Читать книгу Cold Case Christmas - Jessica R. Patch - Страница 13

A country a version of “Holly Jolly Christmas” played inside Chief Deputy Sheriff Rush Buchanan’s Bronco. His coffee steamed from the insulated thermos and sleet pelted his windshield. Blue lights flashed and cast eerie shadows over Shepherd Rock Lake. Wind jostled his vehicle as he slid his hands into his lambskin gloves. Nothing about this moment was “holly” or “jolly.”

He opened the door and braved the nasty weather. East Tennessee had its perks, though. Splendor Pines was the gateway to the gorgeous Smoky Mountains, capped in white at the moment. But now, in the darkness, with the mountains shadowing the horizon, everything appeared sinister, especially with the headlights shining on the rusted and mud-caked car they’d dragged from the lake.

The crunching of tires on gravel turned Rush’s attention from the car and the pit in his gut. Sherriff Troy Parsons parked beside him and climbed out. He frowned and flipped his collar over his ears. “Well?” he asked in his gruff voice.

“It’s a Jaguar. Deputy Tate ran the plates. It’s hers.”

Troy grunted. Rush didn’t need to expound. Marilyn Livingstone had driven a Jaguar and she’d been missing since Christmas Eve seventeen years ago.

“Remains inside?”

“Skeletal. I think DNA is going to confirm it.”

“Any other remains?”

“No.”

Troy cocked his head, studied the vehicle dripping with water and debris. “Theories?”

Rush had plenty. But speculating aloud wasn’t smart. Especially with the small crowd that had gathered. He moved closer to Troy, his mentor and father figure after Dad became a shell of the man he once was. “I know rumors say she ran off with a man that Christmas Eve.” One of many she’d been whispered to have had affairs with. Not all were lies. Rush had witnessed it with his own eyes on the very night Marilyn vanished. Only Troy knew his secret.

Troy hunched in the cold and rolled his toothpick around lips that were hidden by a dark mustache and beard. “You want to call the Livingstones? Or would you rather not deal with talking to the eldest daughter?”

“You can say her name.” Nora. The woman Rush thought he was going to marry. Then Marilyn went missing and metaphorically, so did Nora. She retreated into herself and broke things off just before she left for college. Rush sighed, took his flashlight and trudged through the snow to the car. A crime scene tech was photographing and collecting materials. “Find anything?”

“A round, silver cuff link and partial remains of a man’s masquerade mask.”

Could they have belonged to the man Rush had seen Marilyn with that night? He turned to Troy. “How do you want to proceed?”

“I don’t know why she’d be out this far from home with the biggest event of the year going on, but it turned into a tragic accident. Pretty cut-and-dried, don’t you think?”

Seemed so. “Suppose we’ll know more once Gary can examine the bones. Course he won’t be able to determine cause of death if it’s drowning,” Rush said.

“What else would it be? Other than maybe the impact of crashing into the lake knocked her out. I’ll be honest, I hope that’s the case and she wasn’t conscious when the waters took her. But let’s leave it to Gary. He ought to be rolling in soon.”

Rush agreed.

“We need to call Joshua,” Troy said. “He’ll want to know we’ve discovered his wife.” Joshua Livingstone owned the biggest resort and lodge in Splendor Pines. A powerful man, but one of the kindest Rush had ever known. He’d handled the many rumors about his wife with poised grace. Which—if Rush hadn’t witnessed Marilyn kissing a man in a Phantom of the Opera mask that night of the annual Christmas Eve Masquerade Ball—he wouldn’t have believed. What kind of man wouldn’t have a meltdown over his wife cheating on him? Numerous times—if all the tales were true.

Rush adjusted his wool collar; icy beads had steadily slicked down his neck, but he didn’t mind. His whole body was flushed. “I guess Nora will come home.” Granted she came every Christmas Day, but only for the day. Rush had to share some of the blame for that.

“You ready?” Troy asked.

Was anyone ready to see the person they thought they’d have the rest of their lives with? “I’ve moved on, Troy.”

“And your last date was?”

“Six months ago with Brandy Walker.” She was sweet. Lived in the neighboring town. They met at a church singles social. But he hadn’t felt a spark. Would he ever? Would he always be a lonely bachelor living in a house too big for one man on the side of the mountain?

Troy grunted. “I know Nora was a pretty little thing. Still is. But at some point, you’re going to have to stop comparing other women to her. Who’s to say you’d even have a thing in common with her anymore?”

