Page 10

CHAPTER TEN

B y the time Aspen’s phone, internet, Wi-Fi, and alarm system had been installed on Friday night, it was well past dinnertime. Trudy’s nephew had helped Garrett deliver Aspen’s furniture from the thrift store while the phone installers were still there. When everyone else was gone, Garrett had stood in her living room looking as nervous to leave her alone as she’d felt. But with her new phones, not to mention the security system and motion-sensor lights he’d installed all around her house and even along the driveway, she’d be safe. She’d shooed him out and promised to see him Sunday.

She wasn’t going to think about the handgun she had stowed in her nightstand drawer, nor the holster he’d convinced her to order online. She’d argued that she couldn’t carry a concealed weapon without a permit, but apparently, New Hampshire didn’t require a permit. Quite a change from Hawaii, where one couldn’t carry a concealed weapon at all.

Did Garrett really think she was going to walk around packing heat like Annie Oakley?

On Saturday, although she’d wanted to start digging through the stuff in the junk room, instead she spent the day cleaning. The kitchen was the worst, grimy in spots that required lots of elbow grease, and the bathrooms had needed a good scrubbing as well. She’d thought she’d spend a couple of hours at that task and was shocked when it was four o’clock by the time she finished and plopped down on her new sectional.

She’d never been more thankful for a couch in her life.

The furnace man had come by that afternoon, tinkered in the basement, and then spent ten minutes explaining what he’d done, none of which she understood. He’d told her the furnace was in perfect working order and the bigger problems were the insulation and windows. Until she took care of those, the temperature might go a few degrees higher, but that was as good as it was going to get. When he mentioned that her oil tank was full, she’d worked hard to pretend she’d known she had an oil tank.

These were the kinds of conversations she’d never needed to have in Hawaii.

As promised, the temperature in her house rose about two degrees.

She was thankful for the stack of firewood Garrett had delivered. She was clearly going to need it.

Sunday morning, she felt like a new person. Her house was clean, she had everything she needed to survive, all neatly organized in scrubbed and lined cabinets. She’d had two good nights of sleep in a row and no sign of the stalker.

She dabbed the last of her makeup on, then checked her reflection in the mirror over the sink, half wishing she’d bought a full-length one so she could see how she looked in her slacks and boots.

She’d gone to the same church for as long as she could remember. The thought of trying a new one sent not butterflies to her stomach but killer bees in a turf war.

In the bedroom, her phone rang, the old-fashioned sound loud and jarring. Pressing a hand to her pounding heart, she hurried that way and snatched the cordless handset, pressing the button before she brought the giant thing to her ear.

So weird.

“I thought I’d pick you up for church,” Garrett said after her hello. “Are you almost ready?”

“I can drive myself.”

“You saw where I live. It’s not like it’s that far out of my way.”

True. He was about ten minutes down the mountain. She hadn’t gone into his condo the other night when he’d grabbed the handguns—he’d brought out three so she could decide which felt the best in her hand—and the complex seemed new and well-kept.

“Besides,” Garrett added, “we got a little snow last night. I thought you might chicken out on driving.”

She stepped to the window and looked outside. Sure enough, her driveway was white. “You’re sure it’s safe?”

He laughed. “I’m almost there.”

Five minutes later, she climbed into Garrett’s pickup, where tall coffee cups steamed in cupholders. She’d made her own that morning, but the temperature hovered somewhere in the what kind of idiot would live here range, so a second cup of something warm was perfect.

“On your website, it says you’re a full-service general contractor, but this still seems outside your sphere of responsibility.”

He let out a low chuckle that had her insides thrumming with a reaction she wasn’t ready to name.

“I do like to please my clients.”

She clicked on her seatbelt, then reached for the cup nearer her, looking at him for permission.

He nodded, and she grabbed it.

“You’ll have to tell me your preference,” he said. “Personally, I love Josie’s lattes, but she makes everything.”

That must be the owner of Cuppa Josie’s, where Aspen had gotten coffee her first morning in Coventry. Which meant he’d driven to town, gotten the coffees, and then headed back up the mountain. In other words, he’d gone way out of his way.

“Caramel macchiato. What’s yours?”

“Vanilla latte.”

