CHAPTER EIGHT
Noah tilted the water bottle and downed the rest of the contents. He’d need to get a kinetic water softener with an ionizer for filtering the water coming from the well.
Since Blyth Lake was on the Great Lakes water table in this region. The sulfur smell when he used the water heater would be overwhelming if he didn’t use an ionizer to filter out the heavy metals, iron, and sulfur. He would need the Reverse Osmosis filter for drinking water, too. Otherwise, he’d have to get used to the taste of well water all over again.
It was close to ninety degrees in the sun today, but it wasn’t anything near the temperatures he and his unit had to endure during their time in Afghanistan. Ohio was a paradise in comparison. Civilians would never know just how good they had it every day with running water and electricity that was working ninety-nine percent of the time.
Even Europe had rolling blackouts regularly. Third world countries might only have power for a few hours a day, and even then, it was surging in frequency. The available current was impossible to predict. Quite often, when the power was turned back on each day, something would catch fire or the draw would blackout half the city.
Noah wouldn’t miss those places, but he would certainly miss bitching about them with his fellow Marines.
“We should break for lunch. They’ve got a pulled pork sandwich on a Kaiser roll at the diner on special that will knock your socks off. Oh, and don’t forget to get the seasoned fries with it.”
Gus used his handy blue handkerchief to wipe his forehead as he walked down the porch steps. Noah had been keeping a close eye on him, not wanting his father to overexert himself. Regardless of what Doc Finley or the Cleveland heart specialists said about him being cleared for light duty, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
“You go ahead.” Noah screwed the white cap back on the plastic bottle before throwing it into the large trash can he’d set at the bottom of the porch for scraps. “Would you mind bringing me back a club sandwich with steak fries? I want to stay and finish clearing out the drywall on that false wall and open up the kitchen for a little more light.”
“Don’t even think of starting on the kitchen cabinets.” Gus meticulously folded his handkerchief back up into the standard square and shoved it in the back pocket of his tan nylon work pants. His dad never wore jeans, but instead preferred the Levi khakis that gave him more leeway when working. “Those granite countertops the Andersons had installed need two people to move.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t go near the counters. I think I’ll take a sledge hammer to that dividing wall. I can clear a decent path to the kitchen, which will make it easier to remove the counters and maybe I can keep the cabinets that I want for storage downstairs in the basement.” Noah heard the rattle of an engine, automatically distinguishing the truck as Miles Schaeffer’s beat-up old Chevy. His son stopped by earlier to take measurements for some much-needed supplies, but to also bring some specialty tools for Noah to borrow instead of buying then for one-time usage. It appeared Chad had gotten hung up at another site. “I didn’t know Miles was still in the business.”
“Miles had no choice after Wes and Clayton started that huge construction company in Cleveland. They got twenty-plus trucks and fourteen full-time crews working.” Gus shook his head in disappointment. Family was everything in these parts. “I’ll be back in around an hour. Call me if you need me to pick anything up from Calvin’s shop before I drive all the way back out here.”
“Gus,” Miles said as Gus waved in his direction. “Save me a seat at Annie’s. I’ll be there in around ten minutes, give or take.”
“I appreciate you lending me the electric pipe threader and the power bender. Those damn things cost a fortune to buy and the manual ones are a pain in the ass. I’m going to have to run all new natural gas lines, and I’m going to want a generator for storms and such. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up putting a hundred and fifty feet of new half-inch black pipe in this place.” Noah walked over to Miles’ truck and helped unload the supplies. “I hear you have a pretty big job coming up with the renovations on those two Hanover cottages out by the lake.”
“It’s a blessing to have the work, that’s for sure,” Miles grunted as he unloaded a bunch of the schedule forty PVC that Noah wanted for the sewage lines and to vent the water heater. He carried it over to the bottom of the porch and set it on the ground. “Brynn has worked at Tiny’s from the moment she was of age. It only seems right to see the Cavern transfer into her hands after all that she’s put into it.”
“I heard about that while I was at the pub last night,” Noah confessed, passing Miles as he transported a couple of new sledge hammers to add to the growing pile. “It’s not going to be the same without Tiny.”
