“Did you know the family?” I asked after a moment.
Hope picked up a bright red leaf that had settled onto her shoulder once the gust had passed. She twisted the stem mindlessly between her forefinger and thumb as she answered. “I knew them casually, although they weren’t really the sort to establish close friendships. Mark, who I would say was close to forty, worked as a laborer for a local contractor. I’m not certain that I ever spoke to him since he wasn’t the sort to socialize after work, but I remember seeing him around town from time to time. His wife, Mary, who I would guess might have been a few years younger, waited tables at a diner on the highway.”
“Diner?” I asked.
“It was really just a hamburger joint called Jack’s Place. It burned down a few years ago. Arson, I think. To be honest, it looked to be a bit of a greasy spoon, and I never ate there, but I remember noticing it as I drove in and out of the area. It tended to attract tourists passing by on their way into Gooseberry Bay.”
Personally, I loved good greasy hamburgers. It was too bad it was gone. Those sorts of places usually had the best milkshakes. “So tell me more about the family.”
“As I’ve already indicated, I didn’t know them well,” Hope answered. “I remember they had four children. All girls. The oldest was sixteen or seventeen, I guess. I remember that she attended the local high school. There were two girls between the oldest and youngest. I guess they might have been in elementary or even middle school. I seem to remember that the youngest was probably around five or six.” Her smile faded. “Cute kids. Dark hair, big brown eyes, and petite features.” She let out a shallow breath. “I thought about those four kids for the longest time after they went missing. I prayed every night that they were safely tucked away somewhere.”
I looked at the house, which still stood empty after five years. “Did the Hamish family have relatives in the area?”
“Not that I know of. I suppose you can check with the neighbors, but I’m fairly certain that no one showed up looking for answers once the family disappeared. I remember there was an article in the newspaper asking folks to call the sheriff’s office if they had any information that could lead to an explanation as to what happened to the family. The article also asked anyone who might know of any sort of next of kin to come forward, but as far as I know, no one did.”
I looked at the old house that had caused me to pull over and park in the first place. “I suppose it’s possible the Hamishs didn’t have family, but it seems as if someone would have done something about the house by this point. There must be procedures in place to deal with a property if the owner dies, and no one comes forward to claim it.”
“I suppose there might be, but I also suppose that if next of kin can’t be established, what comes next is probably a complicated process. I guess if you’re really interested, you can ask Deputy Todd about it.”
I supposed Deputy Todd might know the status of the estate, but I also supposed that it really wasn’t all that important. “Do you know how long the Hamish family lived here?”
“About two years. Maybe less.” Hope brushed her hair away from her face. “I’m not exactly sure when they moved here, and I really have no idea where they came from, but I remember chatting with the oldest girl, Hannah, during our annual Christmas event the year before they disappeared, and she mentioned that she’d never experienced a white Christmas and had been hoping for one. I asked her where she’d lived before moving to Gooseberry Bay, and she simply said down south where it was hot over the holidays.”
“I suppose Deputy Todd must have traced the family back to wherever they came from. I’ll have to ask Parker. When we spoke, she indicated that she had notes and stuff. Even if she was just starting out, I bet she figured out the basics.”
“Probably. Parker is a smart woman. She has a knack for finding what she needs to close the story she’s after. If she’d had a bit more experience when the Hamish family went missing, I have no doubt she would have found closure for that story as well.”
“Well, she seems determined to do just that now. Parker, Jemma, Josie, and I are all getting together tonight to come up with a game plan. I’m not sure we’ll figure anything out that wasn’t figured out five years ago, but Parker should have a story either way. If you want to help out, I’m sure you’d be welcome.”
“I appreciate that, but it’s a busy season at the inn, and I have the Christmas Village to plan and find volunteers for, so I think I’ll pass.”
“If you need volunteers, I’d be happy to help out,” I offered.
She smiled. “Wonderful. There’s a meeting Tuesday. I’ll email you the specifics. Gooseberry Bay’s Christmas Village is a huge event, and we really can use all the help we can get.”
“I’m really looking forward to the holidays this year. The peninsula gang makes it seem as if a Gooseberry Bay Christmas is a magical experience.” I referred to the three women and two men who lived on the same peninsula as I did at the north edge of Gooseberry Bay.
Hope smiled. “Oh, it is. People come from all around. If we have snow, it will be even better.”
“I can imagine. Booker told me all about the boat parade, and Josie went on and on about all the colorful lights that folks put up all over town. Jemma seemed to be most excited about the huge decorated tree in the gazebo as well as the tree on the boardwalk, and Tegan made mention of a large variety of food vendors.”
“Like I said, it’s a huge undertaking, but it really does mean so much to almost everyone who lives in the area.”
“Well, I, for one, can’t wait.”
Hope turned so that she was facing me directly rather than looking toward the house. “It seems as if you’re fitting right in with the peninsula gang.”
“I am,” I confirmed. “Thank you again for renting to me. It’s worked out perfectly so far. I love the coziness of the cottage, and I cherish the friends I’ve made. And of course, the dogs love having so much room to wander around.”
Hope looked back toward my SUV. “Where are the dogs?”
“I took Kai and Kallie for a long run this morning, so I left them home to rest while I did some errands. They needed a nap, and I needed to run by the hardware store and the general store, and I didn’t want to leave them in the car while I was inside. By the way, I wanted to let you know that I’ve finished painting the walls we talked about. You should stop by the cottage and have a look. You won’t recognize the place.”
“I’ll do that. I’m anxious to see how it all worked out.”
“The light bluish-gray was a good choice. It gives the cottage a very natural feel. I thought I might work on the walls in the attic room your uncle used for a studio over the winter. The room is just so awesome with all those windows, but so far, I’m not really using the space.”
“It might make a good office for you if you’re going to be around long enough to make it worthwhile setting one up.”
“Actually, I do plan to stick around for a while — through the winter for sure and maybe even longer.” I smiled. “I guess I’ll have to see how everything works out, but I really love it here. I may even decide to settle here permanently once I get the answers I came looking for.”