3
T he next morning over breakfast, they went over the plan they had devised the night before. Brogan had decided she would reach out to Graeme first, knowing that he needed Lucien to pursue his stalker. It felt like the best excuse for a perfect segue.
“I believe Graeme is the most level-headed of the lot and more willing to talk openly about the past.”
“What? You’re kidding?” Lucien questioned. “Are we talking about the same guy who never wants to do anything with his kids but loves to brag about all the women he’s slept with over the years?”
“That’s just it. Until three nights ago, he didn’t know he had kids, plural. Now he does. Once you brought up Evan, he was willing to get to the bottom of it and discuss what happened back in the day. That’s more than I can say for a lot of rock legends who slept their way across the world and prefer to forget all of it ever happened.”
“If they remember what happened at all,” Lucien corrected. “How many times did we find our dads passed out in hotel rooms at noon after parties that lasted until four a.m.?”
“That’s beside the point.”
“No, that is the point. If you want Graeme to talk about the Scandinavian tour, we’ll need to offer the best environment for it to happen.”
“Get him drunk? Is that the plan?”
“If that’s what it takes. On our turf, though. Wait. What if we invited the entire band to an overnight dinner party somewhere? Call it a reunion in honor of your dad or something.”
Brogan frowned into her coffee mug. “You mean invite them to a beach house or a lodge for a private getaway and grill the band about something that happened almost thirty years ago? That sounds a lot like one of those cheesy mystery movies. It might work.”
“It’s the only way to get them talking, to reminisce about their European tours, then toss in the questions about what specifically went down in Sweden.”
“It might work,” Brogan reasoned. But she was still skeptical. “The direct route might be the best way to go. Forget the subterfuge.”
“Since when did the direct way ever work? If they’re all under one roof, there’s little wiggle room to dodge the tough questions.”
“All right. However, we need a bit of planning. We’ll need to consider the right questions and how to handle each of them. They’re all such different personalities. In the meantime, we still need to find out what happened to Bethany Heywood. I know you don’t feel like bumping heads with Theo on Sam’s case, but the sheriff’s department is the one handling Bethany’s disappearance.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that we let Theo do his thing to find Sam’s killer but do our own digging into Bethany’s disappearance, then meet him in the middle. Dangle what we have as a way to get him to include us. You know the two cases are connected, right? They have to be. A woman from Santa Cruz meets someone online and agrees to meet them for a hike at Wilder Ranch. Then she disappears. It happens all too often these days. Why do people still do that? Why do they agree to meet up with strangers miles away from home? What happened to meeting up at a coffee shop around the corner for the first time?”
She let out a sigh. “Anyway, the family gets worried. Lacey told Beckett she got worried. Which is it? Or does it matter? They send her brother to look for her. But in a weird turn of events, he goes missing too. Theo finds his car parked at the lighthouse. Then, three days later, he’s found dead inside the lantern room at the top of a locked lighthouse.”
“Supposedly locked,” Lucien remarked.
“You think Theo’s lying about that?”
“No, of course not. But I do think the only viable explanation is that the lighthouse was unlocked at some point when Heywood went in there to meet the killer. And then the killer locks the door when he leaves.”
“That’s the simple explanation,” Brogan concurred. “I’m sure Theo will track down who has multiple sets of keys. I’m sure he’ll solve this in twenty-four hours or less. But that still doesn’t explain Bethany’s disappearance. We know she wasn’t found in the woods near the lighthouse. We know the sheriff’s department conducted a massive search at Wilder Ranch and didn’t find her there. So where is she? And is she still alive?”
“We need to talk to the Heywood family and find out more about Bethany. What do you know about her?”
“Only that she’s a thirty-year-old records clerk who loved to hike. She borrowed her mother’s Mazda sedan three weeks ago on Sunday morning because her car was in the shop. She went out to meet a stranger she didn’t know.”
“Did she have a habit of hiking with strangers she met online?” Lucien wondered. “It seems odd to me that in the world we live in, she’d trust a stranger like that. Maybe it was someone she knew and lied to her family.”
Brogan furrowed her brow in thought. “Okay. But what if she also lied about going to Wilder Ranch? The Mazda she was driving is still missing. She could have gone anywhere. South to San Diego or Santa Barbara. North to San Francisco. What if she intentionally misled her family? Maybe she met this guy at the lighthouse here in Pelican Pointe. That would explain how Sam ended up here. Maybe he realized she was never at the park and followed that lead here.”
