43. Chapter 43
forty-three
“You two call me if you ever need anything,” Chris told Alex and Oliver as they hugged goodbye. “I’ll be happy to have you on my team.”
“That’s a tempting offer, Chris,” Oliver said.
“Is Rowan coming out?” Alex looked back at the house.
Chris shook his head. “We’ve said our goodbyes.”
He had left her in her bedroom after he’d finished packing. It was easier this way.
“I’m sure you did,” Alex said, sounding as if she had more questions. But she decided not to ask them. “It’s been a pleasure.”
Rae then walked Chris to his motorcycle. In the two weeks he’d been on the island, he’d ridden it only twice. Once to the Brown Head lighthouse, and once when they’d gone swimming at the quarry. Both times, Rowan had ridden with him. He would store those moments in the memory vault.
“Why are you leaving now?” Rae demanded when it was just the two of them. “Rowan needs you.”
“She wants me to go,” Chris said.
“But why?” she asked.
“I understand why. And she’s right. Even if I stay now, I’ll have to leave, eventually. I have responsibilities and a demanding work schedule. Plus, I have to figure out my role in The Sullens. I can’t keep ignoring my family legacy, playing house with her while she’s trying to preserve hers. It’s wishful thinking.”
“Is it?” Rae asked.
“I don’t know how to do all that and be with her. ”
“When the heart wants it enough, the brain can figure out a way. Dean and I did it with your help. Brandon moved to Paris to be with Callie and figured out a way to still create with the band. It isn’t all smooth sailing, but we all work at it to be with the person we love.”
“You assume she wants me to stay.” Chris gave his friend a side-eye. “She doesn’t. Rowan's got her own dreams, which I get.”
“Are you sure you’re reading her right?” Rae looked skeptical.
“Leave it alone, Rae. It’s what she wants.”
Chris stored his small bags in his bike’s storage compartment and turned to Rae. “You keep me in the loop?”
“Of course.” Rae hugged him. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’ve done. I’m sorry—”
“C’mon.” Chris squeezed her tighter. “I’m not sorry about anything.”
Chris let go of Rae. “How long are you staying?”
“Dean and Maya are arriving tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll go home together in a week,” Rae said. “I’ll work with Rowan remotely, and we’ll figure out a schedule for me to visit while I can. It’ll be interesting how I’m gonna balance this new ball in my life with another baby on the way.”
“Yup.” Chris nodded. “I’m sorry I’ll miss Dean and Maya. You give them a hug for me.”
“I will.”
Chris was about to mount his bike when he felt a nudge on his leg. He looked down and found Felix looking up at him.
“Hey, boy,” Chris said as he squatted down.
“Is that a cat or a freaking lynx?” Rae exclaimed.
“Have you not met the cats? They kept out of sight because of the guests.” Chris laughed. “This is Felix. He’s the runt in the family. Look out for Charles and Naomi. They’re even bigger but not as friendly as Felix, so use your discretion.”
Scratching Felix behind his ear, Chris told the feline, “Watch over Rowan for me, will you? Tell the other two to look out for bad people.”
“You’re talking to a cat,” Rae said.
Chris grinned. “They scared off whoever broke into the equipment barn. Or the bastard might’ve torched my bike.”
“They’re cats,” Rae said, raising a brow at Chris.
“These cats are special,” Chris said. “Aren’t you, buddy? ”
After another scratch, Chris straightened, threw his leg over the seat, and started the bike. The loud purr of the engine filled the quiet afternoon, and Felix retreated to wherever he’d come from.
“I’ll see you soon,” Chris said, putting on his helmet.
“Ride safely,” Rae said.
Chris nodded and pulled away.
After a quick stop at the farm to speak with Kieran, Chris met his crew at the ferry service. Walt managed to get Chris a ticket back to Rockland at the last minute. He was lucky there was room for his bike. There were limited spots for vehicles on the ferry.
“Why are you leaving today, Boss?” Walt asked when they settled on a bench on the top deck.
