Part I
“A beginning is time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.”
Frank Herbert, Dune
Chapter 1. Seeing Stars
July 14, 2015
Police Station, South Tamworth, New Hampshire
Kris Sims never had a woman all to himself, but he had kissed three, made love to two, and married one. They were all dead now.
During the long drive from Boston to the small-town police station in New Hampshire, he wondered if the “new evidence” would help solve the cold case—or only reveal the truth Kris had hidden for so many years. Although snippets of memories and grief flashed in and out of his mind, he mainly thought about the historic moment he would witness the next day. But when he arrived at the police station, he thought about the past.The cramped office appeared just as he remembered, except for the plaques on the wall and the family pictures on the file cabinet reflecting the afternoon sun. He was here again because the authorities recently discovered the remains of Amy Davis, the woman who had disappeared on the day his wife had been killed at a secluded cabin.
“I figured you would reopen the case after you found Amy’s remains,” Kris said as he sat at the small table by the window.
Chief Jessica Kerry replied. “Mr. Sims, thank you for being so cooperative. Coffee?”
He nodded.
“Cream? Sugar?”
“Cream, no sugar. I remember—you were the young detective working the case.”
She placed a Styrofoam cup of coffee and a packet of creamer on the table. “My first assignment, and it had to be on that day of all days. I’m surprised you remember me after so many—”
“Because of my age?”
“Oh, no, sir. I mean, it was such a hectic day. Your wife died and your friend disappeared on the very day the whole world was in shock.” After grabbing a folder and white cloth bag from her desk, she sat at the table across from Kris and glanced inside the folder. “By the way, you don’t look sixty-eight,” she said with a smile.
He shrugged. “If you live long enough, being a late bloomer becomes an asset.” He took a sip. “Good coffee.” Actually, the coffee was lukewarm, and the creamer did not dissolve right away, but he had eventually learned to tolerate imperfection. He set the cup aside after taking one large gulp, not touching it again. “You said you had some new evidence—other than finding Amy.”
“Well, not really evidence, just a perplexing connection. My notes indicate you had known Mrs. Davis since childhood.”
“Yes.”
“You drove in from Boston today?”
“Yeah, I visited with my sister-in-law, Kate’s sister, and her husband. Then drove here.”
“Kate—your wife?” Kris nodded. “So you still stay in contact with your deceased wife’s family?”
“Yes, we’re still family.”
“Did you remarry?”
“No.”
“Are you heading back to Texas soon?” Chief Kerry asked as she wrote on her notepad.
“Yes, but I’m going to Baltimore tomorrow. What’s the new information about the case?”
She removed an item from the cloth bag and clutched it in her fist before releasing a thin metal pendant, suspended by a frayed leather strap held between her thumb and index finger. “We found this with Mrs. Davis’s remains.”
Kris watched the pendant swing back and forth. He remembered making the necklace for her on the day that circumstances beyond their control separated them when they were children. Why was Amy wearing the necklace on the day she died? His mind drifted to the last words Amy said to him, and then Chief Kerry brought him back to the moment.
“We cleaned it up and found a crude engraving on the back.” She turned the pendant over. “See the initials? It looks like they could be ‘AT + KC-S.’ Mrs. Davis’s sister, Mrs. Thomas, suggested you might recognize it. Is this necklace familiar to you, Mr. Sims?”
Kris’s eyes swung from the necklace to Chief Kerry’s waiting gaze. “Where did you find her body?”
She placed the necklace on the table. “The state is constructing a hiking trail in a remote section of woods about five miles from your wife’s family’s cabin. Two workers discovered Mrs. Davis’s remains. I’ve lived around here all my forty-five years and never been up there before. But you didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m sorry, what was the question?”
“I asked if you were familiar with this necklace found with Mrs. Davis.” She pushed it toward him.
Staring in silence, he clutched the pendant in one hand and slowly raised his fist to eye level. His hand opened slowly, revealing the stars, forcing every moment with Amy into focus.
***
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