On the balcony of her suite, Claire lifted her face to the sea breeze and inhaled the night scent of sea, dew, and newly mown grass. Moths, drawn by the light flooding from the French doors, fluttered against the glass in an eerie staccato that set her nerves on edge.
Francisca kicked off her heels and sank onto the lounge chair beside her. “I was so ready to get away from Bridget.”
“She seemed very curious about me missing for a year. I was uncomfortable.”
Francisca lay back on the lounge. “What do you remember?”
“Nothing really. I feel like that entire year I was missing has been hidden from me on purpose and I don’t know why.”
“Wait, you mean your padre did not discover your whereabouts during that time?”
Claire leaned on the railing and lifted her face into the breeze, smelling of kelp. “Dad claims he doesn’t know. I mean, I was somewhere for that year. I think he knows but doesn’t want to tell me. What could be so terrible that he has to keep it from me?” She turned to face Francisca.
Francisca wrapped a lock of dark hair around her finger. “What did your parents say when you asked for specifics?”
“Nothing. I have to wonder how hard he looked, though, because if he’d really looked, surely he would have found something. He’s a very determined man.”
Francisca adjusted the pillow at the top of the lounge and eased back. “Downeast Maine is such a remote area. Maybe some family out in the mountains had you. If they didn’t have any close neighbors, no one would have reported anything.”
Claire bit her lip. “But wouldn’t they have reported a child they’d found? And then how did I get back to my parents? I have even begun to wonder if I’d been kidnapped and held for ransom, but my parents don’t want to tell me.”
Francisca gasped and put her hand to her chest. “Kidnapped! That’s pretty farfetched.”
“It happens all the time, and it would explain a lot of things. Like my grandmother’s reaction.” Claire hunched her shoulders and turned to look out at the sea. She probably shouldn’t have brought it up. “Like why no one wants to admit where I was.”
“But why would kidnappers hold you for an entire year?”
Claire thought about it. “Maybe the money drop went wrong, and they were trying to teach my dad a lesson. Maybe it took him awhile to get the money they wanted.” Weak excuses. Francisca was right. There was more to it than a simple kidnapping. She rubbed her chest. “I’d better take some more pain meds. This is all so confusing.” She retrieved her purse from beside her and shook out a pill, then swallowed it with a sip from her water bottle.
“Maybe you should rest. You could have died out there, Claire. What is the sheriff doing to find who did this to you?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t shared any details with me.”
“Wait here. I have an idea.” Francisca rose and shooed away the moths before she opened the French doors and stepped inside. She returned a few moments later with Claire’s sketchpad and a pencil. She handed them to Claire. “Draw what you remember.”
Claire’s fingers closed around the pencil. The familiar feel of it gave her comfort. “I told you I didn’t see him clearly.”
“No, but you saw his feet and his pants leg as he was kicking you. You heard something. Write it all down.”
The pain in Claire’s chest was easing with the medication. She flipped open the cover of the pad and ran her hand over the thick, heavy paper. The touch of her favorite medium opened her imagination. Images began to flood her mind. “You’re right. His boots were heavy and just over the ankle. His pants were khaki, and he had them tucked into his boots.”
The pencil scratched over the thick paper almost of its own volition as the images flowed from her fingertips. By the time she was finished, she knew the sole was loose on the man’s boots, and he probably wore about a size twelve. There was a tear on the left hem of the hunting pants too. It wasn’t much, but it was more than she’d had this morning.
Ankles crossed, Kate sat with Shelley on a bench along the green belt between the hotel and the golf course. A fog mull had moved in from the ocean during the night and hovered about three feet above the ground in a chilling mist that abruptly gave way to clear blue skies overhead. A few flags on the greens flapped in the brisk wind at the top of the hill.
Weariness dogged her as she jiggled her foot and watched the path. Her fatigue wasn’t a good sign. “You’d think they’d be done by now.” Glancing down at her attire, she hoped she’d dressed up enough with the skirt and pumps. She’d nearly pulled on her usual jeans, then decided to take it up a notch. He wasn’t apt to welcome her with open arms if she dressed like a yard keeper. She picked at a piece of lint that didn’t want to come off.
“It’s Sunday, so the course is packed.” Shelley tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. “It should be soon. My cousin said the new group teed off at ten so they’ll have to be done and out of the way soon. Do you know what you’re going to say?”
“I thought I’d wing it, maybe strike up a conversation about the weather. I want to see if he recognizes me.”
Shelley frowned. “Kate, you shouldn’t get your hopes up.”
