CHAPTER FOUR
She still wore the same perfume, not that he was surprised.
Jace didn’t have to turn his head to know that Shae Irwin was the woman who had just slipped past everyone gathered to greet him. He did his best to maintain his focus on the old friends and acquaintances who embraced him rather than observe her as she made her way to the restroom. These people had been a part of his upbringing, and he wouldn’t disregard their warm welcomes. Nor would he put Shae on the spot in front of them.
He couldn’t say her brush-off didn’t hurt, though. They’d been good friends in high school, and at one point he thought their friendship could be much more. Unfortunately, he’d caught mono in the last semester of his senior year. He’d missed out on all of the best parties, his senior prom, and he’d even had to delay his ship date to Marine Corps boot camp…which happened to be a couple days after Emma had gone missing.
Jace couldn’t judge Shae on her lack of sociability. He’d been somewhat caught up on the events of the last few months, but one thing was clear—Emma Irwin’s disappearance was once again front and center here in Blyth Lake. He could only imagine that the pain of losing a sister never really went away. He honestly couldn’t fathom how he would deal with such a loss if anything suspicious were to happen to any of his siblings.
He had to believe that Shae understood he was there for her should she want to talk, a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to sit with for company in her hour of need. After all, he believed old friendships remained even through the longest of years. He’d given her space and would continue to do so for as long as she wanted to remain at a distance. Maybe an appropriate time would come when they could get caught up with one another’s lives, because that was what friends did. There was always hope when even just one of them kept the faith.
“Harlan, I want to thank you for everything you did regarding the Stoll property.” Jace shook his head, still in somewhat disbelief over the announcement his father had made this afternoon. “It’s hard to believe such a beautiful house and those pristine sixteen acres of rolling pastures are now mine. It’s…hell, I don’t think there are words enough to describe what I feel right now.”
Gus Kendall rested a hand on Jace’s shoulder in understanding.
His father’s support meant everything. As for his mother’s final wish, well, that had been to have her children home and raising their own families in their hometown of Blyth Lake. What Jace and his siblings hadn’t been made aware of was that she made that possible with an inheritance she’d saved for a special occasion. It was to be used when her sons and daughter returned from their duties to their country.
“It was my pleasure,” Harlan replied in kind. He didn’t mention being questioned by the police regarding those real estate transactions. “You Kendall kids might have raised hell back in the day, but it’ll be nice to have a younger generation around to see to it this town survives with this economy. We’ve managed to keep Main Street a viable business community thus far. It didn’t happen by itself, though. It takes invested people who want this town to thrive.”
“Here, here.” Chester raised his glass of water in the air while others repeated his sentiment. “Welcome home, Jace.”
He and his dad settled at one of the tables, seeing as all the booths were taken. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where Shae had been seated. A lone slice of Molly’s apple pie with a scoop of melting hand-churned ice cream had been left in the back booth. Molly was currently setting down a coffee cup, but it could have been tea. A small square tab hung from a string connected to a nondescript white bag which accompanied the mug.
Where was she? He was beginning to wonder if she was alright.
Jace glanced toward the restrooms, but she had yet to make a return appearance.
“Brynn mentioned the other day that Shae was coming into town for an indefinite period of time.” Gus had pulled out his reading glasses and was looking over the menu, even though he always got the meatloaf special. The menu had only changed once in the past forty years, and that was when the diner had been handed down from mother to daughter. People still referred to the old menu, though. It was hard to break long-standing traditions. Gus’ order was always the exact same. That was, unless it was lunch. Then he preferred a club sandwich and steak fries. Jace imagined they would be able to determine Gus’ age one day by cutting him in half and counting the rings in his arteries. “She’s staying in that studio apartment above the Cavern. You know the one, in case you’re interested.”
Jace leaned back to give Molly room after giving his father a side-eye shot of irritation. He hadn’t meant to be obvious in searching for Shae, but there was also nothing wrong with him wanting to say hi to an old friend.
Molly set down two porcelain coffee mugs, minus the saucers, and began pouring the steaming hot beverage he’d come to rely on during those long deployments overseas. Good coffee was a gift from heaven, no matter where one went. Her next statement made him realize the same thing about small towns. One was no different than the other.
“Shae is meeting with Detective Kendrick tomorrow afternoon around two or three o’clock.” Molly didn’t bother to pull out the waitress pad stored in the front of her apron. Jace must not have sold his indifference to her statement very well. She shrugged her skepticism and smiled at his obvious failure. “That sharp looking detective was in here just the other day, talking on his smartphone. He shouldn’t carry on private conversations in public if he doesn’t want the town to know all his business.”
“Molly, I think I’ll have the meatloaf special. Brown gravy over those mashed potatoes and meat.” Gus leaned forward and slid the menu back into its slot in the metal prong holder behind the salt and pepper. “And save me a slice of that peach pie, if the last piece hasn’t already been claimed. I don’t know what Cassie added to that recipe, but it sure is good.”