“I gotta see my dad,” Chris answered. “He’s been calling and texting me.”
“Mr. George Sullens, texting?” Walt questioned. “That’s new.”
Chris' mouth quirked. “He’s been texting every day, asking me where I am.”
“He must really need to see you,” Walt said.
Chris just nodded, not wanting to discuss the subject further.
Flicking through her phone pics from the weekend, Jane suddenly said, “I told Rowan if she ever needed help again, I’d take pay in free vacay.”
“Hah! That’s funny. I told her the same thing!” Walt laughed. “Who would’ve thought the two of us enjoyed nature?”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Nature with five-star accommodations.”
“It really is a great place,” Jane said. “That fire is tough luck.”
“It’s crazy,” Walt agreed. “I thought you’d stay to help, Boss.”
“They can handle it,” Chris stated, wanting to believe that Rowan didn’t need him.
The ferry ride was quiet mostly, with Walt and Jane talking among themselves, leaving Chris to his thoughts.
“Hey, isn’t that Gwen?” Walt said to Jane, discreetly looking to the other side of the ferry .
Jane turned to look. “It is. She flaked last night after saying she had an emergency and her cousin had to cover for her at the reception.”
Chris turned to them. “How come I didn’t hear about a bartender switch?”
“You were busy with the groom. I had it handled. Gwen said her cousin owns a pub in town and taught her everything she knows about mixing drinks,” Jane justified. “I had to make an executive decision. I stayed with the cousin for a while, and she was excellent.”
Chris didn’t know why, but his spine tingled with unease.
“Gwen bartended for the clambake, didn’t she?” Chris asked.
“Yeah, why?” Jane asked.
Chris shook his head and stood. “It’s probably nothing. I’m gonna say hi.”
Though he didn’t invite them, the dynamic duo followed Chris to the other side of the ferry. Gwen was leaning against the railing, watching the sea. She glanced his way when Chris came to stand next to her.
“Hi, Gwen,” Chris greeted with an easy smile.
Startled, Gwen looked up with wide eyes. “Mr. Sullens!”
“We saw you here alone, so we thought we’d see how you’re doing,” Chris said, looking over Gwen’s shoulders where Jane and Walt stood.
Gwen jumped when she swiveled her head and found Jane and Walt grinning at her. Gwen smiled back but looked nervous. Chris grew more suspicious.
“I heard you had an emergency last night,” Chris said casually. “I hope everything’s okay.”
“Oh, yes. I… had to…” Gwen swallowed hard and couldn’t meet Chris’ eyes. “Thank you for letting me split without much notice. I hope Raven worked out.”
“Oh, for sure. Having a veteran pub owner like Raven bartending a small wedding like last night? What harm could it do?” Chris let his rhetorical question hang in the air.
Gwen chuckled nervously. “Great.”
“So, how did you get Raven to agree to cover you on a Saturday night? I bet the pub was busy.” Chris leaned back, giving Gwen room to breathe. He didn’t want to overwhelm the girl in case his suspicion was unfounded .
“I just asked. She had someone else working the pub,” Gwen answered.
Chris watched Gwen shift from one leg to the other, seemingly unable to stay still. Her fingers fidgeted with her purse strap. His gut feeling intensified.
“You’re going to Rockland or somewhere else?” Chris inquired.
“I’m going to stay with my mom in Waterville for a while,” Gwen said.
“Is she sick?”
“What? No.” Gwen looked confused.
“I’m glad. I thought your mom was the emergency. Sorry, that’s why you shouldn’t assume anything.” Chris laughed.
Gwen chuckled, too, but her eyes were still shifty.
“Did you get your paycheck before you left?” Chris asked.
“Ah, no.” Gwen glanced over her shoulder at Jane. “I can get that mailed, right?”
“I’m sure Rowan can mail it if you tell me your mom’s address,” Jane offered.
It surprised Chris someone who had earned a pretty decent paycheck for a few days of work would forget about it. Gwen recited an address to Jane, and she typed into her phone.
