“Justin?”
“Some preppy college boy who blew in on his daddy’s yacht and stayed for several weeks.”
It sounded as if Valerie was jealous of Justin even now. “So, how did Caroline and Justin meet?”
“Caroline was working the ice cream booth at the carnival, and Justin came by with a couple of his preppy friends. I’m not sure what Caroline said to him, but it seemed that he was instantly smitten. Once Caroline met Justin, she spent more of her time with him than she did with me. If you’re wondering if that made me angry, yes, it did. I really looked forward to Caroline’s visits each summer, and I sensed that once we both graduated, things would probably never be the same between us. I really wanted that last summer together to be our epic summer, but instead of the long hot days being all about us, it ended up being all about Caroline and Justin.”
“Did the relationship last?” I wondered.
“No. A few weeks before Caroline was supposed to go back to Seattle, Justin blew out of town on that fancy yacht of his just as quietly as he blew in. Caroline and I were never as close as we had once been after that point. She was upset and looking to me for comfort, while I was just happy the guy had left.”
“Brandy mentioned that Caroline came back to the island again a few times after that, although not for the summer.”
“That’s true. After Caroline and her family went back to Seattle at the end of that summer, I didn’t see her for almost two years. Then when her youngest brother was in high school, they came a few times for long weekends. Eventually, they sold the house.”
“Did you stay in touch with Caroline after that?” I asked.
“Not really. In fact, I totally lost track of Caroline until two years ago. She came to the island with her husband and children, and we ran into each other at a movie night. We exchanged emails and phone numbers. I send Caroline a note every now and again, and she sends photos of her kids from time to time.”
“I’d love to speak to her about that summer. Do you think she would mind if you gave me her cell or email?”
Valerie paused. “I’m not sure. How about I take your information and pass it on to her. If she wants to talk to you, she can contact you.”
“That seems fair,” I agreed.
I left my contact information with Valerie, hoping that Caroline would call. It really did sound as if she might be the woman we were looking for.
Chapter 9
When I got back to my cottage and checked my emails, I noticed that I had one from Greta, with a signup sheet from the volunteer dinner held in nineteen ninety-six attached to it. I did a quick check and found that someone named Caroline and someone named Valerie had signed up to bring chips and dip. Since the list only provided first names, it didn’t tell me a lot, but after speaking to Valerie, I was sure that Caroline was the woman I was looking for. Now I just had to wait and see if she called me. Waiting would be frustrating, but waiting was my only choice at the moment, so I changed into my running clothes and headed out with the dogs. Two runs in one day was a lot, so I decided to walk. In fact, a walk along the waterline so the dogs could splash around in the bay seemed like an outing they’d enjoy quite a lot.
As I walked along the beach, I thought about my client. I could really identify with someone looking for their roots and hoped our search would provide the answers she sought. It was an odd sort of feeling to not feel connected to the people who brought you into this world, and I was sure that Ellery must have questions for which she needed answers.
I paused when we came to the spot on the beach where the bay curved around to the north. I sat on a large rock and looked out across the vast expanse of icy clear water. It was a beautiful day – the sort of day that demanded that you stop and take a minute to appreciate its perfection. There hasn’t been a single day that’s gone by since I landed in Gooseberry Bay when I haven’t stopped to marvel at the perfection of my life since arriving in town.
I was about to get up and head toward home when my phone buzzed. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but I’d forwarded the landline at Ainsley Holloway Investigations to my cell, so I answered.
“Ainsley Holloway,” I said after hitting the answer button.
“Ms. Holloway. My name is Cora Maddox. I wondered if you had a few minutes to speak to me.”
“Cora Maddox? Are you Zane Maddox’s sister?”
“I am,” she confirmed. “I guess you’ve heard that Zane is missing.”
“Yes, I did hear. I’m so very sorry. Has there been news?”
“No. Not a bit, and Zane has been missing four days.” She paused, and I waited. “When they first found his paddleboard, I actually thought he might be dead. Zane and I are three years apart in age, so we haven’t always been super close, but he’s my brother, and I love him. When I heard they found his paddleboard floating in the lake, I was inconsolable.”
“And now?” I wasn’t sure why exactly, but I suspected there was an “and now” around the corner in this conversation.
“Now I believe Zane to be alive. Alive, but not necessarily okay. I heard all about you from a friend and would like to hire you to find my brother.”
Okay, I had to admit that I hadn’t been expecting
