Chapter 3

Martin studied Veronica Justice, the reporter for the local newspaper, the Vista Beach View, as well as the crowd for a moment before speaking. “We’re gathering information while an expert examines the bones. All I can say right now is that they are of a human male. We’re hoping that we’ll get a lead that will help us identify the remains.”

“What kind of information?” Veronica said in a raspy voice.

“We’re looking at missing person reports and the history of the property. Things like that.”

“Do you know how old the bones are?”

“Not at this time. Like I said, an expert is examining them as we speak.”

“No speculating as to who it could be?” someone in the crowd asked.

“Let’s wait until we get more information.”

Before Veronica could ask anything else, the school superintendent’s voice came over the sound system. “Please take your seats, everyone. The second half of the concert is about to begin.”

The audience returned to their seats while the next group took the stage. Liz slipped into her seat beside Rory and darted a questioning look in her direction. Rory mouthed “I’ll tell you later” and Liz nodded in understanding.

“Sorry about that,” Martin whispered to Rory as the high school band launched into a jazzy rendition of “The Christmas Song.”

“It’s okay. It comes with the territory,” Rory whispered back.

As Rory held Martin’s hand and listened to the high school choirs and bands perform, her mind drifted back to the skeleton found across the street from her home. She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts, she barely noticed when the final notes of the last song faded away. With a jolt, she came back to reality and rose to clap along with the rest of the audience.

Martin glanced down at his cell phone and turned to Rory. “Sorry, but I have to go. Do you have a ride home?”

Rory nodded. “Liz and I drove over together.”

A quick kiss and he was out the door before anyone could accost him and ask more questions.

“What was Veronica asking about earlier? I saw her from the back of the auditorium,” Liz said as they headed toward the lobby with the rest of the crowd.

“The skeleton, of course. I’m sure we’ll see something on Vista Beach Confidential soon,” Rory said, referring to the blog the reporter maintained on happenings in and around the city.

They were exiting the auditorium when Rory spotted her parents standing next to a display case filled with photos and trophies, talking to Mrs. Maldonado. As they approached the group, they heard the woman say, “Seagull Lane used to be so quiet. This is the third body that’s been found on the street within the last year.”

“Pure coincidence. I don’t think it’s—Oh, hi, Rory, Elizabeth.” Arika gave her daughter a quick hug.

Mrs. Maldonado smiled and, after a few more minutes of general chatter, excused herself and left.

Rory looked after the woman, a thoughtful expression on her face. “What was that about?”

“She was complaining about how the city has changed in the last few years,” Arika said. “She was just venting.”

“Does Martin have anything new on the skeleton?” Swan asked.

“An expert’s looking at it right now to determine how old it is. The police are looking at missing person reports too.”

“Is that what he told the press?” Liz asked.

“Pretty much.”

Before Rory could say anything else, a squeal split the air followed by “Swan, is that you?” Mindy stared open-mouthed at Rory’s father and hurried over to them, her wife trailing behind.

“Mindy K! I heard you were back in town.” A grin spread across Swan’s face, giving Rory a hint of the teenager her father had once been.

“It’s Kowalski-Palmer now.” Mindy hugged Swan, the top of her head barely reaching his chest, and turned to face Rory’s mother. “Arika! How nice to see you again.”

“Mindy, you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Kind of you to say, but we both know that’s not true. But the years have been good to me.” She slipped her arm through Tammy’s and smiled up at her wife.

While Mindy introduced everyone and the group caught up on their lives, Liz looked into the glass case at the trophies and photos inside. A look of surprise flitted across her face and she motioned for Rory to join her. She pointed at a photo and said, “Is that your dad?”

Rory studied the picture taken on the beach of a group of mostly teenage boys smiling into the camera. They all wore swim trunks and held surfboards. Her gaze zeroed in on the tallest one in the group. “I think so.” She called over to her father, “Dad, is this you?”

Swan and the rest of the group stepped over to the case. “Yep. That’s me, all right. The tallest one. And that’s Mindy.” He pointed at the petite girl standing next to him in the photo.

