Beyond a Doubt Page 8

  Bree frowned. “Eva, you want someone who will love you for yourself, not just hang around for sex.”

  Lauri looked away but watched Eva and Bree out of the corner of her eye. It shocked her to hear Bree echo the very thoughts she’d had about Brian. She rubbed the grass beneath her hand and tried to be invisible.

  Eva waved a hand in the air as if she didn’t care, but her face grew pink and she looked away. “Bree, this isn’t the Victorian era. You don’t have to marry a man to sleep with him. I just want to be happy.”

  “And are you?” Bree’s voice was hushed, and she glanced at Lauri.

  “Hey, I’m not eight,” Lauri said. “This is a discussion I’m interested in. Did you sleep with your husband before you were married, Bree?”

  Bree bit her lip, and her eyes darkened. “No, but not because of any morals of my own, I’m sorry to say. Rob was a Christian, and he always treated me like I was special. I didn’t understand at the time, but after we were married, I was glad we’d waited. It made it something special. I’m ashamed to admit Rob wasn’t the first though.” Her voice was low, and she didn’t look at any of them.

  Karen laughed shakily. “We all make mistakes. Look at the mess my life is in.” She tugged a handful of grass loose and let it drift through her fingers.

  Cassie looked away as if the intense emotion in the group was getting to her. Ryan cleared his throat and bent over to tie his shoe, clearly wishing he were somewhere else.

  Lauri kept her gaze on the efforts of an ant on a log by her hand. The ant was struggling with a burden many times larger than it was, a feeling Lauri knew only too well. That was how her relationship with Brian made her feel—weighed down. But she didn’t know how to change. Her friends would make fun of her if she ditched a hottie like Brian. The trouble was, he knew he was all that. She glanced at Naomi. Maybe this was something she could discuss with her.

  “Well, religion is fine for you, but leave me out of your little fantasy,” Eva said. She smiled, but the strain didn’t leave her eyes. “My dad tried to beat religion into me, and it never took then, so don’t expect it to take now.”

  Bree smiled. “A very wise woman once told me it’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship with God. I thought she was crazy at the time, but she was so right.”

  “I love being right,” Naomi said with a smug grin.

  “Come on, let’s do one more search.” Bree held out her hand to Eva. “Call your dogs.” She waited until the dogs were all at their owners’ feet. “I’ve hidden some of Donovan’s dirty socks in various places.”

  Naomi grinned. “Do you promise to wash them when we’re done?”

  “I thought you’d want to train Donovan to do that.”

  “Ha! He’s looking forward to turning that job over to me.”

  Lauri grinned. Being around Naomi always lifted her spirits. The dogs sniffed the scent article, another sock.

  “Search, Zorro,” Lauri said. She wanted him to shine today. He was young and high-spirited with potential, but so far he’d meandered aimlessly while the rest of the dogs raced right to the quarry. If she could be like Naomi and Bree, maybe her life would be worth something. The first chance she got, she would tell Naomi about what she had found at the cabin. She’d vacillated long enough.

  Zorro ran back and forth across the clearing, his nose in the air. The next minute he raced toward a heap of rocks on the west side of the Kitchigami Search and Rescue headquarters. He began to bark.

  Bree smiled. “Looks like he’s getting the hang of it.”

  By the time each of the other dogs had found a scent article, it was nearly three o’clock. Even though all she wanted to do was go home and take a nap, Lauri knew she couldn’t put off talking to Naomi. She followed Bree and Naomi into the pole barn that served as search headquarters.

  The facility was plain and serviceable with concrete floors and bins for storing vests, scent articles, and gear. Bree’s office was at the back. Glassed in, it held a battered gray desk and an old filing cabinet for their case files.

  Bree headed that direction now. “Davy, Samson needs a bath. You want to do the honors?”

  “Yeah!” Davy scampered forward.

  The dog perked up his ears at the mention of “bath.” He stood and yawned, then padded expectantly toward the doggy wash area.

  Bree laughed. “Before long we’ll need to start checking for ticks too. I’ll get the water started.”

