AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But she was apprehended and will be tried. Kylie was returned safely, and it’s over.”
“Is it really?” He held her panicked gaze. “What if there was more to it than we know? Yes, I know she said she did it out of anger, but what if someone else was involved? Maybe she didn’t want to implicate that person.”
“If that were true, why try to silence me about something I don’t even know?”
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to think of all possible explanations. These guys were rich enough to afford a nice boat. Does that mean something?”
A frown formed on her brow. “I have no idea. Glenn had amassed quite a lot of money with his scheme, but it appeared he was using it for his election. He owned a fishery, so I’m sure he has more than one boat. My money is on the idea that the men are connected somehow to Glenn.”
“So we have to focus on finding him,” Jon said.
“Easier said than done. We do know that Joel West was oneof the men who helped Glenn escape. And if he was on the boat last night, he’s clearly here and not in Canada.”
“If Shainya is correct,” Jon said.
Annie’s phone sounded. “Kylie is sending me a FaceTime request.” She turned away to answer the call.
At this point Jon didn’t know who was behind the attack on the boat, but he had to figure out how to keep Annie safe. Her living alone with Kylie out there wasn’t the best situation. He’d stayed a few nights when he was first injured, but he couldn’t stay there now with their little girl out of town. It wouldn’t look right, and the temptation might be too great for them to handle.
The ring would be here today since he’d had it overnighted. He could just up and marry her, ring or no ring. His dad was jumping right in with both feet. Jon could do the same.
Fifteen
Sarah paused to fan away the mosquitoes swarming her face. “We should have waited for the sun to drive the mosquitoes away.” Mist hung in the humid air, and the scent of the lake mingled with the wildflowers under her feet.
Anu had awakened her early to go for a hike along the shore, and the foliage was still damp. The older woman didn’t appear to be winded or in need of a break.
Anu paused to adjust her sneaker and to retie the bandana around her head. “It’s out now, and the skeeters will be gone soon. Did you sleep well?”
“Not really.” Anu’s open expression and the concern in her blue eyes prompted Sarah to expand her comment. “It was weird being back in that cabin, you know? Were you here back then? When I was abducted?”
“Oh my, yes, Sarah. The entire community turned out to search for you. There was a manhunt that went on for months. We wanted to bring you home even if the news was very bad. Your poor parents grieved so much. Your mother was never quite the same.”
Sarah settled on a large rock by the water and tossed pebbles into the gentle waves. “You knew her well?”
Anu picked a wildflower and sniffed it. “Very well. She was an expert rug weaver. I sold her rugs in my store just as I sell Annie’s now.”
“Did you know my cousin’s family?”
Anu eased down onto a boulder and pulled out her water bottle. “Nearly everyone in the region has been in my store, so yes, I knew Sean and his uncle. His parents, too, of course.”
“Uncle? I didn’t know Mother had a brother. I only ever met Sean.”
“The family had a most painful falling out many years ago. Sean’s father, Clive, was a most distasteful man, and he would cross the street to avoid speaking to his brother Mort. And Mort ended up changing his name.”
“I was thinking about the abduction last night.” She told Anu about timing how long it took to walk to the dock. “My memories of that night are unclear, but I remember Mother coming out of the shadows and grabbing me. Like she’d been lying in wait. But how could she know we would be there? We didn’t sneak out of bed and go see the loons every night.”
Anu tucked a strand of silvery-blonde hair behind her ear, and a frown appeared on her brow. “That is a most interesting observation, Sarah. Do you know who was in the cabin that night? Anyone except your parents?”
“I don’t remember anyone else, but I was only five. Annie might remember.”
Sarah couldn’t let it go. There was some detail they were missing about that abduction. What if it had been planned? Who would have planned it? And why?
“I wish I could talk to Annie about it all. She hates me now.”
Anu stooped down and retied her sneaker. “She is hurt, my dear. Give her time.”
“Since she won’t speak to me, could you ask her if anyone else was there that night?”
