Pumpkin Roll (40 page)

“Sure,” Jane said and turned toward the door.

“Did they question you?” Sadie asked as they headed to the parking lot. It was a warm evening, but Sadie could feel the weight of rain yet unshed and hoped it would wait until she was snuggled in her bed at the hotel, which she hoped wasn’t too far in the future.

“A little,” Jane said. “But I didn’t have much to say. I just told them I was tagging along with you. They asked where I was staying and said they’d call me.” She shrugged as they approached the car, and she used the remote to unlock the doors. “I’ve been waiting forever.”

“Sorry,” Sadie said for the second time, moving around to the passenger side. Jane wasn’t on her rental agreement, and she knew she shouldn’t be letting her drive, but it would be much simpler for Jane to drop her off than to switch drivers once they got to the station. “What about your car?” she asked as Jane pulled open her door. Sadie did the same, both of them sliding in and shutting the doors in tandem.

“I haven’t called AAA yet. I’ll take your car back to the house and get it figured out. At least that will give me something to do.”

Sadie ignored the reminder that Jane wanted to come to the meeting with Gabrielle. She was tired of arguing the point. Jane started the car, looking over at Sadie. “Does it seem weird to you that my tire is flat?”

Should it?
Sadie wondered, attempting to switch gears. “I guess I saw it as frustrating, but not suspicious. You think it’s a concern?” She tried to figure out why anyone would flatten Jane’s tire but not her own.

Jane shrugged. “Everything’s a concern right now,” she said. She shifted into reverse and looked over the seat while backing up. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea to talk to Gabrielle by yourself,” she said as they pulled out of the police station parking lot. “It’s not safe, and I can’t help but wonder if my flat tire is an attempt to make sure you’re alone.”

“That’s not reasonable,” Sadie said. “You could just take my car, or the T, if you were coming with me—but I gave my word I’d be there alone.” Sadie knew Jane was still unhappy about it. When Jane didn’t speak, Sadie said, “I can handle myself.”

“You’ve thought that before and not been able to handle yourself.”

Portland.
Sadie took a breath. Would she ever live that down? “I’ve been trying to have a conversation with this woman for two days, Jane. And I’ll be in a public place.”

“So why does she want to talk to you now?” Jane asked.

“Because she wants answers.”

“Because she’s going to slit your throat.”

Ew.
Sadie shook away the image. “I’ll be fine,” she said again. “I feel good about the meeting.”

Jane was silent while they waited for a light to change. Sadie tried to think of something she could bring up to both fill the time and change the subject.

“So what’s the deal with you and Shawn?” Sadie asked, determining that Jane, of all people, could appreciate the straightforward question.

Jane paused a few seconds and shifted in her seat. She didn’t look at Sadie. “Well, what does he say?” she asked carefully.

“Nothing,” Sadie said, shaking her head. “But I haven’t asked.”

“Then what makes you think there’s something between us?”

“You’re smiling,” Sadie pointed out, not liking the subtle grin Jane was trying to hide. It creeped her out. “For starters. And Shawn keeps talking about how great you are.”

Jane turned the wheel, still smiling, and shrugged one shoulder. “I am pretty great,” she said. “You have to admit that much.” Her attitude was instantly different, lighter. Whereas she’d been annoyed and frustrated before Sadie had mentioned Shawn, she was now perfectly at ease. Sadie didn’t necessarily like the shift.

“I just want to know what’s going on.”

“What can I say—Shawn’s a pretty awesome guy,” Jane said almost nonchalantly. “Is it that strange that I might be drawn to that?”

“He’s twenty-one years old,” Sadie said. “I’m not trying to get in the way of things, that’s not what I mean, but the age difference is a bit of a concern for me.”

“And how much older were you than Eric?”

Sadie felt a tremor run through her at the mention of her ex . . . something. He hadn’t been a boyfriend, but she’d thought about it. Sadie still didn’t know exactly how old Eric was—things hadn’t gotten that far—but the age difference wasn’t the reason their relationship had ended. Besides, Eric didn’t have anything to do with this conversation. Jane was trying to distract her. “So you
are
interested in Shawn.”

Jane made a right-hand turn into the Forest Hills station. “Here we are,” she said, pulling up to the curb and shifting into park. She turned to look at Sadie, who reached for her purse from the floor of the car. “You’ll call me when you’re done?” Jane said. “Or anytime during the meeting that you need backup? I’ll call AAA and get the tire taken care of in a jiffy.”

Sadie nodded, realizing that the tire might be exactly what she needed to keep Jane out of this. She felt bad for finding a silver lining in Jane’s frustrating situation, but it winked at her all the same. Jane wasn’t one for following Sadie’s directions, and Sadie did not want Jane to ruin this meeting. “Don’t follow me, okay? Let me do this my way.”

“You told me not to and I won’t. Be safe though.”

“I will,” Sadie said, opening the door.

“I won’t see Shawn if you don’t want me to,” Jane said, stopping Sadie’s exit. Sadie turned to look at her, the door open a few inches. Jane’s expression was sincere if not a little bit vulnerable. “I can tell you’re uncomfortable with it.”

Sadie felt like a jerk. Jane had been helpful on many cases, and she’d come to Sadie’s aid here in Boston and was offering her help any way she could. “It’s not that,” she said, softening. “I guess maybe I feel . . . left out. He’s my son. I like to know what’s going on in his life.”

