“I’m your husband!” The hoarse cry broke from his lips.
She blinked rapidly, dispelling some of the tears on her lashes.
“Are we still married?”
Were they? He wanted to cry along with her. When he realized something was wrong, he’d never imagined something this bad.
“We’ll have to talk to Ursula Sawyer.” Their lawyer was a friend as well.
“I almost called her tonight.” Bree melted against his chest. “I don’t know what we’re going to do, Kade. Davy will have to know.
The family too.”
His spot in the family might melt away. There might not be room for him with Rob back in the picture. He would be an outsider again. Maybe in Bree’s life too. And their boy. Dave was his son. His arms tightened around her, and her grip grew desperate as well. A tremor of unimaginable magnitude rumbled through them, and he wasn’t sure they’d ever be able to pick up the pieces shattered tonight.
The aroma of pulla wafted out of Nicholls’ Finnish Imports. Bree had a key, but she seldom had to use it because Anu left the door unlocked even if the shop wasn’t officially open. Samson followed her inside. She’d left the kids with Lauri. What she had to say to Anu needed to be uninterrupted.
“Anu?” she called when she stepped into the shop.
“Back here, kulta.” Anu’s voice came from the bakery area on the other side of the main shop.
Bree walked past the tables of fine wool sweaters into the hall that led back to the kitchen. The aroma of the fresh bread should have made her hungry, but this morning it only unsettled her stomach. She found Anu sliding loaves of bread into the display case. Coffee dripped into a pot at the self-help coffee bar. Bree poured herself a cup to fortify her nerves.
Anu shot her a quick look and wiped the flour from her hands on the apron. “You are up early, my Bree.”
“I needed to talk to you.” Bree sat her cup on one of the round café tables and pulled out a chair. “Are you at a good stopping point?”
Anu nodded. “The bread is baked. I was about to have a cup of coffee with a piece of bread. You would like some?”
“No thanks.” Bree rested her hand on Samson’s head. He pressed against her knee as though to tell her to be strong. She studied Anu’s beloved face. Was it Bree’s imagination or was Anu a little pale and drawn today?
Anu’s gaze connected with Bree’s. “You are distressed this morning. How can I help?”
“I-I’ve got more trouble than I know how to handle, Anu.” The understanding in Anu’s eyes convinced her the older woman knew more than she had said so far. “You know, don’t you? About Rob?”
Anu’s blue eyes closed, then opened again. The anguish on her face deepened. “I know,” she whispered. “I saw him.”
The lump in Bree’s throat grew to boulder size. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she said.
“He made me promise not to say anything yet. I believe he might be involved in something dangerous.” Anu’s voice broke.
Anu had lived her faith in front of Bree, and it was her and Naomi’s witness that had finally led Bree to God. Knowing her son had stepped over the line into criminal activity must hurt Anu deeply. It hurt Bree as well. The Rob she once knew was a straight shooter, a God-fearing man. Or so she’d always thought.
Bree swallowed down the pain. “I saw him yesterday, Anu.” The words echoed in her heart as much as in the room. She still couldn’t quite believe it.
Anu held Bree’s gaze. “How did he seem to you?”
“Older. Jaded. Secretive.” So many things she didn’t understand. “Dangerous.” She said the word reluctantly.
“How could he do this?” Anu whispered. “He walked away from his family. From me, from his sister. Most importantly from you and Davy. He left his son to die in the woods.”
That issue Bree could clear up. “He told me he was confused after the impact. When he recovered from the shock, he heard on TV that the search had been called off and everyone was presumed dead. He thought Davy was dead and he couldn’t face me.” Reciting the facts convinced her again of how lame his excuses were.
The skepticism on Anu’s face mirrored Bree’s heart. “He should have been a man and come to comfort you and me. Did he tell you who is buried in his place?”
It was a detail that troubled Bree. “No. He said it was a long story.”
Tears stood in Anu’s eyes. “I do not want to believe my son would harm someone, but this man I do not know. He is not my Rob. Not the boy I raised.”
“Have you talked to Mason?”
