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Kaden felt an unexpected pang of sympathy for Vanna Zimmerman. He understood the convoluted, gut-wrenching roller coaster of having a parent who was an addict. The love/hate was so deeply entwined, it was impossible to know where one began and the other ended. Eventually, it became a toxic brew that could destroy a person.
“Did Vanna resent her?”
“I don’t think so. It was more like she was . . . ” Sharon searched for the exact word. “Resigned. She loved her mom, but she had no expectations that Lisa would ever be more than a fleeting stranger who appeared and disappeared from her life. It made her jaded.”
Kaden nodded, considering the young woman who was abandoned by her parents. It would have been easy for Vanna to end up on the streets. Instead, she went to college and created a respectable career. Well, respectable on the surface.
“She was obviously smart,” he said.
“Yes. And driven,” Sharon added, lifting her gaze. “I think she decided at a young age her life was going to be the complete opposite of her parents’. She detested any hint of weakness. I don’t think I ever saw her cry. Sometimes I worried she had hardened her heart to the point she could never care about anyone.”
“It seems odd that she would decide to become an EPA agent. It’s not the sort of glamorous, high-paying job that would attract most women with ambition.”
“I’ll admit I was surprised. She always loved science, so I hoped she would become a doctor. Or maybe a pharmacist.” Sharon shrugged. “When she told me she intended to work for the EPA, I assumed it was because it wouldn’t demand a graduate school degree. Unlike a lot of kids, she didn’t have parents to help with college expenses and she was drowning in debt.”
Kaden arched his brows. Vanna had only been out of school a year or so when she became engaged to Darren. So how had she managed to achieve a lifestyle anyone would envy?
“If she was drowning in debt, I’m surprised she could afford a Porsche. And her apartment must have cost a fortune.”
“I never visited her apartment—we’d usually meet at a restaurant or my house—but she did come by to show me the car.”
“Did she say how she paid for it?”
“I did ask. She claimed she’d gotten a fellowship her senior year that wiped out her loans.” Sharon lifted her hands, something that might have been regret rippling over her face. “Honestly, I assumed some man bought her the car and she didn’t want to admit the truth.”
“Was it usual for her to have people buying her stuff?”
Sharon hesitated before heaving a sigh. “Vanna was a beautiful girl and she leveraged it to her advantage. I think she had the philosophy of using people before they could use her. Like I said . . . she was jaded.” Clearly, the older woman knew about her foster daughter’s habit of getting what she wanted by whatever means necessary. But Kaden doubted she knew about the blackmail. She might accept Vanna having her quirks, but she didn’t seem the type to turn a blind eye to illegal activities. Then, abruptly, her expression softened. “At least until she fell in love with your brother. That was different.”
Kaden was instantly distracted. “Different how?”
“It was the first time I’d ever seen her truly happy. As if she discovered whatever it was she was seeking and was suddenly content with her life.” She sent Kaden a small smile, as if sensing his need to believe Vanna hadn’t been using Darren for her own selfish reasons. That she’d loved him. “That’s why I didn’t believe for one second she simply disappeared.”
“Neither did Darren. He was convinced something happened to her.”
“And now . . . maybe . . .”
The older woman’s words hung in the air as they both considered the potential end of the fifteen-year-old mystery. It was bound to change both of their lives.
Of course, nothing was solved yet. There were still more questions than answers. Kaden took a second to consider what he’d learned from Sharon, trying to decide what might be relevant to Vanna’s murder.
“Did Vanna say anything about the fellowship she received?” he finally asked. It seemed odd she would get enough money to pay off her debts her senior year.
“She called it the Burke Fellowship Award,” Sharon said without hesitation.
Kaden grunted, as if he’d taken a blow to the gut. “Burke? You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Sharon gave a firm nod of her head. “I remember the name because I looked it up after Vanna left and couldn’t find any information about the fellowship. I even contacted the college. They couldn’t give out any private information, but they did say they didn’t have a fellowship by that name. The next time Vanna visited me, I asked for more information. I was worried she was being lured into some con. After all, if something seems to be too good to be true, it usually is.”
Kaden clenched his hands. “What did she say?”
“She claimed it was a private fellowship that was given by some man named Burke to a worthy student going into the EPA.” Sharon’s eyes dimmed. “That’s when I began to suspect a man bought the Porsche for her and she didn’t want to admit it. At least not to me.”
“Do you know how much the fellowship was supposedly worth?”
Sharon pursed her lips. “If Vanna was being honest and she really did pay off her loans, it had to be at least twenty-five thousand dollars. Plus whatever the car and her apartment cost.”
Kaden whistled. He hadn’t expected such a large number. “That’s a big fellowship.”
