Homecoming (Downeast #1)

Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

Walter was right on time, pulling up in a maroon sedan that had to be at least twenty years old but shone as if it’d just been washed. He jumped out of the car and came around to shake hands with Dan.

“Good to meet you. Read a lot about you last night. Impressive stuff.”

Dan was relieved that the man seemed sober. He was in his mid- to late-fifties, balding, with a reddish complexion that indicated either a history of drinking or sun exposure, possibly both. He wore a light blue dress shirt that had been badly ironed and khaki pants. “Nice to meet you, too. Thanks for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure to drive the celebrity lawyer around.”

The hint of New England in his words reminded Dan of Ned Saunders on Gansett. “No need to make a thing of that.”

“Oh, the whole town is abuzz with the news that the Ballards brought in the big gun to defend their boys.”

“The big gun, huh?”

“Yep, that’s what they’re calling you.”

“Lovely.” He laughed to himself at how Kara would make fun of him if she heard him referred to that way.

Walter held the back door for Dan, waited for him to get settled, then closed the door and ran around to the driver’s seat.

Dan was amused at Walter’s excitement. “I assume you know where we’re going?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You can call me Dan. Sir isn’t necessary.”

“Got it.”

“What’s the word around town about the case?”

Walter glanced at him in the mirror, seeming hesitant to speak his mind.

“It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“They’re your family, so it must be strange to be dealing with something like this.”

“Not really. I barely know them. My wife hasn’t lived here in years, and I only met them at the wedding.” He didn’t add the part about bailing some of them out of jail before the wedding.

“That family is something.”

“I want you to speak freely with me. I’d appreciate any insight you have.”

“Don’t like to gossip.”

“It’s not gossip if it’s true, right?”

Walter shifted in his seat. “I… uh…”

“Let me put it this way. The Ballards, as a family, mean nothing to me. Their daughter Kara has my whole heart and soul. Our life together doesn’t really include them, so there’s nothing you could say about them that would bother me. However, it would bother me if anything we talked about in the car got around town. Does that help to clarify things?”

“It does, yes. Heard some talk about how Kara left and never came back after her sister married Matt Gallagher. People thought he was Kara’s boyfriend.”

“He was until he wasn’t.”

“Oh, damn. I wondered how that went down.”

“It went down ugly, but it turned out well for Kara—and for me. We met because she left this place to make a life for herself elsewhere. For that, I’ll always be thankful to Kelly and Matt, although I’ll never forgive them for the way they hurt Kara.”

“That’s lame.”

“Totally lame. What can you tell me about Keith?”

“Honestly? He comes off as an asshole, but underneath it all, he’s considered a fairly good guy. He can fix anything, and people rely on him for repairs they can’t afford to have done otherwise.”

“That’s interesting. I didn’t know that about him.”

“He does it all, plumbing, electric, roofing, you name it. However, he’s still an entitled asshole at times who thinks the world revolves around him. If you ask me, the parents are to blame. They let him run wild as a kid, and he was a menace.”

“Was it all of them or just him?”

“Some of the others were jerks, too. Not all of them, but a few. Kyle is another one who stands out as a bit of a dick. They were spoiled as kids. The family is one of the wealthier ones in the area, and it’s not like they don’t give back to the community, because they do. But the kids had too much handed to them. Although, some of them turned out just fine. Strange how that happens, right?”

“It is.”

“Eleven kids raised the same way. Some are awesome people, and others… Well, they’re something else altogether.”

“You think Keith could murder someone?”

“Oh jeez… I’ve been thinking about that nonstop since I heard the news, and honestly, I don’t see it, but with him… Hard tellin’. Kirby, on the other hand, no freaking way. He’s a sweetheart.”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

“I can’t imagine how he’d be mixed up in something like this.”

“Kara said the same thing. They’re close.”

“He’s good people. Always doing something for someone else. Volunteers at the food bank and is a Big Brother to a fatherless kid in town. He doesn’t have a single one of Keith’s rough edges.”

That, right there, was why Dan had hired a local person to drive him. Insight from someone who wasn’t part of the family but was well-connected in town would be priceless. They were on a highway that took them past a variety of homes and properties, some well-kept, others not so much. Like in Bertha’s neighborhood, lobster traps and boats were prevalent. “This place is big for an island.”

