Free Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

didn’t like to take pictures of people. Mostly he preferred landscapes. Grandma asked him to take some shots of Daphne and me so that we would have them to give to our children. He agreed. But in the end we left the island without them. I don’t think any of us wanted any reminders of Cooper Island or the hotel.”
    â€œUnderstandable.”
    Jack turned away from the pictures.
    â€œDoesn’t look like Tom ever threw anything away,” Madeline said.
    â€œHe was paranoid. Seriously paranoid people are afraid to toss things into the trash. There’s always a chance that someone will find something that could be used against you—a bank account number or a compromising photo. You never know.”
    Madeline smiled faintly. “Sounds like you’ve dealt with the type on more than one occasion.”
    â€œOh, yeah. My favorite kind of suspects. There’s always plenty of stuff to find.”
    â€œBecause they never throw stuff away. Got it.”
    â€œTomorrow we can take a closer look, but right now I just want to get a feel for the place.”
    He walked through the living room and into the miniature kitchen. There were not a lot of pots and pans and only a handful of plates, cups, and silverware, but what there was looked as if it had come from the hotel’s kitchen.
    The refrigerator was mostly empty, but the old freezer was full of frozen meals. The cupboards were crammed with canned goods. There was an old-fashioned calendar pinned to the wall. Jack took it down and flipped through it quickly. At first glance he saw no helpful notes in any of the squares. But he rolled it up and stuck it in the inside pocket of his jacket.
    He was about to leave when he noticed the newspaper clipping thumbtacked to the wall. The picture showed a handsome couple smiling over a picnic basket.
    PATRICIA WEBSTER SHARES FAMILY CORN BREAD RECIPE AT COMMUNITY PICNIC
    Madeline came to stand in the doorway. “Find something interesting?”
    â€œJust a recipe for corn bread.” Jack gave the kitchen another cursory glance. “Doesn’t look like Lomax was into cooking.”
    â€œNot that I remember.” Madeline moved into the kitchen and glanced at the photo. “So that’s how Travis Webster turned out. A younger version of his father.”
    â€œWonder why Lomax cut out the recipe.”
    â€œI have no idea.”
    Jack glanced through the article.
    . . . Patricia Webster, the new bride of island resident Travis Webster, arrived at the annual Cooper Days picnic with a basket ofcorn bread that brought raves from attendees. In response to requests, Mrs. Webster explained that it was an old family recipe with a secret ingredient . . .
    Jack read the list of ingredients. “Huh.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe secret ingredient in Patricia Webster’s corn bread is sour cream.”
    Madeline raised her brows. “You have a problem with that?”
    â€œYes, I have a problem with that. There are rules when it comes to corn bread.”
    â€œNo sour cream?”
    â€œNot in my corn bread.”
    â€œOh, wow.” Madeline smiled. “You cook.”
    â€œGot a problem with that?”
    â€œNope. I like to eat.”
    He was not sure how to take the teasing lilt in her voice. He wondered if she was flirting, just a little, but he was afraid to ask.
    He left the kitchen and went down the hall to the bathroom.
    He did not spend much time on the small, spare space. It, too, was crammed with stuff, including enough plastic-wrapped rolls of toilet paper to get a survivor through the tough times following Armageddon.
    The last stop was the bedroom. He studied the bed for a moment.
    â€œOnly one pillow,” he said.
    Madeline hovered in the doorway. “Meaning?”
    â€œMeaning you were right when you said there probably wasn’t a girlfriend, at least not one who was in the habit of spending the night on a regular