, Kate found herself staring at Lenny's
mouth, hoping he'd take a breath so she could speak. She responded with an
occasional “Oh” or “Mmhm” to be polite, but after a minute, she stopped,
believing it really didn't matter. How does he do that? She could see why
people tended to shut him out. He finally stopped and asked, "So what can I
do for ya today?"
"I think I've got an oil leak," she said. "Because of the age of the car, I
hate to let anything go unattended. Can you fix it for me?"
"Sure can. Most likely will take me less than an hour. These cars is
easy to fix. They's not the same anymore. They ruined 'em, ya know,
changin' 'em all up. All that ‘lectronic stuff. Nothing like a good classic. I
love workin’ on the old ones like this’n. Remember playin' slug bug? Do
the kids now days even play that anymore? I'm sorry. People tell me I talk
too much. I probly do. Sorry. Let's get that car back here in the shop. I guess
yer gonna be waitin', seeing as there's no one else here to pick ya up.
There's a place for ya to sit inside if ya like," he said, pointing to a building
covered with badly chipped white paint.
Kate handed Lenny the keys to her car and slowly started over to the
building, leery of what waited inside. She gingerly pulled the flimsy,
aluminum framed door and peaked inside. What had been muffled country
music from the garage now assaulted her ears. She was proud of the fact
that her tastes in music were quite eclectic; however, country was not one of
her favorites.
Cautiously, she moved to what appeared to be a waiting area. Three
black folding chairs lined the wall, one piled with old magazines. At least
she felt she could sit without contracting a disease or getting herself all
greasy, and her inspection revealed no remnants of rodents or ants crawling
over the floor.
Out of curiosity, Kate picked up a coverless magazine and chuckled as
she glanced through the table of contents. It only took a minute for her to
realize she was holding a copy of People magazine devoted to the marriage
of Prince William and Kate Middleton. They got married about the same
time she was dealing with the insurance company after Chet's death. She
remembered feeling angry that anyone else was allowed happiness when
her sweetheart was gone, and her load was overwhelming. Oh, how she
missed Chet. She sat down carefully and thumbed through the magazine.
What felt like minutes later, Kate was startled back to reality when she
heard, "She's done!" and looked up to see Lenny standing over her.
"Already? Wow! That was fast!" she said, thrilled he delivered on his
word.
Lenny handed her the keys and said, "Yep! I told ya they was easy to
work on. She's good as new. It was only a tiny little leak that didn't require
much. Yes, ma'am, I remember workin’ on one just like that years ago.
Funny how things come back to yer mind, don't ya think?"
"That's for sure," she chuckled. "Hey Lenny, you strike me as the kind
of guy who keeps up on everything around this town. Am I right?"
"That's me," Lenny said proudly.
"My understanding is that Melanie was found in the foothills close by.
Do you know where?"
"Sure! By now, everybody knows where she was. Sad, just sad what
happened to ‘er."
"Could you direct me to the location?"
 "Why? You thinkin' a goin' up there? Why would ya wanna do that?"
he asked as he walked over to the counter.
"Curiosity, that's all," she replied, following him. She handed him a
credit card, and her eyes grew round as he pulled out a credit card imprinter.
She'd worked with one of those at their old store but didn't know they even
existed anymore. Lenny slid the handle across her card and handed it back
to her, along with the thick, rectangular form requiring her signature.
"Well, I think that's creepy! I don't even like going to cemeteries. Why
on earth would ya wanna go someplace where a dead body was found, her
being murdered and all? That makes no sense to me at all!"
"I know. Would you tell me anyway, please?" she asked, signing the
thick stack of carbon paper and slid it back to him.
"Sure. No skin off my back. I still think it's weird." Pointing north, he
continued, "Take that next right and follow the road up. It's a dirt road, but
not too rough. It's a little steep, but even this little baby can do it okay. But I
think they's got that whole area blocked off now. Anyways, they did for a
while."
Kate grabbed her receipt, turned, and walked away as swiftly as she
could, calling back, "Thanks again for getting my car done so quickly. I
really appreciate it."
To her surprise, Lenny followed her out to the car and continued
talking about all the reasons he wouldn't go to "that place." Once inside, she
kept the window rolled up to keep from hearing him ramble on and on. His
jabbering was humorous at first. Now she found it irritating. She quickly
put her car in gear and turned right onto the highway to head for the hills,
not knowing why she felt so compelled.
Kate was grateful for Lenny’s accurate directions and the fact about the
hills not being too steep for the old VW. As she maneuvered through the
curves, she noticed the vegetation getting thicker. No wonder whoever
killed Melanie choose this spot. It would be easy to hide someone up here.
Carefully, she continued, watching for police tape. Minutes later, she
rounded another corner that brought her to a relatively large, open, flat area.
She knew immediately this was the place, despite the lack of tape. There
was plenty of room for her to pull over to the side to allow other vehicles to
pass, although she doubted there would be any.
She parked her car and walked over to the edge of the road facing
down the mountain and gasped. Beneath her lay an entire valley of lush
green fields separated by a meandering thin blue ribbon. She hadn't known
there was a river running through Colden Hills. To the south, she could see
the patchwork pattern of the city. To the north was pastureland dotted with
horses and cows. Straight across, the mountains created a rugged
framework that cut into the still blue sky with shades of browns and purples
spotted with soft green. God sure knew what He was doing when He
created this.
She climbed onto a large flat boulder where she sat and drank in the
peace and beauty of the moment. She loved the mountains. They
represented stability and strength and brought joy to her heart and
tranquility to her soul. They had a unique smell—a rich, earthy aroma she
loved that reminded her of her childhood. Today was the perfect day to be
in this spot.
The surroundings helped Kate turn off the noise in her head. She felt a
connection to Beth, although more as a friend than a relative. That made
sense, considering their ages. Soon she'd get to meet Matt—still unsure of
how she felt about that. Mostly, she wanted to feel a connection to Melanie.
Shouldn't she feel some kind of attachment?
The morning's activities helped a little, but she wanted more. She
believed reading the journals would help. She hoped being in this spot
would help, too. This was where Melanie took her final breath. Had she
known the person she was with? What were her last thoughts? Had she
suffered? And the biggest question of all: who killed her?
Kate pondered on these questions as she considered the possible bond
between the living and those who'd passed. There were times when she felt
Chet by her side. His strength sustained her during the fight with the
insurance company. There were a few times she’d had issues with the kids
and felt his support. As her mother's caregiver, there had been nights of
sheer exhaustion when she didn't know how she could continue. Then she'd
feel Chet take her hand, and she knew she'd be okay. There were no voices,
no visions, nothing like that. It was always just a feeling, and it carried her
through. Was it possible to feel Melanie that same way? She stilled her
mind by closing her eyes and taking some deep cleansing breaths. In . . . out
. . . in . . . out.
After a few minutes, she felt the need to get up and walk around. She
walked over to the freshly dug soil. The hole wasn't too deep, which kind of
surprised her. However, because of the location, she could see how
someone who wasn't looking would just pass by. For a second, she
wondered if it was okay for her to be there. Dennis hadn't said she couldn't.
Of course, she hadn't asked either. Walking around the perimeter, she
carefully examined the loose dirt, not exactly digging through it, but
keeping a sharp eye for anything that might have been missed. There has to
be more here than what they found, doesn’t there?
She thought back to when her kids were younger and the times she
would say to them, "Go get the such and such out of the pantry." Inevitably,
they would call back a few minutes later, "It's not here."
Exasperated, she'd head to the pantry, pull said object off the shelf, and
say, "Here. See? It's right where I told you to look." Sometimes it even
happened with Chet.
Now, staring at the dirt, her instincts told her somebody had missed
something. She bent over and scoured every inch for a clue to what
happened 49 years ago.
After several minutes she stopped. This is ridiculous! The police have
already been through all this. What more can I find? But the inclination to
keep looking wouldn't leave. Reluctantly she continued, moving ever so
slowly, when she finally saw it: a little glimmer of gold in the dark brown
soil, hidden by a bush right next to the burial site. It was a pendant: a badly
worn pearl wrapped with gold wire.
Carefully she picked it up, turning it over in her hand. Was this
Melanie's? It was obviously a woman's pendant, but it could've come from
any number of people who'd been in the area. Regardless of its origin, she
knew she needed to get it to Dennis. He'd be the one to decide if it had any
bearing on the case. I'll never know if I don't ask. Then, to prevent
contamination, she wrapped it in a tissue and headed back to Beth's.
 Chapter 9
“W
ow, I didn't expect it to take that long to get your car fixed," Beth said as
Kate walked into the family room.
"It didn't. I went exploring," Kate said.
"Without me? Where did you go?" Beth quizzed.
"I went up to the place where Melanie was found," Kate said sitting
down across from Beth. "I think I may have found something."
"What possessed you to go up there, and what do you mean you found
something?" Beth asked, incredulously.
"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" asked Kate, puzzled at Beth's
reaction.
"No. No, I . . . I'm sorry. I just . . . well, I never thought . . . Please, tell
me, what did you find?"
"You know how Dennis said they found a gold chain in Melanie's
hand?"
"Yes. So?" asked Beth.
"Well, I think I found the pendant to that chain. Of course, I can't know
for sure, but it's something." Kate pulled the tissue out of her purse,
unwrapped it, and held it out for Beth's inspection. "Does it look familiar to
you at all?"
Beth leaned in to look it over, then shaking her head said, "No. Sorry. I
don't ever remember seeing Melanie wear anything like that. Do you really
think it could be related to Melanie's death?" Beth questioned.
"I can’t say, but it was at the site where Melanie was found, and I think
that means something," Kate said, wrapping it back up. "It looks like it's
been there for quite some time, although I know it could have come from
someone else. I want to get it to Dennis and see what he thinks. It may be
nothing, but he needs to see it no matter what. I can't believe his guys
missed it.  Beth, are you okay?"
"Kate, why did you go up there?" she asked pointedly.
"Are you upset with me?" Kate asked, surprised.
"No . . . Maybe?" She continued. “I know I don't want to go up there. I
don't want to go anywhere near it. Thoughts of being in the place where she
died make me sick."
"I totally understand that," Kate reassured her. "I didn't go looking for
anything—except maybe a deeper connection with Melanie. Once I got
there, I felt like I was being directed to look in the fresh dirt. Beth? Do you
believe the dead can communicate with us?"
Beth's eyes popped as an invisible barrier shot up between them. Kate,
feeling the tension, immediately responded, "I'm sorry. That's a weird thing
to ask."
"I don't believe in ghosts if that's what you mean," Beth said
defensively.
"Oh no! I'm not talking anything like that. Heavens no! It's just that I
get these feelings sometimes, feelings that direct me or tell me stuff I need
to know. I can't explain it any better than that. I usually won't talk about it
because I think it's kind of freaky." She paused for a moment, waiting for an
indication it was safe to continue.
"Go on," Beth said hesitantly.
"Well, the first time I remember ‘feeling something’ was when Chet
left for that trip to California. I felt strongly he shouldn't go, but I didn't tell
him because I thought I was being paranoid. After all, he'd taken this trip
several times without incident. Later that morning, I got this sick feeling
something was wrong. That afternoon I received the call. Come to find out
that sick feeling I felt earlier was about the time the plane went down."
"I can see why that would be freaky," said Beth slowly.
"Right? Like I said, I can't explain it, but I've learned to pay attention to
those feelings, so when I felt the prompting to go to the spot where they
found Melanie, I went. It didn’t dawn on me that you’d be upset! But, Beth,
I was shocked! It was beautiful up there, and so peaceful! I can't say that I
felt Melanie, but I know something was telling me to look around. That's
when I found the pendant. That's why I think it's relevant."
Kate waited for Beth to say something, but she simply stared down at
her hands. After a minute of silence, Kate asked, "Beth, are you okay?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she whispered. "I do understand what you're
saying about the feelings, not that I have them, but I do understand. The
idea of receiving direction like that is . . . I don't know, nice, I guess."
The room was still for several seconds when Beth rose from the couch
and said, "So, I guess you want to get that pendant over to Dennis? I'd say
now is as good a time as any."
Kate, sensing Beth's continued uneasiness, said, "Beth, are you okay?
Please talk to me."
Plopping back down onto the couch, Beth spoke with a voice
unfamiliar to Kate. "Look, I hate this. I really hate this whole thing.
Knowing that Melanie was murdered is too much for me to handle. Your
questions, your exploring makes it real, and I hate it!" exploded Beth.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be out of place. I know I came here to meet
family members, and I'm so grateful to have gotten to know you. Really I
am. But I find this incredible pull to get justice for Melanie. Is that terrible?
I'd think you'd want to know who took your sister away from you," said
Kate, a little exasperated.
"I do. I do!" cried Beth. "I cannot begin to express the anger I feel at
the person who did this to my family. Not only did they take Melanie away
from us, but my parents were never the same. Never! It took months before
they finally accepted the fact that Melanie would never come home, and
they never really recovered. My mother never stopped blaming herself for
not doing something sooner. Of course, now we know that wouldn't have
mattered, but she didn't know that. And I think deep down inside, there was
a part of my dad that blamed my mom. There always seemed to be an
unspoken cloud of resentment and guilt in the house. I fully believe it
ultimately killed them both. But at this point, finding the person that did it
won't bring any of them back or change what happened. Do I want justice?
Of course I do, but I don't even know what that looks like anymore. I just
want it all to go away."
 "I am so sorry for your pain, Beth," Kate said, rushing to put her arm
around Beth's shoulders. "I know how difficult it is to lose a loved one.
That's why I simply can't stand by doing nothing, waiting for the police to
do their thing."
"Why not? Why can't you let them find that guy who probably did it,
you know, the one from Idaho," Beth shot back.
"In the first place, we don't know he killed her," Kate contended. "We
can't assume he did and not explore other avenues. Even Dennis admits
that. I know I needed to find this pendant. Right now, that's all I know. But
questions keep coming to my mind, and I can't ignore them."
Beth jumped from the couch and paced the room. "What exactly do
you think you can do? What in the world can I do? I. Was. 10! All I knew
was that my sister was gone and nobody could really tell me why. I was
devastated and bewildered." Beth's emotions were finding release.
"I felt invisible. Everywhere I went, people asked me about her. For
years, everything was about Melanie. I couldn't get away from it. I hated it!
That was my main motivation for going away to school and then staying
away all those years. I wouldn't have come back if Dad hadn't gotten sick.
All this, everything that has happened in the last two weeks, makes me want
to run away, and you want to dig deeper."
Beth collapsed back onto the couch, tears streaming down her face. She
continued softly, "You found a pendant. So what? You have a feeling?
Really? I thought having you come here would help me, and instead, you're
bringing more pain," Shocked at her own words, Beth quickly backtracked,
"Oh, Kate! That's not true! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know it's not you. I love
having you here. I just wish I knew how to deal with everything I feel
inside."
Kate took Beth by the hand, and they sat in silence. After several
minutes, Beth repeated quietly, "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out
at you like that."
"Are you kidding?" Kate exclaimed. "That was probably the best part
of this entire day. I'm fine. I take none of it personally. In the short time I've
known you, I feel a real connection. I don't want to do anything to damage
that. But I really do want to find out the truth. Don't you?"
 Beth silently hung her head, the occasional tear falling to her lap.
Finally, she said, "Of course I do! But why can't you let the police take care
of it?"
"They can! I'm not out to solve the case. I'm just a get-it-done kind of
gal who pays attention to her impressions. When I get them, I act on them.
That's all. I hope that's okay with you," Kate said.
"Those feelings you got, you know, up at the spot. Tell me more about
those," said Beth.
"Well, after Lenny was done with the car, I had the thought that I
needed to go see where they found Melanie. When I got there, I wondered
if it was possible to feel Melanie's presence. There's this big, flat boulder
just made for sitting, so I took advantage of it and allowed myself to be still.
It really is beautiful up there, Beth. After a few minutes, I felt prompted to
look around, so I did."
"Did you ever feel Melanie?" asked Beth.
"No, not really, but I can't deny that I felt something," explained Kate.
"Does that make sense?"
"Yes, thank you," said Beth. You also talk about having questions.
What questions?" asked Beth.
"Oh, my! Where do I start? In the last couple of weeks, I've discovered
that my parents, whom I adored, lied to me. I'm unable to connect with the
woman who brought me into this world because some idiot chose to take
her life. I have a birth-father, and siblings I've yet to meet, and I'm
wondering how I want to fit into all of it. So much of this makes me feel
like I'm at the mercy of circumstances. Asking questions about Melanie at
least gives me something to do where I feel a sense of control. Can you
understand that?"
"That makes perfect sense. I never thought about it like that. I've been
so wrapped up in how I feel I didn't stop to understand your perspective,"
said Beth. "This has helped. And thank you for allowing me the space to let
off steam. It actually felt good."
"I bet it did!"
"Now, I guess we better get that pendant over to Dennis," Beth said.
 Kate stood and helped Beth up. They embraced, causing a second
release of emotions from Beth. "I just want it to go away," she cried.
"I know. I know," said Kate.
After a minute, Beth pulled away, found a tissue, and dried her eyes.
"Come on. Let's get this done. I need some fresh air."
 Chapter 10
“H
ow did it go at the mortuary? Did you get things all planned out?" Kate
asked, as Beth pulled out of the driveway.
"Yes. We'll have a short memorial service this Saturday afternoon. I
hope you'll stay," Beth replied.
"Of course! I've intentionally kept my plans open."
"Kate, you're welcome to stay as long as you like. I really do love
having you here! I can’t believe I said all those things!" Beth said earnestly.
"Forgotten already," Kate reassured her.
Walking into the police station the women were greeted by a pleasant
looking woman sitting behind a counter. "Hello, Beth. What brings you here
today?"
"Hi, Claire. Is Dennis around? We need to see… Oh, never mind, I see
him. Thanks, anyway." Beth made eye contact with the detective who then
approached with a questioning smile. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" Beth asked, confused.
"I was just going to call you. We've located Ronny Klienman," Dennis
said.
"Oh!" both women exclaimed.
"Where is he?" asked Kate.
"He's in a care facility in Pocatello. Evidently, he's got dementia. I don't
know if he'll be able to answer my questions, but at least I'll get his DNA.
That may be all we need," Dennis said.
"That's encouraging," said Beth. "Maybe this won't be as difficult as
you thought."
"Maybe, although I don't want to get my hopes up, and I recommend
you do the same," he declared. "I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than
hugely disappointed. But, hey, if you didn't come for that, why are you
here?"
Kate, feeling the center of attention, asked quietly, "May we go
someplace a little more private to talk?"
"Of course. We can go to my office," Dennis directed with a sweep of
his hand. When they reached the room, he motioned to the two chairs in
front of his desk, "Please, have a seat. What's going on?"
Before answering, Kate quickly surveyed the room. Framed awards
and certificates hanging on the walls told her she needed to give this man
more credit. A picture of Dennis with a woman and younger girl held a
place of prominence on his desk. Hmm. I got the impression he wasn't
married.
"Kate?" Beth's voice jolted her back to the moment.
"Oh. Yes. Dennis, I found something that you need to see."
"What do you mean, found something?" asked Dennis pointedly.
"I did a little exploring at the spot where Melanie was found." With
each word, Kate felt daggers coming her way, but it was too late to stop
now.
Dennis let out a sigh and responded, "What are you doing up there? We
already checked that area thoroughly! Boy, you really don't trust the police,
do you?"
"I knew you'd say that,” Kate admitted. “Call it intuition; that's all I can
say. There was no police tape, so I figured it was okay. I think it paid off
because I found this."
Kate reached into her purse and pulled out the bundled tissue, laid it on
the desk, and unfolded it to reveal the pendant. "What do you think? Do you
think it could have come off that chain you said was in Melanie's hand?"
Dennis reluctantly leaned forward to inspect the supposed evidence.
"Hmm. I'll be. You found that at the site?"
"Yep! It was hidden under a bush right next to the area where Melanie
was buried.  At first it was just a little glint, but I didn't dig or anything like
that. Do you think it's important—that it will help?" Kate questioned.
"It's too soon to tell. It's not like I can run over to the local jeweler for
identification. I'll get it to the lab to see if there's anything identifiable on it.
Thank you for bringing it in."
"You're welcome," said Kate standing, with Beth following suit.
"We won't take up any more of your time, so you can get to Pocatello,"
said Beth. "I know you'll keep us informed. Thank you, Dennis."
"Of course!" Dennis stood and extended his hand to Kate. His firm grip
was reassuring.
As the women started out of the room, Dennis continued, "Do me a
favor, will you?"
"Sure, if we can," said Kate.
"Don't share this information with anyone. This may be a clue, and just
in case Klienman isn't our man, this is the kind of thing we need to keep to
ourselves."
"Got it!" They both replied.
"And Kate, no more snooping around, please," he requested. "That's
our job. I promise we're good at it. Understood?" He said, raising an
eyebrow.
"I wasn't snooping," she retorted. "I was acting on a strong hunch. Trust
me, I'm not trying to do your job. But I get these weird feelings to do things
sometimes, and when I do, I find it best to pay attention."
"Well, whatever it was, next time, call me rather than heading out on
your own. Trust me when I say that’s best, and besides . . . I am the one in
charge here. Can I count on you for that?" asked Dennis.
"I'll do my best," muttered Kate.
Kate automatically buckled her seat belt, while Beth sat in silence,
eventually eliciting the question, "Are you okay?" Receiving no response,
she repeated, "Beth?"
"Kate, do you think this guy could have really done it?" Beth reflected.
"I don’t know. It would be nice to get this whole thing cleared up
quickly. For that reason, I hope it was him.”
"Me too," said Beth. "I just want this whole thing to be over."
"I know," agreed Kate, patting Beth’s hand in sympathy. “Look—how
about we change the subject to something more pleasant? Dwelling on this
isn’t going to change anything!"
 "Good idea! Tell me about your experience with Lenny," Beth perked
up, starting the car and putting it in gear.
Kate laughed. "Oh, my goodness! He's quite the character, isn't he? I
was lucky to get a word in edgewise."
"Told ya!" Beth chuckled, pulling into traffic.
"Yes, you did, and thank you for the warning. Thank heaven he got my
car fixed quickly. Said it wasn't a big deal. Seems to know what he's doing."
"Oh, Lenny's great with cars, especially the older ones. But to be
honest, I'm surprised he's been able to stay in business. He used to be the
only repair shop in town, but now there's another oil and lube place. Newer
residents don't feel any sense of loyalty to local businesses like us old-
timers. He still has the gas station, but like I say, I wonder how long that
will continue."
"Oh, he didn't hesitate to tell me of his struggles," Kate said. "He
mentioned something about a new development. According to Lenny, the
developer has offered him a large sum of money for his property."
"I'm sure they have," said Beth.
"He sure didn't have anything nice to say about the people opposing it
—that includes Matt’s wife, Julie. My goodness! He has no regard for her at
all!"
"That whole situation has gotten so ugly!" Beth exclaimed. "At one of
the last city council meetings, those two almost got into a knock-down,
drag-out. It was pitiful watching Julie treat Lenny so unkindly."
"Well, that's not good, especially in public. No wonder Lenny was so
upset when he talked about her," said Kate sympathetically.
"It’s so troubling to see how the issue has divided this town. In my
opinion, nothing that pits friends against each other can be good. I love this
place just the way it is. The smaller developments over the years have had
limited impact. But this? Well, it will change everything—dramatically, I’m
afraid," Beth concluded.
"I understand. We've had the same issues in our town. I know they say
it's progress and inevitable, but I still don't like it."
"Opponents are especially worried about the infrastructure needed for
such an increase in population: schools, traffic, even water. On the other
hand, there are genuine economic advantages. Besides finding Melanie, it is
the talk of the town for sure. It's fine if you're speaking to someone who
agrees with you, but if not, well, like I said, it makes me sad."
"Oh, gosh!" Kate blurted out, "I just put two and two together on this.
This development is the reason Melanie was found, isn't it? That's who was
doing the testing, right? They'd have to have some kind of geological study
in those hills to prove it was a safe place to build. Is that what happened?"
Kate questioned.
"Yep. So I guess that's the good part, no matter what ends up
happening," responded Beth flatly.
"I'll say."
"I'm sorry. I thought I told you," Beth apologized.
"You told me where they found her, but not why. That fills in some
gaps." After a minute she continued, slowly. "Beth, I don't consider this a
coincidence–Melanie being found and all. Why now, now that we've
connected? Don't you think the timing is interesting?" asked Kate.
"Yes. To be honest, I've thought so from the beginning."
Kate pondered the implications as Beth drove. Why did she feel so
compelled to check out the spot? Was Melanie trying to tell her something?
She shook her head to settle the jumble in her head. "When is the decision
going to be made regarding this whole thing?" she asked to divert her
thoughts.
"The city council is set to make a final vote next week. It can't be too
soon for me. It's been a terribly long, drawn-out process for everyone."
"Any idea on how it will turn out?"
"Honestly, no. Apparently, it's pretty evenly divided. My prayer is that
once the vote is in, people can start being nice to each other again. Hey,
what would you like to do this evening? Do you want to eat in or out?
There's a great little local place we could visit if you like. I know it's kind of
early for dinner, but we haven't eaten lunch. Also, you said you wanted to
look over the journals? What suits your fancy?"
"Good question," said Kate. "I've been so wrapped up in finding that
pendant and getting it to Dennis I hadn't even thought that far. Now that you
mention it, I am quite hungry. It would be fun to go someplace local. Why
not?"
"Great! We'll head over to Gus's. It's Colden Hills' little claim to fame,
and the food is fantastic. If you like breakfast for dinner, they have the best
waffles you've ever eaten with the most unusual toppings. I would
recommend them to anyone, anytime," Beth said enthusiastically, making a
U-turn in the direction of the restaurant.
"That sounds wonderful! Then we can go back and look through the
journals later this evening," said Kate.
"I will warn you," said Beth, "Gus's is a real hangout. For us locals, it is
the place to be if you're not eating at home. That's one of the reasons I love
it. Small town atmosphere at its finest. But I'll tell you upfront, there will be
people who will look at the two of us together and ask questions. New
people always get noticed, and there's simply no way they won't see the
similarities between us. Do you want to tell people who you are?"
"Oh, gosh! I didn't even think about that. I’m not sure I’m ready to
broadcast it. Besides, I think Matt should be the one to take that first step. I
don't have to live here, he does. I'd rather not do anything that might put
him in a spot. Why can't we just tell people that we're friends?"  Kate asked.
"We can," said Beth, "but you know that no matter what we say, there’s
always a chance people will be talk. That's the nature of small towns."
"Well, I'm not going to curtail my activities because of what some
people may say," huffed Kate. “I never have, and I won’t start now!”
"Good. We agree on that, too," said Beth.
Seconds later, Beth pulled into a parking lot filled with cars located
next to an old red brick building. The worn sign above the door told her
they’d reached their destination. Beth eased in to an empty spot—
apparently the only one—put the car into gear, unlocked her seat belt, and
said, "Let's go eat!"
 Chapter 11
Walking to the entrance, Beth said, "I remember the original Gus from
when I was a kid. Everybody loved Gus, and they really loved his food. A
few people served, but he did everything else. From what I've heard, he was
very particular. I didn't care how it tasted; I was just excited to eat out. That
was a rare treat."
"Boy, that's the truth. We seldom ate at a restaurant—maybe on
birthdays, but certainly not like most of us do today," agreed Kate.
"But this wasn't simply a place to eat,” Beth added. “This was the town
hangout, especially for the old guys, as I used to call them. I remember
coming in with my mom and dad one morning and seeing a bunch of ‘em
sitting at the counter. To this day, I can see them all lined up. Those are the
memories make me smile and want to go back in time."
"Kind of like a scene from The Andy Griffith Show," Kate said with a
chuckle.
"Exactly!"
Several pairs of inquisitive eyes greeted the women walking in the
door. Kate held back while Beth stepped forward and whispered, "I'll go get
us on the list."
Kate felt conspicuous even though most of the crowd seemed content
to just glance at her and then go back to their conversations. She casually
checked out the waiting area for a place to sit but found all four chairs
occupied. Seconds later, Beth came back and said, "We're in luck! It should
only be a few minutes."
"Oh, good," said Kate. "Continue with your story, please."
"Sure. Uh, where was I?"
"You were telling me about Gus and the history of this place," Kate
reminded her.
 "Oh yeah! Well, about the time I got into high school, Gus died, and his
younger brother took over. He wasn't from here, but cooking must have
been in the genes because he continued the tradition of great food. When he
died, his son became the owner. That was about 25 years ago if I remember
correctly. It's hard to keep track. I'm not even sure he's still in charge, but
the food has continued to be great even with all the changes to the menu.
The waffles are the big draw now."
"Beth, is that you?" called a voice from behind.
Beth turned around to see a plumpish woman with a big smile walk
toward her.
"Oh, hi, Beverly. How are you?"
"I'm doing great, honey, thanks. Haven't seen you around lately.
Figured you'd been hiding out."
"Yeah, it was kind of hairy there for a while, but things have calmed
down as you've noticed, I'm sure."
"Yes, thank heaven. It took me yellin' at those people several times
before they finally moved off my lawn. They simply have no consideration
for others at all."
Beverly was talking to Beth but glancing at Kate. "How're you doing,
honey?" she asked, continuing to assess Kate from the corner of her eye.
"I'm doing fine, thank you for asking." Then to satisfy the woman’s
curiosity, she continued, "Beverly, I'd like to introduce you to my friend,
Kate Dunham. She's in town visiting for a few days. Kate, this is my
neighbor, Beverly Adams."
"How do you do," said Beverly trying not to stare. "My, you two
certainly look alike. It's uncanny."
"Nice to meet you," said Kate. "Yes, we get that comment quite a lot.
Frankly, except for the red hair, I can't see it."
Beth laughed, "Neither can I! Interesting, huh?"
Beverly's voice became soft and tender as she shook her head and said,
"This has been such a shock for all of us, my dear. I can't imagine how
you've have handled it. Always know that you're in our prayers,
sweetheart."
 Reaching for Beth's hand, she gave it a loving squeeze. "Well, I better
get back to Ralph," she said, motioning with her head to a table where a
bald gentleman was sitting. "I just wanted to come and say hi."
