Sandrift: A Lin Hanna Mystery (6 page)

Lin realized
that this timing coincided with the local news account of when Liz Frazier had
been murdered, but she did not mention this to Mr. Johnson.

“ She told us
that she originally went to a shelter and got some help with giving up alcohol
and drugs.
 
Gradually things got
better, she got a job, went back to school.
 
When she finally felt things were
turning around, she contacted us.”
 
Mr. Johnson smiled, “We were extremely proud of her.
 
She had come so far on her own.”

Lin listened in
silence as Mr. Johnson continued to talk about what Dorrie had
accomplished.
 
She had finished
college with a business degree and had been working for several years with a
financial advising firm.

“We haven’t seen
as much of Dorrie as we would’ve liked, since all this happened and she
finished school,” Mr. Johnson reported. “Her work kept her very busy, but she
always managed to visit us during holidays and we talked frequently.
 
I would say we had a good
relationship.
 
We saw as much of her
as many of our friends saw of their own adult children and we were certainly
proud of her pulling herself together.”

Lin understood
what he was saying.
 
She often
wished that she saw more of Ben and Lucy but they too led busy lives.
 
That did not really mean that they were
not close, however.

“Did you know
that Dorrie was coming to the Outer Banks?” Lin felt the need to ask.

“As a matter of
fact, she called us last week to tell us about this trip and to say that she
would stop by Richmond on her way back.
 
In fact, we were expecting her to arrive today—we were going to
have an early Thanksgiving—and now this.”
 
Mr. Johnson seemed near tears himself,
but he continued.

“Dorrie told us
that she was coming to try to find Liz Frazier, she said that when she left she
owed Liz two months rent money.
 
Since she had become successful, she’d begun to think about repaying her
debts and helping folks who had helped her.
 
She made regular contributions to the
shelter where she’d first lived and now she was thinking about her debts to
others.”

Lin was
surprised by what he was saying.
 
If
Dorrie had killed Liz then why would she come back to find her and repay a
debt?
 
Could she have committed the
crime while drunk and on drugs and not even remember it?
 
Had she actually robbed Liz rather than
simply owing a debt?
 
She wanted to
ask all these questions but realized it was pointless.
 
Mr. Johnson obviously only knew what his
daughter had told him.
 
Liz realized
that Mr. Johnson was still speaking to her so she redirected her attention to
what he was saying.

“ That is why
we cannot accept what the Sheriff is saying about Dorrie.
 
We simply don’t believe she would be
capable of such a crime.
 
She might
have been a “wild child” but she was not a murderer,” he was adamant. “Whatever
else happens, we’ve got to find a way to clear her name and restore our
memories.”

Lin had no
answer for the man.
 
She understood
his distress but she didn’t know enough about the situation to offer any
answers.
 
What could she offer this
kind man that would be of comfort to him and to his wife?
 

Lin surprised
herself by what she said next. “Mr. Johnson, I’m going to meet with Sheriff
Midgett later this week.
 
I asked to
talk to him so that I could find some answers for myself.
 
As you can imagine, all of this has been
quite shocking for me too.
 
Finding
your daughter, reading about the earlier crime in the paper… I may not learn
anything you don’t already know, but I’d be happy to share the results of my
conversation with you, if you’d like.”

Mr. Johnson
turned to her with a look of relief. “Thank you, Ms. Hanna.
 
That would be very kind of you.
 
I’m afraid neither Sara nor I are able
to face talking with the Sheriff, after what we read and what was initially
reported to us by the department regarding the death of Liz Frazier.”

“We’ll be
leaving Manteo tomorrow to return to Richmond.
 
All of the arrangements for Dorrie
should be completed today,” he reported sadly, “but let me give you a
card.
 
Perhaps you’ll call us after
your conversation with the Sheriff?”

Lin accepted
the card and agreed that she would call and share whatever she learned.
 
Thanking her for this and for coming
that morning, Mr. Johnson took his leave and returned to his room.
 

Lin remained on
the porch for a short while, accepting another cup of coffee when the waiter
came by.
 
She still had plenty of
time.
 
As it were, she would be
quite early if she left right then.
 
Silently she chastised herself for getting further involved in all of
this.
 
What happened to “putting
this all behind her?”
 
She hadn’t
expected to have any further contact with Matt and Sara Johnson after
today.
 
