"It went as well as it could. It was nice to have you on my side. Unless, Rachel and Brooklyn put doubts back in your head?"
"No. I'm committed to getting answers, whatever they are, whatever the cost. But sometimes I do worry about what I can't remember."
"Which might be why your memories aren't coming back." He gave me a long look. "You didn't hurt Melanie. You can't be afraid that you did."
"You suddenly sound so sure."
"I never thought you hurt her. I just thought you might have seen something."
"I might have," I said, meeting his gaze. "But the memory may never come back."
"Then we'll get our answers another way. What's next?"
Before I could tell him I had no idea what to do next, our housekeeper, Lorraine, came into the room.
"Willow, you're here. Could I ask you a favor? Your mother wants someone to take the food we've received over to the Chadwicks' house. I have it all boxed up."
"Sure," I said. "We can do that."
"Great. Whenever you're ready."
"We'll be right there."
"That was a fortuitous request," Drake said as we got up.
I met his gaze. "Ben might still be at the Chadwick's house. He told us to stay away."
"Or he came and went. He wanted to get Carter's phone and computer, but there could be other clues."
"I can't imagine there will be anything to find, Drake."
"Maybe not, but it's worth looking. This might be our only chance to get into that house."
I was impressed with his never-ending energy and unflagging resolve. It's probably what made him a good journalist. "Don't you ever get tired of being disappointed?"
He shook his head. "I don't allow myself to wallow in feelings that don't get me anywhere. When it comes to Melanie, I have to keep going. There's no other option. I'm not giving up, Willow."
"Me, either." I threw my shoulders back and lifted my chin. "No matter how many lies I have to uncover, no matter how many people come to hate my guts."
A gleam of appreciation entered his gaze. "You're stronger than I thought."
"I'm stronger than I thought," I admitted, hoping my words would withstand the test of whatever was coming next.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Chadwick's three-story luxury home sat on a bluff next to forestland, with the closest neighbor a quarter mile away. The house had a pool, a multi-use basketball court, a greenhouse where Eileen grew an array of amazing herbs and vegetables, as well as two decks with stunning ocean views. The Chadwicks also had their own private access to the beach below. My house was nice, but this home was in another stratosphere.
Sean Chadwick had made his money in tech and was also the grandson of a billionaire. Despite their massive bank account, I had always appreciated the fact that both Sean and Eileen were down-to-earth people who didn't brag a lot, although their three sons had often acted with a sense of entitlement.
After parking in the driveway, we headed to the front door. Drake carried a box of food with an assorted variety of casserole dishes, cold meats, and cheeses, while I brought a tote bag filled to the brim with crackers, cookies, and breads. I had a feeling the food would probably go to waste at the Chadwick house, too. But it was something to show concern.
The housekeeper, Gloria, a widow in her late fifties, opened the door and greeted us with a worried look. Gloria and our housekeeper, Lorraine, were friends, and she sometimes came by our house to give Lorraine a ride home, so I'd gotten to know her a little bit. Like Lorraine, Gloria worked at the Chadwick house whenever they were in residence. In the off-season, she cleaned houses for the locals and helped her sister at the fabric store.
"Hi Gloria. We have food," I said.
"Lorraine said you were coming by. This is very nice of your family."
"I'll bring it inside for you," Drake offered. "It's heavy."
"Thank you." She waved us into the house. "This is such an awful day. I'm not sure anyone will feel like eating, but I don't feel like cooking, either, so it will be good to have something here." Gloria led us down the hall to the kitchen, adding, "I'm so sorry about Kelsey, Willow. I've been praying for her to be found as soon as possible. How is your family holding up?"
"Everyone is trying to stay positive."
"I spoke to Ben earlier. He said there's still plenty of reason to hope. But we're running short of hope around here."
"We saw everyone at the hospital," I said. "I feel terrible for Carter."
"The family is blaming themselves for not seeing this coming, but everyone has been so distracted with Kelsey missing that I don't see how they could have foreseen such a tragedy."
"It's no one's fault."
"That won't stop them from feeling guilty," Gloria said. "Mrs. Chadwick, especially. She'll blame herself for worrying so much about Kelsey that she didn't see how upset Carter was. Carter was always the most emotional of the boys. Preston was all about his books, his drawings. Gage was the social, brilliantly athletic superstar, and Carter was the one who cared too much."
It was interesting how Gloria had summed them up. She had them spot-on. It made me wonder how she saw me and my sisters, another trio of siblings, with probably similar differences.
Drake set the food on the counter. "Do you mind if I use the restroom?" he asked Gloria.
"Sure. Go ahead. It's down the hall."
"I know where it is."
"That's right. You and the Chadwick boys were friends at one time."
"At one time," Drake echoed, then left the kitchen.
"Were you here when Sean found Carter?" I asked Gloria as she took the dishes out of the box.
"I was in the greenhouse helping Eileen. We were picking herbs for a dish I was going to make tonight. And then Mr. Chadwick started shouting. Eileen ran inside, and I followed her. There was more yelling. Gage came rushing down the stairs, his phone in his hand. He told me that Carter had passed out, and an ambulance was on the way. I guess Carter took too many pills." She paused. "I saw a bottle of prescription pills the other day when I was cleaning Carter's room. I didn't think much about it. Maybe I should have told Eileen. But Carter is a grown man, and I didn't want to intrude on his privacy."
"I can understand that."
"Sometimes it's difficult to think of him as an adult, though. When I started working for the family, Carter was about ten. Now he's in his late twenties. He was the sweetest boy. He used to draw pictures for me for my birthday and Christmas. He had a very soft heart." Gloria shook her head. "And now I'm talking about him in the past tense. He's going to make it; I know he is. He has more to do in life."
"Did Carter tell you anything about his personal life, his romantic life?" I asked curiously.
Gloria hesitated. "Uh—no."
I gave her a questioning look. "That actually sounds like a yes."
"He didn't tell me anything, but I saw some photos in his suitcase of a beautiful blonde woman. They were just fun photos, nothing X-rated or anything like that. But I was surprised to see the pictures in Carter's suitcase and not in Gage's bag."