Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(56)

She plugged the address into her navigation system. As she drove off, she found herself thinking about how her life had been in a weird downward spiral since Trevor’s near drowning in Hawaii. That’s when she’d first seen the man in the suit. Not long after, she’d met Jane Bell. While her initial gut feeling had been not to take the job, in the end she’d been easily swayed by the idea of having more freedom while making more money.

If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.

A half hour later, when she pulled in front of the Lewitts’ Craftsman-style house with its low-pitched roof and wide eave overhangs, she opened the door, ready to climb out, and simply froze in place. Suddenly, being here didn’t seem like a good idea. She hadn’t seen Jane since she and Richard came to their house to announce their engagement. Just leave it alone, Nora. Let it go. It’s time to move on.

“Hello. Can I help you?”

Nora jumped. Her hand landed on her chest, over her heart.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

She looked at the man. His walker was the only thing standing between them. He was short and stout and had shocking white hair and hooded eyes—gentle green eyes. If this man was Jane’s uncle, the picture Jane had painted did not make sense. After all Jane’s talk of being neglected and worse, Nora hadn’t expected to see a kind face. “Are you Mr. Lewitt?”

“I am. And you are?”

“Nora Harmon. I work for Jane Bell—”

A look of confusion came over his face.

“Also known as Jane Lewitt, your niece?”

“Ahh. Did she marry?” A smile reached his eyes. “Good for her.”

“She’s engaged to a wonderful man named Richard. He’s a dentist. I take it you haven’t seen her recently.”

“We haven’t seen Jane since she graduated from high school . . .” He looked upward, as if he might find his memory there. “2003. That was the year she left.”

“And you haven’t talked to her since?”

“Greg! Who are you talking to?”

He gestured with his chin toward the door. “Why don’t you come inside? Barbara will make some tea. I’m sure she would love to hear about Jane and her new beau.”

Nora found herself nodding. She grabbed her purse, then climbed out and shut the car door. It didn’t take long to catch up to Greg Lewitt as he slowly made his way up the stone path separating two squares of well-manicured lawn.

After introductions were made, Nora was led into the family room. Greg and Barbara Lewitt both disappeared into the kitchen to make tea, leaving Nora alone in the family room. The house was well maintained, the furniture free of dust, something she wouldn’t have noticed one way or another if there wasn’t so much natural light coming through the windows. The mantel was covered with framed pictures. There was one of Jane in the middle. It looked like a school picture. When Nora picked it up to take a closer look, she saw another picture taped to the back of the frame. It was Jane in the backyard. The hem of her dress was ragged. Her knees were bruised, and her eyes looked hollowed out, as if she suffered from malnutrition.

Nora swallowed. Had Jane been telling the truth all along?

Nora heard a bang and then footfalls. It sounded as if they were bickering in whispered tones. Nora quickly put the picture back where she found it and hurried to the couch and took a seat.

Greg and Barbara returned with a tray of teacups. Greg gave Nora a cup of tea and took one for himself to his recliner.

Nora felt awkward. She never should have come.

Mrs. Lewitt settled into a cushioned chair. Her tone was much less friendly than her husband’s when she asked, “So, why are you here?”

That was a very good question, Nora thought.

“She works for Jane,” Greg told his wife. “She just came by to let us know that Jane was engaged.” He turned to Nora. “To a dentist, is that right?”

Nora nodded.

Barbara looked wary. “Did Jane send you?”

“No. It’s just that I—umm—Jane has been good to me, and my family, and I wanted to meet the people who raised her . . . see where she grew up.”

“So she knows you’re here?”

Nora shook her head.

“I didn’t think so.”

“Did she tell you where we live?”

“I—I should go.”

“Don’t pay Barbara any attention,” Greg told Nora. “You said you were working for Jane. What does she do?”

“She started her own software company in Sacramento. It’s called IMPACT.”

“Well, good for her,” Barbara said before Nora could tell them more.

“She was always a smart girl,” Greg said.

Barbara grunted. “She probably used all that money she inherited to start that business. Didn’t even think to share with her aunt and uncle even though we took her in and treated her like she was our own after her parents’ deaths.”

“Jane did mention an accident—”

“She never recovered from it,” Barbara said. “She lost everything in an instant.”

“Yes,” Greg agreed. “A daddy and a mommy’s girl. She loved her parents with all her being and refused to accept that they had died in a crash.”