The downside to father figures. They felt the license to say whatever and whenever. And however. “I’m over Nora Livingstone. Not finding the right woman has nothing to do with her and everything with God’s timing.” Which was slower than Grandma Buchanan’s homemade sorghum. “Sometimes I wish you weren’t my mentor,” he deadpanned.

“Sometimes I do too.” Troy smirked. “I’ll call Joshua and give him the news. Merry early Christmas.”

“And a happy New Year to no one,” Rush muttered.

Troy shook his head and climbed back inside his vehicle to make the call, leaving Rush to the wreckage. The body. Why would you leave Nora and Hailey, Marilyn? She may not have been faithful to her husband, but she’d doted on her girls.

New gawkers arrived with local media.

“Is that Marilyn’s car?” a few asked.

“Poor Joshua.”

“He’s probably relieved to be rid of that...”

Insults, opinions and gossipy speculation rode on the wind, slapping Rush’s face with frozen fingers. Gossip murdered the spirit. He’d witnessed it happen to his own father. Over ten years now and he’d never returned to pastoring or part-time law enforcement no matter how hard Rush and the rest of his family prayed. Dad had chosen to hide from everything and everyone.

Rush turned on the crowd. “Someone is dead. This person had family and friends, so show a little respect, please, or I’ll have every last one of you dragged from here. Am I clear?”

The onlookers quieted. For now.

Before long a black Escalade pulled up next to Rush’s Bronco. Joshua Livingstone—larger than life in his long, black fancy coat—stepped out. Jet-black hair and intense eyes, the same color, focused on Rush. “Troy called.” His voice was baritone but soft. Rush recognized the sorrow, the need for answers. Hailey, Nora’s younger sister, sat in the passenger side, tears rolling down her cheeks—she looked so much like her sister, only her hair was a darker blond and she had Joshua’s eyes. She’d been through a lot lately with her separation from her husband. She and their son lived at the main house with Joshua. Rush hated to be the bearer of bad news, but now they might be able to find peace.

“All we know is the car is registered to you, and I’m sure you can tell it’s Marilyn’s. The...remains need a DNA test but I’m pretty sure they’ll come back as your wife’s. I’m so sorry for your loss, Joshua.”

Troy returned and shook hands with Joshua.

Joshua stared at the car. “Any idea what happened?”

Rush sighed and glanced at the car that had once been shiny and sleek. “You know what the weather is like up here this time of year. Seems a tragic accident.”

Joshua nodded. “When can we have her for a proper burial?”

“We need to officially confirm it’s her. After that, I see no reason why you can’t have her back.”

They stood silently staring for several long minutes until another set of headlights flashed behind Joshua’s Escalade. Rush squinted, blinded by the lights. The driver didn’t bother to kill them before the door to the car opened and a woman’s figure stepped out, slipped under the crime scene tape and stomped toward him.

“Hey,” he shouted. “You can’t be out here.”

“The cumulus clouds I can’t!” she hollered back.

Rush wouldn’t freeze from the nearly single-digit temps. But his heart froze at the sound of Nora’s voice. Sassy. Southern—though a little less country in it than he remembered, but then she’d moved to Knoxville and taken a prestigious job as Chief Meteorologist. He watched her every night at six online. Didn’t much care about the weather unless it affected his townspeople. He watched to see her sunshiny smile with a chance of twinkle in her blue-green eyes.

Right now, she was all storm clouds and thunder. But even so she was a sight to behold, dressed in a soft but thick coat, gray beanie and knee-high leather boots. He couldn’t seem to find his voice.

Nora marched up to him, as if the weather didn’t bother her in the least. She nearly reached his chin flat-footed. The smell of cherry blossoms and vanilla filled his nose, and the familiar scent brought a wave of memories. He’d been crazy about her since third grade. But he’d gained the courage in eighth grade and asked her to a dance. They’d dated all through high school.

“Don’t just stare at me, Rush. Answer me.”

What had she said? “Repeat the question, please.”

“Is it my mom?” She looked to her father, but he stood stoically.

Rush shook out of the memories. “DNA will confirm it, but I think it’s safe to say it’s your mama.” Did he hug her? He wasn’t sure what to do. “I’m sorry, Nora Beth,” he murmured.

Nora’s chin quivered and for a millisecond Rush thought she was going to fall into him. And that’d be okay. But she turned at the last second and ran into her father’s arms. Looked to him for solace.

