Rock Harbor Search and Rescue (17 page)

“I never did figure out why you thought that.” She tipped her head and studied her friend. “Okay, so you don’t look like either of them. That’s not unusual. I don’t look like my mom or dad either. Well, I have my mom’s hair, but that’s it, thank goodness. I would hate to look like her.”

Olivia grinned, but it was a feeble attempt. “You thought you were adopted a time or two.”

Emily didn’t want to think about Dad and Naomi having problems, but that was all she could think about the entire time it took her to shower, wash her hair, brush and floss her teeth, dress, and pull her hair back into a ponytail. She found Olivia in her bedroom, packing her suitcase. “I hate to bring up bad memories, but back when your folks were having their troubles . . . what were some of the things you remember noticing?”

Olivia sighed and sat down on the bed, a pair of socks forgotten in her hands. “Let’s see. Mom cried a lot. Not when she thought I could hear her, of course, but in the bathroom with the shower turned on.”

She hadn’t heard Naomi crying or anything. Maybe she hadn’t been paying attention. She’d start.

“And they’d argue. I could hear their raised voices, but as soon as I came into the room, it’d go quiet as church during silent prayer time.”

Emily hadn’t heard anyone arguing, but they had gone silent when she came into a room plenty of times.

“And Mom had her sister come stay with us for a long weekend. Mom and Aunt Lydia took long walks that Saturday in the Kitchigami Wilderness Preserve.”

It felt like a boulder caught in Emily’s throat. Uncle Greg, whom they hadn’t seen since the wedding, suddenly appears. What did it all mean?

“Emily! You’re going to make me late.” Dad’s voice rang out from the kitchen. He’d sure been grumpy the past several weeks.

Olivia stood and dropped the socks. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. Even if they’re having trouble, they’ll work it out. Look at how great my parents are now. Their counseling with Pastor Lukkari really brought them closer together than ever before. They’re really happy.”

“Naomi’s going to take you home as soon as your parents get back in town,” Emily said. “I promised Bree I’d help her in the lighthouse this afternoon, but I’ll call you as soon as I get home.”

Olivia waved to her. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Emily raced into the kitchen.
God, please, please don’t let
Dad and Naomi get divorced. Please. I know she’s not my real
mom, but she is. I love her so much, and she loves me and Timmy
.

Emily rounded the corner just as Dad started to call for her again. “Let’s go.”

No one was in the kitchen besides her and Dad. “Where’s Naomi?”

“Getting Matthew dressed, I suppose. Come on, I’m already later than I’d hoped, and I still have to drop you off at the community center.”

Emily and her father rode the short drive to the community center in silence. Mr. Zinn, as the corporate sponsor of the History Smackdown team, had arranged for them to use it. Emily loved walking inside. It was the most beautiful building in all of Rock Harbor with really cool high ceilings and fun corners to explore.

“Have a good time, honey,” he said as he pulled up by the center’s front door. It was the nicest he’d been to her lately.

Just thinking about the possibility of him and Naomi having problems pushed Emily to lean over and give him a hug. Dad pulled her close to him and planted a kiss on her temple. She gave a final squeeze, then jumped out of the truck. He drove off as she took in a deep breath.

Big chandeliers greeted Emily as she entered. She couldn’t quite remember which room Mrs. Kantola, the History Smackdown sponsor, had told her they’d meet in. Was it the first door off the right hallway? That rang a bell for some reason. Emily headed in that direction.

“But, Daddy, I tried. I really did.”

Emily froze in the hallway at the sound of Rachel’s voice.

Her dad’s voice came out in a growl. “Apparently you didn’t try hard enough or you would’ve made the team.”

“The others just knew the answers better.”

“That’s not good enough. You know better. We have to be better than everyone else. No matter what.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Rachel’s sobs made Emily want to cry. “I’ll do better next tryout.”

“See that you do. I don’t want to be disappointed again.”

The door on the left opened, and a tearstained Rachel rushed from the room just as Emily pushed open the door across the hall. She ducked inside before Rachel could see her.

“We were wondering if you’d forgotten us, Emily,” Mrs. Kantola said. “Please, take a seat.”

Emily slipped into a seat, but her mind was on Rachel Zinn. Dad might be a little tough on her, but he’d never come down so hard on her or Timmy.

Poor Rachel.

The attic of the old lighthouse where Bree lived would have been a little spooky except for the illumination from three bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Boxes and old furniture were packed into every corner. Emily sneezed and wiped her dusty hands on her jeans.

“Thanks for helping me today,” Bree told her. “I hate putting away the summer clothes and getting out the winter ones. At least the kids are entertained.” She wore jeans and a Detroit Tigers sweatshirt. A kerchief covered her curls.

Emily spared a glance at her charges just to make sure they weren’t getting in any trouble. The twins were playing with their dolls in the corner. They pulled old baby clothes out of a trunk and were happily entertained. “It’s a cool place.”

