Secrets of Hallstead House (13 page)

I was torn. Suddenly I had an opportunity to leave this place and forget about Diana and all the heartache she had caused. I could leave Alex to her memories and not be responsible for bridging the gap between her and her family’s past. I could start fresh.

But leaving Alex—did I really want to do that? She was still in the process of healing and I had a professional responsibility to her. I didn’t know whether I could live with myself if I left her now in the care of a stranger. I looked at the letter again. My friend needed an answer soon. I would have to decide quickly.

I put the letter in my desk and continued on my way to the turret. This time I was sure to pocket the key after I unlocked the turret door. No one was going to lock me up there again! Unlike the day before, I left the shades up and felt a welcome warmth from the sunlight. Looking critically at the painting of the leaning tree that I had started, I acknowledged that it certainly was dark. I had used dark greens and browns and maroon for the tree, a charcoal gray for the water, and a dusky blue for the sky. It actually wasn’t bad for a painting that had been completed in just a few hours. Even the water, which was my weak spot, didn’t look too bad.

Today I wanted to paint a picture in colors that were a little lighter and brighter. I painted the first thing that came to mind: a small, uninhabited island. I sketched first—the trees, the rocky shoreline, the clouds, the reeds and bushes. After a while, when I was satisfied with my drawings, I took out the paints and painted my island. I used light greens and yellows, a sapphire blue for the water, and a light blue for the sky. When I stood back from it to have a look, I had to admit that I liked this painting better than the one I had completed the day before.

While I worked I was able to completely empty my mind of all unpleasantness, but everything came back in a flood as I was putting the painting supplies away, my thoughts tumbling around in my head. What should I do about Alex, if anything? Should I accept the other position? Should I tell anyone here about my newly discovered identity? I was unsure of how to proceed. As for Alex, her actions had hurt me, and I certainly wasn’t ready to accept her as a grandmother.

As for the new position, I was leaning toward accepting the offer from my agency. It might help both Alex and me if we had some space between us, and another nurse would surely treat Alex well.

As for telling anyone my new identity, Alex and Stephan already knew, and now Pete as well. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone else just yet. I think I feared being despised even more around Hallstead Island if others knew about my true relationship to Alex. Vali and Leland and even Will disliked me enough already. Why give them another reason?

When I was done cleaning up, I went back to my room and sat down at the desk. I needed to respond to my nursing agency. Though I drafted a letter accepting the position in New York, there was a slight feeling of unease in the back of my mind, a feeling like I was running away from a challenge and a stirring of guilt that I was leaving Alex in someone else’s care. But the more I thought about it, the more the positive aspects of the new job outweighed the negatives. I would sleep on it and mail the letter from Cape Cartier in the morning. Pete could take me over in the boat.

I didn’t feel like talking with Stephan or Will that evening at dinner, so I went downstairs an hour before dinner and made a sandwich for myself. Dinner for the others was cooking, but luckily Vali was not around to harass me. I left a note for her stating that I would not be downstairs for dinner and I took my sandwich upstairs to eat. On the way I checked quickly in Alex’s rooms. She was in a consultation with Stephan and Will and said she would be fine for the rest of the evening.

I spent the rest of the night catching up on some correspondence that I had been neglecting, including letters to two coworkers from my previous job, letting them know that I was coming back and would see them soon.

Feeling tired, I got into bed early. There was a fire burning in the grate and my room was nice and warm. I was just starting to doze off when there was a knock at my door. I threw on a robe and went to the door quietly, unsure of whether I should open it. I stood next to the door and said softly, “Who is it?”

“Pete.”

I opened the door and stood back to let him in, but he stayed in the doorway.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up,” he said.

“That’s okay. I wasn’t asleep yet. I just got into bed a little early.”

He seemed unsure of what to say next.

“Did you need something?” I prompted.

“Not really. I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a little day-trip with me tomorrow. I’m heading over to Heart Island, where there’s a big castle you might like to see. There’s an interesting story behind it.”

“I’m not sure I should leave Alex for a day.”

“Actually, this was Alex’s idea. She’s good friends with the curator, and he’s agreed to let us have the place to ourselves tomorrow. Normally the castle isn’t open to the public at this time of year.” He paused. “Alex thought you might like a day away from here.”

I nodded. I
could
use a day away. And as long as Alex had given her permission, I could go with a clear conscience. Pete’s reference to an interesting story behind the castle sounded intriguing. So I smiled at him and said, “I’d love to. What time are you planning to leave?”

“We’ll go around midmorning. Come down to the dock around ten thirty and we’ll head over.”

“Thanks, Pete.”

“See you in the morning.” And he turned and walked down the stairs.