Joshua kissed Nora’s cheek. “It’s going to be okay, honey.” She shuddered against her father’s chest, then gained resolve and faced Rush.

“Do you know what happened?” she asked lightly.

“We don’t, but it’s dark and we haven’t had a chance to thoroughly examine everything.”

“You will, won’t you, Rush?” She sniffed and wiped a tear.

Rush closed the gap between them and grasped her gloved hand with his. She never wanted to believe Marilyn had abandoned her family. But, here in the lake leading out of town, it appeared that was exactly what she’d done. Rush didn’t know how to spare her that pain. He’d tried to spare her then by never revealing what he saw that night with Marilyn and the Phantom. But now? The evidence was right in front of her eyes.

Troy gripped her shoulder in a fatherly manner. “The roads were bad that night. Probably hit a patch of black ice. The only thing left is to confirm it is your mama and put her and this to rest, hon.”

Nora gaped and freed her hand from Rush’s. “Unacceptable.”

“Nora,” Joshua said calmly.

She shrugged him off. “Doesn’t anyone want to know why she was out here? On Christmas Eve night?”

“Of course we do, but that’s not relevant or even possible to know now,” Troy offered.

Nora pointed with her black glove toward the car. “I know what you’re thinking. The whole town has thought it for years.” Her voice rose with each word. The crowd attentively listened, reporters salivated. “She wasn’t leaving us. She was out here that night for a reason, and I’m going to find out if I have to turn over every rock, crawl into every hole and re-create every weather pattern for a week leading up to the event. My mother didn’t leave me!” Her watery eyes met Rush’s. “She didn’t.”

Rush itched to comfort her, but she’d push him away. The last time she left his arms, she’d called him a cheater, a liar and a jerk. He’d own up to two out of three. He didn’t embrace her but he did pull her aside. “What if you don’t like where that night takes you, Nora?” he asked softly. “Let it go. Be content with the fact that she loved you.”

If Nora dug, it could turn up a lot of dirt.

“I will not be content until I know what she was doing out here. And just because you assume it’s an accident doesn’t mean it was.” Nora shivered. “What if someone hurt her?”

He couldn’t rule out foul play yet, but it was unlikely—even with the evidence retrieved from Marilyn’s car. Nora wanted any answer other than the one that claimed her mother was leaving town without so much as a goodbye. And they’d never know the reason. It had been nearly two decades. “I told you I’d look into it, Nora.”

“You promise?”

“Nora, I’ve never broken a promise to you. I won’t break one now.” He hadn’t broken the promise to be together forever. She had. He’d tried everything to coax her back into the land of the living—back to him. In the end, she’d left him picking up the shattered pieces of his heart.

Her lips soured. “No, I suppose you haven’t broken a promise to me. But you have broken them.”

She hit him square in the frozen heart, thawing it to a burning muscle that pulsed with regret. He hadn’t broken a promise, but he had broken a commitment to the girl he was dating when Nora came home after graduating college for a job opportunity with a radio station. He hadn’t expected that, or for her to call him and see if they could grab dinner, catch up, since she’d pulled away from him after her mom went missing.

It was as if nothing had ever come between them, and she’d been planning on moving back if things went well with her interview.

Things escalated, snowballed. He honestly meant to tell Nora about Ainsley, and that he’d already intended to break things off with her anyway—it was the truth. But before he had the chance, Ainsley caught him and Nora in a heated kiss on Lookout Tower.

Angry words had been hurled. Words like You’re just like your mother. A home-wrecker. Statements like Wait until the town hears that perfect Nora Livingstone is her mother made over. Nora wouldn’t let Rush explain, and really what could he say? He had cheated on Ainsley with Nora. He was wrong. He admitted it. He’d made amends with Ainsley since, and she was now married to Dan, Troy’s son and Rush’s good friend. Water under the bridge, but Nora had tucked tail and run to Knoxville, never looked back. Never answered a call from Rush.

He glanced at Troy and ignored his disdain over Rush’s declaration to look into things. It might be a waste of time and manpower, but he’d oblige Nora this one thing.

He owed her.

Nora’s heart might explode. There were so many emotions going on right now. She’d come home twelve days before Christmas—not by choice—only to arrive at the lodge and be told that Dad and Hailey were out at Shepherd Rock Lake with the police. That alone sent knives to her gut. But now here she was face-to-face with Rush. Time had filled out the young man’s body into a grown man’s, muscled by hard outdoor work more than gym visits; she’d heard he’d built a log cabin up farther on the mountain.