“I’ve spent hours exploring. The original Fresnel lens for the light tower was the best find, but I also found a sea captain uniform from the 1850s. And a ball dress that I wore to a masquerade
party once.” She smiled. “Look at those two.” She gestured to Samson curled in the corner with her puppy sprawled across him.

“I want him to be just like Samson.”
If
she got to have him. She
had
to figure out who took the necklace so her puppy could come home with her.

“It’s going to take a lot of hard work for both of you. That kind of training doesn’t happen overnight. It will take years.”

“I know, and I’m ready for it. What can I do to help him get started? If I get him, of course.”

“Have Timmy hide and let him go find him. Always use a scent article. He’ll get used to playing hide-and-seek and will love it if you make it into a game.”

“How old was Samson when you started training him?”

“About six months old. He was a natural at it.”

“You think my puppy has a gift like Samson?” Wow. That’d be way awesome.

Bree nodded. “I’m sure of it.” She shoved a box under the eaves, then studied Emily’s face. “Is everything all right? Are you still upset about the necklace?”

Emily shrugged. “Everyone believes I took it, especially since two girls told the sheriff they heard me say I’d planned to take it.” She shook her head. “I didn’t.”

“I know.” Bree gave her a soft smile. “Have you talked with the girls? I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding.”

Emily sighed and handed her a box to stash. “Yeah, and one of them admitted she may have misheard, but that’s not enough to clear my name. You’ve investigated lots of mysteries. How can I find the real thief?”

Bree put the box on the one she’d just set down. “Honey, this isn’t your job. The sheriff will handle it. Investigations can
be dangerous. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.” She studied Emily’s face. “Have you been investigating on your own?”

Emily’s face got hot. “Just a little. I’m not getting anywhere, though.”

“Does your dad know you’re poking into things?”

Emily looked over at the twins again. “Well, not really.” Guilt pricked her for not telling everyone that she was working with Inetta. She should have told Dad or Naomi.

“What have you found out so far?”

Emily listed the suspects she’d had, who she’d eliminated, and how.

“I’m impressed, Emily,” Bree said. “I never would have guessed you would have such a flair for investigation.”

That was high praise coming from such a top-notch investigator as Bree. Emily sneaked another glance at the twins, who were still occupied with the doll clothes. “But I’m stuck now. I don’t know what to check next.”

“First off, I’d talk to Rachel. Ask her why she’s angry with you and apologize for any way you’ve hurt her feelings. You need to clear the air between the two of you, and God says when you know someone is offended that you need to go to them and try to resolve it.”

“He does?” Emily didn’t like the sound of that. She knew all about not holding a grudge against others, but was it
her
responsibility to go to someone who was mad at her?

“Read Matthew 5:23–25. It tells you if you are giving God a gift and remember that your brother has something against you that you should stop what you’re doing and be reconciled. So basically God doesn’t even want you giving him anything until you set things right.”

Emily sighed. “That doesn’t seem fair, and it’s going to be super hard.”

Bree smiled. “It’s good for your character. And God is more concerned about your character than anything.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll do it.”

“Good. And tell her that you think she misunderstood what you said. Maybe Gretchen would agree to talk to her too.”

“Maybe.”

Bree studied Emily’s expression again. “Is the gloomy face you’re wearing about the prospect of talking to Rachel, or is something else bothering you?” Bree bent over to adjust the clothing in a box so the lid fit better.

Emily bit her lip. “It’s about my dad and Naomi.”

Bree straightened. “What about them?”

“This is just between us, okay?” Emily waited until Bree nodded. “I think they’re getting a divorce.”

Bree gaped. “Oh, honey, whatever gave you that idea?”

“They’re acting weird. They’ve been tense all the time. And they stop talking when I come into the room, but I’ve heard them raise their voices like they’re upset. I remember my mom and dad acting like that before my mom left.”

Bree put her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “You should talk to them about your fears. I’m positive it’s nothing like that. If you tell your dad you’re worried, he’ll tell you what’s going on.”

Emily saw something in Bree’s face, a knowledge. “Do
you
know what’s going on?”

Bree bent over the box again. “This is something you should talk to your dad and Naomi about.”

Dread squeezed Emily’s chest. Bree must know something. If it wasn’t divorce, then maybe one of them
was
sick. Maybe one
of them had cancer or something terrible. She couldn’t bear the thought.

She swallowed hard. “I-I’ll talk to them.”

Bree straightened. “Good. Honesty is always best. You can drive yourself crazy thinking things that aren’t true when all it would take to set your mind at ease would be to talk things out.”

“I guess.” Emily wasn’t looking forward to any of it. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought up the subject at all.

THIRTEEN

Emily put her history book away and went to see her brother. “I need to talk to you.” She stepped into Timmy’s room and shut the door behind her. Charley looked up from his nap on the bed.

“I didn’t do anything.” Timmy gently set the half-painted airplane model onto its stand on the desk.