Ben typed the name into his notes app. "Are they still around?"
"As far as I know. They sold the coffee shop years ago and moved to Florida after Jim retired.”
“We’ll find her,” Ben assured Kelly. “Wait, is this maybe her Facebook page?”
He handed Kelly his phone.
“That looks like her,” Kelly replied. “Let me send her a message and leave her my phone number. Maybe she’ll call me back. I remember her as being friendly and nice.”
"Perfect," Ben said. "Patricia might know who Lori was spending time with that summer. If Lori was helping at thecoffee shop, she might have noticed regular customers who paid special attention to her niece."
"And if Lori was cheating on Cal, she might have confided in her aunt rather than friends back home," Kelly added. "Especially if she was trying to keep it quiet in Bergen."
"Exactly," Ben confirmed. "This could be the lead we need."
Kelly felt a small surge of hope amid the confusion and hurt. This was actionable. This was something they could pursue. It was better to do something…anything…rather than sit around and let her thoughts drive her crazy.
"I'll send the message now," she said, reaching for her phone.
"Wait," Ben said. His hand lightly touched her arm, the warmth of his skin a stark contrast to the chill she'd felt since learning about Lori's secrets. "Before you do, let's think about our approach. If Patricia knows something, we don't want to scare her off."
"I’ll keep it casual. No big deal. Back in town and reminiscing. That sort of thing. I’ll tell her that I found a few photos and offer to share them. I do actually have some that Patricia might want."
It wasn’t much, but it was something. A new path, a new direction.
Lori, just what did you do that summer?
Chapter
Nineteen
Ben glancedat his watch for the third time in as many minutes. The rehearsal dinner was less than three hours away, and they still had to get back to the condo to shower and change. He didn't care about being late himself, but he knew Kelly's family would use any excuse to criticize her. His protective instincts flared at the thought. He'd rather face down a board of angry investors than watch Kelly endure her family's subtle barbs and disappointed sighs.
"We'll have enough time," Kelly reassured him, misinterpreting his concern as she hurried alongside him through the high school corridors.
Their footsteps echoed against the worn linoleum floors, joining the distant sounds of students in after-school activities.
The hallways were surprisingly familiar despite never having been in this particular school before. The same bulletin boards covered with announcements, the same trophy cases, the same slightly antiseptic smell mixed with floor polish.
The drama club had plastered several walls with posters advertising their upcoming production of "Romeo and Juliet.”Student artwork lined other walls, some impressive, others endearingly amateur.
"The auditorium is this way," Kelly said, pointing down a hallway to their left.
They found the auditorium at the end of a long corridor. The door was propped open, and the sounds of teenage voices reciting lines spilled out into the hallway. Ben peered inside to see a small theater setup, with students on stage while a man with thinning brown hair and elbow patches on his tweed jacket gesticulated wildly from the front row.
"That's him," Kelly whispered. "Keith Caldwell."
Caldwell had that classic intellectual look from television and movies. The wire-rimmed glasses, the carefully disheveled hair, the academic attire that seemed like a costume rather than clothes. All Caldwell needed was a roaring fire, an Irish setter on the rug, and an old leather chair to read Pride and Prejudice.
They stood quietly at the back until Caldwell noticed them. His eyes lingered a moment too long on Kelly before he turned back to his students.
"That's all for today," he announced. "Review your lines. I want Act Two memorized by Monday."
The students scrambled to gather their belongings, their energy a stark contrast to Caldwell's affected languor as he approached Ben and Kelly. His smile was practiced, showing too many teeth.
"Kelly Bateman," he said, ignoring Ben completely. "What a pleasant surprise. You've grown into quite the lovely woman. I heard you were back in town for your sister’s wedding."
Ben noticed the slight stiffening of Kelly's shoulders at the familiar way Caldwell addressed her, at the appreciative glance that was just this side of inappropriate.
