“Now, Cy told me about your daddy being dead. I’m very sorry. Like I said, I didn’t know Tim all that well. But I liked him. Now, is Julia still alive?”
Pine said, “I’m…I’m not sure.”
Ridley looked taken aback by this. “Have you not been in touch with her lately?”
“It’s longer ago than that,” said Pine vaguely.
“Oh,” said Ridley, looking sad. “Well, I’m sorry about that.”
“Did your parents not explain things to you when you left here?” interjected Blum, who could see how uncomfortable Pine was looking. “Or at least told you where they were moving to?”
“I remember the new house and then going to school and finding out I was in South Carolina. About fifty miles outside of Columbia.”
“Good Lord,” said Ridley.
“I was only six. I guess my parents didn’t think it mattered to me where we had moved,” Pine said, a little defensively. “And we moved several times after that.”
“Until they divorced?” said Blum.
“Yes,” said Pine curtly. It was clear she did not relish sharing her personal history with two strangers, or even Blum.
They all fell silent at this as Pine felt her face burn and she looked down at the tabletop.
“I suppose you’re back here to try to find out what happened?” Ridley finally said.
“I should have done it a long time ago.”
Ridley stared at her for a moment. “Lee, have you ever heard the phrase, ‘Let sleeping dogs lie’?” she said quietly, glancing at Tanner nervously.
“I have. But in this case, it doesn’t apply.”
“Why not?”
“Because my sister could still be alive.”
“Do you…do you really think so?” said Ridley doubtfully. “After all this time?”
“The odds are clearly against it. But my life has been full of beating the odds.”
Ridley looked her over. “I guess I can understand that. I mean, you want to know the truth. Whatever it might be.”
“I do.”
“And what if the truth is your father did do it?”
“Then I’ll have to accept that. But we’re not there yet.”
Tanner spoke up. “How do you plan on tackling this sucker?”
“There are standard protocols for investigating cold cases. It starts with looking at the established records and going from there, hoping for some lead or inconsistency that no one has discovered previously.”
“So you’ll be talking to this fellow, Dave Bartles?” said Tanner.
“Yes.”
Pine looked at Ridley, who said, “Lots of folks already know you’re back in town.”
“From when we checked in at the Cottage?” said Blum.
“Gladys Graham owns the place and she likes her gossip.” Ridley smiled knowingly. “Although she doesn’t go by Gladys any more. Don’t think she much liked that name.” She laughed. “Look at me. How many parents name their kids Agnes anymore?”
“What name does she go by?” asked Pine.
“Lauren.”
“Is that her middle name?”
“No, I just think she thought it was classy, you know, like that famous clothes guy with the white hair.”
“You mean Ralph Lauren?” said Blum.
“That’s the one. She had it legally changed and everything. Anyway, we don’t need that social media down here. Gladys is like Facebook and Twitter all rolled into one.” Ridley put a small, puffy hand on Pine’s arm. “Honey, do you really want to dive back into the past?”
Pine stared back fiercely at the old woman. “I don’t think I have a choice, if I want to have a future.”
Chapter 7
PINE AND BLUM were crossing the front parlor of the Cottage when a voice called out.
“I guess you don’t remember me.”
They both turned to see the woman walking toward them.
She was in her midforties, slim and pretty, with red hair cut close to her head, and an active spring in her step. She had on dark green slacks that contrasted sharply but attractively with her hair, with a thin black leather belt, a white blouse open at the collar, and black pumps.
“I’m Lauren Graham,” said the woman, her hand extended to Pine. “I was in high school when you and your family lived here. Sorry I wasn’t around when you checked in.”
Pine shook her hand. “I’m afraid I don’t remember you.”
“It’s no wonder. You were so little.”
The two women stared awkwardly at each other across the small space separating them.
Graham said hesitantly, “I guess it must seem sort of surreal being back here.”
“Well, it doesn’t appear to have changed much.”
“In some ways, yes. In other ways, I think it’s changed a lot.”
Pine took this in and nodded. “I guess every place changes, whether we want it to or not.” Pine cleared her throat and said in a more businesslike tone, “Did you