Lake Roosevelt Read online

  She just shook her head. As he said, not a bit of this was making sense, and that scared her.

  “As I said, I have done this for five different historians in the past for the same couple who hired me. I have also investigated an architect, an interior designer, and two mathematicians. Both the mathematicians were higher-level theorists and they both work for the couple who hired me now.”

  “And what do your clients do?” she asked.

  “I have told you more than I should,” Jesse said. “They gave me permission to blow my cover and tell you what I was doing, but beyond that let them tell you. And honestly, other than their names, I have no idea why they hired me to do a background report on you.”

  At that moment his computer dinged and he started up the conference call.

  “Is she there?” a man’s voice on the screen asked.

  “She is,” Jesse said. “Angry as she has a right to be, and wanting answers, as do I.”

  At least he acknowledged she had a right to be upset about being investigated.

  “Let us talk with her,” the man’s voice said.

  Jesse turned the computer around so that it faced Kelli.

  On the screen were two people. One was a dead replica for Duster Kendal, the other a dead replica for a woman known in the San Francisco area around the turn of the century as Bonnie Kendal.

  Kelli jerked back. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Doctor Rae,” the man said. “I would like to introduce myself. I am Duster Kendal. This is my wife, Bonnie.”

  “So you two have been planting the fake pictures,” Kelli said.

  Both of them shook their heads.

  “We planted no fake pictures,” Bonnie said. “And I am sorry you had to discover we were having a background check done on you before we had a chance to meet. You have a right to be angry and we apologize. We have an offer for you and it is sensitive and we needed to know who you really are before making the offer. Nothing more than that.”

  Kelli shook her head. “I have no idea who you are, I don’t need a job, and I sure don’t need some private detective following me around.”

  She glanced at Jesse when she said that, but he was looking down at his almost empty coffee cup just shaking his head.

  “We don’t expect you to trust us,” Duster said. “And we were never going to offer you a job. We were going to offer you a way to help in your book research. Nothing more. We are sending you our history, our CVs, and so on. And we also have six others sending their backgrounds, as well as our character references to you.”

  “All we ask,” Bonnie said, “Is that you meet us in Portland to talk with us, give us a chance to make an offer we think you might be interested in.”

  “Can you explain the picture?” Kelli said.

  “We can, yes,” Bonnie said. “We can explain them all. There is an explanation.”

  “I would love to hear that as well,” Jesse muttered, more to himself.

  Kelli sat back slightly on the stool. The idea that they weren’t offering her a job and wanted to help in her research was interesting. It calmed her some.

  And it calmed her that the investigator they had hired was as upset about all this as she was. If what they had to offer was something special, of course they would have had her investigated. It was not the first time someone had looked over her life. She had nothing to hide.

  So they had been following standard procedure and the picture had just knocked everything off the rails.

  No one said a word as she stared at the two people facing her on the screen. They had been in so many pictures from so many collections that were authenticated, she had to know how they had done that, and why.

  “Send me your information and your references,” Kelli said. “Then I’ll decide if I want to talk or not.”

  “It’s in your e-mail as we speak,” Bonnie said. “Have Jesse call us back after you have looked it over.”

  “Understood,” she said.

  She pushed the laptop back toward Jesse.

  He turned it around. “I’m going to need an explanation for those pictures as well. And exactly why I’ve been doing all this. I think it’s beyond time I know the reason why.”

  “Only fair,” Kelli heard Duster say. “If Doctor Rae decides to meet us, we’ll explain it to both of you in Portland. If she chooses not to, we’ll show you when you get back to Boise.”

  “Thank you,” Jesse said, closing the laptop.

  She could tell he was clearly not happy either. The fake photo she had shown him had clearly stepped over some line for him as well.

  And for some reason that made her feel a lot better about him.

  Plus, he was just so damn good-looking. And he got even more handsome when annoyed.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  July 14th, 2016

  Oregon Coast

  SHE CLICKED ON her e-mail and let the documents upload quickly. As they were coming up, the woman from the back room came out and cleared off their plates.

  “Banana cream pie ta die for,” the large woman said as she filled both their coffee cups again. “Fresh cherry pie and fresh strawberry pie as well.”

  “I’ll take a piece of the banana cream,” Jesse said.

  “Same,” Kelli said, “And thanks for the use of your Wi-Fi.”

  “Nothing like that out here on the edge of nothin’,” the woman said, turning to head back into the kitchen.

  Jesse pointed to his computer. “Hot spot Wi-Fi.”

  She nodded and said nothing, because honestly she wasn’t sure what she could say at this point. So she focused on the information that had come to her computer.

  It seemed Bonnie and Duster Kendal were two of the most acclaimed theoretical mathematicians working today. They both had more degrees than she did, but not in history, in high level mathematics.

  She did a quick search for their records in other places. They had done some papers and from what she could tell wanted no credit for discoveries. They were acclaimed as the two most brilliant working math brains on the planet and lived a mostly secluded life in Boise.