Anu shook her head. “I could not. Nor Hilary. I know she will be very upset.”
Bree didn’t want to think about how Hilary would feel. She and Rob were close. Or at least they used to be. Rob’s disappearance was evidence that he hadn’t been as close to anyone as they’d thought.
She wet her lips. “I think we should ask Mason to look for any other missing persons around the time the plane went down. From here down to Iron River. Or somewhere else in the state. Even Wisconsin.”
“The body was wearing Rob’s jacket,” Anu said. “How did that happen?”
Neither of them wanted to admit his disappearance looked planned. Neither could bear to think he’d murdered someone, then walked away from his own boy. But the facts spoke for themselves. Something had gone terribly wrong that day four years ago. If Rob wasn’t guilty of something terrible, wouldn’t he have come home?
When Bree didn’t answer, Anu seemed to age before her eyes. “We must talk to Mason,” she said, her voice heavy. “I will have to tell Hilary.”
“Maybe we should let Mason tell her.”
Anu shook her head. “No, I must do it. She is my daughter. Rob is her brother. She would be very hurt if I kept this from her.” She fumbled in the pocket of her apron and withdrew her cell phone. After punching in the number, she simply said, “Hil, I need to talk to you. Right away, please. Bring Mason.” She replaced the phone, and her blue eyes were hooded when she glanced back to Bree. “She will be right here. I would like you to stay.”
Bree couldn’t resist that pleading gaze. Not when Anu had done so much for her. There was another matter she needed to handle before Hilary got here though. “Lauri is in trouble, Anu. She blackmailed a killer out of some money.”
Anu put her hand to her mouth. “Blackmail?” she whispered.
“I’m not sure what you call it. Blackmail, extortion. The man killed Wes, and he’s demanding access to Davy.” Her voice broke.
Anu cupped Bree’s face in her cardamom-scented hands. “God will protect our boy.”
The tears Bree had been holding back filled her eyes. “You’re my real mother, Anu.”
“Someday you must make peace with your own mother, kulta. But I’ll do until then.”
Bree leaned forward and buried her face against Anu’s shoulder. “What am I going to do?” she whispered. “Who is my real husband?”
Anu’s arms tightened around her. “I do not know, my Bree. It will be a hard situation for you to sort out. I will pray for you. For all of us.”
How could God let something like this happen? The question hovered on her lips, but she clamped her teeth against what felt like heresy. Since she’d turned her life over to God, she’d never questioned his workings. This was different. This shook her underpinnings and made her question everything.
Anu seemed to understand the unspoken questions. She smoothed Bree’s curls and whispered again, “I will pray, Bree. He is there when the answers are not easy. I know you are wandering in the dark right now, but he will answer in his time.”
Rebellion stirred in her heart. She didn’t have time. An answer right now would be appreciated. The tinkle of the bell on the front door saved her from the hot words that hovered on her tongue.
Hilary’s voice called out, then her high heels clicked along the floor. Mason’s heavy tread followed. Samson got up and stretched, then went to greet them. Hilary made a moue of distaste and st
epped away from the dog. “Go see your mother, Samson.” Her anxious gaze went from Bree to Anu. “What’s wrong, Mother? You sounded—not yourself.”
“Come sit down, Hilary. You too, Mason,” Anu said, pulling out the chairs beside Bree. “Perhaps some coffee?”
“Sure.” Mason accepted the cup she offered, then settled into the chair and crossed his legs.
“I had my coffee already.” Hilary’s gaze pinned Bree in place.
“What’s this all about?”
Bree wasn’t sure if she should tell her or let Anu spring the news. Glancing at Anu, she saw the older woman give a slight shake of her head. Bree took her cue and folded her hands in her lap. “I’ll let your mother tell you.” She was so thankful Mason was here. He’d be able to calm Hilary if necessary.
Anu’s hand holding her coffee shook, and a few droplets fell to the floor, where Samson licked them up. She put down the cup. “Something . . . unbelievable has happened.” Her lips trembled, and she pressed them together. She put her hands on Hilary’s shoulders. “Hilary, you must not speak until I am done. Listen to what I’m about to say. You too, Mason.”