Mindy peered into the glass case at the items inside. “Those were the days.”

“You surfed too?” Rory asked, curious to find out about a time in her father’s life he’d never really talked about.

“Oh, no. I was more of a beach bunny, just liked hanging out with the surfing crowd. Swan, the Zeppelin brothers, Simon and Ricky, they were the real surfers. We were all great friends. I loved watching Ricky surf. He just stood there, knees slightly bent, arms at his sides, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.”

“Ricky?” Rory asked.

“Simon’s younger brother.” Swan pointed at a boy with yellow white hair cut in a shag standing next to him in the photo, then gestured to the others in the group and named each one.

“I didn’t know he had a brother. What happened to him?” Liz asked.

“Went on a surfing tour of the world, following the same route as those two surfers in that sixties documentary. What was it called?” Mindy scrunched her face in thought.

“The Endless Summer.” A faraway look came over Swan’s face. “Ricky and I loved that movie. Saw it when we were in grade school. Vowed to follow the same path as soon as we turned eighteen.”

“Why didn’t you?” Rory asked.

Swan shrugged. “It was just a childhood dream. Not something I wanted to do when I got older. Ricky knew that. He respected it. I had college and law school to think about.” He put his arm around Arika’s shoulder and gave her a side hug. “Best decision I ever made, not going on that trip.”

Mindy stared at him. “I heard you changed your mind at the last minute.”

Swan shook his head. “No. Ricky knew about my decision months before.”

Mindy cast a puzzled glance in his direction. She opened her mouth to say something else when a giggle of preteen girls came toward them. One of them broke off from the pack and launched herself at Mindy and Tammy. “Granny M, Granny T, did you see me?”

Mindy cast a puzzled glance at Swan before she and Tammy were swept away by their granddaughter and her friends, all talking and giggling at once.

Rory turned to her father and said, “What happened to Ricky? I haven’t heard anything about him.”

“Never came back from his trip. Everyone figured he either found someplace he loved so much he decided to stay, or he met with an accident. Maybe even was swept out to sea.”

“Didn’t anyone look for him?”

“He was going to some out of the way places. It wasn’t as easy to connect with the world back then. No internet, no cell phones. His parents did what they could, which wasn’t much.” He looked at his watch. “We’d better get going. I have an early appointment tomorrow.”

After her parents left, Rory studied the photo again before she and Liz headed out the door.

“That must be tough,” Rory said. “For a parent to never see one of their kids again and not know what happened to them.”

Liz nodded. “Especially over the holidays when family is so important.”

“Don’t forget friends. They’re important at this time of year too.” Rory gave Liz a quick hug before they headed toward the car.

  

The next morning, Rory and her mother stood in the fellowship hall of Good Samaritan church, going over plans for the upcoming craft fair. In less than two weeks, the currently empty space would be abuzz with activity, the temporary home to crafters displaying their wares, one of the last opportunities residents had to buy Christmas gifts made by local artists.

Arika surveyed the room. “We should be able to easily fit four or five tables on each of the longer sides. Let’s put two of the smaller tables on each end. Then we’ll have space in the middle for a couple of the larger booths. How many are signed up?”

Rory consulted the paper on her clipboard. “We have ten so far, but I’ve heard of others who are planning on attending. I’m worried about the room getting too crowded. We need to make sure there’s enough space for people to move around.”

Mother and daughter re-measured the room, sketching out a rough map of where the tables and displays would go based on each participant’s requirements.

“Let me see the list.” Arika ran her index finger down the list of names, stopping and tapping her finger on one line. “Loretta. She hasn’t told me how much space she needs for the painted items she’s selling. She was going to go through her projects and let me know.”

Rory took her cell phone out of the pocket of her jeans. “Should I call her?”

“I’ll do it.” Arika took out her own cell and dialed. After a brief conversation, she turned to Rory and said, “Loretta’s at the family store right now. She has the list ready. Wants me to look it over and help her figure out how much space she needs. Could you go and get it for me? I’ll talk to Victoria and Reverend Paulson while you’re gone to see if there’s anything we’ve forgotten.”

