Chapter 4 #2
A beautiful rock fireplace adorned the far wall.
A dark green couch, floral chair, and glass coffee table invited visitors to sit and chat.
He’d spent many hours in this room over the past few years, eating cookies like a five-year-old and enjoying the older woman’s company.
And yet, he didn’t know much about her family other than stories of her late husband.
“Thank you, Miss Emily.” He made his way to the sofa and lowered himself to the edge of the cushion. Resting his elbows on his knees, he clasped his hands and inhaled.
The scent of baked cookies tickled his nose. Snickerdoodles if he wasn’t mistaken. His stomach complained about the lack of lunch today. Once he finished here, he’d swing by the café and grab an early dinner.
Mrs. Hanover relaxed in the easy chair next to him. “What can I do for you, young man? Did you come for a treat, or is there something else on your mind?”
He chuckled at the woman’s perceptiveness. “I’m hoping you can give me a bit of information. I met your tenant last night and would like to know a little about her background.”
“Oh, really?” The woman grinned.
Great. David hadn’t meant it to sound personal. “Not like that.”
“Like what?” She quirked an eyebrow.
“Miss Emily. Please. I’m trying to do my job here.” He could count on one hand the number of times people hadn’t bugged him about his single status. The pleasures of a tight-knit community.
Mrs. Hanover’s brow creased. “Why would you need information about Jennie?”
“Jennie and Zoey ran into a bit of trouble last night. Brandon and I went to help, but we have a concern we hope you can clear up.”
The woman’s jaw twitched, and her gaze landed on her cell phone then shifted back to him. “What happened?”
“I won’t go into detail, but Zoey texted a stranger by mistake. I’m covering all my bases to find out who and keep the mother and daughter safe.”
“What do you need to know?” Her knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the arms of her chair.
His gaze drifted from her hands to her face. “How well do you know your renter?”
A soft smile curved on Emily’s lips. “I’d say I know Jennie quite well.”
He arched an eyebrow and waited for her to continue, but the woman stared him down like a pro.
Strange. Even Miss Emily seemed to be hiding something.
“Mrs. Hanover…” he grumbled.
“Don’t Mrs. Hanover me, young man.”
David ducked his head, embarrassed by the scolding from the town’s favorite lady. “Sorry, ma’am.”
“That’s better. Now, to answer your question, Jennie is my niece. She lived with me for a couple of years as a teen after her mother died from an overdose. I loved my sister, but she hadn’t always made the smartest choices.”
“You raised your niece? Why haven’t I ever heard this? I don’t think Brandon even knows.”
“Probably not. Jennie is a lot younger than Brandon, and she tended to keep to herself. She moved to Indiana twelve years ago with a man who promised her a good life. It didn’t take long for her to realize she’d married an alcoholic.
But I’ll give him this, he treated her well.
She loved him and was committed to their marriage, so she stayed.
” The older woman tsked. “Then, one night, he wrapped his car around a tree. Killed himself and almost killed his best friend, Kenny.”
“Does anyone around here know about her past?”
“A few. Jennie wants to live a private life, so I don’t advertise why my niece returned to town.”
“She seems…scared.” He tapped his lower lip. “No, scared isn’t right. Make that leery.”
Emily opened her mouth then closed it. “I’ve probably said too much as is. The rest is her story to tell, not mine. But to give you the basics, Zoey stays with me while her mom works, and we get together frequently. It’s not a secret, but I try to keep that tidbit to myself for Jennie’s sake.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and peered at the older woman. “I appreciate everything you’ve told me. I’d like to ask one more thing.”
Mrs. Hanover nodded.
“Is there anyone out there that would want to hurt Jennie or Zoey?”
The older lady stared at the floor for a moment. “Let me just say, not that I know of.”
“Miss Emily, that’s a bit cagey.”
“Well, that’s all you’re going to get.” She stood, putting an end to their conversation. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for my special afternoon guest. And I’d appreciate it if you weren’t here when she comes.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you for your time.” He rose to his feet. He’d filled in several holes, only to have a few more questions pop up.
Emily patted his cheek and smiled. “Now, if you decide to come and ask about Jennie on a personal level, I’ll be happy to answer your questions.”
David’s mouth hung open. The woman had the tenacity of a dog with a bone.
She chuckled. “Let me grab you the box of cookies your partner wants.”
“How did you know?”
“Oh, please.” She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a container.
“Thank you, Miss Emily.”
“You’re welcome. Now, scoot.” She led him to the door and bid him farewell.
He exited and made his way to his department-issued vehicle. Placing his hand on the driver’s side door handle, he shook his head.
