Sixteen

After stopping at my RV for a change of clothes, Paul and I took his truck back to Luna’s house, planning on packing up Marie’s items. We figured they’d be safer in the RV than remaining there. Katrina might return and take or destroy everything, or Luna might decide pitching it all was a way to stop everyone from poking around in her house.

Ebenezer was in a frenzy as there were two people in his vicinity and neither giving him any attention. I scooped him up and took him with me into the bedroom and placed him on his favorite spot on the bed.

“We’ll play later. We have an important mission.”

Ebenezer cuddled on my pillow and promptly fell asleep.

My phone vibrated. A message from Bright. And another. And another. Quickly, I changed into dry clothes and then brought up the messages.

Not true. Was the first message from Bright. Luna NOT your mother.

Are you sure? I responded.

Ran info I know about your past and also what I could find about Luna. Doesn’t match.

We don’t have all the details. What I have on Luna is from a second party. Might be rumors only.

I’m sure of it. Bright responded back immediately. Besides, if you compare pictures of you and Luna, there is no resemblance.

There was a tap on the door. “You ready?”

“Yep.” Going to take a look for more info. Will message any new findings.

Paul was waiting for me by the door when I emerged from my room.

“Let’s go see what we can find out.” Paul stepped outside and headed for his truck.

My stomach was knotted with a slew of conflicting emotions, dread, excitement, sadness. Did I want to know more about what Marie found? What if Luna was my mom? What if she wasn’t? I wasn’t sure which was better or worse.

“You okay?” Paul asked.

“I’m just worried about what we’ll find out.”

“Me too.”

It took us a few minutes, in complete silence as we were both lost in our own thoughts, to arrive at Luna’s house. There were a few cars in the circular driveway. Paul dropped me off front then drove around back to park in the crew lot. I waited out front, watching the finishing touches being placed for tonight’s scene and the crew cleaning up the debris of leaves from the thunderstorm. The sun was just starting to dip from the sky, the light fading. In two hours, it would be pitch dark. Enough time for us to clean out Marie’s room and leave before filming started.

Fortunately, with the crew making the final touches for the party scene, we got inside without any difficulty. We just had to hurry before Luna realized we were back in Marie’s room.

I scrounged up the boxes I had used for the craft items and placed them in the room. It was still a mess like Katrina had left it. Paul stood in the middle of the room, glancing around, face showing he was unsure of where to start.

“Did you want to pack everything and take it home with you or set some aside now for donation?” I carefully folded and placed clothing into a box.

“We’ll take it all back and let her parents decide. I don’t know what they’d consider important.” Paul picked up a thin blanket and placed it on the end of the bed. “Whatever might be Ms. Carmichaels, we’ll leave on the bed. What was that woman looking for?”

The binder. I picked it up from the floor and held it out to Paul. “Katrina was holding this when I confronted her.”

Paul flipped it open and thumbed through the pages. With each turn, a frown deepened on his face. “Did you look at this?”

“No. She started rambling about Marie stealing her identity and then Luna showed up, livid at us for being in Marie’s room.” I walked over to Paul, almost pressing myself into his side to get a look at the papers. The page Paul stopped at had my name on it and details about my birth. From the notes, Marie was undecided on whether I was Luna’s daughter. She had written more research needed to be done. I sure wished she wrote down where she planned on looking next so I could complete it. Now that my birth parents might be in front of me, I wanted to know who they were.

He flipped back a few pages. “Katrina Emerson is in here. At the top Marie wrote no.”

“Katrina still believed she was Luna’s daughter and Marie was taking that away from her. Hence the stealing her identity.” I tilted the book toward me. “Who else is in there?”

“Sharon Zimmerman, a no at the top of her page. Olivia Highman, no with quite a few bullet-point notes about Olivia’s adoption. Yours, undecided with a bit of details about your life. Most of it was what I had told Marie. And a Desiree Young. Nothing on top of hers either or any notes.”

That explained why Marie interviewed Sharon for the crafting job. She was actually looking for Luna’s daughter, and once they eliminated her, moved onto another likely-the-child-of-Luna candidate.

“Do you think it’s possible?” Paul asked. “That you’re Luna’s daughter.”

“I’m going with a no.” Luna stepped into the room and held out her hand. “I do believe that’s my property. I’d like it back.”

Paul closed the binder and tucked it under his arm. “All the notes are in Marie’s handwriting. It’s hers. And being her family member, it’s now mine.”

Luna narrowed her eyes on him and took a step forward. “I don’t think so. I hired her, so whatever was found is mine. I paid for it.”

“My cousin paid for it with her life.” Paul tightened his grip on the binder.

“Being a little dramatic aren’t we.” Her gaze was steely. Was the woman so determined to protect herself, she’d keep the truth silent?

“I collected your items from the sheriff’s office,” I said. “The tell-all manuscript Marie was mailing the morning she died wasn’t in the box.”

Her eyes widened and she grabbed the door frame, locking her knees for a moment until she became steady again. “She told you that?”