"Thank you. I appreciate that," said Beth.
"Oh, do you know when you'll be having the memorial service yet?"
asked Beverly as she started to walk away.
"Yes. It will be on Saturday at 1:00 at the cemetery. You're certainly
welcome to come if you like."
"Thank you. We'll plan on being there. Are you sure there isn't
anything else I can do for you?"
"No. Really, I'm fine, and I have Kate here to keep me company. Thank
you, though, for asking."
"Certainly. I guess we'll see you then. Enjoy your meal." Turning to
Kate, as a final thought, she said, "If you've never tried the waffles, you
simply must. They're delectable!"
"Thank you," said Kate smiling. "I think I will."
Nodding goodbye, Beverly returned to her husband.
"She's nice," said Kate.
"Oh, Beverly is a sweetheart. I've known her almost all my life."
"Those waffles must really be something," said Kate.
"Yeah, I'm afraid they are. I think 'Gus's famous waffles' are one of the
reasons this place has weathered the onslaught of national chains that have
come to town in the last few years. People come from all over this area for
them. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed."
"Okay, then. I guess I better," said Kate, shrugging her shoulders.
Just then, a young woman approached Beth and said, "You're up, Ms.
Grimes. Come this way, please."
"Thanks, Meghan," said Beth. As they made their way between the
tables, she continued, "Meghan, this is my friend Kate Dunham. She's
staying with me for a few days. Kate, this is Meghan. She was one of my
students a couple of years ago."
"Best teacher ever!" said Meghan.
"Thank you! You made it easy. How's school going?"
 "Good, but I'm grateful for summer break. Here you go," she said
nodding to the empty booth and setting the menus down. "It's good to see
you, Ms. Grimes. Nice to meet you, Ms. Dunham. Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you," they said in unison as they scooted onto the benches.
"Hey, Beth," came from the table across from them. "How are you?"
Kate did a double-take when she saw two identical-looking men sitting
in the booth.
"Oh, hey, Brian. Hi, Brent," said Beth.
"Hey, Beth," Brent said.
"I didn't see you there. How're you both doing?"
"Good. Really good, actually," Brian responded.
"I'm so happy to hear that. Jen's doing well then?"
"Yes. The doctors have officially declared her in remission."
"Oh, I'm so happy for you and your family," said Beth.
"Thank you," said Brian. "We feel very blessed."
"Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Kate Dunham.
Kate's in town for a few days visiting. Kate, this is Brian and Brent
Jacobson. I went to school with them."
"Nice to meet you, gentlemen," nodded Kate.
"Brian's the principal of our high school.” Turning to Brent, she said,
"But Brent, it's been a long time since I've seen you around. What are you
doing these days?" asked Beth.
"I'm in Salt Lake. Insurance," Brent answered.
"He makes it sound like it's not a big deal. Brent's a top salesman in his
company. He and Karen live in a big, fancy house. It's really quite
impressive."
"Stop it!" said Brent. "Yes, I've done well, but please don't make a deal
of it."
"That's my brother," said Brian.
"I can see you haven’t changed in that regard, Brent. I hope your
family is doing well," said Beth smiling.
"We're doing great, thanks for asking."
"Well, it's good to see you both. Brian, please give Jen my love. I'm so
very happy for you."
 "Thank you. I will."
Turning their attention back to each other, Kate pushed the menu aside
and said, "I guess I don't really need this."
"Oh, yes, you do," Beth said, sliding it back. "You need to check out all
the different kinds of toppings. That's half the fun. Personally, I prefer to
keep mine simple with strawberries and cream, but you at least need to see
what's available."
As she began to study the different offerings, her pondering was
interrupted by a loud ruckus about three tables down from them. One man
was standing over another, verbally accosting him.
"How can ya do this to me, Jack? All I want's a lousy six-month
extension. They told me you said no. How can ya do this to me?" The
hubbub of the restaurant immediately turned tense, with all eyes focused on
the yelling man.
"Luke, calm down. This is neither the time nor place to discuss this,"
said the seated man, apparently named Jack, as he tried to guide Luke into
the booth with him.
"I won't calm down," said Luke as he yanked himself away. "I want
answers, and I want them now."
The fracas was interrupted by a young man who approached Luke and
said politely, "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave Luke. I can't have you
disturbing the customers like this. You know that, man."
"I'm not leaving until I get some answers here."
"Luke," said Jack, rising and taking the angry man by the arm, "Let's
go back to my office and discuss this. You don't want everyone here to
know what's going on in your life. Come on."
"They already think they know," bellowed Luke. Then raising his voice
and turning to everyone, he said, "And don't think I don't know y'all talk
about me too. I don't care. Talk all you want."
"Come on, Luke. Let's get out of here," said Jack, forcibly leading
Luke out of the restaurant. Turning back to the man who had asked Luke to
leave, he said, "I'm sorry, Brandon. I'll be back to pay the bill."
"No problem, Jack. Thanks."
 Every gaze followed Jack and Luke as they left the restaurant, and then
as if on cue, the hum of voices started again. "What was that all about?"
asked Kate.
"Luke is a rancher on the north end of town. He's one of those who
wants to sell his land for this new development. I'm thinking he's hoping it
will go through, and this extension he was talking about will tie him over
until he can get the money he wants.
"He's not afraid to cause a scene, is he?" observed Kate.
"Nope! He never has been."
"I feel kind of bad for the guy," said Kate.
"You don't need to. Luke's not a very nice person. I know, that's terrible
to say, but it's the truth. Personally, I don't know him that well, but he has a
reputation. This little demonstration you witnessed isn't his first. I'm
guessing he thinks if he embarrasses the other person enough, they'll give in
to him."
"Hmm. Still, too bad. I guess some people never learn."
"I agree!" said Beth.
The waitress came over to their table a minute later, apologizing
profusely as she set two glasses of water in front of them.
"No worries, Amy. It's not your fault," said Beth.
"Are you ladies ready?"
"Yes, ma'am! It's waffle time. Strawberries and cream for me," said
Beth.
"I'll do the same," said Kate.
"Very good. I'll get those right out for ya," Amy said, gathering the
menus.
"So have you made up your mind on this development issue? You seem
able to see both sides," observed Kate.
"I can. I tend to be against it, for what it's worth. I feel I don't have
access to the enough information to make a completely informed decision
—too much emotion clouds the facts. From my perspective, too many
people have a personal, financial stake in the decision. That includes Lenny,
Luke, and Julie, among others. Then there're the newcomers who don't care
about maintaining the status quo of our town. The dynamic here is
changing, and it hurts my heart. I'm hoping when all is said and done,
things will calm down."
"You realize the vote probably won't end the contention," Kate said.
Beth sighed. "I know, but I can still hope. However, I do feel if it's
denied, things will get back to normal faster."
"If this one is denied, you know there'll be another one come to take its
place. I'm afraid it's the nature of the beast in these towns where there's
room to grow," said Kate.
"Oh, I know. Listen, this is getting depressing. Can we please change
the subject? Tell me more about you," requested Beth.
"Me?" laughed Kate. "I've told you all about me."
"You've told me a lot, but what about . . . well . . . you've said you're
ready to make a change. You're going to sell your home. Where do you
want to go?"
"Oh! That is an excellent question for which I have no answer at the
moment. All that stuff came to a screeching halt when I found the adoption
papers."
"Well, think about it for a minute," encouraged Beth. "Do you want to
stay in Oakdale? Would you like to travel? What floats your boat, as it
were?"
"Let's see . . . um, I do love Oakdale. I've lived there most of my life.
It's the only home I really know. But, we have similar situations down there
as you have here. It's growing, and hardly recognizable from what it was a
short 10 years ago, let alone when I was a kid. You know, they tore down
the store my parents owned."
"Oh, no! That must have been awful for you," exclaimed Beth.
"It was! I thought it should have been made a historical landmark.
Three generations owned that place, but not enough people agreed. It broke
my heart. The ‘immigrants’ don't get it. They usually aren't small-town
people. They come from bigger cities and are attracted to the lower housing
costs. They think they want the small-town life, but once they’re there, they
attempt to turn it into all the things they left behind in the city. You know
what I mean?" asked Kate.
 "Absolutely! Soon, the newcomers here will be the majority, and we'll
lose the close family feel that’s been so important over the years," said
Beth.
"I agree. But, at the same time, I don't know that you can have a
thriving community with a small-town feel anymore. Staying in Oakdale,
longing for the old days, won't change the situation,” Kate reasoned then
continued, “I don't need to stay for my job. I love it, but I don't need the
money. With my kids gone, and most likely never moving back, that takes
away another need to stay. Maybe it's time for some real adventure."
"What would adventure look like to you?" Beth prodded.
"Well, when I was young, I thought I wanted to travel, you know, get
out and see the world. Then I married Chet, and life revolved around
medical school. We lived in a couple of different places—large cities, in
fact—but I don't consider that traveling. After school, we were busy getting
settled into the community and growing Chet's practice. There wasn't time
for anything else. Chet took his yearly trip to California with his friends,
and I was content staying home. I really was. After he died, I lost all desire
to fly anywhere. Besides, my life was wrapped up in maintaining some
sense of normalcy for Ali and Michael. I never imagined my life would turn
out as it has."
"Do any of us? Really?" asked Beth. "Do you know anyone who's
exactly where they planned to be in their life?"
"Nope! I can't think of one person. Illness, divorce, death, and
economic issues are only of fraction of the things that happen that we can't
control. I guess the whole idea is to learn to roll with the punches."
"I think you're right. And from what I can see, I think you've rolled
pretty well."
"Oh, thanks. Sometimes I wonder if that's really the case. But I do my
best. How ‘bout you? What grand plans did you have when you were
younger?"
Kate's question was met with silence. Beth stared at the table for a
minute before answering. "Well, marriage, for one. I really wanted to be a
wife and mother. It ended up not being in the cards for me," said Beth
wistfully.
 "You never had an opportunity for it? An incredible woman like
yourself?" asked Kate, her disbelief showing.
"I thought I did. Once. In college. I was head over heels. He was tall,
handsome, and clever, with a great sense of humor. Treated me like a queen.
He was everything I wanted in a guy. We dated for about five months,
seeing each other at least three to four times a week. I thought we both felt
the same thing—that we were headed for happily-ever-after. Then one
night, he told me he was looking for something else. When I asked him
what, he said he wasn't quite sure, only that he felt our relationship was
done. I stayed in bed and cried for an entire week."
"What a jerk! Why do guys do that?"
"Well, evidently for money. Anyway, that’s how it looked to me. The
next girl he dated, and I might add he didn't wait very long, came from a
very well-to-do family. I didn't want to believe it. But the longer I observed
him from a distance, I saw how I'd missed the signs. I realized he wasn’t as
wonderful as I originally thought. The experience kind of turned me off
men for a while. I buried myself in school and then work. By the time I was
ready to trust again, the opportunities had become fewer. When I moved
back here, they all but disappeared."
"Wow. I have no words. ‘I'm sorry’ sounds so trite. But you seem quite
happy with your life."
"I am! I love my life! I have a great job teaching amazing kids. I have a
lot of friends and a great support system. It wasn't what I planned, but it
isn't bad. Having you in my life now has made it even better.
"Here you go, ladies," interrupted the conversation as Amy placed the
plates of waffles on the table. "Enjoy! Can I get you anything else while I'm
here?"
"No, thank you. We're good," said Beth.
"Okay, then. Here you go," Amy said, laying the ticket on the table.
"Oh, my!" Kate said, staring at the food before her. A thick golden
waffle filled the entire plate, covered with bright red, sliced strawberries,
and juice dripping down the sides. A huge dollop of real whipped cream sat
on top, not the awful stuff from a can. "Where do I even start?"
 "Dig in! That's all you can do," said Beth attacking her waffle with a
fork. "You'll make a mess no matter how you do it. I know because I've
tried to be neat. It doesn't work," she said, putting her first bite into her
mouth.
The waffles certainly lived up to the hype. The sweetness, the crisp
texture, everything about them was perfect. The two women stopped
conversing to focus on the treat. Kate felt she was indulging in a glorious
dessert, not any kind of a meal. After a few minutes, she said, "Now I
understand completely why people come from all over for these. There's got
to be some magic ingredient. I've never tasted waffles like this."
"There is, but no one will say. I think the cooks are even required to
sign a non-disclosure agreement. I knew you'd love them," said Beth
between bites.
"What's not to love? I know I should feel guilty, but I don't. We'll need
to come back before I leave. I want to try some different toppings. Is that
okay?"
"Absolutely! You don't have to twist my arm."
Kate took another bite and closed her eyes as she relished the moment.
"Divine! Absolutely divine!" Beth laughed in response.
Silence took over as they continued eating, finishing up every last bit.
Kate was grateful for the break, although she'd become self-conscious,
sensing curious eyes and feeling unheard whispers. Conversations were
switching from that Luke guy to the new girl with Beth Grimes.
"Do you feel like we're being watched?" Kate finally asked.
"Maybe a little. I told you that was a real possibility."
"I know. I feel very conspicuous."
"Forget it. Hey, you look like you'd like to lick that plate clean," Beth
said with a chuckle.
"If we weren't in a public place, I would. This was so good!" Kate
admitted. "Thank you."
"I wouldn't lead you astray, Kate Dunham," teased Beth. "Since you're
not going to lick it, are you ready to go?"
"Yes, I think I am."
 Chapter 12
Beth picked up the check from the table as she glanced over at the cashier.
At the counter, she recognized a plumpish older woman with unnaturally
bright red hair in a bun on top of her head. Her face was painted with dark,
penciled-in eyebrows and colorful, coral red lipstick.
"Oh, gosh! Okay, Kate, be prepared! See that woman at the cash
register?" she said, tilting her head, pointing with her eyes. “That’s Hazel.
Hazel has no filter. None. I can’t promise what will come out of her mouth,
but I can almost guarantee something will.”
“Thanks for the warning,” said Kate, scrutinizing the woman.
Approaching the counter, Kate heard a loud, high pitched voice. "Beth,
honey, it's so good to see you. You haven't been out much since they found
your sister, have ya now. Such a shame! Frank and I were just talkin’ about
it this mornin’. Such a shame. How ya doin’?” Without giving Beth time to
respond, she looked at Kate and continued, “Now, who’s this ya have with
ya? Why, she looks like she could be your sister.”
“Hi, Hazel. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” Beth responded simply,
handing over the bill with her credit card. “This is my friend, Kate
Dunham.” Kate nodded politely without saying a word.
"Well, well, Kate, huh? Where are you from, Kate?" Hazel took the
card and held it, making no effort to finish the transaction.
“I live in a place called Oakdale. It’s in the southern part of the state,”
Kate said simply.
“Oh, I love southern Utah. We go there all the time. You been to the
festival in the summer?”
"Yes, yes, I have."
“Hazel? The card?” interrupted Beth.
 "Oh, my goodness! So sorry. I just get so wrapped up.” She ran the
card as she continued her conversation with Kate. "We just love the festival!
We try to make it every year. I don't know if we're going to get there this
year, though. Frank hurt his back and has trouble moving around. Yep, he's .
. ."
"Sorry to hear that," said Beth as she quickly signed the credit card
receipt and slid it back toward Hazel. "It's been good to see you. You have a
good day now."
Without hesitation, she and Kate headed to the door, leaving Hazel
looking confused. Beth leaned close to Kate and said, "I know it may look
like I was being rude, but honestly, if we didn't walk away, we'd be there for
the rest of the afternoon. She’ll get over it. Heaven knows, she has plenty of
people to talk to in there.”
Walking toward the car, they found themselves directly in the path of
two men. Beth quickly turned to Kate and said, “That’s Matt. Follow my
lead.”
Kate could see Matt discretely shaking his head, pointing to his son
with his eyes, and mouthing the words, “He does not know.” So this is my
father, and my brother! Her thoughts froze.
"Good afternoon, sunshine," Matt greeted. "How're you doing today?"
"I'm doing great, thank you. It's so good to see you," Beth said,
cheerfully going along with the little ruse. "Matt, MJ, this is my friend,
Kate Dunham. She's visiting me for a little while. Kate, this is our good
mayor, Matt Jenkins, and his son MJ."
“How do you do, Ms. Dunham,” MJ said, giving a little nod. Matt, on
the other hand, gave Kate a smile that spoke volumes.
“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Dunham. I’ve heard so much about you from
Beth.” Kate tried to interpret the look she saw in his eyes. Despite his
cheerful demeanor, she detected a little stress and awkwardness.
Beth continued, “I brought Kate here to taste the waffles.”
Kate smiled and rolled her eyes as she said, "Ah-hh, they certainly did
not disappoint."
“We’re coming from the airport,” said Matt. “MJ’s been in California
for the last five days for work. The first request he had was to go to Gus’s
for waffles. I wasn’t about to argue with him.”
MJ interjected with a smile, "Dad forgot to mention that I've been
putting in a lot of extra hours on this project. I deserve a little treat, and I'll
use any excuse."
"Well, you two go get your food. Kate and I need to be on with our
way. I'll talk to you soon?" Beth asked.
"Yes. Yes, you will," Matt assured her. "I'll call you. Nice to meet you,
Ms. Dunham."
“It was nice to meet you, too, and please call me Kate.”
“Kate, then. It’s nice to meet you, Kate.”
As they got to the car, Kate sunk onto her seat in stunned silence.
“Kate, are you okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t even think of the possibility of
running into Matt, let alone MJ, too.”
"I'm fine, really," Kate replied simply. “Do you think he’ll tell his son
about me? Today, I mean.”
“I don’t know,” Beth said, pulling out of the parking lot. “When he left
the house this morning, he wasn't certain about his course of action. He was
mostly trying to wrap his head around the situation, the implications and all,
you know.”
“He’s very good-looking,” Kate reflected.
“Yes, he is. And, Kate, he’s as nice as he is good looking. You need to
know that.”
“I’m sure he is,” responded Kate uncertainly. She had felt hesitant
about meeting Matt from the beginning and wasn't sure why. Sadly, this
brief encounter relieved none of her concerns.
As if trying to convince Kate of Matt’s excellence she continued, “I
remember when he and Melanie were dating. He never treated me like I
was an annoyance. Instead, he always took time to talk to me. And he could
be such a tease. Of course, being 10, I loved the attention.”
"That's quite unusual for a teenaged boy to treat his girlfriend's little
sister like that. Of course, he could have done it just to impress Melanie."
“Maybe, but it never felt that way.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure he’s as wonderful as you say he is, and his motives
were always pure. I don’t know why that remark even left my mouth,” said
Kate.
“I can’t imagine Matt being anything but sincere,” said Beth in his
defense.
“Again, I apologize for even thinking otherwise,” said Kate, trying to
overcome her uneasiness.
“Ya know, I don’t ever remember feeling jealous of Melanie. I think I
felt like he belonged to both of us. He was one of the few people who saw
me when Melanie went missing. I think I told you I often felt invisible back
then?” asked Beth.
“Yes, you did.”
“Even after Melanie went missing, he'd visit. Of course, after a few
months, he went off to school, but when he was in town, every once in a
while, he'd stop by. When I moved back to town, we picked up with our
relationship in the same place we left off. Well, as best as we could under
the circumstances,” Beth rambled.
“How does his wife feel about that? I should think it would be
bothersome to her. I think it might be to me.”
“Why?” Beth said, irritated by the inference. "He still looks at me like
a little sister, and he's never been anything but a big brother figure to me.
You saw the way he treated me just now. Julie has nothing to worry about.
And I've never gotten the feeling she’s bothered by it.”
“What do you think of her?” asked Kate.
“Julie?”
"Yeah. I'm just curious. How do you think Julie will react when she
finds out about me?"
"I honestly don't know. I know Julie more from a distance, like the
council meeting. We don't run in the same circles, and whenever I see Matt,
she's not with him."
“Hmm. Is there a problem there?”
“Not that I know of,” Beth answered abruptly, becoming defensive.
"Let me clarify something here, Kate. It's not like Matt and I spend a lot of
time together. He checks on me every so often, especially recently, but for
the most part, I see him in passing. I know if I really need something I can
call him, but I don't. As far as his relationship with his wife, he would never
share that kind of thing with me. Occasionally we talk about Melanie. I
know he’s been struggling since they found her.”
“Got it!” said Kate, feeling put in her place.
Awkward silence filled the car as Beth pulled into the driveway.
Walking to the house, Kate said, "I'm sorry if what I said offended you. I'm
only trying to understand the lay of the land.”
"It's okay," Beth sighed, opening the door and walking in. She paused
for a moment, turned, and looked directly at Kate. Heaving another sigh,
she continued, “Honestly, Kate, I’ve never thought of how our relationship
might look to outsiders. It's just nice having someone watch out for me.
People who've lived here forever and know us understand, but I can see
how it might look otherwise to people like you."
“Like I said, I’m only trying to understand. I never thought there was
anything inappropriate. Never. I just couldn’t help but wonder how Julie
looks at it, that’s all. Were you ever close to her, you know, when Melanie
was alive?”
Beth headed for the family room, dumping her keys and purse on the
credenza behind the couch. "Heavens, no! She was friends with Melanie, so
she’d come around occasionally, but she never wanted anything to do with
me.” Beth continued talking as she headed to her bedroom.
“Hey, I’m going to go change into something more comfortable. I’m
assuming you want to start in on those boxes again, right?”
“Yes, I do,” Kate said, sitting down on the couch. She settled in front of
the open box containing the journals and pulled the top one out. As she
flipped through the pages, Beth walked in wearing flannel pajama bottoms
and a loose-fitting T-shirt.
"Oh, you do look comfortable!" Kate observed.
“Well, I figure since we're home for the evening, I might as well be."
"Absolutely!" She set the journal in her lap, looked at Beth, and said,
"Are we okay? I mean, the air is clear between us, right?"
“Yes. I’m fine. Really,” said Beth. “No hard feelings at all.”
“Okay, good. I couldn’t handle that right now. Sometimes my filter
doesn’t work so well.” Kate declared.
 “It’s all fine. It’s probably a good thing that you mentioned it, actually.
I never thought about how it looked, and it never occurred to me Julie might
be bothered by our friendship. Now, what's in that journal?" she asked,
looking at the book on Kate’s lap.
“Let’s see.” Kate opened the book and said, “I’m hoping Melanie wrote
during her time in Idaho. I’d like to know how she felt when she was
pregnant. Even though she knew it was the best decision to give me up for
adoption, it couldn’t have been easy for her. I can’t imagine going through a
pregnancy, getting to know the baby, and then giving it to someone else to
raise.”
"Mom did say it was a tough choice for everyone.”
“Don’t misunderstand,” Kate said quickly, “I’m very grateful Melanie
made the decision she did. I had a wonderful life, and I loved my parents
very much, but there’s that little niggling thought in the back of my head
that asks, ‘what if?’ Of course, none of us can know how different things
might have been.”
“Maybe it would have saved her life?” Beth suggested.
“Oh! That’s something I hadn’t thought of. You want me to read out
loud?”
“Sure,” said Beth.
Picking the book up, she started reading.
September 12, 1968
I was going to try to write in this journal every day, but nothing
exciting has happened, so I haven't written. I got Mr. Gowens for math.
Yuck. He has a reputation for not being the nicest. Math isn't my best
subject anyway. Maybe he won't be that bad as I get to know him, but it's
been more than a week, and so far, I agree with what everyone has said
about him.
The best part of the class is Matt Jenkins. He's so cute. And he's really
nice. I've never had any classes with him, so I never really got to know him.
I never thought he’d notice someone like me, being a big football star and
all, but he's been really kind to me. Wouldn't it be cool if he ended up liking
me, too? Well, that's all for tonight.
 “Well, now we know how Matt and Melanie connected. By the way,
are you going to read each one of those journals? That could take a while,”
questioned Beth.
“I wondered the same thing the minute you mentioned it. There’s
something about reading it all that will give us a good picture of what she
was doing back then. That’s what I really want to see.”
“If that’s what you want, I’m here for the duration,” said Beth.
“I don’t need to get through it quickly. I want to take the time to really
get a feel for Melanie. Can you understand that?" Kate clarified.
“Yes. Yes, I can. It makes perfect sense. Go on, please,” Beth
encouraged.
“How about I skim and only read the interesting parts out loud?"
“Really, whatever you want to do is fine with me,” said Beth, settling
in more.
“Okay, let’s see . . . she still doesn’t like her math teacher. Oh, I didn’t
know she played in the band. What did she play?” Kate asked, waiting for
Beth to fill in the holes.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," said Beth. "She played the flute, but I
don't remember her doing much with it. She also played the piano. That I do
remember. I loved to listen to her practice. Mom tried to get me to play, too,
but I couldn’t get into it. Eventually, she let me quit. I guess she got tired of
fighting with me.”
"I took lessons for a little while as a kid, too. Every once in a while, I
wonder what would have happened had I tried a little harder. You know,
woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’. I love listening to the piano, though.”
“Did you have your kids take lessons?” asked Beth.
"I tried for a little bit. My daughter fought with me, and it was quickly
apparent that my son didn't have the aptitude. Like your mom, I didn't like
the fight, so I let them quit. You learn to pick your battles."
“I understand completely,” said Beth.
Kate returned to the journal, glancing over the next few entries. "She
really did want to be consistent in keeping this journal. She wrote regularly
but didn't have a lot to say. Oh, here she's frustrated with her math again.
Uh . . . oh, this is good. Matt is so nice. Thank heavens he’s good in math,
too. We got the results back on our first test. I didn’t do so well. He has
offered to help me understand it better. He doesn’t like Mr. Gowans any
better than me and knows I don’t like asking questions in class. What good
is it to have a teacher if the students don’t feel they can ask questions?
Anyway, Matt’s going to come over tomorrow so we can do our homework
together. I’m so excited! Maybe I’ll stay bad at math so we can keep
studying together. Is that wrong?
Both Kate and Beth laughed. “Oh my!” said Beth. “I wonder how long
that lasted. Matt’s never said anything to me about helping her in math
before. That’s funny.”
“Oh, here’s another one…I've been studying with Matt now for a week.
He's a good teacher. Maybe he should give Mr. Gowans some lessons. I'm
feeling more confident in my math skills and like I can do better on our next
test. I couldn't lie and tell him I'm not getting it. He'd figure it out when I
got my scores.
Kate continued scanning to catch the high points. “Okay, here’s another
one, dated a couple days later. I got an A on my math test today. Matt was
happy for me too. The best part was that he said he was still willing to come
over and study with me. He asked me if I wanted him to. I tried not to act
too excited when I told him yes. I think I’m in love.”
“And so it begins,” said Beth. “When’s that dated?”
“That’s October 1,” said Kate. “Sounds like things are starting to heat
up. Here’s the next entry. October 4, Matt asked me to go to the game with
him. Well, not actually with him because he will be playing. He said he just
wants me there. I've never been to a football game before. I don't want to go
and sit all by myself. I thought about asking Julie if she'd like to go with me
but had second thoughts with that. Matt said he wants to do something
afterward, and if Julie's there, I can't leave her all by herself. That would be
rude. I'll think about that. I'm still not sure if this is considered a real date
or not. But I do really think he likes me. I don't see him hanging around any
other girls at school. How do you know when someone really likes you
unless they tell you? Oh, this is so hard. I hope I'm not getting my hopes
up."
"Oh, to be 16," said Beth.
 “I wouldn’t go back to that again for anything,” laughed Kate, with
Beth joining in. She continued to skim through the entries in silence until,
“Oh, here an interesting entry.”
I'm so mad. There’s a kid at school who has some learning problems.
His name is Max. He’s a sweet kid, but some of the kids are so mean to him.
He's kind of slow, and I think he's in some special classes because I don't
think he's at school for the whole day. Also, he's a big kid, bigger than most
of the other boys. There's a bully at school named Luke. He is such a jerk.
He's always been a jerk, ever since I've known him.
“Could that be the same Luke we saw at Gus’s today?” asked Kate.
“I’ll bet it is! I don’t know of anybody else named Luke around here.
Interesting,” said Beth.
Kate continued, He was especially mean to Max today and nobody was
doing anything about it. Usually, I ignore Luke, but today I couldn't. I got
between him and Max and told him off. I think it really surprised him that a
girl would talk back to him because he was quiet for a moment, but then he
laughed and started to tease me instead and call me names. I don't care. I
can take it. It seemed to take some of the attention from Max. Luckily, right
after that, a teacher came around the corner, and Luke took off with his
stupid friends. How can people be so unkind?
"I'll bet you anything that was Luke. Of course, I don't remember him
from school, but for as long as I can remember, he's had a reputation for
being, well, like you saw him today. Let's just say he doesn't have many
friends," said Beth.
"Hmm. That's interesting," Kate paused in thought for a second before
continuing, “This one’s from the next day. Max came up to me today and
gave me a flower. He's so sweet. I know he talks slow and sometimes doesn't
pronounce his words correctly, but he needs a friend. I want to be his friend.
I wish someone would punch Luke's lights out.
“Bless her heart for helping that kid,” said Kate.
Their activity was interrupted by the ringing of Beth’s phone. “Hello,
Matt,” said Beth, seeing his name pop up on her screen. Kate’s ears
immediately perked up.
 “Oh good, but I’m kind of surprised. I thought you wanted to take a
little more time . . . We’ve talked about it a little bit . . . Dinner tomorrow?”
She looked over at Kate with questioning eyes. Kate responded with a
little bit of a grimace and shrugged shoulders, then she nodded her head and
mouthed, “Okay.”
Beth continued, “I think that will be fine. Let’s do it here . . . Yes, I’m
sure. I don’t mind fixing dinner, and it’ll be nice to have just the three of us
. . . Okay . . . Okay . . . Thanks for calling, Matt. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Beth hung up the phone and looked to Kate. “Are you sure you’re okay
with this? We don’t have to if you’re not ready.”
"I should be. I feel like I should be. I agreed to it." Kate knew she was
backtracking. "But can I sleep on it?" she asked. "Now that it's becoming a
reality, I'm feeling more nervous."