“No problem. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Rory left the church and walked toward Simon’s Surfwear in the heart of downtown Vista Beach. Two blocks away from her destination she caught up to Liz who was heading in the same direction.

“Where are you off to?” Rory shortened her steps to keep pace with her much shorter friend.

“I’ve been summoned,” Liz said in an ominous tone of voice.

“By who?”

“Simon Zeppelin.”

“That’s where I’m going too. My mom needs something from Loretta.” A frown settled over Rory’s face. “Is this about the skeleton? He can’t possibly blame you for it being found on his parents’ property.”

“I have no idea what he wants, but he’s not happy. He’s got enough clout in the business community, I figured I’d better find out ASAP. A lot of the business owners in town give me referrals. I don’t want to mess that up.”

They crossed the street and stopped in front of the entrance to Simon’s Surfwear. A surfboard shaped sign stood next to the front door with the name of the store written on it. The words “Simon says buy your surfwear and gear here” was lettered in black on the front window.

Liz squared her shoulders. “Here goes.” She put her biggest smile on her face and pulled open the door.

As soon as Rory stepped inside, her gaze swept the sales floor, taking in the racks of men’s and women’s clothing with brand names like Billabong and Rip Curl. Prominently displayed near the register was a table with sunglasses, bottles of sunscreen and aloe vera. One corner of the store was reserved for shelves filled with skateboards and surfboards set in vertical racks.

“...and I want the fitting rooms cleared out after every customer leaves.” A man stood with his back to them facing a teenage sales clerk. Her long hair swept back in a ponytail, the teen held a cell phone in her hand. A note of fear in her eyes, she nodded at his words.

The man gestured toward the phone. “And put that away. No texting, surfing or phone calls while you’re working. This isn’t a vacation from school. It’s an internship. Understood?”

The teen nodded and shoved her phone in the back pocket of her pants. Her gaze darted toward the door before she headed in the direction of the fitting rooms.

As soon as she was gone, Simon Zeppelin turned around, a big smile on his face. He nodded his head in satisfaction when he saw who had entered his store.

“Liz. Good, you’re here.” His gaze rested on Rory and he held out his hand. “You are...?”

“Rory Anderson. My mom owns Arika’s Scrap ’n Paint. I’m here to see Loretta about the craft fair.”

“Oh, right. I have something for you. Mom had to leave.” He reached behind the sales counter, picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her.

She examined it and smiled. “Exactly what my mom needs. Thanks.”

Simon studied her for a moment. “You’re Swan’s daughter, right? I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“That’s right. I live in the house across the street from your parents’ former home. The one my dad lived in when he was young. I gather you two grew up together.”

A distant look came over Simon’s face as if he was remembering the past. “We knew each other.” He leaned against the sales counter and crossed his arms. “I suppose you know about what they found.”

“The skeleton? I was home when the construction crew unearthed it.”

His gaze shifted to Liz who was patiently standing to one side, taking in the conversation.

“You’re probably wondering why I wanted to see you. I need your help.” He turned to Rory. “Maybe you can help me as well.”

“We’ll do what we can. What do you need?” Liz said.

The front door opened and a man and a woman came inside. The teenage sales clerk came out from the back and headed toward them.

“Let’s talk in my office.” Simon led them toward the back of the store, past a storeroom chock full of boxes and surf gear waiting to be placed on the sales floor, into a room that held a bookcase, desk and three chairs. Manuals and surfing trophies filled the shelves of the bookcase. The desk was far from neat, almost every inch of its surface covered with papers. A laptop sat to one side.

Once they were all sitting down, he pushed some papers aside and rested his elbows on the desk. His chair squeaked when he leaned forward. “I’m trying to figure out how to describe the situation to my mom so I’m gathering as much information as I can.”

“She doesn’t know?” Rory stared in astonishment at him. “I figured everyone in town did by now.”