I went back to bed with a feeling of anticipation. The castle and Heart Island sounded interesting, and I couldn’t wait to hear the story. And it might be nice to spend the day with Pete too.

I got back into bed and fell asleep quickly. But it wasn’t long before I woke up feeling wide-awake. Maybe going to bed early hadn’t been such a good idea after all. The clock on my nightstand read twelve thirty. When I wasn’t able to fall asleep again after much tossing and turning, I finally got out of bed. I had finished my book earlier and I was bored. I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts, though, so I put on my robe and slipped into the hallway and down the stairs.

The door to the library was closed. I pushed it open, expecting to find the room in darkness. But to my surprise, several lamps were on and the room was lit warmly. I didn’t see anyone at first, but when I looked around the room, I gave a start. Alex was sitting in one of the leather chairs, staring at nothing. She was wearing a nightgown and slippers and her hair was again in a braid.

“Alex! What are you doing in here? It’s after midnight!”

She turned her head slowly to look at me, but she didn’t appear to have heard my question. I was starting to become alarmed. I went over and put my hand on her shoulder. “Alex,” I repeated, “is something wrong?”

She stared up at me blankly. I took her cold hand in mine and felt her pulse. It was a little faint. I pulled another chair next to hers and sat down. “Alex,” I began softly, “can you tell me what the problem is? I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong. Are you sick?”

She shook her head almost imperceptibly. I waited for her to speak. This was very unlike the Alex I knew during the day.

“I need your help,” she finally whispered.

“How can I help you?” I asked.

“Someone killed Forrest. They’re going to kill me, too.”

I stared at her in shock. Was she hallucinating? “Alex,” I said gently, “Forrest died in an accident several years ago. He wasn’t killed.”

“Yes, he was,” she insisted. “You don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?” I asked. I was becoming very confused.

“You don’t know what I know.”

“What do you know?” I thought it would be best to humor her until she snapped out of this strange funk.

“It was my fault.”

“I’m sure that Forrest’s death wasn’t your fault.”

“It was my fault Forrest died,” she repeated, this time with more urgency. Her voice was stronger; she was beginning to sound more like the Alex I knew, and I was becoming disturbed.

“Can you explain to me how it was your fault?”

“I didn’t push him, but I could have saved him.”

“I don’t understand,” I told her. She sounded more lucid now, but her words still weren’t making much sense to me.

She swallowed and began her chilling story.

“A
ll of this happened several years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting on the floor up in my studio—your turret room. I was surrounded by cardboard boxes. I had taken a day off from my work and there were so many things in the studio that I needed to sort through and organize. I remember being in a panic thinking that I might not be able to finish it all in one day. It was beautiful outside, and the room was bright with sunshine.

“Forrest came up the stairs looking for me. He had also taken the day off and he was bored. He had already been fishing early that morning and he didn’t want to be inside on such a nice day. He asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with him. Or take a break on the balcony.”

Alex sighed. “I told him I didn’t have time to go walking just then and that I didn’t need a break yet. There were so many things I thought I needed to accomplish that day, and I figured we could take a walk or relax later that afternoon. Or the next day.

“So Forrest went out on the balcony for a look around. He did that sometimes. He would walk around the entire balcony on the second floor just to have a bird’s-eye view of Hallstead Island. He loved it here,” she added wistfully.

“After he left, I kept working. At one point, I heard voices out on the balcony. They were low, and I couldn’t hear what was being said. I couldn’t even tell who was talking. But it didn’t matter. I stayed focused on what I was doing and it wasn’t long before I didn’t even notice the voices anymore.”

Alex paused, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to steel herself against what was coming. Then she continued. “After a while my knees started to hurt. So I decided to take that break. I went in search of Forrest, assuming he was still on the balcony somewhere, probably sitting in the sun. When I didn’t see him, I walked around the balcony looking for him. I figured he was on the opposite side of the house. But he wasn’t. I had gone three-quarters of the way around the second floor when I saw him.” Alex covered her face with her thin hands and shook her head.

“As long as I live, I will never get that sight out of my head! He was lying there on the ground, on the rocks. There was blood everywhere and there was a large gash on his head. His body was broken. I have never been so scared in all my life. Even when Diana died, I was always thankful that I wasn’t the one to find her. I couldn’t have lived with that memory.”

She paused for several moments, then went on more calmly. “He was at the bottom of the staircase leading from the balcony to the ground. I hurried down the stairs, screaming for help. He had already died when I found him.” She swallowed hard. “It wasn’t long before everyone was gathered around Forrest and me. Vali and Leland were there, and Pete and Will. I couldn’t bear to leave Forrest’s side, but I was covered in blood and Will pulled me away. Pete had called for a doctor, who got over to the island quickly, bringing the police with him. But it was too late. Before long the coroner came and took Forrest away.

