Scent of Roses (32 page)

T
he questions began anew. It was a totally different ball game now, since the victim had apparently died sometime within the past five years. The sheriff questioned Elizabeth, Miguel, Sam, Ben and the boys. Zach came under close scrutiny because of his criminal record and the fact that his family owned the property. Even Carson was questioned.

“I wish I could have seen the look on my brother's face,” Zach said. “One body wasn't bad enough—now they've got two. This ought to be great for his aspiring political ambitions.”

“I guess that's what he was worried about.”

“I guess. Makes you wonder though.”

“About what?”

“If he somehow knew we'd find something down there. If that was the reason he was so hell-bent on keeping us away.”

Elizabeth stared out the window of her apartment. “I can't believe any of this.”

“Neither can I,” Zach said.

Though it would take weeks for a DNA match, by Friday afternoon, they knew the child they had found was Carrie Ann Whitt. With the help of Carrie Ann's mother, the sheriff had discovered the family dentist was still in practice and they had been able to locate the little girl's dental records.

Paula Whitt Simmons had been notified of the results. The child they had found was indeed Paula's daughter.

As soon as they received the news, Zach phoned to express his sympathy and so did Elizabeth.

“I'm really sorry, Paula,” she said. “I can't even imagine how you must feel.”

There was aching weariness and bone-deep grief in the woman's voice. “At least I know what happened to her. As terrible as it is, it's over. Once Carrie Ann is back home, once she's buried where she belongs, she'll be at peace.”

“That's what Zach said. How about you, Paula? Will you be able to put this behind you?”

“I'll rest easier, that's for sure. I tried not to let my husband or my children know, but there was never a day went by I didn't think of her, wonder where she was—pray that she was okay. Now she'll be at rest and I'll always know where to find her.”

Elizabeth spoke past the tightness in her throat. “Take care of yourself, Paula.”

“Thank you for everything.”

It was over. Carrie Ann had been found and soon would be laid to rest. Elizabeth believed that the mystery they had solved would end the problems in the house. But now there was another mystery to solve.

It appeared that forty years later there had been a second murder. She wondered who the man was that had been found beneath the house.

 

The weekend came and went. It was early Sunday morning. Zach's suitcase was already packed and sitting beside the door. All weekend he had been restless and edgy, anxious to pick up his father and get on the road to L.A. He was growing more and more distant, backing away from her as he had before. Last night they hadn't even made love.

“Well, I guess I'd better get going,” Zach said, glancing toward the door like a rabbit about to bolt.

“I guess you had.”

He reached down and plucked his car keys off the coffee table.

“Listen Zach, I'd really like to be there tomorrow. It's not that far a drive and I don't want you to have to go through this alone.”

He tossed the keys up and down, rattling them in his hand. “I'll be fine. I'll call you as soon as my father gets out of surgery.”

“Are you sure you don't want me to go?”

“Like I said, I'll be fine.”

“You won't forget to call?”

He walked over to where she stood, bent his head and absently brushed her lips with a kiss. “I'll call. I promise.”

She hated that he was so eager to leave—and so opposed to her coming down to wait with him during the surgery. It was obvious he didn't want her there and she knew why.

He's running,
she thought.
He can't handle the closeness.
Her heart squeezed as he picked up his overnight bag and opened the door.

“I guess I'll see you around,” she said far too brightly.

Zach merely nodded. “Like I said, I'll call you as soon as he's out of surgery.”

She tried to smile but failed. Her eyes were burning. Damn, she didn't want him to see her cry. He opened the door, but didn't walk out, just stood there for several long seconds staring out toward the street. Then his jaw subtly firmed. He walked out and closed the door.

Elizabeth stood there in the silence, staring at the place he had been. Her heart was hurting. A painful knot burned in her chest. She loved him so much. She had known it was a mistake to get involved with him, but like the moth to the flame, she hadn't been able to resist.

She took a shuddering breath and turned away from the door, ignored the sound of his Jeep firing up, the whine of the engine growing more and more distant as he drove away. It made her ache to think of losing him, losing the special something she had never felt for any other man.

But one thing she had learned—if Zach didn't want her, she didn't want him. She didn't want a man who couldn't totally commit, didn't want someone she couldn't trust to be there when she needed him. She had married a man like that. She was better off by herself.

Still, she wished she could be there tomorrow. There was a chance something might happen during the surgery, and Zach would be devastated if it did. But if Zach didn't want her there, she wasn't about to go where she wasn't wanted. He was pulling away. She told herself it was better it happened now than later.

But she couldn't quite make herself believe it.

 

With his father carefully strapped into the passenger seat, the wheelchair loaded in the back, Zach drove straight to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. Before Fletcher Harcourt could be admitted, there were forms to fill out, then a number of tests to be completed before the surgery was performed.

Zach had spoken to Sheriff Morgan on Saturday about the operation scheduled for Monday morning, and Morgan had agreed to let Zach return to L.A.

“I'll either be at the hospital, my office or my apartment,” Zach promised. “And I always carry my cell phone.”

“Just make sure you're reachable,” Sheriff Morgan said.

Zach didn't blame him for keep close tabs. There were two bodies under the Santiago house—buried over thirty years apart. The fact itself was amazing. That one was a child, the other a large adult male, made the happenstance even stranger. But like Carrie Ann, according to the coroner, the death of the second victim had definitely been a result of foul play.

