Chapter Nineteen
Hints of dawn filtered into the room, highlighting the sleeping face of the woman on the pillow next to his. Leah mumbled something indecipherable, and Ryan held her a little closer. She tensed then relaxed against him. When he shifted slightly, her lashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened.
He bent to kiss the tempting lips so close to his. “Did I wake you?”
“I was dreaming. Men in robes chased me through the woods. Then you appeared and scooped me up, and we galloped away on . . . Barney. Except he was bigger.”
A smile formed. “Freud would have a field day with that one.”
“I expect so. What time is it?”
Ryan glanced at the illuminated digital numbers on the bedside clock. “Nearly six.”
“Not enough time to go back to sleep before I have to get up for work.”
“But plenty of time for this.” He kissed her again, this time with purpose, as he aligned her curves to his angles.
She kissed him back with almost a hint of desperation, wrapping her arms around his neck to cling tight. He slid his hands over warm, smooth skin, down her back to cup the firm muscles of her ass until they blended into one. Holding still, he fought the urge to go deeper, harder. Instead, he savored the connection as his lips found hers in a long, drugging kiss. He nipped the lobe of her ear and licked the delicate skin of her neck.
Shivers coursed through her before she pushed hard to roll them over and lie flat upon his chest. Her deep brown gaze dug into his soul, searching for . . . something. Relief mixed with desire in her eyes when she apparently found whatever reassurance she needed.
“I love you, Ryan.”
“I love you, too.”
She slid over him, rising and falling in a measured rhythm he felt certain would destroy him. He held on, nearly crying with the need for relief, until she quaked with the force of her release and collapsed on top of him. Only then did he let go, wrapped up in the sanctuary of Leah’s body.
They lay together for long minutes as coherent thoughts dissolved before they could take hold, and his breathing slowed. He never wanted to move again.
“Ryan?”
“Hmm.” He inched his face downward to nuzzle the bare breast pressing against him.
“Not to kill the mood, but I have to get ready for work soon, and we need to make a few decisions.”
His tongue swirled around one pink tip before he drew back. “About?”
Her breath hissed out as she slid off him. “Those photos. Merry Bright.”
His burgeoning desire wilted as he propped himself up on one elbow. The fear in Leah’s eyes ate at him.
“I’ll do a little research, maybe go have a chat with our former principal to see what she told those detectives the day we buried the time capsule. If there was any evidence that might lead back to one of the men on our list, we’ll at least have a place to start.”
Her brows drew together over worried eyes. “All right. Maybe you can find out who the detectives were on the case and confide in them. Since they weren’t from our local station . . .”
“That might be an option, but I know cops share information. If we could eliminate Chris Long’s father as a potential suspect, I’d feel better about taking this to the authorities. I’d like to feel out the situation and gather more information before we show those photos to anyone.”
She nodded. “I’ll let you take the lead on this and do it your way.”
“Good. You just go to work, and don’t stress about anything.” He dropped a kiss on her lips before flinging back the covers to lever out of bed. “I have time at my disposal, and I’m good at digging for the truth. We’ll figure this out.”
“I hope so because not worrying isn’t an option. Those pictures are disturbing and offensive. What if the men in them are still doing . . . whatever it is they were doing?”
Ryan paused on the way to the bathroom and turned back. “That ceremony, or whatever the hell it was, took place twenty years ago. I can’t imagine. . .” He broke off as a chill slid through him. “At least I hope not. Keeping anything that twisted a secret for so long in Siren Cove seems impossible.”
Leah sat up against the pillows and crossed her arms over her chest. “I pray you’re right.”
Two hours later, he was still thinking about her words as he parked his Jeep at the senior apartments, got out, and slammed the door. Apparently Mrs. Winston had been retired for quite a few years, and she was currently a neighbor of Evie’s. He kicked the fall leaves scattered across the sidewalk beneath a row of maple trees as he looked for unit thirty-two. Finding the correct residence, he approached and rapped sharply.
The woman who opened the door looked vaguely familiar. The dark hair he remembered was gray now, and she seemed shorter than the formidable figure who’d stood near her office door as the kids filed inside after recess. Or maybe he’d simply gotten a whole lot taller.
“My goodness, Ryan Alexander all grown up.” She stepped back and waved him inside. “Please come in. I’ll admit your phone call stirred my curiosity.”
“It’s good to see you, Mrs. Winston. Thanks for having me over on such short notice.”
“One of the benefits to retirement is I don’t have to race off anywhere at the crack of dawn.” She led the way to the bar counter separating the kitchen from the living area. “Have a seat. I made a fresh pot of coffee if you’re interested.”
“Thanks, I’d love a cup.”
She poured two steaming mugs and nudged the sugar bowl and cream pitcher his way as she settled on the second stool. “Help yourself, then tell me what you’d like to know about the time capsule your fifth-grade class buried.”
He stirred in a splash of cream before sipping the strong brew. “Not so much the time capsule as the day we buried it. I’m doing a little research into the events that fall, and my mom mentioned two detectives questioned you about a woman who went missing a couple weeks prior to that day.”