“It’s all yours, Gus.” Molly waited for Jace to order, but he was still mulling over the fact that the state police detective didn’t have the good sense to talk business in the privacy of his own damned vehicle. Unless he wanted the residents to know who he was meeting, along with the where and when. “Jace? What can I get you?”
“I’ll have the pulled pork sandwich with steak fries, thanks.”
“I’ll have to barbeque those steaks up tomorrow.” Gus shook his head at the jumbled homecoming Jace had received today. He thought it was perfect. After all, he’d been surrounded by family. That’s all one could ask for after having been gone for so long. “It shouldn’t take too long to get my tank filled up over at the gas station. I hope they fix the treads on the regulator after those campers hosed it up. How hard is it to ask someone if you don’t know what the hell you’re doing? I’ll let the others know to be at the house at eighteen hundred hours.”
“You won’t hear me complaining about anything,” Jace said, fully comprehending how lucky he was after spending the last couple of hours at his new home. He figured if the barbecue had taken place the way his dad had wanted, the tour of the Stoll property wouldn’t have occurred until the next morning. “Ed and Harriett Stoll kept that farmhouse in pretty good shape. Even the kitchen appliances had been bought brand new to further a quick sale. They are still under the manufacturer’s warranty.”
Sixteen acres of picturesque farmland, a couple of good-sized ponds, and a large-sized corral built from heavy timbers was the icing on the cake of finally coming home to stay.
And it was all his. It was a gift that he would always cherish, and one that would always remind him of how precious family truly was in the grand scheme of things.
“You’ll have to call those TMO people and see if they can schedule a delivery of your furniture from the port in the next few days.” TMO was the Traffic Management Office. They moved military personnel from one duty station to the next and then home after your service was completed. “Until then, you can stay in your old room back at the homestead. It’ll be nice to have someone staying at the house for a while.”
Jace had always taken advantage of the bachelor’s quarters on base, never seeing the reason to own a home when he was rarely in country. He spent the vast majority of his time deployed or TAD. TAD stood for Temporary Additional Duty.
He liked to stay busy, taking every assignment he could muster. He never even thought about what he’d do when he came home until his older brother, Mitch, mentioned that Noah had bought the Yoder place. Tack on Lance’s purchase of the Fetter farm, and it had been a foregone assumption on Jace’s part that they were trying to outdo one another.
Now that Jace had all the facts, it all made more sense. Unfortunately, he had to keep this amazing gift under wraps so as not to spoil the surprise for either Gwen or Mitch. It was a wonder Lance had been able to keep his mouth shut, given that the average time for him to totally break like a dried-up branch at the end of autumn was about a half-second. When the secret was too good or he was pushed hard enough, he usually wasn’t able to help himself.
It was good to know that his baby brother had finally grown into a mature man.
“…barn you’ll have to replace. Maybe you could get one of those new all steel pole barns.”
Gus cautiously took a drink from his freshly topped off coffee, thankfully giving Jace time to catch up on the conversation. He’d let his mind wander over all the things he wanted to do to his new place. It was like having Christmas in August. It was an exciting time that he wouldn’t allow to be overshadowed by what had happened over at Noah and Lance’s properties.
His train of thought took a header off the trestle the same moment Shae Irwin walked out of the restroom, her dark gaze immediately catching his.
Time stalled for a brief moment.
Jace couldn’t comprehend what the difference was between high school and now. Shae had always been a cute girl, but the woman heading his way was strikingly beautiful…almost hauntingly so. Her ethereal presence stole every ounce of air from his lungs. He was struck dumb and unable to break her gaze. He found himself wondering how long it had been since a smile had graced those pink lips of hers?
“Mr. Kendall and Jace, it’s good to see you once again.” Shae dropped his look and focused on Gus as she stood in front of their table. “I wasn’t able to make it back to town for Mrs. Kendall’s funeral. I’m truly sorry for your family’s loss.”
“Thank you, dear,” Gus replied kindly, setting his coffee cup on the table. Jace noticed that the level of conversation in the diner had fallen somewhat silent. “It was a beautiful service, and we miss her every day. I’m sorry to see that Emma’s disappearance is front page news again. One would think that the newspapers would be more circumspect of the families involved. I can only imagine the grief your family has been through over the years. To have it all brought back up and prolonged is an atrocity. Inappropriate, at the very least.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kendall.” It seemed as if Shae had to drag her gaze from Gus to Jace. He also noted that she crossed her arms as she politely addressed him…almost too politely, in retrospect. “Jace, welcome home. Brynn mentioned that you, your brothers, and your sister were all coming home at different times this year.”
“I arrived in town today,” Jace shared, leaning back in his chair. It was evident he made her uncomfortable, and yet he had no idea why. “How long are you home for, Shae?”
Home was a relative word for her, wasn’t it? Her parents no longer lived here, and according to what he’d heard the last time he’d been in town, Shae was some type of psychologist or psychiatrist at a prestigious hospital somewhere in Michigan. The only thing that tied her to Blyth Lake were childhood memories and the fact that her sister’s body had never been found.
