3 Dime If I Know (19 page)

Finally. We were getting somewhere. “This goes back to your sister? To Brenna?”

“Yes. Everything goes back to that. My family changed after her death. We weren’t close-knit before, but afterward we could barely spend time in the same room together. Everyone was so sad, so fragile. It’s still there in that house, that tension. Did you feel it?”

“I did, and I wondered if it bothered you. I’m sorry I encouraged you to visit them. I thought you’d feel better with your family’s support behind you in this trying time. I made the situation worse, and I apologize for that. And then to have you become physically ill while we were there only added insult to injury. I promise I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over this. My family won’t change. They’re too rigid in their thinking, and they don’t even see it. I’m lucky I got out, that I’m able to have a limited objective view.”

“Care to share your observations with me?”

“They’re chasing empty dreams. My father drinks too much and indulges himself with boats and golf. My mother’s off doing her charity work. Reggie’s burying herself alive in the company, and Hill’s still a child in his attitudes and spending patterns. He may never grow up.”

“Interesting.” I had similar inclinations about his family. But there was something missing. “What about you? What do you see about yourself?”

“I’m chasing after independence, but it isn’t enough. It may never be enough.”

The way his voice trailed off alarmed me. I’d never heard him sound so sad. “Rafe?”

“I carry the burden and shame from Brenna’s accidental shooting because I shot first. That knowledge is there when I wake up in the morning, it’s there when I close my eyes at night. I was part of that. I caused the death of a person I loved.”

I parked the car outside his place and wished I could stop his pain. Poor guy. I couldn’t imagine what that would feel like. I’d never killed anyone, and I hoped to high heaven I never would. The police. The mess. The guilt. I shuddered.

“I’m sorry. If there’s anything I can do, name it.”

“You can spend the night with me.”

“Now I know you’re feeling better. Mama’s sleeping over at Bud’s house tonight. I have to go home, and you know it. We had our big chance last night.”

“Some fun that was.” He kissed me on the lips, lightly. “I’m glad you’re in my life. I don’t know how I’d make it through this without someone strong at my side.”

“Thanks.” The things we’d spoken about tossed around in my head like damp towels in a clothes dryer. Certain aspects of his sister’s death struck me as inconsistent. “Not to belabor a point, but did you ever see your sister’s death certificate?”

He drew back, his eyes searching my face. “No.”

“I’ve heard you speak about her death twice now, and I can’t quite visualize the logistics. How’d your sister get down there? Did she often hide at the shooting range? Why didn’t she cry out? Why didn’t she move when she heard you guys talking or shooting? For her to have been struck the same as the paper target, she had to be standing at the same height. Didn’t that strike you as odd?”

“Never thought about it before. Back then it was all about sorrow and loss. Still is, but I see your point. Why didn’t Brenna help herself? Why didn’t she stick to our routine? Why didn’t she wait?”

“Did anyone else know of your plans?”

“We didn’t confide in the adults, but it wasn’t a secret. We kids had free range of the property back then.”

My suspicion-o-meter spun into high gear. “I need to see that death certificate. I’m going to request one through Vital Records.”

“Why? What do you suspect?”

“I doubt it occurred as you were led to believe. We’ll see what the death certificate says. Oh, and one more thing before you go, Rafe. That little girl, Kylie, we haven’t talked about her.”

“Starr’s kid? Why should we talk about her?”

“The resemblance is strong. If I were you, I’d request a paternity test.”

“Kylie is beautiful, but she can’t be my kid. I’d stake my life on it.”

“Hope it doesn’t come to that. But a paternity test will clarify who her father is. That might lead us to someone with a motive to kill Starr.”

“It will help clear my name?”

“Proving she’s not your daughter will support my theory that the police rushed to judgment in labeling you a person of interest.”

“All right, then. Let’s demand a paternity test. I want to get out from under this cloud of suspicion.”

As I drove home, I mulled the possibilities. The child shared the same coloring as Rafe. If he was wrong and Kylie was his daughter, the paternity test would add weight to the evidence against him.

But if the child wasn’t his, that opened the door to another Golden being the father, another person who had a vested interest in Starr’s life or death. After meeting Rafe’s family and learning they all golfed at the club where Rafe met Starr, I had no doubt that his brother and father knew Starr. And there must be other Goldens in the extended family—Ashley’s father, for one.