“Merry Bright.” The former principal’s eyes darkened. “Goodness, I haven’t thought about that tragic young woman in years. Wondering what happened to her gave me quite a few sleepless nights, since I was probably one of the last people to see her before she disappeared.”
He eyed her soberly. “Sorry to bring up bad memories, but if you could describe the car you saw . . .”
“There was nothing remarkable about the vehicle, and I wasn’t paying much attention when I passed it. I’d just glimpsed the girl at the side of the road and remember thinking she looked like a Barbie Doll with all that long, pale hair shining in my headlights. I glanced in my rearview mirror as a car pulled over next to her and had the fleeting thought that hitchhiking wasn’t safe for pretty young women.”
“I guess not.”
“A real tragedy that could have been avoided, or at least that was the conclusion I drew since, to my knowledge, no one ever found her. As for the car that stopped, it was a sedan. Maybe a Chevy or a Ford, though I wouldn’t swear to it, dark in color. Navy, green, or brown. Possibly black.” She shrugged. “I didn’t see the driver, and my description of the vehicle didn’t exactly thrill the detectives who questioned me, but it was a moonless night.”
“So, you weren’t able to help them in their investigation?”
“I’m afraid not. One of them gave me his card and told me to call if I remembered anything else. I didn’t.”
“I don’t suppose you still have the card?”
Mrs. Winston snorted. “Are you kidding? I got rid of thirty years’ worth of crap when I moved in here. But I have a mind for details, and my memory hasn’t started to go yet. They were Detectives Stannard and Hutch from down in Coos Bay. Of course I joked that Stannard should have been Starsky, and he said if only he had a nickel for every time he’d heard that line.” She patted Ryan’s arm. “Those old TV show references are before your time, I’m afraid. Why did you want to know about Merry Bright?”
He hesitated and sipped his coffee before going with the version of the story Leah had told his mother. “We found a roll of film in the time capsule and didn’t recognize the people in it. My mother mentioned the detectives who’d been at the school that day, and I was curious to hear exactly what had happened.”
“From the horse’s mouth, so to speak.” She grinned. “Well, I hope I satisfied your quest for knowledge.”
“Definitely.” He finished his coffee and stood. “Thanks for chatting with me, Mrs. Winston.”
“Oh, I enjoyed our talk. It’s always fun to catch up with my former students.” She rose and followed him to the entry. “By the way, I love Crossroads. You’re a clever young man, Ryan, but then you always were.”
He smiled back at her. “Good to hear. You have a great day.”
“I intend to.”
He shut the door behind him and hurried down the path, only to stop when Leah’s grandmother left her apartment and turned in his direction.
Keen eyes widened beneath purple curls. “Hello there, Ryan. Should I tell my granddaughter you’ve been stepping out on her with an older woman?”
His mouth dropped open. “I was just—”
“Kidding!” She slapped her thigh. “You should see your face. Did you come for a visit? I was headed over to meet Magnus, but I don’t mind making him wait.”
“Actually, I was talking to Mrs. Winston about something, but it’s great to see you, Evie.”
“Walk with me then.” She took his arm and turned him in the opposite direction from the parking lot. “I had a real enjoyable evening with my book club last night. I told them all about that brash young man who robbed me blind. Of course they were horrified. But your mom, who may be even sharper than you are, came up with the solution to a mystery that had been puzzling me.”
Ryan stopped walking. “She did? What mystery was that?”
“One of the aliases the con man used has been driving me crazy because it sounded familiar.” She grinned broadly. “Leah would tell you that’s a short trip.”
“What . . . oh, I get it.” He smiled back. “Crazy like a fox, maybe. What insights did my mom share?”
“Anthony Benedetto was one of the names that fool used to bilk susceptible old ladies like me who are too darn trusting for our own good.” Evie pulled him along, shuffling through the scattered leaves. “Tony Bennett.”
“Excuse me?”
“Tony Bennett was born Anthony Benedetto. That’s why the name sounded familiar to me, not because I’d met him before.”
“Huh, odd. Maybe not very helpful in catching the con man, but still interesting.”
“Not useful at all since I don’t imagine Mr. Bennett’s younger incarnation is out scamming senior citizens.” She stopped in front of a short walkway leading to a corner apartment. “This is Magnus’s place. I’ll let you go on your way now.”
Ryan smiled and bent to drop a kiss on her cheek. “Bye, Evie. I’ll be sure to give Leah an update on the name.”
“You do that. And tell her I said not to be a stranger. Oh, I also need to talk to her about expenses. Maybe I shouldn’t have bought that new wetsuit.”
He opened his mouth then shut it. He wouldn’t even ask. “I’ll give her the message. Take care, Evie.”
She waved, then continued up the walk to the door and entered the apartment without knocking. The door shut with a thump. Swiveling on the heel of his running shoe, Ryan hurried back toward his Jeep. Before he reached it, his steps slowed. No point in rushing when he wasn’t sure where to go next. Without knowing the type of car each of the suspects drove twenty years before, he had no way of eliminating anyone from their pool of potential homicidal maniacs . . . if that’s what the man was. Of course, there was always the possibility the person who picked up Merry Bright had borrowed a car from a friend or relative. Basically, he didn’t have shit to go on.
