Balefire (11 page)

I’ll be finished early and hope to be home Friday morning. Can’t wait to see you, R.
 

Her heart sank. She had hoped to use the two weeks to finalize some plans. Damn.

The good news was that her wealthy benefactor, Mr. Hardcastle, loved the sketches for the patio lighthouse and had authorized the project. She used most of the morning negotiating with Stan Svensson from the Eagle
River Lumber Company. They had a long working relationship, and he understood exactly what she needed when she asked for an eight-foot sec
tion of white cedar, kiln dried, cut in two four-foot sections with a three-inch bore. A tapered trunk would work best. He promised to call when he found something.

Her cell phone rang. Phillip.

“I’m glad you called I was just thinking of you,” Silke said.

“I’ve got good news for you,” Phillip said. “I’m still waiting on an appraisal, but this is what I figured out, correct me if I’m wrong. Your Ten
ants In Common agreement provides each of you an opportunity to buy the other one out of the contract. I’m guessing that you’re not in a position to do that, even with a grant. I’m also assuming that with Rachel’s spending habits, she doesn’t have much saved either. That would mean that you both agree to sell the house and split the profits after the mortgage is paid. Correct?”

“That sounds about right, but I don’t see how—”

“Trust me, sis, I think this will work. If you have a chance, would you look it up and find out how much you owe and call me back.”

“All right. I’ll do it now.” She hung up and opened her online banking account. She went to the file for the home loan only to find they still owed a little over one hundred thousand dollars. That was discouraging. Rachel had told her they were much closer to paying it off. On impulse, she called the bank. After she provided the account number, she waited. “I’m not sure that’s correct. Our balance should be much lower . . . all right I’ll wait. Yes. What home equity loan? For twenty-thousand dollars? No, thank you. I’ll look into it.”

Son of a bitch. She felt dizzy and lightheaded. Six months ago? She
tried to think back to an emergency that would have required twenty-thou
sand dollars. Surely it wasn’t the hospital bills. Those were paid by her insurance. She stood up and paced. A cold ball formed in the pit of her stomach and her heart raced. Why would Rachel need twenty-thousand dollars? Why didn’t she tell her?
What
wouldn’t she tell her?

She went out to the kitchen and threw some ice in a glass of water.
Just take a deep breath and calm down. There is no crisis. You can talk about this when she gets home tomorrow.

She returned to the computer and grabbed her cell phone. “Phillip, it’s me. Can you talk?” She stared at the computer screen.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I’m not sure what to make of this, but the balance is one-hundred–and-twelve thousand dollars on the loan. I called because that seemed like too much. They told me there was a twenty-thousand dollar home equity
loan taken out six months ago. I didn’t know anything about. I can’t imag
ine what it was for.” She heard the quiver in her voice and tried to swallow. Her throat was tight.

“Have you had any renovations or car problems?” His tone was serious.

“I can’t think of anything. I went through the line items in our joint account and couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. There were some hospital bills, but they were paid . . . I can’t imagine she’d borrow that much money and not tell me.” Her voice caught.

“Don’t panic. I’m sure there’s a good explanation, but it doesn’t change anything. We can still proceed with this plan.” Anger tinged his words.

“What do you mean it doesn’t change anything? She keeps begging me to trust her. Jesus! First she nearly chokes me to death, lies to me, and now she’s stealing from me?” She jumped up and paced.

“Silke, listen to me. As hard as it is to understand, this is not the time to be emotional. More than ever, you have to try to be logical and practical. You can be as upset as you want, but keep your eyes on your goal. Can you do that?”

His calm measured voice always helped. And he was right. There was nothing to do until Rachel got home. It would be better to stay
calm until she had a plan. “Thank you, I will. I’m so glad you’re here
for me.”

“I’ll call you later. I love you, sis.”
 

“I REALLY APPRECIATE you picking up these photographs. This last minute assignment moved up my schedule.” Kirin spread the pictures out on the counter and nodded. “Good.”

