CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
WHITNEY
The next day, by the time Whitney was ready to leave Boston, her head was spinning with facts and figures. The foundation was set up to aid kids in trouble, kids who needed a helping hand to mental health, which was what she’d hoped for all along. Zane’s drug habit had come from a family history of abuse and neglect. She was no longer the na?ve woman who thought her happy family life was what every child had. She knew now that no family exists without issues of some kind. Even her own family life had been marred to a certain extent because her birth father had died in an automobile accident due to a DUI. Thank God, he’d never killed anyone because of it.
As she pulled into the driveway at the house, Whitney sighed with relief. She got out of the car, lifted her briefcase, and waited for Mindy to reach her. Standing at the open doorway, Taylor called out, “She heard your car and started barking.”
Whitney set down her briefcase and lifted the dachshund in her arms, laughing when Mindy’s pink tongue swiped her cheek. She loved this dog so much.
“Come inside. I’ve made a light supper for you,” said Taylor.
“How thoughtful. Thank you,” said Whitney heading inside. “I didn’t want to stop along the way home.”
“It’s nothing fancy. I think it’s adorable that Dani and Brad are cooking together, but I’m not ready for anything like that. Besides, in New York, it’s so easy to pick up something for dinner or go out.”
Whitney heard her name being called and turned to see Dani running toward them. “Hey! What’s going on? You didn’t need to stay in my condo?”
“No,” said Whitney. “Come on in and I’ll tell you about my trip to Boston and the phone call I had yesterday. I told Taylor about it, but haven’t had the chance to talk with you.”
Inside, Whitney set down her briefcase. “Let me get into more comfortable clothes and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“I’ll pour us each a glass of wine,” said Taylor.
Whitney set aside her business attire and put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and went downstairs to join her sisters.
Taylor placed a green salad in front of her, topped with sliced chicken. “Thought this would taste good.”
“It’s perfect,” said Whitney. “Thanks.”
“Where’s the blue cheese?” Dani asked, inspecting the salad. “Brad and I like blue cheese on top of ours.”
Taylor cleared her throat. “Dani …”
“What? Oh, I’m sorry, it’s that I’m so interested in cooking now.” Dani winked at Taylor. “This looks delicious.”
Taylor rolled her eyes.
“What’s this about a phone call?” Dani asked Whitney. “Any new information on the ghost?”
Whitney shook her head. “No, but I did eliminate one possibility.” She told them about the call with Chester Thomas.
Taylor shook her head. “This is a small town. Someone has to know something about this story. Someone who knows everybody.” Taylor’s eyes widened. She turned to Dani.
Dani’s mouth dropped and she and Taylor shouted, “Melanie Perkins!” at the same time.
“Melanie Perkins? Who’s she?” asked Whitney.
“The nosiest, best realtor in town,” said Dani laughing. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of her before. She might be able to remember something about Mrs. Maynard’s daughter that we don’t know.”
“I’m calling now to see if we can set up an appointment with her.”
Taylor punched in some numbers on her phone, waited, and then left a message for Melanie. “Hopefully, we’ll hear back first thing tomorrow.”
“Good,” said Whitney. “In a small town like Lilac Lake, the chances of finding information like this are better than they would be in a large city.”
“I have a feeling that things are starting to come together,” said Whitney. “I’ll be glad when this whole ghost thing is over.”
###
The next morning Whitney joined her sisters in Melanie Perkins’ office.
Whitney tried not to stare at the middle-aged woman’s dyed red hair and the slash of dark eyebrows above her sparkling eyes. She bet Melanie didn’t miss a thing going on around her.
“So, Melanie,” Dani explained, “what do you remember about Carolyn Maynard and any person you can think of with the last name of Thomas?”
“Have you talked to Chester Thomas?” Melanie asked. “He’s the only Thomas left in town.”
“I did speak to him,” Whitney said. “He told me his wife had died, and he was the last one in the family.”
“Yes,” said Melanie. “I remember now that they didn’t have children. She couldn’t, you see.”
“What about Carolyn? She wasn’t in the high school yearbook, and we suspect she was homeschooled,” said Dani.
“Yes, I believe you’re right. She was a pretty girl but very quiet. Her father was very strict with her and thought both she and her mother should maintain a certain decorum because he was a minister in town. Honestly, the man was an ass. I was glad for Addie when he died. She became a much happier person, helping others.”
“What about the daughter?”
“They called her Carol, you know, not Carolyn.”
Dani raised her fist. “Bingo! I thought there was a connection. What else, Melanie?”