“Who are you trying to kid?” Miles barked out a laugh as he sidled up to the other side of the pickup’s bed. They both grasped an edge of the first of five four-by-eight sheets of blueboard Noah was going to use for the main bathroom. They lowered it so that it was easier to carry over to the porch. “Tiny might be giving up the reins, but everybody in town knows he’ll be there every evening keeping an eye on things, as if he still ran the place. He always was protective of that girl.”
Noah didn’t pretend not to know Miles was talking about Brynn. She’d practically been raised by Rose and Tiny after her parents died. Everyone knew the story and it wasn’t pretty.
“So when does your big project start? Chad was saying in the next couple of weeks.”
“First week of July,” Miles offered up as he stepped away from the pile of supplies. He nodded his approval at what was in front of him before focusing on Noah. “We’re doing the renovations for both those cottages already standing, though. Rose thought it would be a good idea to bring in someone else for the construction of the additional outbuildings.”
“Let me guess,” Noah suppressed a groan, feeling for the man standing in front of him. “Rose reached out to Wes and Clayton for a crew.”
“Can’t keep her nose out of anyone’s business,” Miles muttered, giving a dismissive wave toward town. “Busybodies. Every damn one of them.”
“You know Rose has good intentions.”
“She can have all the good intentions she wants, but it’s not going to make me forgive those two bumbling idiots for leaving the family business to start some overgrown handyman company in the city.” Miles raised a hand to his forehead and squinted his eyes in the direction of his truck. Noah glanced that way to see what had caught his attention, truly surprised to find Reese Woodward walking up the drive with what appeared to be a pitcher of iced tea held close to her chest and a stack of clear plastic cups. “Looks like you have company, Noah. I best be heading to the diner, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He grimaced when Miles slowly made his way back to his truck. By this time tomorrow, everyone would believe that Noah and Reese were between the sheets. It would appear Calvin was wrong in his assumption that Reese would be leaving town this morning. That alone would make the gossip churn even juicer, because everyone would no doubt believe Noah was heart-torn over the fact that she would be leaving at the end of summer.
Not to mention that every available single woman in town would think that Reese—an outsider from Heartland—was trying to undercut their efforts to snatch up an available bachelor in town. He couldn’t imagine what kind of names they’d be calling her at the hair salon twenty minutes after Miles got to the diner.
It was pointless to yell out to the man that Reese’s neighborly visit didn’t amount to anything as sordid as what was currently running through his mind.
“Ma’am,” Miles greeted with a tilt of his hat as he reached up and touched the bill.
“Hello.” Reese’s smile grew as the decal on the truck caught her attention. “Schaeffer? Are you related to Chad?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Miles opened the driver’s side door of his truck, patting the side of it in pride. “Chad’s my youngest son.”
“He fixed the leak in my sink this morning,” Reese shared, adjusting the pitcher in her hands.
Noah closed the distance between them and took the plastic carafe from her hands.
“Thanks for the supplies, Miles. I’ll get them back to you as soon as possible.”
It wasn’t long before Noah and Reese were standing side by side in silence as Miles used the circular gravel turnaround to head back into town.
“I didn’t mean to disappear on you last night, but I didn’t want to rush you,” Reese explained, though Noah didn’t believe that excuse for a second. He figured it had more to do with Calvin ’fessing up about her real reason for being in town. “I was hoping some sweet iced tea would make up for skipping out on you.”
“I’d invite you inside, but…” Noah let his words trail off, but he’d elicited the laugh he’d wanted. “Don’t worry about last night. I made sure your lights were on when I drove past last night to board up the broken windows.”
“You didn’t stay the night here, did you?” Reese looked over his shoulder in what could only be considered unease.
“No, not yet.” Noah walked back to the porch, taking a seat on one of the sturdy steps. He made sure to avoid the one that needed replaced. “I’m staying with my dad until I can get the utilities back on and the inside somewhat habitable. I’m done sleeping on floors when it can be avoided. This way, I get a decent bed to sleep on and hot water in the shower.”
