LITMIR.BIZ

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“What about you?”

      “I didn’t have much more luck with the records...”

      He cut the words short when Esther arrived with their meals. Beaming, she slid steaming bowls in front of each of them and added a basket of rolls. “There now. You get that inside you, and you’ll have plenty of energy for whatever you have to do today.”

      “It smells delicious,” Amanda said. And it looked that way, too.

      Esther picked up her tray, gratified. “I hear you’re staying with the Burkhalter family.”

      She blinked. “How did you hear about that already? I just moved in yesterday afternoon.”

      “Ach, you haven’t run into the Amish grapevine yet, ain’t so? We don’t need telephones for word to spread fast. You’ll be happy there, I know. Sarah will take gut care of you.”

      “She’s already brought me a streusel coffee cake, just to be sure I wouldn’t go hungry,” Amanda said. Somehow she doubted that any more gifts would be forthcoming, not if Sarah’s abrupt departure at the mention of Melanie Winthrop meant anything about her future behavior.

      “Ach, that’s Sarah all right.” Someone hailed Esther, and she moved off, unhurried.

      Trey buttered a roll, watching her. “You looked a little funny when she mentioned Sarah. There’s nothing wrong, is there?”

      She wasn’t sure she liked the fact that he could read her expressions so easily. “Something happened that was rather odd. Sarah and I were having a nice conversation, and she asked about what brought me to Echo Falls. I didn’t tell her the whole story, but when I mentioned Melanie Winthrop she just...froze. I don’t know how else to put it. Her whole manner changed. She said she had to do something and rushed away. I didn’t know what to make of it.”

      Trey’s forehead furrowed. “That is strange. I’m surprised she even knew about Melanie’s disappearance. She wouldn’t have been much more than in her early teens, I’d guess.”

      Shrugging, Amanda scooped up a fragrant spoonful of the chicken broth and noodles. “Teenagers seem to know everything. I don’t suppose it was any different then.”

      “Could be.” But he still looked troubled. “It’s odd, all the same. I can’t even guess what would make Sarah act that way. What did you say to her?”

      Was he imagining that she’d given Sarah the third degree?

      “I told you. I’d barely gotten Melanie Winthrop’s name out before she reacted. I didn’t have time to ask her anything.”

      He shook his head, frowning a little. “There has to be a reason, but I’d guess she wouldn’t tell me, even if I asked.”

      “I’ll cross her off my list of possible sources of information,” she said. “How did you make out?”

      “The court records showed little or nothing. There was an inquest, of course, but it was more a form than anything serious. It brought back the verdict of accidental death and expressed sympathy for the family.”

      So they’d been quick to sweep Melanie’s death under the rug, in other words. “What about the postmortem?”

      “There wasn’t one.” Trey’s voice flattened, as if in disapproval. “The family was opposed to having it carried out, and according to the coroner, the cause of death was fairly obvious. Head injuries, as you might expect. Reading between the lines, I’d say the decision makers saw no point in going farther. An unfortunate accident or maybe a despairing suicide. They picked accident, issued a few warnings about the dangers of the falls trail and dropped it.”

      She pounced on his words. “So you think they didn’t pursue it as they should have.”

      “I didn’t say that.” Frustration edged his voice. “Don’t put your own spin on my words. If I’d been in that position, I might have done the same. It can’t be easy to make that sort of decision when you know the people involved.”

      Obviously arguing the point wouldn’t get her anywhere. “Sorry. What did the police chief say when you talked to him?”

      “He wanted to know why I was asking, of course.” He rested his spoon on the side of his empty bowl. Somehow he’d managed to scoop up a whole bowlful of potpie while they were talking. “As I predicted, he wasn’t exactly eager to talk about a local scandal just to satisfy your curiosity, so I had to tell him why you’re interested. Carmichaels won’t gossip, at least.”

      She must have made an impatient movement, because he frowned before he went on.

      “He didn’t have much to say beyond what I’d already found in the records. He did confirm that the family agreed they hadn’t heard anything from Melanie and didn’t know she’d come back.”

      “That was strange, wasn’t it? I mean, why would she return if not to be reconciled to her family? If she’d had the baby, she might have realized how difficult it was and wanted to have their help.”

      “I agree, that seems logical, but if they all said that she didn’t approach them, I don’t see how you can prove otherwise after all this time. It’s a dead end.” He made a gesture of finality.

      She was beginning to think it delighted him to present obstacles. “Maybe I can’t prove anything, but I have the right to ask questions. This is my life we’re talking about and you—how do I know you’re not trying to protect the Winthrops?”

      Trey’s face hardened. “You don’t. You’ll have to take me on trust. Or not. Look, what are you really after? To find your birth mother? If it was Melanie, you may never be able to prove it.”

      “It’s not that simple.” She couldn’t keep the annoyance she felt from showing in her voice. “This isn’t just a sentimental journey. I have to find proof, if it exists, that Juliet actually adopted me. Otherwise...”

      “Otherwise I suppose you might stand to lose your inheritance from her.” He was quick, she’d say that for him. “You must want that inheritance pretty badly to go to these lengths.”

      “Is that your considered objective opinion?” She put some frost in her voice, which wasn’t all that easy when anger was like a fire on her nerves. She stood, grabbing her bag.

      “Where are you going?” He got up, glancing around and lowering his voice. “Don’t make a scene.”

      That infuriated her for a reason he couldn’t understand and probably wouldn’t appreciate if he did. “I’m going to see the police chief for myself.” Her bag strap hooked over the chair, and she yanked it free.

      Trey tossed some money on the table and grabbed her arm. “Not without me, you’re not. He already knows you’re my client, so don’t even think about it.”

      She glared at him for a moment and then jerked a short nod. Like it or not, she seemed to be stuck with him.

      * * *

      THEY’D GOTTEN HALFWAY to the police station before Trey realized how ridiculous they must look, striding along without speaking or even glancing at each other.

      “Sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said that about your inheritance. Didn’t her will make her wishes clear?”

      Her expression tightened, if anything. “It says that she left everything to me, by name, but then it says, ‘my daughter.’ Robert’s afraid...”

      “Right, I see. That could conceivably leave it up to the interpretation of the judge if someone brought suit. Would anyone?”

      “Robert says that Juliet’s brother, George, has been asking questions. He must have some doubts.”

      Tricky. What might seem clear to a layperson could become anything but if it went to court. “Okay. Naturally you want to prove that you were Juliet Curtiss’s daughter.”

      “I

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