“I heard you were poking around into your grandfather’s disappearance,” again the bright smile appeared as rich hazel eyes sparkled. “I’m afraid my curiosity got the better of me. I’m retired now, but having to leave that case unsolved always rankled.”
“I can understand that,” David agreed, fidgeting with the keys in his pocket. “It seems someone else has been curious as well,” he nodded toward the door of his apartment. “Last night when we came back here to get my things, we discovered someone had broken in and ransacked the place.”
“Really,” the old man’s hand twitches as if reaching for a revolver. “Was anything taken? Have you reported it to the police?”
Susan felt her cheeks burn as together she and David shook their heads. “I’m afraid with everything that happened we just moved past it.”
“Would you like me to have a look around?” the man’s warm eyes and cheerful face put them both at ease and David nodded, slipping the key in the lock and opening the door to the mess they had abandoned the day before.
“Someone really made a mess,” the older man said, his eyes flicking across the room as he searched out every corner. “Did they find what they were looking for?”
“I don’t know what they were looking for,” David admitted. His head was starting to pound again and he wanted nothing more than to grab a coffee and sit on his over turned couch.
“Was there something else you wanted,” David finally asked. “I’m afraid my headache is returning,” he pointed to the bruise on the side of his face, “and all I want to do is put this place back together.”
“No, no,” the old man’s eyes roamed the room once more. “Just let me know if you find anything interesting.” His fingers slipped into the back pocket of his dress pants and he handed David a card. “I sure would like to see this case put to rest. Nothing ever quite stacked up if you ask me.”
“I know,” David sighed, taking the card that Mr. Coatins offered. “I’ll keep you posted if we discover anything new?”
“What was your take on the whole thing?” Susan spoke, her voice coming from the tiny kitchen where she was busy picking up a chair. “Did you suspect foul play?” Her comment was directed at the old officer, and he turned meeting her steady gaze.
“Not necessarily,” the former officer spoke. “It wasn’t uncommon for men to up and disappear even back then. They grew tired of family responsibilities, or found a new woman.”
“Pap-pap would not have left my grandmother!” David all but shouted. “I know it.”
“I’m not saying he did,” Mr. Coatins raised his hands in a soothing motion. “All I’m saying is that things like that happened. I interviewed his whole family, and I was surprised that they were completely divided by your grandfather’s disappearance. Half were convinced he would never leave, and the other half believed he was a no good bootlegger.”
David walked to the table dropping into the now upright chair. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his light brown eyes. “I don’t think we’ll ever find the truth,” he groaned placing his arms on the table top and buried his head on them.
“Buck up son,” the retired officer grinned. “Maybe this is just the break you have been looking for. Someone doesn’t like what you’re doing or this wouldn’t have happened.” He turned slowly in a circle amidst the mess stopping to pin Susan with intelligent eyes. “Just be careful you don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
Susan studied the older man for a moment, then turned toward David slumped at the table. Her new found friend had been through the mill in the past forty-eight-hours. He had nearly been killed in a car accident, his home had been turned over, and his journal with all the years of hard work was missing.
“Thank you,” Susan said walking toward the table. “I promise we won’t. If this gets too dangerous, we’ll back away.” Impulsively she rested a hand on David’s shoulder. “Even a mystery like this isn’t worth someone getting hurt.”
“Right you are!” Mr. Coatins nodded. “You’re a sensible young woman, and Mr. Watkins is lucky to have you in his life.” He laid a finger along his nose, giving Susan a wink. “Just keep me in the loop if anything juicy turns up. It would be a win to know what really happened all those years ago.”
Susan watched as the man showed himself to the door closing it quietly behind him as she looked down at her deflated companion.
“I’ll make us some coffee,” she said turning to look at the rifled room. “You just sit.”
David’s rye chuckle caught Susan by surprise. “Who would have believed that a Holmes would be serving a Watkins coffee in the old Alexander apartments?” His short bark of laugher made Susan grin and in moments all the tension and angst of the last few days seemed to whisk away on the wind, leaving in its place a staid friendship full of hope, promise, and a hint of danger.
“Would you mind taking me to the impound yard?” David asked as he walked into the kitchen of the beautiful Victorian home the next morning. “I’d like to look at the damage to the truck and make arrangements.”
Susan was sure he wanted to look one more time for his journal as well, but she didn’t mention it. “Sure, anything else you need to do? We can drop by your place if you need anything there.”
David struggled to repress the shimmy that rolled over him when he thought of someone else rifling through his belongings. He and Susan Holmes had put the place back together the day before, but the feeling of vulnerability was hitting him hard on this cloudy day. He was even more grateful for Susan and her grandmother for letting him