In fact she had more or less
promised Neal that she would drop the entire matter after talking to the
Sheriff and he had felt she should, perhaps, not even do that.
 
Now she was not only planning to talk to
him for her own peace of mind and sense of closure
;
she had promised to further involve herself by reporting what she learned to
Dorrie’s parents.
 
Why had she
offered to do this?
 
Mr. Johnson hadn’t
asked anything of her.
 

Lin realized
that her own desire to be helpful to others was kicking in.
 
Throughout her career as a teacher and
school administrator she’d always been faced with situations that required her
to ask questions, to examine events and behaviors, to try to understand fully
what was happening.
 
Her goal had
always been to help students and their parents.
 
She’d learned long ago not to simply
accept things that happened at face value but rather to look for underlying
issues.
 
She supposed that this was
simply “her”—part of who she was.
 

Lin sat back,
closed her eyes, and tried to relax.
 
Somehow, this desire to help others, not to mention a strong sense of
curiosity and desire to know and understand what was going on around her,
seemed to lead to her getting involved where she probably shouldn’t.
 
She realized that she might regret
pursuing this but Matt and Sara Johnson at least deserved to know why their
daughter was the prime suspect in this case.
 
There had to have been strong evidence
against her when the crime occurred.
 
Hard as it might be for the Johnsons to accept the fact that their
daughter had been involved in a crime, it would be better for them if they, at
least, knew what evidence had led to that conclusion.
 
At least Lin could use this as rationale
for calling them after she talked to Sheriff Midgett.
 
That would be it, she promised herself, one
phone call and then she would put the whole mess aside and move on.
 
Neal was on his way and they had several
weeks ahead to enjoy each other and this lovely place.
 
Then there would be Christmas with her
entire family joining them.
 
She had
a lot to look forward to and she was not going to let this unfortunate
experience spoil her holidays.

The drive west
was, thankfully, uneventful. Flat stretches of open farmland punctuated by pine
forests gradually yielded to the slightly hillier terrain near Raleigh.
 
The state capital sat near the border of
the coastal plain and the hilly piedmont area of the state.
 
There were more hardwoods here and many
of them had already lost their leaves resulting in a mostly brown and tan
landscape that foreshadowed the coming winter.
 
Lin was grateful to realize that she
would enjoy a few more weeks before that happened on the Outer Banks.
 
The climate there was a bit milder.
 
She knew that the coast could experience
terrific storms even though the hurricane season would soon be past.
 
Even so, warm sunny days were not
uncommon during the weeks leading up to the New Year.

Even though she
had taken her time, stopping for a coffee break along the way, Lin arrived at
Raleigh-Durham airport about an hour ahead of Neal’s scheduled arrival.
 
She parked the car and went into the
terminal looking around for what she might do to pass the time.
 
She hadn’t eaten lunch, but she wasn’t
really hungry.
 
She had, after all,
had a late breakfast.
 
Neal had
mentioned making dinner reservations so she really didn’t want to eat a meal at
this point; it was a few minutes past four.
 
Lin spotted a Starbucks that wasn’t far
from the place where arriving passengers exited the concourse and decided that
a latte would make a perfect afternoon snack.
 

Someone had
left a newspaper on one of the tables.
 
Lin browsed through some of the articles and then decided to work on the
crossword puzzle while she waited.
 
A couple of times she got up to check the arrivals board, happily noting
that Neal’s flight was scheduled to arrive on time a little after five.
 
Her excitement over his arrival had
pushed the events of the weekend and her talk with Dorrie’s parents to the back
of her mind—at least for the present.

Finally, the
board indicated that the flight had landed.
 
Even though she realized it would be
several minutes before the passengers disembarked and made their way to the
main terminal area, Lin moved closer to the concourse exit area to wait.
 
It was almost twenty minutes before she
saw Neal heading her way.
 
He broke
into a huge grin when he spotted her his blue eyes sparkling as he made his way
through the crowd.

“Boy am I glad
to see you,” he exclaimed as he dropped his carry on bag and grabbed her in a
huge bear hug. “It’s been a long day but well worth it.”
 
He noticed that she had wrapped both
arms around him, “Hey, looks like the shoulder is back to normal.”

“It is,” Lin
responded, “just an occasional twinge here and there.”
 
She planted a kiss on his cheek, “I’m so
glad you’re finally here.”
 