Miss Emily had laid down the gauntlet for matchmaking, but he refused to pick it up. He’d failed one woman, and it had cost her her life. He wasn’t about to put himself in that situation again.
Besides, he had a crime to investigate. And he refused to allow Zoey to end up as a statistic.
**
“Jennie Rose! Why didn’t you tell me what happened last night?”
“Calm down, Aunt Emily. We’re fine. It was a mistake, and the police are handling it.
” Jennie plopped down and folded her arms on the kitchen table.
Her shift had ended a little while ago. Grateful for the uneventful day since her mind refused to focus.
She’d come straight to Aunt Em’s to enjoy her company and pick up Zoey.
She hadn’t expected an interrogation. “How did you find out?”
Zoey rushed into the room, threw her arms around Jennie, and gave her a big squeeze. “Hi, Mom!” Then she hurried to the living room to finish her homework.
“Hi, honey,” Jennie called out after her. Oh, how she missed her baby today. Jennie’s imagination had run amok during the day, but seeing her daughter eased the trepidation.
Her gaze floated back to her aunt. “Aunt Em?”
“David Whitman stopped by. Apparently, neither he nor Brandon knew you were my niece. We had a nice chat, and he left. But not before giving me a snapshot of what happened.”
Jennie’s heart hammered in her chest. She hadn’t wanted people to know about her past. She’d paid a horrible price for her stupid mistakes. No need for others to pity her or, even worse, scoff at her poor choices. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him you are family and about Brad’s accident.”
“What about Kenny?” It was bad enough Detective Whitman knew about her husband’s death, but she had no desire for anyone to know about Kenny and the abuse she’d suffered at his hands.
“Of course, I didn’t tell him about Kenny. That man can rot in prison for all I care. What he did to you….” Aunt Emily clicked her tongue. “I wish you would have come home and not fallen into that man’s arms.”
Pink crept up Jennie’s cheeks. She’d experienced an enormous loss and found herself pregnant days later, not knowing what to do after her husband’s death.
Kenny had come to her rescue after recovering from the accident, or so she’d thought, but that was still no excuse for her choices.
She’d turned her back on everything her aunt had taught her, and worse yet, she’d turned her back on God.
“Choosing to run off with Brad at such an early age…not one of my brightest ideas. Although, he loved me, and I’ll never regret having Zoey.
But Kenny… I’m sorry.” She shook her head.
“I know you are, honey.” Emily smoothed her hand down Jennie’s hair. “But you’re here now and have straightened out your life. That’s all that matters.” Em pressed a kiss to the top of her head and scurried back to the stove.
The shame of her decision ten years ago continued to haunt her. Why hadn’t she come home to her aunt when her world had fallen apart? If she had, she and Zoey wouldn’t have to watch over their shoulders every day.
A tap of the wooden spoon on the edge of the pot heating on the stove pulled Jennie from her musings.
“Have you heard from the handsome detective today?” Aunt Em wiped her hands on her Kiss the Cook apron.
Jennie rolled her eyes. The woman was insufferable when it came to her matchmaking tendencies. “No, I haven’t. I’m sure he’ll call once they have something to report.”
As if on cue, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. Detective Whitman. Butterflies took flight in her stomach. She’d entered his number into her phone, so she wouldn’t miss his call. Only for updates on the creep that had sent the text messages, of course.
She forced her pulse to slow.
This reaction had to stop. Men were off her radar, and she planned to keep it that way.
Taking a deep breath, she answered. “Hello, detective.”
“Hi there. Please, call me David.”
“All right. David. Do you have any news?” She glanced in her aunt’s direction and caught the smirk on the older woman’s face. When would Emily learn that Jennie wasn’t interested in her aunt’s legendary schemes?
“Not a lot.” He hesitated. “But I wanted to let you know we cloned Zoey’s phone. Thank you for your permission, by the way.”
She furrowed her brow. The man knew something. “No problem. I want this guy caught. After this is over, I’ll call the cell phone company and change her number.”
“Good idea. I’ll bring Zoey’s phone by later if that’s okay. She can have it back, but please let her know we can see all her text messages until you make the change.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your honesty. And your help.” The one thing her life with Kenny had taught her was the value of the truth. She hated deceitfulness.
Voices hummed in the background. When David returned to their conversation, his words were gentle but clipped. “You’re welcome. Listen, Jennie, I’m sorry, but I have to go. Will you be home later tonight?”
“We will. Just give me a quick call before you come. And David?”
“Yes?”
Jennie scraped at a spot on the table with her thumbnail. “Stay safe.”
“Thanks.”
The line went dead.
She stared at her phone for a moment and sent up a prayer of thanks for placing David and his partner in Zoey’s path.