Reese tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she took a seat beside him, handing over the plastic cups. Her hair was similar in style to how she wore it yesterday, piled high and wild on top of her head. It gave her a carefree appearance, but he could still sense a bit of tension radiating off her shoulders.
A sweet fragrance surrounded him, though it wasn’t heavy in the way to suggest perfume. He figured she was using some type of body wash that had a wildflower scent to it, but it suited her. Lavender or lilacs, maybe?
“I’ve never been this close to the house.” Reese gestured behind her and to the left. “The pond out there is massive.”
“We used to fish it when I was a kid. Bass and bluegill,” Noah shared, recalling memories of when he, his brothers, and his sister would ride their bikes across town. His parents thought they spent time at Blyth Lake, but that wasn’t the case. “My sister was the only one of us who ever caught a good-sized bass.”
“Is the pond still stocked?”
“I highly doubt it.” Noah took two cups and poured them both some iced tea. No matter the reason that brought her to his doorstep, it was still a sweet gesture. “You’re more than welcome to try it. Just remember to throw back any bass under a pound.”
“Oh, I’m good,” Reese protested goodheartedly. She took the cup from his hand. “It must be nice coming home to a house of your own.”
“You make it sound like you miss yours,” Noah pointed out, lifting the drink to his lips. Damn, but that was fine sweet iced tea. “You said you grew up in Heartland.”
“I did, but I live in Springfield, Illinois right now.” Reese lifted her flip-flops a step higher so that it was easier for her to rest her elbows on her knees. “I like the independence, but there are times when I miss being close to my family.”
Noah would have inquired why she wasn’t spending her summer with them, but he didn’t have to.
“You can ask me about Lance, you know.” Noah figured he’d get to the real reason she dropped by, instead of beating around the bush. “He was at the camp that summer when your cousin was there. I’m not sure what you hope to find other than she learned to swim that season.”
“I don’t know, either. I made a list of those who attended that year, but I don’t think that’s going to help me now. It seems that the entire town was involved in that camp in some way or another.” Reese sounded so wistful that Noah had to fight the urge to touch her in comfort. She glanced down at her pink toenail polish as if to try and find words. “Chad Schaeffer made me realize this morning that pretty much everyone knows why I’m here in town. It wasn’t my intention to stir up a bunch of hard feelings for everyone. I mean, I want answers…but I don’t want to upset anyone.”
“Not a lot happens here in Blyth Lake,” Noah shared, wanting to ease her concerns. He hadn’t expected her to look up at him in that moment. Those golden flecks in her eyes had dimmed until they were almost imperceptible. “Residents still leave their front doors unlocked around here. The sheriff deals mostly with domestic calls if someone has too much to drink and making sure Jeremy Bell makes it home from Tiny’s. No one was prepared for something like Emma’s disappearance.”
“Believe me, I understand exactly what you mean.”
They sat in silence enjoying the sunshine and the melodies Mother Nature provided. It was odd, considering they didn’t know each other. He found her company was soothing.
“I know what you need,” Noah said with a smile after five minutes had passed. He set down his cup next to the pitcher and reached for one of the sledge hammers leaning up against the porch. “You need to relieve a little built-up stress.”
“Oh, I do, do I?” Reese laughed a bit until she realized he was serious. Her dimple faded, and she raised an eyebrow when he held out his hand. “With a ten-pound sledge hammer?”
“I got an eight, if you’d rather use that. It’s amazing what a little physical effort can do to relieve stress.” Noah realized his statement could be taken many different ways, though his intentions were truly innocent. Even so, the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks was quite endearing. “Watch that board.”
“I would suggest Chad as the person to fix that, but all he did was laugh when I asked if he was the one who was going to be doing renovations for you.” Reese stopped before the threshold, almost hesitant to enter. Noah moved the lever on the screen door so that it remained open. “Why are you doing all the work yourself?”
“There’s something to be said for constructing one’s own home. I guess it was how we were raised with my dad and all.” Noah rested his hand on her lower back, the gesture automatic. She instantly moved forward and into the vacant living room. “My dad and I spent the morning cleaning out the trash left behind by the teenagers who were using this place as a party palace. Some things never change, but now that I’ve got the place, they don’t have a choice but to find somewhere else to have their bonfires.”