“Lots of maybes. Maybe she planned to spend her Sunday with a person she knew. She could’ve been having an affair.”
“What if she never planned to go hiking?” Brogan voiced. “Maybe Sam’s killer abducted Bethany. And Sam tied it all together.”
“Exactly. Let’s pay a visit to the Heywood family this afternoon. Maybe they’ll remember something that might help us better understand Bethany’s mindset before she went missing.”
Brogan nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan. We can gather as much information from them as possible and then figure out our next move.”
“I’ll set up the meeting with her family. But before that, I should start looking into Bethany’s background, do the usual social media searches, and see if there are any leads to follow from there. Using Bethany Heywood’s case as a distraction should buy us time to figure out what questions we want Graeme, Gordon, and Nigel to answer.”
“And Jack,” Brogan added. “But that’s not fair to Bethany. We need to approach it like any other case and give it our full attention. It isn’t her fault we have these personal issues to manage. If I had a lick of sense, I’d pick up the phone, confront Delia today, and get it over with. And you could do the same by contacting Daniella Hudson and explaining how you know Graeme fathered her son Evan.”
Lucien reached across the table and picked up a lock of Brogan’s hair. “But we won’t do that because a confrontation might send an eighty-year-old woman into cardiac arrest or shock or something. And we won’t take that chance. As far as Dani Hudson or Evan is concerned, why mess up their lives with a phone call out of the blue? If she hasn’t bothered to contact Graeme for child support in twenty years or to find out her son has me for a brother, why should I be the one to turn Evan’s world upside down?”
“Another reason I love you,” Brogan declared. “Sometimes I think we’re maybe too nice.”
“But we can sleep at night because we aren’t assholes.”
She stifled her laughter. “There is that. We’ll put the mystery weekend on hold for now. If
we do invite everyone to a getaway, we should come up with a decent plan that’s foolproof. I don’t want to create hard feelings at this stage of their lives.”
When the dogs approached the table to hunt for scraps that might have fallen on the floor, Brogan looked at Lucien. “Did you feed the dogs?”
“No. I thought you did.”
“You came down first to make coffee while I took a shower, remember? You totally blew them off. The first person downstairs always feeds the dogs. You know that.”
“I guess I had my mind on other things. I started coming up with questions about our plan. There are no easy answers to our personal situations. I had weird dreams about it all night.”
Brogan shoved away from the table and went to the pantry, where they kept the dog food. “Poor puppies, you thought we forgot you.”
“We actually did,” Lucien said.
She quickly filled their dishes with kibble and fresh water and watched the two pups devour their food.
Lucien got up to clear the dishes and load the dishwasher. But as he worked, he realized the weight of their personal dilemmas and the mysteries surrounding Sam and Bethany. He knew they faced a tangled web of secrets, lies, and unresolved questions on all fronts, things that might threaten to unravel their peaceful life in Pelican Pointe.
As the dogs finished eating and scampered off to play, he approached Brogan, heading into the den, and wrapped her up in a warm embrace.
“I told you we’d figure this out together,” he murmured softly, his voice filled with determination. “I meant it. We always find a way out of our sticky messes.”
Brogan leaned into his body, finding solace in his strength. She knew they were in for a bumpy ride ahead. Delving into the past meant confronting family secrets. Something they were all too familiar with doing. With his arms wrapped around her, she felt a glimmer of hope that they could emerge from this storm stronger than ever.
Taking a deep breath, Brogan turned in his arms. “I’m a little frantic about what I might find. Is my birth mother still alive, living life to the fullest somewhere in Sweden or Europe or Timbuktu? Or did something happen to her, and Rachel ended up raising me? How did that come to be? And where does my dad fit into this, other than acting as a sperm donor until Rachel dies in the plane crash? After that, does he show up and claim me as his? Why? Does that make sense to you? And where was Delia when all this took place?”
“See? We have a lot on our plate,” he said after a moment, kissing her hair. “Let’s agree right now that whatever we find out about your mother or Rachel Brinell, whatever we uncover about Evan and his mother going forward, it won’t change who we are. It won’t change what we’ve built here in Pelican Pointe. This is us, Brogan. Our lives, the lives we’ve made, don’t have anything to do with rock stars or how they lived in the past.”
