“Elizabeth Madaster’s body has never been found. ”
Chapter Six
I just stared at Wes Ryder for a full five seconds, trying to compute what the news had meant to Evan, trying to understand what his suffering under those circumstances would have been. I came up against a great, black wall that my imagination couldn’t penetrate. What would it be like, to never see your spouse again, to never have the closure of a memorial or a burial…
To never to have said goodbye?
“I’m sorry. I guess that Evan hadn’t told you that yet?” Wes said.
I suddenly felt very warm. I untied the paint smock I was wearing, all the while willing myself to steady after being knocked off balance.
“No. He’d told me about her drowning in a boating accident, but I hadn’t realized they’d never found her body,” I said, pulling the smock off my arms and tossing it on the table. I looked out at the brilliant sapphire waters. The alpine lake had always struck me as sublime. But suddenly I sensed its unfeeling vastness, its uncompromising, frigid depths.
“She disappeared here, didn’t she?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes. She was a very experienced sailor. She had a favorite boat—a restored wooden yacht her father had bought her. It was small, but top of the line. She called it Survivor,” he said, his smile faltering slightly. I understood why. The name seemed ironic and sad, given the circumstances.
“Two days after she went missing, the boat was found miles from Les Jumeaux, foundering against some rocks near South Lake. There was only minimal damage to the boat. They searched for her body for weeks afterward, but it was never found. The search was eventually called off.”
“Why did they say it was an accident?” Couldn’t someone have hurt her? Something told me to keep that question to myself.
“Elizabeth was on the boat alone.”
“How did they know she was alone?”
Wes glanced over his shoulder at the South Twin.
“Elizabeth’s father is a control freak,” he said after a pause in a quiet, confidential tone. “Back then, he had security cameras installed all over Les Jumeaux. After Elizabeth went missing, he gave the police full access to surveillance video. They saw Elizabeth leaving the boathouse that evening by herself. They studied video for the time period before she left, as well. They could trace the movements and activity on the boat for months before that night. There’s no doubt that she was alone when she left. It wasn’t unusual. She often went out on her own. She was fiercely independent.
“Anyway, after they found the boat, they searched for any sign of anyone being on board with her that evening, any signs of violence or anything irregular, and found none. Boating accidents happen. People hit their heads and fall in. There was alcohol on board, and sleep medication. Sedatives. She might have been intoxicated when it all happened. I suppose we’ll never know. If she was only partially conscious or unconscious when she went in, well. . . ”
He winced.
“Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the world. They say you can stand up the Empire State Building in it, and never see the top of it. Many a body has been lost in that lake,” he said.
Another shiver wracked him. He wrapped his arms around his waist. I realized he looked pale, as though discussing Elizabeth’s death had made him physically ill.
“Are you all right?” I asked, concerned.
Wes blinked and attempted a smile. “Of course.”
“You were close to her, too. Weren’t you?”
“Close? No, I wouldn’t say that. When we were younger, maybe. But Elizabeth made an impression on everyone. Her death hit a lot of people very hard.” He glanced back toward Les Jumeaux. He seemed to hesitate.
“I suppose Evan won’t appreciate me coming up here and gossiping like this.”
“You weren’t gossiping. I appreciate you talking to me. It’s hard, speaking about these things with Evan. I don’t want to… ”
“Poke at his wounds?” Wes asked quietly.
I just nodded, thankful for his understanding.
“Well, I suppose we should get back?” he asked after an awkward pause. “Evan should be finished interviewing Valeria by now.”
“Valeria?” I asked, completely confused as to why Evan would be interviewing a woman.
He grimaced slightly and again shoved his hands in his pockets, looking like a sheepish tween.