A Golden had fathered Starr’s child, but which one?

Deer Pines Mobile Home Park in Madeira had seen better days. A smorgasbord of worn-out vehicles accented the postage-stamp lawns and faded trailers. Last time I visited here, Jonette had helped lighten the tension, but my passenger today, Rafe, seemed underwhelmed by his lackluster surroundings.

But he had good reason, given the call he’d received from the golf course trustees this morning placing him on administrative leave. I’d hoped they wouldn’t be so heartless, but I’d hoped in vain. Everyone wanted to be associated with a winner. With the negative press about Rafe, he’d changed from winner to loser in their eyes.

Ouch.

On the bright side, he now had time to help chase down leads. Good thing my accounting business was slow this time of year. I couldn’t leave Rafe’s future to chance.

I stopped on the street in front of the tan trailer and stared at it with growing unease. A maroon sedan with a cardboard passenger-side window sat in the one-car driveway. Would Starr’s sister even talk to us? “This is her place.”

“I’ve been here before.”

“Oh. Right.” Heat steamed up my collar. Of course he knew where his former girlfriend lived. “I knew that.”

He craned his neck to scan the neighborhood. “Looks the same, except for the vehicle. Never seen that before.”

“Must be the sister’s car.” The curtains inside the trailer moved. I hoped with all my might we would find answers inside. “Someone’s home. Let’s go.”

We walked up to the door and knocked. A television blared inside.

Jenny Kulp, Starr’s sister, answered the door. Her bloodshot eyes and matted hair gave her a wild look, worrying me. Had we awakened her at eleven in the morning? Was she a fit parent?

“I’m Cleo Jones,” I began. “I met you at Starr’s memorial service. I apologize for dropping in unexpectedly, but I didn’t have your phone number.”

“I know who you are.” Her narrowed gaze drifted over to Rafe and warmed. “I can guess who you are. Hello, handsome.”

“May we come in?” I asked. “We’d like to talk to you about Kylie.”

A little imp in clothes a size too small peered around Jenny’s denim-clad leg. The Golden family resemblance appeared even stronger in person.

I knelt down to her level. “Hi. I’m Cleo.” I reached into my purse for the small stuffed animal I’d brought and offered it to her. “Would you like this bear?”

Her eyes rounded like saucers. She nodded yes, but she didn’t reach for the toy. My heart went out to the timid child.

Rafe knelt beside me and smiled. “Hello, Kylie. I’m a friend of your mother’s.”

“I don’t want to do this outside,” Jenny said, her reedy voice sailing over our heads. “Come on in.”

She stepped aside, and I saw a jumble of clothes heaped on the sofa. Jenny-sized shoes and one cheap plastic doll were on the floor. I scanned the room as unobtrusively as possible. There were no other toys in sight. A whiff of garbage tainted the air.

“I’m glad you showed up,” Jenny said to Rafe as she zapped the TV remote. “We can’t make ends meet, and I’m plain worn out worrying over it. A thousand a month. That’s what you paid Starr, right? A thousand a month would put food on our table and keep our electricity turned on.”

My God. This woman had never met Rafe before, and the first words out of her mouth were gimme gimme? That wasn’t right. Though I wanted to blast into her, I held onto my patience. It wasn’t easy.

Rafe didn’t speak for the longest time. “Your sister told me she was going back to school. I loaned her tuition money to get her back on her feet. She signed papers saying she would repay the loan. I helped her so she could help herself.”

“People like us don’t ever get back on our feet. Don’t you get it? I can’t repay you the money you already gave her, but I can’t take care of Kylie on the money she has coming in either. It isn’t enough. Do you want the kid going to foster care?”

Rafe muttered something under his breath. He reached for his wallet. The big doofus. This woman was playing him, same as Starr had played him. Rafe had a big heart, but he wouldn’t hang on to his money long with the likes of Jenny around.

I stayed his hand. “Let’s think this through. How about if we head back to the discount store on the edge of town and buy some things to help out? That would be a start in the right direction. But, if we agree to help you, we want something in return.”

Suspicion darked Jenny’s pinched face. “What’s that?”

