“Angie,” he replied. “She worked with Valerie in the dining room at the Wilderness Lodge. They got to be good friends.”
“What was her last name?”
“Brown.”
Gwen wrote that down as well, but when she looked up, Jeremy’s eyes had darkened.
“I don’t like that you’re taking notes,” he said. “People have a right to their privacy. I don’t even know what I’m doing here. I almost didn’t come because Valerie asked me to never talk about what happened in Valdez. She didn’t want it getting in the way of her career. She knew it would change the way people looked at her.”
“She was probably correct about that.” In a move to alleviate Jeremy’s concerns, Gwen set down her pen. “This is why I appreciate you agreeing to meet me. And please remember that I’m her family. What I really want to know is if her child is still out there somewhere. That would make him or her a relative of mine, and for that reason, I’m emotionally involved.”
Jeremy offered no response, so she rambled on. “But there’s more to it than that. Scarlett—I mean Valerie—was a wealthy woman when she died. I can’t help but feel that any child of hers is entitled to a share of that fortune.”
His eyes narrowed with skepticism. “That’s generous of you.”
Gwen stopped talking. She took a breath and closed her eyes. “I’m probably saying too much. I’m sorry.” She paused, then opened her eyes. “This is just so surprising to me, and I’m very grateful that you agreed to talk to me. There’s so much I want to ask you. I don’t even know where to begin.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you want to know?”
She thought about Peter’s book—but mostly the museum displays and archives. What she truly wanted most was the whole story, every detail of Scarlett’s year in Alaska. And of course, she wanted to know about the child’s father. Who was he? And what happened between them?
“I guess we should start at the beginning,” she said. “How did you meet Valerie, and what was her life like in Valdez? Was she happy there?”
Jeremy shifted in his chair and sat up a little straighter. “The first time I saw her was on the water,” he explained. “She was working for a man named Blaine Wilson, who owned Wilderness Lodge and a tour boat that took tourists out to see whales and glaciers.”
“Wilderness Lodge ...” Gwen resisted the urge to write it down.
“It was her first day working on the boat, and I was out fishing. I passed them on the water and waved at the tourists.” He seemed lost in thought for a moment. “But the first time I talked to her, I was hiding from Angie’s husband, Joe, who was a cop. He had it out for me, but Valerie was a nice person. She didn’t give me away, and that wasn’t the only time she helped me and Angie out.”
“Tell me more,” Gwen said. “I’d like to hear how Valerie helped you. The both of you.”
He swirled his whiskey around again. “There was one night when Joe and Angie had a fight, and I’ll never forget it.” He tipped his glass up and finished his drink, then signaled to Margie for another. He didn’t wait for her to bring it. He launched straight into the whole story of Valerie’s year in Alaska. But mostly, it was about Angie.
CHAPTER 14
Valdez
1963
Valerie had been waiting for the right moment to talk to Blaine about something. She wasn’t sure how to begin, but she had to get it off her chest. After she finished loading cans of soda into the cooler on the boat, she found Blaine in the bridge, writing something in his notebook. He closed it and set down his pen when she walked in.
“I have a confession to make,” she said. “I’ve been feeling guilty about it.”
He cocked his head. “I’m listening.”
She wet her lips. “I’m grateful to have a job here, and I’m happy. I feel very blessed.”
He frowned a little. “But?”
“No buts,” she replied. “I love it here. But I feel like you should know that ...” She paused. “I wrote a letter to my ex-boyfriend.”
“Back home,” he said, just to clarify.
“Yes. I wrote to tell him about the baby and to let him know that I’m open to whatever he might want. If it turns out that he wants to be a part of this ...” She paused again. “I might go home. As soon as possible.”
Blaine stared at her intently. “Is that what you want to do?”
“Well ... it depends on what he says. If he writes back and says he still loves me, then yes, I’d do whatever it took to go home and be with him. Except that I don’t have any money, and I’d hate for you to be left in the lurch with no one to help out over the winter. I don’t want to just quit on you.”