“Do you see, Macy? If I had taken that walk with him, like he asked, he wouldn’t have died that day. I could have saved him. I could have prevented what happened, or I could have gone for help sooner and he wouldn’t have died.”

In spite of myself, my heart went out to Alex all over again. I took her ice-cold hands in mine. “Alex,” I began, looking into her eyes, “Forrest’s death wasn’t your fault. It was a tragic accident. And if the fall hurt him as badly as you say, then you wouldn’t have been able to get help in time to save him. He would have died anyway. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

“But it wasn’t a tragic accident, Macy. Someone killed him. I know it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“The voices that I heard. Whoever was talking to him killed him. I know because I asked everyone later who had been talking to him before he died, and no one admitted to having been on the balcony with him.” She looked at me imploringly. “Who could possibly have wanted to kill my Forrest?”

I wasn’t convinced that Alex was remembering the events of that day correctly. “Alex, the police investigated and ruled Forrest’s death an accident, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they did, but I never told them about the voices that I had heard.”

“Why not?”

“Because everyone else believed that he had fallen down those stairs. After all, he was getting on in years and going up or down those balcony stairs could have caused him to fall. Everyone else said that I must have been imagining things when I heard those voices. They said maybe I was hearing the wind in the trees. I started to believe that I was cracking up, that maybe I had actually imagined the voices. And I was afraid for myself. I was afraid that if I did really hear the voices and if I said something to the police whoever killed Forrest would kill me, too.”

“So what happened that you weren’t able to sleep tonight?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Alex acknowledged. “It’s just started to bother me again. I think I pushed my fears to the back of my mind when nothing happened to me or anyone else following Forrest’s death. But now you’re here. And you are part of this family. I’ve been thinking a lot about my family since your arrival, and I’ve gone back over the events of that awful day again and again. And I’m sure that Forrest didn’t die accidentally. He was killed. And I needed to talk to someone about it. I’m glad you found me in here, Macy. I think Forrest would have wanted you to be the one I talked to.”

“What can I do to help you?”

“You need to help me find out who killed Forrest.”

I stared at Alex in shock. “Alex, how on earth am I going to do that? I’m a nurse, not a detective.”

“That’s what makes you the perfect person to help me,” Alex urged. “You won’t arouse suspicion if you ask questions. Everyone will just think you’re curious.”

“Alex, I’m already public enemy number one around here. Who’s going to answer any questions I may have?”

“I don’t know. But we’ll think of something.”

“Alex, this comes too closely on the heels of your big announcement that Diana was my mother. I don’t know how to deal with that yet. I don’t even know that I’ll be staying here.”

Alex looked at me with pleading in her eyes. “Please help me, Macy. I don’t know who else to ask.”

“How about Stephan? Or Will? Or even Pete?”

“I can’t ask Stephan. That would hurt him too much. He was so close to Forrest. I can’t ask Will because Will won’t believe anything I say about my fears. He will refuse to believe that Forrest was killed. And I don’t think it’s fair to ask Pete. He’s a very private man. He doesn’t want to be dragged into all of this.”

I didn’t want to be dragged into all of this, either.

Confused thoughts raced and tumbled around in my head. Was it even possible that someone had killed Forrest? The very thought was horrifying. Who could have done it? If indeed he had been murdered, the perpetrator must have been someone on the island. Pete? The very idea was unthinkable. I could not imagine Pete having committed such a heinous act. Will? I didn’t like Will and I didn’t believe he was above using violence, but he wouldn’t have killed his own uncle. What about Stephan? He wouldn’t have done it—Forrest was his good friend. Vali? Leland? What reason could they possibly have had? Brandt or Giselle? Neither of them had any reason to kill him.

I changed the subject. “I want you to get some sleep. Would you please do that? You might be able to sleep better now that you’ve gotten all of this off your chest.”

She nodded. “I think you’re right, Macy. I think I will be able to sleep now.”

She snapped off one of the lamps nearby and turned to go. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Good night, Alex.”

After she left the library, I flopped down in the chair where she had been sitting. I didn’t know what to do now. My first thought was of the letter I had written but not yet mailed to the nursing agency. Maybe I should stay. Or maybe it would be best for me to leave this place.

But what about the things Alex had told me tonight? I wasn’t sure Alex was right, but I couldn’t be sure she was wrong, either. What if someone
had
killed Forrest? That meant there was a killer somewhere out there. The very thought of it sent chills down my spine.