“We’ve only talked on the phone and through e-mail,” Jane said. “I haven’t seen him in person since March. But you’ve raised a remarkable boy.”

“He is remarkable,” Sadie said, glad to know there hadn’t been more happening behind her back. She wanted to say something about how Shawn was also sweet and naïve and so different from Jane, but there was no way to say that without being rude so she just smiled. “I’m not against it,” Sadie said. “But it will take some getting used to.”

Jane shrugged one shoulder and smiled softly. “No worries. I’m in no hurry. We’re just . . . getting to know one another right now, that’s all.”

“Okay,” Sadie said, pushing the door open all the way and feeling better. It was still hard for her to accept a relationship between them, but knowing the truth of it gave her a sense of peace and inclusion. “Thanks for clarifying, and thanks for the ride and everything else. I don’t know what I’d have done today without your help.” Of course there were a few things she was unhappy about—like going through Gabrielle’s car and running Mr. Forsberk off—but for the most part, Jane had been a huge asset.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Jane said. “Call me when you finish talking to Gabrielle.”

“I will,” Sadie said.

Jane was pulling away when Sadie realized the extra few minutes of discussion had put her in even more of a time crunch. She practically ran for the train, glad she was familiar with the process so she could pay her fare quickly and still make it through the doors before they closed. She collapsed in a seat and caught her breath as the train moved forward. Once she felt settled in, she opened her purse and pulled out her phone, relieved it was there since she hadn’t taken the time to double-check everything after her purse was returned to her at the police station. She thought about calling Pete, but decided to text him so as not to interrupt anything.

Call me when you can! Big day. Are you okay?

A few minutes later, the train hissed to a stop at the Back Bay station, and Sadie took a deep breath when the doors opened. She stood up slowly, allowing her fellow passengers to lead the way, and squared her shoulders for whatever might be ahead.

Here goes nothing.

Chapter 35

Germaine’s felt more like a pub than a café. The walls were exposed brick with huge abstract paintings on the tall walls and a varnished concrete floor. The tables and chairs were made of a thick, dark wood, and a bar spread across one end of the room.

Sadie chose a table for two with a good view of the door and looked over the menu before setting it aside. She was too unsettled to eat and kept going over her meeting with the detective. She was uncomfortable both with what she had said and what she hadn’t said, and while she was proud for having not lied, she hadn’t told Detective Lucille about this meeting. Granted, the detective hadn’t asked, but Sadie was already imagining how she could explain having left it out. There could be no explanation other than the fact that Sadie had wanted to meet with Gabrielle and telling the police would have made that impossible.

She looked at her watch: 9:09. Being this early wasn’t efficient, but she hadn’t been able to risk being late by taking a later train, and since she wasn’t big on the nightlife of the city, there wasn’t anything else to do but come here and wait for the meeting with Gabrielle, which, she hoped, would resolve whatever issues were left to be resolved. She wondered how Mrs. Wapple was doing. She wondered if Jane was still mad about not coming. She wondered if Pete was avoiding her.

While she waited, she scribbled down a possible timeline of events, starting with Bark being hit by the car and ending with Mrs. Wapple being found in her bedroom. It wasn’t until she finished that she realized there was no mention of the paranormal stuff on her list. The more details she learned that were based on fact, the more everything felt separate. Like two different things at play. After pondering that for a minute, she wrote out a list of questions she wanted to ask Gabrielle, ordered a Diet Coke to keep her awake, and started making a list of places she still needed to see on her trip, assuming that tomorrow she would wake up with a huge weight off her shoulders, ready to debrief with Pete, see her son, and be a tourist again. Shawn called but she let it go to voice mail before sending him a text that she’d call him later. He replied almost immediately.

I’m on my way to Boston. Should be there by 2 am.

Then she had to call him.

“What do you mean you’re on your way?” Sadie asked when he picked up. “You have class tomorrow.”

“I talked to Jane. She said she’s really worried about you. She thinks you’re in trouble.”

“I’m not in trouble,” Sadie said, annoyed that Jane would go to Shawn. “I’m just fine, and you need to go to class.”

“I’m already in Auburn,” Shawn said. “I made sure not to call before I was too far to go back.”

And Jane didn’t tell me?
Sadie thought. That girl took far too many liberties.

“If it were me in this situation, you’d have been there two days ago.”

“I already finished college!” Sadie retorted.

“I’ll see you in a few hours, Mom. Text me the name of the hotel when you’re done being mad at me.” He hung up, and Sadie dropped the phone on the table before crossing her arms over her chest. Did everyone feel her so incapable that they had to circle around her? Was that Jane’s motivation too?

She went back to her list in hopes of distracting herself. It worked a little too well, and the next time she checked her watch it was 9:41. She looked up at the heavy wood and glass door in case Gabrielle happened to be standing there waiting for Sadie to see her. She wasn’t there, though. Instead a couple was leaving, him holding the door for her as she put on her hip-length jacket.

Sadie scanned the bar, which was fuller than it had been when she arrived, but Gabrielle wasn’t among the crowd that, thankfully, wasn’t loud and obnoxious. Sadie went back to her list of things left to do in Boston, adding Walden Pond and taking off Fenway Park, though that might take some explaining to Pete and Shawn. Her list didn’t distract her as much as it had before, and she checked her watch every few minutes, scanning the bar again every time she looked up. With no sign of Gabrielle, Sadie texted her.