His hat covered his toasted blond hair, but eyes the color of Hershey bars drilled into hers. Rush wasn’t a promise breaker. He used to be the most noble and honest person she’d ever known. And he could make her laugh on a dime. But then he had hurt her and at the moment she wasn’t sure he’d give the investigation all he had. Troy Parsons wanted to end it right now.

But Mom was here for a reason and Nora couldn’t let it rest. However, arguing about it when she was standing in the middle of a monster Christmas storm coming through wasn’t wise. She’d predicted back in September low pressures off the Gulf Coast and arctic outbreaks across the Southeast. Snowflakes had begun in early October. This was likely to be the worst snow and ice storm in twenty-five years, but she couldn’t afford to fly south for the winter. She was upside down in debt and she’d been pushed out of her Chief Meteorologist job at channel six in Knoxville.

To say she was touchy was an understatement.

Dad approached her. “I’m taking Hailey home, honey. Don’t stay here any longer than you feel you have to. I’ll have the guest chalet stocked for you.” He kissed her forehead.

She nodded at Dad and watched him climb in his vehicle. Hailey hadn’t once stepped out. Not even to acknowledge Nora was home. She didn’t handle hard situations well. Neither did Nora, but someone had to be Mom’s voice. Someone had to find out the truth.

Nora walked closer to Mom’s car. All these years, she’d been submerged. Christmas Eve used to be Nora’s favorite night. The resort and lodge was always booked with families and couples from all over the world, anticipating the renowned Christmas Eve Masquerade Ball. A glorious night decorated in red, green and gold. A nativity ice sculpture. Fountains of gold sparkling cider. Christmas music. Friends. Family. Fun.

Nora’s heart ached. Her father still put on the event as if her mother hadn’t gone missing that night. He had barely said a word about it. Didn’t push or force the investigation. Maybe he had believed the vicious murmurs about Mom.

Well, not Nora.

“Nora.” Rush’s voice came softer than moss. “Don’t go any closer. Some things can’t be unseen.”

And some things couldn’t be undone. “Do you remember it raining and being slick that night?”

“I don’t know,” he said sadly. She glanced at him, his nose red and eyes deep with compassion and pity. If only he knew how pitiful Nora was. Not two pennies to rub together. But he’d never know. No one would. It was all too humiliating.

“I don’t.” Nora had always been fascinated with weather, which was why she remembered there had been snow earlier but the temps had been mild for December. “I need to trace her steps that night and find out what time she left the party and ended up here. Someone saw or heard something. They had to have.” If she could piece together the weather from that fateful Christmas Eve, she might be able to determine if the car going into the lake was related to weather conditions or not. Her part-time work as a forensic meteorologist had her doing this often, helping insurance companies with claims.

Rush licked his lips and pawed his scruffy face. “Let me do it. Spend your time with family. Isn’t that why you’re home so early?” He cocked his head, and plumes of air trailed from his mouth.

She was here because she had nowhere else to go. When the news played and she wasn’t on-screen they’d know. “I left channel six.”

Rush’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Why?”

The cold seeped into her bones and her teeth chattered. “I’m ready for warmer weather. Going to take a job in Florida.” She hoped anyway. She ought to know in the next week or two. And right now she did want warmer weather. She was a human Popsicle.

Rush frowned. “You love mountain air. Skiing. Snowball fights.”

“I do know how to pack a snowball,” she quipped. “But people change. I’m ready for palm trees and waterskiing.” She adjusted her knit cap and rubbed her hands, her gloves not keeping her as warm as she’d like, and stared at Mom’s car. “Anything inside besides...her?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “We found a cuff link in the car, partial male masquerade mask. Haven’t checked the trunk yet, but we’ll gather the evidence, see what we see.”

A cuff link. A mask. “A man was in the car that night?”

“Seems like.” His eyes were shifty.

“What are you keeping from me?”

“Nothing pertinent to the case.”

“Promise?”

“Nora, trust me.”

She laughed humorlessly. “Last time I trusted you, Rush, you broke two women’s hearts and made me look cheap. I’m sure the whole town thinks it.” Ainsley surely spread it all over the world.

“No one thinks that, Nora, and you’d have known that if you hadn’t gotten out of Dodge at world-record speed. But that’s what you do.” He shoved a hand on his hip and heaved a breath.

