Chapter 33
CHAPTER 33
WILLA
“ A nd, finally, a big thank you to Anthony Strand of Albemarle Development Group for his generous sponsorship of the Founders’ Day fireworks display.”
So Miles had finally found someone to foot the bill and have his way. I politely put my hands together to clap along with the rest of the dozen or so committee members. Strand accepted his accolades and thanks with a faux aw shucks sort of attitude, but I saw this for what it was—an effort to ingratiate himself with the mayor and all the rest of the founding families of Hatterwick. There was no other reason for him to be here at this committee meeting. He hadn’t approached me again about developing my land, but I figured it was only a matter of time.
“Okay, so Founders’ Day is less than two weeks away. Does everyone understand their marching orders?” Miles scanned the room, brows arched in question. When no one added anything, he pushed back from the table. “In that case, this meeting is adjourned.”
Thank God. I’d hit my quota of people and bullshit all in one fell swoop. I wanted the quiet of home. Sawyer was working across the island today, replacing some beach stairs that had been destroyed in the hurricane. Maybe I’d stop by the market to pick up something special for dinner. He’d done so much taking care of me, I wanted to do the same for him.
“Miss Sutter.”
I held in a groan and did my best not to scowl at Anthony Strand. “Can I help you?”
He flashed that smarmy politician smile. “I just wanted to check in and see if you’d reconsidered your stance. I’m in a position to make you a very wealthy woman.”
“I already have more than I could ever want, Mr. Strand. And I’m not interested in what you want to do to my island.”
His gaze chilled. “You’re being short-sighted and na?ve.”
“If I am, it’s my prerogative. I’m not buying what you’re selling. Roy.”
My faithful pup rose to his feet, silently stepping in front of me.
Again, Strand backed off, this time with no parting civilities. That was fine by me. I didn’t have any inclination to talk to him ever again.
Shoving the paperwork into my messenger bag, I untangled Roy’s leash from the table leg. Not that he needed it, but the illusion of control made some of the other committee members less nervous about his presence. Most had gotten used to him over the past month, and a couple had even begun bringing dog biscuits.
“Ready for a walk, pal?”
Roy’s tail thumped with enthusiasm.
I scruffed his ears. “Such a good boy. Let’s go.”
We’d only made it down to the lobby of Town Hall before I got hailed again. I closed my eyes and sucked in a fortifying breath before turning to see who wanted something from me now.
Roland O’Shea strode across the room. “Oh good. I caught you. I thought you might still be here.” He took one look at my face, and his face twisted into a wry smile. “Miles has been droning on again.”
I winced. “Is it that obvious?”
“You aren’t the only one who’s been roped into committee meetings. I just wanted to give you the update on things.”
“Walk with me a bit? Roy needs to go out.”
“Sure.” We left the building, making our way down the block to a grassy area where my pup could relieve himself.
“I got all the documentation you and Sawyer pulled together delivered to the court yesterday. The judge will need time to sift through it, but I have every reason to expect this will be the end of things. Anything else from your parents will likely get seen as a nuisance suit.”
The idea that it could finally, truly be over made me giddy. I was eager to get back to being a newlywed. Turned out, I really loved being a newlywed, and I wanted to focus on building this new life with Sawyer. But I knew better than to count my chickens before they hatched.
I blew out a breath. “I confess, I’ll believe it when I see it. That’s no shade on you, I just… My dad doesn’t give up easily.”
“True enough. It’s unprofessional of me to admit, but I’ll take great pleasure in thwarting him.”
I went brows up. “Oh?”
He rolled his eyes in a self-deprecatory fashion and sighed. “I had a thing for your mother, way back in the era of the dinosaurs. Your dad came in and swept her off her feet. I eventually met my Sheila when I was in law school at Georgetown, so it was all for the best, but I still kind of resent him for that. If you’ll forgive me for saying so, he’s a smug SOB.”
I laughed. “You’re not wrong. I admit, seeing him knocked down a few pegs is satisfying for me, too. And really, I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work on all of this. Everything my grandparents have entrusted to me is really overwhelming, and I couldn’t have made it through this transition without you.”
“Henry and Vivian were dear friends for a long time. It’s my honor to continue to serve the next generation of the Sutter family.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
“Well, I won’t keep you. I’m sure you’ve got things to do. That new husband to get back to.”
“Miss Sutter.”
We both turned at the hail to see Chief Carson hustling across the street. I instantly tensed. Roy pressed closer, and I appreciated that Mr. O’Shea didn’t abandon me.