“What is it you plan to have me do with a sledge hammer?” Reese stopped in the middle of the living room and turned around, taking in every nook and cranny of the place. She finally walked over to the banister and ran her hand over the scratched wood. “I didn’t realize there was so much potential in here. The floors are going to be amazing once they’re refinished.”
“I could tell,” Noah said with a laugh. He regarded her closely, wondering what it was about the place that made her uneasy. There was only one way to find out. “You haven’t seen anyone out here, have you? I know every family who’s ever owned this property. They were all good people.”
“I’m sorry. There was always something creepy about this place, but now I can see why you bought it.” Reese slowly strolled through the small foyer beside the office and the staircase, her fingers caressing the wall. She entered the kitchen and called back, “Look at this view from the kitchen window. It’s incredible!”
Noah waited for her to return, her brown eyes now holding that gleam of excitement he’d experienced the moment his father had handed him the key to this place. She frowned when she looked down at the sledge hammer by his side.
“You’re not tearing apart this beautiful maple railing, are you?”
“God, no,” Noah replied, wondering just what kind of monster she thought he was. “See this wall? It wasn’t part of the original design. The Andersons added it on when they bought the place twelve years ago. The kitchen was much more open to the rest of the house.”
“You’re going to open up the floor plan then.” Reese walked back from the way she came, peering inside the small room that wouldn’t be there after he was done with it today. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
“Goggles.” Noah lifted up the pair his father had brought, handing them to her. “Always wear protection.”
Damn. That was the second time his words lent themselves to a slightly awkward sexual innuendo. His words could be taken out of context, although she didn’t appear to have done so. He’d been on deployment for way too long to talk with civilians anymore.
“You should take the first swing.” Reese lifted the black strap of the clear goggles over her hair and the back of her head. She secured them over her face until the plastic curve rested on the bridge of her nose. “Isn’t it good luck or something? This way, you only have yourself to blame if you regret doing the damage.”
Noah hadn’t heard that particular old wives’ tale before, but he wasn’t the superstitious type. He handed over the sledge hammer and stepped back, allowing her room to swing the heavy tool.
“She’s all yours, honey. Go for it.”
Reese bit her lip as she attempted to get a good hold on the rubberized grip over the wooden handle. Once she was comfortable with her grasp, she lifted the heavy weapon and swung for the fences. Her laugh reverberated throughout the empty house as her first try resulted in only a tiny dent.
“You can swing harder than that,” Noah encouraged, laughing with her.
Her next strike cracked the drywall.
“You’re right,” Reese said rather breathlessly with a radiant smile. “This is very therapeutic.”
Another blow of the sledgehammer had a piece of drywall falling to the floor, but her swing was off by a half foot or more. The angle of the head had made a rather deep hole.
“You’re lucky I don’t charge for…” Noah raised a hand to stop Reese from swinging the sledge hammer once more. He stepped closer to the portion of the wall she’d opened without meaning to, wondering what the hell was inside the partition. It looked to be some type of heavy construction plastic wrap. “Wait. Hold up for just a second.”
Noah grabbed part of the drywall and pulled it away, hoping to clear whatever was inside out of Reese’s way so that she could keep working.
“Noah, is that what I think it is?”
The sledge hammer hit the floor with a thud at the exact moment Noah took a step back at the realization of what was in front of them. Both he and Reese stood side by side as they stared in horror at a secret this house had held for twelve years.
“We need to call the sheriff. Right now.”
Noah reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone, blinking one more time in hopes that the grisly scene in front of him disappeared. That wasn’t going to happen.
A decomposed skeleton wrapped in plastic stared out from its hiding place inside the wall. The jaw was slightly opened as if to be screaming for help. The color of the hair was still recognizable after all these years.
Just what kind of hideous crime had they uncovered?
Noah and Reese exchanged a horrified glance that conveyed a million words.
They were now bound together after having uncovered a shocking secret someone had wanted to stay buried forever.