"That's not a problem," Beth reassured her. "Matt is concerned about it
being too soon, but at the same time, he really wants to meet you, more than
in a parking lot. I can always call him back tomorrow if you change your
mind. He doesn’t want you to feel any pressure.”
“Thank you.”
“Kate?”
“Yes?”
“May I ask why you are hesitating with this?” asked Beth.
“I’m not sure." Kate paused for a moment to organize her thoughts
before speaking. "After recovering a bit from the shock of being adopted, I
was looking forward to meeting you. I mean, we'd spent a lot of time
talking before I ever came up here, and that helped. I loved the idea of
having an aunt. Learning more about, and connecting to, Melanie has been
safe because she's not here. Even then, I think my greatest desire is to find
her killer. When it comes to Matt, it's different."
“How so?” asked Beth.
“Well, from what you’ve told me and the little I’ve seen, he seems to
be a great guy, so I don’t think that’s the problem. I think it’s . . . I think . . .
that I’m feeling guilty. I adored my father. My world crumbled when he was
killed. For goodness sake, I felt the need to bring his car as my security
blanket. A car that probably should have been retired long ago. Now, it
somehow feels like I'm betraying his memory by bringing Matt into my life.
I think that's my struggle. I'm sorry."
"There's no need to feel sorry," Beth assured her. "This is new territory
for all of us. Do you want me to put off dinner with Matt?”
"No, not yet. Like I said, let me sleep on it. Right now, I want to get
back to those journals. Did you ever know this Max guy?"
“No. That name doesn’t sound familiar at all. But I wouldn’t know
anything about her school activities unless she talked about them at home.
Why do you ask?”
“Well, you’re going to say I’m way off base with this, but what if that
Max guy developed an obsession with Melanie?” speculated Kate.
“What if he did? What would that have to do with anything?” Beth
responded, perplexed.
“People with obsessions do strange things. If he was obsessed, could he
have been dangerous to her?”
“You’re right, Kate. You are grasping at straws. I think you’re the one
who’s become obsessed. He’s probably just some poor guy who needed a
friend, just like Melanie said. Why do you keep doing this?”
“I don’t know! You’re probably right, but humor me for a minute, for
no other reason than to get it off my mind.”
“Okay, fine. Go for it,” said Beth, shaking her head and rolling her
eyes.
“What if Max built up his relationship with Melanie far beyond what it
was, especially while she was gone. What if he saw her that day and asked
her to go with him? His intention could have been perfectly innocent,” Kate
proposed.
“What makes you think Melanie would have gotten into a car with
him?” asked Beth.
"I don't know. I'm just throwing out suggestions," Kate said, frustrated.
“Mom said that Melanie was upset that day and went for a hike to calm
down. I doubt she’d get into a car with anybody. She’d be focused on
getting to the trail,” suggested Beth.
“She obviously got into a car with someone,” Kate reminded her aunt,
“but I see your point. But, what if he found out she was back in town and
wanted to do something special for her?”
“So???”
"So, I'm grasping at straws. It doesn't make sense that Melanie would
get into his car, at least not voluntarily. Hey, what if he was so set on being
with her that he forced her into his car?" Kate suggested.
“Kate! Straws,” said Beth forcefully.
“Argh! This is so frustrating!” huffed Kate.
"Why, oh, why do you keep doing this to yourself?" asked Beth. "We'll
have news tomorrow about that guy in Idaho. Dennis says he's the best lead
they've got, and he'd know."
“I know. I just have this feeling,” admitted Kate reluctantly.
“Ah, the feeling thing again,” chided Beth.
“You don’t trust my instincts, do you?” stated Kate.
“Not completely, I’m sorry. How can I, Kate? I don’t get those kinds of
‘feelings,' so I can't relate to your experiences," she said, making air quotes.
“Are you saying you feel Max did it?”
"Actually, no. I admit that I'm grasping with that. What I feel is that the
guy from Idaho didn't do it,” Kate said cautiously.
"How can you say that? You know nothing of this man!" Beth said,
incredulously. He's dangerous. He made threats against Melanie."
“I know, I know. It doesn’t make sense,” Kate affirmed. “But think
about this . . . You said yourself, Melanie wouldn't have gotten into a car
with Max. What makes you think she'd get into a car with a man she knew
was dangerous and out to get her?"
“Oh! I never thought of that. He could have forced her,” Beth
suggested.
"Yes, and that would have caused quite a ruckus, don't you think?"
Kate proposed.
“That’s true, but what if he killed her and then took her up and buried
her? That’s certainly a possibility, right?” asked Beth.
“Yes. Come to think of it, I don’t think Dennis told us where they
thought she was killed. That’s one more question.”
“Oh, Kate, I’m so tired of questions. Can’t we stop with this? My head
hurts,” moaned Beth. “I just want to let Dennis do his thing. Why can’t
you?”
“It’s uncomfortable for me to do nothing when these questions come to
mind. It’s my way of handling the emotions. I’m sorry if I’m causing you
grief,” Kate confessed.
“Don’t feel like that. I’m emotional, too. We’re obviously coming at
this from very different perspectives.”
“I want to sit back and just enjoy being here. That was the intention
when I came. But I can’t stop thinking about Melanie and what it must have
been like for her that day.”
Beth closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t think about that.”
Kate set the journal back in the box and walked over to Melanie's
picture on the wall. “When did you say Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mark are
coming in?”
“They should be here Friday afternoon,” said Beth, randomly puffing
the pillows on the couch. “Oh, and I think I forgot to tell you Stephanie’s
coming, too.”
“Stephanie?” said Kate turning from the picture.
“You know, the one whose boyfriend is our main suspect in Melanie’s
death,” Beth reminded her.
“Oh, yes, of course!” said Kate.
"Aunt Peggy says they have kept in touch over the years, and she wants
to be here," explained Beth.
“That’s nice,” said Kate.
“I’m going to get me a little something to eat,” said Beth, heading
toward the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thanks. I’ll come in myself,” Kate said as she followed Beth.
“What have we got fun to eat? Nothing like those waffles. I only need a
little something.”
“There’s some fruit in the fridge.”
“That’ll be perfect,” said Kate, opening the refrigerator and grabbing
an apple. Resting against the kitchen counter, she took a bite and said, "You
know, it's been a long day. I’m going to retire. I need to call Lizzie, and I
think I need some time alone. You don’t mind, do you?”
“We didn’t get very far. Are you okay?”
 “Yeah. I need a break, maybe get some clarity on those feelings. We’ll
hit the journals tomorrow? The only other thing I want to do is contact
Dennis. I want to know what he found out in Pocatello.”
“He said he’d call us with any news,” Beth reminded her impatiently.
“I know. I don’t want to wait until he gets around to it,” said Kate,
walking out of the room. She stopped when Beth started speaking again.
“Kate, I’ve spent decades without answers. The box where all the
emotions were stuffed has been suddenly opened. You’re not the only one
here on a roller coaster.”
"I understand that, Beth. We each handle things in different ways. I
don't want to feel like I'm stepping on your toes when I make a suggestion,
or tell you I have a feeling. Are we okay here?"
Beth nodded her head and said with a smile, “Yes, of course! You
know, it’s funny, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if Melanie hadn’t
been found. Kate, you mentioned earlier that you don’t think it was a
coincidence we connected at this specific time.”
“That's right. I don't understand it, but I know there's a purpose in my
being here now," said Kate, “and I think it’s related to finding Melanie
justice.”
“You don’t think it’s enough to have found your birth family?” asked
Beth.
"Look, I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that I'm not my
parents' biological daughter. Don't get me wrong, Beth, I'm grateful that
we've connected. But I'm nervous about sitting down with Matt, and I'm not
sure about how I feel about meeting other family members. What I do know
is that I have this real need to find out what happened to Melanie.”
"I love you, Kate. I love that I have a niece, and I love that it's you."
With that, Beth kissed Kate on the cheek and gave her a final squeeze.
"Go to bed. We're both exhausted. Sleep tight."
“Good-night,” said Kate, heading for her room. Turning down her
sheets, she remembered Lizzie. This time she knew she couldn’t put off the
call.
 Chapter 13
Kate snuggled into the bed, waiting for Lizzie to answer. She planned on a
long conversation. After one ring, she heard, “Hey you! What’s taken so
long?”
“I’m sorry,” Kate apologized. “I’ve been a terrible friend.”
“Stop it!” Lizzie reprimanded her. “But you can’t blame me for being
concerned. How are you doing?  Anything new?”
“Things are fine. Beth and I started going through Melanie's mementos.
We found some helpful journals," said Kate.
“That’s wonderful! Any exciting revelations?”
“Not really. At least not yet. I thought maybe I found a clue but
changed my mind," said Kate.
“Kate? Are you okay? You sound a little down,” observed Lizzie.
“I’m tired. Emotionally, you know?” said Kate.
“Of course you are, but it sounds like something happened,” Lizzie
pried.
“Did I tell you I feel this pull to find out what happened to Melanie?”
asked Kate.
“Yes? Kate! What have you done?” asked Lizzie.
“Nothing! Not really. It’s just that Beth and I are different in our
approaches to things, which can cause tension. We’re fine . . . It’s just . . .
they have this person of interest, and, well, I have a feeling he didn’t kill
Melanie, so I’m looking for clues in other places,” Kate confessed.
“You’re not doing anything dangerous, are you?” exclaimed Lizzie.
“Looking for clues sounds dangerous to me.”
“For goodness sake, Lizzie. Of course not!  You’ve watched too many
murder mysteries.  I’m reading Melanie’s journals . . . and . . . well, I may
be reading more into what she’s saying than is really there.” confessed
Kate. “I just can’t seem to help myself.”
“Maybe you’ve been watching too many mysteries,” suggested Lizzie.
“I guess that possible, but I don’t think so.”
“It feels like there’s something else going on here. Talk to me, Kate.”
“We ran into my birth father and his son today. I wasn’t prepared. I
think he was surprised, too. We were coming out of a restaurant as they
were going in.”
“I see!”
"Right now, the plan is to get together for dinner tomorrow, but I'm still
not sure. I'm struggling with the idea of meeting him. I've tried to figure out
why, and all I come up with is that I feel like I'm betraying my father,”
proposed Kate.
“Do you honestly think that’s how your father would feel?” asked
Lizzie.
“I don’t know! I still can’t figure out why they didn’t tell me I was
adopted. Was it because they never wanted me to contact my birth parents?”
said Kate.
"Back then, a lot of people thought it was best to not tell their children
they were adopted. You need to let it go," counseled Lizzie.
 
“I know . . . but then why do I feel so apprehensive about meeting with
Matt?” asked Kate, frustrated.
 
"It's probably like you say, you feel like it's a betrayal to your dad. It
seems to me that's perfectly normal. Keep in mind that your birth father is
probably feeling a whole bunch of stuff right now, too. This may be a great
opportunity for you just to get to know each other, and there's nothing
wrong with that," said Lizzie.
 
“You’re right. I’m making a bigger deal out of this than I need to. I’m
probably just tired. At least I still have an out. I told Melanie I wanted to
sleep on it before I agreed for sure. I’ll probably feel fine about it in the
morning.”
  
“Any ideas on when you’re coming home?” asked Lizzie.
 
“The memorial service is Saturday so not before then. Aunt Peggy and
Uncle Mark will be coming from Pocatello for that so more family to meet,
too.”
 
“Kate, don’t let this murder thing consume you,” advised Lizzie.
"I'm trying not to, but it's hard. Between wanting to find out who killed
Melanie and wanting to know about my biological family, my brain is
feeling a little scattered," said Kate.
“Let me say this: It was one thing to work for a resolution when Chet
died. This isn’t the same thing. Concentrate on the original purpose of going
to Colden Hills. Relax and enjoy your time meeting these people.”
“I wish it felt that easy,” said Kate.
“Do you still want me to stay put here?” Lizzie asked in a hopeful tone.
“You know I’d come in a minute.”
Kate laughed. “I know, but I really see no reason for it. I’ll be home in
a few days. Now tell me what’s going on with you?” asked Kate.
"Nothing. My life's boring. I continue to go to the gym, even without
you.”
“That deserves a pat on the back,” encouraged Kate.
“Thank you—I think so too. I’m pretty much done with my yard, and
I'm getting closer to actually painting my bedroom—I’ve looked at colors.
Yuck! Oh, I’m catching up on Call the Midwife. How’s that for exciting?
Oh, maybe if they found a body down here, we could go into investigating
together,” Lizzie laughed.
“You’re a silly woman, Lizzie Bennett, and I love you for it. I'm going
to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow." With that, Kate clicked off.
 Chapter 14
It was another beautiful day. Kate woke up to the sun shining through her
window, which meant she had slept late again. Outside, the birds were
singing. Inside, she couldn't hear a thing. Casually, she got ready for the day
and wandered out into the family room. There she found Beth, sitting on the
couch, looking through pictures. “Tell me you haven’t been up all night
looking through those,” Kate said.
Beth glanced up, “Oh no! I went to bed shortly after you did. I haven’t
been up long. I decided to wait on breakfast for you and got started on this
instead.”
Holding up a small scrapbook she continued, “I thought I had all the
family pictures in one safe place, but there’s tons here I’ve never seen.
Apparently, Melanie kept her own stash. I recognize some of the people, but
many have me puzzled. Wanna’ join me, or should we eat?"
Sitting down across from Beth, she said, "I think I want to eat and talk
first if you don't mind."
“Are you okay?” Beth asked, laying the album on her lap.
“Yes . . . yes, I’m fine. So you know, I’m fine with Matt coming to
dinner tonight. But I think I’d like to take a break from looking at the past
today. Is that okay with you?” Kate asked.
“Kate, we can do whatever you want! This stuff isn’t going anywhere.
What would you like to do?” Beth’s words were reassuring as she reached
over and lovingly squeezed Kate’s hand.
"Well, I guess first off, we need to decide about dinner unless you
already have that planned?” Kate asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Covered!” Beth responded. “Lasagna and salad. Easy peasy.”
“Great!” said Kate, with a staccato bounce of her head. “Do you need
to do anything for the memorial service?”
 “Nope,” said Beth. “The mortuary is taking care of everything. There’ll
be an announcement in the paper for anyone who might be interested.”
“Like Beverly?”
“Yes, like Beverly. There are a few like her, but I don’t expect very
many,” said Beth. “Of course, Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mark are coming, and
Stephanie will be here later tomorrow afternoon.”
“Do I need to share my room?” asked Kate, wondering where they
were going to fit everyone.
“No! They’ll all be staying in a hotel. Trust me, it’s better that way,”
Beth nodded and smiled.
“I feel badly! They should be able to come here,” protested Kate.
"I promise they'd rather stay in a hotel. It's been that way for years.
Don't worry about it," Beth reaffirmed.
“Okay. If you say so.”
“Are you planning on any kind of open house afterward?” asked Kate.
“Certainly not anything formal,” said Beth.
"Then it sounds like everything is covered in that arena."
"Yes, it is! So how about we get some breakfast?" suggested Beth.
“Oh, I like that idea,” Kate said, jumping up from the couch. “Eggs and
bacon again?”
“Perfect,” said Beth leading the way into the kitchen.
The two women prepared the food together in perfect harmony. The
mood was relaxed, and pressure-free—a nice change from the overwhelm
Kate felt lately. Cleaning up after the meal Kate asked, “Do you like jigsaw
puzzles?”
“Wow! That’s random, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes and no. I'm just thinking back on the fun my family used to
have doing them. Puzzles were always Chet’s way to unwind after a long
day. As the kids grew up, they naturally gravitated to the puzzle table.
Many an evening was spent snacking and searching for difficult pieces,
especially during the cold months.” She finished wiping the counter and
rinsed out the cloth. Setting it aside, she leaned against the counter and
faced Beth.
 “Chet insisted we do “challenging” puzzles, none of this 500 piece
stuff, even when the kids were young. He believed it helped their brain
development. The biggest one we ever did was 2000 pieces.”
“Two thousand? I like puzzles well enough, but 2,000 pieces? That
sounds more like an exercise in frustration,” replied Beth.
“It was a lot of work! But it was worth it. It was a James Christensen
piece called "Sharing Your Light." I got it specifically to hang on the wall.”
“Oh, I love his work!”
"Me too! I especially love the meanings, or the stories, behind the
pieces. This was one of those." Kate sat at the table before continuing,
inviting Beth to do the same.
“As the title says, it’s all about sharing your light. That really spoke to
me. It still hangs in the house today; however, the puzzle table is gone. I
haven’t done one since Chet died. I simply can’t bear it.”
“I understand,” said Beth.
Kate continued, “Now, tell me something most people don’t know
about you.”
“Oh! Let’s see. Um . . . Okay, here’s something. I’d just graduated and
landed a job at a great school teaching seventh and eighth graders.”
"It takes extraordinary people to teach junior high! I was always
grateful someone else was willing to do it because I knew I couldn’t," said
Kate.
“Yeah, well, it’s a difficult age, but I really believed I was the teacher
for the job. Thinking back, I was quite naïve,” Beth said with a slight
grimace.
“Continue,” Kate nodded.
“I was so excited and, I thought, well prepared. I set up my room with
all sorts of pictures depicting historical events. I was determined to instill
my love of history into my students. After that first day, I went home and
crumbled into bed. My first month was hell if I'm being perfectly honest.
Standing on my feet all day, trying to learn 160 students’ names, revising
those perfect lesson plans, pulling students apart who didn’t understand the
idea of no public display of affection. My goodness, these kids were only
13 and 14. It wasn’t that long ago they were playing hopscotch and four-
square. What were they doing making out in the halls?”
"Special people for a difficult age," Kate said, shaking her head.
"Kudos to you, my dear!”
“Thanks!” Beth continued, “I got an earful from kids complaining
about my expectations, and then had to deal with their parents complaining,
too. It about did me in. I began to doubt my abilities as a teacher and even
considered quitting. By the end of the year, I knew my choice to fight
through the discouragement had been the right choice. When I left that
school eight years later to take care of Mom and Dad, I cried, and so did my
students. It was the most fulfilling thing I'd ever done up to that point in my
life."
“That is so cool! Teaching really is a calling, don’t you agree?” said
Kate.
“Without a doubt. I know some teachers who don't look at it that way,
but for me, it has been.”
“Special people! That’s who you are,” repeated Kate. “It’s not quite the
same with college kids.”
“Do you really think you’ll quit?” asked Beth.
“Oh, I don’t know, and I don’t have to decide today,” she said quickly.
Then without warning, she jumped up. “What say we go for a walk before it
gets too warm? We didn’t get much of one yesterday. I’ll get my shoes.”
With that, Kate scurried to the bedroom. Within a minute, they were headed
out the door.
The instant they stepped outside, Kate paused, closed her eyes, and
took a deep breath. "What a beautiful day," she said as they leisurely started
off.
The sky was clear blue with random puffs of cotton. Days like this
inspired Kate with hope and peace. Today she intended to release all the
junk from her brain and allow it to be carried away by the gentle breeze.
At first, Kate focused on her breathing, relishing the fresh air. She
would have kept her eyes closed, but the unevenness of the sidewalk
required her visual attention. After a few minutes of silence she said, “I
really do enjoy teaching. I love English. I want my students to love it, too.
But my life feels all turned around now, leaving me unsure about almost
everything.”
“That makes sense,” Beth said simply, evidently feeling no need to
converse.
Every once in a while they’d pass someone working in their yard
who’d wave and share a few words of greeting, but no one tried to stop
them. Kate was grateful for that. They walked down the street, around a
corner, and around another corner. She was enjoying the stillness of the
morning, interspersed with the sound of birds singing in the trees when
Beth asked, “How was it for you, taking care of your mother?”
"Oh, wow! Where do I start? I mean, of course, it was difficult. When I
was younger, I always planned on having kids, and I imagined taking care
of them, you know, but I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d end up
caring for my mom.”
“Same here,” said Beth. “I found it to be quite a lonely experience. Did
you?”
“Kind of,” agreed Kate. “You have to remember my kids were still at
home, so my situation wasn’t the same as yours. I can’t imagine the burden
you carried alone, taking care of both your parents and working at the same
time. How did you do it?"
“I had home healthcare people come in. They managed my parents’
daily needs, but the emotional toll of watching them decline was immense. I
agree with the saying that a parent should never have to bury a child, but
it’s not easy for a child to be the caregiver to her parents. And even though
I’m an adult, it’s hard being an orphan.”
“That’s exactly how I felt when my mother died!” exclaimed Kate. “It
was like I reverted back to childhood, wondering who was going to care for
me now. I don’t ever want to be dependent on my kids.”
“At least you have children. I admit I’ve been concerned about my
twilight years. What if I end up like my parents?”
Kate immediately stopped walking, “Oh Beth, don’t even think about
that!”
Beth turned back toward Kate and said incredulously, “Kate, I have to,
at least to a certain degree.”
 “Beth, you never need worry. We’re family, and I’m here for you
always.”
“Thank you,” said Beth. “I can’t tell you how reassuring that is.”
Their conversation turned to inconsequential things as the sidewalk led
them back to the house. Once inside, they headed for the kitchen. "I can fix
up some lemonade really fast if you’d like,” volunteered Beth.
“I prefer the water right now,” Kate said, filling up a glass. “It’s so
good here!”
“It’s the mountains,” said Beth simply. “Listen, I’m going to go take a
shower. Can I get you anything first?”
“No. I’m fine. I thought I’d call Dennis before I do anything else. I’m
anxious to know how things went in Pocatello yesterday,” said Kate.
“He said he’d let us know, Kate. I’m sure he’ll call when he’s ready!”
Beth insisted.
“I know. I’m just anxious. And even though there’s probably nothing to
my idea about that Max guy from school, I’m going to present it to him.”
Beth shook her head and sighed, “Whatever works for you, dear,” and
left the room.
Kate sat down at the kitchen table, took a deep breath, and dialed
Dennis’s number.
“Halverson.”
“Dennis, it’s Kate Dunham.”
“Yes, Kate. What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering what you learned during your trip to Pocatello. Did
you find Ronny?” asked Kate.
“Yes, I did,” he responded curtly.
“Were you able to talk to him?” she prodded. My goodness, this is like
getting blood out of a turnip!
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” he said.
“Did I catch you at a bad time, Detective? I get the feeling you don’t
want to talk to me,” Kate said.
“I did tell you I’d call you with any information,” he reminded her.
“Did you not believe me?”
 "Yes, of course, I did. It's just that . . . well, I'm anxious to know what
you found, and I . . . um . . . have a little something else I want to share with
you. More like bounce off you?" Kate said, sheepishly.
Although she heard nothing, she was sure her comment made his eyes
roll. “Have you been snooping around again?” he asked.
“No, no, nothing like that! Beth and I were looking through some of
Melanie's journals last night, and I found an entry that I thought might
prove helpful. It’s probably nothing, but I thought you’d want to know.”
Dennis’s voice softened, “If it’s from the time before she was killed, it
could be beneficial.”
Kate related the details about Max and Luke and her thoughts on the
possibilities. “What do you think? Far-fetched?”
“Yes, but even the improbable things need to be checked out. Luke has
always been known for his bad temper. But, as far as Max? That name
doesn’t sound familiar. Do you have a last name?”
"No. Melanie didn't mention it.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can find,” said Dennis.
“Dennis,” Kate said, “I don’t mean to be a thorn in your side.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry if I come across gruff and bothered. I would like
to get those journals though, along with anything else you, or I guess I
should say Beth, have from that time.”
"Oh, of course," said Kate, caught off guard.
“Will you please mention to Beth that I’ll be coming over to pick them
up? I don’t imagine I’ll need a warrant,” said Dennis
"Uh, no, um, I . . . I'm sure she won't mind. You know, Dennis, I'd be
happy to go through them for you. That'd save you the time and effort.
After all, that was part of my purpose in coming here," said Kate, hoping
she wasn't creating a deeper rift than she already felt.”
“I don’t know. I’m not really comfortable . . . and yet, it would free up
manpower,” he said hesitantly.
"Exactly! Look at it this way, it'll keep me busy and out of your hair. I'll
be investigating with your blessing," she chirped.
"Okay, okay," he said, reluctantly, "But call me immediately if you find
anything, anything at all.”
 Kate laughed, “You really felt the need to tell me that? After how much
I’ve bugged you?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled, “I heard the irony before I was able to take the
words back.”
“And information from Pocatello? When were you going to share
that?” Kate pushed.
"Oh, yeah! I'd like to tell both you and Beth together. Let me finish up
with what I'm doing right now, and I'll be over. Will that work for you?"
Dennis asked.
“That would be wonderful! Thank you,” said Kate.
Kate hung up, heaving a sigh of relief and excitement, knowing she
now had permission, and a tangible way to help.
“What did Dennis have to say?” asked Beth, walking into the room.
“You will never guess what he asked me to do,” Kate challenged.
"Oh, I don't know. He's tired of hearing from you, so he told you to
leave town?” Beth teased.
“Ha, ha. Actually, Dennis has given me an assignment," she said
victoriously.
“An assignment? What kind of assignment?” Beth asked, sitting down
across from Kate.
“He wants me to continue combing through the journals for any
additional insights. Isn't that wonderful?" Kate said, joyously.
“Did he think there was value in your idea about Max?” Beth
questioned.
“Not necessarily,” Kate admitted. “He thought it was a long shot. But
he felt there might be helpful information in her journals.”
“I guess that does make sense.”
“He also said he has some information from his trip to Pocatello. He’s
coming over to talk to us. I figured that was okay. We didn’t have anything
else planned, right?”
“Right,” Beth responded automatically.
“Beth, are you okay with this?” asked Kate. “Beth?”
“What?” Beth said, coming back from her thoughts.
 “Are you okay with going through the journals to look for clues? This
is the way we can help without getting in the way, you know,” said Kate.
“Yes, yes, of course,” said Beth.
“You want to help, right?” asked Kate.
“Absolutely! I just can’t believe Melanie’s journals might have
answers, and all this time we never bothered to look.”
“It’s okay. The point is, we can look now. It gives added meaning to
what we were doing anyway.”
When Dennis arrived, Beth led him into the family room where
Melanie's treasures were spread. Sitting down, he surveyed the boxes in the
room and said, "I'm grateful for your willingness to help by sifting through
all this stuff. It does save my men some time."
“We’re happy to help any way we can,” said Beth. “I wish I’d thought
of looking through her things sooner.”
“Dennis, you have information from your trip yesterday?” pushed
Kate.
“Yes, yes, I do. I was able to talk to Mr. Klienman. As I told you, he is
in a care facility and is suffering from dementia. Yesterday happened to be
an okay day. Anyway, that’s what his sister told me.”
“His sister?” both women said in unison. “Did you know he had a
sister?” asked Beth.
“No, but it was a good thing she was there. I was able to get some
information from her—more than her brother. When I introduced myself to
Mr. Klienman he became quite agitated. He kept saying he was sorry. When
I tried to get him to clarify why he was sorry, he just rocked back and
forth.”
“That doesn’t sound very helpful,” said Kate.
“Like I told you, it was a good thing his sister was there,” said Dennis.
“What did she have to say?” asked Beth.
“I asked her if she knew anything about the threats her brother had
made toward Melanie. She said she didn’t know about them specifically,
but she remembered the year. She knew of the issues with the girlfriend,
and admitted her brother was a mean drunk.”
“My aunt would say that’s an understatement,” said Beth.
 "I'm sure!  His sister clearly remembers a change in his behavior about
the time Melanie disappeared. She did remember he’d been out of town for
something.”
“Out of town?” asked Kate. “Does she know where he went?”
“No. She said back then she avoided him whenever she could. He'd
come around when he needed something. Then one day he showed up at her
door, sober, told her he wanted to turn his life around, and surprisingly she
felt she could trust him. Although, she said, for the first few weeks, he did
seem to be afraid of something.”
"Wow!" said Kate. "So, what do you take from all that?"
“Well, we already knew he’d been in Colden Hills at the time Melanie
disappeared. We questioned him but had no reason to hold him. He was
seen that evening checking into a motel. The notes from back then say the
guy at the desk felt he was a bit upset, but that was all. Can’t arrest a guy
for being upset,” Dennis said.
“Now what?” asked Beth.
“I got some DNA from him. There’s not a lot else to do,” he admitted.
“Do you think he did it?” asked Kate.
“I don’t know. My gut isn’t telling me much at this point. I wonder
what he’s sorry about. His sister said he’ll do the ‘I’m sorry’ thing
occasionally, but he never says more than that. At this point, we need
evidence, so we wait for results. I wish I had more for you.”
“That’s okay. We know you’re trying. Thank you for taking the time to
come over,” said Beth, standing to escort him out.
After he left, Beth and Kate got down to business with the journals,
spending the next few hours looking for clues.
 Chapter 15
Acombination of frustration and apprehension filled Kate’s heart that
evening. Spending the afternoon looking at Melanie’s journals had been
enjoyable, but unproductive. One thing had become glaringly obvious:
Melanie and Matt had been madly in love. Melanie repeatedly said as
much, and ticket stubs to Romeo and Juliet clearly proved Matt’s adoration.
Few high school football players had the confidence to attend a
Shakespearean chick flick, no matter how cool or modern the latest
Hollywood version. No, Matt’s affection for Melanie was without question.
As Matt’s arrival time drew nearer, Kate’s anxiety grew. Meeting him
in the parking lot had been awkward, but, thankfully, it had been brief.
Tonight would be more than small talk. The journals helped a little, but a
part of her still felt she was betraying her father. Would that feeling ever go
away?
Taking one last glance in the mirror as the doorbell rang, she looked
herself straight in the eye, and confidently stated, “You’ll do fine, Katie.
Just listen to your heart.” She entered the living room just in time to see
Matt offer Beth a bunch of flowers and a quick peck on the cheek. She
paused a moment to take in the scene.  This man was very good looking. 
His chiseled features gave him a look of authority that no doubt helped in
his profession.  His white hair was incredibly distinguished.  The most
impressive thing was the way he treated Beth.  No wonder Beth trusted him.
"Oh, I love roses. Thank you so much," said Beth taking the flowers
and holding them to her nose for a deep sniff. "Come on into the family
room while I put these in water. Dinner isn't quite ready yet."
As she turned around, she was surprised to see Kate standing there.
