CHAPTER TWELVE
Noah tipped up his glass of sweet iced tea and drained the last of its contents as he listened to Rose reminisce about the past. They’d all eaten lunch together, allowing Reese to ask the older woman all the questions she’d thought to examine since arriving in Blyth Lake. Technically, ever since she’d found the picture of her cousin and Emma Irwin together taken at the camp.
Rose had been Birdie’s protégé and had eventually taken over what was left of the business here at the lake after the older woman had passed on from what the townsfolk believed to be a broken heart. Her husband’s death had left a hole in her that she’d never been able to fill. The same could be said for both of their absences now that they’d left behind a legacy that would be fondly remembered for an entire generation of children.
“Those camps were good for the kids. I was sad to see them end, but Birdie had been adamant that she couldn’t run another one without her husband at the helm.” Rose used one of her new brochures to fan herself. Not even the shade of the umbrella above the table helped with the heat. “I almost started back up the tradition around five years ago, but Tiny and I never seemed to have the time to organize it.”
“Sophia always came back happier after spending a week or two here,” Reese said as her phone chimed once again. It was the third time she’d ignored whoever was calling. “Her brother, Tanner, was at the camp that year. He recalled Emma, but he was pretty sure she and Sophia didn’t keep in touch after those weeks were over.”
“That’s not too unusual. Friendships are made and then everyone goes back to their own lives.” Rose switched the fan to her other hand without interruption. “As for your Sophia, she and Emma bonded as tight as twin sisters. It wasn’t four months later that Emma went missing.”
“Lance was at that camp,” Noah offered up, thinking back to that difficult summer. “He was also with me at the bonfire the night Emma disappeared. I can always give him a call for you, see if he has anything to add. Maybe some detail he had forgotten about would be key now that we can assume she never left town.”
“It’s okay,” Reese said softly, looking down at the napkin still in her hand from lunch. There was a sadness in her movements that made him want to take her in his arms. “I don’t think there’s much more that anyone can add. I’ve been chasing a ghost, and it’s time I let her rest.”
Noah understood how hard it was to let someone go, whether that person was a friend or family. It could sometimes take years to accept the way the past had played out.
“I understand if you want to cancel your rental agreement for the summer. You should head off to some Caribbean island and drink those famous umbrella drinks everyone is always chatting online about. Not that I don’t think our cocktail drinks couldn’t rivals theirs,” Rose said with a laugh. “Tiny spent a lot of time creating new concoctions for the evening crowd. But seriously, we won’t charge you the cancellation fee should you decide to head back home.”
“I appreciate that, Rose.” Reese pushed back her chair and laid her napkin on the table. She hugged the older woman in appreciation for her time. “Thank you for talking with me, and I’ll let you know what I decide. I know you have a line forming for the place.”
Noah wasn’t going to deny wanting to know her thoughts on leaving, as well. There was something very refreshing about her company that he wasn’t ready to have end so abruptly.
“I’m sorry you didn’t find the answers you were looking for when you got here.” Noah set his empty glass on the table as Reese reclaimed her seat. He didn’t ask the question that was on his mind, but he did lead the conversation in that direction. “Out of curiosity, what connection did you think they had?”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” Reese scrunched her nose and then leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table. She lowered her voice so that the nearby patrons couldn’t hear what she had to say. “I’ve had thoughts of a possible serial killer, to someone murdering them for something they might have seen together here at camp, and even them planning to go off to California to become actresses together. Sophia mentioned the latter a time or two, but apparently, Emma wanted to be a veterinarian.”
“She did, as a matter of fact,” Noah confirmed, thinking back to something Shae Irwin said once about her baby sister. “Emma loved horses. She used to go riding out on Dixon’s farm back then.”
“Dixon?”
“Raymond Dixon.” Noah figured it wasn’t easy keeping up with all the families in and around the town of Blyth Lake. “Birdie and Stanley’s son. He’s the one who sold Rose and Tiny the property surrounding the east side of the lake after his mom passed.”
“So that’s it, huh?” Reese’s shoulders hunched a bit at the realization her quest had come to an end. She rested a hand on her forehead as if contemplating her next move. “I created a fantasy world out of nothing.”
“It wasn’t in vain,” Noah pointed out, wishing he could do say or do something to make her feel better. He made a feeble attempt. “You heard some amazing stories about Sophia that you didn’t know before regarding her compassionate nature toward Emma. It sounds like your cousin was very sweet.”
“She was, and I think that’s what hurts the most. I don’t believe she would ever have left her family of her own free will.” Reese sat back and laced her fingers together over her stomach. She finally raised her gaze to his as she struggled with acceptance. “It’s the not knowing that’s the hardest. Why would she up and leave without telling anyone where she was going?”
“That’s true, so that’s why I think it might be a good thing for you to stick around for a few more weeks. Relax awhile and get to know your neighbor a little better.” This kind of knee-jerk blurting of whatever came into his head was becoming a bad habit recently. Noah usually didn’t say things before thinking them through. “The Irwins suffered the same thing you and your family did when Sophia went missing. We might have inadvertently given them some closure as to what happened. If that’s the case, you had a hand in helping with that.”