“I’ll buy next time.”

“Deal.” He backed onto the road and headed toward town.

As Garrett had said, his was an old-fashioned white church, steeple and all, that looked like it’d been there for a hundred years or more. There were many such churches in Hawaii. The first white settlers to the islands had been missionaries from New England, so the building weirdly reminded her of home.

Rather than enter at the front, they walked into a lobby area beside the church—an addition, Garrett explained, that connected the sanctuary with the building next door, which housed classrooms. Garrett’s friends made a beeline their way. James introduced his wife, Cassidy, who was cradling their newborn, Hallie. Reid introduced Jacqui and his daughter, Ella, who Aspen would guess was about six. Thomas was there too. She also met Andrew and Grace, who were engaged, and Fitz and Tabby, who’d just moved back to town. And Dylan and Chelsea. Apparently, Chelsea owned Hamilton, a big clothing manufacturer located in Coventry.

The company that made the gloves Garrett had insisted Aspen buy. She might suspect he’d steered her that direction out of loyalty, but the gloves really were very warm.

Tabby, the curly-haired brunette, said, “Hey, we’re having a girls’ night tomorrow at my house. Do you want to come?”

“Oh, uh…” Did she?

“That’s a great idea,” Grace added. “I live in the condos down the street from you. Why don’t I pick you up? About six twenty?”

She looked at the faces of all the women waiting to see what she’d say. Did she want to get to know them better? She wouldn’t mind having a friend in town besides Garrett, even if she would only be there a short time.

Beyond all the smiling faces of Garrett’s friends, Aspen had caught more than one stranger looking her way, people her father’s age or older. They definitely weren’t wearing the welcoming expressions she’d expect to see at church.

Were they like that with all the guests?

Somehow, she doubted it.

Yes, she definitely needed friends on her side. “I’d love to come. What can I bring?”

Tabby said, “Whatever you want—or nothing. We always have way more than we can eat.”

Buoyed by the invitation, Aspen followed Garrett further through the addition and up a short flight of stairs. They’d almost reached the sanctuary when she felt a touch to her shoulder.

“Are you Aspen?”

She turned to a tall man—six-two at least—with salt-and-pepper hair and warm brown eyes. By the wrinkles, she’d guess he was her father’s age, early fifties. But, unlike her father, who’d developed a paunch, this man was trim and fit.

She’d heard the expression about people’s eyes lighting up, but she’d never really understood it until that moment. When he looked at her, it was as if his whole expression brightened.

“You look just like your mother.”

People were streaming around them toward the double doors just ahead. Music filtered out.

Garrett nudged the small of her back. “Maybe we should get out of the way.”

The man shook his head quickly. “Sorry. Sorry. Can we just…?” He backed out of the crowd and into a corner.

She followed, feeling both nervous and excited. Here was somebody who looked at her, saw her mother, and didn’t despise her for the resemblance.

She liked this guy already.

When they were out of the stream of parishioners, he held out his hand, which she shook. “I’m Brent Salcito.” Before she could introduce herself, he said, “And you’re Aspen. I’d heard you were in town, but even if I hadn’t, I’d recognize you anywhere.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Behind her, Garrett said, “I can wait for you inside, if you two need to?—”

“It’s all right,” Brent said, then focused on her again. “I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to Coventry. What brings you here?”

“My father passed away a year ago.”

“I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard. That must have been very difficult.”

“Yes, thank you. Anyway…” She’d been about to tell this man about the house, but at the last second, she shifted. Maybe this person truly was a friend, but she felt like she had enough foes in Coventry that she needed to be cautious. “He used to talk about Coventry all the time. I wanted to see it for myself, get a sense of where he and my mother lived.”

“You picked an interesting time to come. Unless you’re a skier, you might prefer to visit in the summer.”

“I wanted to experience a winter here.” She exaggerated a shiver. “I had no idea that air could be so cold.”

When Brent smiled, his whole face got involved, lifting his cheeks and crinkling the skin around his eyes. “Where did you grow up?”

“On the Big Island of Hawaii.”

“Wow. This is different, then.” He slipped his hand into his jacket—he wore a suit, though most people dressed more casually—and came out with a business card, which he held out to her. “If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate. My wife and I are at your service.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer. “Your mother and I were good friends.”