“She mentioned it was one of her errands that morning. Along with getting you coffee.”

“I’m surprised she was sharing details about my private business. That wasn’t like Marie.” Her features hardened and she shot to her feet, pacing around the room like a predator.

“Then she told me for a reason. Like she was afraid someone was in danger.”

“By someone you mean her.”

“Or you,” I said.

“If that’s really true, it’s a good reason Marie’s cousin nor you should have the information in the binder. It’s dangerous. I don’t want anyone else dying because of me. It should be turned over to the police.” Luna leaned back toward the door. “I need security in here. Now.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I tugged it out. A messenger notification. Bright. Only a smidge of the message appeared, “you’re not.” I swiped the message away and responded with Desiree Young followed by a question mark. “Can we make a copy of it first? There are some things I’m interested in researching some more. And since it involves me…” I let my words trail off when two security guards appeared behind Luna.

“You’re not one to leave well enough alone,” Luna said, almost proudly.

“Not this. I’ll either start over from scratch or continue where Marie left off. Have you looked at her phone records? Who did she call last?”

“I think that information is best given to the local authorities. The sooner the matter is settled, the better it is for me.” Luna faced the guards. “Escort this man to my office and allow him use of the copier. Once he’s done copying the material, collect the binder, along with the original notes, and call the chief. Tell her I have some documents that will enlighten her on a few matters.”

Paul and the security team left.

“You should tell her about the manuscript and ask the sheriff about it. He was the first on the scene. Maybe he didn’t put it in the box for a reason.”

“I’m sure it was just an oversight. Randolph isn’t the most thorough sheriff, following rather than leading is more his style. He’d have happily remained a deputy, but his father and grandfather wouldn’t tolerate that. What some people won’t do for the ones they love.” She sighed. “I’ll let Chief Quinn know about the missing manuscript, tell her I noticed it wasn’t in the box you picked up for me. It’s better if only a small pool of people knows about its existence.”

“Katrina already knows that I know. She had asked me to get the box from the sheriff,” I said.

“That doesn’t mean she knows you had knowledge of the manuscript. Or even if she does, the manuscript might have no bearing on Marie’s death.”

“Why did Marie tell me about it? What’s in there that she might have been concerned about and someone wanted kept quiet? The truth about your daughter.”

Luna heaved out a sigh. “Yes, about her. The daughter I gave up for adoption forty-six years ago, around Christmas time. Her existence in my life would be uncomfortable for someone else in my life and I decided it was time for the truth anyway.”

“Because you want your daughter in your life?” I asked. “Or because someone threatened to tell the world?”

“Because someone thought it’s their place to share about my past misdeeds. And it’s always better if you’re the one who fesses up before someone announces it for you.”

“Giving a child up for adoption isn’t horrible,” I said.

“Depending how you do it,” Luna said. “Handing the month-old infant to your traveling companion to drop off somewhere is reprehensible. Especially when you never ask where he placed the child. The book will tell the world I do have a daughter and I’ll add her in my will.”

Month old. I was days old when my parents found me on the church steps on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t me. Relief flooded through me. Was the other potential father the one who sent the letter to Edward? Edward had said it was possible he was the father of the baby. Or was it Luna’s traveling companion? Could those two people—the companion and the father—be one and the same? Why was the truth being forced from Luna now?

“The baby’s father just let you take her?”

“He didn’t know. I knew I wanted to give the baby up and he’d never agree so I didn’t put his name on the birth certificate.”

“Have you told him now?” What game was Luna playing? Why had she led Edward to believe he was the father if he wasn’t?

“I will when the time is right?”

“What about your daughter?”

“Again, when the time is right.”

For a long moment, all I could do was stare at her. “Is this an attempt to atone for your mistake?”

“I’m doing what is best,” Luna said.

“For your child or you?” I asked, bitterness creeping into my voice. Luna was too blasé about the whole situation. “Marie might have died because of this secret. You should tell the sheriff or the chief who the fathers might be.”

“And besmirch a good man’s name. Once I know the truth, the world will.”

“But—”

“I’m a simple woman, Merry. The fact is I don’t like anyone forcing a decision on me. Someone wanted this information out in the world and gave me no choice but to find this woman and make some type of amends. I’m doing that.”

“You don’t really want to find your daughter.” Tears pricked my eyes. I drew in a breath, an attempt at settling myself down. She wasn’t my mom. There was no reason to take it personal, but I was. Part of me feared it would happen to me when—or if—I ever decided to find my birth mom. What if she once again didn’t want me?

“She’s had forty-six years of memories with other parents. Better parents. I wanted her name, that was all. My plan was once I died, she’d get some jewelry, some money and learn I was her mother. Simple. No fuss. Marie was the one who decided it was best I meet all the candidates. Probably figured I’d change my mind.” Luna fixed a soft smile on me. “I know my flaws, Merry. I’m not the mother type. As one man told me, I have accessories, not family members. No sense hurting another innocent person because I can’t be who they envision I am.”