“Is it closure, though?” Reese leaned forward once more after realizing an older gentleman next to her was looking their way. “If the body turns out to be Emma, that means someone killed her or at least had a hand in whatever ended up killing her.”
“Yes, it does,” Noah said grimly, reaching for his sunglasses. They really shouldn’t be having this conversation out in the open. “How are you doing today, Tobias?”
The older gentleman feigned surprise that Noah had been sitting at the next table all this time without recognizing him. He gave a wave in greeting before opening the book that had been sitting next to his melting strawberry sundae.
“Are you ready to head back to our towels yet?” Noah stood behind Reese and pulled her chair out so that she had the additional room to pick up her tote. “We still have the rest of the afternoon to relax.”
Noah wasn’t so sure his words rang true, considering they’d been interrupted more times than he’d had a chance to really get to know her.
“Let me stop at the restroom before we walk down to the beach,” Reese said, adjusting the straps of her bag over her shoulder. She tilted her head back and truly smiled, giving him hope that this afternoon wasn’t a total waste. “I won’t be long.”
Noah had paid their tab when the waitress cleared their table, so he made his way to the side of the deck to wait near the wooden stairs that led down to the sand. He slipped his sunglasses on as he stepped out from beneath the shade.
Something Rose had said earlier stuck in his head, and he wondered if he couldn’t talk Reese into going with him to Tiny’s Cavern tonight. Granted, Tiny didn’t own the bar anymore, but tradition was a big part of Blyth Lake. Slated on the agenda was the annual dart competition. It got fairly competitive, especially considering Billy Stanton stole the championship title from Chad Schaeffer the last time Noah had been in town.
“Help! Someone call Sheriff Percy!”
Noah immediately reacted, stepping forward before anyone could get in his way. The plea had come from the back where the restrooms were located. His stomach tightened that something might have happened to Reese, but he mentally understood the likelihood of that was next to nil.
“Mindy, what happened?”
Several people already had their cell phones to their ears. He didn’t worry that a call wouldn’t be placed, but he could offer what help he could before the sheriff arrived.
“That woman you were with just a minute ago,” Mindy said somewhat breathlessly, instantly turning and leading him back the way she’d come from. “She was attacked. She’s still in the restroom, Noah. She’s trying to stop the bleeding.”
*
Reese held the wadded-up paper towels against the side of her forehead, afraid to remove them for fear of bleeding all over the table. The cut she sustained when her head hit the tiled wall of the restroom was pretty bad. She also didn’t want to show Noah how severe the tremors were in her hands. He was already upset by what happened, and she didn’t want to make the situation worse.
Technically, it couldn’t get much worse.
“Are you sure you heard him right?” Sheriff Percy asked, jotting something down in the small notebook he’d pulled from the breast pocket of his uniform. “Maybe you—”
“Sheriff, she’s told you the same turn of events three times now.”
While Noah berated the sheriff for asking her the same question over and over again, Reese tried to recall anything that would help the man find her attacker. She easily recalled walking into the single stall restroom, but something had prevented the door from being shut. The next thing she remembered was stumbling backward as someone burst in, but she’d immediately put her arm up for protection as the door swung open with a bang.
The man had shoved her hard enough that she’d hit the side of her forehead against the ceramic tile. The stun of the impact had given him enough time to push her face forward against the wall, issuing a warning she’d never forget.
“Leave town, bitch.”
“Reese, the medics are here,” Noah gently told her, bringing her back to the present. Rose had cleared a section of the tables so that Reese had some breathing room. That hadn’t stopped the patrons and beachgoers from watching her from afar, especially once the sheriff had arrived. “They’re going to want to—”
“No stitches.” Reese was adamant about the no stitches thing. She had a fear of needles, and just the thought of them sticking one in the cut on her forehead made her nauseous. “I’m serious.”
“How about you let them look at it, and they can tell you what you need once they see what they’re dealing with,” Noah suggested in a soothing and calm tone. She didn’t want to tell him that his blue eyes had turned to ice the moment he’d seen all the blood in the sink. “I know one of the paramedics. Her name is Julie Brigham. Lance went to high school with her, but she was far too smart to fall for him.”
Reese understood that Noah was trying to make her smile, but those three words still resonated in her head in time with the throbbing that had set in upon impact with the wall.
Why the warning?
Why would someone care when or if she left town?
“I-I saw someone in the woods last night. It was when I left your place and walked around the police line into the woods.” Reese hadn’t meant to take Noah by surprise, nor had it been her intention to keep information from the police. “I honestly didn’t think anything of it at the time. Well, I mean, I did then. I was scared at first, but the man was there one minute and gone the next.”
“You didn’t think it might be worth mentioning after I chased someone away from your house this morning? What about that idiot from earlier? Was it the same guy?” Noah had every right to be frustrated at her omission, but he clarified both of their statements to the sheriff. “I saw someone on the edge of her property line in the woods this morning. I assumed his interest was in what happened yesterday, but he could have very well been there watching for Reese.”