“Shae, please. I’m not here professionally,” Shae replied, peeking over at her booth. Jace followed her line of vision to find that the vanilla ice cream had pretty much melted over what had to be an ice-cold slice of apple pie. “I’m not sure about the length of my visit quite yet. I’m meeting with Detective Kendrick tomorrow, and I thought maybe revisiting the old house and some of our old hangouts might jog my memory of some detail that could help.”
Jace wanted to offer the sound advice of not torturing herself over something she couldn’t change, but it was doubtful she’d listen to him. He’d been in far too many horrific situations that he would have given anything to change. Each individual had to come to some understanding on their own that one couldn’t change the past. She would never succeed in doing so.
“Well, if you need anything, you must stop by the house and let me know.” Gus gestured toward Jace with a pointed finger. “You two went to school together, didn’t you?”
“Be careful,” Molly warned Gus, saving Shae from responding. The waitress set the two meals on the table. “Your plate is hot, Gus.”
The tension in Shae’s shoulders faded somewhat as she recognized the out offered to her by Molly. It wasn’t that Gus’ question was difficult to answer, but it led into a longer conversation that Shae apparently didn’t want to have at the moment…or if ever, for that matter.
Jace would have questioned if he’d done something in the past to upset her that he wasn’t aware of, but the reason was glaringly obvious—the Kendalls had reinitiated the investigation into her sister’s disappearance. Technically, Noah was to blame. But Shae was acting like Jace had the plague.
“I’ll let you two enjoy your dinner.” Shae lifted a half-raised hand in farewell. “It was good to see you both.”
Now that was a flat out lie if he ever heard one. Jace couldn’t take his gaze off her as she slid in the booth and pushed away her uneaten slice of pie. Instead, she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone as she settled back against the seat.
“She’s been away for a long time.” Gus used the edge of his fork to cut into the thick slice of meatloaf. His insight told Jace that his dad hadn’t missed a thing. “Give her a few days to get reacquainted with the everyone, and she won’t be so wary of those who really care about her.”
Jace wasn’t so sure about that, given that Shae had her phone pressed against her ear and was talking to someone in a hushed tone. She used to be good friends with Stephanie Green and Andrea Cox back in the day, but those two hadn’t lived in the area in quite some time. Besides Brynn and Julie—who had been Emma’s closest friends—who would be there for Shae when she needed advice or comfort?
She was an adult and more than capable of taking care of herself. He imagined that she liked it that way.
Gus switched topics and started talking about the renovations to the barn he’d mentioned earlier. Jace did his best to listen and concentrate on the pulled pork in front of him. It was his first day back home, and he had best cherish every second of it. He grimaced when the vibration of his cell phone cut into his effort to do just that.
“Sorry, Dad,” Jace mumbled, leaning back in his chair so that he could take the cell phone out of the front pocket of his jeans. The display read a number he wasn’t familiar with, and he almost ignored the call. Something told him to answer. “Hello?”
“Jace Kendall? This is Detective Kendrick. I’m investigating the murder of Whitney Bell, as well as the disappearance of several young girls dating back over a twelve-year period.”
“I’m aware of who you are, Detective.” Jace’s reply caught his dad’s attention, as well as every other diner in the place…including Shae Irwin, who was looking over his way while seeming to pause the conversation on her own phone. Well, this couldn’t be good. “What can I do for you?”
“I know this is an odd request, but I’d like to stop by tomorrow morning with a forensics team and search the premises of your newly acquired property. I’m sure I don’t need to explain to you the reason why, but…”
Detective Kendrick went into more detail as to why he was making such an appeal, even though he could have easily obtained a warrant to carry out such a task after linking the most recent discoveries to the other properties his father had purchased. Jace understood the detective’s quandary at not wanting to upset any more of the locals, yet needing some type of lead that would end the threat of terror that had seized this town. So far, two houses that were bought by Gus Kendall had been tied to a serial killer. It wasn’t a stretch to believe that the other three properties could contain some type of evidence, as well.
Unfortunately, this type of request could easily be misconstrued by the other residents. Rumors were bound to fly and stir up the inevitable hornet’s nest.
“I’ll be there,” Jace replied, making sure he didn’t convey too many details to those who were hanging onto his every word. “Goodnight, Detective.”
“What was that about?” Gus asked warily, setting down his utensils before wiping his mouth with a napkin. His concern for all of his children was written across his face.
“Just like Shae, I’m meeting with Detective Kendrick tomorrow.” Jace made eye contact with his father, who understood there was more to the story. He took the hint, though, that it wasn’t something he wanted to share with everyone in their proximity. “It’s routine background questions. Nothing more.”
Jace purposefully avoided Shae’s questioning stare from across the diner. All would be made clear with time. He concentrated on his sandwich platter and began talking to his dad about the changes he’d like to make to the barn. He didn’t much care for the pole barn idea. Eventually, everyone went back to their meals and private conversations.
It was a good thing Noah and Lance hadn’t joined them for dinner. Jace might very well have been arrested for a murder, though it would have been his own kin. He’d waited twelve long years to come home for good, and now his ass was being dragged into an old murder investigation.
What the hell had his brothers gotten him into?