"Oh, Kate! Sorry, I didn't realize you'd come out of your room."
 Immediately Kate stepped forward, reached out her hand, and said
sincerely, "It's good to see you again, Matt."
Taking Kate's hand into both of his, he replied, "I wouldn't have missed
this opportunity for the world, Kate, although I have to say I'm still trying to
sort it all out."
“Aren’t we all?” said Beth. “Come on. You guys go ahead and make
yourselves comfortable while I take care of these flowers.”
As they walked into the other room, Matt asked, “By the way, is that
your Volkswagen Bug out front?”
Chuckling, Kate replied, “Yeah, why?”
“I used to have one just like that. Brings back memories,” he said
casually.
“It was my dad’s when I was little,” Kate volunteered. “Now it’s
something of a security blanket. I probably should have brought my other
car, considering the canyon, but we’re here now, safe and sound.”
Matt lowered himself to the edge of the chair while Kate found her
place on the couch. Leaning forward, he said, “I need you to know, Kate, I
was totally blindsided by this revelation. I’d never have let all this time go
by if I had known.”
“Please, there’s no need to apologize,” said Kate, brushing the air with
her hand. “We’ve both been in the dark.”
“How’d you find out?” asked Matt.
Kate gave Matt the Reader’s Digest version of the story, ending with,
“Life has been a real roller coaster ride since that day.”
“I can only imagine,” he said sympathetically.
Kate continued, "I'll be frank with you, Matt. In the beginning, I didn’t
want to disrupt my comfortable life with new people that might be, oh, I
don't know, crazy, or weird, or, most importantly, not want to know me . . .
but my friend, Lizzie, encouraged me to take a chance.”
“Tell Lizzie thank you,” Matt said gently.
Kate continued, “Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the DNA test, I don’t
know what I would have done, even with Lizzie’s encouragement. I thought
I’d done that on a lark, but it showed me my connection to Beth. Looking
back, I don't believe that was a coincidence,” she added.
 As if acting on cue, Beth walked into the room carrying the vase of
flowers. Setting them on the piano, she made her way to the couch.
Directing her comments to Matt, she said, “I didn’t think I’d ever find her.
I’d been waiting for two years for a response to my message. I was about
ready to call it a day.”
“When I saw Beth's message, I felt a need to respond. I’m sure glad I
did,” Kate said, her tone softening as she continued, “Matt, I’m afraid I
wasn’t as anxious to get to know you. There are a whole lot of emotions
tied up in this meeting. Please don’t take offense.”
“None taken. I assure you I’ve no intention of trying to take the place
of your father. I’m sure he’s a wonderful man,” said Matt.
"How'd you know that was my struggle?" asked Kate, surprised.
“It only makes sense. Sitting before me, I see a beautiful, refined
person. I can only assume your parents raised you well and you loved them
very much.”
“I did. I do! My parents were amazing,” she said, her voice revealing
her relief. She felt an invitation to talk about her parents without being
concerned about stepping on any toes.
“They’re both gone now, but my dad passed away when I was only 13,
so the memory of him is magical, if you know what I mean." Kate's voice
became more conversational and natural, rather than tight and measured.
“Yes, I do.”
"I adored him more than words can say. He died in a hiking accident.
His death devastated both my mother and me. There is a part of me that
feels meeting you is a betrayal to him. It’s safe to learn all about Melanie
because she’s gone, but it’s different with you. I hope you understand,” said
Kate, relieved to let it all out.
“Of course! Certainly! Rest assured, I won’t push you for any kind of
relationship, although I hope we can have one. I always wanted more
children. It just wasn’t in the cards for us." Then pausing for effect, and
looking Kate straight in the eyes, he said, "Kate, I want you to know that I
loved Melanie very much. I've never stopped loving her. Knowing that a
part of her still exists in you thrills my heart. I can't get over how much you
look like her, or what I think she might have looked like today. The same
red hair and cute little turned-up nose. Those beautiful blue eyes. I miss her
so."
“Matt,” Kate said, “tell me about your relationship. Beth can only tell
me so much, and although we’ve been going through her journals, I want to
hear your side of things.”
“Journals? Melanie left journals?” he exclaimed.
“Yes,” said Beth, “quite a few, and a lot of pictures, too. We’re just
getting into them.”
“Actually,” said Kate excitedly, “Dennis, you know, Detective
Halverson, has asked us to go through them to see if we can glean anything
helpful to the investigation.”
“He did, huh? I’ve asked him to keep me up to date with everything.
He hasn’t told me about any journals,” said Matt.
“Dennis didn’t know about them until earlier today,” Kate said.
“We’ve been reading all about you,” Beth added with a mischievous
smile.
"Like what?" Matt asked, curiously.
“We found out you and Melanie hooked up because of your math class
with Mr. Gowans. He sounds like he was a real peach,” informed Beth.
“I’m glad he was gone by the time I got into high school.”
"Oh, Gowans!" Matt said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “It was
easy putting up with him with Melanie in the class. She was so cute, but she
really struggled with geometry. I feel like I used that struggle to my
advantage—to spend more time with her. But it was all good. It didn't take
long before we were ‘going together,’ as we used to say back then."
“Matt, I love to hear you talk about her. I can really feel the love you
felt for her,” said Beth.
"She was, without a doubt, the kindest person I'd ever known.
However, she was also a little spitfire. She was a real advocate for the
underdog. She wasn't like the rest of us, who avoided them. You know, it
can be uncomfortable to be around people you don't understand. Not for
Melanie. She was always reaching out and making friends. She helped me
see people through kinder eyes.”
 “In her journal, she mentioned an incident with a guy by the name of
Max. She said he was a little impaired, a resource student, maybe? Do you
remember him?” asked Kate.
“Max . . . Max . . . Oh, gosh! Yes, I remember Max. Nice kid. Big kid!
But he was a bit slow. Some of the kids really teased him.”
“Melanie said she got between him and a guy named Luke one day,
pretty early in the school year, from what we can see. Do you know
anything about that?” asked Kate.
Their conversation was interrupted by the oven timer. “It sounds like
we get to talk about this while we eat,” said Beth, standing.
Kate followed Beth into the kitchen, where they had dinner on the table
within seconds.
“Anything I can do to help?” Matt called from the family room.
“Just come and eat,” Beth said, poking her head in from the dining
room. “We’re having your favorite.”
Matt joined them, took a seat, looked at the spread before him, and
asked, "How did you know I loved lasagna?"
“I don’t know; I just knew you did,” Beth said seating herself.
“From what I saw during the preparation, she’s a real pro at this, too,”
said Kate, sitting down. “I think I’ve made lasagna once. It’s too much
work for me. Beth made it look easy, and it certainly smells incredible.”
"Thank you," said Beth. "I hope it's good. I haven't made it for a while
since I don't make this kind of thing for myself."
Compliments continued as each person helped themselves to a
generous portion of the hot pasta dish, along with the other sides. Once the
plates were filled, Kate didn’t waste a minute getting back to the previous
conversation.
“Did you know anything about a confrontation between Max and
Luke?”
“Everybody knew about that. It was the talk of the school for days,”
said Matt, dabbing his mouth with his napkin.
“Hmm. The way Melanie wrote about it made it sound like it was
pretty low key,” said Beth scrunching her face.
"That was Melanie. It was a huge deal!" said Matt.
 “Tell us more, please,” requested Kate.
Matt put his fork down and paused for a minute before he continued.
“Well, Luke was a bully. Still is. At least he sure has a temper.”
“Yes, we experienced that yesterday, but I’ll tell you about that later,”
said Kate, eager for him to not get distracted.
"He was cruel to Max, and Max was just a nice kid with some
development problems. He wouldn't have hurt a fly. At least that's what we
thought. One day Luke pushed too hard, way too hard, and Max fought
back. Who could blame him after all the taunting he put up with over the
years?"
“Melanie said nothing about Max fighting back. She said she
intervened to get it to stop,” said Beth.
“Well, that’s not exactly how I remember it. Now keep in mind, I didn’t
witness a thing, but what I heard was that apparently Max got tired of
taking Luke’s crap and hauled off and hit him. Broke his nose.”
“Oh no!” said Beth and Kate together.
“How awful!” continued Beth.
"When the teachers came out to see what was going on, they saw Luke
on the ground and Max standing over him. To them, it was clear: Max beat
up Luke, so they marched both of them to the principal, where Max was
suspended. Luke was taken to the school nurse and eventually to the
hospital."
“That doesn’t sound at all like what Melanie described in her journal,”
said Beth a bit confused.
“Well, I promise you, that’s what happened. Honestly, I don't know
how the bullying was allowed to go on for so long. Anyway, when Melanie
heard what happened with Max getting suspended and no discipline given
to Luke, she marched into the principal’s office to make sure he understood
the full scope of the fight.”
“Oh my! That would have taken a lot of guts!” said Kate.
"Apparently, it did the trick. Max needed to be disciplined in some
way. After all, he did break Luke's nose, but because of Melanie’s
influence, Luke was also suspended."
 “I can’t believe she didn’t say something about that in her journal,”
said Beth.
Trying to make sense of the discrepancy, Kate asked, "When did this
incident happen? What time of the year?"
“Oh, probably a month or so before school got out.”
“Okay. Now that makes sense,” said Kate. “We’re not that far into her
books. I bet we’ll come across that story as we go. That means Luke was
torturing Max all year. What a jerk! Do you think he was mad at Melanie
for reporting him?”
“Oh, yeah. He was furious! I don't think he cared about the suspension.
I suspect he was angry because someone, especially a girl, got the better of
him. For Luke, that simply was not acceptable,” said Matt, in reflection.
“We saw a little demonstration of Luke’s attitude at Gus's yesterday,”
said Beth. “Evidently, the bank turned him down for a loan extension. Luke
came in gunning for Jack and made a big scene in front of everyone."
With a big sigh and shaking his head, Matt muttered, “When will that
guy ever learn?”
“Is it possible that Luke could have been upset enough to hurt
Melanie?” Kate queried. “You said he hated the idea of a girl getting the
better of him.”
“Yeah, I did say that,” admitted Matt, “but . . . I don’t know, I can’t
imagine him committing murder.”
“Well, somebody did!” exclaimed Kate.
“Kate! Calm down,” said Beth.
“I’m sorry. I just get irritated when people come up with reasons why
so-and-so couldn’t do it, rather than considering why they might have,”
Kate explained. “Luke was a bully. He was angry with Melanie. Why is it
so unreasonable to think he could have killed her? At least it deserves
investigating, doesn’t it?”
“I can see why you’d say that, Kate,” responded Matt calmly. “But
Luke was mean with words, he never got physical.”
“Matt,” interjected Beth, “in Kate’s defense, you don’t know that he
never did anyone physical harm just because he didn’t hurt Max.”
“That’s true,” Matt admitted.
 “I’m not saying Luke killed Melanie,” continued Kate. “I just think
Dennis needs to be aware of this particular incident. Then he can decide
what needs to be done.”
“I get the feeling you’ll be the one to tell him,” teased Matt.
“Yep! In addition to the further information we have about Max,” Kate
said.
“What do you mean?” asked Matt.
“Melanie said that Max was giving her little gifts all the time.”
"Yeah, he did. I told her she should refuse in order to avoid giving him
the wrong idea, ya know? But Melanie didn't agree. She didn't want to hurt
his feelings."
"Last night, I suggested that Max might have had an obsession with
Melanie. Would you say that was the truth?” asked Kate.
“Obsession? Maybe?” Matt said.
“If he was obsessed and then realized he couldn’t have her, would he
have hurt her? Accidently, of course,” proposed Kate.
“Oh, I can’t imagine him ever hurting anyone, especially Melanie. He
pretty much worshipped her,” said Matt.
"Yes, but he hurt Luke," argued Kate.
"I know, but that was after months of abuse," Matt responded.
"I know," agreed Kate. "And you’re probably right. But after what
you’ve shared with us here, I think Dennis needs to know. I did promise to
keep him updated on anything I learned about Melanie’s past. By the way,
do you remember Max's last name?" asked Kate.
“I can check my yearbook, if I can even find it, but right off the top of
my head, I don't. Everyone just called him Max.”
"If you could get that name to Dennis, I know he'd appreciate it. I'd
appreciate it," said Kate.
“I’ll do that for sure,” promised Matt.
“Wonderful! Now, who's up for dessert?" interrupted Beth, obviously
wanting to change the subject.
 Chapter 16
After some delicious key lime pie and lighter conversation, the group
retired to the family room. Kate was anxious to ask some personal
questions. As they each settled in a comfortable spot, she said, “Tell me
more about that summer, Matt. Actually, tell me about Melanie leaving.”
“Well, even before school got out that year, Melanie was planning to
spend the summer at her aunt's, who was pregnant with twins. Wasn't that
right, Beth?"
“Correct,” Beth confirmed.
"As I recall, the aunt was having a difficult time with her pregnancy
and needed to stay in bed. Melanie was going to help her. She was actually
looking forward to it. She loved babies, and I think the babies were
supposed to be born during the summer."
“That’s what I remember and what Mom told me later,” Beth affirmed.
“She was to be gone for three months. That was it. I was a little
disappointed because it was my last real summer vacation, but she really
wanted to go. One night, just before she left, we got carried away. The next
day, we both felt awful.  That wasn’t the kind of relationship we wanted. 
You need to understand, Kate, for some people that might have been okay,
but for Melanie it was important that relations were saved for after
marriage.  We knew we wouldn’t be getting married for a few years, so, at
that point, we recognized that a summer apart would be good for us.”
“Did you ever consider that she could be pregnant?” asked Kate.
"Heavens, no! It was only once! It never even crossed my mind.”
“Okay. Continue, please.”
“Well, the day she left, we gave our tearful good-byes, as you'd expect.
She promised she'd write. We kissed, and she was gone. She wrote almost
every day. I was busy with work and ball practice, so I only wrote a couple
of times a week. One day, about the end of the summer, I got a letter telling
me she was going to be staying in Idaho to help with the babies. She said a
long-distance relationship was too difficult, and she thought we should
break up. I was astounded."
“What’d you do? Did you simply accept what she said?” asked Beth.
"Heck, no! I was devastated and angry too! I thought she’d found
someone else, and I wasn’t about to let her go that easily.”
"What happened then?" Kate asked eagerly.
As Matt relayed the story, the emotions of that time were evident in his
voice.  “I left for Idaho to talk some sense into her. I didn’t bother to call
her. I didn’t even call work. All I could think about was Melanie. In
reflection, I was in no condition to drive. Thank heaven I made it without
incident.”
“What did she do when she saw you?” asked Beth.
“It was weird. She was as cool as a cucumber. She emphatically stated
that I needed to focus on school and football to be sure I got my scholarship
—she didn’t want to be a distraction. No matter how much I protested, she
refused to give in. She flatly denied that there was anyone else. That much I
did believe. The rest of it felt so rehearsed. It was awful!”
“Wow!” said Kate.
“What did you do then?” asked Beth.
“I was stunned. I really thought I could change her mind. I drove to the
nearest convenience store parking lot and just sat there. I thought about
buying some beers and getting drunk, but I chickened out. Then I felt
disgusted with myself. What kind of man was I? I couldn’t get my girl back,
and I was too afraid even to buy a beer? I remember that thought opening
the floodgates. I sat in the car and cried like a baby. At some point, some
lady knocked on my window to make sure I was okay. I guess I must have
looked pretty scary because she startled when she saw my face and backed
away.”
“I’m so very sorry, Matt,” said Kate.
“Oh, Matt. That must have been terrible! That’s not the kind of thing
I’d ever imagine Melanie doing,” said Beth.
 “That’s what I thought! She was all cold and aloof, nothing like the
Melanie I knew.” Then turning to Kate he continued, "Honestly, Kate, I
promise you, if I'd known she was pregnant, I'd have dropped everything
and married her on the spot. We could have made it. I don't know how, but I
always felt like the two of us together could do anything. But she never
gave me that chance."
“So what happened when Melanie did come home? Did you see her?
My understanding was that she disappeared within a few days of her return.
Is that right?” asked Kate.
“I saw her the day she disappeared. She came into the grocery store
where I was working. I didn’t know she was back, so I was shocked to see
her. I could tell she was more than a little surprised to see me. We
exchanged awkward, emphasis on awkward, pleasantries, and then she
raced out of the store.”
“How did it make you feel to see her again? Were you over Melanie?”
The questions flooded into Kate’s head and spilled out just as fast.
“I thought I was, but seeing her again made me realize I still loved her.
I resolved to call her the next day to see if we could talk, but I never got the
chance. For the longest time, I played that day back over and over again in
my mind. Could I have said something that would’ve kept her from going
for that hike? We’ll never know, will we?”
The question hung over the group until Beth broke the stillness. “Matt,
if guilt could have brought her back, she’d be sitting here today. Between
you and my mother, there was plenty to go around.”
“Thank you for being so vulnerable, Matt," said Kate. "I really wish I
could've known her. It makes me even more determined to find out who
killed her. It's such an injustice."
“May I make an observation here?” asked Matt.
“Certainly,” replied Kate.
“You seem exceptionally keen on personally figuring out who killed
Melanie. We do have an excellent police department, and Dennis is an
exceptional detective."
“I’m sure he is,” said Kate. “I just keep having questions come to my
mind, like those questions about Max being obsessed and Luke being angry
enough to do something terrible. I think they’re possibilities that need to be
explored.”
“You forgot to mention Ronny Kleinman," said Beth. "To me, he seems
a likelier suspect than either Max or Luke.”
“Who? Ronny who?” asked Matt.
"Ronny Klienman is a guy who made some threats against Melanie
while she was living in Pocatello. Apparently, Melanie talked his girlfriend
into leaving him because he was abusive," explained Beth.
“Dennis hasn’t told me about him,” said Matt.
“Probably because there’s not a lot to tell yet,” said Kate.
“That’s not true,” argued Beth. “He was violent, he made threats, and
they know he was in town the day Melanie disappeared.”
"Yes, but they can't prove anything," said Kate.
"Not yet. Give Dennis time to get the DNA results back!” Beth shot
back.
"Hey, hey, hold on, you two. Catch me up here,” Matt interrupted.
“Sorry,” said Beth. “Even though this guy seems like the most likely
suspect, Kate has a feeling it isn’t him. I disagree,” Beth admitted. “There,
I’ve said it!”
“Kate?” Matt said, puzzled.
Kate sighed, “I know this guy looks like a strong possibility, but I don’t
think he’s the one. It’s a gut feeling, and I try to pay attention to those.”
“What does Dennis say?” asked Matt.
“He’s waiting for the DNA results,” Beth repeated.
“So, if I understand you correctly, Kate, you think there’s a greater
chance that Max or Luke killed Melanie than this guy the police suspect?”
Matt asked.
“Yuck! I don’t like the way that sounds,” grimaced Kate.
“Am I right?” asked Matt.
“Well, not exactly,” Kate fudged. “It’s not that I think either of them is
guilty. I just don’t feel Klienman is, and I’m looking at other possibilities,”
Kate defended.
“That’s fair,” admitted Matt. “Although I don’t understand why you
can’t leave it to Dennis.”
 “Dennis has asked for my help,” Kate reminded them. “He said to let
him know if I find anything that might be of value from reading Melanie’s
journal. That’s what this is all about. Why do I feel resistance from the two
of you?” she asked.
“It’s not resistance!” Beth insisted. “I just don’t feel the need to look
beyond Klienman. I’m satisfied waiting to hear what Dennis finds.”
“I’m on board with Beth,” admitted Matt. “As far as Max is concerned,
not only do I think he was incapable of hurting Melanie, but I don’t think he
could drive. That being the case, how could he possibly have gotten
Melanie into those mountains?”
“Oh,” said Kate dejectedly. “I hadn’t even thought about that. I’ve been
so anxious to come up with something . . .”
“Kate,” said Beth softly. “Listen to yourself. What’s going on? We all
want to find out what really happened, but I feel like there’s more than that
going on.”
“I . . .” Kate started. Was she being unreasonable and seeing guilt
around every corner? Maybe she should've never come here. What on earth
did she think she was doing? She sat still, feeling Matt’s and Beth’s eyes
upon her. In her mind, the words I want answers, I just want answers,
continued to spin. Quietly and slowly, she started to speak.
“When my dad died, my world ended. I couldn’t understand why God
would take him away. When Chet was killed, those same feelings came
back, and I ached to make some sense out of a senseless situation. I think
that’s what happening now. It’s not just Melanie’s murder. I want to make
sense of all the crazy I’ve felt over these last couple of weeks, to feel some
sense of control.”
Beth silently reached for Kate’s hand.
“I thought after our relaxing day I was fine,” Kate said, turning to Beth
with tears streaming down her face.
Beth whispered, “It has been a good day, sweetie.”
Kate hung her head and allowed an occasional tear to fall onto her lap.
Then with a renewed energy, she added, "And yet, as I say those words
out loud, there is something else. There's a sense I can't explain that literally
compels me to search for answers. The answer! I know I’m not a detective.
It’s just something I feel. I can’t explain it more than that.”
“Kate, I hate seeing you get so worked up over a situation that may not
have any real conclusion. It’s been almost 50 years. Finding any real
answers is going to be a long shot,” said Matt gently.
“I know that in my head, but my heart doesn’t want to accept it,”
admitted Kate.
“Look, maybe it would be a good idea to change the subject
completely," Matt suggested. “You’ve been asking questions all night, and I
haven’t had a chance to really learn anything about you. You’ve mentioned
your father passing and your mother and your husband. Tell me more about
your life and any plans for the future.”
“You’re absolutely right,” agreed Kate, recovering her emotions. She’d
forgotten he’d only found out about her, while she’d had many
conversations with Beth about him. For the rest of the evening, Kate
allowed Matt to probe, and she did her best to answer all his questions.
As the clock hit 10:00, Matt stood up and said, "That's my cue. Kate, it
has been a delight getting to know you. I hope you feel the same.”
“I do, yes. I’m glad you could come over. It’s been enlightening to see
Melanie through your eyes. I’ll always be a full-blooded McGuire at heart,
but I’m grateful to know that genetically I come from good stock.”
“I’ll see you Saturday at the service?” he asked with raised brows.
"Of course! Right now, I plan to stay until Sunday,” replied Kate as she
stood to walk Matt to the door.
“Please, don’t get up. I’ve let myself out of this place enough to know
my way blindfolded. Beth, thank you again for dinner. It was delicious.
We’ll see you tomorrow.”
"Thanks for coming, Matt. Thanks for everything!" said Beth, standing
to give him a good-bye hug. "Please give my best to Julie."
“Will do. Are you sure I can’t do anything for you for the service?”
“Positive! There’s nothing to do. Just be there for support. That’s it.
But thanks for asking.”
As Matt left the room, Kate turned to Beth and said, “Listen, I’m going
to call it a night too, if that’s alright with you.”
 “I’m right there with ya, but, Kate, do you mind if I offer just a tad of
advice first?”
“Sure,” replied Kate.
"Relax. Let go of all those questions and relax. Stop trying to control
the outcome. You can't do it. It is what it is,” said Beth.
"Yes, mother," Kate said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. "I'm fine.
Really. A good night's sleep will help a lot. Goodnight."
As Kate started to settle into bed, she knew a call to Lizzie was in
order, but it was late. She also knew Lizzie would be waiting. After a quick
battle in her head, she pulled out her phone and dialed.
 Chapter 17
“H
ey, you!" greeted Lizzie.
“Hi.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. It’s been a long day, and I’m tired. But I didn’t want to put you
off until tomorrow.”
“Thank you for that. We’ll make it fast. Catch me up on your day.”
“I officially met Matt tonight. He came over for dinner,” started Kate.
“I don’t hear enthusiasm in your voice, m’dear. Was it not a good
meeting?” asked Lizzie.
"Oh, no! It was good. There's just so many mixed emotions that I'm
dealing with. I think I've said this before—it’d sure be nice if there were a
user manual for this type of situation. The fact that Melanie was murdered
only complicates everything.”
“I can only imagine, friend.”
“Ya know, there’s all sorts of advice out there for when you lose a
loved one. When I lost Chet, it really helped to know that all the craziness I
felt was normal. I don’t have that here. Matt is a very nice guy, but he is not
my dad. My dad carried me on his shoulders when we'd go hiking. He
showed me how to bait a hook. He fixed my boo-boos and quieted my tears
when I had nightmares. He would have taught me how to drive and walked
me down the aisle. A girl’s relationship with her father is built on those
kinds of things. I can never have that with Matt,” she said in frustration.
“It sounds like the little girl in you is coming out,” observed Lizzie.
“It does, doesn’t it? Lizzie, I’m all over the map with emotions. One
minute I think I’m settled, and the next, I’m in tears. And that's just the
family part. On top of all that, I still feel this incredible need to find out
who killed Melanie."
 “Leave it alone, Kate. Leave that part alone. You have enough on your
plate without trying to be the fixer of this,” advised Lizzie.
“Fixer? Is that what I’m trying to do?” asked Kate.
“It sounds like you’re trying to find a solution so everyone can find
closure. Not your job, kid. Not your job!”
“Ugh! Why do you always have to see things so clearly? I never
thought of it like that.”
“Look at it this way . . . I get the clarity for your life, and you get it for
mine. That’s why we’re so good together. Tell me more about Matt.”
Kate settled onto the bed, pulling her legs underneath her and resting
against some pillows. “He loved Melanie very much, and when he looks at
me, he sees the result of that love. It seems easy for him to accept me as his
daughter. I feel badly not returning those feelings. Not yet, anyway. I did
tell him I’m open to cultivating a relationship.”
“What does he say to all that?” asked Lizzie.
“He understands,” said Kate.
“So, that’s good, right?” said Lizzie.
"Yes. It's just kind of weird because I don’t feel that way about
Melanie. I’m starting to feel a real connection to her, which is fueled by
asking questions about her death. Plus the fact that I feel immense gratitude
to her. I don’t think I could have done what she did.”
“Boy, I hear ya on that. It takes an exceptional person to make that kind
of sacrifice,” agreed Lizzie.
In exasperation, Kate continued, “Lizzie, how on earth can I come to
this place, as a stranger, expecting answers to a 49-year-old cold case? Who
do I think I am?"
“I’ve wondered the same thing. I know you’re all about getting justice,
but Katie, in this case, that’s what the police are for,” reasoned Lizzie.
“I know. But don’t my questions have merit because they’re
objective?”
“You don’t sound objective to me. Sorry.”
“Don't I have a little advantage because I wasn't here at the time she
disappeared? I mean, I have no pre-judgments about people." Kate paused
and then answered her own question, "That does make me look at everyone
as a suspect. Not so good, I guess, huh?"
“Listen, I can tell you’re tired. Your thoughts are bouncing all over the
place. Get some sleep. We’ll talk again tomorrow. The world always looks
brighter in the sunlight.”
“Thank you. You’re right. I’ll call you tomorrow,” said Kate.
“Katie?”
“Yeah?”
“I am worried about you. You’ve been through some major emotional
stuff over the last few weeks. Isn’t it time to really take a break and come
home?”
"I appreciate your concern. My plan is to head home Sunday. I know I
need to pull myself away from the situation for a little bit. But I need to
meet Beth's aunt and uncle from Idaho who are coming in for the memorial
service. I'm anxious to talk to them about Melanie's time there."
She paused for a second, then continued, "Thank you for being my
friend. I couldn't have done any of this without you."
“I’m always here for you, kid.”
 
 
*  *  *  *
“Hey, what’re you doing here?”
“Oh, Lenny, you can’t call me and talk to me like that and think I
wouldn’t want to see you face and face. You weren’t very kind.”
“Well, I ain’t sorry for sayin’ none-a that stuff! It’s ‘bout time someone
talked to you like that. So what’re ya gonna do ‘bout it? Huh?”
“Lenny, you’re not making any sense. I can tell you’ve been drinking.
This is the alcohol talking, isn’t it?”
"Yeah, I been drinkin', but I still knows what I'm sayin'. You killed her,
didn't ya? I saw you go up into the mountains that day, but I never put it
together until yesterday. You killed her. That sweet girl and you killed her."
“You’re terribly mistaken, Lenny. I didn’t kill anyone. I’d never do a
thing like that.”
 “That’s what you say, but I think different. Ya know, I totally forgot
‘bout that car and seein’ you and Melanie in it that day until that new girl
brought hers around. That's what reminded me. All this time and you've
been livin' your life like nothin' happened. It's shameful, and I think the
cops should know what I seen."
"Now, why would you want to do that, Lenny? No one is going to
believe you. Look at yourself. You're just a drunk with a wild imagination.
You've absolutely no proof of what you think you saw. Going to the police
would only cause you grief and humiliation. You don't want that, do you?"
"No," Lenny said, hanging his head. "Man, I'm so tired! I just wanna
sell my place." Then looking up, he continued, "I need to sell my place,
man. Can you help me with that if I promise not to talk to anyone ‘bout
what I saw? How ‘bout it? I promise I can keep my mouth shut.”
“The thing is, Lenny, I don’t think you can.”
“I prom . . . wait . . . WAIT . . . ”
“Sorry, Lenny. I can’t take that chance.”
 Chapter 18
As the bright light of the sun gradually crept into her room, Kate reveled in
the peace of the morning. She paused to listen to the birds singing outside
her window. Birds never sound stressed. They always seem carefree and
happy every day. It was in this place that her mind started to wander.
Who’d have ever thought that cleaning out some old storage boxes
would’ve led to this? A few weeks ago, she felt in control of her life. Now
she felt anything but confident. Thoughts of Matt and Beth, Melanie and
murder swirled in her head, along with previously unconsidered questions,
like possibly moving from Oakdale.
To escape the turmoil, she sat bolt upright, shook her head, and jumped
out of bed, throwing on a new t-shirt and a pair of slim jeans. She headed to
the family room to see if Beth was up yet. Dim illumination through closed
blinds greeted her. She moved to the kitchen to finish cleaning up from the
night before.
As she washed, she played out the meeting of Aunt Peggy and Uncle
Mark. She looked forward to talking to them about Melanie, but she wasn’t
looking forward to the inevitable questions and comments from them. She
knew it was only natural for everyone to compare her to Melanie. That
didn’t make it any less uncomfortable for her. Maybe asking questions
about Melanie was just her way of deflecting attention from herself.