Hilary’s face lost its color. “Whatever is it, Mother? You’re scaring me.”
“Sh. Listen, daughter. It’s about your brother. Rob is alive. He is here in town.” She leaned forward and put her hand over Hilary’s open mouth. “Say nothing yet. Let me talk. I saw him with my own eyes, kulta. We have spoken. That isn’t his body we buried in the cemetery.”
Hilary’s eyes fluttered and began to roll back in her head. Bree jumped up and grabbed her, pushing her head between her knees.
Mason leaped up at the same time. “Hil?” He put his hand on the back of her neck.
“Okay, I’m okay.” Hilary drew in a deep breath. She slowly raised her head. Moistening her lips with the tip of her tongue, she stared from Bree to Anu. “It’s true?”
“It’s true,” Bree said. “I’ve seen him, talked to him.” She launched into an explanation of all that she knew. When she finished, her gaze went to Mason. “Can you check for anyone who went missing just before or after the plane crash? And we might need to exhume the body.”
“Can’t Rob tell you all you need to know about this? Where is he? I want to see him.” Hilary’s eyes began to shine.
“You are not listening, Hilary,” Anu said, her voice tired. “He is not the same man. The Rob we knew would never leave his son’s broken body in that plane.”
Hilary blanched. “What’s happened to him?” she whispered.
Bree was desperate to know the answer herself. She glanced at Mason. “And who’s buried in that grave?”
21
KADE PICKED UP DAVE AFTER SCHOOL MONDAY AFTERNOON on the snowmobile. He drove at a slow pace to make sure his boy didn’t fall off the back. His boy. Maybe not for long. He hadn’t slept last night, and neither had Bree. Sooner or later he was going to have to meet the other husband, see how Bree reacted in his presence. The thought terrified him.
Dave tapped his shoulder and shouted above the roar of the engine. He pointed to a line of rosebushes covered with snow. Several cardinals perched there, their plumage bright against the white. Kade slowed the machine, then stopped it. He shut off the engine.
“It was there,” the boy said, pointing to the drifts of snow. “Right behind the bushes.” He hopped off the back of the snowmobile and thrashed through the drifts on his snowshoes.
Glancing around to ensure they were alone, Kade grabbed the shovel he’d brought and followed. Mason wasn’t here yet, so he wouldn’t dig, but he wanted to be prepared. He didn’t expect to find anything without digging. At least a foot of snow had fallen since the day Dave thought he saw a baby buried here.
Dave crouched by the shrubs and peered at the birds. “Look at the cardinals, Dad. There are hundreds of them.”
“Well maybe not hundreds. But at least fifteen or twenty.” It had been a good year for the songbirds. Bree had gone through three or four bags of birdseed so far this winter.
He heard the growl of Mason’s snowmobile and turned to see the sheriff and Deputy Montgomery approaching on their machines. The men dismounted and approached Kade and Dave.
“Hey, big guy,” Mason said, touching the boy’s head. “You doing okay?”
Dave hung on to his uncle. “It was right here I saw the windigo, Uncle Mason.” He pointed just behind the rosebushes. “He buried the baby here. Dad brought a shovel so we could dig.”
“Good man,” Mason said. His gaze drifted around the clearing. “Tell me where you were, Dave. And Victor. Miss Florence too.”
Dave walked to the pond, about twenty feet from the roses. “Me and Victor were here fishing. I think the windigo didn’t see us because we were sitting in front of these bushes. Victor heard something and got up to look. I did too. The windigo had his back to us. He was digging a hole.”
“In the snow?” Mason asked.
Kade walked toward the bushes where Dave had pointed. “Right about here?” he asked.
Dave nodded. “He dug down in the snow, then picked up the baby and put it in the hole. It had black hair.”
Mason and Kade locked glances. “One of the Native American babies?” Kade murmured too softly for Dave to hear.
Mason’s nod was quick and subtle. “Did he cover the baby with snow?” he asked.
Dave nodded and left his spot by the water. “Are you going to dig now?” He craned his head and stared at the snowdrift he’d pointed out.