  “Charley needs a bath too.” Naomi tugged at her dog’s collar, and he whined. He didn’t enjoy a bath nearly as much as Samson did.

  “Want to clean Zorro up?” Bree asked Lauri.

  “He needs it. But I was wanting to talk to Naomi about something.”

  Bree’s eyebrows raised. “Davy and I will take care of the dogs then. Feel free to use my office. Stay as long as you like. I need to run over to the library.”

  Naomi dropped her ready-pack off her back. “Just a minute, Lauri. Let me put my equipment away.”

  Great. More time to think. Just what she didn’t want. Lauri sank onto the brown sofa at the back of the office. Bree’s open Bible lay on the coffee table, and Lauri picked it up. A passage in 1 Peter was underlined in red.

  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

  Lauri put down the Bible as if it were hot. What kind of attention could a girl get by following that advice?

  Naomi stepped back into the office. “Want a soda? Bree usually has Pepsi and Dr. Pepper.”

  “I’d love a Dr. Pepper.”

  Naomi got them both a soda from the small refrigerator. “I baked some oatmeal cookies last night. Have one?”

  Lauri took a cookie and bit into it. “These are good.”

  Naomi took a cookie too. “What’s up?”

  Laurie set the cookie on the edge of Bree’s desk. “It’s kind of hard to talk about. I don’t want to worry you, but I think you should know. Will you promise me to keep this to yourself?”

  Naomi looked at her sharply. “I’ll try. But I care about you, Lauri. If Kade needs to know something in order to help you, I might have to tell him. I can’t promise.”

  Lauri bit her lip and took a deep breath. “Okay, I guess that will have to do. Um, my friends and I, well, we like to hang out at the cabins along the Lake. I know we’re not supposed to break in, but at least we don’t have grownups watching every move we make. We don’t hurt anything.”

  Naomi was frowning. “Breaking and entering? You could get arrested, Lauri.”

  “Now you sound like Kade.”

  “Kade knows you’re doing this? I thought you said he couldn’t be told.”

  Lauri shrugged. “He suspects. We’re done now though. Everyone will be coming back for the season, so don’t stress. That’s not what I needed to tell you.”

  “Oh, sorry. Go on.”

  “I found something at the last cabin we were in. Something that kind of scared me.”

  Naomi’s eyes widened. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  Gaining confidence now that Naomi wasn’t grabbing the phone to call Mason or Kade, Lauri continued. “I found a chest there with pictures in it. Pictures of Anu and even Hilary and Bree’s husband when they were kids. There was a picture of Bree and Davy too. And scary stuff like handcuffs and loaded guns.”

  “A picture of Davy? Where is this cabin? Maybe Mason can catch him there.”

  “You know who it is?”

  Naomi nodded. “I bet it’s Quentin Siller. Maybe that’s where he’s hiding out.”

  “I don’t know, Naomi,” Lauri said, frowning. “It was a lot of stuff. There’s even school drawings with Bree’s husband’s name on them.”

  But Naomi wasn’t listening. “Look, you’ve got to take me out there. We need to check this out.”

  “You
’re not telling Mason, are you?”

  Naomi hesitated. “I guess not,” she said. “I don’t want to get you in trouble. Let’s see what it is first.” She glanced at her watch. “We have about three hours before I have to be at a bridal shower.”

  A two-story stone structure, the Rock Harbor Carnegie Library was on Jack Pine Lane in the block behind Nicholls’ Finnish Imports. The children’s library was on the first-floor walk-out basement level. It sported a bank of computers, donated by Dr. Max Parker three years ago, and bright, colorful posters. The wood shelves were low enough for children to reach with ease.

  Thankfully, the library was deserted. Bree didn’t have time for any chats today. She frowned at the microfiche machine. It had been ages since she used one of these. Who knew when Rock Harbor would be able to afford new technology? It was nearly an hour before she found what she was looking for.

  She printed out the article on the former lighthouse keeper, Peter Thorrington, and stuffed it in her purse. Glancing at her watch, she rushed toward the door. If she was late to Naomi’s shower, she was dead meat.