No, that wasn't it. Although Kate hated being the subject of so much
attention, she sincerely felt compelled to find out answers. No matter what
everyone else was saying about allowing the police to do their job, she
couldn't shake the need to do more. At the same time, she readily
acknowledged that she had no idea what more she could do. Why this
feeling? Why. This. Feeling?
 Kate was jolted back to reality as Beth came into the room. “Oh, I
didn’t realize you were up yet. It was so quiet. You don’t need to do those
dishes, you know.”
Looking up, Kate responded, "Yes, I do. It's actually been nice to work
in the quiet of the morning. I’m hoping it will help calm down the chaos in
my head.”
Beth walked over and put her arm around her. “Are you okay?” she
asked simply.
Kate stopped washing and paused, allowing the question to really settle
in. “I wish I could put it into words. I love that we have been able to
connect. I know I’ve said that several times, but it’s true.”
“I feel the same. It’s like having a part of Melanie back.”
“That!” she exclaimed, turning to face Beth. Then, as if she’d been
given permission to let loose, the words exploded from her mouth, “I think
that’s part of it! People keep saying I look so much like Melanie. That
makes me want a deeper connection to her, which always leads to me
asking questions about her murder. Then I’m told to back off. How can I do
that?! Add that to adjusting to the reality that I have a father who is still
living and wants to be part of my life. Not to mention the fact that I have
siblings to meet still and an aunt and uncle I get to meet today. How am I
supposed to feel with all this? Should I be excited? Apprehensive? Am I
taking it too fast? For goodness sake, I'm an adult who has handled
complicated situations. Why is this so hard?”
Beth handed Kate a dishtowel to dry her hands, then, taking her by the
hand, led her into the family room.
“Sit,” she said, sitting down and patting the spot next to her. “Kate,
you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. There is nothing that says
you have to have all these new relationships in place before you go home.
I’m not going anywhere, and I’m pretty sure Matt isn’t either.”
“I know. I know! I wish I knew what to expect, not just from myself,
but from others.”
Squeezing Kate’s hand, Beth said, "Well, I, for one, think expectations
can get you into trouble. I think this situation's a perfect example of that.
Just go with the flow, Kate. Allow the feelings to come up and stop trying
to analyze them. Be grateful for the friendship we are building.” The
comment made Kate chuckle.
"Since my parents died, I've felt so alone. Sure, I have friends and
colleagues, but nothing takes the place of family, and you are my family,
Kate. You can't escape that."
“You’ve got Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mark,” said Kate.
“I know, and they’re wonderful, but they’re older and can’t come down
much. Besides, you and I have much more in common.”
“I understand that,” said Kate. “To be honest, I think some of what’s
happening here has brought up other stuff that’s not necessarily related. I
miss my kids. You’d think I’d be used to them being gone by now, but
today, not so much. You don’t realize how much of your identity is wrapped
up in your children until they no longer depend on you.”
Jumping up from the couch, Beth said, "How about we head over to
Gus's for some more of those waffles?"
“You know, I think I’m going to pass today,” Kate said, slowly
standing up. “I think I need some time by myself. I’m going for a ride if
that’s okay with you.”
“Kate, you do whatever you need to do for yourself. I’m fine.”
“What time will Peggy and Mark be here?”
"Oh, they won't be here until later this afternoon. It's about a three-hour
drive. When I talked to Aunt Peggy, she said they were planning on leaving
about one.”
“Good to know. I’ll be sure to be back by then.” Kate grabbed her keys
and wallet from her purse on the end table, then turned back to Beth and
said, “You know one of the reasons I brought that little car of mine was to
have my dad and Chet close by. Taking a drive will be my way of spending
a little time with them. That probably sounds silly to you, but it works for
me."
“Actually Kate, I think it’s wonderful that you can do that. Enjoy your
time away. It’s a beautiful morning for a drive. I’d suggest you head north.
Just follow the highway.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks.”
 As she walked away, Beth called out some final words. "Kate,
remember, this has been a lot for all of us to take in. But on the bright side,
isn’t it a perfect example of the ripple effect one life has?”
Kate stopped in her tracks and then turned back to give Beth a hug.
“Thank you. Thank you so much for understanding and being there for me.
I won’t be terribly long.”
“I’m glad you’re going. It’ll be good for you. Take all the time you
need. Just be safe,” Beth encouraged.
“Yes, mother,” Kate teased.
Kate climbed into the car, put on her seatbelt, and slipped the key into
the ignition. As she turned the key, she glanced at the gas gauge and noticed
her tank registered only one-quarter full. Looks like I get to visit with Lenny
again, she thought as she backed out of the driveway. She figured it was an
excellent way to hear the town gossip from someone without a filter. Who
knew what he may say?
Pulling into the station, she expected to see Lenny come running out
like he did the first time, but he didn’t. After waiting a minute, she
attempted to take care of herself, but when she grabbed the pump, realized
they weren’t self-serve. Shoot!
Kate glanced around again to see if she could see Lenny, but he was
still nowhere in sight. Then she realized the garage doors weren’t open. An
odd thing for this time in the morning. Maybe he didn’t do business on
Fridays, she thought. He probably just got a late start. She restlessly
glanced at her watch. It’s not that early. She looked back at the building
again, expecting to see him come rushing out in a flourish of apologies.
“Something isn’t right,” she said to herself. “Lenny. Lenny?” she called
out, walking toward the garage, but still no response.
She decided to check out the old building where she’d waited the other
day, suspecting it to be locked up. However, as she tried the handle, she was
met with no resistance. “Lenny?” She said hesitantly, poking her head in.
The silence continued. Now her stomach was telling her something
wasn’t right. “You’re being silly, Kate,” she said to herself. “He probably
slept in. I’m getting all worked up over nothing. I’ll just go get some gas
someplace else.”
 Turning to walk out, she noticed a doorway leading into a unlit room
she assumed to be an office. "Hmm. I don't remember seeing that before."
She ignored the warning voice in her head and headed toward the darkness.
She gingerly felt along the wall for a light switch and flipped it on.
Bright light filled the dull, grimy room that contained nothing but a
shabby wooden chair, a worn, metal three-drawer filing cabinet, and an old
wooden desk covered with round water stains and grease. There was a half-
filled, open bottle of whiskey, and a dirty glass next to a desk pad with 2016
printed across the top. Kate's curiosity nudged her forward.
It was immediately apparent that Lenny liked to doodle. There were a
few names, but mostly initials. Lots of initials. Some with checkmarks next
to them. There were some phone numbers, a few dates with notes like
“dentist” or “Dr. Morgan,” and then something else caught her eye. In big,
capital letters were the words RED VW. Unlike a lot of the scribbles on the
page, this looked recent. Why in the world would he write down anything
about my car? She also saw $100,000 with a bunch of question marks
written on the page. That appeared relatively recent, too.
Feeling the notes were significant, she quickly snapped a picture. Then
she turned off the light and hurried out. Ignoring that same warning voice
again, she decided to check the garage, just for good measure. Standing in
the doorway between the waiting area and the garage, she peeked inside.
“Lenny?” she called, poking her head around the corner. Summoning
up a little more courage, she entered the garage and called out again,
"Lenny?" When there still was no response, she mumbled under her breath,
"This is ridiculous! I'm not spending my morning like this!"
Just then, something caught her eye. Doing a double-take to her side,
she saw Lenny, lying on the ground. Rushing over to him, she called out,
"Oh, my gosh, Lenny, Lenny, are you all right?"
She went to shake him but stopped short. His eyes were open and
glazed. Two spots of red on his shirt stared back at her. Startled, she
exclaimed, "Oh gosh. Oh gosh! OH, GOSH!" With trembling hands, she
reached for her phone, taking deliberate deep breaths as she focused on
dialing 911.
“911, what is your emergency?” the dispatcher said calmly.
 “Uh, I, um, think I found a dead body,” she said, her voice shaking so
much she wondered if the woman could even understand her.
“What is your location, ma’am?”
“Um, uh, I’m at uh, Lenny’s gas station on Hwy 40.”
“Are you certain the person is dead, ma’am?”
“I didn’t check his pulse if that’s what you mean, but I can pretty much
guarantee he’s dead. Could you please send the police?”
“I’m letting them know right now. Please stay on the line.”
The dispatcher continued to talk, but Kate didn’t pay much attention to
what was said. Occasionally, she absentmindedly responded with a "yes" or
"no." Now she just wished she’d listened to the voice that told her to go
someplace else for gas.
As the police pulled into the station, the dispatcher let her go. Kate was
still in the garage as the officers walked into the building and called out,
"Hello?"
“I’m in here,” she called back.
It was no surprise that Dennis was one of the men responding. His eyes
popped when he saw her. “What in the world are you doing here?” he
exclaimed.
“Good question! I needed to fill up my car. When Lenny didn't come
out, I started looking around. I found him," she said grimacing as she tilted
her head toward the body.
Both officers looked in the direction indicated. Immediately, the other
officer got on his radio as Dennis put his arm around Kate.
"Come with me," he said, directing her out of the garage.
He led her out to the police car, where he attempted to wrap her in a
blanket and have her sit down, but she protested, "I'm fine. Really. I'm
fine."
“Please, Kate, sit down!”
When she continued to resist, he forced her into his car and said, “You
need to sit down! Now, tell me what happened. Again. In more detail. When
did you get here?”
Kate told him how she went to look for Lenny when he didn’t come out
to fill her car. She closed her eyes, took a deep sigh, and shook her head as
she finished. “All I wanted was to go for a quiet ride. I guess the ride’s out
now, huh?”
“Well, for now, yes. How’re you feeling?” asked Dennis.
“Fine. Really, I’m fine. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a shock to find
him, but I really think I’m fine now,” replied Kate, her voice barely
trembling.
“Can I get up now, please?”
"I still want you to sit here for a little bit. Will you do that?" Dennis
encouraged.
“Actually, there’s something I think you need to see in Lenny’s office,”
said Kate perking up.
“We’ll get to all that,” Dennis said rigidly.
"No! I want you to see this!" Kate insisted, brushing his arm aside and
pushing through his protestations. "I'm fine. Seriously, I want you to see
this now!
Kate rushed toward the building as Dennis called after her, “You can’t
go in there. It’s an active crime scene.”
“Really? You forget I’ve been walking through here for the last 20
minutes.” Kate called over her shoulder as she continued without missing a
step. “I’m not going to touch anything. You need to come and see this!”
Dennis broke into a jog to catch up. “Kate! Wait!”
Kate hurried into Lenny’s office. As Dennis entered, she pointed to the
old desk pad and said, “Look. Why on earth has he written my car model on
this pad? And look, right next to it is $100,000 with those question marks.
And look at all those initials. Something is going on here!”
Dennis bent down to scrutinize the desk pad. “Well, it’s certainly
something we need to investigate.” Looking back at Kate he said, “You
know we would have found this on our own, right?”
“Goodness, Dennis. Don’t go getting all huffy,” said Kate. “Of course,
I know you’d have found it. Eventually. I wanted you to see it now. You
need to know that when I was here a couple of days ago, Lenny made a
huge deal about my car. I know he's really into the classics, but to write it
down here? There aren’t any other cars here. And then all those initials.
What do you think they mean?”
 Dennis continued to scan the pad. “I’m not sure, honestly, but I agree
with you that it’s interesting for sure. Maybe he wanted to buy your car.
You said he made a big deal about it?”
"Yes. In fact, I was kind of surprised. Most people just think it's a pile
of junk. But even if he wanted to buy it, there’s no way it’s worth anywhere
near $100,000!” said Kate.
“That’s true. We need to have some way to decipher all this,” Dennis
admitted.
“Another thing . . . When I was here last, he was really worked up
about the development. He was concerned about selling his place and
wanting to retire. He felt the development was his only option. Could the
$100,000 be related to that?” Kate asked.
“This land is worth a lot more than that. I know he’s been very
frustrated by the slow progress in getting the approval, and he's been furious
at those fighting it. I’ve even witnessed a couple of rows in the council
meetings. It’s been quite a divisive issue, I hate to say.”
Dennis continued to examine the pad and make observations. “I’m not
sure what to make of all this."
Then pointing to the letters, he said, "Look how these letters are listed
in a column. I think they might be initials, but how are they related?”
Dennis questioned.
“I think these couple of notations for a doctor’s appointment and the
dentist are irrelevant. But the rest of this intrigues me,” he said, tapping the
desk with his pointer finger.
The tapping continued for a full minute when all of a sudden, his head
snapped up. “I know what they are! These are the initials of the people on
the city council. The checks are next to people in favor of the development.
It makes perfect sense that Lenny would be tracking that. I bet when I check
out these phone numbers, they’ll all match city council members.”
“Great! We’re making headway, but that still doesn't explain why he
wrote down the make of my car," Kate said, frustrated.
“Did you say we are making headway?” Dennis said, raising his
eyebrows.
“Uh, yeah, I guess I did,” stammered Kate.
 “There’s no we here,” Dennis said sternly.
“You can’t leave me out of this!” exclaimed Kate. “I found the body!
And the fact that something I own is listed on that pad makes me part of
this. It’s kind of creeping me out.”
“Well, look at it this way, he won’t be stalking you now, will he?” said
Dennis trying to make light of the situation.
“That’s a terrible thing to say, and it still feels creepy to me,” said Kate.
“I think there must be some real significance for it!”
“I do agree with you. There is a reason, and I will find out what it is.”
“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” quipped Kate.
“It’s my job. I need to be sure of myself,” Dennis said flatly.
The door squeaked open, revealing two more officers. Dennis caught
them up on the situation and then firmly took Kate by the arm and said,
“Come on, let’s go. My guys will gather up all the information we need
here. I’m not sure what they’ll find in the garage, but I’m thinking this pad
may contain our best leads.”
“I knew it would mean something!” said Kate triumphantly. “That’s
why I wanted to show you immediately.”
“Thank you. Now let’s get you out of here,” insisted Dennis, strong-
arming her out of the building.
She stumbled alongside him and said, “You know, I only met Lenny the
one time, but he didn’t seem the type to hurt anyone. Why would someone
want to kill him?” Kate asked.
“He could be a cantankerous old coot, that’s for sure. Heaven knows he
couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He may have rubbed someone the wrong
way, but you’re right, he was harmless. Right off, I can’t think of anyone
who would have reason to do this.”
Kate felt Dennis starting to loosen up, which helped her relax. He
continued, “He was doing everything in his power to bring people to his
side of the argument, but with his people skills, I'm not sure it did him any
good."
As they reached the car, Dennis asked her once again, "How are you
doing? Are you feeling shaky, cold sweats, anything like that? Sometimes
the reactions to things like this are delayed."
 “Really, I’m fine,” she held out her hand for him to check. “See? Solid
as a rock.”
“Good. I need to be sure.” Dennis said. “Look, the crime scene guys
are going to be here for a while. There’s really no need for me to stay.
However, I’d like to talk to you a little more, not just about this morning,
but about your chat with Lenny the other day. There’s no need to go to the
station for that. I was thinking we could get something to eat if you don't
mind. We could go to Gus's for some waffles. You can't pass on that offer,
can you?"
Shocked, but hearing her stomach growl, Kate said, "I’d like that. I
haven’t eaten anything yet, and my stomach says it needs something. And
there’s some other stuff I want to talk to you about.”
“More questions about the investigation on Melanie, no doubt?”
Dennis surmised.
“Yes, if you don’t mind.”
“Why not?” Dennis said sarcastically, holding the door open for her.”
“Hey, that wasn’t nice,” Kate said smiling, “Besides, you said you
wanted me to tell you if I found anything else in the journals.”
“That’s right, I did,” he confessed.
Kate’s tone turned serious, “I don’t want Melanie’s case getting
brushed aside for lack of leads, especially now that you have Lenny’s
murder to investigate.”
Dennis got into the car and said, “Just because you aren’t getting
answers as quickly as you want doesn’t mean I’m ignoring you.”
“I never said that!”
“No, but you implied as much. I repeat, Kate, I want this thing with
Melanie solved as quickly as possible. Your tips are interesting, but I’m still
betting on Klienman. There’s too much that points in his direction.”
“I know, I know. I wish I felt as certain about him as you and Beth do.
Anyway, I do have more information. I think you’ll find helpful. We can
talk about it over some waffles.”
“Great idea!” he said, starting the car and heading back into town.
 Chapter 19
Has Beth taken you for waffles yet?” asked Dennis as they traveled down
Main Street.
"Oh, yes! They were wonderful! What’s your favorite topping?” Kate
asked. She hoped by keeping the conversation light now there’d be less
friction later. “I kept things very basic for my first time. I may be more
daring today.”
“I’m a cinnamon sugar man myself,” Dennis claimed proudly. “They
top it with fried ice cream. Truly to die for! Sorry, that was thoughtless.”
Kate made a face but otherwise ignored the comment, and said, “That
sounds amazing, not healthy, but delicious nonetheless.”
The couple rode in silence until Gus’s full parking lot became visible.
“Is there ever a slow time for this place?” Kate asked.
“Not really. There are other places to eat, but they aren’t as good as
Gus’s. I like to support our local people, you know?”
“I feel the same about my town,” agreed Kate.
“This is our lucky day,” said Matt pulling into an empty parking spot
right in front of the restaurant. Walking toward the building Kate wondered
what people might say, seeing the two of them together. Her concerns
vanished when the hostess simply said, “Hey Dennis! Two?”
"Yes, thank you, Meghan."
Meghan immediately grabbed the menus and led them into the dining
area. Dennis was met with hearty hellos from each table they passed—no
one saying a word about the woman he was with.
“Will this be okay?” Meghan asked, setting the menus on the table.
"Perfect. Thank you," Dennis said, sliding onto the bench.
“Anything for you, sir,” Meghan smiled.
 As Kate scooted onto her bench, she said, “Wow! Now that is service!
Do they always treat you like this when you come in here?”
“They know I’m usually in a hurry, and they try to accommodate.
That's another reason I love coming here," Dennis admitted.
“Boy, I don’t blame you. Truly red carpet.”
“People here respect the badge. It’s not only me. I imagine the entire
force gets the same treatment. Now, tell me what you wanted to talk to me
about,” said Dennis changing the subject without skipping a beat.
“Remember that incident I was telling you about with Max and Luke?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
"Apparently, that particular incident was the first of many. In talking to
Matt last night, he said that toward the end of the year, there was a real big
brouhaha where Max struck Luke and broke his nose."
“Oh. That is more involved than what you’d mentioned, but how does
that involve Melanie?”
“Evidently, right after it happened, Max was suspended, and Luke
received no punishment since he was the one to get hurt. However, when
Melanie found out, she took it upon herself to complain to the principal and
set things straight. After he heard about the bullying throughout the year,
the principal also suspended Luke, making him quite angry. Anyway, that’s
what Matt said.”
“Huh. That does shed additional light on things,” Dennis admitted.
“Hey, Dennis! You two ready to order?” asked the waitress, placing
two glasses of water on the table.
“Give me my usual, Brit.” Turning to Kate he asked, "Well? What's
your pleasure?
"What the heck! I'll have the same," she said, passing the menu to the
young girl.
“You won’t regret it, I promise you,” said Dennis.
“Oh, I’m sure I will,” she assured him, “But who knows when I’ll be
back here.”
“Are you leaving soon?” asked Dennis curiously.
"I planned to leave Sunday. Do I need to stay longer?" she asked,
raising her eyebrows.
 “I don’t think so, but while it’s fresh on your mind, tell me again what
happened at Lenny’s.”
Kate reviewed her morning for Dennis, taking him through each step
from the second she arrived at the station. She finished by saying, “All I
wanted was a nice quiet ride to escape the chaos in my head. So much for
that!”
“It hasn’t been your day, has it?”
“Compared to Lenny, I can’t complain,” she remarked.
“Good point,” said Dennis.
“Dennis, I apologize for being so pushy back at the station. I’m sure
your men are quite capable of investigating a murder. I’m just used to being
the catalyst in getting things done, that’s all. I think it gives me a sense of
control."
“Control, huh?” smiled Dennis.
“I know, that sounds terrible,” confessed Kate. “I’m not a control freak,
I promise. But I think focusing on these outward things helps me avoid
troublesome feelings about meeting new family, especially Matt.”
Kate's eye got big, and her hand flew up to her mouth the second she
spoke. Dennis gave no response as Kate composed herself. Finally, she said
quietly, “Whoa! . . . I did not see that coming. Truth be told, so much of this
trip has brought emotional surprises. Please forgive my little outburst.”
“I can’t imagine how difficult it would be as an adult to discover you
were adopted,” said Dennis.
“It’s not something that can be explained. Beth, Matt, me, we’re all
flying by the seat of our pants. At least when I lost my husband, I knew
others could relate, especially my friends, who also lost their spouses in the
same crash. That's not the case here."
“A crash? What kind of crash?”
"Chet, my husband, was killed in an airplane crash back in 2010. He'd
gone with some friends to see a football game at UCLA. The plane
malfunctioned, and that was that, as they say."
“I’m sorry. Now I feel I’ve judged you prematurely. No wonder you
like to control things in your life.”
 Dennis’s softening helped Kate feel safe in continuing, “Apology
accepted. I thought losing Chet was the hardest thing I’d ever have to go
through, but this adoption thing is right up there. I’ve experienced a whole
spectrum of emotions: shock and denial, anger, hurt, denial again. At first, I
wanted to lash out at my parents, demanding to know why they didn’t tell
me. At this point, the ‘why’ doesn't really matter. It is what it is.”
Kate paused, realizing she was rambling. “I better stop talking.
Apparently, my filter has stopped working this morning."
“Not a problem. You obviously needed the release. Consider me an
objective listener,” Dennis said sympathetically.
An awkward silence settled between them for a few seconds. Finally,
Dennis cleared his throat and said, “Listen, I’ll check into Luke and Max,
but don’t get your hopes up. Luke has a temper, but to hold onto a grudge
for a year doesn’t make sense to me. And as far as Max goes, that one
doesn’t feel right either.”
“Matt said he didn’t think Max was able to drive,” admitted Kate.
“That makes a difference, doesn’t it?” said Dennis.
“I know. Grasping at straws. Beth really thinks this Klienman guy did
it,” said Kate.
“That’s where I’m putting my money,” affirmed Dennis. “I’ll have
more to work with after the DNA comes back.”
The conversation stopped as the waitress brought their food. Staring at
the waffle creation, Kate chuckled, “What in the world did I get myself
into?”
“It’s worth it, I promise,” said Dennis.
"I couldn't figure out where to start the last time either," she admitted,
turning the plate before her.
“Just dig in!” said Dennis, taking his first bite.
Kate managed a couple of bites and then asked, “Whatever got you
interested in becoming a cop, especially in a small town like Colden Hills?”
“I always wanted to be a cop. I, too, feel a strong need for justice, and I
wanted to help those who can’t help themselves,” he explained.
“Is there a special reason for that need?” asked Kate.
“Yes.”
 “And that is . . .” urged Kate.
Dennis paused for a minute before answering. Kate assumed it was
because she was pushing too hard where it was absolutely none of her
business. Then Dennis responded softly, "Let me start by saying that my
dad was a great guy. I loved him. He provided for us. He was supportive of
my brother and me, and most importantly, he loved my mother. But when
he drank all that went out the window. Granted, he was careful to only drink
on the weekends, but by Saturday nights, he was in a pretty mean place. My
brother and I hid as best we could. Mom always acted as the buffer. Come
Sunday night, Dad was always apologetic, promising that it'd never happen
again. But it always did.”
Kate sat without commenting as he continued. “Back then nobody
talked about that kind of thing, especially in a small town like this. My dad
was respected in the community. Mom loved him and would never do
anything to embarrass him. To my brother and me, it was normal. You
know, when you don't know anything else, you think everyone deals with
the same thing. It wasn't until I was older, maybe 12 or 13, that I realized
my friends didn't live like that. Of course, I couldn't say anything."
Kate’s opinion of Dennis changed drastically as she listened intently to
him talk about his family. He stopped being the policeman standing in her
way and became a real person with feelings. Sitting there, she now saw an
incredibly good-looking, sensitive man with wavy dark hair graying a little
at the temples and eyes that were dark and expressive. His voice was
mellow, and as he mentioned his mother, she could hear the love he felt for
her. She definitely heard love, mixed with sadness, as he talked about his
father. There was no sign of animosity at all. How unusual, she thought. She
realized with everything going on, she’d neglected to see Dennis for the
good man that he was.
He continued, “As I got older, I felt angry all the time. I was tired of
my father's failed promises. One night, I went to hit him, but my mother
stopped me. It was a terrible night. The next day she sat me down and
explained why he was the way he was. She loved him so much, she was
happy to get six good days a week. She knew women that didn't get that
many. The conversation changed my heart. I developed a deeper love for
my mother and her self-sacrifice, and I saw my dad through different eyes.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s never an excuse for beating on your wife. But I
understood, and promised to do better in my own life.”
“Wow! She sounds like an amazing woman,” said Kate.
“She was a saint in every sense of the word. She helped me let go of all
the anger and choose to love him. I learned it was the only way I could find
peace. All of that went into my decision to serve. How’s that for more
information than you really wanted?”
“Thank you for sharing. I didn’t mean to pry.”
"It's okay. I don't talk about it much anymore. There's nobody around
who's interested, and I'm usually the one asking all the questions."
“So are you married?” asked Kate, remembering the picture she saw on
his desk.
"No. I'm widowed, actually."
“Oh, I’m sorry. I had . . . I had no idea.”
"Of course, you didn't. That's okay. My wife died a couple of years ago.
Breast cancer."
“It’s the pits, isn’t it? When you start out, the plan is to grow old
together. When the other person doesn’t hold up their end of the deal, you
can’t help but feel angry, even though you know they didn’t do it on
purpose. From a clinical perspective, I find the emotional rollercoaster that
accompanies such loss to be fascinating."
“How do you mean?”
“You have to learn a whole new way to navigate life. I wanted the pain
to go away at the same time I felt like I had to hold onto it out of loyalty to
Chet. One day I’d handle life pretty well; the next, I'd be a wreck. Now, I
wished I’d given myself permission to flow with what I was feeling, and
accept it as being okay, especially in the beginning.”
“I understand exactly what you mean,” replied Dennis.
“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut this morning. I’m
usually not like this,” said Kate, blushing.
“No, no, please don’t apologize. I don’t know a lot of people who
understand what it’s like to lose a spouse. Friends sympathize, and I
appreciate that, but none of them can empathize. There’s no way to fully
explain the emptiness; it becomes the new normal, right? Even after all this
time, it’s nice to be with someone who gets it.”
They both refocused on their meal, Kate debating if she should ask any
more questions. Finally, she couldn't resist. “Do you have any children?”
“Yes. I have a daughter who recently graduated from high school and
will be heading off to college soon. I’m not looking forward to it, I can tell
you that,” Dennis said, shaking his head.
“It’s hard to let them go. I’ve got two, a boy and a girl, who are both
off doing their own thing. It’s forced me to really look at my life and what I
want to do now. Actually, that’s what started this whole thing a few weeks
back.”
Kate shared with Dennis the events leading up to her adoption
discovery, finding Beth, and then coming to Colden Hills. Their
conversation meandered around spouses, children, and future hopes and
dreams. Kate decided Dennis wasn't anything at all like she initially
assumed: cynical, hard, negative about human nature.
Setting his fork onto an empty plate, Dennis said, "Thank you for this.
Usually, my meals are cold and eaten either at my desk or on the run. This
has been really nice."
"I agree, but I feel like I've kept you away from your work. Back at the
gas station, you said you wanted to know more about my earlier interactions
with Lenny. We’ve barely covered that.”
“You’re right,” Dennis admitted. “I’m afraid I got caught up in being
with someone other than a fellow officer or a suspect of some kind. Please,
tell me about that conversation.”
"Well, at the time, I wouldn't have said there was that much to tell.
Lenny came running out of the building the minute I pulled up. At first, I
thought it was great customer service. But when he wouldn't stop talking, I
began to think he hadn't seen another human being for some time. I worried
that I’d never get the chance to tell him what I needed.”
“That’s our Lenny,” said Dennis. “What did he talk about? Do you
remember?”
“Yeah, my car. He was fascinated by it! Now, I know why I love my
car, but to have someone else gush all over it was quite the surprise,” said
Kate.
“That may explain why he wrote it down on his desk pad.”
“Maybe, but I don’t buy that,” argued Kate.
“What else did he say?”
"Oh gosh, a little of everything, I think. At one point, I kind of checked
out. Let's see . . . He mentioned Melanie and how sad that situation was. He
said he grew up with her, but they ran in different crowds. I do remember
him saying that she was always nice to him, and he appreciated that. Um,
what else, oh, of course, he talked about the development and how badly he
wanted to sell his place. He said he was tired of working. He did mention
something about being angry with the people who were against the
development."
“That would be an understatement,” said Dennis. There are a few
people who have really gotten worked up over this whole thing. Luke and
Lenny are at the top of that list. Julie Grimes is up there, too. The
development would be a real financial boon to all of them for different
reasons.”
“That’s surely the impression I got,” said Kate.
“Did he seem overly worked up?” asked Dennis.
“Compared to what? I only met him that one time. I have nothing to
base his behavior on,” said Kate.
“Of course,” remarked Dennis, shaking his head. Kate could feel his
frustration at not having more information from her. “Is there anything else,
anyone else he mentioned?”
“I wish there were. Like I said, he talked so fast. My whole goal
became listening for a tiny break in his ramblings to get a word in
edgewise. Sorry," said Kate.
“Okay. Thanks for trying. You will let me know if anything else comes
to mind, won’t you?” said Dennis.
“I haven’t hesitated to contact you about anything so far. I don’t
suppose that is going to change,” Kate smiled.
"Point taken," said Dennis, nodding.
“Oh, look! He can smile!” teased Kate.
“Of course, I can smile. What does that remark mean?” pouted Dennis.
 Kate continued with her teasing, “I don’t think I’ve seen you smile
once since we’ve met. I admit I’m probably the reason for that. I’m glad to
know you can.”
