Page 44 of Half Baked

“She never talked about my father,” I said in disbelief. It was like a whole new reality had been opened to me. “I knew his name, that they’d met in college, and that he didn’t want to be part of our lives. That was it.”

Dawn gave me an earnest look. “That’s all shewantedyou to know.”

“What about Tony’s parents?” Noah asked. “If they insisted on Tony marrying Andrea, did they try to be part of Maddie’s life?”

“I don’t know,” Dawn said. “Andrea never mentioned any of them again.”

“What about financial support?” Noah asked. “Either from Tony or his parents?”

She shrugged. “Andrea refused to talk about it. I know money was tight for her. She lived with Deidre and Albert when she came back, but their father died soon after, and Andrea bought a small house with the money she got from her father’s estate. She never made much as a teacher, but she never complained about not having enough money.”

“So it’s possible someone was giving her support,” Noah suggested.

“I suppose. But if she’d been getting any kind of child support, I think she would have told me.”

“Did she have boyfriends after Tony left?” Noah asked. “Any serious relationships?”

Dawn shifted in her seat. “No. She said she didn’t want to introduce a man as a father figure into Maddie’s life only to potentially lose him, so she never really dated much.”

“Really?” Noah countered, sounding incredulous. “From the photos I’ve seen, she was a beautiful woman. She surely dated from time to time, even if she hid it from Maddie.”

Dawn glanced out the window to the parking lot with a faraway expression. “No. She didn’t date.”

Noah turned to me with a pointed look, which I interpreted to mean he thought she was lying, and it was up to me whether or not I wanted to press it.

I didn’t have to consider it long. I was here for answers, regardless of whether I liked them.

“Dawn.” I said softly. “I know my mother wasn’t perfect. I’ve heard she didn’t have a single enemy in town.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true. She and that woman from the women’s club didn’t get along. She got Andrea kicked out of the club and took over as president. I think the police may have even looked at her as a suspect, but she was in New York City that weekend, watching a Broadway show.”

I gave Noah a quick glance.

“Other than the president of the women’s club,” I continued, “I had the impression the entire town loved her, but the truth is, I always thought she spent more time helping the community than she did with me.”

Dawn’s eyes widened in dismay.

“In fact, I told her so the night she was murdered. She was always running off to help some organization or person in need, and I felt neglected. That night, I asked her to stay. She said she couldn’t, so I accused her of caring about everyone else but me. The joke was on me, though, because that’s why she was supposedly at the school. Trying to help me.”

That’s why she’d asked for a meeting with Schroeder that night—not just because she’d heard the rumors about him, but because she was worried he might be molesting me.

Dawn looked uncomfortable. “Maddie. I hadnoidea…”

I steeled myself. I didn’t want her sympathy. I wanted answers. “I know she was part of the women’s club, but what else was she involved in? Maybe I’ll understand if I knew what was so important to her that she left me so much.”

Tears flooded Dawn’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”

“Please,” I begged. “Anything would help.”

“It’s been too long,” Dawn said, wiping tears from her cheeks. “I don’t remember.”

Noah reached over and placed a hand on my thigh but kept his gaze on Dawn. “That’s okay,” he assured her. “It’s been twenty years. Of course you forgot some details.” He gave her a smile. “Is there anything else you can remember for Maddie? Anything at all?”

Dawn was silent for a few seconds, then sniffed. “You were her life, Maddie. She loved you with everything in her being.” Fresh tears slid down her face. “Even if you felt differently. I promise she loved you more than anything.”

“Thank you.” And I was grateful for what she’d told me, but I also knew she was lying. Dawn knew more about my mother than she was telling me. The question was, what was I going to do about it?

ChapterTwelve

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