Nora’s temperature rose a few degrees. “And cheating on women. That’s what you do?”

Rush’s jaw ticked. “We were kids. And I was going to tell you.”

“We were twenty-one. And you didn’t. You gave the town a new tale to spin.” But fighting about it was pointless, and Nora was cold and exhausted. “Can you find prints on the cuff link?”

Rush inhaled and rubbed his chin, then exhaled. His shoulders relaxed. “Doubtful. But I’ll try. I’ll try everything.” He held her gaze and she fidgeted. Angry at him or not, she wasn’t blind. The man was attractive. Always had been.

“How did you find the car?” It had been seventeen years. Why now?

“You remember Brandon Deerborn?”

Few years ahead of them. “Yeah.”

“His son was doing a project using Google maps and our town. Found the lake and noticed something in it. Like a shimmer, he said. He went out there, climbed a pine to check it out—fell out of the tree by the way and broke his arm...also he’s grounded for leaving without asking—and Brandon called me. Put the divers in and we hauled it out. Water was too murky to notice it at ground level.”

“Google maps. Invasive yet...” She shrugged. “He might be grounded but he’ll be a town hero.” Or maybe not. If what people said about Mom was true, there’d be a few who wouldn’t be too thrilled the Deerborn kid had found her.

Rush didn’t say anything and kept his eyes on the sky. “Storm’s coming in. But I guess you know this already.” He smirked.

She grinned, then sobered. “I’m serious about investigating. I want answers before I leave here, and I won’t bring up our past again. Better if we leave things on the personal side alone. Focus on the case.”

“We don’t have a case. Yet.” The freezing rain slacked up.

“Never hurts to ask questions.”

“Yes, it does. Sometimes.” Rush shoved his gloved hands in his pockets. “Go home. Be with your family. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He was right. Nothing she could do tonight. She walked back to her car, opened the door when Rush called out. “Nora Beth, be careful. The roads are slick. Watch for deer.”

Her middle name was Jane, but Rush had never once used it. A little nod to Little House on the Prairie. In high school, she’d forced him to watch reruns, but there hadn’t been much Rush wouldn’t have done for her. Manly called Laura Beth. Only him. Rush had started that at fifteen. It warmed the chill seeping into Nora’s bones. “Will do.”

She climbed inside and blasted the heat. She’d regretted pushing Rush away after Mom vanished. She’d been hurt. Wanted a fresh start, to pretend she lived in a town where gossip about Mom hadn’t abounded. Where she didn’t feel shame. But coming home after college—she’d missed Rush so much it ached—she thought he might be willing to give it another chance, and if so she’d stay. And he’d done the one thing she’d worked hard to avoid—made her the subject of ugly rumors.

She drove carefully through the winding roads and spotted Mom’s favorite café. Charlee, the owner, might know a thing or two. Inside, Charlee met her with a wave. “Well, look who the cat dragged in.” Her face paled. “Sorry. Bad use of words. I heard about your mama. I’m so sorry.” She poured a steaming cup of coffee and slid it to Nora as she sat on the bar stool.

“Thanks. Did you know anything about that night? Why my mom might be heading out of town or be near the lake?”

“I wish I did, hon. I loved Marilyn, but she only let one get so close before she distanced herself.”

Nora sipped the brew and talked with Charlee until the weather picked up. “I better get on back. If anything comes to mind, call me.”

Charlee nodded. “Be safe, Nora.”

Nora inched along the roads until, almost thirty minutes later, her father’s vast lodge peeped out from the evergreens. A wintry, dark sky overhead seemed to close in on the structure that housed two hundred and fifty-two guests. Nestled in the mountains behind were fifty chalets. Every room, every wooden cottage would be occupied, except the guest chalet where she liked to stay.

White lights clinked in the trees as gusts of wind barreled through the pines. The smell of evergreen, wood smoke and cinnamon wafted into her car—the smell of home. She stepped out of the car, pinched the bridge of her nose, inhaled deeply and trudged up the walk; someone had plowed the drive for her. Fresh snow hadn’t quite blanketed it again. Something stole her nose’s attention. She sniffed. Was that paint? She followed the scent to the side of the chalet and gasped.

In the moonlight, she made out one of her two most hated words to call women along with a note painted underneath telling her to die like her mother. Shock sucked the breath from her, and then she caught sight of a shadow moving toward her. She had only seconds to block the blow and failed.

