Kitabı oku: «The Sisters’ Secrets: Rose», sayfa 3

Chapter 4

Rose had Fridays off. It was the one day that Missy forced her to take time for herself to ensure that she didn’t burn out by working so much.

Usually, Rose found a way to make it back to The Siren to help with deliveries or whatnot, but now she had something to do. With the entire day ahead of her, she could do her own investigating.

Missy’s visit the night before wasn’t the most productive of meet-ups. A flurry of questions and possibilities moved through Rose’s mind quicker than she could grab them. But catching up with her friend outside of work gave her the drive she needed to complete her investigation. The sooner she got over all of this, the sooner she could get back to her real life.

Rose wondered what the girl’s friends and family thought of her going missing. Rose was the only one who knew what the girl looked like. At least that was what she thought. She had to know for sure.

Pearl was first on her list for the day. After she visited, Rose already had a map in mind for her route through town to get the answers she needed. The longer she waited, the shorter everyone’s memory of the girl would be. Her stomach flip-flopped as she walked out the door and down the steps toward the driveway. For once, purpose filled her mind and heart, and she knew, deep down, that she’d succeed.

The parade kicking off the annual Mermaid Festival started around noon. The local shops would get busier as the day progressed, filling up with tourists and townies alike dressed in scaled shirts and pants, and with colorful hair and makeup.

She hadn’t dressed up in years, but she and Pearl used to love walking the streets and commenting on the more creative types that filled their town for the weekend.

Since most of the traffic was coming into town, Rose arrived at the Whinding House without any issues. She’d come later in the morning, not wanting to interrupt breakfast since she wanted Pearl to eat as much as possible. Mom had been a fit and lithe woman even though she always cleared her plate. Rose and Reen were the same way. From a young age, no matter how much they ate, they remained in decent shape. She guessed the amount of swimming they did as children boosted their metabolism long term. After she stopped swimming, Rose took up land sports – soccer, and softball – to keep up her stamina and stay away from her house and the ocean as much as possible.

The sun shone brightly that morning, and it was shaping up to be a beautiful weekend. So it made sense that the halls and rooms were clear when she arrived. There were always activities after breakfast, mostly to get the residents moving. Well, those able to walk.

When the Victorian had been a private residence, the owners chose part of the property for a garden. The Whinding House kept up the gardens as well as having the more able residents help tend it.

The residents were closer to the gardens when Rose met up with them. The shambling crew, sandwiched between a mix of four nurses and CNAs, walked along the path toward the bright-colored clumps of flowers.

Rose spotted Pearl right away. Mom’s hair moved across her slightly hunched back, swaying back and forth as she shuffled down the path.

Lifting her chin, Rose started forward. With each step, she held firm to her growing emotions.

This is the perfect place for her. She’s safe.

Jessie caught Rose’s eye and waved her over. She walked at the rear of the group, closest to Pearl. Mom didn’t have issues walking, but since arriving at The Cottage, her gait had slowed enough that she’d started to resemble the rest of the residents.

That didn’t help the aching in her chest every time she saw Pearl.

‘Good morning, Rose,’ Jessie said a little too loudly. She winked at Rose and walked to Pearl. ‘Pearl, you have a visitor.’

Mom lifted her gaze to Jessie and then lowered it once more.

Rose walked on the outside of the group, careful not to jostle anyone.

Jessie gently patted Mom’s arm. ‘How about you two catch up over there?’

Toward the edge of the property, where the grade flattened out, there were several tables and chairs for the residents to enjoy. Even though there was a chain-link fence in the distance to prevent wandering, the ocean view stretched out in front of them.

Pearl muttered something to herself as Jessie led her away from the group. The rest of them continued down the path.

Rose’s skin prickled as she approached the table. Averting her gaze, she sat down as Jessie helped Pearl into the seat next to her.

Jessie glanced toward the group. ‘Are you good here?’

‘Yes,’ Rose said, a little too harshly. She’d cared for her mother for years, why would this girl think she couldn’t handle it?

Jessie clasped her hands together. ‘Great. I’ll be back soon.’

Pearl remained absent during the conversation. Her eyes were far away, staring blankly at the ocean beyond. It was a stare that Rose had become accustomed to over the last few years, growing more distant in the past months.

‘Pearl, how are you?’ Rose asked, touching Pearl’s uninjured wrist. Beige-colored medical tape wrapped around the other.

Pearl didn’t acknowledge her presence at all.

Rose clamped down on her lip, biting into the thin skin. ‘The weather is wonderful today. It would be a lovely day for a swim.’

The glossy stare turned to her. A smile pulled at Rose’s lips. Her trick had worked. Referring to the ocean always brought Mom back to her. She had no idea why. It came to her by accident one day. Maybe it was the reference to where they lived or the fact that she’d loved the water ever since she was a kid. All Rose knew was that it worked.