She thanked him, pocketing the card, and he slipped into the crowd entering the sanctuary.

To Garrett, she said, “Do you know him?”

“Everybody knows him. He’s the mayor. Should we?” He nodded toward the double doors. The crowd had dwindled, and the volume of the music was steadily building.

Fortunately, Andrew and Grace had saved them seats, and they were able to slip in just as the worship team started singing.

Aspen recognized all the worship songs, and their familiarity made her feel comfortable. The pastor was apparently in the middle of a sermon series on the book of Ephesians, one of her favorites because it had taught her who she was in Christ. The reminder that, though her earthly father was gone, her heavenly Father was right by her side, brought fresh peace. As much as she’d pressed into Him in the year since Dad’s death, she feared she’d need God’s guidance now more than ever.

After the service, Aspen and Garrett were following the crowd toward the lobby when a man approached. “Aspen Kincaid?”

He stood out of the way of the church members streaming into the cold morning as if he’d been waiting for her.

She moved toward him, feeling Garrett at her side. “Have we met?”

He held out his hand. “Only on the phone. Jeff Christiansen.”

Over her shoulder, Garrett said, “Hey, Jeff. Aspen, I’ll see you outside.”

Garrett walked out, and she and her father’s local attorney moved farther from the crowd into the corner.

“I just wanted to introduce myself,” he said. “Have you gotten settled?”

“I have. Garrett’s been a great help. Thank you for recommending him.”

The man nodded. Barely taller than Aspen’s five-six, he was older than her dad would have been, probably in his mid to late sixties, with a ring of gray hair around a shiny bald head.

“Have you made a plan?” he asked.

Jeff had encouraged her to sell the house immediately, but she’d wanted to come here and fix it up first. When she’d told him that, he’d suggested she do so from Hawaii. “No sense traveling all the way to New Hampshire,” he’d said. “I can manage the details on this end.”

He’d been surprised when she’d called in November to say she was coming.

More than surprised. He’d tried to talk her out of it.

She’d detected a hint of… she wasn’t sure what it was. Not displeasure so much as concern when she’d told him her plans. She’d forgotten about that until this moment, maybe because she detected the same thing on his face now.

“Garrett has some great ideas,” she said. Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get Jeff’s feedback. “He thinks that if we redo the entire house, I’ll get a lot more money out of it than if I just do the bare bones. What do you think?”

“Define redo ,” he said.

She gave him a quick rundown on what they planned.

His bushy gray eyebrows lowered over light brown eyes. “That’s a huge undertaking.”

“He can do it, though, right? You said Garrett?—”

“He’s more than capable. And the numbers sound right. But you’re not going to stay the whole time, are you?”

The way he asked the question had her defenses rising. She crossed her arms. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“I just thought… Don’t you have a business to run back in Hawaii?”

“I sold it.”

The attorney’s gaze darted behind her, and she was tempted to turn and see why. She could tell by the lack of noise that most of the church had already filed out.

This conversation—and the lawyer’s concern over her staying in town—seemed very important.

“Is there something I should know, Mr. Christiansen?”

“Please, call me Jeff. What do you mean?”

“I’ve been getting a lot of strange looks since I got to town, and some older guy questioned me the other day about my mother’s whereabouts.”

“Lots of people are curious about what happened to your mother,” he said. “It was a scandal back then.”

“What kind of scandal?”

“Look, your father moved to Hawaii to protect you.”

“Wait…” She processed his words, then asked, “Did you know my dad before?”

He bobbed his head once. “Your dad and I go way back.”

She hadn’t told Jeff about Dad’s last words, figuring he’d handled the purchase of the house and nothing else. But, now that she thought about it, why had her dad needed a lawyer in New Hampshire? He had one in Hawaii who’d managed his business and his will and trust. A person didn’t need to hire a lawyer to buy a house, right?

To clarify, she asked, “So you knew him when…when my mother disappeared, when he moved away?”

“Knew you too.” He offered a grandfatherly smile. “You were the prettiest baby I’d ever seen.”

She wasn’t going to get sidetracked. “Did you know my mother?”

