Page 172 - My Home on the Earth

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Alan Cooper stared at Marjorie. ‘Henderson – the name
rings a bell, so I must have heard it before. Why?’
‘What about Emily Goodwin?’
‘Emily? Yes! I know Emily. She lives in Nestonbrook.
What does she have to do with Jake being here?’
‘Alice Henderson is a good friend of ours. Her late
husband was too,’ she said, patting her husband’s hand. ‘Stuart, you won’t have heard anything of what I am about to say. It seems to me Jake has been surrounded by many people who know of him or knew him yet by a twist of fate, none of us is aware of what each other knows.
‘Alice has two daughters, Kay and Emily. They live here with their families,’ began Marjorie.
Alan nodded and his face froze when he realised who she was speaking of. ‘Rauston Quay. Why didn’t I think of that? All this stems from Nestonbrook, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ said Marjorie quietly. ‘Your wife, Melanie, arrived here in January using an alias, Marissa Cooper, to stay with her sister, Louisa. For reasons unknown to us, Jake couldn’t stay with them in the apartment. The most puzzling aspect of this saga is how Melanie found the cabin. She would have needed local knowledge, someone who had used it or knew the layout of the land. Alice is a dear friend and her family have been sorely affected by your wife’s arrival, but only she and Jake can tell you the truth.’
Alan didn’t know what to say as Stuart guided him to the sofa and offered him a strong cup of coffee.
‘When I received Jake’s letter, my initial thought was
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