CHAPTER NINETEEN
WHITNEY
Whitney was ready to have a quiet evening with Nick. The trip to Portsmouth had given her a break she needed but had twisted into something unpleasant. More than ever, it felt good to be at home in Lilac Lake.
Nick arrived a little late but handed her a bottle of wine as he apologized. “I wanted to wait until I had time to trace the phone number you gave me. Unfortunately, the number came from a burner phone, so it won’t be of much help. I’m glad you had your phone number changed. That might take care of the situation.”
“I hope so. I didn’t do much on social media in the past, but now all of my accounts have been taken down. Others may hear what they’re saying about me, but I won’t be able to respond.”
“Yes, any response you might make would add fuel to the situation,” warned Nick. “Aside from that, any unusual activity around?”
“I forgot to mention I saw an unfamiliar car parked by the cul de sac recently. I didn’t pay much attention to it. All I know is that it was a dark gray sedan.”
“Has it returned?” Nick asked.
“No,” said Whitney. “But it’s usually quiet enough here in the neighborhood that I noticed it. I’ll let you know if I see it again.”
“Okay. Deal. I’m inclined to think it’s a disgruntled fan, nothing more. But as I told you, I’ll do anything to keep you safe.” He came over to her and put his arms around her. “I love you, Whitney. I always have.”
She hugged him to her, loving the shape, size, and smell of him. They were perfect together, Whitney thought, as their lips met.
A few minutes later, Nick pulled away and smiled at her. “You make me feel like a horny kid again.”
She laughed. “I sometimes feel the same way when I’m with you. We had a special relationship back then. This is even better.”
He drew her to him once more and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Whitney.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.” It felt so satisfying finally to say it.
He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a loving look. “I’ll always be here for you.”
“I know,” she said softly and met his kiss.
At their feet, Mindy growled for attention.
Laughing, Whitney pulled away from Nick. “Guess who’s jealous?”
“Okay, little lady. Let’s see what’s for dinner,” said Nick, picking up Mindy and chuckling as her kisses covered his cheek.
“I thought we’d have a green salad with cooked eggs, tomatoes, bacon, and sliced chicken. That, and some fresh bread from the market. Is that going to be enough for you?”
“Sounds good. I don’t like to eat too heavily at night,” said Nick. “I never know when I might have a call to deal with a problem. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I want to be ready.”
“Good. Why don’t you pour the wine, and I’ll fix a plate of cheese and crackers as an appetizer. You liked that the other night.”
“Perfect.” He set Mindy down and accepted the wine opener she handed him.
###
Later, after their simple meal, Nick got a call about a fight at one of the bars outside of town. Apologizing for having to leave, he tugged her into a hug and kissed her deeply. “I’ll make this up to you.”
“No problem,” Whitney said, hiding her disappointment. “I understand. It’s all part of your job.”
Left alone, Whitney decided to look up some items online. She knew what she wanted for a lamp in her bedroom but hadn’t found it yet.
Later, she was sitting in the kitchen when she heard a car approach. Thinking it was Nick, she went to the front window and looked out. A dark-gray sedan drove by, circled, and drove past again. Whitney hid behind the curtain and tried to search for a license plate number, but it was too dark to see. She could tell it was a New Hampshire plate, though she couldn’t tell whether the driver was male or female.
After the car left, she locked the front door and called Nick.
“As soon as I can, I’ll finish here and come stay at your house. There was no hesitating in front of the house? Anything that was out of the ordinary except driving by twice?”
“Nothing. They simply drove away.”
“Though it could be nothing more than someone looking at the house that will be going up for sale, I’ll come as quickly as I can.”
Whitney ended the call and slumped into a kitchen chair. She didn’t want to make it seem worse than it was, but something was going on. Against her own advice, Whitney did some research online and found the group called The Zaniacs. Whitney’s impression of the people she saw in a few posted photographs was one of surprise. She’d expected to see young people, mostly women, but some middle-aged women and a lot of men were shown. She wondered how much of a secret life Zane had lived. It felt surreal to see her name bandied about carelessly with such anger. There was no mention of last names, but a few first names showed up, among them the name Todd.
Whitney’s thoughts flew to Barbara’s new assistant. She checked the time and called Barbara, hoping to get her at home.
Barbara answered on the first ring. “Whitney, how are you? Anything happening with that group of Zane’s fans?”
“I’m not sure, but I wanted to ask you about your new assistant. The name Todd came up in the group. Do you think he’d be part of them?”
