Chapter Nineteen
The Harrington Cabin
Jill was deep in writing, lost in a scene, when the knocking started. She knew she needed to get up and answer the door, but the scene was so clear, the sentences flowing, if she stopped…
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grandma enter the room. Relieved someone else was taking care of it, she didn’t even bother to look up to see who was on the other side of the door. She just kept writing.
It was supposed to be a mystery, and it would be, but deeper than that, it was a look into these two flawed characters and all their issues, and nothing got Jill’s creative juices flowing more than that.
But even she couldn’t fully block out reality once the paragraph was finished. She glanced up to see who’d been at the door and nearly startled.
“Sam.” Jill immediately slid a glance at Grandma … who was indeed staring at Jill suspiciously.
“Hi, Jill,” Sam greeted. She seemed easily casual standing there, but Jill suddenly felt tense and terribly awkward. She set her laptop aside.
“I won’t take up too much of your time. I just wanted to let you guys in on something that’s going on. I stopped by and told Aly about it first, and I know she could fill you in, but I figured I was close, I might as well do it in person and answer any questions you have.”
Jill’s nerves over Sam being here about Grandma didn’t ease, and those words made everything feel that much … worse.
What was wrong now?
“Cal received another threat. We still haven’t figured out where they came from, and it’s always possible they’re nothing.
We’re investigating from the angle that whatever the threat is, it connects back to his attorney days in Texas.
I don’t have any reason to believe otherwise, except, well, the whole trial stuff last year.
Since we were all involved in that, I just want us all to be aware of this. ”
Jill blew out a breath. Poor Cal couldn’t catch a break. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. Maybe not taking it as seriously as I’d like, but the thing about threats is they give you a chance to protect yourself against them.
I just want you all keeping an eye out. For odd things.
People, cars you’re seeing over and over.
Anything that seems out of place. Note it and let me or Nate know. ”
“Of course,” Jill agreed. “I think we would have anyway after the way the past year has gone, but of course we will.”
Grandma nodded and Jill smiled.
“Thanks, guys. See you around.” Sam let herself out, and Jill sat there wondering if Sam had really come all this way just to tell them that.
“Garden,” Grandma rasped.
She spent any sunny afternoon out planting her spring garden. It was a beautiful day, so no doubt Grandma would be out there for a few hours, and Jill could get some more writing done.
Jill nodded. “Sure. Let me know if I can help.”
But Grandma pointed to Jill’s computer—a sign for Jill to focus on working—before turning around and leaving.
Jill should work. Instead, she jumped to her feet and scurried out the front door. She let out a breath of relief when she saw Sam was standing out by her car. She hadn’t even gotten inside yet.
So, no, this wasn’t about threats.
“Sorry if this ends up looking suspicious,” Sam said quietly when Jill approached.
Her eyes were hidden by big sunglasses, but her posture remained casual and loose.
Jill envied Sam that ability.
“No, I think you hid it well.” Jill studied Sam’s profile. “But it wasn’t a lie, was it? The threat?”
“No, that’s true. Everything I said in there was true. I just would have had Aly tell you all the same stuff if I didn’t need to talk to you about Glenda.”
“Did you find something?”
“Nothing. And I mean nothing, but I’m not quite done yet.
You don’t happen to know if your grandmother keeps records herself?
Birth certificate, death certificate, Social Security card.
That type of thing? Maybe there’s somewhere she’d keep a copy of your grandfather’s death certificate?
She would have needed one to settle debts and bills and such. ”
Jill looked back at the cabin. “I know where she keeps that stuff, but I’m not sure anything of my grandfather’s is in there.”
“If you get a chance, look. And let me know. I’m headed to Helena to see if I can track down his death certificate there.”
Death certificate. Jill just … didn’t know what to think of any of this. “What is it you think you’re going to find, Sam?”
The other woman sighed, then opened her car door. “Hell if I know.” She slid into the seat. “Later,” she offered as farewell, then closed the door and drove away.
Jill made her way back to the cabin. Back inside. In the kitchen, she looked out through the back window and saw Grandma with her shovel, poking at the flower and vegetable beds she babied.
She’d be out there for an hour, at least, if the sun held. Which meant Jill could poke around in the cabin without questions.
For a moment, she watched her grandmother putter and wondered why she had involved Sam or thought this needed to be different. Grandma was happy. She spoke sometimes now. Did it matter why she hadn’t for nearly all of Jill’s life?
But she thought of everything Grandma had been hiding when it came to Marie. The way Marie’s secret son had hurt people last winter. The way secrets, time and time again, ripped things apart.
Maybe they eventually mended, but what would happen if Jill discovered the secrets herself? Could she stop some of the damage they would cause?
She was sure as hell hoping so.
She turned from the window and grabbed her laptop. She went and put it on her bed. If Grandma came in, Jill would hear the door open and she’d have about a minute to rush from Grandma’s room to her own, so it’d look like she’d been in there working the whole time.
Jill nearly laughed at the thought. It felt like being in middle school again, trying to sneak-watch the movies Mom had banned from the house. In other words—any and all movies that depicted sex.
But any humor Jill felt died when she snuck into her grandmother’s room. The bed was neatly made with a quilt Jill knew Grandma had made herself. She had a nightstand cluttered with odds and ends—pictures, books, medication bottles.
Grandma’s wedding picture hung on the wall across from the bed, along with a picture Jill had always assumed was Grandma’s parents, but she’d never asked. Never gotten details.
Why not? Why did she never ask? Why didn’t Dad ever ask or demand or get details? Why was he so content to move away at eighteen and almost never return? What was underneath all the idiosyncrasies of her family she’d always just accepted as normal and fact?
Jill needed to know. She really did, but standing in her grandmother’s bedroom about to snoop, she thought … she should just ask. Grandma, how did Grandpa die? Do you have his death certificate? What are you hiding from me? Why won’t you just let me in?
But she had. In all the ways she knew how, Jill had asked for more and been told no. Jill wasn’t the type of person who didn’t take no for an answer, except in circumstances like this … when it wouldn’t let her go.
Because after the past year, she’d lived through way too much to be afraid of finding her own damn answers.
So it was fitting, all in all, that looking through her grandmother’s private papers yielded absolutely nothing.