Page 13 of Steal My Heart

No, he had to put that aside and let Hilliard do what he did best. At some point he had to trust someone.

“Okay. I’ll be here tomorrow at nine, and we can look for a needle in a haystack.” He just hoped that the needle was actually there to be found.

“READY?” HILLIARDasked as Brian approached the house. The clouds hung over the coast, and there was even a bit of mist in the air.

“As I’ll ever be.” Brian wasn’t convinced that this would do any good. After all, it had been over two years. People changed jobs, and it wasn’t likely anyone was going to remember him and Gramps. Still, if Hilliard wanted to spend his time doing this, who was he to tell him no?

“Then let’s get to it.” Hilliard led the way around to the side and unlocked the Mustang. He slid in and started the engine. Then he pressed a button and the roof slid back. “We might as well have some fun while we tool down the coast.”

That grin was infectious, and for a second Brian forgot why they were going. He climbed in, and Hilliard pulled out to drive through town. It took about two minutes before the wind in Brian’s hair blew out some of the old cobwebs he hadn’t realized were there. By the time they turned onto the main road heading south, Brian had his eyes closed and let the wind carry him away.

“There’s really something amazing about the convertible, and it isn’t the sun, but the wind and the air. I have a few sweatshirts in back if it gets chilly, but I love having the top down.”

“Me too. I think this could become my favorite car thing.”

Hilliard laughed. “What’s your current favorite?”

Brian chuckled. “Maybe connecting the car to my phone so I can choose my own music.” He smiled as Hilliard handed him a cord and told him to go for it. Soon enough, they had added a soundtrack of ’80s dance tunes to their drive. Brian didn’t know if this could get any better, but by the time they crossed theLittle River bridge, they were singing along, and Brian actually thought this could be a day to remember.

The song changed, and Hilliard laughed. “Oh my God, ABBA?” he cried, and before long the two of them were singing to “Dancing Queen” at the top of their lungs. The fun continued into Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” until they were both grinning like fools, singing until they were nearly hoarse.

They drove around a bend in the road, and Brian stopped singing.

“That’s the Point Arena Lighthouse. Gramps and I stopped there to see the light and the sea lions. The turnoff is a mile or so up ahead.”

And just like that, the reason they were here came rolling back over them. Hilliard made the turn, and they continued out along the point toward the ocean, the white light tower growing closer and more impressive as they drew near.

“Gramps always loved it here. The light itself is okay.” Brian motioned, and Hilliard pulled over. “It’s the seals and sea lions that are the real stars here.”

“I get that. But we need to see if anyone can help place you here that day. What would be memorable about you and him?”

Brian paused because he hadn’t really thought about how this would work. “Gramps had this real thing about lighthouses, and apparently he’d been reading, so he probably had a conversation with one of the keepers about lenses and the kind of light they had. He also used a cane to get around. Gramps had been really tired all the time, but on the trip he had more energy, and I thought he might be improving.” Instead, maybe he was using up all he had left. At least that was what it seemed like now.

“All right. Let’s see if there are people here who might have met him.” Hilliard pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine, the roll of the ocean instantly replacing the hum.

Hilliard got out, and Brian did the same, realizing just how futile this whole thing might be. How in the heck were they going to find someone who remembered them after all this time and with the number of visitors a place like this got? Brian wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he followed Hilliard up to the house and visitor center.

“Excuse me,” Hilliard asked a man outside with a name badge. The light was still in use as a navigational aid, so it had official keepers, which Brian thought was pretty awesome. “I’m hoping you can help us. I know this is a long shot, but my friend and his grandfather visited here on a trip down the coast about three years ago or so. Would there be anyone here who might remember them?”

At least the man, who was about their age, didn’t dismiss them right away or laugh. “I’ve been here two years because the last keeper retired. He moved out east, as far as I know.” He pulled off his hat and scratched his head. “Sorry.” He shifted his gaze to look up at the top of the light, and Brian did the same, hoping for some sort of inspiration.

“Can I ask, do you have security cameras?” Hilliard asked.

“Sure do. Had to install them a few years ago. Even out here, we have issues sometimes.”

Hilliard smiled. “How far back do the files go?”

The man nodded. “I see. Sorry. We only keep a few months, and then the files are discarded to make room for newer ones. But I can check. Sometimes the old keeper kept stuff he didn’t need to. I’ve been cleaning some stuff out but haven’t gotten to that yet.”

Brian wasn’t hopeful, but the date was etched in his mind. He gave it to the keeper, who went inside to check.

“I don’t know how much this whole thing is going to help. The coast out here is really rugged. That’s what Gramps liked. We were away from tons of people, and we just drove. There aren’t many more places like this.” Which is why it had been so easy to pin the crime on him in the first place.

“We’ll figure something out. If you don’t look, then you don’t find anything.” Hilliard seemed so sure of himself. Brian wished he could have that kind of confidence.

The keeper returned, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t have anything from around that date.”

“Well, thank you for looking,” Hilliard said. Brian thanked him as well before heading back toward the car. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to be cleared. Maybe it was his destiny to carry this around with him for the rest of his life.

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