“So what’s the new assignment?” Melissa helped herself to a beer and sat down next to Kirin.

“One of the writers needed emergency surgery, so Esther wants me to run up to Sturgeon Bay and do a quick story on a Veterans parade. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Cool. When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. The parade is on Saturday.” She moved the pic
tures around in a different order.

“So you’ll be up there for the holiday weekend,” Melissa said. “Will you be staying the whole time?”

“I suppose. I’ll probably come back Monday afternoon.”

“I’ll bet Geri and Babs will be having their annual party. That’s always a good time. I haven’t seen those two in, probably a couple of years. I wonder how they’re doing.”

“I haven’t either. I did send them an e-mail to see if they’d be around. Haven’t heard from them yet.” Kirin numbered the back of each picture and put them in order.

“I’d love to go up there this weekend,” Melissa said. “Would you let me go with you? Please.”

Kirin looked up surprised then realized where the whole conversation had been going. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I have a job to do—”

“I won’t be any trouble. I promise I’ll find some place to stay and won’t bother you a bit. Come on. It’ll be like old times. Won’t it be fun to see everybody again? Maybe Riz will be there. Oh shoot, remember the last time? She was so damn drunk.” Melissa laughed.

Kirin couldn’t help joining her. That had been a fun weekend. “Let me think about it. We’ll see if I hear from the girls. Okay? No promises.”

Melissa jumped up and hugged her. “Oh, thank you. I’m sure they’ll be as excited as I am.”

“All right, scram. I need to get some work done.” Kirin could only watch as Melissa bounced out the door.

It might not be a bad thing to have company on the drive, as long as they didn’t have to stay together. She didn’t have the energy for that.

Chapter Twenty-three
 

SILKE RIFLED THROUGH every drawer in the desk, looking for any information from the bank. She found statements going back five years, but nothing that would indicate a new loan. All the papers about the house
were in a safe deposit box. She slammed the top drawer in frustration. Fi
nancial matters were never of any interest—Rachel always handled
them. But now she felt stupid. The biggest investment in her life, and she
had no clue. She glanced at the clock. Rachel could be home at any time.
Crap.
She had to get herself together. Phillip was right. She needed to be rational.

She checked on the meatloaf. One hour. The sound of a car door slam
ming alerted her. This was not the time for accusations. It was the time for acting, really good acting.

Deep breath.

Rachel came into the kitchen. “I made good time. I guess it’s too early for rush hour. How are you?” She offered a one armed hug as she set down her bag.

“I’m good. I wasn’t sure what time you’d be here and I just put a meat
loaf in the oven.”

It smells great. I’m going to grab a shower then I’ll tell you my sur
prise.” Rachel left her keys and briefcase on the kitchen table and ran upstairs with her carry-on bag.

Silke poured some iced tea and stared at the briefcase. She heard the sound of water running in the shower, and she unlatched the briefcase. Her hands trembled as she lifted the lid, half expecting it to be alarmed.
Training manuals and spreadsheets covered several file folders. She quick
ly peeked, hoping to find something financial. Each labeled for different training site. She checked the small compartments in the lid, one of which contained a checkbook. It was not their joint account. Her heart stopped.
It was a private account showing a balance of forty-two-thousand six-
hundred-and-thirty dollars. The water shut off. She returned the
checkbook and quickly tried to latch the briefcase. Her hands were shak
ing, and she could hardly breathe.

Rachel stopped in the kitchen for beer then joined Silke in the living room. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like some wine?”

Silke steadied herself. “Actually, that sounds good.” Anger and fear jockeyed for position.

“Stay put, I’ll get it.”

Silke shook both hands and took a deep breath.
Give me strength.

Rachel set the glass on the coffee table then sat in the club chair across from Silke. “Cheers.” They each drank. “You’ll never guess who I got a call from yesterday. Dawn Rizzoli. What’s it been? Two years?”

