Page 37 of Love in Riverbend
We keep searching. It’s the tote with the hand-knitted items that does me in. “Oh, I didn’t lose these.” I look at my best friend. “It had to be him.”
“Dax?” She lets out a sigh. “I didn’t see anyone even go back here, much less carry these through the store.”
“We were so busy.” I look around from where I’m sitting on the floor and spot the boxes, I’d opened last night. “And over there are the boxes. I’ll have to count, but I think it’s all here.”
Chloe reaches for my hand and pulls me to standing. “Not tonight, Kandace. You’re either going home and after Molly is asleep, taking a long bath, or you’re coming home with me and working on the third hangover. You’ve worked hard enough.”
My stomach remembers its hunger. “First, I’m eating my lunch.”
“Good idea.”
We’re both in the office, eating delicious sandwiches and chips, each of us on our second bottle of water. “No wonder Molly prefers Joyce’s sandwiches.” I look out at the totes. “How did he get in?”
“I’m going to guess the back door.”
“No, it’s locked. I mean, who unlocked it?”
“Not me. Who has a key?” Chloe asks.
I do a mental inventory. There’s Mom and Dad. Justin. Joyce. Chloe. I may have given one to Judy. Of course, Ruth had some. I don’t know where those went. Exhaling, I say, “The new owner better change the locks.”
Chloe stands and goes over to the boxes. She lifts a white envelope. “I just noticed this. It has your name on it.”
With half my sandwich consumed, my appetite is gone. “Shit.”
She comes closer. “Do you want me to open it?”
“I want you to burn it and throw the ashes in the pond behind the Gordon farm.”
Chloe giggles. “Those are oddly specific instructions.”
I reach out and take the envelope. There’s no doubt of whose handwriting it is. I remember from when we were younger, how Dax used to make an extra swirl on the ‘K’ that extended under the rest of my name, as if he was underlining it. That is exactly how it appears.
Letting out a breath, I look up at Chloe. “Do you know what he asked me last night?”
“I might. Like I said before the rush, Dax called Mick last night.”
“He asked who Molly is.”
Chloe nods. “He asked Mick the same question.”
“Who told him?” I ask, the thought of betrayal causing my blood to cool.
“He told Mick that he found pictures at Ruth’s.”
“What did Mick tell him?”
“To talk to you.”
My hands tremble as I open the envelope. Inside there is one sheet of paper and a picture of Molly eating blueberry ice cream. Tears fill my eyes. The note is simple.
* * *
Kandace,
We need to talk. Please come by the house after the store closes.
Dax