“I’ll have you know that I’m a pretty happy guy. Ask anyone. They’ll
tell you,” Dennis defended.
“I’ll take your word for it, now that I’ve seen proof.” Kate slid off the
bench, grabbed her purse, and said, "I'm sure you need to get back to work.
Shall we go?"
“Yes. We’ve spent more time than I planned. However, I’ve got to say,
it was time well spent,” smiled Dennis.
Kate stood next to him and said simply, "I agree. It has been nice.
Thank you."
 Chapter 20
Arriving back at Lenny’s station, Dennis turned off the engine and said,
“I’m going to check on their progress. You need to go home and rest. Are
you okay to drive?”
“I. Am. Fine!” Kate insisted. “Stop asking. Goodness, you’re like a
mother hen.”
“Hey! I can’t allow you on the road if you’re not fit to drive. It’s a
simple thing. Finding a dead body, a murdered one at that, can be very
disturbing. I know officers who wouldn’t take it as lightly as you seem to,”
Dennis protested.
“I appreciate your concern,” Kate assured him again, walking toward
her car. “I need to get going. Beth will think I’ve left the state."
Sliding the key in the ignition, she muttered to herself, "I really wanted
to get that drive in today.” Sighing, she put the car in gear and headed
toward Beth’s. She’d traveled less than a quarter of a mile when the car
seemed to grow a mind of its own. Quickly, she flipped a U-turn and
headed up to "the spot."
Within minutes, she found herself sitting on the flat boulder, gazing out
over the lush, green valley. The beauty of the view reminded her it wasn’t
the drive she’d longed for, but a chance to be alone and sort through all her
feelings.
She wanted help. Anxiously, she called out, “Chet, where are you? I
need you!”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and listened. She pondered the
scene in front of her. Same beautiful valley, with the ribbon of blue, framed
by the same majestic mountains as a couple of days previous, but things felt
different today. She’d met Matt, which carried a burden not felt before. Oh,
shoot! I need to text Beth and tell her I’m okay.
 Quickly pulling out her phone, she messaged: I’m fine. Sorry, it’s
longer than I thought. Be home within the hour. Heart, heart, heart
Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she took another deep breath.
The gentle breeze brushed against her face as she drank in the tranquility of
the moment. She leaned back, turning her face toward the sun’s warmth.
Too bad it’s not such a beautiful day for Lenny. The thought jolted her
forward. She could see him lying on the floor with the bloodstains on his
chest.
“Stop that. Stop that!” she commanded, rapidly shaking her head.
Slowly, she resumed her position, this time intentionally imagining the
warmth of the sun cleansing her brain of all unpleasant images. She
envisioned herself in a small meadow, surrounded by pine trees, very
similar to places she’d gone camping with her parents. She languished in
the peace of her surroundings for several minutes before gazing into the
distance where she saw a man approaching. Could it be? Could it possibly
be?! As the man moved closer, she recognized her husband, smiling and
extending his arms toward her. Tears streamed down her face as she ran to
greet him. She felt his arms wrap around her as she laid her head on his
chest and allowed herself to sob in the security of his embrace.
Kate lost track of time in Chet’s arms, protesting when he gently
pushed her away. Her eyes begged him to stay as he kissed her on the
forehead, even though she knew he couldn’t. As he disappeared, a warm
reassurance washed over her. She was going to be okay.  Grudgingly, she
brought herself back to the reality of her environment. For several minutes
she lingered on the feelings of being with her sweetheart, wanting them to
stay forever.  Then with a start she remembered Beth. Grabbing her phone,
she texted: So sorry! Lost track of time. On my way.
Kate quickly slid off the rock and made her way to the car. Once inside,
she tried to sense Chet’s arms around her. It was no use. Although the peace
remained, Chet was gone. Reluctantly, she headed back to Beth’s.
The unfamiliar cars in the driveway—one with Idaho plates, the other
with a car rental sticker—reminded Kate of the people awaiting her arrival.
Parking on the street, she turned off the ignition and took a couple of deep
breaths to brace for the inevitable grilling. Immediately, she corrected her
thought pattern. Not one person had grilled her thus far. There was no
reason to expect things would be different with Peggy and Mark. Besides,
once she told everyone about finding Lenny, the conversation would take
off in a whole different direction. Oh, what a day! With a determined push,
she started toward the house.
“We’re back here,” called Beth as Kate walked in the door. An older
couple sitting on the couch stood when she walked into the room. Without
any introduction, the woman wrapped her arms around Kate and said, “I
can’t tell you how happy we are to meet you at last.”
Releasing Kate and standing back, she continued, “Oh, let me look at
you. Oh, my goodness! You remind me so much of your mother. Look at
that hair. Praise the Lord! I never thought this day would come!”
Kate hadn’t expected such forwardness but quickly recovered as Beth
stepped in and said, “Kate, you’ve guessed by now, this is Aunt Peggy and
Uncle Mark.”
"It's nice to meet you, too," Kate smiled and nodded.
Turning to the slender blond she extended her hand and said, "You
must be Melanie's friend from school."
“Yes. I’m Stephanie Montgomery. It’s very nice to meet you, Kate.”
Kate settled into a chair while Beth said anxiously, “That must have
been some ride you took, Kate! Where’d you go? Wyoming?”
“Actually, my plans took a major detour,” responded Kate.
“Are you okay?” Beth asked, concerned.
“I’m fine, but Lenny isn’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Beth, wrinkling her brow.
“Lenny’s been murdered,” said Kate calmly, expecting the distressed
responses.
“What?” gasped Beth. “How do you know that?”
Horror washed over Peggy’s face as Kate replied, “I found him.”
Shocked, Beth exclaimed, “Oh my goodness. Are you okay? What on
earth happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Really. It was terribly unsettling to be certain, but I’m fine
now.”
“What happened?” repeated Beth anxiously.
 “I needed gas in my car. I was heading north, so Lenny’s was the
natural place to stop. When he didn’t come running out to greet me,
something didn’t feel right, so I started looking around. I found him in the
garage. It looked to me like he’d been shot.”
“Oh my!” said Peggy, finally finding her voice.
“That’s some discovery!” asserted Mark, while Stephanie sat silent,
shaking her head.
“So, instead of going for a drive, I got interrogated. However, I did end
up getting a nice meal with it.”
“Okay. Now I’m confused. Where does a meal fit into all this?” asked
Beth.
“Dennis was one of the officers who showed up at the gas station. After
his initial shock of seeing me there, he went out of his way to make sure I
was okay. He needed information from me, and it was convenient to do it
over food."
“Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Peggy. “I don’t know that I’d be
upright had it happened to me.”
“Really, I’m fine,” Kate assured the group.
“Do they have any idea who did it?” asked Beth.
“I don’t know anything other than what I’ve told you,” Kate fudged.
She didn’t want to give details about the desk pad.
“Dennis whisked me away as quickly as he could. Now, let’s change
the subject. This isn’t what you all came for.”
The group made awkward attempts at small talk, having difficulty
letting go of the excitement of a murder in town, but Kate rapidly lost
interest. She tried to put on a happy face, but the toll of the day's activities
was catching up with her.
Finally, interrupting Peggy, she bluntly stated, “I’m sorry. I know I’ve
said I’m fine, but I’m not,”
“I knew it,” said Beth. “Nobody could go through such an experience
as seamlessly as you tried to portray!”
Peggy chimed in, “You poor girl! What can we do for you?”
“I really will be fine. I’m just exhausted, more mentally than
physically. Do you mind if I beg off for now and we start up again
tomorrow? You’ll be staying for a couple of days, won’t you?” asked Kate.
“We’ll be leaving Sunday morning,” said Mark.
“Me, too,” added Stephanie.
“We’ll have plenty of time to visit after the memorial service,”
volunteered Beth. “Please, take care of yourself.”
Kate stood and said, "Thank you for understanding. It's like the reality
of the day has hit me just since I walked in the door. It’s lovely to meet you
all. I really do look forward to spending time together when I can be more
responsive. Good evening.”
 Chapter 21
Even though Kate was emotionally depleted, she wanted, no she needed to
talk to Lizzie. The phone barely rang before Lizzie picked up. “Good
afternoon!”
“Hey!” said Kate flatly.
“Oh that doesn’t sound too good.  What’s going on?” asked Lizzie.
"It’s been one heck of a day and I'm totally drained.”
“Oh no! What’s happened?!” asked Lizzie.
“Where do I even start?” Kate sighed and said, “Okay. I guess the
beginning is the best place.”
“Yes. Start there. Don’t skip a thing,” encouraged Lizzie.
“This morning, I decided to go for a ride to clear my head, but I needed
gas, so I stopped at Lenny’s. Did I tell you about Lenny, the guy who never
shuts up?”
“That doesn’t sound familiar at all.”
“In a nutshell, Lenny owns the gas station where I got my car fixed on
Tuesday. That day, as soon as I pulled into the station, he came running out
to help me. I figured that would happen again today, but it didn’t.”
“So you had to pump your own gas?” asked Lizzie, confused.
“It’s relevant. Just let me tell the story, will ya?” Kate snapped.
“Okay, okay. Sorry! Please continue.”
“I was curious as to why he didn’t come out, so I started looking
around. Long story short, I found him with two bullet wounds in his chest,”
Kate revealed.
“Are you kidding me?” exclaimed Lizzie. “What is this place? It
doesn’t sound like Colden Hills is very safe!”
"I know, right? I couldn't believe it. I've gone my entire life without any
kind of exposure to murder, and in the last five days, it's affected me twice.
What's with that?"
“Are you okay?” asked Lizzie, stunned.
“Yes, I am. It’s all just catching up to me. I really thought I was doing
okay until I walked in the door and was faced with making conversation
with more family,” Kate admitted.
“More family? Who?” Lizzie inquired.
“Melanie’s aunt and uncle from Idaho. The ones she lived with the
summer she was pregnant. I’m sure I told you about them.”
“Yeah, I think you did.”
“They seem like very nice people,” said Kate. “They were very
understanding when I excused myself. We’ll have plenty of time to visit
tomorrow.”
“Will you need to stay longer now because of this, I mean because you
found the body and all?” asked Lizzie.
“No. Dennis knows where to reach me, and I’ve told him all I can
anyway. I didn’t witness anything. I just found the body.”
“Dennis?” asked Lizzie.
“Didn’t I tell you about him?”
“This is the first I’m hearing the name,” replied Lizzie.
“Sorry.  Right now I’m surprised I can keep anything straight,” Kate
admitted. “Anyway, he’s the detective in charge of Melanie’s case. Now
he’s also in charge of the investigation on Lenny. We didn't start things off
very well, but I've learned he’s actually a nice guy. Not what I’d call your
stereotypical cop.”
“Is there a story there?” asked Lizzie.
“Not really. When we first met, I may have insinuated he wasn’t doing
enough to find Melanie’s murderer,” admitted Kate.
“Oh that’s not good!”
“I know. But I think things are better now,” Kate assured her friend.
“How did that happen?” asked Lizzie.
“Dennis needed information on what I’d seen at Lenny’s, and we were
both hungry, so we went to lunch. I found out we have a bit in common,”
Kate stated simply.
“Like what?”
 “He lost his wife a couple of years ago to cancer. It was kinda’ nice
talking to someone who understood what it’s like to lose a spouse,”
admitted Kate.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” Lizzie teased.
“Oh, for goodness sake, Liz. We had a nice conversation. Leave it
alone, will you please?”
“Good looking?” pushed Lizzie.
"Honestly!" Kate said, frustrated. "Please stop! Dennis has nothing to
do with why I’m struggling, I can promise you that,” said Kate slowly.
"I’m sorry, really I am! I won’t do it again.  Please, go on."
Kate sighed, “After Dennis dropped me off at my car, I had a feeling I
needed to go back to the place where Melanie was found. I no longer felt
like a drive; I just wanted to be alone. It seemed like a good place to go.
There’s this cool boulder, perfectly situated to look out over the valley.”
Kate paused for a moment then added, “Liz, I saw Chet.”
“What do you mean, you saw Chet?” Lizzie asked, confused.
“I did a visualization where I took myself to a safe place, and Chet
showed up," Kate said simply. "He held me, and I cried. It felt so good after
all the chaos of these last few weeks. Lizzie, it was so real. I didn't want to
wake up."
“Wow!” Lizzie said reverently.
“My feelings toward Matt are complicated. Finding the body was
disturbing for sure, but seeing Chet again like that . . . I don't know how to
even put it into words. I miss him so badly! It's all added up to make this a
wonderful yet difficult day,” said Kate.
“I get that.”
Kate hesitated, then said quietly, “I’m not looking forward to
tomorrow. Is that terrible of me?”
“What’s tomorrow?” asked Lizzie.
“The memorial service,” Kate reminded her.
“Oh yeah, sorry. I don’t understand. Do you not want to go?” asked
Lizzie.
“People will be all abuzz about Lenny. When word gets out that I found
him, I’m afraid I’ll be the recipient of far more attention than I want.”
 “Katie, why are you worried about other people? That’s not like you!”
stated Lizzie. “Have you really been the object of that much attention so
far?”
The question caught Kate off guard. She never liked being the center of
attention. The last few weeks had left her feeling unprotected and
vulnerable. In reality, the only people who really mattered had bent over
backward to be understanding. To everyone else, she was another person on
the street.
“You’re right,” confessed Kate.
“Then why even mention it?” Lizzie asked.
“I feel exposed. I feel like people are staring at me whenever I go out. I
hate that! Now that you mention it though, it’s probably all in my
imagination.”
“Kate, I think you’re highly sensitive right now, and it’s making you a
little paranoid. Today’s events haven’t helped things,” Lizzie suggested.
“Maybe,” conceded Kate offhandedly. “You know, Lenny’s murder is
the first one in this town since Melanie. Poor guy! He seemed nice enough.
Who’d want to kill him?”
“You’re not getting involved in this investigation, too?” demanded
Lizzie.
“My goodness, no! That's the last thing I need. But did I tell you about
the desk pad?”
“What desk pad?”
“At the station, in Lenny’s office, there was this desk pad with a bunch
of notes on it. It looked like Lenny’s version of a day planner. The weird
thing was he’d written ‘red VW’ in big letters on it. I want to know why?
He only saw my car once.”
“Are you sure he was referring to your car?” Lizzie asked.
"Pretty sure. The writing looked fresher than a lot of other things on the
pad, and I haven't seen any other cars like mine since I've been here. When
I was at the station the first time, he was quite excited about it. I thought it
kind of odd, but then that whole conversation was a bit different.”
“Maybe he wanted to buy it?” proposed Lizzie.
 “That’s what Dennis suggested, but I don’t agree. Lenny complained
too much about money for me to think he wanted to buy anything. Besides,
I think he would have said something,” suggested Kate.
“Let it go,” advised Lizzie. “The guy’s dead. At this point, as far as
you’re concerned, it doesn’t matter what he wrote down.”
“I wish I could let it go. It’s more like it won’t let me go.” Kate shook
her head to release the picture of Lenny in her mind and continued,
“Argh!!! I just need to get some rest.”
"Kate, you know my greatest desire is to be there to support you. I
can’t imagine how difficult this whole thing must be. New family members
to meet, relationships to build, maybe? I feel as your best friend I should be
doing more,” lamented Lizzie.
“There’s nothing more you can do, Liz. I just need you like this,” Kate
confirmed. “Put up with me, listen to me, and don’t judge me.”
“I’m here for ya, kid,” Lizzie assured her. “Changing the subject a
little, I don’t recall you ever saying anything about Matt having a wife.
Does he?”
“Oh, yeah, he does. Her name is Julie. He didn’t talk much about her
last night. All he said was she and Melanie had been friends. That was
about it. I know more about her from Lenny than anyone else," said Kate.
"He didn't hold a very high opinion of her. Apparently, she has been
fighting this new development that he so desperately wanted."
“Right off the bat, I can't imagine she’d be over the moon having her
husband’s daughter from a previous relationship come into his life, can
you?” asked Lizzie.
“No, I can’t, but I haven’t dared broach the subject. I did ask Beth how
Julie felt about her close relationship with Matt. I’m afraid it touched a
nerve,” Kate revealed.
“What do you mean?” asked Lizzie
Kate related the conversation she'd had with Beth and concluded by
saying, "I guess that's what comes from walking into the movie late. I didn't
understand the context of their relationship. At this point, I have to assume
that Julie does."
“Will meeting her be awkward?” asked Lizzie.
 “I hope not!” said Kate. “I get the impression that she can be a little
aloof, but I’ll know better when I meet her in person. I’m hoping that I can
talk about Melanie with her, get her impression of what Melanie was like.”
“Were she and Melanie that close?” asked Lizzie.
“I’m not sure. From what I’ve read in Melanie’s journal, they were
certainly more than acquaintances. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow,” said
Kate.
“Kate, are you sure you don’t want me there? I don’t mean to push, but
I’m concerned about you!”
"Honestly?” Kate hesitated. “It would be nice if you were here. I didn't
expect this adventure to be so difficult. But I hate to put you out!”
"Put me out? Put Me Out?! Are you kidding me? After everything
we've been through, and you worry about putting me out? Kate, seriously!"
“I feel I should be strong enough to handle this on my own,” argued
Kate.
“You are strong. You can handle it. That’s not the point. There’s
nothing wrong with having support. I’ll throw a few things together and
leave early in the morning. I can be there by 10:00. What time did you say
that service was?”
“It starts at 1:00. Are you sure you don’t mind?” Kate asked
apologetically.
“Not in the least. Things are far more exciting up there than they are
here. It gives me the perfect excuse to not paint my bedroom. There’s really
no place else I’d rather be, I promise. I’ll see you in the morning. Get some
good sleep.”
Kate clicked off and felt a sense of relief wash over her body.  Resting
her head into the comforting softness of her pillow, she closed her eyes and
pictured a giant black screen. Her breathing slowed and deepened when all
of a sudden she sat bolt upright in bed.
Her black screen became a vivid image of Lenny driving her little red
bug. He was screaming at her, but she couldn’t tell what he was saying.
What on earth does it all mean? Why did he write my car model on his desk
pad? What am I missing?
 “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” she whispered loudly as she shook the
picture out of her head. “Tomorrow . . . tomorrow I’ll deal with these
questions! Please let me sleep now!” she begged to no one in particular.
Having faith that making such agreements with oneself could work, she
settled back into the softness of the pillow, closed her eyes, pictured the
black screen, and was asleep within minutes.
 Chapter 22
You look better,” greeted Beth as Kate walked into the kitchen. “You must
have slept well.”
“Oh, I did! It was wonderful! It took me a little while to clear my head,
but once I did, I was out like a light. I was shocked to see how late it is,
considering how early I went to bed.”
“I’m so glad!” Beth said, measuring flour into a mixing bowl. Seeing
the waffle iron on the counter, Kate put two and two together.
“Do you want me to scramble up some eggs?” she asked.
"That would be great. I told everybody to be here by 8:30 or so because
we'd be eating about 9-ish. I'd rather get a head start than keep anyone
waiting. I’m thinking I’ll whip up about ten waffles. You think that’ll be
enough for all of us?” said Beth.
“I guess, but I can only speak for myself,” Kate surmised, pulling a
bowl out of the cupboard and starting on her assigned chore. “Speaking of
guests—I talked to my friend Lizzie last night. She’s coming up today. I
hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” exclaimed Beth. “She’s more than welcome to
stay here if she’d like.”
“Are you sure? She’d never want to intrude.”
"Oh, my goodness! How could a friend of yours be an intrusion? She
can stay in my old room."
“Thank you. That’s very kind,” said Kate.
“What made her decide to come now?” asked Beth curiously as she
continued measuring.
"I'm afraid I allowed my emotions to get the best of me after everything
that happened yesterday. Lizzie heard the stress in my voice and insisted on
coming up. This time I was happy to say yes."
 "This has really been some ride for you, hasn't it?" Beth said
compassionately, breaking from her task to look at Kate. "Of course, neither
of us knew what to expect. And that doesn’t even include finding Lenny!”
Kate stopped cracking eggs and looked at Beth. “I have no words to
fully express how that felt!”
Beth wrapped her arm around Kate’s shoulder. “Kate, are you sure
you’re okay? There’s no need to put on a happy face for me.”
"I promise. I'm fine now. Sleeping helped a lot. Knowing Lizzie is
going to be here helps, too. Yesterday, I had visions of people accosting me
at the service and asking me a bunch of questions. I don't like that kind of
attention. That possibility made me not want to attend. I’ve no such
concerns today.”
“Kate, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. Please don’t feel any
obligation to me in that regard,” begged Beth.
Kate resumed her cracking and continued, “It’s okay, really. I’m
looking forward to it, and finally getting to visit with Peggy and Mark and
Stephanie. I’m also eager to meet Matt’s wife.”
“She’ll be at the memorial with Matt.” Beth paused before continuing,
“Kate . . . you’re not upset I didn’t prepare you for how Melanie died?”
“No! Of course not! I completely understand." Kate affirmed. "I've
learned there are times when I need to roll better with the punches. This has
been one of those times. There’s just been a lot to take in. That was the
reason I wanted to go for a drive yesterday.”
“That didn’t turn out so good, did it?” stated Beth.
“I’d say it was a mistake, except now I see Dennis in a different light.
I’m grateful for that.”
“Really?”
“Have you ever looked at a person as a means to an end?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
“Come sit,” said Kate grabbing Beth by the hand and leading her over
to the table. “We’ve got a minute to talk before the others get here. I love
sharing this lesson.”
“Oh, good! I love learning new things!”
 “When I was dealing with the insurance company, every person I
talked to was simply a step in the process to reach the conclusion I wanted.
I didn’t see them as real people with real feelings. Most of the time, they
became obstacles or objects that I needed to get past to reach my goal. I was
never unkind. At least, I don’t think I was. But my focus was always on
what I wanted.”
“Oka-a-ay?” said Beth, waiting for Kate to continue.
"With Dennis, I've been looking at him as the obstacle preventing me
from finding answers about Melanie. I didn't find him as helpful or
concerned as I thought he should be, so I basically pushed him aside. No
trust. No belief. No respect. That doesn’t win friends. See? He was an
object to me rather than a fellow human being. It hit me hard yesterday
when we went to eat. You never told me he’d lost his wife to cancer a
couple years ago,” Kate said.
“Yes. It was so sad. She was a wonderful woman with so much life and
always a kind word. Dennis would say she married well beneath herself, but
I know she never felt that way. It was painful watching him agonize over
her. He really is a terrific guy. That’s why it’s easy for me to be at peace
with him taking care of Melanie’s case. I’m glad you can see that now.”
“Perspective is such an interesting thing,” affirmed Kate. “And getting
back to the original subject, let me assure you, I’m much better this
morning, and I'm looking forward to the memorial service."
"Well, if you're sure, then I'm grateful you'll be there. You need to be
prepared for people’s reactions to you, especially because of Lenny’s
death.”
“I’m no longer worried about people’s reactions! With any luck, maybe
nobody will know I was the one who found him. Dennis certainly won’t be
spreading that rumor,” said Kate getting up from the table. “Oh, and so you
know, I will be leaving tomorrow. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
"You can't leave yet!" exclaimed Beth. "We still haven't been through
all of Melanie's boxes. You must stay at least one more night. It's not likely
we'll get to them today. I know you wanted to read her journals, especially
from the time she was in Idaho. You told Dennis you would."
“Oh, my gosh! How could I forget about the journals?”
 “Finding a body might have something to do with that. See? You need
to stay,” encouraged Beth.
“Alright, if you’re sure it’s okay,” said Kate.
“Okay? I love having you here,” Beth assured her. “And now Lizzie
can help, too.”
“You’re right. I do want to see if those boxes hold any answers, and I
am curious about the investigation into Lenny’s murder. Argh! Here I go
again! Just when I think my brain is calming down, all this stuff starts up
again. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.”
Beth laughed and shook her head. “What are you doing?”
“What?” asked Kate incredulously.
“What’s with the deep breathing thing?” asked Beth.
“It’s my way of calming down. Don't make fun!" said Kate defensively.
“I’m not making fun of you! It’s just a side of you I haven’t seen.
Maybe I should try it.”
“I think everyone should try, especially nowadays, where we're all so
uptight about the slightest thing.”
The sound of the doorbell stopped their conversation.
“Hmm, that’s funny,” Beth said. “Usually they’ll walk in on their own.
I must’ve forgotten to unlock the door,” she said leaving the room.
Beth did a double take as she opened the door.
A pleasant looking, dark haired woman immediately extended her hand
and said, “You must be Beth. Hi, I’m Lizzie Bennet. I hope Kate told you I
was coming.”
Beth recovered from the abruptness of the greeting as Kate called from
the other room, “Lizzie? Is that you? You’re here already?”
Kate raced into the room and threw her arms around Lizzie, “You said
you’d be here first thing, but I never thought it would be this early. What
time did you leave?”
"I couldn't sleep, so I left about 5-ish. Too much excitement. I couldn't
wait to get up here in case you got involved in any more murders," Lizzie
teased.
"That's not funny, but it's so good to see you," Kate smiled giving her
friend one more hug.
 Turning to Beth, she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive my manners.
Beth, this is my dear friend, Lizzie Bennet."
Beth giggled and said, "It's nice to meet you, Lizzie. I've heard so much
about you. Please come in. I hope you're hungry. As soon as my aunt and
uncle arrive, we'll have breakfast. They should be here any time.”
“Oh, thank you! Yes. I’m starving. I was so excited to get here I forgot
my usual travel treats. You don't happen to have any red licorice, do you?"
asked Lizzie.
"Oh, Lizzie, you're priceless! I'm so glad you're here," Kate laughed.
Beth chuckled, "I'm sorry. That's not really a staple in my house.
Although I do understand the need for travel treats. Will eggs and waffles
do?”
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud. At this point, cold cereal would be fine,”
exclaimed Lizzie
“Beth doesn’t do cold cereal. She does something a little foreign to you
—she cooks,” said Kate with a wink.
“Ha, ha,” smirked Lizzie.
“And she’s a great cook, I might add,” Kate informed her.
“Thank you, Kate. I do enjoy cooking. It’s been nice to be able to do it
for more than myself,” said Beth.
Laughing, they headed into the kitchen. As Kate and Beth set the table,
Lizzie continued, "Honestly, Kate. I don't know how you did it in that little
car of yours. Going up those hills to the summit? Really? I almost feel like
we need to tow that thing back home. Why do you insist on continuing to
drive it?"
“Hey, that ‘thing’ as you call it, is a dear friend. You know that. We are
not having this conversation again, Liz.”
"I know what you say about it. That doesn't mean I agree with you. It's
getting to be a safety issue. Back me up on this, will you, Beth?"
“Oh no! I know when to stay out of a conversation. This is between the
two of you. Lizzie, tell me a little bit about yourself. You teach English, too,
right? What made you choose that profession?” asked Beth.
"I love to read, and I love words. It's pretty much that simple. I chose to
teach college level because I don't do well with younger kids, and I
certainly didn't want to deal with their parents. I don't have the patience for
that. Some people can be offended by my bluntness, but it seems once the
kids get used to me the relationship works pretty well. They keep signing
up for my classes, so I must be doing something right,” she shrugged.
“I totally understand what you mean about the parent thing. I’m a
teacher also. High school. Parents can sometimes be more of a problem
than the kids themselves,” said Beth.
"I wanted to help kids have the same love for good literature I had.
However, I'm afraid my love of Jane Austen got a little out of hand when it
came to choosing my husband. But whatever. At this point, I can say I have
a good life, I love my job, and I certainly don't need a man to help me feel
like I'm enough. That was off topic. Sorry,” apologized Lizzie.
“You’re a delight!” said Beth. “I can see why you and Kate get along
so well. Listen, I want you to know that you’re welcome to stay here while
you’re in town. I have plenty of room here.”
“Oh! I didn’t expect that,” Lizzie said, caught off guard. “I’m fine in a
hotel. I don’t want to trouble you.”
“Nonsense. It’s no bother at all. It’ll give us more time to get to know
each other,” said Beth.
 Chapter 23
Hello-o-o? Beth, are you up? The door was unlocked so we let ourselves
in,” called Aunt Peggy.
“We’re in the kitchen,” Beth called back. Within seconds the couple
appeared in the doorway.
“Oh, good,” Peggy said. “I was hoping we wouldn’t wake you.”
“Aunt Peggy, I told you we’d be eating around 9:00,” Beth replied.
“It’s almost 9:30. Of course we’re up. Come in. I hope you’re hungry.
Waffles and eggs this morning. We’re just waiting for Stephanie.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful, dear.” Turning her attention to Kate, she
continued, “Good morning Kate. I hope you were able to get some sleep.
I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to visit last night.”
“I know,” Kate sighed. “I apologize for that. It’d just been such a day.
Peggy, Mark, let me introduce you to my best friend.”
Pointing to Lizzie, she said, “This is Lizzie Bennet. She came up this
morning to attend the memorial service with me. Lizzie, this is Beth’s Aunt
Peggy and Uncle Mark. They are down from Pocatello for the service.
Remember, I told you Melanie lived with them for that year?”
“Lovely to meet you, Ms . . .”
“Call me Lizzie, please,” Lizzie interrupted. “It would feel awkward
otherwise.”
“Very well then. It’s very nice to meet you, Lizzie,” said Peggy.
Mark nodded his head absentmindedly, his attention focused on the
eggs on the counter.
“I’d love to do the eggs,” said Mark, raising his eyebrows in
anticipation. “I do some mean scrambled eggs.”
Peggy laughed, “He loves to show off. He wasted three dozen eggs one
day trying to figure out ‘the crack,’ as he calls it, where he uses one hand to
crack two eggs at once. I couldn’t stand to watch, so I left the house. I see
nothing wrong with doing it one at a time, using the side of the bowl. But I
can’t complain when he’s willing to do so much of the cooking.”
“Oh, Mark, I’m sorry,” said Kate. “I already cracked all the eggs.
They’re ready to pour in the pan. You’re certainly welcome to do that.”
“Shoot! Oh, well, I’m happy to cook them up,” Mark said,
disappointed.