“I can’t imagine it. I checked all his references before hiring him. He’s an ambitious young man who wants to get ahead in the industry and become an agent one day. He was very open about that.”
Deflated, Whitney said, “Okay, it was just a thought. If you ever hear or see anything that might link him to the group, will you please let me know?”
“Of course. Things okay there?”
“I guess. Thanks.” Whitney ended the call glad Nick was staying the night.
###
The next couple of days were busy. Ross and his friends put on another clinic for the kids. Joining them at the park, Whitney was happy to see so many boys and girls participating. Parents, mostly fathers, stood around watching, silently urging their children to do well.
But as Ross had done earlier, he emphasized the importance of trying and a willingness to learn. Jamie’s father stood aside watching the activity. Jamie was next to him looking miserable.
She walked over to them. “Hi, Jamie. Hi, Bud. Nice to see you here. Ross and his friends are doing a great job of giving everyone a chance to show their skills.”
“Some of us need to practice,” growled Bud, nudging Jamie.
Jamie glanced at her and turned away, embarrassed.
“Practice is important for everyone,” Whitney said. “Not only a few.”
Bud focused his gaze on her, his brown eyes darkening.
Whitney stepped back. Then, before she could change her mind, she said to Bud, “Jamie’s a talented boy.”
He grunted and glared at her.
She said, “See you later, Jamie,” and left before she could make the situation with Bud worse.
When she had a moment with Ross, she reminded him to talk about the upcoming play. “And Jamie. How did he do with catching balls?”
Ross frowned. “I can see that he’s a good player, but his father makes him nervous.”
“That’s what I thought. Thanks for doing this, Ross. It’s really nice that you and your friends are willing to give this kind of time to the kids.”
“No problem,” said Ross. “It’s a rewarding way to keep busy.”
They smiled at one another, and then she left to get the storage shed ready for a dress rehearsal. Time was drawing near.
After seeing that things were set, Whitney went to the cottage. Dani was there with Brad and Aaron, who were taking an initial look at the attic.
As she drove up the driveway, she studied the house. It was beautifully situated on the land, facing the lake on a slight knoll. She was pleased to see Brad’s truck was already there. She parked her car, got out, and went to the front of the house.
Whitney gazed up at the third floor of the house and gasped. The windows had been torn out and some of the front wall as well.
She hurried onto the porch to the front door. It was open.
Whitney stepped inside and called out, “Hello? Dani, Brad? Aaron?”
“Here,” said Dani, coming to the top of the stairs. “I heard you drive in. Come on up.”
Whitney moved quickly up the stairway, her pulse racing. The most unusual room in the house was about to become reality.
Dani greeted her at the head of the stairs. “Wait until you see what a difference it makes to have this open space.”
Brad and Aaron were cutting through the exterior wall.
“They’ll have to rip up the flooring to determine how best to cantilever the balcony,” said Dani. “It’s making an awful mess, but it’ll all be worth it. The room looks brighter already.”
Whitney stood beside Dani grinning as broadly as she. It was such a cool difference. She stepped back and stood in the shadows, watching the men work. As she was about to leave, she noticed a piece of white paper stuck under a floorboard and bent over to see what it was. She tugged on it and pulled out part of a ripped envelope.
“Dani, look,” she cried, holding up the fragment.
“What is it?” Dani asked, coming right over to her.
“It’s part of an envelope. The name R. A. Thomas is visible but that’s all. The rest has been torn away.”
Dani took the envelope and studied it. “The postage stamp is dated August 2001 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.”
“A new mystery,” said Whitney, feeling a sweep of cold behind her.
“We’re going to have to do more investigation,” said Dani. “It might be tied to our ghost.”
“That’s a long shot,” said Whitney. “R. A. Thomas could live anywhere. All we know is the letter was sent from Portsmouth, not Lilac Lake. That’s not a lot to go on.”
“I know,” said Dani. “But each little piece of information might help us. In the meantime, we’re creating a gorgeous house for ourselves, something GG will be thrilled about.”
The men stopped working and came over to them. “We’ll bring a couple more guys over here and see what we’re dealing with,” said Aaron. “I can’t wait to see how this puzzle is going to fit together.”
Whitney grinned. “If it weren’t for you, this might not even be taking place. Thanks for the idea.”
Aaron tipped his baseball cap. “Anything for the Gilford girls.”
Still chuckling, Whitney followed Dani down the stairs.