“Agreed,” she murmured. “But I can’t guarantee it won’t sting learning the truth.”
“We’ll manage that like we have everything else. Look, if we have to, we’ll fly to Connecticut and sit down with Delia. She must know the details. She’d know how you came to be in Rachel’s care. Are there adoption papers somewhere that officially make you a Brinell? We should look that up.”
“Let’s do it now before we tackle Bethany’s background.”
“You got it,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her out of the kitchen. “We’ll search public records in Connecticut.”
They spent the next two hours scouring through court documents in Connecticut. When they found nothing that fit an adoption there, they expanded their search through three different adjoining states—New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts—but found nothing that matched.
“Does that mean I was never formally adopted?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Lucien cautioned. “There are many reasons why we didn’t find it.”
“Name one,” Brogan challenged.
“We’re looking under the wrong name.”
“How do you figure that? I’ve always been Brogan Cole.”
“Have you? DNA says your blood tie is with Rory Rossum Cole, not Brinell. Right? But was your name something else before you arrived in Connecticut with Rachel?”
“This is so confusing,” Brogan admitted, rubbing her forehead. “How am I supposed to know that name if it’s not the one on my birth certificate? If it isn’t Cole or Brinell, it might be—what’s a common Swedish name—Olsson.”
“There’s only one way to learn the truth,” Lucien suggested.
“I need to bypass searching online and ask Delia straight out to come clean. It’s time. No, it’s past time. I’m almost thirty years old, Lucien. I shouldn’t have to do this. No one should.”
“No argument from me. Do you want me to call Ewan Campbell and schedule a flight to Connecticut?”
“Yes, I think that’s the way to go. We wouldn’t be confronting her over the phone but face to face. It’s the only way that makes sense.”
Lucien immediately went to his office and picked up the phone on his desk. He dialed Ewan Campbell’s charter service, setting up a flight to Connecticut for the first available date. “Is that the earliest time you have?”
He pivoted toward Brogan. “Ewan had a family emergency. His dad suffered a heart attack. He’s taken leave until he’s better.”
“What about Blake Hartnett, his co-pilot?” Brogan asked.
“Their coordinator says Blake could get to us next week.”
Brogan chewed her thumbnail while pacing back and forth, her mind racing with questions. “Blake’s a great pilot. I trust him to get us there.”
“Okay, we’ll take the slot for next week,” Lucien told the coordinator. “But do me a favor, will you? If Ewan happens to return sooner, make a note to have him call me, will you?”
As he hung up, a sense of anticipation and anxiety settled in the room. “We could go with another charter service.”
“No, I trust Blake. The trip will have to wait. I can wait,” she repeated, trying to convince herself. She continued pacing, knowing this trip was long overdue, yet she couldn't shake the fear of what revelations awaited her.
Lucien stood up, his expression filled with concern and determination. “No matter what we find out, we’ll navigate through the answer as a team. Got that?”
“Got it,” she said quietly. “I need to get my mind off things. Did you set up the meeting with the Heywoods?”
“No, but I will.”
“Good. Let’s start that deep dive into Sam’s background. If we plan to solve his murder, it means getting to know the victim. The same goes for Bethany. We learn everything going on in her life right up to that Sunday morning. With any luck, we can spend the next week solving a murder and a disappearance before making the trip to Connecticut. Who knows? We might even find Bethany alive.”
Lucien knew he had to do something about Brogan’s downhearted mood. He almost picked up the phone to confront Delia himself but understood it wasn’t his place to take that drastic step. Instead of doing anything stupid, he called Sam’s parents, Barry and Marta Heywood, and scheduled a time when they could stop by for a chat. Barry agreed to meet at two o’clock. Lucien hoped he could keep Brogan busy and her mind off the upcoming trip by providing details he’d discovered about Bethany and her brother Sam.
“You didn’t tell me Bethany worked for the sheriff’s department.”
Brogan looked shocked. “That’s because I wasn’t aware she did. Eastlyn never mentioned it either.”
“She wasn’t just any old records clerk. Bethany has been working for the county since she graduated high school. She started as a part-time employee in college and worked her way up to managing the entire records area.”
“At the sheriff’s department? That’s twelve years.”
