Page 90 of Sins or Secrets
We’ve tackled many problems but I’m still left with my biggestworry.
The worry of what will be left of me at theend.When all is said and done and Quinn flies off to New York, she’ll still feel like my girl, but she won’tbe.
* * *
Heather Vaughn.
Heather Patterson.
Heather St. James.
I’ve been going over the school records for Wilmington High for the last few hours.
Those are the names I managed to narrowdown.
All three girls would have been sixteen around about the date that I’veestimated.The problem is I can’t becertain.I worked my way back from Quinn’s date of birth and started with her birth certificate, which of course lists Kaitlyn as hermother.
All of that was a great starting point except Wilmington High is a big school and if I’m going with those three girls, then I’m looking at the class of1985.But it also could be the class of 1984 as well, depending on when the Heather I’m looking for turnedsixteen.If so, there were sixteen Heathers’ in thatyear.
My next problem is Lilly had a dance class that was part of the curriculum and she also ran dance classes afterschool.Between them, there were at least ten Heathers on herlist.
I can look into each one. It’s just going to take me a while and I’m assuming the clean cut view of the search where I’m literally looking at eachperson.
It could get complicated when I stumble across marriednames.
I took one Heather at a time, knowing details of anything to do with Peter Cambray would be hidden under the sofa from hell, and I’d have to dig into each one for theirsecrets.
It was while I was on the third one, deciding the first two couldn’t be her that something hitme.
It was something I remembered my father saying a few weeks back when we were talking about thewill.
He said that family had a lot ofsecrets.
At the time when he said it, it struck me strange that he’d say that, but it was completely in context so I brushed it under therug.But now that I think about it my father would be a guy who would have known a lot from the past, and the one thing I know about my father is that he keeps his nose out oftrouble.
* * *
It’s late when I pull up in his drive.
Dad’s probably settling into bed with a book.Or with the newspaper.
I still have my keys to the house so I open the door and go in.I actually find him painting the kitchen.
He looks surprised to see me but happy since I missed the last Sunday dinner.
“Hey son.”
“Hi Dad, sorry to bust in so late.”
“That’s fine, you don’t have to apologize.Is everything okay?”
“Yes, and no. There’s something I’m hoping you can help me with.”
He nods. “Sure anything.”
“Can we sit?” It might be the type of conversation that requires sitting down.
“Of course.”