“Not just yet,” Mason said. “But you’ve been a big help. Tell me again what Miss Florence did.”
“She yelled at the windigo and told him to go away. Victor grabbed my hand and we ran away then.”
“So the windigo had a shovel?” Mason exchanged another glance with Kade.
Florence had been killed with a shovel. The blood drained from Kade’s face when he remembered why Dave called the killer a windigo. The man had looked like Rob.
“We’d better go,” Kade said, taking Dave’s small hand. “I need to stop by the office and take care of a few things.”
“Thanks, Dave,” Mason said. “You’ve been a big help.”
Kade started the snowmobile and drove away with Dave clinging to his waist. When they reached his office, he retrieved a voice mail from Mason. He’d found a perfectly preserved baby boy right where Dave said it would be.
He said nothing to the boy though. He opened the folder containing the grant application. Studying it, he saw Landorf had inflated the numbers well beyond what Kade had suggested, then signed it. Kade started to attach the pictures to the application. His gaze went to his son. What kind of example was a man who did what was expedient rather than what was right?
Slowly, he tore the application in two.
“What are you doing?” Landorf stood in the doorway.
“I found the kittens.” Kade held out the pictures.
Landorf took them and began to leaf through. “You’ll get that grant for sure,” he said, smiling.
“But I’m going to do it the right way.” Kade held his boss’s gaze. “We only need half that money for a proper study. I can’t inflate the figures.”
Landorf ’s mouth tightened, then he shrugged. “You’re a good man, Kade.” His tone held grudging admiration. “Redo the application, and I’ll sign it. You’re right. It’s not honest.” He touched Dave’s red curls. “You’ve got a good dad, kid.”
“He’s the best,” Dave said, tracing the picture of the kittens on a piece of paper.
But would Kade even be allowed to raise the boy he loved?
Fighting tears, Lauri got behind the wheel of the car Kade had repaired and started the engine. She longed to go see Wes’s parents. Should she risk it? She’d just pulled out onto the main road when her cell phone rang. Dread congealed in her stomach when unknown flashed across the screen.
She didn’t dare not answer it. Holding her breath, she flipped it open and waited. On the other end of the line she hear
d noise like from a bar or a coffee shop. People laughing, ice in glasses tinkling.
“Little girl,” a man’s soft voice said. “No games.”
“I’m here.”
“I want the kid tomorrow night. Leave the back door unlocked. Keep the dog in your room. No one will ever know you helped me. And you’re home free. Nothing else ever said about the money. It’s all yours.”
“You can’t have him.”
“Would you rather see your brother shot? I could arrange that, just like I arranged for the boyfriend to die.”
“You said you just wanted to talk to Davy. Now you want to take him? That wasn’t the arrangement.”
“I’m going to talk to him, then bring him back. No one will even know he was away.”
The false note in the man’s voice told her differently. “I can’t do that,” she whispered.
“Then you can bury your brother.”
“No!” Lauri chewed on her lip. What could she do? Talk to Mason?
“If you’re thinking about calling in the cops, don’t. I’ll know if you do. The sheriff will come to the lighthouse to find you all dead.”
She believed him. He’d already killed Wes. If only she’d never overheard the conversation with Mrs. Saunders. She and Wes would still be planning a future.
She closed the phone without answering, then shut it off when it rang again almost immediately. Chewing on a ragged thumbnail, she drove on north. Maybe she could get Mrs. Saunders to tell her something. Kade said Mason hadn’t been able to get anything out of her.
She accelerated along the snow-covered road, slowing only when she fishtailed in the curves. The office was only twelve miles away. Pasting a neutral expression on her face, she went past the receptionist and down the hall.
Mrs. Saunders’s shut door presented a do-not-enter message, but Lauri knocked on it anyway. The woman didn’t answer at first. “Mrs. Saunders. It’s Lauri. I have to talk to you.”
“Come in.” The woman’s voice held no warmth.
When Lauri stepped into the office, she expected to see the woman still upset and red-eyed, but Mrs. Saunders sat composed behind her desk. “You never came in Friday. I buzzed you three times.”