“There was some kind of fight with her mother, and Carol left town. To my knowledge, Carol never returned before she was killed in an automobile accident. At that time there was speculation that Carol was on her way home to make amends to her mother. I’d like to think so. They were close at one time, and everyone loved Addie.”
“Carol was killed not far from Lilac Lake. I’d also like to believe she was coming home that night in December,” said Dani.
“And then her mother died before they could meet,” said Taylor. “It’s all so tragic.”
“I know there are stories about Addie being a ghost,” said Melanie shaking her head. “But it didn’t seem logical to me.”
“We know now the ghost is Carol and not her mother,” said Whitney.
Melanie’s dark eyebrows rose. “Really? How do you know that?”
Whitney hesitated and glanced at Dani. “Okay, what I’m about to tell you is private. We held a séance at the cottage. This is what we were told.”
“Oh, my! Of course, a secret. I get it,” said Melanie, and Whitney had the feeling Melanie was already rehearsing what she’d tell her friends. In secret, of course.
“Did you know of Carol dating anyone?” asked Taylor.
Melanie shook her head and made a sound of disgust. “I can’t imagine it. Even after her father died, both women felt a need to behave impeccably. Why, Addie could’ve remarried and had a better life, but she was not going to do anything to mar her husband’s reputation. I tried to introduce her to an older friend of mine, but she refused to go out with him.”
“I bet you do a lot of matchmaking in town,” said Whitney.
Melanie grinned. “It sort of comes with the job, and I must say it sometimes does some good. Why the other day, I talked to a doctor who’s thinking of moving here. I hope it works out. I can think of more than one young lady in town who’d be very happy about it.”
Whitney exchanged amused glances with her sisters. She could think of a few too.
Melanie frowned and held up a finger. “Hold on. I remember something about a young visitor to town. Can’t remember his first name but I think his last name was Thomas.”
“Were his initials R. A.?” asked Dani.
“No, I don’t think so. No Robert or any such R name. I’ll call you if I think of it.”
“We’re talking as early as twenty years ago,” said Whitney.
“Yes, I was just starting out in real estate. The Collisters were one of my first customers. They and others always had visitors. Don’t worry. I’ll think about it, and it will come to me.”
“Thanks for your time, Melanie,” said Taylor getting to her feet as Melanie’s assistant came to the door. “We know you had an appointment.”
“Anytime, ladies. And remember, when you’re ready, I want a tour of that cottage. I hear it’s become a fabulous property.”
“Will do,” said Dani.
Whitney followed her sisters out of the office convinced they were close to finding their story. It was only a matter of time. But now, she had to think ahead to the meeting Nick had scheduled with his mother. She and Nick had decided on an afternoon visit in lieu of dinner.”
###
Standing outside his mother’s home, Nick turned to Whitney. “Are you ready? Mom’s anxious to see you.”
Whitney faced the well-kept house and drew a deep breath. It had been almost fifteen years since she’d met Kathy Woodruff, but she’d never forgotten the woman who raised Nick. She knew that just as Nick had vowed to protect her, he’d always done that for his mother. His father, a violent man, had ended up in jail and had died young.
They walked up to the front door.
Nick knocked politely and opened the door.
A woman Whitney vaguely recognized stood there. She knew Kathy was not much older than her own mother, but she looked at least twenty years older than her age. Her shoulders bent as if she still carried the blows her husband had landed on her. But her eyes, those of Nick’s, stared out at her with a bright blue that couldn’t deny intelligence and curiosity.
“Hi, Mom. Whitney and I are here to see you as promised,” said Nick, bending down to kiss his mother on the cheek.
“Come in. I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve got a pitcher of cold iced tea in the refrigerator. And I bought some cookies from the Lilac Inn Café, from Crystal.”
Nick and Whitney exchanged looks of amusement. Was that a gauntlet thrown down as a test?
“Good. Crystal’s cookies are the best,” said Nick. “May we come in?”
“Oh, of course. Please forgive my manners. I can’t believe that Whitney Gilford, the television star, is here. After all the things that have happened …” she let her voice drift away.
“Well, she’s here now,” said Nick. He led Whitney inside to the living room. The house, though small, was well laid out, full of attractive furniture, and was spotless.
“It’s cool enough to sit outside on the patio,” said Kathy. “Shall we sit there?”
Whitney nodded. Though she knew Kathy had come from a tough background and an even tougher marriage, she was impressed by Nick’s mother’s manner. Refined, pleasant, but not too warm.
“While Nick gets us some refreshments,” said Kathy. “I want to have a few minutes alone with you, Whitney.”
“Of course,” Whitney said. “I’m happy to be here. I know it’s an honor.”
Kathy smiled at her and though the wrinkles on her face deepened, her eyes lit with pleasure. She indicated for Whitney to follow her outside.