“At least, how is she? Still with what’s-her-name?”

Rachel laughed. A good sign. “In three years, could be half-a-dozen women. Anyway, she was excited because she and some of her buddies would finally get some recognition for their military service. One of the county supervisors started a petition to honor the returning vets—specifically the women. So there’ll be a big parade Saturday afternoon, and she’d like as many of her friends as possible to be there.” She sat forward in her chair with the excited expression of a five year old. “What do you think? Wouldn’t it be nice to get away for a couple of days and just hang out with some old friends?”

Silke’s heart clenched as she remembered the love and laughter, spon
taneous getaway weekends, ball games, late night runs for custard—all the memories that got stored up during the beginning of a new relationship.

She waffled. It might be a nice swan song, one last chance to see mu
tual friends and tie up loose ends. “When is this planned?”

Rachel grinned. “Tomorrow. The parade won’t start until two o’clock, so we have plenty of time to get there, and Riz said we could use the guest cottage. Can we?”

“Why not? It sounds like it will be fun.”
I hope I don’t regret this.
“Do you think we should take anything?”

“Probably some beer and wine. Maybe a good bottle of tequila. You know how much Riz loves tequila.”

Silke stood and started for the kitchen. “Okay. Why don’t you run over to the liquor store while I fix dinner. That way we won’t have as much to do in the morning.”

Rachel finished her beer, kissed Silke’s cheek, and grabbed her keys. “Great idea. I’ll be back soon.”

God help me
. She glanced at her watch and quickly dialed Phillips cell phone. “Hi, it’s me. I just have a minute. Rachel came home early and wants us to go up north for the weekend. I couldn’t find anything out from the financial statements or the statements and the desk, but . . . while she was in the shower, I looked in her briefcase. She has a private checking account with forty-two thousand six-hundred-and-thirty dollars in it. I had no idea.”

“Could you see who the checks were made out to?”

Damn
. “I was so stunned I didn’t even look. Shit.”

“It doesn’t matter. I heard from the real estate appraiser. The house is worth about two-hundred-and-seventy thousand. Of course,
if
it sells and that’s a big if, because of the economy, you might get as much as sixty thousand. Don’t say anything to her until you’re sure what you want to do. When you’re ready, I’ll meet with both of you and lay it out. Okay?”

His rational plan took a huge weight off her shoulders. She had no con
trol over Rachel’s response, but at least she had a solid plan.
 

SINCE THEIR BRIEF conversation eighteen hours earlier, Melissa must have called everyone on her contact list. Kirin glanced at the clock on the dashboard. For almost two hours she had been regaled on every new relationship and every breakup of every person they had ever known, including several unknowns. Luckily, she had expert training at nodding and smiling while she outlined her new article in her head. Realistically, it might end up in the Belize newspaper.
After all, hope springs eternal
.

“ . . . so Renee said there was plenty of room if you wanted to stay with us.”

“What? That won’t be necessary. The magazine got me a room in Stur
geon Bay, so I don’t have too far to go. Do you need me to drop you somewhere or will she pick you up?”

“She said we’d all meet at the Beer and Brat on Third Street for the
parade. Everyone is hoping to meet up out at Riley’s Bay later this after
noon. Aren’t you excited?”

Kirin smiled. “I will be later. I just have some work to do first. Remem
ber, that’s why I’m here. I have an assignment.”

“I know. You don’t have to be so poopy,” Melissa said. “You do these assignments all the time. It’s not like it’s something new. Besides, this is about a parade, not some major cataclysmic event.”

Kirin glanced at Melissa, amused by her best imitation of sulking. “You’re right. I’ll just feel better once I get the lay of the land and meet my contact. Don’t worry about me. You just go ahead and have a good time.”

The GPS directed her to continue on highway 57 across the bridge. The main thoroughfare had American flags on every lamppost. She found the historic inn suggested by the county supervisor.

“This is terrific. Look how festive everything is,” Melissa squealed.