  The cabin looked innocuous enough. Naomi parked the car down the road and got out. “It looks deserted,” she whispered to Lauri.

  Zorro whined in the back, and Lauri let him out. “Quiet,” she told him.

  Naomi grabbed the binoculars from the front seat and trained the lenses on the cabin. “Nothing’s stirring there,” she told Lauri.

  Lauri didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed. “Come on.” Lauri led the way through the bare trees, quickly covering the muddy ground.

  The door to the cabin was firmly closed. “You think it’s locked?”

  “It wasn’t last time I was here.”

  “We can’t break in,” Naomi said. “This is park property. I’ll look through the window to the bedroom. If it’s like you said, I’ll call Mason in. Which way?”

  Lauri pointed out the bedroom window. “You can boost me. I’ll look.” She led the way to the window. Naomi interlaced her fingers, and Lauri hoisted herself aloft to peer in the window. The grimy window made it hard to see into the dark interior. She waited a minute until her eyes adjusted. “Oh no!” she gasped.

  “What is it?” Naomi huffed breathlessly.

  “It’s gone!” Lauri frantically rubbed at the window, but the view didn’t change. “The bedroom is totally empty. Looks like whoever was living here moved everything out.”

  10

  The man shifted from his hiding place long enough to startle a rabbit, then melted back into the shadows. He couldn’t be seen. Not yet. His gaze never wavered from the neat white house across the street. It could have been sitting on a hillside in Finland.

  They may have taken Anu Nicholls out of Finland, but they would never succeed in taking Finland out of her. He was eager for today’s first sight of her. He gave a bark of laughter. He brought the binoculars to his eyes and focused on the house’s picture window. A slim figure came into view, and his fingers tightened on the binoculars. It wasn’t time to move yet. But soon.

  Thanks for helping me, you guys.” Bree walked with Naomi and Lauri as the dogs ran ahead. “I’ve been jumping at every shadow and second-guessing every sound since Naomi told me about the cedar chest at her shower yesterday. You’re a good friend to let us know about this, Lauri. If Davy or Anu is in danger, we need to stop this guy.”

  Lauri followed silently. She cast a glare of resentment Naomi’s way. She’d thought she could trust her. If this got back to Kade, Lauri was in big trouble. “You think the dogs can help?”she asked Bree. She tossed a stick to Zorro, and he raced to grab it and bring it back to her.

  “Can’t hurt,” Naomi said. “If the dogs can pick up on the last people to be on the porch, maybe they can track him to his lair.”

  She stepped onto the porch and went to the door. “Samson, come.” Her dog ran to her, his tail wagging. “Come here, boy.” The others followed with their dogs.

  “Take a sniff, Samson.” She pointed at the doorknob. He thrust his nose against the door then whined. The other dogs sniffed around the porch too; then Bree rubbed Samson’s ears. “Search, boy!”

  He whined again, then ran through the door and out into the meadow. His tail held high, he ran back and forth across the meadow trying to get a scent. At one point it looked as though he might have picked up something, but he stopped at the end of the road with a despondent air.

  “This car must have had its windows up,” Naomi said.

  Bree nodded. “At least it was worth a try. I’ve got to find Quentin. And soon.”

  The afternoon sunshine pouring through the windows onto the light maple floor felt like a blessing from God, something Bree needed this Saturday morning. She was about to lose her best friend. Maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but things changed when a friend got married. Naomi would no longer have the freedom to just pick up and go with Bree whenever she wanted. But that was okay. Naomi deserved this happiness.

  She stretched and looked around. Anu’s shop made her feel safe. Even Davy seemed most content when he was playing at his grandmother’s feet here. The scent of new clothes on the racks and pulla from the bakery mingled into an aroma of well-being that warmed her. Bree glanced across the display table to where her son crouched on the floor with his crayons and Superman coloring book. Samson lounged nearby.

  Anu caught her gaze and smiled, and the peace in it brought an answering smile to Bree’s face. She and her mother-in-law were soul mates, and there was nowhere Bree would rather be than right here with Anu and Davy. But there was a lot to do this afternoon. Thankfully, the store was nearly empty of customers.

