Kathryn ran out of her mother’s house. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Her mother did not kill herself. She wouldn’t. Kathryn sat on the grass angrily. She wanted to get out of here, but she did not have a ride.
Kathryn pulled out her phone and called Beth. No answer. She called again. Beth answered this time.
“Hi, Kate. Sorry, I totally-”
“Can you pick me up?” Kathryn asked.
“Uh, from the airport?” Beth responded.
“No, from my mom’s house.”
“Oh, you already went! Yeah, I think I have the address right here . . . it’s three-nine-two, Aldridge Avenue?”
“Yeah.” Within twenty minutes, Bethany had driven over and picked Kathryn up.
“Kathryn, what happened? You look upset, really upset.” Bethany said softly. Kathryn told her everything John Smithstone had told her as they drove.
“What?!” Bethany exclaimed in the end. “That Samuel Baker is lying! Your mom wouldn’t do that!”
“Yeah, I know. I’m going to call him. Smithstone gave me Samuel’s number, his number, and Jacob’s number. Oh, actually can you drive somewhere else?” Kathryn asked.
“Where to?”
“Sheila’s Bed and Breakfast.” Bethany searched up directions on her phone and began driving in the new direction.
“Okay, here we are, Sheila’s Bed and Breakfast.” Beth announced. Kathryn half-smiled.
“Thanks, Beth. I’ll come visit on Saturday.” Kathryn started to climb out. “Two days.”
“I’ll see you soon, then!” Beth smiled. Kathryn waved from in front of Sheila’s Bed and Breakfast. The house was bright yellow. There was a sign in front with painted bees flying around on the wall. Kathryn walked in.
It was completely empty besides a few people eating lunch, and someone in the kitchen making sandwiches.
“Excuse me?” Kathryn asked a young woman eating a sandwich at the nearest table. “Does a woman named Diane still work here?”
“Yes.” The woman nodded. “She’s in the back of the kitchen. Purple dress, white apron.”
“Thank you.” Kathryn walked to the entrance. There was a large man right next to the doorway in the kitchen.
“Do ya work hea?” He asked rather rudely with a Boston accent.
“Excuse me?” Kathryn said, confused.
“Do. Ya. Work hea?” He repeated.
“Oh, no. I’m just look-”
“Then GET OUTTA HEA!” The man yelled, his sweaty face turning red. Kathryn glared at him.
“I am looking for Diane.” Kathryn said cooly. “Let me talk to her.”
“Oh, anything for you, ya majesty.” The man said sarcastically. “NO!” Kathryn stepped forward.
“I am going to talk to Diane. Unless you want to talk to my personal friend, John Smithstone.” Kathryn hoped he knew who John Smithstone was. Obviously, he did. His eyes opened wide.
“Uh, yea, she’ll be in the back.” The sweaty man said nervously. Kathryn walked past him and spotted a woman with white hair in a bun in a hairnet in a purple dress.
“Excuse me? Diane?” Kathryn said. The woman turned around. She was old, with thin eyebrows and many wrinkles.
“Who’s asking?” She said in a grandmotherly voice.
“Kathryn Phoenix.” Kathryn answered. “You-you knew my mom. Celia Phoenix.”
Diane nodded. “She came here several times and was one of the only people with any decency to talk to me. I’m so sorry about what happened last year.”
“Thank you. Um, you gave her this journal-” Kathryn pulled the journal out of her bag. “In here, my mom wrote that with the missing piece, this will help her . . . .”
Diane looked at the journal. “Yes, with the missing piece it will help greatly.”
“But what does that mean?” Kathryn asked. “What’s the missing piece and who will it help?”
“It will help many people. I cannot say the missing piece and where to find it. There are many who could be listening.” Diane said.
“How will it help?”
“It does great things. Big, in a small way.” Diane looked around nervously. “I’ve already said too much. Find the other piece before them.”
“Who?”
“By the way,” Diane said, suddenly sweetly and casually. “You should stay at this amazing hotel, I’ll write down the name and address.” Diane talked while she wrote.
“Great casino, five star rooms, so nice. But remember, if you’re ever feeling mixed emotions, especially confused, take a swim in the pool, relax in the hot tub. It’s quite nice.” Diane handed Kathryn a piece of paper folded up. Kathryn started to unfold it.
“No!” Diane said. “I mean, not yet dear, you have to go, your friend is waiting.”
“She is?”
“Have a nice day!” Diane gently pushed her out of the kitchen and waved. Confused, Kathryn began walking out of the bed and breakfast. A man with shaggy brown hair walked in front of her and started to exit. He saw her face and stifled a gasp.
“Sorry,” He said in a gruff, raspy voice. “Though you was . . . someone I knew.” The man ran across the parking lot, jumped into the passenger seat of a silver car, and the driver drove him away.
Kathryn sat on a bench. She was deciding who to call first. Samuel to interrogate or Bethany to pick her up? She settled on Samuel. She pulled out the crumpled up list of numbers from John Smithstone had given her, and put away the folded paper. She opened the crumpled list.
John Smithstone - 948-912-8138
Jacob Burkwood - 893-938-2889
Samuel Baker - 912-666-1901
Kathryn dialed Samuel’s number. She waited, then finally heard the voice on the other end.
“What, what?” He muttered.
“Are-are you Samuel Baker?” Kathryn asked.
“Duh, you called my number. What do you want, what do you need?”
“I’m Kathryn Phoenix. Apparently you knew my mom.”
“Yeah, totally. Celia.” Samuel answered.
“Okay, well, I want to know what happened.” Kathryn said.
“How she died? Okay.” Samuel cleared his throat, but it didn’t seem to help. “Okay, so I was driving near her car and she suddenly swerved off the road. Do you need anything else or-”
“Where were you driving?” Kathryn interrupted. Of course, she knew her mom was driving on 850 highway, but did Samuel really see her die?
“Uh, a highway. That was a while ago, so I don’t remember exactly-”
“What color is her car?” Kathryn challenged.
“It was nighttime, so I don’t know.”
“How long have you known her?”
“So long, like . . . yeah a long time. Look, kid. I’m not looking for no trouble. I have stuff to do.”
Samuel said he had to go, but not before Kathryn heard what a voice in the background say, “Bolin wants you now!”