 |
| Faith Creek Mysteries |
Tessa and Rae visit Jonah in the hospital, hoping he'll answer their questions about Lena Wyatt's disappearance. But as he reveals the school's reluctance to cooperate fifteen years ago, a name from the past gives the sisters a new lead to follow.
Episode 13 | A Name from the Past
By the time Tessa and Rae reached Faith Creek Regional Hospital, Clarice was leaving Room 214.
"Miss Clarice," Rae said. "How's Dad?"
"He’s fine." Clarice smiled. "He tried to convince me he'd be home tomorrow."
"Wishful thinking," Tessa said.
"I told him to listen to his doctors." She adjusted her purse. "Sheriff Reyes came by, too. He asked me about that phone call."
"Did he talk to Dad?" Tessa asked.
"He did. Left a few minutes ago."
Clarice touched Rae's arm. "You girls take care of yourselves. And make sure your daddy gets some rest."
"We'll try," Rae said.
Inside, Jonah was sitting up in bed, the television playing quietly.
"There's my girls." He reached for the remote. "You bring something to eat?"
"Miss Clarice brought you lunch earlier," Rae teased.
Tessa pulled a chair beside his bed.
"We stopped by your office."
"So I heard. Clarice said you were there."
"Tasha Wyatt came by," Tessa said.
Jonah straightened a little. "Tasha? How's she doing?"
"She's worried about you. And she told us what she remembers about Lena."
"Did she tell you about the boyfriend?"
"Yes. But she couldn't give us a name."
Jonah nodded slowly. "That's the part that's bothered me all these years.”
"We found your Wyatt file, too," Tessa said.
Jonah studied her. "Did you now?"
"And we have questions."
A slow smile crossed his face. "Now you sound like a James."
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "You said that the last time I was here."
"Still true."
Rae took the other chair. "Dad, why didn't the school interview Lena's classmates?"
Jonah's smile faded. "That's a question I asked fifteen years ago."
"And?" Tessa prompted.
"The school stonewalled. Said they'd already spoken to the ones who mattered. Faculty, staff, family. No one wanted to talk about it."
"Lena was sixteen," Tessa said. "Her friends might have known more about her than the adults."
"Jeff Handler told me Lena didn't have any close friends," Jonah said.
"And you believed him?" Tessa asked.
"I didn't say that."
Jonah looked at her, his eyes sharp. "The department wasn't in the truth business back then. It was in the keeping-quiet business."
Rae leaned forward.
"We found the photograph. The one from the school security camera."
Jonah nodded.
"Did you ever find out who was walking with Lena?" she asked.
"No. That photo didn't surface until years later. Security footage was 'lost,' or so they said. Someone left me that copy anonymously after I left the department. Slid it under my office door in a brown envelope."
"Did you have it checked for fingerprints?" Tessa asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing there.”
Tessa exchanged a look with Rae.
"Someone had access to footage the school claimed was missing," Tessa said.
"And someone wanted me to see it," Jonah replied.
"But whoever sent it didn't want to come forward," Rae added.
Jonah nodded.
Tessa took out her notebook.
"What about Trudy Reynolds?"
Jonah's expression changed. "What about her?"
"You underlined her name twice. Wrote that she lied about seeing Lena."
"I believe she did."
"What makes you think that?"
"Something about the way she answered my questions. She was holding something back."
"But you couldn't prove it?"
"No. And when I questioned her again, she stuck to her story."
"That's not proof she lied, Dad."
"No. But it's enough to make a man keep asking."
Rae shook her head. "Fifteen years, and still nobody wants to talk.”
"Not everybody," Jonah said.
Rae looked up. "Who did?"
"Whoever sent the photograph," Tessa said.
"Exactly," Jonah agreed. “We just don’t know who it is.”
Tessa opened her notebook to a fresh page. "What about the anonymous letter?”
Jonah looked at her. "What letter?"
"The unsigned letter. The one that says they buried more than a girl."
His expression grew serious. "That letter."
"Do you know who sent it?"
"No."
"Did you tell Sheriff Reyes about it?"
Jonah sighed. "Tess—"
"Dad, somebody shot you. If that letter is connected to what happened, Reyes should know about it.”
"Then tell him."
Tessa paused. "You want me to?"
"I want whoever shot me caught. And I want to know what happened to Lena."
"Those might be the same investigation."
"That's what worries me."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Jonah looked at her notebook. "You've been busy."
"Rae and I have been looking through what you left at the office."
"Figured you might."
Tessa studied him. "You wanted me to find those files."
"I told you where they were."
"That's not an answer."
He smiled faintly. "You're good at this."
"Dad. It's what I do for a living."
"Then maybe you'll get answers that I couldn’t.”
Rae grinned. "That’s what I told her."
"Don't start," Tessa warned.
Jonah chuckled, then winced.
Rae immediately sat forward. "Dad?"
"I'm all right."
"You don't look all right."
"I've been shot, Rae. I'm entitled to look a little rough."
Tessa waited until he settled against the pillows.
"Walter Bridges was chairman of the school board back then," Jonah said. "Jeff Handler was the principal."
"Where are they now?"
"Both dead. Jeff went first, in a car accident. Walter died about two years ago."
Tessa made a note. "Anyone else?"
"Walter's wife, Joyce. She taught English at the high school."
"Did you speak with her?"
"I did. She claimed she couldn't remember anything about Lena."
"Did you believe her?"
Jonah shook his head.
"Joyce Bridges had an impeccable memory."
"Where can we find her?"
"Last I heard, she moved to Little Rock."
Rae reached for her phone. "I can look into that."
Jonah glanced at Tessa, a knowing smile tugging at his mouth.
"You sure you're not taking up my investigation?"
"I'm sure I still don't want to."
"Didn't ask what you wanted."
Tessa gave him a look. "Careful, Dad."
He laughed softly.
A moment later, a nurse came into the room.
"Mr. James, it's time for your medication; you need to get some rest."
Jonah gestured toward his daughters. "Tell them."
The nurse smiled. "I'm telling all three of you."
Rae stood and kissed her father's cheek. "We'll be back tomorrow."
"Bring food."
"We'll let Miss Clarice know," Tessa teased.
Jonah gave her a look that made Rae laugh.
Tessa leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Get some rest, Dad."
"Yes, ma'am."
She was almost at the door when he called her name.
"Tess."
She turned.
"Don't let them give you the runaround they gave me."
"I won't."
Jonah nodded, apparently satisfied.
In the hallway, Rae was already searching on her phone.
"Joyce Bridges," she murmured. "Let's see where you've been hiding."
Tessa glanced back at Room 214.
For the first time since returning to Faith Creek, Tessa wondered if she might actually be able to help her father.
KEEP READING…
A new lead sends Tessa and Rae searching for Joyce Bridges, a woman who may know more about Lena Wyatt's disappearance than she ever revealed. But what they discover could complicate their search for answers.
No comments:
Post a Comment