“It’s one hundred and eight square miles, fifteen miles wide and eight miles long. It’s the sixth-largest island in the Lower 48 and the third-largest on the Eastern Seaboard.”

“We could put a hundred Gansett Islands on one Mount Desert.”

“Maybe not a hundred, but it’s much bigger than your island. Plus, we have about ten thousand year-round residents.”

“That’s ten times what we have, plus some.”

“The French voyager Samuel de Champlain visited the island in 1604 and gave it its name based on the treeless mountains. He called it Ile de Monts Deserts, which, literally translated, means island of the bare mountains. Another interesting thing to remember is that even though it’s spelled Desert, we say dessert, as in Mount Dessert, which is the French pronunciation.”

“My wife mentioned that and saved me from embarrassing myself with the locals.” Walter was more than paying off in the first half hour. Dan wanted the lay of the land without having to ask Kara to show him around. He wanted her to rest and relax and spend time with people who filled her up and made her happy.

“I’m sure your wife would’ve set you straight if you got it wrong.”

“She would’ve taken great pleasure in that.”

Walter grunted out a laugh. “Don’t they all?”

“Seems that way. How many towns are on the island?”

“Four: Bar Harbor, Tremont, Southwest Harbor and the town of Mount Desert. The Cranberry Isles are also part of Mount Desert.”

“How do you get to them?”

“A short ferry ride.”

“Ah, I see.”

“The national park encompasses more than forty-eight thousand acres on the island and is well worth a visit. The highest peak is Cadillac Mountain at more than fifteen hundred feet in elevation. Have you been to Acadia before?”

“This is my first time to Maine.”

“Oh, well, you’re in for a treat. This time of year is the best. The tourists have cleared out, and the foliage is about to explode. Very scenic.”

“Where do the rich people live?”

“Down long private roads that lead to houses you usually can’t see from the main road. You get a better sense of the prime real estate around here from the water.”

“Good to know.”

Dan was surprised that it took more than half an hour to get to downtown Bar Harbor, with Walter pointing out items of interest along the way that gave Dan a better sense of the place. Despite the sprawling size of the island, this was small-town America at its finest. While the area was gorgeous and the scenery stunning, he also detected an undercurrent of poverty in some areas, due to the prevalence of run-down houses and buildings.

Bar Harbor itself, however, was the crown jewel. The seaside town was made up of colorful buildings. The restaurants, bars, shops and hotels would’ve reminded Dan of Gansett if it wasn’t for the large hill that sloped down toward the water, where lobster boats and other vessels were moored. He also noted the presence of a cruise ship and asked Walter about it.

“They’re big business around here. They keep coming long after the summer tourists go home. Some people love them for the income they generate. Others hate them for the crowds they bring.”

Walter turned onto Firefly Lane, pulled into the public safety complex that housed the police and fire departments and parked in a visitor spot.

“Any insight on what to expect in there?”

“They’ll know who you are and might be reserved until they decide you’re an okay kind of guy.”

“I’ve gotten that reception before. My grandmother-in-law tells me Chief White is a good guy.”

“He is. People like him around here. He’s a straight shooter. No bullshit.”

“My favorite kind of LEO.”

“What’s that stand for?”

“Law enforcement officer.”

“Oh, duh. I should’ve caught that.”

“Thanks for all the info. Should I text you when I’m ready for a ride back?”

“Sure, that’d work. Got a few errands I can do while I’m in town.”

“I have to put this out there, so don’t be insulted, okay?”

“Okay…”

“Kara told me you have a reputation for enjoying your spirits.”

“Is that a fancy word for booze?”

“It is.”

“Well, that was my reputation when she lived here. I’ve been sober for thirty-seven months now.”

“That’s amazing, Walter. Congratulations.”

“Thanks. It’s been a long, hard road, to say the least, but I’m sticking to it. Go to meetings and all that. Made a real mess of my life for a long time. Thankfully, my kids are the forgiving sorts. The wife? Not so much, but she hasn’t left me yet, so I take that as a good sign.”

“I’m sorry to bring it up, but I’m about to be a dad for the first time, so?—”

“Say no more, my friend. I totally understand, and you’re safe with me.”

“I’ll text you in a bit.”

“I’ll be close by. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Dan had a feeling he’d need all the luck he could get.