All conversation stopped at the sound of the doorbell, announcing
Stephanie’s arrival.
Beth volunteered, “I’ll get that. But, Uncle Mark, let me get the waffles
started before you put the eggs on.”
When Stephanie walked into the room, Lizzie immediately stood up
and introduced herself, Beth started the waffles, Mark cooked the eggs,
everyone settling into an easy rhythm.
Once seated, Kate began, “Peggy, tell me, how did you and Mark
meet?”
“Do you want my version or his?” asked Peggy chuckling.
“Are they that different?”
“Well, we tell the story from two very different perspectives. I’ll put it
that way,” Peggy said with a smile.
“I’ll agree to that,” chimed in Mark. “You go ahead and tell her, Peg. I
like to hear your version, even if it isn’t quite accurate.”
Peggy gave him a loving scowl, and he returned the look with a wink
and a smile. “Well, we were both attending Idaho State. Mark said he’d
noticed me in one of his classes and wanted to meet me. I have to admit,
however, I don’t remember being aware of him. It was probably the second
or third week of the quarter when I was rushing to class and tripped on the
sidewalk, dumping my books. I was bent over gathering them back up,
when I got hit by this idiot on a bicycle. Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt, but I was
mad. I immediately started yelling at this guy, who was frantically picking
up his books and his bike from the ground. His face was bright red, and he
stuttered and stammered for a good minute before I could understand what
he was saying.”
 Mark interrupted, “In my defense, it’s not like I ran into her on
purpose. I was distracted and didn’t see her. I’d have never chosen to meet a
girl that way.”
“Of course you wouldn’t, dear,” agreed Peggy, returning to her
narrative. “As I’m watching him try to gather his wits about him, my anger
dissipated and was quickly replaced with sincere pity. The more he
sputtered, I could see he was actually kind of cute. He insisted on buying
me lunch. At first, I didn’t want to go. If he was clumsy enough to hit me
with his bike, what would a date be like? I tried telling him over and over
again I was fine, but he wouldn’t let it go. I finally agreed so I could get to
class.”
“In all these years, I’ve never known this about the two of you,” said
Beth. “That’s a delightful story. I have to know, did you walk to class
together?”
“No!” said Mark, “We did not! Once she agreed to go to lunch with
me, I took off. I got to class just before her. When she walked in, our eyes
met, and we just laughed, quietly of course. She sat down next to me, and
the rest is history.”
“I love it!” said Kate. “How soon after were you married?”
“We married about a year later. Mark was headed to BYU for his
MBA, and we didn’t want to have a long-distance relationship. At the time,
it seemed like the best thing to do. We haven’t regretted a minute of it.”
Peggy and Mark smiled at each other with a look that could only come
from years of devotion.
“Peggy, can you tell me about the time Melanie lived with you? I
understand you were pregnant with twins, right?” asked Kate.
“Yes. I was so sick and so big. Back then, I was this tiny, little petite
thing, and carrying two babies was hard on my body. The doctor put me on
bedrest. When my sister, Pat, Melanie’s mother, volunteered to have
Melanie come stay with us for the summer, we jumped at the chance. Mellie
was a sweetheart and such a wonderful helper. I don’t know what we
would’ve done without her. Mark didn’t feel comfortable taking much time
off because of his new job as bank manager. That kind of thing simply
wasn’t done back then.”
 “For the record,” Mark interjected, “I would’ve taken time off as
needed, but it was certainly nice to have Melanie around so I didn’t have to.
It’s not that Peggy needed care as much as company.”
“That’s true,” Peggy conceded. “Being in bed all day was very
difficult. After Melanie had been with us about a month, things started to
change. She kept up with everything I needed, but I could tell she wasn’t
feeling well. When I finally confronted her, she admitted to being pregnant.
I’ll never forget that conversation—so many tears. She fully understood all
the implications of having a baby. The decision to place you for adoption
came quite quickly. I want you to know that everything Melanie did, was
done out of love for you and for her boyfriend.”
“Matt,” volunteered Kate.
“Yes, Matt,” Peggy nodded. “I’ve never seen a young woman her age
act with such selflessness. She wanted the best for you. We all decided it
would be wise for her to live with us until you were born. I needed the help
and in the long run it would save her and the family a lot of explaining.
That kind of thing may be acceptable nowadays, but it wasn’t back then,
especially in a small, conservative community like Colden Hills.”
“But shouldn’t Matt have been allowed to be part of that decision?”
asked Kate.
“Melanie knew if she told Matt, he would want to get married,” Peggy
said with conviction.” She didn’t want him to feel any kind of obligation
and strongly believed it was better for all concerned if she gave the baby up.
Not getting Matt involved made that easier for her.”
“From what Matt said the other night,” Kate said, her head tilted
thoughtfully, “I am certain things would have turned out differently had he
known. He loved her very much.”
“If I may say so,” Stephanie spoke hesitantly, “as hard as Melanie’s
situation was, I’m grateful it happened because it made it possible for her to
help me. I don’t know what I would have done without Melanie—and then
Peggy and Mark.”
“I heard something about her saving you,” Beth said, turning her
attention toward Stephanie. “What was all that about? Mom never did give
me specifics.”
 “Melanie was instrumental in helping me get out of an abusive
relationship, and finally making some smart decisions. If we hadn’t met, I
hate to think of where I’d be today.”
“What happened?” asked Kate.
Stephanie looked down and spoke softly, “One day, I came to school
with a terrible black eye I couldn’t hide. I’d actually considered not going to
school because I didn’t want to attract attention, but if I didn’t I would’ve
been home with the guy who’d hit me. It felt safer to go to school. Melanie
noticed and asked me what happened. For some reason, I felt like I could
confide in her.”
“From what we’ve read about her so far, that makes perfect sense.
Remind me to tell you of another incident in school the previous year where
she stepped in. But first, please finish your story,” Kate urged.
“I knew Melanie had just given up her baby. I was sure she was
struggling, yet instead of being all wrapped up in herself, she reached out
and helped me. That really touched my heart. When school was over that
evening, she wouldn’t let me go back to my apartment. She insisted I go
home with her. When Peggy and Mark heard my story, they let me know I
was welcome to stay with them for as long as I needed to.”
Peggy added, “Well, honestly, how could we do otherwise? This sweet
girl looked ready to drop that baby any minute. Her parents had given up on
her, and her boyfriend was knocking her around whenever he felt like it. I
was raised to help people in need. That’s just what you did. And Stephanie
was a blessing to us, too.”
“Yes, it was great to have Steph with us, but dealing with the boyfriend
was horrible,” Mark reminded them. “I’ll never forget that night right after
you came to live with us. Even for a big guy like me, it was terrifying.”
Stephanie quickly agreed. “Oh, that night was awful!”
“Your boyfriend was Ronny Klienman, wasn’t he?” exclaimed Kate.
“Yes! How did you know?”
“We know there was a guy named Ronny Klienman who made threats
against Melanie while she was in Idaho. It was him, wasn’t it?” proposed
Kate.
 “Yes! He was upset that I’d moved out and came looking for me.
Somehow he found me at the Lindquist’s. He was drunk, as usual, banging
on the door and making all kinds of threats.”
“I was terrified and cowering in the back bedroom with my babies. The
situation was very volatile. You could tell this guy was unstable,” Peggy
shivered.
Mark interjected, “This guy was big and intimidating, and back then I
was no slouch. Add his bellowing to that, and it was more than
concerning.”
“Oh, my!” exclaimed Kate. “What happened?”
“The neighbors heard the ruckus and called the police,” Mark added.
“We were so focused on defending ourselves we didn’t have a chance to get
to a phone. It felt like an eternity before they arrived. Then it took forever to
get cuffs on him and haul him away. We hoped that’d be the end of it, but
he came back about a week later. He stood outside and kept calling for
Stephanie. We tried to ignore him at first, but that didn’t do any good, so I
went out to reason with him.”
“Reason! How in the world do you reason with a drunk?” exclaimed
Peggy.
“I felt I needed to try,” Mark said defensively. “Eventually, he did
leave.”
“Only after making some very graphic threats. I was terrified he was
going to shoot us all in our sleep,” admitted Peggy.
“None of us slept for a while,” said Stephanie. “I never left the house
alone. Of course, Melanie and I never went any place but school. Since
school was at night, Mark took us and picked us up. It was extremely nerve
racking. Melanie put on a brave front, but I knew she was concerned. He
threatened her specifically, convinced that my leaving him was all her fault.
Truth be told, he was right. I never would’ve dared walk out without
Melanie’s support. I really do feel she saved my life.”
“Wow! That’s quite a story!” said Kate.
“Yeah. I had no idea about any of this,” said Beth.
“Stephanie, do you think Ronny could have killed Melanie? Was he
angry enough to come down here and hurt her?” asked Kate intently.
 “Ronny was a jerk, that’s for sure. Honestly, I wouldn’t have put it past
him to kill us back then. But would he have gone to the bother of traveling
clear down here for revenge?”
Stephanie pondered the question for a moment longer. “I don’t know.
When he was sober, he was a nice guy, but when he was drunk, he was very
unpredictable . . . but how would even know she was here?”
“At this point, it doesn’t much matter how he knew. The police have
proof he was here at the time of Melanie’s disappearance. Why else would
he be here?” asked Beth.
“Well, that’s true,” said Stephanie, mulling over the idea. “I just can’t
bear the thought the he would have anything to do with Melanie’s death.”
“Dennis, the police officer in charge of the investigation, went to see
Ronny the other day,” Kate stated. “He’s in a care facility in Pocatello. He
wasn’t able to get any answers because of Ronny’s dementia, but Dennis
said Ronny kept saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ over and over again. Do you
know what he might have been referring to?” asked Kate.
“That reminds me of something!” Stephanie exclaimed. “There was
one—during the summer—Ronny showed up at my work. He wasn’t drunk
and seemed very contrite. He wanted to talk, but I refused. He kept telling
me he was sorry. I told him his apology was a little late and ordered him to
go away. He pushed a little bit, but when he saw I wasn’t going to give in,
he left.”
“Stephanie! You never told us he’d bothered you at work!” cried
Peggy.
“It didn’t seem necessary. I didn’t think of it again until now,”
Stephanie explained.
“Dennis did talk to his sister. She claimed Ronny really made some life
changes that summer. According to her, he stopped drinking,” Kate said.
“That would be some life change!” declared Stephanie.
“I don’t trust it!” said Peggy. “I don’t care what his sister says. That
man was pure evil! I think he did kill Melanie and then felt guilty.”
“Peggy, if he was pure evil, I don’t think he’d have felt any kind of
guilt,” suggested Kate.
 “Well, maybe,” admitted Peggy. “Still, who else was angry enough
with Melanie to hurt her like that?”
“That is the million-dollar question,” said Kate.
 Chapter 24
It felt like a fitting tribute to Melanie to have her memorial on such a
beautiful day. The sun shone down on a gravesite where two men set up
chairs under a canopy. Beth pulled up next to the site, and the three women
got out of the car. Peggy, Mark, and Stephanie were right behind.
“It doesn’t appear the people from the mortuary have arrived yet,”
observed Beth. “I’m glad. I didn’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Honey, their job is to wait on you, not the other way around,” Peggy
said, putting her arm around her niece’s shoulder and giving her a little
squeeze.
“Calm down. Things are going to be fine.”
“I think you’re timing is spot on. Here they come now,” noted Lizzie.
The hearse pulled up behind Beth’s car, and two men in black suits and
solemn faces emerged from the front seat. Beth promptly headed in their
direction while the rest of the group stayed behind.
When Beth returned, she said, “They’re going to leave the casket in the
hearse until the chairs are set up.”
“How many people are you expecting for you to require a mic?” Lizzie
asked, noticing the men setting up a sound system.
“Oh, I told them I didn’t think we needed to bother with that, but the
funeral director thought it might be good just in case. It feels like overkill to
me,” Beth said, shrugging.
“What’s the plan, dear?” asked Peggy.
Beth took a deep breathe, “We’ll start with a prayer, and I asked the
Pastor Mike to say a few words. I plan on saying a little something, and
Matt said he wanted to speak. Then the funeral director suggested we give
others the opportunity to share their memories, although I have no idea who
might want to do that. It doesn’t sound very organized, does it?”
 “Beth, it will all be fine,” assured Kate. “The most important thing is
that you’re giving some closure to the situation and showing Melanie the
respect she deserves.”
“I don’t want anyone to mention that she was murdered. I only want
happy things said about her.”
“You may want to have your pastor say something about that in the
beginning,” Lizzie suggested. “That would keep the situation in hand. Just a
thought. I know you didn’t ask.”
“I like that idea,” said Beth, glancing toward the street. Cars were
lining up along the narrow road, with several people getting out and
walking toward them.
“Oh, that looks like him now. Excuse me.”
“I don’t think this is going to be the little intimate affair Beth was
hoping for. There are several cars heading into this place,” Lizzie observed.
“Yeah,” agreed Kate, watching Beth approach a man in a dark suit,
who greeted her with a smile and hug. “Beth mentioned everyone might
feel welcome, and she didn’t know how to gracefully say they weren’t
without hurting some feelings. Certainly not all of them are going to want
to talk.”
“One can only hope,” said Lizzie.
Mark changed the subject. “Listen, I think we’re going to go sit down
over there. It would be a shame to have those nice seats go to waste. Want
to join us?”
They started toward the gravesite together. Kate felt it was a safe place,
away from arriving guests and prying eyes. She observed a small crowd
walk toward Beth and the man. Faces of concern and love gradually
surrounded them.
Eventually, Beth managed to excuse herself and went to sit with the
rest of them. “Thanks for the suggestion, Lizzie. The Pastor Mike said he’s
happy to oblige and was certain he could say it in a way that was firm and
yet inoffensive to those who tend to get their feelings hurt so easily. The
nature of the beast, I guess.”
“Glad to be of help,” said Lizzie.
 In the distance, Kate watched Matt approaching, a woman on his arm.
She noticed Matt was outgoing and greeted everyone with a smile and
hearty handshake. The woman—Kate assumed it was Julie—smiled too and
proffered niceties, but to Kate’s critical eye, it appeared she was simply
going through motions. Kate told herself she was being silly, not to mention
judgmental, but that didn’t stop her critique.
Every strand of Julie’s hair was perfectly in place, not the least
disturbed by the morning breeze. She glided gracefully over uneven ground
that sent other cemetery goers stumbling as they picked their way. Julie’s
beige linen suit was impeccable, and her makeup and skin were flawless,
very nearly creating the illusion she wasn’t wearing makeup at all. Kate
knew better than that, however. Julie was slender and held her head high,
her manner poised and exact. Julie Jenkins was the picture of control.
As the pair moved closer, it became obvious to Kate that Julie’s mind-
bending navigational skills were due, in fact, to her steely grip on Matt’s
arm, his height and strength more than enough to compensate for her
ridiculous stiletto heels. Who even wears shoes like that to a cemetery
anyway, Kate wondered to herself, at the same time impressed with Julie’s
ability to maneuver in them. As she continued to assess the couple, she
noticed that it was Matt people greeted first, acknowledging his wife only
as something of an afterthought. Maybe it was his position in the
community, but Kate was starting to understand how she might intimidate
people. She was reminded of Lenny’s comment. Yeah, I can see how this
woman could push anything she wanted through a committee.
“It’s so good to see you again, Kate,” said Matt, advancing. “May I
introduce you to my wife, Julie? She has been anxious to meet you.”
“Yes, indeed, I have!” Julie said enthusiastically, stretching out her
hand and shaking Kate’s firmly. “It’s good to finally put a face to all I’ve
heard. I can see you won the genetic lottery with the Grimes’s beautiful red
hair. I was always so jealous of Melanie’s gorgeous mane.”
“Thank you,” responded Kate, caught off guard. She assumed Julie
would be distant with her, but she was anything but. “I always wondered
where my red hair came from. It’s nice to finally know.”
 Motioning for Lizzie to stand up, she continued, “Matt, Julie, let me
introduce my best friend, Lizzie. Lizzie Bennet, this is Matt Jenkins and his
wife, Julie.”
“How do you do?” Lizzie said simply.
“Well, it looks like they want to get started,” said Matt. Then looking at
Kate, he asked, “We’ll visit later?”
Kate nodded, as Matt and Julie fell back into the relatively small
crowd. The service began as the pastor stood to welcome all those in
attendance. Kate was impressed by his diplomacy as he informed the group
of Beth’s request.
After the prayer and a hymn, Beth took the microphone and started, “I
want to thank you all for coming today. I know most of you didn’t even
know Melanie. Thank you for your support.”
Beth then reached into her pocket, pulling out a folded sheet of paper.
After staring at it for a moment, she cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and
took a deep breath.
“I’ve thought a lot about what I want to say here today. I even toyed
with the idea of not saying anything, but that didn’t seem right. I want you
to know Melanie the way I knew her. I was only 10 years old when she was
taken from our family. I always loved her, and I knew she loved me.”
Beth paused, trying to control her shaking hands. Slowly she
continued, “I remember nights when she would come into my room and
read me stories before I went to sleep. I loved to watch her put on her
makeup and got so excited when she offered to put a little on me. There
were many times when she would grab a brush while we were watching TV
and ask if she could brush my hair. To this day, I can still feel her gently
pull the brush through my hair. There was a gentleness to the rhythm of her
motions that always made me feel loved and relaxed. Then she would ask if
I would like to brush hers. I considered it a privilege.
“Melanie taught me how to play the piano. She was incredibly patient
as I attempted to remember the names of the notes. Back then, I didn’t
realize just how long-suffering she was. I always felt like I had her full
attention, and I just wanted to do a good job to make her proud.”
 Beth nervously looked down at the paper and continued, “I’m not
foolish enough to think she was perfect. There were a couple of times I
remember her getting into discussions with my parents where voices were a
little raised. I’m sure she was a normal kid in every way. But, to me she was
my idol. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.”
Beth folded the paper, put it back in her pocket, and continued, her
voice trembling with emotion. “When she left us, there was a void in our
family. My parents never completely recovered. I’m grateful we’re finally
able to lay her to rest here beside them. Of course, I’ve known for years that
she’d never come back to us in this life. At least today we’re getting the
closure my parents longed for. Thank you again for coming.”
As Beth sat down, Matt confidently walked to the front of the group.
Kate couldn’t help wonder what he was going to say. The other night, he
said Melanie had been the love of his life. Certainly he wouldn’t make that
claim with his wife here. She prayed he wouldn’t make any comments
about her.
“I loved Melanie,” Matt started. “How could you not? For those of you
who don’t know, we went to high school together, and she was my first real
girlfriend. Her smile was the shining light in the halls. You could hear her
joyful voice as she greeted everyone, even those whom I’m sure she didn’t
know.
“One of my fondest memories is the day she approached me about
finding some kind of position on the football team for Johnny Edwards.
Some of you may remember him. He was born with Down Syndrome, but
seemed fairly high functioning. Sometimes kids would make fun of him,
but never if Melanie was around. She asked if I would talk to the coach. I
would’ve never thought of such a thing, but as I discussed it with Coach
Miller, we decided that he could be the manager of the team and help with
simple things. It meant the world to Johnny. When he died a couple of years
later, I was so grateful I got to be part of helping to make his life happier.
That never would’ve happened if it hadn’t been for Melanie.
“I know there were times when her sense of right and wrong created
unhappy situations for some people. She didn’t care what those people
thought of her. She felt it was her job to protect the underdog. Beth talked
about the void that was created in her family, but I can attest to the fact that
a void was created in this community when she left. We’d all do well to try
and be a little like her.”
Matt then handed the microphone back to Pastor Mike who said, “Beth
would now like to offer those who would like to say a few words the
opportunity to express their love and pay tribute to Melanie.” Almost
immediately, Julie stood up and made her way to the front where she took
the mic from the pastor’s hand.
“Melanie was my best friend. Like Beth and Matt have said, she always
made me feel loved and special. I knew I wasn’t her only friend at school,
but when I was with her I always felt like I was. We used to hang out a lot
at the Frosty Top. You remember that place?” The question was met with a
low rumble of asset.
Julie continued, “Their chocolate-covered ice cream cones were the
best, weren’t they?” Agreement from the crowd became more audible.
“We’d sit and drink our sodas and talk about life. I miss those talks.
Whenever I felt sad or down or was excited about something, she was the
first person I’d call.” Julie’s voice cracked as she concluded, “I loved her. I
miss her so much, even now.”
Kate started to feel a little out of place. She looked over the audience
and wondered what part Melanie had played in each of their lives.
Surveying the group, she noticed Dennis standing on the fringes of the
activity, inspecting the people, rather than paying attention to the service.
When Julie finished, Stephanie met Beth’s questioning glance with a
slight shake of the head. When it was apparent no one else wanted to share,
the pastor took over one last time. He made a few comforting comments
about Melanie’s being with her parents and the Lord and then announced a
closing prayer.
After the service, the pastor moved directly to Beth. Softly, he
whispered a few private words in her ear and gave her a final hug. The
sincerity of his gesture was reassuring to Kate. The peacefulness of the
moment was shattered as Kate was accosted by a woman she vaguely
recognized.
 “Oh, I wanted to catch you before you left,” she said. “You probably
don’t remember me. I’m Hazel. From Gus’s? You know, the
hostess/cashier? I saw you in the restaurant a couple of days ago with Beth.
Bless her heart. This has got to be so difficult for her, finding out that her
sister was murdered.”
Kate’s lack of acknowledgement didn’t deter the woman from her self-
appointed purpose. “The reason I wanted to talk to you was that I heard you
were the one who found Lenny’s body yesterday. Is that right? I’m not
usually one to gossip, but that’s the story around town. I couldn’t believe it,
you being new in town and all. I said to myself, ‘Hazel,’ I said, ‘you better
get to the bottom of this story to make sure false rumors aren’t being
spread.’ You know what I mean?”
Kate stared at Hazel in a speechless stupor. Her fears were being
realized through this garish woman, and she needed to figure a way out.
As she attempted to compose herself, Dennis stepped up and saved the
day. “Hazel, can I help you with something?”
“Oh, Dennis! I was just talking to this lovely woman about finding
Lenny. A terrible thing, you know.” Turning back toward Kate she
continued, “It must have been just terrible for you, dear.”
“I thought you said you wanted to squelch false rumors,” said Kate,
finally getting her wits about her.
“Well, um, yes, I did. That is, if they are false,” stuttered Hazel.
Dennis interrupted, “Hazel, I’ve told you before that you need to mind
your own business and take care of things at the restaurant. No need for you
to be bothering this nice lady here. Now go on. She’s got nothing to say to
you.”
“But . . .,” protested Hazel.
“Nope. Nothing to say. Go on, and have a nice day, dear,” Dennis
encouraged as he shooed her away with his hands.
When Hazel was out of earshot Kate turned to Lizzie who had
remained abnormally silent during the whole encounter, “Where were you
in that?” Kate snapped in a sharp whisper. “You always have some smart
comment to make.”
 “I was as surprised as you were. I had no clue what to say. But,
evidently this nice gentleman knew exactly how to handle her. Are you
going to introduce us?” Lizzie said, raising her eyebrows.
“Lizzie Bennet, this is Detective Dennis Halverson. He’s been the one
investigating Melanie’s death and now, of course, investigating Lenny’s
murder.”
“How do you do, kind sir. Your timing couldn’t have been better,” said
Lizzie with a half curtsy.
“Aw, Hazel is harmless. She likes to think she has the latest on
everything in this town. Her position at Gus’s kind of makes that possible.
But every once in a while, she steps out of bounds.”
“Well, thank you just the same. I really didn’t want to talk about that
today, and until she approached, I thought I was going to get away without
having to. You really did save the day, Dennis,” said Kate.
“You’re most welcome,” said Dennis with a slight bow. “Oh, by the
way, I found out Max is dead, so we can’t get any information there. I
talked to Luke this morning. He swears he had nothing to do with it and
actually says he has an alibi for the entire week. Of course, I’ll be checking
into that.”
Kate took a deep sigh and was silent. “Okay, thanks for at least
checking. I know you had your doubts all along. Have you gotten the results
from the DNA yet?”
Lizzie quietly interjected, “Kate, you need to let this go. Work on
relationships with the living—or don’t if you decide not to—but stop
obsessing over this.”
“Not yet,” Dennis responded. “I promise, I’ll let you know as soon as I
find out.”
“By the way,” Kate said, “Last night we got the full story behind
Ronny Klienman’s threats against Melanie. Beth’s Aunt Peggy and Uncle
Mark, along with Klienman’s old girlfriend, are here and could give you a
first-hand account. After hearing what happened up there, I’m leaning
toward thinking he’s guilty myself.”
“Really?” said Dennis, surprised. “You’ve been pretty set against him.”
 “I know, but evidently the guy was a real piece of work. I’m sure they
would be happy to talk to you later, if you’re interested,” said Kate.
“That would be great!” said Dennis. “Is 7:00 a good time?”
“It should be,” Kate said.
“Okay. I’ll see you later.” Turning to Lizzie he said, “Nice to meet you
Ms. Bennet.”
“Please, call me Lizzie.” Then when she was sure he couldn’t hear her,
she added under her breath, “Just call me!”
“Lizzie! Really!” snapped Kate.
“Well, Katie, you must be blind. Number one, he’s gorgeous, and
number two, he’s obviously attracted to you. Don’t let him get away.”
“Oh, Lizzie Bennet, sometimes you’re simply hopeless. The man is
still mourning the loss of his wife. He’s certainly not interested in me!”
“Katie, you’ve been out of the game for too long. That man’s most
definitely interested.”
 Chapter 25
“I
t was a lovely service, Beth,” said Kate as they entered the house. “Short
and sweet like you wanted.”
“There were a lot more people than I thought there’d be. Do you guys
want something to eat?” Beth asked. “It would only take a minute to whip
up some sandwiches.
“I’m fine for now,” said Kate.
“Me too,” agreed Lizzie.
The women retired to the family room, kicked off their shoes, and got
comfortable on the couch. “Matt said that he and Julie would be over in a
few minutes,” said Beth.
“Did you see those shoes?” exclaimed Lizzie. “I don’t know how that
woman stayed upright in that lumpy grass. I would’ve fallen flat on my
face!”
Kate and Beth started to giggle, but caught themselves at the sound of
the front door opening.
“Beth?” called Peggy.
“We’re in here,” Beth called back.
“I thought things went very well, didn’t you, Beth?” asked Peggy as
she and her companions joined the three women.
“I agree,” said Mark. “It was lovely. So many nice things said about
Melanie.”
Before Beth could respond, the front door opened again. “Hello?”
“Back here,” Beth called. As Matt and Julie came into the room, Beth
motioned to the couch and said, “Please join us.”
“How ya’ doin’ Kiddo?” asked Matt bending over Beth and pecking
her on the cheek as Julie sat down. “Everything seemed to go off without a
hitch.”
 “Yes, I agree.” replied Beth. “Matt, Julie, I don’t think you’ve met my
Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mark Lindquist.”
“No, I’ve not had the pleasure,” said Matt. “Very nice to meet you.”
“Yes,” agreed Julie. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Thank you both for your kind words today,” said Peggy.
Motioning to Stephanie, Beth continued, “And this is Stephanie
Montgomery. She and Melanie went to school together in Idaho.”
“Oh! How nice!” said Matt.
“You’ve stayed in contact with the family all these years?” Julie
questioned.
“Yes,” replied Stephanie. “Melanie became a dear friend. I consider
meeting her the greatest blessing of my life.”
“I’d love to know the details there,” said Matt, “if you don’t mind.”
Stephanie repeated the story from the night before with Peggy and
Mark filling in little details. She concluded, “I don’t think I’d be here today
if it hadn’t been for Melanie. Peggy, Mark, and the kids became my second
family. I’m so grateful.”
“We consider ourselves very blessed, too,” added Peggy.
“That’s some story!” said Julie.
Stephanie continued, “I wouldn’t have missed this opportunity to pay
my respects. And knowing how much she loved you, Kate, it’s been
wonderful to meet you. I’ve tried to find my daughter, but so far, no luck.”
“Have you taken one of those DNA tests?” asked Lizzie.
“No. I honestly didn’t know about them until recently. I’ll be getting
one as soon as I get home. Hopefully, I’ll have similar results.”
“I wouldn’t have found Kate if it hadn’t been for that test,” said Beth.
“I certainly can’t speak for your daughter, but I know that having Kate
come into my life has been a real blessing.”
“May I add a word of advice here?” asked Kate.
“Please do,” said Stephanie.
“If you find your daughter, make sure to be extra patient and not expect
too much,” cautioned Kate. “Hopefully, she already knows she was
adopted.”
 “I appreciate your insights, Kate. Seeing you and visiting with you has
helped me understand the other side of things,” said Stephanie.
“What a wonderful blessing if she were searching for you also,” added
Peggy.
“That would be a huge blessing,” said Stephanie. “We’ll see. I’ll be
sure to keep you all informed.”
“Yes, yes, please do,” said Beth and Kate at the same time.
“Speaking of blessings, I need to say something here,” interjected Matt.
“I know this has been difficult for you, Kate, but you have given all of us
back a part of Melanie. I am so grateful to have you in my life. Stephanie, I
hope you are met with the same success.”
“We’re both very thankful,” Julie humbly added.
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Kate, relieved that Julie agreed with Matt’s
sentiments.
“Peggy, what is your fondest memory of Melanie?” asked Matt.
Without a second of hesitation Peggy responded, “Oh, her cheerful
disposition!”
Peggy’s comment elicited a stream of memories from the group. With
each experience related, two more were recalled. The afternoon became a
celebration of life. There were some tears, but mostly laughter and gratitude
for the opportunity of being associated with such a wonderful person. Kate
listened more than spoke, her heart filling with love for this woman who’d
given her life. This was what she’d hoped for when originally coming to
Colden Hills. She was starting to feel like a member of this family!
The satisfaction of the day was completely disrupted a few hours later
as Kate emerged from the bathroom to find Julie lying in wait. “This may
look rather odd,” apologized Julie, “but I wasn’t sure when we’d have an
opportunity to visit again.”
Taken aback, Kate responded simply, “What can I do for you, Julie?”
