Chapter 17 #3
"He was a very skilled carpenter. But he wanted a bigger life.
Anyway, we moved here, and we started a long process of renovation.
We weren't going to be able to open for guests for several months.
" She took a moment before continuing. "One night, there was a bad storm, and Richard went outside to check that the oceanfront windows were covered with wood so the glass wouldn't break.
I was asleep when he left. I didn't know what had happened until the sheriff knocked on my door and told me a tourist had found Richard's body on the beach.
" Her lips tightened. "He must have gotten disoriented in the wind and the fog and slipped off the bluffs. "
"I'm sorry," I said, seeing what appeared to be genuine pain in her eyes. "That must have been awful."
"It wasn't supposed to end like that for him, for me, for us…"
Silence followed her words. I wasn't sure exactly what to say.
Her story matched some of what I'd read in the old newspaper, but I didn't think she'd told me everything.
And while it was a sensitive subject to broach, I had to do it.
I had no idea if this would be the first and the last conversation we would have.
"Why are there rumors that my father killed him? "
She gave me a startled look. "Is that what you heard from your dad?"
"No. I told you he didn't tell me anything. I read an old article about Richard's death. And then Margaret—"
"That damn woman is always spreading gossip," Ellen said sharply. "And she doesn't care who she hurts."
"So, you don't think my father killed his father?"
"Of course not."
"Then why would anyone else?"
"Because they argued a lot, especially when David was at the Boatworks.
He didn't want to be there. He didn't want that to be his life, but Richard was determined that that's what he would do, and he told him he wouldn't pay for college.
If he wanted out, he'd have to earn it." She paused.
"Margaret's son worked at the Boatworks.
I think he told her about a fight that got physical between them a few weeks before Richard died. That's where the gossip started."
"Did my father hear about the gossip?"
"Yes, but he wasn't that bothered by it, because he knew he didn't do it."
"Why did my dad leave a month later if he wasn't bothered by the gossip?"
She took a quick breath, then said, "Because he'd been wanting to leave for a long time, and now he could. That's really all I have to say."
"That isn't nearly enough. If my dad just left to go to college and have a different career, why did he stop talking to you? You were a widow. You had just lost your husband. And my father just turns his back and walks away? That doesn't make sense."
"He was angry with me, too. He didn't think I supported him enough with his father.
He told me he was done, and he left." Her tone turned hard and cold.
"I never heard from him again. I never knew where he went or what he did.
In the beginning, a few of his friends tried to tell me, but I shut them down.
I didn't want to know until he wanted me to know.
And he never did. He could be stubborn, just like his father. "
"And like you," I commented. "As the years passed, didn't you ever want to look him up, to find out if he'd married or had children?"
"He always knew where I was. If he wanted me in his life, he would have told me."
I shook my head in bemusement. "I don't think I could have let my child disappear like that and have absolutely no contact. I feel like you're leaving something out."
"We've talked enough about the past. Let's discuss the present and the future. You should go home, Cassidy. Your life isn't here." She paused, tilting her head as she gave me a speculative look. "Does your father know you're here?"
"No. We're not that close."
"Does he know about your podcast?"
"I mentioned it when we first started it, but I don't think he was listening. He just said it sounded like a foolish waste of time. He was often disappointed in me. Ironic, since his father was disappointed in him. Knowing what that felt like, he should have acted differently."
"If David never wanted you to come here, to know me, to learn about his past, then you should respect his wishes and go home."
"I had more than one reason for coming here, and you know that."
"There's nothing to find here, Cassidy. There is no crime."
"If there's nothing to find, then why did someone try to kill me last night?"
"Tom said that you probably got spooked by the road and a fast driver behind you."
"Finn saw the other car. It's not just my word being questioned.
And I don't know why the sheriff is so determined to make up an alternative story for my accident.
Just like he's so determined to force everyone to believe that the women who stayed here and were never seen again just chose to leave and disappear.
I don't think that's what happened." I paused, unable to read her very guarded gaze.
"It is what happened," she said. "And Anna didn't disappear. I walked her to the door, and a friend picked her up."
"Before dawn? Why so early?"
"It was when her friend arrived."
"Anna had bruises on her body. She was scared, jumpy."
"She'd gotten away from an abusive situation," Ellen said. "And I was happy to put her safely in her friend's car."
