All Things Lost (33 page)

     “You like Dickens?” I asked her.

     She looked up blinking her enormous golden eyes in the bright sunlight. Those eyes made her look even more like a cat. She raised a hand to shade her eyes and looked me over before answering.

     “Not really,” she said at last, setting the book aside, “but there
ain't
much else to do around here. Who're you?”

     “My name's Killian Kendall,” I told her. Somehow I didn't think this young woman would be impressed by a reporter and I thought I would get farther with her by being truthful. “I'm a private investigator. Are you Olivia
Purnell
?”

     “That's me. What's a PI doing looking for me? I stay out of trouble. I don't plan on staying here for the rest of my life.”

     I smiled at her. “You aren't in trouble. I'm actually hoping you can help me with a case I'm working on. Can I ask you a few questions?”

     She eyed me suspiciously.
“Questions about what?”

     “Caleb Cohen.”

     
“Oh, him.
What, did you get my name from that reporter jerk? I really didn't know him that well, Caleb I mean. I don't know what I can tell you.”

     “If you knew him at all you'll be one up on anyone else I've talked to.”

     “Well, he was quiet…” she started and I joined in to finish in a chorus, “…and he kept to himself.”

     She grinned. It was a beautiful smile. She patted the step next to her and I sat down.

     “Yeah, ok. I see what you mean.
Lemme
think. He was in a few of my classes but we didn't exactly hang, you know? He's really smart, seemed like a nice kid. He always seemed like he was carrying around some weight on his shoulders, you know, serious and sad looking. I was really surprised when they said he did his dad like that. He didn't seem like the type to me, but I guess it's always the quiet ones, huh?”

     
“Maybe, maybe not.”

     “Oh, I get it. Y'all don't think he did it, do you?”

     “That's what I'm trying to find out. If he didn't hang with you, who did he hang with?”

     
“Nobody.
Like I said, he was always by himself; I guess you'd call him a loner. He ate alone, walked alone, sat alone,
studied
alone.”

     “You never saw him with anyone?”

     She thought a minute before answering. “Well…”

     “Well, what?”

     “There was one person but he talks to everybody so it's not like they were buddies or anything.”

     “But he did talk to Caleb sometimes?”

     “Yeah, but he's one of those guys who talks to everyone. You know,
kinda
…well let's just say he marches to the beat of a different drummer, or maybe a whole band-and it's all in his head.”

     “What do you mean? Is he like, um, mentally challenged?”

     She laughed. “No, he's not a retard. He's really smart, just…eccentric.”

     I raised my eyebrows. “Eccentric?”

     “Yeah, but that's all I'm saying. If you're going to meet him it would be better if you just made your impressions then. I will say he's quite unique.” She had a strange twinkle in her eye and a smile tugging at the corners of her full lips.

     “So what's this guy's name?”

     “We call him Finn, but his name's Finnegan Byrne. That's B-Y-R-N-E.”

     
“Finnegan?”
I asked as I wrote it down in my notebook.

     
“Yup.
Maybe you
hafta
be a bit eccentric with a name like that.”

     “Hey, mine's Killian so I try not to cast stones. You know, people in glass houses…”

     
“Nothing wrong with Killian.
I kind of like it.”

     “Thanks. Do you know where Finnegan lives?”

     “Not really. I think
it's
outside town, though, but I'm not sure.”

     “Well, that was…vague.”

     She smiled. “Well, that's your job isn't it? Can't make things too easy on you or you might
hafta
hire me for your fancy agency.”

     I snorted.

     “Hey, you think I'm kidding, but I'm looking for a job. I told you, I
ain't
staying here forever. I want out. I get good grade so I'll probably get a scholarship or something but I'm still
gonna
need money.”

     “If we start hiring you'll be the first to know.”

     “I better be. Good luck, Detective.”

     I laughed.
“Yeah, you too, Olivia.
I'll let you get back to your book.”

     “Whoopee,” she said dryly as she picked up the hardback.

     “Thanks,” I said as I stood up and started away.

     “No, thank you,” she said. She watched me walk away, following me all the way to my car with her cat-like eyes.

     I had no idea how to find this kid Finnegan Byrne, but I figured Novak would have some ideas so I headed back to the office. Upon my return, I found my mentor standing in the middle of the parking lot staring up at the sky.

     I parked and walked over to him, staring up in the general direction he was looking.

     “What are we looking at?” I asked after a minute.

     “See that hawk up there?” he asked.

     I looked. “No.”

     “Right there, on the edge of the roof, just sitting there.”

     “That's a hawk? He looks
kinda
small to be a hawk.”

     “It is small. It's a kestrel, very common.”

     “So why are we standing out here in the heat staring at it.”

     
“Because it's there.”

     “Ah.”

     “And I needed a break from the office.”