Carson nodded at him in acknowledgment, then focused back on me. “I wanted to let you know that the remains on your property have been identified.”
My stomach twisted. We’d already known it wasn’t Gwen, but what if it was someone else I knew? “And?”
“Chief!” Miles inserted himself into our little group. “Did I just hear you say the body’s been identified?”
He nodded. “I was coming to find you next. It’s Joe Anderson.”
I blinked, sifting back through my memories. The name meant nothing to me. “Who was he?”
“You don’t recognize the name?”
“Should I?”
Miles frowned. “Wasn’t he a fisherman or something?”
“Maybe a picture will help.” Carson pulled out his phone and swiped at the screen before handing the device over to me.
The man on the screen looked vaguely familiar. He was, perhaps, in his mid-twenties, with shaggy brown hair and a scraggly goatee. Nondescript brown eyes stared out of a narrow face. But still, nothing really pinged. Shaking my head, I handed back the phone. “I mean, he looks vaguely familiar, but if he’s a local, I don’t know him.”
“Miles is right. He was a fisherman, who probably worked with your husband, back in the day.”
“Back in the day? Sawyer hasn’t worked commercial fishing in more than ten years. Is this photo that old?”
“Older. According to his old boss, Anderson was a seasonal worker, and not all that reliable. So when he didn’t show for work, they didn’t think anything of it. They just thought he’d skipped town and blown things off. He had no family to speak of, so nobody reported him missing.”
“That’s so sad. How long ago was this?”
Carson’s gaze stayed steady on mine. “Twelve years. He was last seen a few days before Gwen disappeared.”
Chill bumps rose along my arms.
When Miles spoke, his voice was tight. “Do you think it’s connected?”
“We don’t know. We’re digging into Anderson’s life as much as we can, trying to piece together a better picture of who he was and what he was into.” The chief looked back at me. “Think back really hard. Can you ever remember seeing this guy around your grandparents’ place? Maybe he did odd jobs or something.”
Roland edged closer to me. “Are you suggesting that Henry or Vivian Sutter had something to do with this man’s murder?” He’d lost the easygoing, avuncular tone, and I could tell even the implication pissed him off.
“No. We’re just trying to come up with a reason he might’ve been on the property.”
“Chief Carson, the remains weren’t found anywhere near the house. The woods aren’t fenced off. And I don’t remember anything from back that far. Particularly around the time of Gwen’s disappearance. I never got those memories back after I drowned. Even before that, I never had anything to do with my grandparents’ or my parents’ business dealings. I have no clue how this guy might have known my family at all. But if he disappeared that close to when Gwen did, could his murder have something to do with her disappearance?”
“It has to,” Miles insisted. “What are the chances that something like a murder and a disappearance would happen at the same time in a place this small and not be connected?”
Carson grimaced. “We don’t know. At this point, there’s so little forensic evidence left. The only thing we know for sure was that he was shot. We don’t have the bullet. We don’t have anything. It’s possible that, after all this time, we may never know. But we’re going to keep looking. I just wanted you both to be aware of what’s going on, and to let you know that we’ll have a team out on your property doing a more thorough search for additional evidence.”
“Of course. Yes. Whatever y’all need to do, I’m happy to cooperate.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch.” He started to turn away.
“Chief Carson?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you text me that picture?” Maybe if I looked at it some more, eventually I’d figure out why his face looked so familiar.
“Sure.”
Once he’d confirmed the image had sent, he and Miles walked away, continuing to talk in low voices.
I blew out a breath.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m just creeped out. Hatterwick has always felt so safe. It’s hard knowing a guy was killed on my property at all. Worse, that it was right around the same time my friend disappeared. I hope it means they’ll find some new threads to follow in terms of her disappearance. We could all use some answers.”
“From your mouth to God’s ear, Willa.”
“I’ve gotta go. Groceries, then home to get back to work.”
“I’ll keep you posted. As soon as I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thanks, Mr. O’Shea.”
He smiled at me. “At this stage, Willa, I think you can call me Roland.”
“I appreciate that.”
We went our separate ways. But all through my trip to the island market, my brain continued to spin on Joe Anderson. Where had I seen his face before? Maybe I’d seen him when I’d been a kid, but I didn’t think it was that. The memory, such as it was, felt more recent. It wasn’t until I’d loaded the groceries in my Jeep and sat in the driver’s seat, staring at his photo, that it finally hit me.
“Holy shit.”