“Okay,” he said a minute later. The traffic sounds were no longer audible. “I pulled into the service plaza. Now tell me what’s going on.”
She cleared her throat. “I … I learned something today …” she repeated.
“What?” His voice was a combination of gentle strength and comfort and was coming from the perfect father that she knew.
The only way Maddie could do this was to get the words out fast. So she took a deep breath, then spit out the question: “Did Rex’s father kill my mother?” She stared at the wall, waiting for an answer.
“Who the hell told you that?” Strength and comfort gave way to anger.
“An old fisherman.”
“What’s his name?”
“Bud Erikson.”
Stephen paused. “Dave’s father.”
She cried again. “Yes. What should I do about Rex, Dad?”
“Do you think it’s true?”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you did.”
“No, honey, I don’t. Does Rex know?”
“I haven’t asked him.”
“Maybe you should start there. It could be a lie. Maybe this Bud character wants to stir up trouble where no trouble is warranted.”
Yes, Maddie thought.Maybe Bud had had a crush on Hannah that he never got over. Or maybe he had a different reason to lie. Her crying stopped. She started to feel hopeful that this could be cleared up.
“He’s a strange man, Dad. I asked if he’d been sending me the notes, but he claimed he didn’t know what I was talking about.”
Stephen paused. “What notes?”
Maddie gulped. Her father didn’t know about them because she hadn’t told him. So she gave him a quick rundown and hoped he’d forgive her for not telling him sooner. “I firstthought they might be from a woman who was jealous of Rex and me being together. Or someone who didn’t want me to open the bookshop. Now I’m not sure. Rex came here to tell me who sent them, but Erikson had just told me about Rex’s father, so right now I don’t want to talk to Rex, never mind have to look at him.”
Stephen paused again, then sighed. “From the small amount of time I’ve spent with Rex, it’s obvious he cares about you a lot. And, like it or not, he is the father of your unborn child.” He let that sink in before reiterating, “You need to talk with him, Maddie.”
“But how, Dad? Where do I start?”
“You start at the beginning. You start by hanging up the phone and calling him. Before you let more time elapse. It isn’t worth putting this stress on yourself or your baby when the story might be a sham.”
He was right and she knew it. She also knew she could not do it with a phone call.
Chapter 34
It was fully dark when Maddie left the cottage and started walking up the hill toward where she’d left Orson. The night air was chilly for the end of May; when she’d taken a flashlight out of the hall closet, she should have also grabbed a jacket. But if she turned back to get one now, she might lose her nerve to drive to Chappy; her tunic would have to do. Besides, Orson had that new heater.
So Maddie kept walking, swinging the flashlight from side to side. Which was how, as the lot came into view, she noticed that a pickup was parked next to Orson. It was Rex’s.
She stopped. If he was inside, he no doubt had seen the beam from her flashlight. But she couldn’t see anyone in there. At least, no one who was moving.
She stepped closer.
Still nothing.
Then, tipping the beam toward the ground, she moved up to the driver’s window. And saw Rex’s silhouette behind the wheel.