“Me too,” Neal
replied.
 
He picked up his carry on
and took Lin by the elbow guiding her away from the ever-growing numbers of
people flowing from the concourse toward a quieter spot to one side of the
entrance. “Now, how about a real welcome kiss.”
 
He put the bag down and drew her into a
close embrace kissing her deeply and with a hunger that expressed how truly
happy he was to be with her.
 
Lin
responded eagerly returning his embrace fully.
  
All of the anxieties of the past
weekend vanished completely.

Finally, Neal
stepped back, “I guess, I’d better go claim my luggage.
 
Coming for such a long visit I had to
pack a lot more than usual.”

“Tell you
what,” Lin said, “I’m in the parking garage across the way.
 
Why don’t I go get the car and I’ll pick
you up at the arrivals lane in front of the baggage claim area.
 
Should save a few minutes anyway.”

Lin took Neal’s
carry on bag with her and headed out to the garage.
 
By the time she got the car and drove
back around to the terminal Neal was just exiting the baggage area with two
fairly large bags.
 
She popped the
trunk and waited while he lifted the heavy bags and placed them inside.

“You must have
big plans,” she teased, “that involve getting dressed up a lot.
 
I should’ve told you that things are
usually very casual at the beach.”

Neal grinned
and winked at her, “Actually, my most immediate plans focus more on getting
undressed than on dressing in any fashion.”

“Oh, really!” I
fell right into that one Lin thought; she felt herself blushing as she tried to
focus on the signs for exiting the airport.

“Indeed, they
do,” Neal continued with a grin on his face, “and, for your information, one of
those bags is filled with Christmas gifts and notes for some writing I’m
currently working on.
 
My laptop is
in the carry on.
 
I plan on getting
some work done while I am here.”

“ Kate has a
nice office area upstairs so that should be easy for you,” Lin was glad to
change the subject, at least for the moment.

“ That’s
great,” Neal responded, “but first things first.”
 
He gave her directions from his
reservation form and soon they were pulling up at the hotel he had booked for
the night.
 
The elegant entrance
took Lin’s breath away.
 
She’d been
expecting more basic lodgings.
 
The
valet took her car and the bellhop loaded the luggage they needed for
overnight.
 

“I wasn’t
expecting anything so luxurious,” Lin remarked as they exited the elevator on
the eighth floor.

“Nothing but
the best,” Neal grinned. “It’s only one night, but I want it to be special.”

The room was
large, centered with a king sized bed.
 
There were comfortable chairs near the windows and an arrangement of
fresh flowers on the table in between.
 
Next to that, Lin saw a bottle of her favorite wine, Malbec, and two
glasses.

She smiled at
Neal. “You’ve thought of everything.”

“I hope so,” he
replied crossing the room and embracing her once more.
 
“I can’t forget our wonderful weekend at
the Canyon, and I wanted this to be just as special.
 
I’ve really missed you.”

“Me too,” Lin
answered as he leaned down to kiss her once more.

Neal uncorked
the wine, letting it breathe before pouring each of them a glass He began to
further explore their quarters.
 
Lin
sat in one of the chairs by the window and sipped her wine, watching him as he
moved about the room.
 
He was a
sight for sore eyes.

Neal opened the
door to the bathroom and exclaimed, “You have to see this! It’s more like a spa
than a bathroom.”
 
He beckoned for
Lin to join him.
 
The bathroom was
huge with double sinks, a whirlpool tub, and a huge shower with a rain head and
a long wooden bench along the back wall.

Neal consulted
his watch.
 
I’ve made dinner
reservations at someplace called the Angus Barn but not until
seven-thirty.
 
There is certainly no
need to hurry; the restaurant is practically
next door
.
 
The management here recommended it to
me.

“It’s a
wonderful steak house,” Lin offered, “one of the best anywhere and it is close
by.
 
We passed it on our way here.”

Then we have
plenty of time to relax before we go.
 
Neal slowly began to unbutton Lin’s blouse, “I think a nice warm shower
would be just perfect right now and that shower is certainly big enough for
two.
 
I’d get lost in there alone.”

Lin could only
nod her agreement as Neal proceeded to undress her and then
himself
.
  
He reached into the large shower,
turning on the steaming water as he led her in after him.
 