  However, they had buildings and entire wings of science and math departments named after them in numbers of universities. Clearly they had donated a ton of money.

  She went to the six historians who had sent her references. Holy shit, it was the who’s who of modern working historians. Five were focused in American history, one worked in World War One and pre-war Europe. All six had added notes to her simply saying in one way or another, “Trust Bonnie and Duster.”

  Two women who sent along letters and their backgrounds were historical designers, both working in areas of historical renovation. All of them had numbers of books out.

  Clearly Bonnie and Duster had wanted to make her an offer that brought her into this group. Not at all sure why. Or what they could even offer her that she didn’t already have.

  She put the list of names who had sent her letters on her screen and turned it for Jesse to see. “You know these people.”

  He glanced at the list and nodded. “I have met them all at one point or another.”

  “You do background checks on all of them?” she asked.

  He looked very pained at that question.

  “You think Bonnie and Duster are going to care if you tell me that at this point?” she asked. She indicated the computer. “They are clearly doing their best to repair the damage from that picture at this point.”

  “I did,” Jesse nodded, looking back at his coffee. “And they were all told I had done that after the fact, as you would have been.”

  “Look,” she said, turning back to her computer. “I am sorry to have compromised your investigative ethics here. But to be honest with you, that picture is bothering me more than I want to think about right now. If I can’t trust what I find in major historical records, what can I trust for my books?”

  He looked at her, his green eyes intense. “It’s bothering me as well because a year ago no one knew I
would be investigating you. Hell, I didn’t even know it. That picture took time to plant. I want to know how and why someone would do that.”

  “So we both have the same goal here,” she said. “Get some answers.”

  He nodded.

  At that point the woman brought huge slices of pie, a couple of fresh forks, and some extra napkins. She slid the pies in front of both of them.

  The slice of pie had to be a good six inches high and looked to be more like a quarter of a pie than a slice.

  “Wow,” Kelli said, moving her computer to the side a little. “Does this place serve anything small?”

  “When ya live on the edge of da planet,” the large woman said, “no point wastin’ time on da small stuff.”

  “Amen to that,” Jesse said, digging into the pie.

  Kelli laughed.

  And then went back to looking over the information she had been sent, looking for anything that seemed at all out of place.

  CHAPTER NINE

  July 14th, 2016

  Oregon Coast

  THEY HAD BOTH finished their huge slices of wonderful banana cream pie when Kelli finally surfaced from reading all the stuff Duster and Bonnie had sent her.

  Jesse had so overstepped his bounds on this meeting, he was disgusted with himself. There were no laws governing client confidentiality with investigators, but he had his own rules. And even though Bonnie and Duster had introduced themselves, he was still angry for being put in this position.

  And damn angry at whomever did that photo.

  Duster had said he was done with this investigation. But it all still bothered him.

  And it honestly worried him that he had made Kelli mad at him. He found her amazingly attractive and smart and more than likely funny, if the situation allowed. He hoped that they could patch this up enough to at least get to know each other a little better. Not the investigator know, but the personal knowing.

  After staring off into space for a moment, she turned to him. “Your clients and their friends are some amazing people.”

  He nodded. “That they are, and even more amazing in real life when you meet them.”

  “You like them, huh?” she asked, staring into his eyes with those intense dark eyes of hers.

  “More than I sometimes realize,” he said. “That’s why this photo stuff has me so damn bothered. It’s not at all like them.”

  “So call them,” she said. “Let’s meet them in Portland and find out just what the hell this is all about.”

  He nodded. “I was hoping you were going to say that.”

  “Why?” she asked, “you get a bonus if I sign on or something?”

  “I think I deserved that,” he said, shaking his head and working to get his laptop going to make a connection. “I have no idea what they are going to offer you. And I sure don’t need their money.”

  “Sorry,” she said, looking worried.

  “No reason to be sorry,” he said. “I’d be pissed off as well in this situation. I just wanted to not have to wait until Boise to figure out what the hell is going on.”

  She laughed. “And I thought it was because you wanted to spend more time with my biting personality.”

  “Well,” he said, smiling at her. “That too.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  July 14th, 2016

  Oregon Coast

  KELLI WATCHED AS Jesse got the computer going, made the connection, and then said, “Hello.”

  “She still there or she slap you and drive off?” Duster asked, laughing.

  “I’ve been a perfect gentleman,” Jesse said, smiling. “And I wouldn’t have blamed her if she did, but she’s right here.”

  He turned the computer to Kelli, who was smiling.

  “I was angry enough that I almost did just that,” Kelli said. “But had to wait for my fantastic and huge piece of pie and read what you sent.”

  “Are you talking banana cream pie?” Bonnie asked, her eyes wide. “Are you at the Whale Port Diner?”

  “We are,” Kelli said, glancing at Jesse who just shrugged and mouthed the words that he didn’t tell them.

