Last Chance Harbor (26 page)

“Hmm, interesting that I’m not hearing anything about a female in your life? That’s disappointing. I’d like grandchildren before I’m too old to enjoy them.”

He sidestepped the familiar bait and went on for another twenty minutes about his boatbuilding idea.

“You let me know and I’m happy to invest.”

“I’m not taking your life savings, Mom. How’s work?”

“You think you’re so good at changing the subject. Work is fine.”

“And the hunky ER doctor…?”

“Is taking me to dinner later.”

Even his mother had a better social life than he did. After another ten minutes, they said their goodbyes. After hanging up, Ryder realized he was either homesick or feeling sorry for himself. Either way, he needed an attitude adjustment. He thought he knew where to find one. After all, how long did he intend to let someone like Bethany rule over his future?

“You did act like an ass.”

Ryder heard the voice, angled around to react. For a reply, Scott got his middle finger.

“My, my, you
are
in a pissy mood. It’s times like this I see why women think we’re not in touch with our feelings.”

“What do you know about it? You’ve never had to deal with her. Julianne could make a man want to join a monastery.”

Ryder saw Scott look around at their surroundings. “I can see that. You’re alone, been alone for two years. Seems to me, you’ve created your very own cloister. All you need is to shave your head and put on a robe and you’d have the character down pat.”

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks. No matter what you think, it’s in our DNA as human beings to seek out relationships. A hermit-like existence isn’t good for anyone.”

“With Julianne I want… I want…”

“A future?”

“I don’t know. The idea of moving forward with a schoolteacher scares me.”

“Why don’t you give it a chance? See what happens. Maybe you aren’t cut out to be with one another.”

Ryder pulled his
pickup to the curb at the gingerbread house about the time John was packing up his tools to hit the road.

“She’s in there.” John pointed a thumb over his left shoulder. “Been in a bad mood all day.”

For some reason it pleased Ryder to hear it.

“Head on out, I’ll bring her home.”

“That sounds nice and all, but you’d better ask her before you make solid plans.”

Ryder headed in the house, went through each room until he found her in the tiny laundry room off the kitchen. She was bent over in a pair of tight jeans, inspecting the plumbing.

“Pop, we could knock out this wall into the garage and it would open up the area quite a bit, give us room to put a sink in here. I’ve always wanted one of those. What do you think?”

“I like what I see.”

At the words, she straightened up, bumped her head on the overhead shelf. “Ryder. What are you doing here?”

“Apologizing for being an ass.”

“I don’t even know what I did to piss you off.”

“Nothing really. You and I, we’re different.” He ticked off his list, beginning with what he considered the number one problem—the gap in education. “I started dwelling on that and it freaked me out.”

“You are an ass. My first and only love up to this point was Danny Panguino, a mechanic. He fixed cars for a living, Ryder. We met in high school. From day one, Danny let me know he had no intentions of ever setting foot inside a college. It wasn’t for him. I didn’t give a rat’s ass. I loved Danny with all my heart. We planned to marry, would have, too, if a drunk driver hadn’t taken care of his future. From the age of sixteen to twenty-three I never cared whether or not he had some piece of paper tucked away in his closet that said how smart he was. That would be incredibly petty of me anyway since my own father never graduated high school.”

“I had no idea what Danny did for a living.”

“That’s because instead of talking to me about how you felt, you clammed up. Last night, you barely said two words to me before dumping me on my doorstep. You couldn’t run back to your truck fast enough.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Could we start over?”

“I don’t know. Can we? Will you communicate a little better or will you close off and keep things to yourself?”

Scott’s words about feelings echoed back at him and made him grin. “I’ll do my best.”

“Okay then.”

“Take a walk with me. It’s a nice night and there’s something I’d like to show you.”

After locking up the house and watching her dad drive off, she asked. “Where are we going?”

“Some place I think shows potential, like this house.”

They headed toward the pier under a glittery night sky. When they were standing in front of an empty shell of a store, Ryder took her hand. “I’m not a mechanic although I do like working with my hands.” He inched up to the dirty windows. Peering inside, he said, “According to Zach, this used to be where they built sailboats. It’s hard to believe it was once a viable business. I’d like to bring it back to its former glory.”

“And I’d like to see you do it.”

“What do you say I treat you to the Sunday night special at the Diner—Max’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

“I’d be nuts to say no to an offer like that.”