‘Sth-reen,’ Pearl mumbled as her shaky hand moved to her neck. Her long fingers bounced up and down as if she were searching for something.

Rose leaned in close. ‘What was that?’

Mom’s eyes closed hard as if she were wincing in pain.

‘What’s wrong?’ Rose glanced at the gardens. The nurses and residents milled around. Jessie might hear her if she called loud enough.

‘Pearl,’ Mom said.

‘Yes. You’re Pearl.’

‘Pearl,’ Mom said, slowing down the name as if she were trying to taste it.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins. Rose sat on the edge of her seat, reaching for Mom’s hands.

Instead of holding them, Pearl snatched them back and then placed them around her neck again, as if she were about to strangle herself.

‘Syrene,’ she said, clear as day.

A tingling sensation bloomed in Rose’s chest. Syrene. Reen. Did Mom remember her?

‘Your daughter,’ Rose said. ‘You remember her?’

‘Syrene. Pearl.’ Mom reached up and stroked her fingers down the length of her hair. ‘Water.’

Mom spoke clearer than she had in months. Reen hadn’t graced The Burrow with her presence in years. Rose tried to swallow through the ache in the back of her throat, but she strained with effort, nearly choking on her spit.

The opportunity presented itself, so Rose took it. ‘Tell me more.’

Mom sighed deeply, the air seeming to come from the bottom of her lungs. It was as if she hadn’t released a breath in minutes.

‘Mom,’ Rose said, not caring that she wasn’t supposed to upset Pearl. To hell with that – she’d spoken of Reen instead of the person who’d taken care of her for years. Screw the rules; she wanted answers.

Pearl blinked, and then the clouds rolled in again. The movement of her hands over her long strands stopped, and they fell to her lap, one on top of the other. Her shoulders slumped, and she went away again, back into the recesses of her mind.

That was where she kept the important people in her life.

‘Pearl? Mom?’

Pearl swallowed a few times and then looked out at the ocean. Her lashes fluttered before a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Rose released a shuddering breath as if someone punched it out of her. Any memory that came to her mother was a good sign. Sure, it would have been nice if it reminded her of the good times that she and Mom had experienced, but at that point, she wanted to take what she could get.

A sick feeling rolled around in her stomach and a sudden rush of salty air burned in her nose. She stood up and walked away from Pearl, digging her arm against her stomach.

Rose stood like that for some time, listening to Pearl mutter to herself. Some of the words might have been coherent, but the whooshing sound of her heartbeat in her ears blocked everything out.

It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes before Jessie came over to check on them.

For once in her life, Rose allowed the guilt to swallow her up as she left her mother with the CNA. As much as she wanted to be strong, the mention of the sister who’d left them stirred up more than she could handle at that moment.

It hadn’t always been that way. Rose and Reen were close once, even with the age difference. But after Rose’s refusal to go into the water, a place Reen loved more than solid ground, the separation between them widened. It grew bigger throughout the years until Dad died and there was no hope of repairing it.

Instead, she turned her thoughts to the long-haired girl.

By the time Rose made it to downtown, it was early afternoon. Between the traffic and wanting to speak to Reen right away about what Mom had said, she was more distracted than ever. She almost pulled over several times to call Reen about why Pearl might have mentioned her. The last time she considered it – since she wasn’t moving toward The Burrow any quicker – a thought came to her. Maybe Reen had called or sent a letter? That was the only reason Rose could think of for why Mom would remember Reen over her. Reen had made it perfectly clear, more than once, that she wasn’t coming home.

Or was it because Pearl and Reen had a better relationship? While parents swear they love their children equally, Rose tended to pair with Dad most of the time. It started when she was eleven after Rose almost died that night in the ocean. In hindsight, it should have brought them closer together, but part of it had been Rose’s fault. Dealing with a scared kid often frustrated Pearl. It was Rose’s soft-spoken father who calmed her down after any confrontation with Mom.

When she finally reached the downtown area, she slid into the first spot she saw. After turning off the car, she reached for her phone. There was no way she could sit on that information and not want to check in with Reen. It was a huge milestone for Pearl to remember anything about their past. Though, it would be like her sister to not even think of calling Rose after checking in on Pearl.

Instead of calling her, Rose sent a quick text, giving Reen the opportunity to respond when she wanted. If Rose called and caught Reen off guard, the conversation would already start on a bad note.

Once she sent a quick, ‘hey, what’s going on?’ text, she shoved her phone into her bag and focused on the task at hand.

It was a good thing that the library was in the center of town. From there, Rose mapped out a route of places that the girl might have passed on the way to the pier.

A live band played in the center of the park. Each of the male members wore long, flowing wigs of assorted colors while rocking out on their instruments. Groups of tourists in variations of mermaid dress wandered down the streets toward the many activities taking place throughout the town.