Kirin opened the rear door and retrieved her camera. “Want to take a quick look around, or do you need to call someone?”

“I’ll go with you. Can I leave my stuff in the car?”

“Leave it. I’ll lock the car. I’m sure everything will be okay here.”

Kirin snapped pictures of as many old buildings as she could. She
wanted some of the scenes before parade goers lined the streets. The supervisor promised her a seat on the viewing stand, which would hope
fully provide a better vantage point to see the parade.

“Look, there’s the Beer and Brat where we’ll meet everybody.” Me
lissa pointed. “Do you want to get a beer?”

It was just after noon, and Kirin needed to meet somebody from the VFW at twelve-thirty. “You go ahead. I’ve got an interview. Do you want your stuff now?”

“I’ll get it later. See ya.”

Kirin watched as Melissa crossed the street to the pub. She found the entrance to the inn and registered. There was a message for her saying Alfred Kobach would meet her in the lobby. She had just enough time to get her belongings and freshen up.
 

THE GUEST COTTAGE looked much as Silke remembered a typical Wisconsin Lake cottage—square, weathered wood with green trim and
rusted screens. Lofty pines sheltered everything, and the smell always re
minded her of summer. The narrow dirt path to the cottage, just like the ground around, lay blanketed with pine needles and pinecones.

Rachel honked, and Dawn Rizzoli came out of the main house and waved. Behind her was a woman Silke didn’t recognize, but seemed to be much younger. If memory served, Dawn was a couple of years older, which would mean her early fifties. Silke thought the younger woman couldn’t be more than thirty.

“Riz, you old goat. How are you?” Rachel jumped out of the car and greeted her old friend.

“Your day is coming, Bates. Where’s your better half?” Dawn walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. “Come on out here, beautiful, I wanna give you a hug.”

“It’s good to see you,” Silke said. “Thanks for inviting us.”

The bear hug was genuine, and Silke only had a moment of self-doubt when she couldn’t remember whom they had told about her loss of vision. The white cane in her hand was a giveaway, but Dawn didn’t say a word.
She must know
.

“Let me help you with your stuff, and when you’re settled, c’mon up to the house for a drink.” She opened the trunk. “Jeez, you gals planning on staying all summer?”

Rachel poked her in the ribs. “We brought that stuff for you, since you were kind enough to invite us. I’ll help you carry it up to the house.”

“If you just stick the bags inside,” Silke said, “I’ll unpack while you carry the boxes up to the house. I’m sure you need to catch up after so long.”

Dawn looked confused, but Rachel jumped in. “Good idea. Do you want me to come back and get you?”

“I’ll be fine. Go ahead.” Silke needed a few minutes to summon her courage.

For the past year, while she and Rachel were at odds with each other,
she had steadfastly avoided any social entanglements that might draw at
tention to her blindness. It was hard enough relearning every daily task without the added embarrassment of people watching her. Every stumble, every bruise, every failure fueled her resentment. Now, looking out at the beautiful two-story log home, the same one that had always represented summer fun, she felt apprehension. Rachel hadn’t told her who might be there.

She put their things in the bedroom and smiled at the sight of the twin beds. Rachel would hate it. She, on the other hand, was relieved.

Eighties music blared, and she could hear laughter as she came closer to the main house. There was a short slope to the water’s edge and a large deck boat tied to the end of the pier. She let herself in the kitchen door and found the young woman she’d seen earlier.

“Hi, I’m Haley. We didn’t get to meet earlier.” She dried off her hands and extended one. She looked even younger than thirty.

“I’m Silke. Good to meet you.” Silke shook Haley’s hand. “Sounds like I’m late for the party.”

“Naw, Riz is just excited about everybody coming. You want some
thing to drink?”

“I’m okay for now. What time do we have to leave for the parade?”

“I think by noon, I’m not sure, but I think they need to lineup around one-thirty. Go on in. I just need to get some more ice.”