Kate opened her mouth, then closed it again. What rebuttal could she have? Shelley was right. What would she gain from this exchange today? He wasn’t suddenly going to welcome her into his life with open arms. Though he’d done just that once upon a time when she was small.
The realization made her sag against the park bench until Shelley tugged her arm and hissed, “There he is! His father-in-law is with him.”
Her pulse hammered as she watched him stroll along the path beside the older man. Neither of them had their clubs, so she assumed they were being handled by an employee. Her father wore khaki slacks and a red shirt that made his graying hair gleam. He had an easy stride that proclaimed his status and confidence. He no longer looked like a surfer as he had in the old picture she’d found in her mother’s closet.
When the men were five feet away, she casually rose and stepped toward the edge of the green space. Her gaze met her father’s and she smiled. “Hi, you must be Harry Dellamare. I recognized you from a-a newspaper article.”
The relaxed smile moved to an alert one. “That’s right. And you are?”
She reached for some kind of answer that wouldn’t get his guard up. “Um, Katherine, my name’s Katherine.” She waved vaguely. “I live in the village, and I’m a big fan of airplanes. I’ve always wanted to learn to fly, and your planes are beautiful. I’ve read everything I can about how you make them. I don’t suppose you flew here in one, did you?”
“I brought the jet. Glad you’re such a fan. The local newspaper will have pictures in next week’s edition.”
“I’ll check it out.”
She recognized the telltale way he glanced past her at the hotel. He was about to walk away. A confession hovered on the tip of her tongue. She couldn’t let him go. This was her one opportunity to speak to him without his wife. Would his father-in-law have heard about her?
He started to step past her, but she put her hand on his arm. “I can’t lie to you anymore. My name is Kate. Kate Mason.” She watched for the flicker of his lids as he recognized her, and she felt a tingle when it came.
His polite smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah yes, you e-mailed me about an interview. I’ll answer your questions later. I really must go now.”
Her mouth dangled open and she closed it. Of course. He didn’t want his father-in-law to know. His manipulation took her breath away.
Shelley sprang to her feet and stood in his path. “Um, I’m Shelley. I teach school, and I was wondering if I could talk you into speaking to my kids about setting goals to achieve their dreams. I’m sure there had to be some goal setting in your life.”
He frowned. “I’m here on vacation, and I’m afraid I can’t take the time.”
So like Shelley to try to help her, but this time Kate needed to step up, to make him acknowledge her existence. To stop his pretense. “I’m Kate. Your daughter Kate.” Her voice got smaller with each word.
He looked at his watch again. “I know you young people like to pull pranks, and I admit it’s funny.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But we need to be going.”
He tried to shake her hand off, but she tightened her fingers, bolstered by his bald-faced denial. “Yes, let’s call the sheriff, and he can fetch my mom. Will you look past her too? How about we do a DNA test if you’re of a mind to reject me? That would be easy enough to prove, wouldn’t it?”
The color drained from his face, and he looked away from her.
The other man smiled at her with a thoughtful line on his forehead. “I think she’s got your eyes, Harry. It’s not going to take a DNA test to prove.” He put his hand on Kate’s shoulder. “There’s a coffee shop down the street. Why don’t we all go there and talk this out a bit?”
Her father’s lips flattened. “This isn’t the time or place for any discussion. How about you give me your number, Kate, and I’ll call you later?”
His lids flickered, and she knew he was lying. He planned to brush her off, then dodge any discussion. “Let’s do that, and I’ll be sure to call the newspapers and magazines. I’m sure they’ll be interested in how you maintained a secret family for years. I can tell them all about how I wasn’t supposed to acknowledge you if I saw you around town. And they’d be very interested in the property you bought Mom.” She pulled out her phone. “Who do you want me to call first?”
His smile seemed fixed. “Honey, this isn’t the time or place.”
The glib endearment rattled her. Of course, that was his intention too. He was used to getting his own way with his charm. She marshaled her determination and tipped up her chin. “I simply want to know why you abandoned me, your own daughter. What happened that made you leave and never come back? I thought you loved me. You used to be so glad to see me when you’d come. Then it all changed. You may have fallen out of love with Mom, but did you have to turn your back on me too?” She choked back a humiliating sob. “And I’ve been sick, and you never even called to see how I was doing.”
His eyes widened, and his gaze swept over her. “You don’t look sick. I’m sorry you were hurt, honey. Like I said, I’ll call you later.”
The second endearment made her snatch her hand away. Through blurry eyes, she watched him hurry off with his father-in-law. Even if he was a good match for her, she didn’t want his bone marrow. But he wasn’t getting rid of her that easily.