Page 210 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

Peeking at his watch, he started toward the Tahoe, thinking back to the day he and Callie had hiked in the woods. Of all the places he’d shown her around the island, she’d assured him she never needed to come back to this one again, but he needed her to walk the property with him one more time. He stopped abruptly when it dawned on him that Callie’s first nightmare coincided with their morning adventure through Brewster’s Forest. Turning, he looked at the cottage, knowing in his gut that a little girl who’d barely been old enough for school was going to be his best shot at filling in his empty thirteen-hour timeline.

He moved through the trees, keeping a fast pace along the old trails. When he’d pulled into Carter Island Realty and Rentals a couple of hours ago, he hadn’t wanted to see Mini’s car in the parking lot. Now he hoped he could make it back into town before she’d headed home. He’d seen the space for himself—the repairs in a place that had been left to sit empty—and he wanted answers. Particularly about the kids Evan had let stay there right around the same time Samantha vanished.

He made it to the Tahoe and got in, then ate up the few short miles into the heart of downtown. Mini’s car was still in the same spot at Carter Island Realty and Rentals as he pulled up and went back inside, automatically unzipping his coat and taking off his hat as he moved down the hall to her office.

She looked up from the papers on her desk. “You didn’t have to hurry back.”

He shrugged. “It was no big deal.” He took the key to his parents’ rental out of his pocket but intended to keep the cottage key for a few more days.

“The pipes were okay?”

He nodded. “Everything looks good.” He moved farther into the office.

Mini set her pen down. “You look like something’s on your mind.”

He shrugged again, wanting to keep things casual. “I was thinking about a conversation I had with Leah and Lily last night—about one of Callie’s designs that looked like a rug that was out at the old cottage in the woods.”

“They mentioned it.”

“It’s kind of weird.”

“I guess if you’ve seen one rug, you’ve seen them all.”

He smiled, keeping things light. “Lily said a friend of Evan’s trashed the place—that you guys had to get rid of a lot of stuff.”

Mini’s lips tightened in disapproval. “Yes. They made quite a mess.”

He sat in the chair across from her. “And they didn’t press charges—Evan, Matthew, Thomas, and Derek?”

Mini shook her head. “I wanted them to. The destruction was simply ridiculous—threw themselves a damn frat party. A couple of broken windows, shattered lamps, the shredded couch cushions, dishes in pieces all over the kitchen, and a couple of holes in the walls—no respect for someone else’s property—but Evan wanted to handle the issue quietly. He was afraid turning the situation into a police matter would cause problems for the business, which I can understand.”

Nate frowned. “Why would it have done that?”

“The little heathens who used the place are Evan’s partner’s boys.”

Nate’s brows winged up. “Wow, I didn’t realize that.”

Mini nodded. “Thomas, Matthew, and Evan made the decision to come up with the money for the repairs and refurnish the place. Derek was too busy with his reelection to worry about such a small issue in the big scheme of things, so they dealt with it themselves. Paid Jeremy to handle it. Of course, he did a beautiful job.”

“But you don’t rent the cottage out anymore.”

“No. A couple months after the repairs, we had a young couple staying out there and the man ended up breaking his ankle—tripped over the rocks out in the back and took a bad fall. There was no phone, and they didn’t have cell phones the way they do now. He and his wife had a hard time getting him back into town for medical attention. We avoided a lawsuit due to Matthew’s excellent care and by paying for any follow-up expenses, but we decided enough was enough. We’d rented the place out for five seasons—those occasional vacationers looking for a more rustic, private getaway—but after two incidents so close together, we sold off the new furnishings and locked it up. The area is too isolated—hard to get back to with the rocks and tree roots overtaking the trail. It wasn’t worth the liabilities.”

“Makes sense.”

Mini sighed as her phone rang. “I guess I should get back to it.”

He had more questions but stood. “Stay warm.”

“I’ll try.”

Nate went back outside and sat in the Tahoe for several minutes, digesting what Mini had said before he turned over the ignition and started toward the hardware store. It was nearly eleven. He wanted to catch Jeremy just as he opened. Within minutes, he was hustling into the warmth, eager to have his conversation with Jeremy, then get over to the deli before Callie headed home for the day.

Jeremy smiled from behind the counter. “Hey, Nate.”

“Good morning.”

“I just came over from the bakery. Callie got me a couple of Molly’s orange cranberry muffins and a coffee. I don’t even have to tell her my order anymore.”