Since it was a mermaid festival, most of the activities took place on the beaches. It was a good thing Rose avoided the sand in general. At least she hoped she wouldn’t run into any issues getting the information she needed.

The first stop was Burrow Beans and Sandwich Company, one of the few coffee and deli luncheon places in town. Since Rose could use a little fuel, it was the perfect spot to start. It was close enough to lunchtime that she felt lucky to get the spot she did.

Standing outside of her car, she peered across the small grassy area opposite the café. If the girl passed through there, someone had to have seen her. The trees were sparse and didn’t offer much cover.

Anticipation swirled around inside of her as she crossed the street.

The bell mounted on the edge of the door chimed as she walked into the converted Victorian home. The owners, Olivia and Roger Jennings, lived upstairs. Even though it was warm outside, the heat in the room enveloped her as she crossed to the front counter. The two massive chalkboards above the counter were the only menus for breakfast and lunch, the words written in colorful chalk and perfect script.

Several regulars glanced at Rose as she came into the main dining area. She offered a wave and greeted Harold Kenny, and his two daughters, Jenny and Elizabeth. Powdered sugar was smeared across their lips.

From behind the counter, Joe Richards gave Rose a two-fingered salute, and she smiled at him.

There were only a half-dozen tables, but it was a little awkward to move around during peak times. Teens usually spread themselves out across the thick brown leather couches in the corner of the room. As a kid, Rose spent the better part of her time away from home at the café. That was when Olivia’s father was alive and well.

Such was the case with a lot of townies. The close-knit residents of The Burrow saw no reason to leave.

Too bad Reen didn’t get that memo.

Olivia looked up from the small glass display case after placing another homemade crumb cake inside. Rose had to have a piece. ‘I have a feeling I shouldn’t close the case,’ Olivia said with a smile. She wore false eyelashes today, accentuating her pale green eyes. Glitter sparkled across her bright pink cheeks.

‘Your feeling is right. You know I’m a sucker for those.’

Using a set of tongs, Olivia grabbed two of the cakes inside. As she moved away from the case, Rose spotted her apron. It was the outline of a mermaid’s body, complete with a shell bra.

‘You like?’ she asked. ‘So much easier than renting something. I have a hell of a time keeping a costume clean after working an entire weekend here.’

‘I get it.’ Rose recalled the years when she, Reen, and Mom decorated their own costumes. Mom took it more seriously than most.

Olivia pressed her lips together. ‘How are you, Rose? I heard that you were there when that girl jumped.’ She lowered her voice for the last part, not wanting to scare off the locals milling around the store.

‘I’m fine.’

Olivia diving into the conversation made it much easier. She handed over the bag and went to the cash register. ‘Anything else?’

‘Coffee,’ Rose said. The line behind her grew by five in the time she’d been there. Hungry mermaids clamored forward to look at the menu.

‘Cream? Sugar?’ Olivia asked, even though she didn’t need to.

‘Cream,’ Rose said, eyeing the straight-faced guy attached by the arm to a teen girl. She wasn’t wearing much, and it didn’t look like he was pleased about it. ‘Did anyone see that girl around here?’

‘I didn’t,’ Olivia said, her eyes focused on the steaming hot carafe of coffee in her hands. ‘We were prepping for this weekend. I had a ton of deliveries.’

Rose’s heart sank, but she kept a smile on her face. She had to appear unfazed, but this was the start of her journey. It wouldn’t be much of one if she got all her answers at the first stop, right?

‘If it were me, I’d want to forget it.’ Olivia made a show of shivering by rocking her shoulders and pulling a face. ‘Let’s hope what she did doesn’t affect the bottom line this weekend.’

The silky material of Rose’s skirt bunched in her hands. ‘Good thing it wasn’t you, then,’ Rose said and dropped a ten on the counter. ‘Keep the change.’

As the door closed behind her, Rose remembered why she stopped going there. Olivia rarely had tact. Nothing new since high school and she doubted it ever would change.

Crumpling the top of the bag in her hands, Rose glanced down both sides of the street before crossing. She might receive a heaped serving of karma if she wasn’t too careful. She could blame the rain for not seeing the girl, but there wasn’t any rain when the girl stood atop the railing on the pier.

The knots in her stomach tightened, and the coffee cake didn’t seem as appetizing as she’d thought.

She was about to open her car door when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The feeling beckoned her to pay attention.

A police car cruised down the street. As it approached, she knew who the driver was before Shane turned his head in her direction. His sunglasses hid his eyes, but she knew he saw her. She fished her keys from her bag and opened her car door, suspicious that he’d been following her or somehow knew what she was doing.

But the car drove by. There was no reason for him to question her anyway. She hadn’t done anything, and from his side, it looked as if she was getting something to eat. It was completely innocent.

Though, she couldn’t help watching until he turned around the corner and drove out of sight.