Page 48 of Whispers Left Behind

She wasn’t so sure she believed in such a thing.

Such notions had long since been eroded by the brutality of reality.

Chapter Twenty-One

Kinsley Aspen

October

Thursday — 8:36 pm

Despite the warmth ofthe firepit, Kinsley welcomed the crisp air cutting through the rising heat as she finished carving the last curve into her jack-o-lantern’s mouth. The natural stone pavers of her parents’ patio were bathed in an amber glow. The flickering flames had a bit of help in that area from a long string of fairy lights that wrapped around the perimeter of the sitting area.

Beyond the edge of the patio, darkness loomed as if the night were trying to remind her that all was not okay in her life. Or was it Fate, the way Alex had suggested the other day? Either way, she didn’t need the reminder.

Instead, she focused her thoughts on the Hanson case.

The repetitive motion needed to make the curve a little steeper aided in mentally shaving off the layers of the investigation. Joe Cider had been removed from the board. The turtle guy was irrelevant, as well. The man resided out of state, and he had already arrived home days before Rachel had been murdered on Cooper’s farm. As for Alex, he hadn’t been able to garner any useful information from Tobias Zayn, Louise Baird, or Douglas Glynn.

The only good news to come out of the past week had been an update on Gage Baird’s condition. The swelling in his brain had fully receded, and there was a good chance that Kinsley and Alex would be able to question him about the events leading up to the crash.

Movement inside the house caught Kinsley’s attention. She couldn’t help but smile as Lily gingerly carried a mug of apple cider through the dining room and into the living room. Her lips were pursed in concentration with every measured step. Her niece had spent a good hour outside with Kinsley carving the pumpkin, but she had gotten restless when she spotted her grandfather doling out apple cider.

It wouldn’t be long until Thursday night football kicked off, and that was when Kinsley would be able to grab her purse and keys in the front foyer. A simple claim that a lead came in regarding the case would lend itself to calling it an early evening.

She set aside the carving knife before reaching for the wet washcloth her mother had provided earlier this evening. The material was quite cold, but Kinsley didn’t mind. She studied herhandiwork as the jack-o-lantern sneered back at her. It certainly wouldn’t win her this year’s Aspen competition.

The swoosh of the sliding glass door had her believing that Lily had returned to witness the finished product, but Kinsley found that her bad luck continued its long streak. George Aspen was using his elbow to close the door behind him. In his hands were two mugs with cinnamon sticks gliding back and forth against the rims.

“I thought you could use a warmup.”

George approached the firepit before holding out one of the mugs. The night had grown so cold that the steam from the cider rose in long, thin wisps. She accepted the mug, unable to prevent an underlying tension from coiling within her.

“Thanks,” Kinsley murmured as she tossed aside the wet washcloth. She wrapped both of her hands around the warm mug, suddenly grateful for the heat. She would bide her time until she could figure out a way to excuse herself for the evening. “I didn’t get to have any last week.”

The orange glow of the flames danced between them, casting flickering shadows over her father's face. She hadn’t really taken the time to observe him recently. Doing so was difficult when she had gone out of her way to avoid being in his presence. She was taken aback by how much he had aged in the past year.

He was ten months shy of his sixtieth birthday. Her mother was already planning a huge get-together with Olivia flying in to join the celebration. There was no denying the man pulled off a distinguished appearance, despite the lines of wisdom around his eyes and lips.

Kinsley took advantage of his interest in his drink to study him. His dark blond beard was trimmed short, although she could spot some lighter hairs in the mix. Even though the workday for him was complete, his attire was alwaysimmaculate. He had changed out of his suit and tie for a pair of khakis and a navy blue sweater.

“Did you ever file a report about your car?” Kinsley's question cut through the awkward silence. “I ran into Mom at the hospital the other day when she was visiting Dawn Willers.”

Kinsley’s father took his time responding to her question.

“No.” George glanced down at the apple cider. He made no move to taste the sweet beverage. “I had it towed to Jensen’s Garage. He and his son have always done right by us.”

Kinsley refrained from advising her father that the individual responsible would never be held accountable, but he wouldn’t take the chance that someone related to a victim of Calvin Gantz was to blame. As much anger as she had directed at her father for what happened last year, there was no denying that he empathized with the families involved in the case.

“I know not everyone understood why I took Calvin’s case.”

“Dad, I—”

“Please, hear me out.”

George raised his eyes to meet hers. There was an emotion deep within the familiar blue hues that she couldn’t name. Noah took after their father the most, and she gritted her teeth at the knowledge her older brother would advise her that it was time to leave the past in the past.

Only Kinsley’s jaunt up to Terrapin Lake yesterday proved nothing stayed in the past…not secrets, and certainly not skeletons.

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