“Well, after Matt’s earlier remarks, I needed to be sure you fully
understand the implications of Matt having any kind of relationship with
you. I’ve tried to talk to him, but he simply won’t listen.”
Kate’s shock was rapidly turning to indignation.
 “It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed meeting you; and I’m pleased you’ve
had a good life. Melanie made the right choice in giving you up and in not
telling Matt about the pregnancy. I’ll give her credit for that. It would have
destroyed his future, you know.”
“Your point?” Kate pushed, confused by the ambush and the change in
Julie’s demeanor. She braced herself for the request she felt sure was
coming.
“Yes, well, my point is I’m concerned Matt’s political aspirations to
serve at a higher level might be hindered if people find out about you. In
today’s climate, even the finest of men are being dragged through the mud
for the slightest indiscretions of the past. You can only imagine what people
would think if they found out he fathered an illegitimate child. Certainly
you can see my point.”
“I think I’m getting the idea, yes,” said Kate calmly, feeling her face
flush and wanting to grab this woman by the throat. How could she speak
so kindly about Melanie, present herself as being so supportive and now be
so self-serving?
“So do we understand each other then?” asked Julie.
“Understand? I’m not quite sure what you mean,” responded Kate
stiffly, struggling to maintain her composure.
“Well, simply that it will be best for the two of you to have no further
contact. Surely that’s obvious!” Julie emphasized.
“Actually, no, it’s not obvious to me,” said Kate.
Julie’s face contorted at Kate’s response, providing Kate a great deal of
satisfaction. “Any kind of relationship that may come about between Matt
and me is strictly up to the two of us. He hasn’t indicated in any way that
my being in his life would be a detriment. I get the distinct feeling your
concerns are not so much for Matt as your own position. Although I have
no wish to cause you any grief, you are not my first concern. Now, if you
don’t mind, I’m going back to join the group. Excuse me.”
Kate pushed her way around a stupefied Julie and joined the group—a
forced smile on her face. Any hesitation she may have felt about Matt was
dispelled, and if there was any question in her mind of staying longer, it was
now gone. Nobody tells me what to do; not like that!
 Julie followed behind, preserving her perfectly composed façade. She
gracefully took her place next to Matt, who continued his story about
Melanie, not missing a beat nor acknowledging Julie’s absence. He was so
engrossed in his tale even the doorbell didn’t get him off track.
“Who could that be?” whispered Beth. “I didn’t think anyone else was
coming over.”
Seconds later she returned, shaking her head. “Sweet Mrs. Hale from
next door brought over dinner. She said she noticed the cars in the driveway
and wanted to do something. I couldn’t tell her no. It looks like some kind
of casserole is on the menu for tonight.”
“I think that’s our cue to leave,” said Julie rising.
“Oh, please stay,” begged Peggy. “This has been so delightful. I hate to
see it end.”
“It looks like there’s plenty of all of us,” Beth said. “You’re quite
welcome to stay.
“We really can’t,” insisted Julie, reaching out for Matt’s hand. Kate
noticed Matt didn’t reciprocate and could only imagine the fury building
inside the woman and her intense desire to leave.
“It’s been wonderful to visit with you all. I don’t remember the last
time I’ve enjoyed myself this much. What a fitting way to end this day!”
Matt said, finally taking Julie’s hand and standing up.
“Yes, we’ve had a lovely time,” Julie agreed dutifully, her discomfort
obvious to Kate.
As Beth went to escort the couple to the door, Lizzie leaned into Kate,
“What’s up, lady? I saw Julie head toward the loo right after you. Are you
okay?”
“Never better!” responded Kate quietly, maintaining her strained smile.
“She said something to you, didn’t she!” exclaimed Lizzie in a loud
whisper.
“Yep!!”
“I knew it! I just knew it! She’s not all she presents herself to be, is
she?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it depends on what you’re looking for,”
smiled Kate, face forward, as she tried to talk without moving her lips. She
felt awkward as the others became aware of the private conversation.
Not in the mood to share, she suggested to the group, “I think we
should go into the kitchen and get that casserole warmed up. I’m starving.
How about you all?”
As everyone started toward the kitchen, Lizzie lagged behind with
Kate, allowing Peggy, Mark, and Stephanie to go first. Then she whispered,
“If you think I’m letting this pass you’re nuts. I want to hear about this
conversation.”
“Later. I’ll tell you later,” insisted Kate, causing Lizzie to roll her eyes.
 Chapter 26
The conversation at dinner centered on various departure times, weather
forecasts, and updates on Peggy’s and Mark’s children and grandchildren.
They were all too engaged to notice Kate’s lack of attention. Only when she
felt Lizzie’s elbow in her ribs was she jolted out of her stupor.
“What? I’m sorry. What did I miss?”
“Nothing other than the whole conversation. At least look like you’re
paying attention,” whispered Lizzie.
“Lizzie, will you be staying until Monday, too?” asked Beth.
“Yes, if that’s okay with you. But I don’t want to put you out. I can get
a hotel if you need me to.”
“Absolutely not! I won’t hear of it. I’ve got plenty of room,” insisted
Beth. “I enjoy having the company.”
While dinner conversation continued, Kate wrestled with the emotions
boiling up from her encounter with Julie. How dare she? Am I being
unreasonable? No! She had no right! On and on the thoughts swirled until
the doorbell rang, jarring her out of her musings.
“Who could that possibly be?” wondered Beth, rising to answer the
door.
“Oh, shoot! I forgot to tell you all that Dennis is coming over to talk
about the incident with Ronny. I bet that’s him. I’m sorry. It totally slipped
my mind.”
“Is that really necessary? There’s really nothing more to tell him that
we didn’t already tell you,” said Mark.
“I know, but I think he wants to get the story first-hand, if you know
what I mean,” Kate explained.
“Well, if it’s really . . .” started Peggy.
 Entering the room with Beth, Dennis answered the older couples
concerns. “I do want to hear about your interactions with Klienman, if you
don’t mind, but I don’t want to interrupt your dinner. Should I come back?”
“We were actually about to clean up,” Beth assured him. “Dennis, let
me introduce you to my aunt and uncle, Peggy and Mark Lindquist, and this
is Melanie’s friend, Stephanie Montgomery.”
After the usual exchange of pleasantries, Beth suggested, “Why don’t
you all go into the family room and talk? I’ll hurry and get things tidied up
and join you in a minute.”
The group started for the other room while Dennis quickly explained,
“I won’t take much of your time, but like I said, I’d like to know about your
personal knowledge of Ronny Klienman. Kate said there was a specific
incident?”
“We’re happy to give you any information we can to help you put that
man away. I’ve thought all along it was him. He’s just evil!” insisted Peggy.
“Now, Peggy. You don’t know that for sure,” Mark counseled.
“I know it can be emotionally difficult to re-live things like this,”
Dennis sympathized.
“It’s okay,” said Mark. “Dealing with this guy was horrible for sure, but
he’s long gone and out of our lives. It makes me sick to think he might be
the cause of Melanie’s death.”
Mark proceeded to give an account of the night Ronny came to their
home drunk and demanding. Despite the seriousness of the subject, Kate
chuckled a little as Peggy jumped in occasionally with her little
embellishments, but also wondered why Stephanie remained silent. Could
she be feeling guilt over the situation? It made sense that if this Klienman
guy was guilty; after all, she was the one who introduced him into
Melanie’s life. What a heavy burden to bear.
At the end of the Mark’s narration, Dennis turned to Stephanie, “Did he
ever bother you again after that second time?”
“He didn’t come to the house. There was one night after work,
probably three or four months after the incident. But he didn’t hurt me,”
Stephanie explained. “He told me he wanted to talk, but I never wanted to
have anything else to do with him, so I told him to go away.”
 “So that would’ve been June or July?” asked Dennis.
“Yes. Somewhere around there?” speculated Stephanie.
“Good to know,” Dennis said, jotting down the information in a little
notebook. “Anything else you can think of?”
“He kept saying over and over again, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.’ That
wasn’t like him at all.”
“Is that all?” asked Dennis.
“Pretty much. The whole encounter only lasted a few minutes. I didn’t
trust him, despite his apology,” said Stephanie.
“I’m assuming you know he is now in a care center in Pocatello,” said
Dennis.
“Yes. Kate also told us you’re waiting on DNA results,” said Stephanie.
“Do you have those back yet?”
“No. It’ll probably take another couple of days, at least.”
“Do you really think he did it?” Stephanie winced.
“We know for sure he was in town the day Melanie went missing. We
have no proof of anything else, and he isn’t able to respond to any of my
questions. To be honest, in his condition, even if we do get a positive result
from the test, I don’t know that charges would be brought against him,”
explained Dennis. “I’m sorry.
“Are you giving up?” asked Kate.
“Of course not!” Dennis responded. “You know I think the guy did it!
We’ll decide where to go with the case as soon as I get the test results
back.”
“Thanks, Dennis,” said Beth.
“Just doin’ my job, ma’am,” he said with a wink and a smile.
As Kate walked Dennis to the door, she asked, “By the way, anything
new on Lenny’s case?”
“I’ve told you I can’t talk about that! However, because I’m such a nice
guy, I will say I’ve been able to match up almost all the phone numbers
written on that desk pad with initials.”
“Were there some you weren’t able to match?” questioned Kate,
pausing at the door.
 Dennis couldn’t help but laugh, “Tenacious. That’s the word to
describe you. You’re like a dog with a bone.”
“Well, I am kind of part of the case, after all, right? I did find the
body!”
“Look, Kate, I understand your interest. I’ll make you a deal. As soon
as I know why he wrote ‘Red VW’ on that pad, I’ll let you know. You, on
the other hand, need to accept that it might have been simply because he
saw your car. He told you himself he was interested in the classics. That
was probably all it was. You saw that pad. It was covered in scribbles.”
“Important scribbles?” Kate asked.
“So far they haven’t proved helpful.”
“Dang!”
“I know. I was hoping there would be something there,” he admitted.
“Thanks for telling me that much,” said Kate.
“You’re welcome. Okay then, I guess I’ll be in touch,” he said, walking
out the door.
Kate rejoined the group just in time to hear Stephanie explain her need
to leave.
“I hate to break up our little party, but I have a super early flight and a
few emails I’ve got to answer tonight. I’m sorry. I want you to know that
despite the circumstances, it has been so wonderful to visit, and a delight to
meet you, Kate.”
Peggy stood up to give Stephanie a hug.
“Oh, Stephanie, I hate to see you go. However, I think we’d better do
the same,” she conceded, glancing at Mark, who gave his nod of agreement.
“Beth, don’t be a stranger, and Kate, we’d love to see you again, too.”
“I’d like that,” said Kate smiling.
Good-bye hugs were exchanged by all, along with extended promises
to visit again soon. Kate stayed behind with Lizzie as the rest of the group
walked out. She knew her friend was chomping at the bit for information
and didn’t dare prolong the agony for another minute.
As soon as the coast was clear, Lizzie exclaimed in exasperation,
“Okay, Kathryn Dunham! I’ve been patient long enough. What happened
back there?”
 Kate laughed, “It’s been funny watching you tonight. I could tell you
were about to explode. I wondered how long you’d last.”
“This isn’t funny. I don’t trust anyone with hair that never moves and
clothes that don’t wrinkle. You were obviously upset when you came back
from the loo. What on earth happened?”
“Oh, it was nothing. I’ve managed to calm down now,” teased Kate,
dragging out Lizzie’s misery.
“What. Happened?”
“Julie was standing in the hall when I came out of the bathroom. At
first I thought she was waiting to use the facilities, but no, she quickly made
it clear she wanted to talk to me in private.”
“What did she say?” asked Lizzie.
“In a nutshell, she informed me I was a hindrance to Matt’s ‘political
aspirations’. She strongly suggested I never see him again,” Kate said
simply.
Enraged, Lizzie responded, “Are you kidding me? Who does she think
she is?”
“She’s his wife and looking out for his best good,” said Kate. “You
have to admit, my appearance did come out of left field. In some ways, I
can’t blame her. I think a confrontation was probably inevitable, especially
now that I’ve gotten to know her personality a little.”
“How can you be so calm?” asked Lizzie.
“Oh, I was very upset at first! Actually, that’s an understatement. I was
furious,” Kate admitted. “She requested, no, pretty much demanded I not
pursue a relationship with Matt and then asked if we had an agreement. I
snapped back at her that we had no such thing. I wasn’t very nice. But, I
have settled down, and I’m trying to look at it from her perspective.
Although, I’m still not going to let her desires determine my actions.”
“Your actions on what?” asked Beth, entering the room.
“Before I answer, let me ask you a question first. How well do you
really know Julie?” asked Kate.
“Well . . . that’s a good question, especially considering our
conversation the other day. We certainly aren’t BFFs. When I was young,
she’d frequently hang out with Melanie. Once Melanie was gone, she didn’t
visit like Matt did. Since I moved back a few years ago, most of my
interaction has been with Matt. To her I think I’m still Melanie’s little sister.
I get the distinct feeling there’s a superiority thing going on, although she’s
never, ever said anything like that. It’s just a feeling. Why?”
“She approached Kate this afternoon outside of the bathroom. Tacky, if
you ask me,” said Lizzie.
“She what?”
“When I came out of the bathroom earlier, she was standing in the hall,
waiting for me,” repeated Kate. “
“Oh! That’s a bit unusual. What did she say?” asked Beth.
“Bottom line, she suggested that for Matt’s own good I should stay out
of his life. She said it’d hurt him politically. That surprised me, considering
how he’s been saying he really wants a relationship. Frankly, I get the
feeling they’re her aspirations, not his. What do you think?”
“Wow! First off, that’s pretty gutsy, but it doesn’t surprise me. Matt
told me once that Julie wanted him to run for State Senate, but he wasn’t all
that interested. He sees his position as mayor as a way to serve. It’s not
political to him. He loves the people and the community.”
“Julie did imply Matt doesn’t know what’s best for him. That’s what
made me think it was her idea, not his.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely Julie’s goal, not Matt’s,” Beth agreed. “He’s
content where he is. He loves his life, and the people love him. If you want
my opinion, I think Julie feels like a big fish in a tiny little pond, and she
wants a bigger pond, although Matt’s never said anything. He’d never say
an unkind thing about her. Like I say, just a feeling.”
“Good to know,” said Kate.
“Kate, I still can’t believe you are being so calm about this. That
woman insulted you!” said Lizzie.
“Somehow, I don’t think she thought it was an insult,” said Kate.
“I’d have to agree with Kate,” said Beth.
“Well, it sure sounds like an insult to me,” said Lizzie. “A major slap
across the face!”
“Julie comes from a very wealthy family. Growing up I’m sure she got
everything she wanted. I think she probably figured once she explained the
situation, you’d see things her way. No insult, just fact, in her mind,” Beth
summarized.
“That makes sense, I guess,” Kate said.
“Talk to Matt about it. I think he’d want to know. At least now you
know what you’re up against should you choose to pursue a relationship
with Matt,” counseled Beth.
“I certainly don’t want to cause contention in Matt’s marriage. I really
need to sleep on it,” confessed Kate. “Any more advice from you, Ms.
Bennet?”
“Nope. I think you’re between a rock and a hard place. I’ll support
whatever decision you make,” Lizzie said.
“Hey!” interjected Beth. “How ‘bout we put all this stuff aside and veg
out with a movie?”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful!” said Kate. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, if you want a good laugh and a good cry, we can watch Steel
Magnolias.”
“Oh, I love that movie! Sometimes I like to think of myself as a
younger version of Ouiser.” said Lizzie, causing Kate and Beth laugh.
“I’ll give you that,” said Kate.
“If you want a marathon, we can watch the only true version of Pride
and Prejudice,” suggested Beth.
“There’s nothing like Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy,” said Kate.
“When he dives into the pond,” they all said in unison, evoking a
chorus of laughter.
The sound of Kate’s phone interrupted the gaiety. Hesitation gave into
submission when she glanced at the name of the caller. “It’s Matt. I’m going
to take it.”
 Chapter 27
Kate settled into the peacefulness of a quiet house. Beth was introducing
Lizzie to the waffles at Gus’s, leaving Kate home to wait for Matt. He
hadn’t told her why he wanted to visit, but she couldn’t help but wonder if
Julie had told him about their little altercation.
To pass the time until Matt’s arrival, she pulled out a journal of
Melanie’s—this time no longer looking for clues. Her heart broke as she
read the words of a girl who had loved life. Her attention was caught by the
loose snapshots scattered in the bottom of the box. Fanning through them
she was struck by the similarities between her mother and her, even after all
these years. She made a mental note to pull out some of her old high school
yearbooks when she got home to compare.
As she continued to thumb through the dozens of photos, she found one
of Melanie and Julie mugging for the camera with their arms around each
other. They were standing in front of a red Volkswagen bug exactly like
hers. The caption on the back read, “Julie and me in front of her new
birthday car, 1969”. These two look like the best of friends.
When the doorbell rang, Kate placed the pictures back in the box.
Before she had completely opened the door, she started to say, “You’re
early,” only to find herself face to face with Julie.
“Oh! Hello, Julie,” she stuttered.
“Hello, Kate,” Julie said flatly. “I’m sorry for not calling first. May I
come in?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Kate said, still bewildered.
Moving aside, Kate allowed Julie to enter the house, but she did not
invite her to sit down. She was hoping for a very short encounter.
“I wanted to come by and apologize for coming on so strong yesterday.
I realize ambushing you in the hall was highly inappropriate and must’ve
come as a terrible shock. In my defense, I have to say the last couple of
weeks have been very emotional for me. I’ve been so focused on getting
this new development denied, and then when they found Melanie’s remains,
well, you can imagine how horrible that was for all of us.”
“Yes, apparently, the two of you were quite close,” interjected Kate,
wondering again where this was all headed.
“Yes, we were the best of friends. I was simply devastated when she
went missing. I cried for days.”
“I can only imagine,” Kate said guardedly, yet trying to sound
sympathetic.
“Having you show up out of nowhere has only added to the stress of it
all,” said Julie with a huff.
“I never meant to cause anyone pain. I can assure you this has not been
easy for me either,” said Kate.
“I’m sure,” said Julie flatly. “You need to know, I take my position as
Matt’s wife very seriously. I consider it my privilege to handle all issues
that really don’t require his attention, leaving him free to do his job as
mayor, along with working at the firm. I like to think I’m so efficient that
Matt often doesn’t even know problems exist.”
“I bet you do,” said Kate, feeling more unsettled by the minute.
“I was simply feeling a great deal of pressure by yesterday afternoon
and wasn’t thinking clearly when I approached you. Again, I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” Kate said. Hoping the conversation was over, she
reached for the door handle, but Julie continued.
“Nevertheless,” Ah, I knew it! “I feel I must appeal to you one last time
to not pursue any kind of relationship with Matt. It would be highly
detrimental to him.”
“I really don’t see how that would be the case,” responded Kate with
confidence.
“I’ve already explained this!” Julie responded, obviously frustrated.
“You’re an intelligent woman. You know what the political climate is like
these days. Every man in America has to be careful about what he says and
does around women. They’re all on display, and their backgrounds are
investigated to the point that there’s no way to hide a thing. They are guilty,
often without any kind of proof. It’s simply shameful!”
“I agree with you on that, but I still don’t see the problem. It’s not like
he was married at the time, nor did he rape Melanie. I’m not making claims
he would deny. Children are born out of wedlock all the time these days.
I’m afraid I don’t see your point.”
“I believe having you around, in any way, will give his opponents
ammunition against him. I should think it obvious. Having you in his life
would be detrimental!” Julie said exasperated. “I’m only trying to protect
him, and if I’m perfectly honest, I’m trying to protect myself, too! I’m not
going to let you come in and ruin it all!”
“Me? What in the world am I ruining?” questioned Kate, becoming
irritated.
“Don’t you get it? By coming back into his life, you have brought her
back. It’s like she’s risen from the dead. Look at you! He can’t stop talking
about her or you. Everything I’ve worked so hard to overcome has come
back—in you! It’s happening all over again!” Julie was starting to sound
irrational, making Kate very uneasy.
“What’s happening all over again? What are you talking about?” Kate
tried to remain calm in what she feared was rapidly becoming a volatile
situation. “I think it would be best if you left, Julie. Once the newness of all
this wears off, I’m sure Matt won’t be as consumed as you say he is now.
However, for now, I can’t promise I won’t be in his life.”
“That’s exactly what she said,” said Julie quietly.
“What? I’m sorry, what did you say?” asked Kate, a bit confused.
Speaking much louder, emphasizing each word Julie repeated, “That’s
exactly what she said!”
“She? When?” Kate’s confusion mixed with heightened concern.
“That’s what Melanie said that day I tried to talk some sense into her.
Why couldn’t she just have stayed in Idaho and left Matt alone? She was
totally going to ruin my plans!” Julie said defiantly.
The reality of Julie’s words hit Kate like a bolt of lightning. “You killed
her, didn’t you?” Kate whispered, as the pieces came together in her head.
“You were the one who took her up into those hills! It was your car Lenny
was remembering—your pendant I found!”
Kate’s accusations opened a floodgate, as Julie’s admission spilled out.
“It was an accident. Really it was! I just wanted to talk to her in a place
where I didn’t have to worry about being interrupted. She had to
understand. Matt was mine! I had our life together all planned out. It was
going to be perfect, and she was going to ruin it! But she wouldn’t listen to
reason.”
Kate was too stunned to say anything as Julie rambled on. “Mother said
everything would be fine. She was going to take care of it, and I didn’t need
to worry. ‘It’s simply an unfortunate accident, dear,’ she said. ‘Your life
needn’t be ruined, too. We will never speak of this again,’ she said.”
Julie’s tone of voice became childlike as she continued, “I never did
talk about it, Momma. Even when everyone was so upset, I never said a
word. I did what you told me to do. I’ve always done just what you told me
to do.”
Kate’s head was spinning. How could she bring this woman back to
reality? It was obvious Julie was experiencing some kind of psychotic
break.
“Is that why you’ve been so against the development?” Kate asked
gently.
“Those stupid, stupid engineers. They should’ve never been up there
digging. It’s their fault she was found. Everything would be fine if it hadn’t
been for them. Well, except that now you’re here. Matt can’t stop talking
about how happy he is to have you in his life. And after all I’ve done for
him! How can he disregard me like that? Well, I won’t allow it! I just
can’t!”
At that moment, Julie pulled a gun out of her purse and pointed it at
Kate.
Shocked, Kate quickly went into diffuse mode, “Julie, you don’t want
to do that. This won’t solve anything. Think of how it will affect your
family.”
“My family will be fine as long as you’re not around. He never stopped
loving her, you know. I always knew I was his second choice. Oh, he never
said so, but I knew. Why did you have to come here? Why couldn’t you
leave well enough alone?” screamed Julie.
Then, as if on cue, Matt opened the door and called, “Kate . . . what the
. . . ? Julie? What are you doing here?” Trying to make sense of the scene
before him he asked, “What the heck?”
Matt’s entrance may have startled Julie, but didn’t affect the aim she
held on Kate. “I’m doing this for us, Matt. You wouldn’t see reason, so I’m
taking things into my own hands. It’ll be better this way.”
Matt, still stunned, cried out, “Julie, no! I don’t know what’s happened,
but this won’t solve anything! Put the gun down, now . . . NOW!”
“I can’t,” Julie argued.
Kate spoke quietly and slowly, despite the terror she felt inside.
“Julie, if it means that much to you, I’ll leave and you’ll never see me
again.”
Then addressing her words to Matt she continued, “We can do that,
right, Matt?”
“That’s right! Julie, honey, put the gun down,” begged Matt. “I’m sure
this is all a huge misunderstanding.”
“There’s no misunderstanding here. I’m just doing what needs to be
done. I’m doing this for you, for us, for our family. She’s ruining
everything. This is the only way,” Julie countered.
At that instant, Matt lunged toward Julie, catching her totally caught off
guard and causing her to drop the gun. Kate instinctively jumped forward
and kicked the gun far out of reach. Julie’s stunned eyes filled with tears as
she looked at Matt. He caught her as she crumpled into his arms, and the
two of them slumped to the ground. Matt looked to Kate with questioning
eyes.
Wanting to avoid the situation entirely, Kate sighed, “I’m so sorry. I’m
so sorry! Julie did it Matt. Julie killed Melanie. Evidently, having me
around brought it all back.”
“What are you talking about? That’s ridiculous! Why would you say
such a thing?” Matt was incensed.
“I didn’t say it, she did. Just before you got here, she admitted it.
Apparently, she felt the need to keep Melanie from taking you away. She
said it was an accident.”
Kate knew her words were destroying Matt, and it took all her strength
to keep from running out of the house.
Still refusing to believe, Matt protested, “That’s impossible! She
couldn’t have done it! Julie would never do such a thing!”
But as the reality settled in, his words slowed and became whispers. He
held Julie tightly, rocking her back and forth like a baby, “It can’t be. Oh,
please tell me it’s not true. Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!”
Kate couldn’t take it. She rushed into the kitchen, pulled out her phone,
and dialed Dennis.
“It’s Kate. You need to get here now. Please hurry.”
 Chapter 28
“A
li, I’ve told you, I’m fine!” said Kate into her phone.
“Mom, you’ve been through so much these last several weeks. I can’t
help but worry about you. I wish I could be there.”
“I promise you, there’s nothing for you to do. Lizzie’s here, and the
house is pretty much packed up. Thank heaven it sold quickly.”
“The house and all the stuff are the least of my concerns. How are you
doing emotionally? How are things with Matt and Beth?”
“You know, I thought the hardest thing I’d ever experience was the
death of your father. It was horrible—but explainable. This? None of this
makes sense, and there’s no way to put in words the pain from it all.”
“That’s why I wonder if going up there is a wise choice,” Ali stated.
“Honestly, I think it’s going to be a healing time, not just for me, but
for Beth and Matt. It’s something I need to do! Can you understand that?”
Kate asked.
“Yes,” admitted Ali. “Don’t get me wrong, Mom. I’m grateful you’ve
made this connection. My desire is that you not make any rash decisions
while you’re there.”
“My head is clear!” assured Kate.
“I can’t stop thinking about how devastating this must be to that
family,” said Ali.
“Oh, my heart breaks for Matt!” Kate exclaimed. “I’m grateful Julie
decided to confess rather than put her family through the nightmare of a
trial. Matt says she’s very despondent and won’t see anyone.”
“Is she ever going to get out of jail?” asked Ali.
“I highly doubt it. Did I tell you they’ve also charged her in Lenny’s
murder?” asked Kate.
“Who’s Lenny?” exclaimed Ali.
 “He owns—owned—a service station in Colden Hills,” explained Kate.
“Why in the world would she kill him?” asked Ali.
“Good question! The police are trying to piece that together. What they
do know is Julie’s gun was the one used to kill Lenny,” Kate informed her.
“That is beyond bizarre!” exclaimed Ali.
“I know. Julie said he was trying to blackmail her, claiming he knew
she’d killed Melanie,” said Kate.
“That doesn’t make sense! If he knew what she’d done, why didn’t he
say something all those years ago?” asked Ali.
“I don’t think he figured it out until I came into town,” said Kate.
“Okay, now I’m really confused,” admitted Ali.
“I discovered an oil leak in my car the day after I arrived in town. Beth
suggested I go to Lenny’s to get it repaired. He made a big deal about me
having an old red VW bug. He went on and on about it—even notating it on
an old desk pad of his. It was kind of weird, but so was he. Come to find
out, Julie had a red VW bug back in the day, too. I think seeing mine must
have sparked a memory for him. Anyway, that’s what makes sense to me,”
explained Kate.
“How so?” asked Ali.
“When Melanie disappeared all those years ago, they thought she’d
been hiking a trail on the other side of town. Even though they checked into
other possibilities, the entire investigation and search revolved around that
area. When her remains were found in the hills not far from Lenny’s place,
it was a shock to everyone. I think seeing my car combined with the recent
discovery reminded Lenny he’d seen Julie and Melanie that day heading up
to those hills,” surmised Kate.
“That’s some memory!” suggested Ali.
“I agree!” said Kate.
“And Julie confirms all this?” asked Ali.
“Some of it. Like I said, she’s confessed but hasn’t given the police all
the pieces,” said Kate.
“Mom! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this!”
“That’s not all,” Kate said. “I was the one who found Lenny’s body.”
“What else have you left out?” asked Ali, incredulous.
 “Nothing noteworthy, I promise . . . I think,” Kate mused. “Honestly,
my thoughts have been with Matt and his family more than on my own
experiences. I guess it didn’t seem that important at the time.”
“Two murders in one trip to a small town to meet your birth family, and
you have a connection to both of them? It sounds like leaving you alone
wasn’t a good idea. I’d like to think Lizzie would be a good influence, but I
know better. By the way, how does she feel about your move?”
“She’s mad. She was counting on me helping her paint her bedroom.”
“That sounds about right,” Ali chuckled.
“Actually, she understands. It’s not like I’m moving up there
permanently. Beth invited her to come along, and Lizzie is seriously
considering the offer, at least for part of the time. She didn’t have anything
else planned for the rest of the summer. That is, if you don’t count the
bedroom, but she’s been putting that off for a couple of years.”
“Mom, promise me you’ll take care of yourself. No more dead bodies.”
“Ali, it’s not like I planned any of this! It’s a quiet town. Things will be
fine, I promise. Don’t worry. You focus on getting through this semester,
and I’ll see you at Christmas break. I love you,” said Kate.
The conversation ended, leaving Kate enveloped in the stillness of her
home. She scanned the room, drinking in the years of memories one last
time. If these walls could talk!
Boxes containing her life were stacked along the walls in the living
room, awaiting transport to the storage unit. She hoped her reassurances to
her daughter sounded sincere. In actuality, she was a little anxious about the
future. Was she really ready to make such huge changes in her life? Well,
she was going to jump headfirst into this next adventure and see.
 About the Author

Cosette Snarr was born and raised in Utah. She has been an avid mystery
lover from the time she discovered Nancy Drew in the fourth grade. She
and her husband are the proud parents of four amazing children and
fourteen even more amazing grandchildren. This is her first novel. Visit her
online at www.CosetteSnarr.com .