“I’ve managed to keep it from her.” He held up his hands, palms forward. “I know, I know. I don’t need to protect her, but it hasn’t been that long since my dad passed.”

Rory cast a sympathetic glance in his direction. “I understand.”

“What do you need to know?” Liz asked.

“For starters, do you know where on the property the skeleton was found?”

“Near the back, I think.” Liz looked over at Rory. “Is that what you saw?”

Rory nodded. “Very close to the property line, on the north side. They’d just finished demolishing some sort of small building when they unearthed it.”

Simon settled back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “Must have been my father’s workshop. He liked to build things. To think he put it on top of somebody’s grave.” He shook his head in bewilderment.

“I’m surprised he didn’t find the skeleton when he built the workshop,” Rory said.

“He didn’t dig down very far. Just leveled off the ground, poured a slab of concrete for the floor and put the workshop on top of it.”

“By himself?” Liz asked.

“I think he hired someone to help. Don’t remember who at this point. Probably someone who’s long gone, anyway.”

“When was this?” Rory asked.

Simon shrugged. “Don’t remember exactly. Early eighties maybe.”

“You should tell the police. It could help them date when the skeleton was buried.”

Simon nodded. “You’re right. I’ll contact them soon.”

The teen knocked on the half-open door and poked her head inside the office. “Mr. Zeppelin, a Detective Green is looking for your mother.”

“Tell him I’ll be right out.” He stood up. “Guess I’d better find out what that’s all about.” He shook both of their hands. “Thanks for humoring me.”

The three exited the office to find Martin perusing a rack of board shorts while he waited. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Rory and Liz. “Didn’t expect to see you two here.”

Rory held up the sheet of paper she’d come for. “Just getting some info from Loretta for the craft fair.”

Martin looked around the store. “Is Mrs. Zeppelin here?”

“I’m afraid not. Maybe I can be of some help. I’m her son.” Simon stepped forward, introduced himself and held out his hand.

The detective shook it and flashed his badge. “I’m looking for some information on this.” Martin took the painted heart out of the evidence bag. “Do you recognize it?”

Simon peered at the item. “Looks vaguely familiar.”

“Could your mother have painted it?”

“Maybe. To be honest, I pretty much tune out when it comes to her hobby.” Simon gave Rory and Liz an embarrassed grin. “Sorry.” His eyes narrowed. “Wait. Did you find that near the skeleton? You don’t think my family had anything to do with it, do you?”

Martin kept a neutral expression on his face. “I don’t think anything at this point. Just gathering information.”

“If she painted it, Loretta could have dropped it on the property at any time,” Rory said.

Relief washed over Simon’s face. “Nothing to do with the skeleton at all, then.”

“We don’t know that for sure yet. Did your mother sell these?”

“Probably. She’s sold a lot of different pieces over the years. Likes to go to the local craft fairs like the one at Good Samaritan. It looks like something she might have painted.”

“Tell Martin what you told us about your father’s workshop,” Rory said.

Martin turned a questioning gaze on Simon who repeated what he’d said about when the workshop was built.

The detective jotted down the information in his notepad. “Was there anything in that area before that?”

“Just dirt and weeds as far as I remember. Maybe one of those small sheds to put gardening tools in. It was a long time ago, though. I may not be remembering correctly.”

Martin returned his notepad to his jacket pocket. “Thank you for your time.” He motioned for Rory to accompany him to the door. “Do you know where your mother is? I checked at the store, but she wasn’t there and the woman I talked to didn’t know where she’d gone.”

“She’s at Good Samaritan in the fellowship hall. Mom and I are figuring out where to put the tables for the fair. I’m headed back there as soon as I’m done here.”

“Thanks. I guess I’ll see you there then.”

After he left, a woman with short blonde hair entered the store. Loretta Zeppelin glanced at the paper Rory held in her hands. “I see you got the information I left. Tell your mother I’ll call her.” Hands on her hips, she looked accusingly at her son and said, “Simon, you’ve got some explaining to do. Why didn’t you tell me about the skeleton?”