“We need Kylie’s toothbrush or a lock of her hair,” I said.

“Why?”

“Paternity test.”

“Wasting your money,” Jenny said. “The truth is staring you both in the face.”

My chin went up. “That’s the deal. If you want our help today, we want something in return. Otherwise we’re walking out the door and never coming back.”

Jenny searched our faces. We must have looked formidable because she agreed. “Deal.”

I squatted down and offered Kylie the tiny bear again. This time she took it, hugging it to her tummy as if it would fill an empty spot. I rose with a sigh. “We’ll be right back with items for the child.”

With that we walked out. I wanted to take little Kylie home with me, but she was clean and didn’t appear to be underfed or neglected. I didn’t have any rights where the child was concerned, but I wanted an easier life for her.

Rafe hadn’t said anything for a while. I cranked the car and pulled away from the curb. “What are you thinking?”

He scowled. “Kylie looks more like me in person than she did in the picture. How can that be? It isn’t possible she’s my kid, but she sure looks the part. Why didn’t Starr tell me she had a kid? The kid wouldn’t have changed how I felt about Starr. Her daughter can’t be my kid. Because of Brenna, I’ve always taken precautions and have used contraceptives. I’ve never thought I’d make a good parent.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” I said. “You’ve a lot to offer a child and a family. You’re kind and compassionate. You care about people.”

“Starr pulled the wool over my eyes. I’m still a dumb jock.”

“You trusted her, and you wanted to help her. Nothing wrong with that. The fault lay with Starr—she wasn’t honest with you.”

He gazed over at me. “How do you cut to the heart of the matter so easily?”

“Analytical thinking is one of my strengths.” I cleared my throat. “Speaking of figuring stuff out, you mentioned yesterday you had a secret. Is it relevant to Starr or Brenna’s deaths?”

His lips twitched. “Not that I know of.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“We dumb jocks need a few aces in the hole when it comes to smart chicks. Wouldn’t want you to think you know every little thing about me.” He eyed me critically. “But you could try guessing.”

What was he doing? Was he trying to put me off or to intrigue me? Either way, I didn’t like it. With so much at stake I needed an exact answer. I wasn’t buying his dumb jock schtick any more than me being a smart chick. If I was so smart, why couldn’t I figure this out?

I shot him a frosty look. “Guessing is an inexact science. I’ve got my hands full trying to solve Starr’s murder. Maybe we’ll get back to this later.”

He nodded. “Definitely later.”

Not knowing Jenny’s cooking skills, I selected child-friendly, easy to prepare groceries. My shopping cart brimmed with whole milk, juice, cereal, cheese sticks, animal crackers, bread, peanut butter, jelly, bananas, and frozen dinners. I tossed in a new toothbrush for good measure.

I hurried down the clothing aisle, wishing I’d thought to shop for Kylie’s clothes first so that I wouldn’t worry about the frozen items defrosting. I grabbed jammies, undies, shoes, socks, a jacket, jeans, and several long-sleeve shirts. I also threw in several beginning readers, a large teddy bear, crayons, and a coloring book.

Rafe tagged along without saying much. At the checkout counter, he helped place the items on the belt. When I pulled out my credit card, he said, “Put that away. I’m getting this.”

I shook my head. “I volunteered to buy this stuff without consulting you. We didn’t discuss a budget, so I bought what I could afford. I’m prepared to pay for these items. I’ll foot the bill. I want to help little Kylie.”

“You’re helping by knowing what she needs. I couldn’t have done this without your help. Your money’s no good here. I’ve got this.” With that, he swiped his card through the machine.

I wished I could do more to help the child, but solving her mother’s murder would help a little. I contented myself with that knowledge. We carried the shopping bags to the Gray Beast and headed back to the trailer park. The lack of conversation weighed on me. Was Rafe stunned at the thought he might have a daughter?

“She’s a cute kid,” I began.

“I didn’t know about her.”

Though I was driving, he stared straight ahead. What was he thinking? Was he avoiding eye contact with me for a reason? I dithered in that place of
do I push him to open up or wait and see if he said something else.
Why was dating so complicated?

After awhile, he huffed out a breath and looked my way. “Why did Starr keep her a secret from me?”