I wanted to get up to my room as quickly as I could. I grabbed the first book I saw on the closest shelf and ran lightly upstairs. I doubted I could concentrate on a single word of it, but I knew for sure that I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.

I was right. On both counts. I wasn’t able to concentrate on the book and I didn’t sleep a wink the rest of the night. I finally got out of bed at around five o’clock the next morning, tired and wound up like a spring. I forced myself to shower and dress slowly before I went downstairs for breakfast. Vali still wasn’t around, so I had the dining room and kitchen to myself.

After breakfast, I wandered into the living room again to look at the portrait of Forrest. Something about that portrait drew me to it.

“What happened to you?” I asked softly. “I wish you could talk to me.”

I went to the library to wait until Alex awoke, working halfheartedly on my new cataloging system for the books, then finally went in to see Alex at about six thirty. She was up, dressed in comfortable clothes, and ready to do her exercises.

“How did you sleep last night?” I asked her while we were working.

“Quite well, after I spoke to you. Have you thought any more about what I said?”

“How could I
not
think about what you said?”

“I mean, have you made any decisions yet?”

“No, Alex, I haven’t. You’ve thrown a lot at me the last few days. I need some time to think and to sort it all out.”

“Are you going over to Heart Island with Pete today?”

“Yes. And thank you for arranging it.”

“You’re welcome. I thought you could use the rest of the day off. I won’t spoil the story of Heart Island before you get there. It’s something you have to experience for yourself.”

We worked for longer than usual on Alex’s exercises. She seemed eager to move forward and I wanted to see how much she was capable of doing before getting too tired. She did quite well and we were both pleased with her progress.

I left her with a promise to check in on her when I returned from Heart Island and then went upstairs for a warm coat and gloves.

I took my time wandering down to the boathouse. I was still feeling anxious about my conversation last night with Alex and I was jittery about going on the boat this morning, so I thought taking a leisurely walk might help me clear my mind and de-stress.

It was a chilly day, and I was glad I had worn warm clothes, since the boat ride would be even colder. The crisp, clear air was good for my frame of mind as I walked, though, and I arrived at the boathouse by ten thirty calmer than when I had walked out the front door of Summerplace. I looked forward to spending the day with Pete and I hoped to put some of my worries out of my mind, at least for the day. Maybe I could even talk to Pete about the happenings of the past few days. He might have some grounded advice for me.

When I reached the boathouse, Pete was loading a basket into one of the boats. He greeted me with a smile and asked, “Ready?” I nodded and offered to help load the boat.

“We’re only taking the lunch basket, and that’s already packed. Hop in and we’ll get going.”

I stepped gingerly into the boat and sat up front. Without a word he handed me a life jacket, for which I was grateful.

“You ever going to learn how to swim?” he asked, grinning.

“Maybe,” I replied noncommittally. The thought of me floundering in the water learning how to swim was not how I wanted this excursion to begin. I changed the subject quickly.

“How long does it take to get to Heart Island?”

“We should be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“What’s so special about it?”

“There are a lot of things that make Heart Island special,” Pete said. “I want you to see it first; then I’ll tell you all about it.”

Now I couldn’t wait to get there. Even my apprehension about the boat ride wasn’t enough to dampen my excitement about seeing it.

We pulled away from the boathouse and navigated into the channel. Once in deeper water, Pete opened the throttle and we started moving faster. He looked over at me and raised his voice above the rushing wind.

“Do you mind this?”

Gripping the sides of my seat, I sat perfectly still and must have looked pathetic. Pete laughed and slowed the boat down a little. “I’m sorry. I was just anxious to get away from Hallstead Island for a while. I promise to go slower.”

“Thank you,” I squeaked.

As the boat cut through the waves to our destination, I asked Pete to tell me a little more about the history of the Thousand Islands region. He was happy to oblige, since this appeared to be his favorite topic.

“After the War of 1812, a man by the name of Colonel Elisha Camp acquired the American islands. He then sold the islands to a man named Mr. Walton for the sum of $3,000. Can you believe that? Now just one island can sell for millions.”

“You mentioned that some big tycoons had owned islands around here.”

“George Pullman, who invented the Pullman sleeper car for railroad travel, built an amazing home that he called Castle Rest. It was an incredible piece of architecture and it’s what put the Thousand Islands on the map, so to speak. Pullman was good friends with President Grant, who came up here on a well-publicized trip. The whole area exploded in growth after that.”

“Where is Castle Rest?”

“It’s not far from here, but the main building was dynamited after World War II for tax reasons. There are a few smaller structures that still remain on the island, but the real showplace is gone.” He shook his head. “It’s a shame.”