“I’ll let Rowan know,” Jane promised with a smile.
“It’s good to see you. Have fun with your mom. If we need anything from you, we know where to find you,” Chris added with a smile. But Gwen's eyes popped in alarm, like he said something threatening.
Finding her reaction curious, Chris decided to cast another line into the water. “Gwen, one more thing. You worked the clambake, right?”
“Y… yes,” Gwen stammered.
“I don’t know if you noticed, but Rowan got really sick that night. It couldn’t be the food because no one else got sick. I was just wondering if she might’ve drunk something weird. Like a bad batch of wine?” Chris asked.
Gwen’s face was now ashen.
“Are you okay?” Chris caught her elbow when she swayed. “Here, sit down.”
Walt and Jane asked someone to make room on the nearby bench. Chris led her to sit. Jane handed Gwen a bottled water and told her to drink .
“You feel better?” Chris went on one knee to get to her eye level.
The younger woman nodded and looked at him. There was more than nervousness in her eyes. There was fear.
“What is it, Gwen?” Chris asked gently. “Do you have something to tell me?”
“I don’t want to get in trouble, Mr. Sullens,” Gwen said.
“Tell me what it is, and I’ll see what I can do to help you,” Chris assured her.
Gwen white-knuckled the water bottle in both of her hands as she started, “Raven gave me a bottle of tincture. She told me to put a few drops into Rowan’s drink.”
Chris’ breath stuck in his chest as he listened to Gwen.
“Raven said it’d just make her nauseous,” Gwen continued. “I didn’t know it’d make her sick like that. I only put one drop because I was afraid. Rowan has been so good to me. I don’t know why Raven wants to hurt Rowan. But she said she'd kick me out of her house if I didn’t do it. When I heard about the fire, I freaked out and ran.
“I swear, Mr. Sullens. I didn’t want to hurt Rowan. I thought it was just a sick prank,” Gwen finished as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I believe you, Gwen. What tincture did you give Rowan?” Chris asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you still have the bottle?” he asked, holding his breath, hoping she did.
Gwen nodded. “I was going to throw it into the sea.” She reached into her purse and produced an eye-drop-sized bottle. The words Aconitum napellus were on the label.
“Oh, my word,” Walt muttered when he saw the web search result. “Though it’s been used in some homeopathic remedies, aconite, or wolfsbane, is highly toxic. Common aconite poisoning symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting. If consumed in high amounts, it can affect the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, leading to heart failure and death.”
Gwen wailed and buried her face in her hands. Chris felt numb. He could’ve lost Rowan that night without realizing it. He and Kieran had both thought she had just drank too much.
Looking at the crying girl, Chris reached deep inside himself to stay calm. He touched Gwen’s hand and said, “Good thing you only gave her the tiniest amount, Gwen. She’s okay now. She’s fine.”
He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, Gwen or himself.
“Remember when I told you I’d do what I could to help you?” Chris asked.
Gwen looked at him with a splotchy face and nodded weakly.
“You’ll need to tell the police what you just told us,” Chris said.
“They’ll put me in jail,” Gwen cried.
“There’ll be consequences, yes. But if you tell the police what Raven told you to do, it will help you. Do you have any proof Raven told you to do it?”
Gwen shook her head. “She just gave me the bottle.” She held the bottle out.
Walt was about to take it, but Chris stopped him. “It’s evidence. Maybe it has Raven’s fingerprints on it.”
Jane rummaged in her huge tote and produced a ziplock bag, which she quickly emptied and wiped with a tissue. She opened it wide so Gwen could drop the bottle inside.
“When we get to Rockland, I’m going to make a phone call to a lawyer, okay?” Chris said. “And we will go to the police so you can tell them your story.”
“I’m afraid, Mr. Sullens.” Gwen cried quietly.
“I know, but you did the right thing telling us.” Chris held her hand while Jane handed her a tissue. “Now, tell me why Raven switched with you at the wedding.”