Read Online The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook - Free Book Online
Authors: Eileen Cook
Tags: General Fiction
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happened to her? Why hasn’t there ever been any hint about where she went? If someone took her, they must have had a reason.”
Thomas shrugged. “I always figured there was more to the story. Family with that much money, you would expect someone to hit them up for a big payout. Since they didn’t, it could mean it was just some sicko who had a thing for kids, or it could have been someone who wanted revenge on the family.”
That was a whole new angle I hadn’t even thought of. “Who would want revenge on the McKenna family?”
My question amused him. “Well, who died and made you Sherlock Holmes all of a sudden?” Thomas laughed. The waiter slipped a plate with miniature lemon curd tarts onto our table and motioned I should take one. Thomas popped a whole tart into his mouth. “Or since you’re a girl, are you going for an Agatha Christie sort of angle?”
“I saw something recently about it being the fifteenth anniversary of her going missing, and I realized I didn’t know much about the situation. Maybe it was the idea of her and me being the same age got me interested.” I wondered if Thomas had ever seen the age-enhanced photo. It was clear if he had, he hadn’t seen any resemblance, but then again he wouldn’t have been looking for one.
“Well, you’re not the only one interested in all this past history. You should talk to that fellow from the foundation if you want details. He’d likely know more than I would. He’s here at the hotel somewhere doing some of the groundwork for the big charity ball.”
“What fellow?”
Thomas scrunched up his face while he pulled the detail from his mind. “His name is Chase Parker. He works with that McKenna children’s charity. They’re doing a big event on the island to mark the anniversary. We’ve got something like twenty-five media people checking into the hotel, not to mention over a hundred bigwigs from the city. They’re hosting a charity fund-raising dinner that night with some sort of formal announcement about a bunch of hefty donations.”
I made a mental note to find Chase Parker. If he was working with the McKenna Foundation, it was possible that he would know the family, too. A little inside information never hurt. “Maybe I’ll splurge for a ticket to the event,” I said. “Do my part to help missing children.”
“Only if you’ve been saving up your tip money. Tickets are something like five hundred bucks a pop.” Thomas swallowed another small tart. “Course, the other person you should talk to is your mom.”
I sat up straighter. “My mom?”
“Sure. She was the one who cleaned the McKennas’ rooms when they were here. The police asked her a whole bunch of stuff about the family, and if she’d seen anything. The woman who worked in human resources back then made the police transcribe the whole thing for your mom’s employment record. I think she was afraid the police were going to accuse your mom of doing something. She wanted to make sure the hotel didn’t get dragged into the whole mess. Near as I can tell, they should just call HR ‘AC,’ for ass coverage.”
My mind was spinning. “My mom was a suspect?”
Thomas looked at me, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh lord, no. I didn’t mean to imply there was anything your mom did wrong.” I guess he was afraid I might be offended if he smeared my only law-abiding relative. “No, your mom wasn’t a suspect; they just wanted some information on the McKenna family. Course, it isn’t popular to say, especially when the family is well connected like that, but in most of these cases, the family is involved. Usually it turns out that maybe the dad had a thing for little girls, or the mom drank in the afternoons and couldn’t cope with the kid’s crying, that kind of thing.” Thomas sounded very knowledgeable about criminal motivation, asonly someone who watches Law & Order every night could be.
“Was there ever any indication the family was
Thomas shrugged. “I always figured there was more to the story. Family with that much money, you would expect someone to hit them up for a big payout. Since they didn’t, it could mean it was just some sicko who had a thing for kids, or it could have been someone who wanted revenge on the family.”
That was a whole new angle I hadn’t even thought of. “Who would want revenge on the McKenna family?”
My question amused him. “Well, who died and made you Sherlock Holmes all of a sudden?” Thomas laughed. The waiter slipped a plate with miniature lemon curd tarts onto our table and motioned I should take one. Thomas popped a whole tart into his mouth. “Or since you’re a girl, are you going for an Agatha Christie sort of angle?”
“I saw something recently about it being the fifteenth anniversary of her going missing, and I realized I didn’t know much about the situation. Maybe it was the idea of her and me being the same age got me interested.” I wondered if Thomas had ever seen the age-enhanced photo. It was clear if he had, he hadn’t seen any resemblance, but then again he wouldn’t have been looking for one.
“Well, you’re not the only one interested in all this past history. You should talk to that fellow from the foundation if you want details. He’d likely know more than I would. He’s here at the hotel somewhere doing some of the groundwork for the big charity ball.”
“What fellow?”
Thomas scrunched up his face while he pulled the detail from his mind. “His name is Chase Parker. He works with that McKenna children’s charity. They’re doing a big event on the island to mark the anniversary. We’ve got something like twenty-five media people checking into the hotel, not to mention over a hundred bigwigs from the city. They’re hosting a charity fund-raising dinner that night with some sort of formal announcement about a bunch of hefty donations.”
I made a mental note to find Chase Parker. If he was working with the McKenna Foundation, it was possible that he would know the family, too. A little inside information never hurt. “Maybe I’ll splurge for a ticket to the event,” I said. “Do my part to help missing children.”
“Only if you’ve been saving up your tip money. Tickets are something like five hundred bucks a pop.” Thomas swallowed another small tart. “Course, the other person you should talk to is your mom.”
I sat up straighter. “My mom?”
“Sure. She was the one who cleaned the McKennas’ rooms when they were here. The police asked her a whole bunch of stuff about the family, and if she’d seen anything. The woman who worked in human resources back then made the police transcribe the whole thing for your mom’s employment record. I think she was afraid the police were going to accuse your mom of doing something. She wanted to make sure the hotel didn’t get dragged into the whole mess. Near as I can tell, they should just call HR ‘AC,’ for ass coverage.”
My mind was spinning. “My mom was a suspect?”
Thomas looked at me, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh lord, no. I didn’t mean to imply there was anything your mom did wrong.” I guess he was afraid I might be offended if he smeared my only law-abiding relative. “No, your mom wasn’t a suspect; they just wanted some information on the McKenna family. Course, it isn’t popular to say, especially when the family is well connected like that, but in most of these cases, the family is involved. Usually it turns out that maybe the dad had a thing for little girls, or the mom drank in the afternoons and couldn’t cope with the kid’s crying, that kind of thing.” Thomas sounded very knowledgeable about criminal motivation, asonly someone who watches Law & Order every night could be.
“Was there ever any indication the family was
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