“Yeah. She started as a data entry clerk and kept getting promoted until she became the manager. She’s in charge of the entire system. It says here that she’s responsible for scanning and uploading all files, keeping up-to-date logs, and creating digital copies of the physical evidence, including information about files, coming and going, and who has access. She processes all incoming and outgoing physical correspondence requests. All routine verification to ensure the integrity of the filing system goes through Bethany Heywood.”
“Wow. Why wasn’t that detail listed in the official police report? She’s a critical part of Santa Cruz’s law enforcement system. Either a cog in the wheel or a gatekeeper of sorts. My mind is already beginning to spin all kinds of scenarios. None of them good.”
“This puts a whole new light on things. I wonder if Theo knows.”
“You mean, has he made the connection between two siblings—one a Santa Cruz city engineer and a sheriff’s department employee—both going missing within six days of each other? Has Eastlyn discovered Bethany worked for the sheriff’s department yet? You don’t think she deliberately kept that from me?”
“Why would she? Maybe the sheriff’s department held back that piece of information. They have to know their employee went missing. Right? It’s not a coincidence that her brother was found dead. But why did it happen here in town? What brought him here? Why would he think Bethany ended up in Pelican Pointe?”
“I’m telling you, I don’t think Bethany went hiking that Sunday. That’s just what she told her family. At least when we meet with her parents this afternoon, we have something specific to ask them about instead of generic questions. Her job. Let’s keep digging. What did you find out about Sam? We want to be as prepared as possible.”
Lucien made a face, thinking about how Sam’s body looked inside the lantern room. He tried to shake off that image and continued to key in the name. “Sam Heywood graduated UC Santa Cruz seven years ago with a master’s degree in civil engineering. In his job with the city, he’s responsible for all legal and contractual requirements. He’s in charge of enforcing city ordinances and building codes related to new construction within the city limits. He’s a single guy living in a townhouse at 09 Placid Way.”
“Interesting. Does his duties include studying environmental impact ?”
“No. That’s someone else’s job. Why?”
“Developers have been known to bribe a city official or two to make sure their projects are greenlighted.”
“Sam was in charge of enforcing building codes for new construction. That’s an avenue to explore. Good thinking.”
“Did he have a girlfriend?”
“That’s not in the data. But it’s something to ask the parents. We need to ask them about Lacey Jarnigan’s relationship with Sam.”
She grabbed her tablet. “Let’s make a list of questions beforehand, make sure we get the lowdown on both of their jobs. Oh, my God. I just realized that Mr. and Mrs. Heywood may have lost both of their children unless Sam and Bethany had more siblings?”
“Let me check,” Lucien said as he went to another database, keying on Barry and Marta’s background. “Nope. Sam was their only son, and Bethany is their only daughter.”
“That’s awful,” Brogan muttered. “We’ll need to tread lightly there, Lucien. This must be a devastating time for them. Their only son dead, their only daughter missing.”
The doorbell rang, causing Brogan to jump. “Sorry. I guess I’m on edge for a variety of reasons. I’ll get the door,” she said, getting to her feet.
Lucien checked their front door Ring Cam. “I don’t know this woman. Do you?”
She grinned. “Nope. But I’ll find out the old-fashioned way.”
Brogan headed to the entryway and opened the door to a brunette in her mid-thirties with big brown eyes dressed in a white sweater, a jean skirt, and trendy boots. Brogan didn’t have time to ask who she was before the female began a long sentence jumbled together.
“Hi, I’m Lacey Jarnigan. I’m a friend of Beckett Callahan’s. Beckett and I used to date a long time ago.”
A nervous Lacey continued talking. “Anyway, he recommended you to take over Sam Heywood’s disappearance and now murder. I can’t get anything out of the cops. He said he’d asked you to intervene in Sam’s case because he trusted you and your husband. That is if you’re Brogan Cole and I have the right house. I know it’s been less than twenty-four hours since they found Sam’s body, but I’ve spent the past two weeks worried about him, wondering what happened to him and Bethany. Since Beckett blew me off, I’d like to officially hire you. I want you to find out who killed him. And find out what happened to Bethany. I’m sorry. I’m nervous. And I’m rambling.”
“Understandable. Come on in,” Brogan offered, ushering her inside. “As it happens, we have questions for you. Maybe you can tell us everything you know about Sam.”