He thumped a fist down on the hood before unlocking his vehicle to climb inside. What he really wanted to know was if any other women had disappeared from the area in the last twenty years. He could try searching through old newspaper accounts, but access to police files would be far more efficient. Staring through the windshield at the falling leaves as a strong gust of wind shook his Jeep, he spent about thirty seconds considering the feasibility of hacking into law enforcement computers. He might be able to manage it, but if he got busted, the idea of time spent in prison with a roommate named Big Bubba didn’t appeal.
Ryan started the engine and backed out of the parking spot. He’d have to risk talking to the authorities. But not the local ones. He’d take a drive down to Coos Bay to look up Stannard and Hutch. Hopefully they’d have a few insights into the cold case. Because he damn sure didn’t.
* * *
Leah shut her classroom door and nearly jumped out of her skin when Sloan did the same only a few yards away. She clutched her bag in a tight grip and pressed her free hand to her chest as she forced herself to breathe. Her nerves were shot, and all she wanted to do was scurry home to hide.
“Sorry, did I startle you?” He waited for her to join him. “I’ll walk out with you. What a day.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “Oh?”
“The kids were all wound up over Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating, and we still have a week to go before the big day. I’ll be happy when the holiday is over and we can focus on Pilgrims instead of skeletons and ghosts.”
A shiver slid through her. Does Sloan have any skeletons in his closet? The thought angered and depressed her, but as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t dismiss her suspicions.
“Are you okay, Leah? You’ve acted a little off all day.” Gray eyes regarded her from behind his glasses. “Is something bothering you?”
“No, why would anything be bothering me?” Cool it, Leah. He isn’t accusing you of thinking he might be a psycho murderer. She let out a shaky breath. “I’m fine. As you said, it’s been a long day.”
“Hey, I heard Ryan Alexander was up at the high school to use their dark room. Was he developing the film we found in the time capsule?”
She froze as they reached the front doors. When Edgar appeared from around the front counter, carrying a bulging trash bag, she stammered out a response. “No, I’m afraid I lost that roll for good. I don’t know what happened to it. Ryan was developing sunset pictures he took down on the beach with an old film camera he found in a closet at his mom’s place.”
For God’s sake, don’t overexplain.
“Well, that’s too bad. About the lost film, I mean. I guess we’ll never know who took pictures for our time capsule.” Sloan held the door wide as a gust of wind swept through. “Hey, Edgar, how’s it going?”
“Not so good.” He slung the black plastic bag over his shoulder. “Jesse worries me. He lost his latest job after only a couple of weeks, right after he bought a new motorcycle. If that boy doesn’t settle down . . .” He shrugged. “You don’t want to hear my problems.”
Leah led the way down the steps. “I’m sorry Jesse’s having troubles. Hopefully he’ll find work soon.”
“He’d better.” The janitor turned to head toward the dumpsters. “Have a good evening, Leah. You, too, Sloan.”
Sloan clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry too much about your boy. That kid always has a way of coming out on top.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Leah was quiet until she reached her car, then glanced over at her colleague. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He waved a hand toward her Audi. “You haven’t ridden your bike to work lately.”
“No time. Seems like I’m always running behind in the morning.”
“I know the feeling. Good night, Leah.”
“Good night.” She let out a relieved breath, tossed her bag filled with vocabulary tests on the passenger seat, and slid inside. Surely Edgar wasn’t one of the men in the pictures. Or Sloan, even though he’d asked about the film . . .” The key dug into her palm as she started the engine and drove out of the lot. She’d go home and call Ryan . . . right after she stopped at the grocery store, since the damn refrigerator was practically empty. Nothing about this day was going right.
A half hour later she pushed her cart loaded with bags out of the store and nearly nailed a man in a suit standing just beyond the door, talking on his cell.
“Oops, excuse me.”
Waylon Brewster turned and frowned. “Good to know. Yeah, I’ll definitely be there.” After tucking his phone in his jacket pocket, he stepped out of her path. “Leah, how are you?”
“Fine, and you?”
He ignored her polite question as his blue gaze narrowed. “Pete mentioned you treated poor Brock like a dog turd when he was in town last week. Not very nice, parading your lover in front of him the way you did.”
Leah gripped the bar on the cart so hard her knuckles turned white. “I guess that’s better than what he did with other women while we were still married.”
Brewster shrugged. “Once in a while a man has a lapse in judgment. No reason to be unforgiving about it.”
Leah tried to think of a suitable response that didn’t involve swearing or slapping his smug face, and failed. She pushed past him and nearly rammed a van in her rush to get to her car. After loading the groceries into the back with shaking hands, she took a few deep breaths and glanced skyward.
“Please let it be him,” she muttered. “I so want that loser to be the guilty party.” She climbed into the car and slammed the door. “So we can nail his ass.”