He shifted on his feet and cleared his throat. “We met, of course, but I didn’t know her well.”

“What can you tell me about what happened back then?”

“Young lady?—”

“I’m thirty-one.” She didn’t mean the words to come out curt, but she wasn’t a child. He needed to see her as a capable adult, not the baby he’d known before. For good measure, she added, “And I deserve to know.”

“Your father left for a reason. He didn’t want you involved.”

“There’s nothing to be involved in now. It’s been three decades. I just want to know?—”

“I’m sorry, but it’s not my place.”

“Dad sent me here. Did he tell you that?”

The old man’s eyes snapped wide. “What do you mean?”

“Before he died, he told me to come here and…” Now she did turn to see who might be listening. Because it seemed there were people in this town who weren’t on her side, and her business was not theirs. But the lobby was empty. Still, she lowered her voice. “Can I trust you to keep this to yourself?”

“I’ve been acting as your attorney since your father died, so attorney-client privilege applies.”

“On his deathbed, my father asked me to find my mother and do right by her. I have no idea what he was talking about, but he mentioned the house. Do you have any idea what he wants me to look for?”

Before she stopped talking, Jeff’s head was shaking. He took a step back. “Your father must’ve been delirious. Was he on painkillers or something? Your mom’s been missing a long time, and nobody knows what happened to her.”

The confident words coming out of his mouth did not match the fearful expression on his face.

“Why are you lying to me?”

He rubbed his lips together, and his gaze darted all around the lobby. “Your mother is gone, Aspen. There’s nothing you can do to change that. Coming here and stirring up the past is only going to cause trouble.”

“For who? You?”

“I had nothing to do with it.”

“With what? What is ‘it’?”

“Whatever happened to your mother, it had nothing to do with me. I just know that there are people in Coventry who won’t take kindly to you digging up things that should remain buried.”

Before she could argue, he slid an age-spotted hand over her forearm. His grip was strong. “Go back to Hawaii and your life there. Let Garrett fix up your house, and I’ll handle the sale. You don’t need to be here.”

“My father?—”

“Forget what your father said. He shouldn’t have put this on you. It’s not your responsibility.”

“She was my mother.”

“She was…” He pressed his lips together.

“I know she was suffering from a mental illness. My father told me that much.”

He relaxed the tiniest bit. “She did a lot of damage and left nothing but destruction in her wake. That’s not your fault, but people around here have a long memory. The fact that you look just like?—”

“There you are.”

Aspen turned as a woman walked toward them from outside. She was heavyset with pretty silver hair and giant round sunglasses, which she pushed up on the top of her head.

As she approached, Jeff cleared his throat. “Maury, this is Michael Kincaid’s girl, Aspen.”

The older woman smiled at Aspen. “I’m Jeff’s wife, by the way. You’re gorgeous, just like your mother.” She held out her hand, and Aspen shook it.

“You knew my mom?”

“Oh, not well.” She waved the words off, so casual, especially compared to her husband. “We met a few times. She was a fiery one, your mother. I’ve never met anybody with so much passion.”

Passionate. Fiery. Aspen had rarely heard a positive adjective used to describe Jane Kincaid. She gripped the words like a lifesaving drug. “About what?”

“Oh, everything she cared about. She was in college, and there was something…” She turned to Jeff. “Was it nuclear power plants?”

He shrugged. “Something about the environment.” He sounded too casual. He knew more than he was saying.

Maury didn’t seem to notice. “And she was charismatic. Everybody loved her. I once saw her stir up a group of mommies into demanding a nursing room downtown.”

Aspen smiled, trying to imagine such a thing. “Did they add it?”

“Nobody defied Jane Kincaid.” Maury said the words with a little laugh before turning to Jeff. “The kids are holding a table for us. We’d better hurry.”

Jeff said goodbye, and Aspen watched as the older couple walked out the door, reeling from all the information she’d gotten.

Her mother’d been passionate and charismatic, and everybody had loved her.

This was the first she’d heard anything like that.

Aspen wished the facts had stopped there. But Jeff’s words were the ones that resonated.

Your mother did a lot of damage and left destruction in her wake.

And there were people who didn’t want Aspen digging into what that meant.

But who? And why?