“And?”
“We may have found something.”
Harlow studied her father’s face, searching for clues about what was coming next. “Found what?”
“I think it would be best to show you,” David said. “To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out if it means anything.”
Chapter 3
Harlow dropped her bags in her room and caught up with her father near the front door. Mort, who was determined not to let her out of his sight, nudged his way past them, blocking their exit. “I think it’s safe to say Mort plans to stick by me like glue.”
“He’s gone to your bedroom door every single morning looking for you,” her father said. “Until this morning. He switched places and has been monitoring the front door.”
“Like he already knew I was coming home today,” Harlow fluffed the pup’s ears. “I missed you too, buddy.”
David carried his boots onto the porch. “You’ll need your yard boots. There’s a lot of mud.”
“You mentioned something about the fire investigation.” Harlow, balancing on one foot, slid her free foot into the burgundy sloggers, the ones she’d found in the hall closet tucked away in the back.
All these years, her father had kept not only her garden boots but also Harlow’s hats, gloves, scarves, and jackets. Eryn had jokingly called it the “shrine to Harlow,” the items David had kept stashed, hoping one day his estranged daughter would return home.
She grabbed her medium-weight, not-quite-warm yet not-brutally cold all-weather jacket and fell into step. They plodded across the street with Mort leading the way, not stopping until they reached Wynn Harbor Inn’s main building, or what little of it that was left.
While Harlow’s workers had gutted Lighthouse Lane, renovating it from the inside out, the crew who was working on Wynn Harbor Inn had finally finished dismantling the remnants. All that remained was a double-sided fieldstone fireplace, the focal point of what had once been one of Mackinac Island’s premier resorts.
Although she knew this was coming, that the crew was scheduled to finish taking down the charred remains, Harlow could feel her throat clog. So many wonderful memories. So much devastating loss.
“It looks…”
“Empty,” David said.
“The final fragments of a sad era in our lives are gone.” Harlow sucked in a breath and dusted her hands. “On the bright side, we’re starting a new chapter. Hopefully, with Caleb’s and the fire investigator’s help, we can finally figure out what happened and have closure about Mom’s death.”
“Speaking of the investigation.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic baggie. “Caleb and Jim Cook went over every square inch of the property before the site was cleared. They found this in the fireplace.”
Harlow squinted her eyes. “What is it?”
David opened the bag and removed a small chunk of charred metal. “It’s some sort of pin.”
She took it from him, turning it over in her hand. “You said they found it in the fireplace? Was there anything else?”
“Nope. I know it’s in rough shape, but do you recall ever seeing this?”
Harlow absentmindedly rubbed her finger over the top. “No, but a lot of the details are fuzzy, and I’m not sure I would notice a pin. How about you?”
“Same. I went over the guest list, going back two weeks before the fire, to see if anyone came to mind, but nothing.”
“Why would someone throw their pin away in the fireplace?” Harlow handed it back. “It could be a clue, or maybe it’s nothing.”
David reminded his daughter about how Ginger had been working on a project. Although she was normally an early to bed, early to rise person, she’d stayed up late the night of the fire. “I can’t stop thinking about how your mother was still up when I walked by.”
“Working on the project,” Harlow said. “Do you think her staying up late is some sort of a clue?”
“I wish I knew.”
She spun around in a slow circle. “Did you ask Caleb and Cook about the accelerant to find out if they’re certain that someone had used the dryer vent to set the utility room on fire?”
“I did. Both are in agreement they believe this is the case.” David told her Caleb had gone over the original report again but wasn’t able to glean any new clues.