     “Oh.”

     “Did you find out anything useful?”

     “I think so.”

     “Great, let's go up to the office and you can tell me all about it. It's hot out here.”

     “Are we done looking at the bird?”

     “Yes, we're done looking at the bird.”

     I shrugged and followed him up to his office. Once we were settled in I told him about my conversation with Olivia
Purnell
and how she had given me the name Finnegan Byrne.”

     “He should be easy enough to find. There can't be that many Byrnes' in the phone book. You'll just call them until you find Finnegan. That's about as Irish a name as Killian.”

     “Shane is pretty Irish too, isn't it?”

     “But not Novak,” he pointed out. “How do you feel about a trip to
Washington
?”

     The sudden shift in conversation surprised me at first. “DC?” I asked.

     
“No, state.
Yes,
Washington
DC
.”

     “Why are we going there?”

     “It's our nation's capitol, a cultural center filled with national treasures like the Smithsonian Institute, art galleries, the National Zoo, etcetera, etcetera.”

     “So, it's a pleasure trip?”

     “Oh no, it's business.”

     “But you just said-”

     “I was merely pointing out some of the highlights of the city.”

     “You are so maddening sometimes.”

     “I try.”

     “Would someone please tell me why we're going to
Washington
DC
?”

     “All you had to do was ask.”

     
“I-you-
arg
!”

     
“Temper, temper.
You must have patience grasshopper. It is the most important tool in the PI trade.”

     I released a monumentally put-upon sigh and Novak finally took pity on me.

     “Very well, we're going to DC for one reason and one reason only.”

     “And that reason is…?”

     “Because that's where Rachel Cohen is.”

Chapter 19

“You found Rachel Cohen?” I asked, excitement filling my voice.

     “
Yes,
or rather Rachel Shannon as she's known now.”

     “
Shannon
?”

     
“Her middle name.
She was born Rachel Shannon Gill. When she married Ira Cohen she took the name Rachel Gill Cohen. When she ran she took her middle name as her last name.”

     “How'd you find her?”

     Novak pushed back in his chair with a smug expression on his face. “Traced every name I could think of using different combinations of all her names. It's not as easy as it sounds; do you know how many people exist with that combination of names? I came up with well over 150 and that was just a cursory search. I narrowed the search by eliminating people not in the right age range. Then I took a chance and narrowed my search to the tri-state area, especially looking at the DC/ Baltimore area. I figured she'd head for a city since that's the easiest place to get lost. I got a couple hits on a Rachel Shannon in DC. I have an associate in DC that I called and he went out and checked her out for me. He didn't approach her but she matches the description.”

     “So we just drive up there and what, knock on her door?”

     
“Pretty much.”

     
“When?”

     “I was thinking about tomorrow. We'll spend the night and come back the next day.
You up for it?”

     
“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

     “Great, go on home and get things cleared with your family.”

     “Ok. What time do you want me here in the morning?
Regular time?”

     “That'll be fine. Oh, and your friend called. He left a message. It's on your desk.”

     “Thanks,” I said.
Friend?
I couldn't imagine who it could be. I picked up the slip of paper of my desk and saw that it was Will. Now why was he calling me? I called him back.

     “Hey Killian,” he said, “Do you think you could stop by sometime soon? I really need to talk to someone. I called Asher but he was busy so…”

     “What's up?”

     “I'd rather wait until you get here.”

     “Ok, sure. I'll be there in a few minutes.”

     “You don't have to rush out or anything.”

     “No, I was leaving anyway. Is now ok?”

     “Yeah, it's great.”

     “I'll be right there.”

     I yelled a good-bye to Novak and headed out. I arrived at Will's house soon after.

     “Hey, Killian,” he said as soon as I was inside. “Thanks for coming over. I really appreciate it.”

     “Hey, that's what friends are for, right?”

     He gave me a weak smile and suddenly burst into tears.

     “Will, what's wrong? Is the baby ok?
Your mom?”

     “There're fine,” he sniffled, “It's not that. It's just…Nikki came to see me this morning. It brought back a lot of stuff that I've been trying to forget.”

     “Aidan?”

     
“Yeah.”

     “Maybe you shouldn't be trying so hard to forget him, Will.”

     He looked at me with haunted eyes, “But it hurts so much.”

     I crossed the room and sat down next to him on the couch and wrapped my arms around him. “I know, sweetie, I know.”

     “I hardly ever think about him, I don't let myself think about him. I miss him so much. I dream about him every night. That he's there. Sometimes I wake up and my pillow is wet from my tears. Sometimes I wake up and think he's there next to me, in bed. I forget where I'm at, forget that he's dead.” His voice broke off in a ragged sob.

     I held him tighter and rocked gently back and forth. He clung to me like I was his only lifeline.