This was it, the interview she’d dreaded. Whitney glanced at Nick, and he winked at her for encouragement.
On the patio, Kathy indicated that Whitney should sit in a rocking chair opposite hers, where a book lay open.
Whitney lowered herself into the chair feeling as if she was a school child facing a principal. She understood the close bond between Nick and his mother and that made her feel even more nervous.
“So, Whitney, Nick tells me your relationship is serious.” She smiled. “I remember you so well when you were here that summer following high school. You and your sisters were like bright stars in the sky with your beauty and energy and family goodness.”
“We enjoyed coming to Lilac Lake for the summer. GG made sure we had fun with the other kids,” said Whitney. “We still get together with some of them.”
Kathy stared out at the lawn. “That summer Nick was the happiest I’d ever seen him. I realized then that he was no longer a boy but a man in love. And it did my heart good.” Kathy faced her. “And then you left, and I could do nothing to protect him from the pain. He told me it was the right thing to do, to give you all the encouragement he could so you’d take the offer from an acting program. And look at you. A star!”
“Not exactly,” said Whitney, feeling so uncomfortable she wanted to get up out of the chair and run for her life.
“Now, Nick tells me you and he are in a serious relationship. Is that true?” Kathy asked.
Whitney nodded. “We love one another and want to see where that takes us.”
“I’ll say this once and then no more. If you break Nick’s heart again, I’ll never forgive you. Hear?”
“Oh, but …” Whitney began.
Kathy cut her off. “Nick is an exceptional person. I might be dead if he hadn’t interfered in a very bad situation with his father. I owe him to be honest with you. He married Crystal, but both of us knew she could never be you. She’s a nice person, totally admirable. She and I are still friends. But that isn’t going to happen with us if you don’t promise me here and now that you won’t destroy my son.”
Whitney felt as if Kathy had slapped her across the face, but she straightened in her chair. “I’m not going to say I’ll be a perfect wife, whatever your definition of that might be. But I will love Nick completely and pray for him every day he goes out on the job. I’m still struggling with that aspect of his life, but when he comes home wounded or otherwise, I’ll be there for him.” She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what else you expect me to say.”
“What you’ve said is good,” said Kathy. “I owe him so much I had to be sure this was right. I know you have an adoring public, the chance to live a glamorous life, make a lot of money. Why would you choose Lilac Lake and my son?” Kathy’s blue eyes, so like her son’s, studied her.
Whitney didn’t hesitate. “I love your son and want to spend my life with him. We both know there will be challenges with both his job and mine. But we’ve promised each other to work with it.”
Kathy smiled and clasped her hands together. “That makes me so happy. I hope you’ll forgive me for this interrogation, but I had to be sure. Like he’s told me, you’re everything any man could want—bright, beautiful, and talented all in one. I hope we can truly be friends.”
“I hope so too,” said Whitney. “Especially after knowing you’re still friends with Crystal. She’s a wonderful person. She and I are friends, and I love her.”
“I know. Crystal came to see me when she realized you and Nick were moving forward. She loves you too.”
Whitney smiled and reached over and clasped Kathy’s hand. “I want to make you my friend too.”
Kathy smiled at her. “Loving Nick as much as you do will make that very easy.”
Nick stepped out onto the patio. “Did I miss anything?”
Whitney and Kathy exchanged looks. “No,” they said in unison and then chuckled softly.
By the end of the visit, Whitney felt as if she and Nick’s mother could have a solid relationship. They’d talked about Nick’s childhood to some extent and about how hard he’d worked in college for his degree in Criminal Justice and then his work at the police academy.
“He always wanted to do well,” said Kathy smiling at Nick.
Seeing the love between them, Whitney’s heart melted. They’d been through a lot together and their bond was strong. She’d do everything she could to fit in smoothly.
As they got ready to leave, Nick said, “I’ve got a two-day business trip to New York. A special training course I need to attend. When I return, I’ll take my two favorite ladies out to dinner.”
“Lovely,” said Kathy. She smiled at Whitney. “We’ll be ready, won’t we, Whitney?”
Whitney grinned. “Anytime.”
Outside, Nick stood by the car door as Whitney slid into the passenger seat of his truck. He paused and stared at her, then lowered his lips to hers. When they pulled apart, he said, “You’re my star. And I don’t mean the one in Hollywood. You bring all that starshine to earth and make the people around you happy. I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.”
“Your mother is lovely, Nick. I hope I can be worthy of her friendship.”
“You already are,” he said softly. “She loves you. And in case you haven’t noticed, I do too.”
Their smiling lips met, and Whitney felt all the tension leave her.