“So at three different times someone has either been watching you or tried to threaten you, succeeding on the third attempt.” Sheriff Percy finished writing in his little notepad before flipping the cover back in place. He hadn’t bothered putting on the hat he’d worn yesterday. “It seems as if you stirred up something with your questions about those girls, Ms. Woodward.”
“Sheriff, I’ve been patient.” Noah maintained a hand on Reese’s shoulder as he stood to his full height. Regardless that he was still wearing his swimming trunks and t-shirt, his demeanor spoke volumes over the lack of professionalism the sheriff was depicting. “Ms. Woodward has done nothing wrong. She is the victim here. She was attacked in the restroom of an establishment in your jurisdiction. You need to do your job.”
“Coming through,” Julie called out, edging her way in between one of the deputies and Mindy. Rose had put her hand on the girl’s shoulder to prompt her to move quickly. “Noah, good to see you.”
“You, too, Julie.” Noah didn’t bother to sit back down, though he did move behind Reese. She had yet to pull the paper towels off her wound. “Reese hit her head against the tile in the restroom when she was attacked.”
“Hi, Reese.” Julie already had on blue latex gloves and immediately kneeled before Reese, taking over the pressure she’d been putting on the cut. “My name is Julie. Can you tell me what happened in your own words?”
Reese understood it was standard procedure, but she didn’t want to go through it a fourth time. She took an unsteady breath and recounted second by second from the moment she walked to the restroom to when Mindy found her leaning over the sink. Noah probably didn’t even realize that his fingers became tighter on her shoulder with each word she spoke.
“And before you tell me I need stitches, I’m not getting them. I saw a medical show on television where the doctors can now use glue and strips to close a wound.” Reese winced when Julie pressed lightly around her injury. With all her talking, she hadn’t realized she’d lowered her hand or that Julie had removed the paper towels. “You have that stuff, right?”
“Not quite, but I think we can work within the parameters of your request,” Julie said in appeasement, looking over her shoulder at her partner. “Billy?”
Reese wasn’t sure why Julie had called her partner’s name until he joined them, prepping the antiseptic wipes and tearing some white backing off what looked like strips of tape.
“Billy and I went to school with Noah. Did you know that…” Julie continued to attend Reese’s injury all the while telling a story about the time Billy filled Lance’s locker with whipped cream out of a dozen spray cans, only to find out the locker had been Noah’s all along. It wasn’t long before Julie was asking that Reese follow the beam of a pen light with her eyes. “I’ve put a butterfly bandage on your wound along with a few steri-strips. There’s no sign of a concussion, but should you experience nausea or…”
Julie continued to list symptoms which Reese was now actually experiencing, but not because of her injury. She was nauseous at the fact that someone would go to such extreme lengths to get her to leave town.
Honestly, all today had done was make her believe that someone had knowledge of what happened to Sophia, as well as Emma.
She wasn’t leaving Blyth Lake, not unless this bastard suddenly set himself on fire…and even then, she would take her time.
“I’ll keep an eye on her.” Noah stepped forward and gave Julie a hug before shaking Billy’s hand. “I’m sorry we met back up under these circumstances. I’m sure I’ll see you at the Cavern sometime next week.”
Reese had noticed the sheriff stepping to the side to speak with his deputy when the paramedics had settled in to attend to her. His lips were set in a thin line as he compressed his lips in annoyance. Two days of activity in his town wasn’t improving his mood, and she’d been at the heart of both instances.
“Thank you,” Reese said with a small smile, not wanting Julie or Billy to catch on that she had one massive headache. She’d take some acetaminophen when she got the chance. “Noah, I think I’m ready to go home now.”
“Sheriff, is there anything else you need from us before you start conducting your investigation?”
Noah spoke to the sheriff about putting a deputy outside her house before getting denied because one was already stationed a hundred yards farther down the road.
Noah then made the case that access to both sites could be controlled from in front of Reese’s rental. The sheriff finally relented.
Reese couldn’t help but scan the area for the man she saw earlier. She had no doubt now that he had been watching her from the boardwalk.
Why?
Noah would probably tell her that it had nothing to do with Sophia and everything to do with Emma Irwin. Should the DNA results confirm the body was Emma, that would mean whoever killed her was terrified the police could now make a connection. But that still didn’t explain why someone would come after her. The body had already been found.
“Let’s go,” Noah murmured, leaning down and picking up her tote that she’d set down beside the chair. He held her hand as she stood from her seat, his blue eyes watching her intently. She did her best not to wince as her head throbbed in time with her heartbeat. “We’ll get you settled in at home before we come up with a plan.”
Plan? Reese would have asked what he meant by that had Rose not stepped in front of them to see if she could do anything for her. Noah eventually maneuvered her away from all the attention and continued to guide her through the parked vehicles. By then, she was distracted by the throbbing headache she’d been expecting to get worse all along.
The sun continued to beat down on the blacktop. Heat simmered up and licked the sensitive skin on her feet and legs. Her head continued to pound with each step they took, but none of those things compared to the sliver of fear embedded inside her chest because the door was unlocked.
She’d exposed something sinister with that sledge hammer. Whoever was trying to chase her away had probably been the one who killed Emma…and possibly Sophia.
What if she was next?