"Who's the friend? Can I talk to her? Can I talk to Anna, confirm she's safe?"
"Anna didn't want anyone to know where she was going in case her past caught up to her. There are reasons people choose to disappear, Cassidy. Did you ever consider that you might be jeopardizing their safety by publicly talking about all this?"
"Did you ever consider that something bad happened to them either here at the inn or just after they left?" I countered.
"There's never been any evidence of that."
I was getting really tired of that line.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but maybe there is no evidence because no one wanted to look for any.
I understand that the sheriff wants to protect the reputation of the town, and I'm sure you feel the same way about this inn.
But I would also think you would care enough about these women to want to find out what happened to them. "
"I care about all my guests. But this is an inn. People come and go every single day. I don't know where they go. I can't go looking for everyone."
"How about just Natalie? How about we just focus on her? Or maybe on Natalie and Jessica."
"Jessica lost her life because she took a boat out without having enough experience to deal with the changing ocean conditions, and Natalie simply left.
If she disappeared after that, it's because she wanted to start over.
No one at the inn had anything to do with either of those events. There's nothing bad going on here."
"Nothing bad? I almost died last night," I repeated. "And Tessa thinks someone pushed her down the stairs."
"That absolutely did not happen. I can vouch for every one of my employees."
"You know someone put a note under our door telling us to leave. What about that?"
"I explained about the teenagers."
"Yes. You have a lot of explanations, but I think you're wrong about the note, about the car, and maybe about Tessa."
"Your friend was drunk."
"Tessa was drinking, but it looks like she might have been drugged by Nathan Carmichael, who wanted her to forget he told her he found Jessica's diamond ring on the beach and kept it to sell."
Her gaze widened, and for the first time, it felt like I was actually telling her something she didn't already know.
"I don’t know anything about that," she said. "He found a ring?"
"Apparently so, but he didn't tell anyone about it. Nathan also suggested that Jessica made it to shore alive and disappeared after that."
"Well, that actually supports what Tom believes, that Jessica had a reason to disappear, and that's how she chose to do it. I prefer that scenario than that she died at sea."
It was frustrating to have every theory I came up with rebuffed. Either my grandmother clearly believed that nothing had happened to anyone, or she was an excellent actress.
"I need to get to work," Ellen said, abruptly ending our conversation. "What are your plans?"
"I'd like to stay here for another day or two. Tessa won't be able to travel back to New York until the weekend, and I need to figure out what to do about a car, since the one we borrowed from Tessa's roommate is now in the ocean. Is there a car rental agency in town?"
"Not in Stonecross, but there's one in Cork Harbor."
"Okay."
"I'm not sure why you want to stay here. You clearly think I've done something to hurt these women."
"I don't think that, but I do believe you don't want to look at the situation too closely. Or consider the fact that someone else here might not be who you think they are."
"Are you talking about Ray?"
"He's an ex-con."
"You have done your research. Which means you know that he served his time and has had no problems since he was released. You don't have to be afraid of him. He looks rougher and tougher than he is."
"That's good to hear."
Ellen hesitated, then said, "You can stay until your friend is ready to leave, but you can't record or film in your room, and you can't interrogate my employees.
Obviously, I can't stop you from talking to people in town or filming elsewhere, but this inn is meant to be a sanctuary for my guests, and I already had two check out this morning based on what they heard last night.
Those are my terms. Take it or leave it. "
"I'll take it. But I have a condition, too."
"I don't think you're in a position to be making conditions," Ellen said tartly.
I ignored that. "We talk again, at least once, maybe twice, and you tell me more about you, your family, about my father's childhood, and where I come from."
"David won't like that."
"But I will. And it's my decision, not his."
A small glint of admiration flitted through her eyes, but it was gone so fast I was sure I'd just imagined it.
"All right. But now I have to get to work.
" As she stood up, she said, "I have a car you can use.
It's in the garage. It's the blue Mini Cooper.
" She walked over to her desk and pulled out a key.
Before she handed it over, she gave me a serious look.
"If what you've told me is true, be careful. "
"I'm going to try," I said as I took the key. "Thank you." As I left her apartment, I wasn't sure why either of us had agreed that I could stay at the inn or that we would talk again, because both seemed like perilous propositions.