  Anu must have seen her fidgeting. “You must not fret. Everything will be done. It does not all fall on you, kulta. Eini has already gone over to help.” Anu’s employee was also the church wedding coordinator.

  “I know, but Naomi is depending on me.” Bree had never stood up with anyone before, and the thought made her stomach flutter. It seemed somehow appropriate since her best friend was about to start a new life.

  “Yoo-hoo!” Hilary’s voice echoed from the entry.

  Bree’s sister-in-law came through the door. “Wonderful day, isn’t it?” Hilary hugged her mother, then dropped a kiss on her nephew’s head. There was a hidden excitement in her manner that made Bree study her face. She even gave Bree a hug.

  “Any news on my skeleton or Quentin Siller?” Bree asked.

  Hilary sat beside Bree and poured a cup of coffee from the carafe on the counter. “Forensics is checking the dental records. Apparently a skeleton that old doesn’t rate any speed when there are current crimes to be working on. We’ll know something soon. Nothing on Quentin though. Mason is pursuing the Peter Thorrington angle while he waits to hear the autopsy results.”

  “Peter Thorrington. For many years his name was always on Abraham’s lips,” Anu said.

  Bree sat up in surprise. “What do you remember about him?” she asked, glancing surreptitiously at her watch. Naomi would be expecting her, but this was important too.

  Anu continued to unpack boxes. “He and Abraham were good friends. The four of them—my husband, Peter Thorrington, Gary Landorf, and Max Parker—did everything together. They ran a charter business for a time and also did some ship salvage. They fished together, and we wives spent much time together as well. I miss those days.” Her smile was sad. “I have been thinking about the old days ever since Mason suggested that your skeleton might be Peter.” She held out her hand, adorned with a green ring, to Hilary. “I found this a few weeks ago and have been wearing it ever since. It’s an emerald.”

  Hilary took her mother’s hand for a closer look.

  “Your father gave it to me just before he left us. He said something about it tiding me over through rainy days. As if I would sell it! Though I must admit there were times I considered it. It has been in my cedar chest for years.”

  “It will look perfect with your dress,” Hilary said. “It’s probably no
t worth much though; the color isn’t very good. Typical of my father.” Her voice was full of disgust.

  “When did Peter disappear?” Bree asked.

  Anu twisted the ring on her finger. “The last day I saw Abraham was the day after Peter disappeared. So it would have been June 12, 1976,” she said decisively. “Beulah—Peter’s wife—she was never the same after that. Many in town wondered if she had drowned Peter. He was not the most faithful of husbands. But she would be incapable of something like that.” She glanced at Bree. “His widow has the landscaping business on the edge of town, Beulah’s Bounty.”

  “I know that nursery.” Bree nodded. “Did you ever suspect foul play?” Bree began to wonder about the timing. Could Abraham have had anything to do with Thorrington’s death? She rejected the idea at once. Anu would never have married someone capable of murder. Still, people change.

  “Not at first. The authorities questioned Beulah but never accused her, though as I said, many wondered.”

  Hilary nodded. “Mason intends to investigate thoroughly. If he can get his mind on it after our news this morning.”

  She smiled with a radiance Bree had never seen in her before. Something was up. Hilary seemed about to burst with suppressed excitement. “Spill it,” Bree commanded.

  Hilary needed no more encouragement. “I’m pregnant!” She clapped her hands together, and her pale complexion held a blush that brightened her eyes.

  “Oh, my kulta!” Anu cried out. She held out her arms, and Hilary stood and rushed into them.

  Both women began to weep, and Bree found tears in her own eyes.

  “What’s going on, Mommy?” Davy asked, his green eyes wide.

  “You’re going to have a new baby cousin,” Bree said, scooping him up and holding him close.

  He wiggled to get away, and Bree tried not to show the hurt. She put him down. Was she smothering him, or was there really something that was causing Davy to pull away from her? Give him time, everyone said. She worried that time would just make him too grown up to want her hugs, and then she would have missed everything.