A meaty fist covered in camouflage gloves connected with her face, knocking her into two feet of snow. White spots popped in front of her eyes and her head spun.

“Take the warning and take a hike,” the masked man growled. “Or you’ll regret it.”

His feet crunched along the snow.

Buzzing whizzed in her ears and then silence.

When her eyes fluttered open, a man had her. Panic shot through her system and she flailed, scratched and punched.

“Hey, hey! Nora. It’s me. It’s Rush. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

Rush. Rush punched her? No. Her head was fuzzy and aching. Rush had her in his arms. It felt familiar, but also strangely new and wonderfully safe and warm. Her stomach dipped and as if he could feel her thoughts, he nestled her closer against him.

“I got hit,” she croaked.

His grip tightened. “And I’ll be sure to return the favor when I find the guy.” His tone was raw steel. She laid her head against his chest, heard the staccato beat of his heart. “Did you see him?”

“No. Just the writing on the wall, and then he stuck it to me and knocked me out.” Her limbs were numb and stiff. Her teeth chattered. Rush carried her up the porch steps.

“Do you need a doctor?”

“No. It’s no worse than when I got bucked off that horse that time.”

“You had a mild concussion then, Nora Beth.” Rush chuckled and swung open the front door and stepped inside, then flipped on a lamp on the side table.

“Right. Not the best comparison. Well, I’m fine. Honest. Just sore.” She peered into his rich eyes and nearly got lost. Certainly got choked up.

He laid her on the soft leather sofa and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll get your bags. You need to get into dry, warm clothes and I’ll start a fire for extra heat.” He stepped outside before she could speak, brought in her luggage and carried it to her bedroom, then returned. “Make some coffee. Yeah?”

She nodded.

“Sure you don’t need a doctor?” He touched her face. “Lying in the snow probably helped the swelling, but...”

She shivered and he pointed to the bedroom. “We’ll talk in a minute. Or I can take you to the hospital.”

Shaking her head, she shuffled to the bed and he closed the door. If Rush hadn’t come to her rescue... She didn’t want to think about what might have happened.

Clearly, she’d angered someone. But who? She’d seen dozens of locals on the scene; they’d heard her rant. By now, Nora sticking around to find out what happened that night was bound to be spreading all over Splendor Pines like lice in a day care. Between talking to Rush, leaving the scene, stopping to talk to Charlee—someone had rallied fast. Not fast enough or Nora wouldn’t have walked up on them.

After throwing on sweats, wool socks and an oversize Vols sweatshirt, she looked in the mirror. No swelling but her right cheek had a purplish tint. Wood smoke and coffee brewing drew her into the living room decorated in cozy earth tones. The fire reached out and hugged her cold skin. She inched closer to the large brick hearth and sat.

“How you feelin’?” Rush made himself at home in the open kitchen. He took two white mugs from the cabinet and poured the coffee, then opened the fridge and frowned. He rifled in the other cabinets until he found powdered creamer and sugar. He carried everything to the living room and placed them on the coffee table.

“Oh, ya know...like I got punched and knocked into the snow.” She touched her cheek.

“What exactly happened?”

She gave him the rundown. “Told me to back off or I’d end up like my mom. Almost did if you hadn’t shown up. Why are you here?”

His neck flushed as he handed her a cup of coffee. “Honestly? I don’t know. I guess to check in on you.”

Whatever the reason, she was thankful. She added cream and sugar to her cup.

“You recognize the voice by any chance?” Rush hurriedly asked, as if hoping to skim over the topic of his popping in.

“No. I was kind of busy being terrified. Sorry.”

Rush sat beside her, laid a gentle hand on her knee. “I’m sorry too.”

Half of her wanted to jerk his hand away, but the frightened half needed the tender contact, the reassurance and compassion. He removed his hand and she sipped her coffee, relishing the warmth of the fire and the brew.

The fire crackled.

He studied the purple mark on her face and balled a fist. “Nora, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go poking around after what happened. This is my job. Better to let me handle it.”

Nora huffed. “Someone doesn’t want me looking into my mother’s death. Which means it might not have been an accident. More than ever, I have to.”

Rush drank his coffee and kept quiet, his jaw slowly working.

“What’s the matter? I know that face.”