Tuesday night as
planned, she and Ryder gathered in Ethan Cody’s living room. But so far the psychic summit hadn’t exactly gone the way Julianne thought it would. The debate between brothers, Ethan and Brent, was often heated, not to mention centered toward a stubborn attitude, primarily Brent’s.

“I’d think you would appreciate the support and recognize help when it’s offered. Anything at all that would give up something of value to point you in the right direction.” Ethan roamed the room before coming to a stop in front of his brother. “What I don’t understand is why such a hard-headed approach on this case? It isn’t like Layne Richmond went missing on your watch.”

“Is that what you think? No offense to you, Dad, or to you, Ethan, but I do have investigative skills.”

“None taken,” Marcus Cody said as he took a glass of tea from his wife, Lindeen.

“Speak for yourself,” Ethan stated.

Not afraid to enter the fray, Julianne spoke up. “I thought we’d gotten past all this?”

“Talk to him,” Ethan said, pointing a finger at the town cop. “He’s acting like this is the first time we’ve ever come together on a case.”

Turning to Brent, Julianne stared at the stubborn look on his face. “We all know you’ve called on your family before now. Getting together like this provides a way for us to jump start new ideas. So I’d just like to point out that we shouldn’t forget about the other victim in all this, Brooke Caldwell. Maybe there’s something in her past we haven’t considered. I don’t hear as much about her. Although, I’m convinced wherever Layne is that’s where we’ll find Brooke too.”

“That’s just it, no one’s forgetting about anybody, not if I have anything to do about it,” Brent stated.

“I don’t know what the big deal is. It isn’t like police departments haven’t turned to psychics before as an investigative tool,” Ryder pointed out.

But Ethan sensed something else was at play. “If Dad and I take a look at this, what is it you’re afraid we’ll see? You’ve used us before. Why the brick wall now?”

“I’m not afraid of anything.” But the police chief looked around the room at the faces staring back at him. His gaze landed on his wife.

“You might as well tell them,” River urged with a shrug. She tossed a no-nonsense look Ethan’s way, then at Marcus. “Sometimes you both forget that Brent has his own gift. He senses things, too. And it’s usually from up close and personal.”

Ethan considered that, stopped his pacing around the room and dropped down into a chair. “Okay, you’re right. What is it you see then?”

“Before I share that, I’d like to point out that two of Layne’s kids still live here and are a major part of the community. For the first time since hanging up my county badge and taking this job, I’m concerned about collateral damage.”

“Wait, does that mean you think Eleanor did something to her husband and to Brooke?” When he took a long time to answer, Julianne plopped down on the sofa beside Ryder. “Well, crap. You do believe it.”

“I didn’t say that. But emailing Cooper, talking to Caleb and Drea, I got a sense that they’d suffered incredible pain, deep, deep sorrow that goes back years, along with regret that goes to the heart of innocence lost.”

“Powerful medicine,” Marcus said with a nod of his head.

“These young adults, Layne’s children are obviously still reeling from the psychological effects of whatever happened in their childhoods.” Brent looked at Julianne. “Whatever they endured, happened in that house, the same house where we showed up and pulled out rotten flooring. That’s why I suggest a cleansing ceremony as soon as you move in. Get rid of the dark and the evil aura around the place.”

“Good idea, but you’re sort of scaring me, Brent.”

“There’s no need to be afraid now.”

“So what you’re saying, if I’m getting this, is that finding out what happened to Layne and Brooke might possibly take his kids deeper into that dark and evil abyss?” Ryder wondered.

“Yeah, and it won’t be pretty.”

“I feel like such a jerk,” Julianne said. “I came here hoping to see Marcus or Ethan or both in action. Not only do I learn Brent is like his brother and his dad, but I discover something about myself. I’m thinking more about me than the consequences to Layne’s children.”

“Same here. I never once considered the kids. Does this mean you’re done with the investigation?”

“Hell no, the search is just ramping up,” Brent said. “What I ultimately learn won’t factor into the equation about the kids. Nor will the fact that no one ever cared enough to look before now.”

Later after Julianne
and Ryder had gone, Marcus, Ethan, and Brent left the women inside and wandered out into the backyard for privacy so they could talk.

“That was a good front you put up in there for everyone. Mind telling me what that was all about?” Ethan asked.

“Let’s just say, if I follow my instincts, you could have your next bestseller without too much of an effort.”