  “Say hi to Betsy for me,” Bonnie said.

  “And I hope like hell you had the chicken fried steak,” Duster said.

  “We both did,” Kelli said. “It was heavenly.”

  “Always is,” Duster said.

  At that moment, the large woman from the back came out. “Did I hear my name?”

  Kelli swung the computer around and the large woman lit up. “Bonnie! Duster! When the hell are you two going ta drag your sorry asses back out here for a dinner and some cards?”

  Kelli heard both Bonnie and Duster laugh. “We’ve been hoping to do just that very soon.”

  “Got your favorite stools ready for ya,” she said. “These two computer geeks sitting at my counter with ya?”

  “They are,” Duster said. “Or at least one of them is and the other we hope to meet with soon.”

  “Figures,” the large woman said, smiling. “You two always attract the brainy kind. See ya soon.”

  “Bye, Betsy,” both Bonnie and Duster said as Betsy turned the computer around.

  Both Bonnie and Duster were smiling like she had just given them the treat of the year. Who in the hell were these two mathematicians, anyway?

  “I’ll meet with you in Portland,” Kelli said.

  Both Bonnie and Duster kept smiling, but there was a serious note behind the smile suddenly.

  “It will take you about three hours to drive and get across Portland to the airport,” Duster said. “There’s a good restaurant near the airport on Airport Way called Bill’s Steakhouse. How about we meet you there in three hours. I’ll have a back room reserved so we can talk in private.”

  “That sounds fine with me,” Kelli said.

  She glanced at Jesse who just shrugged and nodded.

  “We’ll both be there,” Kelli said.

  “Call if either of you have traffic problems.”

  And then the screen went dark.

  She pushed the computer back to Jesse who shut it.

  “They have their own jet, huh?” she said.

  “I honestly didn’t realize that until right now,” he said.

  At that moment Betsy came out from the kitchen again. “Dinner is on us.”

  “No need to do that,” Jesse said a moment before Kelli could.

  “See that new grill back there,” she said, pointing back into the kitchen. “And when ya go outside, notice the new roof on da place. All Bonnie and Duster. And they fixed up our home too and funded us enough capital to keep goin’ without worry. Only deal was that we keep on doin’ what we were doin’ and serving great food.”

  “You have any idea why?” Kelli asked.

  Betsy shook her head. “This place had been in operation for goin’ on one hundred and twenty years and without them, it would be shut down. They wanted nothing in return. No other strings, no loan, nothin’. Amazin’ people. And they did the same thing for da historic hotel down the street. Helped them remodel and get back on their feet and stay open as well. It started just ahead of this place opening. And they would never tell us why.”

  With that, Betsy turned away, smiling.

  Kelli glanced over at Jesse, who was shaking his head and watching Betsy walk away.

  “Didn’t know your own client that well, huh?” Kelli asked.

  “Clearly not,” Jesse said. “And in about three hours I want to start remedying that situation.”

  “Yeah,” Kelli said. “Some answers would sure be nice.”

  With that they both left a twenty-dollar tip near their pie plates, and with laptops in hand, headed for their cars.

  Outside, in the fresh ocean air, Kelli glanced over the top of her car at the handsome face of Jesse. “Since you’ve been following me for some time now, how about I follow you to Portland?”

  “Seems more than fair enough,” he said, smiling at her.

  And that smile she could get used to,
if first she got some answers.

  PART TWO

  An Offer

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  July 14th, 2016

  Portland, Oregon

  JESSIE WAS IMPRESSED that Kelli stayed right behind him all the way from Whale Cove into the west side of Portland and then through Portland to the airport on the east side.

  They made the drive in just under three hours.

  He would have been much happier if they had been riding together, but after a while he was glad they weren’t. The drive gave him time to think and calm down.

  And more than likely it gave Kelli the same thing. Bonnie and Duster had always been full of surprises for him, and clearly others around them as well. Now he needed to know why they had had him investigating all these people over the years.

  And how that picture of him standing in Roosevelt, Idaho, in 1908 could even have been done. Especially a year ago, as Kelli claimed it was.

  Because that wasn’t possible.

  What he hadn’t told Kelli was that the metal bracelet on his wrist, the one that could be seen in the picture, he hadn’t got as a gift until last Christmas. A year ago he didn’t have that metal on his wrist.

  So either she was lying about when she got the picture, or something else really ugly was going on.

  Kelli pulled up and parked beside him in the large, paved parking lot of Bill’s Steakhouse. The heat of the July evening in Portland was a strong contrast to the cool ocean breeze on the coast. He could hear the roar of a jet taking off over the traffic sounds of the nearby five-lane road.

  The wonderful smell of steaks being grilled filled the air around them. The steakhouse was dark wood with a ton of plants around it, almost hiding it from the parking lot and road. It had a dark, low-pitched roof and dark-tinted windows.

  Since it was almost nine in the evening, the sun was starting down over the west hills and there were only about ten other cars in the parking lot.