Rush pinched the bridge of his nose. “Everything is the matter, Nora Beth. From the minute we pulled the car from the water to right this second. No, it might not have been an accident, but chances are it was, and this attack on you might be from someone who is afraid you’ll discover...you know...an affair. If even a quarter of the rumors are true, then there are a lot of people who won’t want the past hauled into the present. Next time it might not be a punch to the face.” He skimmed the bruise with his fingertips, bringing a wave of emotion she’d tried to bury years ago.

She turned away enough to force him to keep his hands to himself. She didn’t need the attraction or the old feelings. But he did have a point. “Then those men shouldn’t have had those affairs. What happened to nobility, fidelity and honesty? If their dirty secrets get exposed, then so be it. They shouldn’t have done it.” Mom shouldn’t have either. Why would she?

Rush’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t respond.

“What happens when you investigate? Secrets will be exposed. One way or the other.”

He drained his coffee and set the cup on the hearth. “I’m not worried about my safety. I am worried about yours. Besides, I’m going to be more discreet than you.”

“You’re going to have to talk to more than men you suspect could be guilty. You’ll have to talk to neighbors, friends and, sadly, wives. It is what it is. I don’t want to hurt people. But I do want the truth about that night. Someone has answers to my thousands of questions.”

One being why Dad never stayed on top of the investigation. Why didn’t he hire a private eye? Was he glad to be rid of Mom? Was he tired of having an unfaithful wife? Nora couldn’t ignore these rumors like she had as a teenager. They were staring her down and now that she’d been attacked and told to back off, denying that even one of them were true would be naive. Mom, why? Did you not love Dad? He was amazing and wonderful. He gave them everything.

Or maybe Nora was only seeing what she wanted to see.

A faithful mom.

A devoted husband.

Maybe neither were who they seemed.

“What if you never find out why your mom was heading out of town?”

“How do you know she was?”

Rush stood and turned away from her. “Because we found two cases in the trunk. One had clothing in it.” He faced her. “She was going somewhere, Nora.”

Nora’s hands trembled, and she steadied her cup between her knees.

“I know that’s not what you want to hear. And you have to understand that no matter what turns up, you won’t get every single answer to your questions. And that’s not even the most frightening part of this.”

“No?” She peered into his eyes, firelight casting shadows on his face. “What is?”

“You won’t back down, and I don’t believe whoever did this to you is going to back down either. Which means you’re not safe as long as you’re snooping.”

Nora swallowed the fear clawing in her throat. “I can’t sit back and do nothing.”

He collapsed beside her again and groaned. “I had a feeling you’d say that. I think you should stay up at the main house. You’ll be safer there.”

Her first instinct was to say no, but Rush was right. However... “Hailey is staying with my dad. Which means Dalton is also. He’s only six. If someone comes after me again, he could be in harm’s way. Hailey too. While I agree that I should stay at the main house, it scares me not to stay here.” Scared her to stay here too.

“I heard she was living back home for a while.”

Nora shrugged. “I don’t suppose any marriage is perfect. Except maybe your mom and dad’s.”

Rush grunted. What did that mean? Bringing up Rush’s parents gave her an idea. “Hey, your dad was a part-time deputy back then. I remember him coming to talk to my dad. Maybe he knows something about that night or he overheard a conversation that would help. We should talk to him.”

Rush’s jaw flinched. “Yeah... I’ll talk to him.”

Nora wasn’t so sure she believed him. Something was up with his parents, but now wasn’t the time to pry. She had to stay somewhere safe. The main house wasn’t it. “I can’t stay at the main house. Just in case. Besides, Dad has security that patrols all night. Guests love added security measures.”

Wind howled and sleet started up again, pelting the windows. “I don’t like it, but I understand. Take my number. Call me if you need anything. Anytime of night.”

Rush rattled off his number.

Nora laughed. “Seriously? The last four digits of your number is four, five, six, seven?”

“Hard to memorize, huh?” he teased.

“It’s probably the only number in my phone I can.” She saved his contact information and closed her eyes. “Rush, you do think it’s only a threat, right? No one will actually try to kill me?”

Rush stopped at the front door, raised his coat’s wool collar. “Nora, you’re about to unleash an avalanche. What do you think?” He bent over and lifted his pant leg, retrieving a handgun from an ankle holster. “This is my personal piece. Lock the doors and keep it on your nightstand.”

Nora accepted the gun and prayed she wouldn’t have to use it. “Rush?”

He turned before leaving. “Yeah?”

“You said two cases. What was in the other one?”

“It was your mom’s camera case.” His mouth formed a grim line. “With two hundred and fifty thousand dollars inside.”