The warmth Lin felt throughout her body
was not entirely coming from the soft steam that quickly enveloped them. There
was no more talking.
 
Gazing into
her eyes with deep affection, Neal sat down on the wooden shower bench drawing
her gently down to his lap.
 

What began in
the almost tropical warmth of the luxurious shower ended almost an hour later atop
the king sized bed in a tangle of soft white towels.
 

“We’ll need to
dress for dinner soon,” Neal murmured. “It’s almost seven.”

“Not, just
yet,” Lin responded, pulling him toward her once more.
 
“Just a few more minutes.
 
Hold me close.”

They lay
together entwined in the damp towels, but Lin felt only the warmth of the
afterglow of their lovemaking.
 
Somehow she felt safe and secure in Neal’s arms.
 
Their relationship had had a rocky
beginning, but now it had blossomed into something special.
 
Last spring her trust in Neal had
waivered when she had questioned some of his actions, but he had righted that
situation and had been forthright in accepting his own responsibility for what
happened.
 
His efforts had helped
put an end to a dangerous art theft ring.
 
Since that time, Lin had felt only trust and honesty in her relationship
with Neal.
 
While she still was not
sure where the relationship was heading, she knew that they were in a good
place right now.

***

They arrived at
the steakhouse just a few minutes late for their reservation.
 
The rustic barn-like building was
already decorated for the holidays.
 
A large fir tree dominated the entry area bedecked with hundreds of
white lights and glittery ornaments.
 
A warm log fire burned in the double-sided fireplace.

“I can’t
believe that Christmas is almost upon us already,” Neal smiled at the inviting
scene. “It’s not even December yet, but every place I go seems to be gearing up
for the season.”

“Well,
Thanksgiving is this week so I guess its time to decorate—get us in the
mood for shopping,” Lin responded. “It is nice though, I love the holidays.”

“I’m especially
looking forward to this holiday season,” Neal added, “spending it with you will
be really special—your family too, of course.”

“They’ll keep
us busy,” Lin smiled,
 
“especially
Sam and Emma.
 
You remember how
energetic they were when they came to visit me last summer.”

“Indeed,” Neal
responded, “but I enjoyed every minute I was included.
 
I realize what I’ve missed by not having
kids and grandkids of my own.
 
It’ll
be fun to share yours—this holiday.” Neal didn’t add that he would like
to share them beyond this season, but his expression gave away his thoughts.

By this time
they were seated in the dining room near the warmth of the fire.
 
The dinner was wonderful—great
food, good wine, and a warm holiday atmosphere.

Their conversation focused on
plans for the next few weeks.
 
Lin
eagerly outlined a number of activities that she felt Neal would enjoy as well
as day trips they might make together and with her family.
 
There was no mention of the grim events
of the past weekend.
 
Frankly, Lin
was happy to put this behind her for a while and focus on Neal and the plans
they were making.

***

Tuesday morning
dawned chilly but sunny.
 
After a
quick breakfast at the hotel, Neal and Lin hit the road for the drive back to
the Outer Banks.
 
Their romantic
reunion had left Lin in a great mood.
 
She was feeling very calm and relaxed as they left the traffic of the
Raleigh area and found themselves driving back through expansive fields of
cotton—most full of brown stubble but some still snowy white with bolls
yet to be harvested.
 
The land grew
flatter and marshier the nearer they got to their destination.
 
Soon they were crossing the Alligator
River onto Roanoke Island and into the town of Manteo.
 
Their arrival reminded Lin of her
appointment the next morning with Sheriff Midgett.
 
She realized that she hadn’t thought
about that meeting during the entire time she was with Neal in Raleigh, but now
she found herself once more thinking about all the questions that had been
raised by Matt Johnson.
 
She had to
admit she had questions herself.
 
Hopefully, the sheriff would be able to produce some answers for them
both.

Remembering
that a grocery store visit was in order if she and Neal expected to eat at
home, Lin pulled into the Harris Teeter parking lot as they arrived in Nags
Head.

“Thanksgiving
dinner?” Neal queried, with a sly grin.

“Not on your
life,” Lin responded, “I have no plans to cook Thanksgiving
dinner—Christmas will be quite enough.
 
Besides I hear the buffet at Capt.
George’s here is fantastic.
 
We can
go out.
 
This is a more basic
trip.
 
The cupboard at Kate’s is
pretty bare.”