Sara was looking at her phone. “There’s no mention on the company website that the owner of Renewal has a husband and children.”
“Could have left that out for privacy,” Kate said. “English papers blur the faces of celebrity kids.”
“Any David in charge of finances?” Jack asked.
“Yes, but there’s nothing about him personally.”
“Think she’s telling a fib?” Kate asked. “Running a business takes a lot of time.”
“With her anger-driven ambition, maybe she didn’t have time for a family,” Jack said.
“Maybe she’s here for revenge,” Sara said. “Or she needs to see the past. She can’t release what happened to her until she fully remembers it.”
Jack said, “Like you when you moved back to where you’d grown up? Girl from the wrong side of the tracks makes good? Rubs their noses in it?”
“Jack!” Kate said.
Sara was laughing. “Exactly like that. Whatever their reasons, they all seem to be full of anger.”
“Except Byon.” He caught eyes with Sara. “And no, I’m not giving in to your idea that prison is a haven for writers.” He drove through the gate to Oxley Manor. “So what do we have so far? Ladder, gate—”
“Skeleton,” Kate said.
“And enough hate to set off bombs,” Sara said. “I don’t believe your Puck is as innocent as she seems. She’s spent her lifetime hiding from her hideous mother. That kind of rage builds up.”
“Like a teakettle,” Kate said.
“And soon it begins to whistle,” Sara added.
Jack groaned. “You two! We could still turn this over to the police. I’d tell them I was trespassing in the forbidden zone, fell through the hole, then—”
“Got the rope ladder and investigated,” Kate said.
“Then no one would ever know who killed Sean. I’m growing rather fond of him.”
“You like him because he looks like pretty boy here,” Kate said.
“Thank you.” Jack smiled at her.
“I didn’t mean it as a compliment. What you’ve done to poor Nadine is rotten. She thinks you—”
“Look!” Sara said loudly.
There was a very nice dark green car parked in front of the house. Standing by it was Nadine and a young woman who looked enough like her for them to know she was the daughter, Teddy. They were both frowning. Beside them was a large man, smiling fondly at them. The women had his jawline and they were set hard.
“Now we know why the English chose a bulldog to represent them,” Sara muttered.
“Jag,” Jack said. “If anyone wants to know. Eighty grand at least. I do admire that family’s taste in cars.”
“Looks like you’re going to get to talk to the dad all about it.” Sara waved, and the man smiled back. The two women didn’t look away from each other.
“She won’t win,” Kate said under her breath. “Mothers always win.”
“Not always,” Sara snapped. “Sometimes—”
Jack’s look cut her off. “One war at a time.”
They got out of the car and started toward the group, but the young woman stormed inside, Nadine close behind her.
That left the man alone. He was staring up at the house.
Jack and Kate stayed in the background while Sara went to him. “Lovely, isn’t it?”
“Not like I remember it. I was afraid it was going to fall down on my daughter’s head.” His colloquial English accent was very heavy.
“You must have some fond memories of your time here.”
He chuckled. “Thelma Thompson and I broke the glass elephant right here in this house.”
Behind them, Jack wiggled his eyebrows at Kate, and she elbowed him to behave.
“Don’t believe I know her,” Sara said. “Did she live here?”
“Who?”
“Miss Thompson.”
The man stopped smiling. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“Sara Medlar. I’m staying at the hotel.”
“Then you oughta go back to it.” He stepped toward her in a menacing way. “This is private property.”
Kate put her hand on Jack’s arm to keep him from stepping between them.
“This place belongs to the Renlows. Nicky will—”
After a few blinks, Sara said, “I’m here to sell Bertie a horse. Fastest one I’ve ever seen.”
The man’s face changed to a smile. “He’ll buy it then.” He tilted his head toward her and winked. “And I’ll lend him the money, like I always do. One day, I’m gonna collect, then Oxley Manor will be mine. I’ll give it to my daughter as a wedding present.”
“Who is she marrying?”
“Nicky, of course. She’s gonna be a lady. I’m hungry.” He walked into the house.
Jack and Kate went to Sara.
“Now we know who paid Bertie’s bills,” Jack said.
Kate said, “He seems to think his granddaughter is his daughter and that Nicky is still alive.”
Sara gave a smile of satisfaction. “His mind is like having a living video of the past. Come on, let’s go find him and ask a lot of questions.”
“And encourage that poor man’s mental problems?” Kate had slipped into what Jack called her “school marm mode.”
“I prefer to think of it as letting him live in a world where he was happiest,” Sara said. “He had wealth and power, and hope that the future for him and his beloved daughter was going to be nothing but happiness. It was a time before death and disappointment shattered everything he’d worked for and dreamed of. A place where—”
Kate put her hands over her ears. “Okay. You win.”
“She always does,” Jack muttered.
“So let’s go.” Sara ran into the house.
Kate looked at Jack. “You coming?”
“I’m going to take in the luggage.”
“Don’t you need a key to get into the car?”
“Puh-lease.”
“Didn’t mean to insult your criminal abilities. See you later.” She ran after her aunt.