“There was a bullet hole in the skull,” Morgan told him. “There was also a depression in the skull that looks like it came from a blunt instrument.”

Zach mulled that over. “So you think maybe someone hit this guy over the head, then finished him off with a bullet?”

“At this point, it's still anyone's guess, but that would be my take.”

“Any chance you can narrow the date of death down a little?”

Morgan's silver-blond eyebrows pulled down in suspicion. “Why is that important?”

“The current house wasn't built until four years ago. If I remember right, it was under construction for about eight months. The old house was completely gone by then. The area inside the foundation would have been easy to access and no one would have thought much about it if the ground in the construction site was disturbed. Might have been a good place to hide a body.”

“Interesting thought. I'll look into it. When will you be back in San Pico?”

The question made him uneasy. Once his father was stable enough to be moved, he would be transported home by ambulance, but after he got there, Zach would want to be close by for a while. On the other hand, his return to L.A. gave him the perfect opportunity to ease into his break with Elizabeth.

His chest tightened at the thought.
It's gotta happen sooner or later,
he told himself. It wasn't fair to either one of them to go on this way, as if their relationship might actually turn into something more, might even end up in marriage. He wasn't the type to make that kind of commitment. He'd only been fooling himself. It was time to give her up and get his life back on track.

He recited the litany all the way back to L.A., determined to convince himself, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach.

 

It was Sunday afternoon. Zach was gone, on his way back to Los Angeles, taking his father with him, and the annual San Pico Rose Festival was in progress.

Though Elizabeth had always looked forward to the yearly event, this year she didn't want to go. Though no one had said as much, she had an odd suspicion that little Carrie Ann Whitt had been murdered during the Rose Festival. It was the only explanation Elizabeth could come up with for the overwhelming rose scent that accompanied the young girl's apparition whenever she appeared.

Though they would probably never know, and even if it weren't true, somehow she simply couldn't bear to go this year. Instead, she spent her day off catching up on paperwork, trying not to think of Zach.

Zach didn't call that night. She didn't think he would.

On Monday she went to the office and tried not to think about the surgery. But she was worried about Fletcher Harcourt, worried the operation might not succeed, worried about what would happen to Zach if the surgery failed—or worse. Zach might be able to turn his emotions off and on, but Elizabeth wasn't that way.

Seated behind her desk, she tensed when Terry finally buzzed to announce Zach's call, took a deep breath, and picked up the phone.

“Liz? It's Zach.”

“I've been worried. How's it going?”

“Dad's out of surgery. He's in I.C.U. and so far he's doing great.” She could hear the relief in his voice. Though he'd never said so, she knew he was terrified that his father would die and he would be to blame.

“That's great news, Zach.”

“Doctor Steiner says he isn't out of the woods yet, but the surgery went exactly as planned. They won't know for several weeks how effective it was, but they're hopeful that little by little his motor functions and memory will start to return.”

“When will he be able to leave the hospital?”

“Not for at least ten days. Then he'll go back out to Willow Glen until he's fully recovered.”

She wanted to ask him if he would be coming back with his dad, but she didn't want to hear the hesitation in his voice. She didn't want to feel the sharp stab of pain that moment would bring.

“Well, I'm really glad everything's going so well,” she said with false brightness. “I'll be keeping your dad in my prayers.”

There was a long pause on the line. Zach didn't say when he'd see her, didn't tell her he missed her. “Thanks, Liz,” he said softly. “I'd appreciate that.” He rang off the line and Elizabeth was left with the receiver pressed against her ear.

Her hand trembled as she set the phone back down in its cradle. Her chest was aching and there was a painful lump in her throat.

You have to let him go,
she told herself. He didn't want a life with her. He didn't need her. He simply wasn't the kind of man to settle down.

It wasn't as if she hadn't known that from the start, hadn't told herself this was bound to happen with a guy like Zach. Still, she was glad her office door was closed, that she could put her head down on the desk and let go of her tears.

She didn't hear the quiet knock on the door, didn't hear her friend walk in.

“Liz? Oh, honey, come on, don't cry.”

Elizabeth's head jerked up. Petite and red-haired, Gwen Petersen stood on the opposite side of the desk, a worried look on her face.

“Come on,” she said. “It can't be that bad. Why don't you tell me what's the matter?”

Elizabeth took a shaky breath and slowly released it, worked to pull herself together. She was glad her visitor was only Gwen and not a client who had somehow gotten past Terry.

“It's nothing you didn't warn me about,” she said. “Zach is pushing me away. I think he wants to end our relationship. I let myself get in too deep and now I'm paying the price.”

Gwen reached across the desk and caught her hand. “Hey, everyone has a weakness for something sinful. I like Häagen-Dazs ice cream. You're a sucker for tall, dark and handsome.”

She managed a smile, pulled a Kleenex out of her drawer and wiped her eyes. “It's not only Zach, it's everything that's been going on. It's just been so crazy lately.”

“Yeah, I read about some of it in the newspaper. That's the reason I stopped by. What a story. The paper was pretty vague about the little girl you and Zach found under the house…something about she'd been missing for thirty-odd years. I gather the police think the couple who did it killed another child several years later.”