The Lake House

18|| The Meeting

Lesley sat inside the Joyful Dining Cafe in downtown Arcaden while patiently awaiting Katherine's arrival. The cafe was small and quaint, right in the middle of downtown. Surrounded by trees and other local mom-and-pop shops.

Lesley scanned the cafe, noting there were two other guests besides her. A man wearing eyeglasses with a laptop in front of him, his eyes fixated on its screen while he typed away on the keyboard. He intermittently sipped from a coffee cup that sat in front of him. The other patron was an elderly woman who quietly sipped her tea while gazing out the expansive window at the beautiful green mountainside.

Lesley admired the coziness of the cafe. Near the entrance, two white benches were meticulously placed and adorned with flower-printed decor pillows.

The last conversation Lesley had with Katherine was earlier that morning. She was hopeful that Lesley could help bring closure to Leah's case, especially since she was under the impression that Lesley was a journalist. Katherine was also curious about Lesley's experience and the news stations she had worked for previously.

The bell hanging from the door handle of the glass door jingled, catching Lesley's attention. A medium-height woman, standing around five feet seven inches, entered the cafe. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her face appeared droopy, as if sorrow had left its mark. There was no doubt in Lesley's mind; it had to be Katherine.

The woman scanned the cafe with her chestnut brown eyes but couldn't spot Lesley. Noticing this, Lesley stood up and called out to her.

"Katherine?" Lesley asked, locking eyes with the woman.

The woman struggled to form a smile, but eventually, one emerged as she made her way over to Lesley's table.

"Hi, Lesley." The woman said in a soft tone."I'm Katherine. Nice to meet you."

Lesley smiled."Thank you so much for meeting with me."

Katherine pulled out a chair and sat across from Lesley. They were now face-to-face at the table.

Lesley pulled out a notepad as she suspected many journalists used them to document important notes.

"So, what kind of kid was Leah?" Lesley asked, gazing into Katherine's eyes.

Katherine's lips pinched together, "She was a wonderful kid. But when she turned  eighteen, it was like she turned into another person." She bent her head, staring down at the white table, "She became quite rebellious. And one day, her best friend, Celia's mother, Darlene, confided in us, informing us of Leah's affair with a married man."

Katherine's mouth curved into a frown as she tried to control her emotions. It was as if she was holding back the storm of tears that were brewing within.

"So, you found out about this affair through Celia's mother?" Lesley scooted her chair closer to the table while her gaze remained fixated on Katherine.

She nodded her head, "Yes, Celia's mother, Darlene."

Lesley quickly jotted down the name 'Darlene' on her notepad, realizing how this new revelation added another layer to an already complicated case.

I wonder how much Darlene knows about this married councilman? Lesley thought.

"Does anyone have any idea who the man is besides him being a councilman?" Lesley inquired, listening intently.

Katherine nodded her head again, "A few days before Leah drowned, I confronted her about this. But she refused to talk with me or her father about it." A tear streamed down Katherine's face, "I tried to get his information from Leah, but she refused to give it to us. She told us he loved her and he was going to leave his wife for her. That's all we knew."

Lesley pinched her eyes shut and lowered her head, gazing at the white table beneath her eyes. Her stomach was in knots at poor Leah's naivety in getting involved with a married man, who was obviously much older than her. She could only imagine the manipulation and deceit the man caused a young and impressionable eighteen-year-old girl.

"From what we've heard, it is an Arcaden City Councilman, but he resigned a few years prior to their affair. I have no idea who or where he is." Katherine explained, "He comes from a big-shot family full of politicians and attorneys- so this information was hard for us to uncover."

A young waitress with a high ponytail stopped by their table.

"Hi, ladies! Can I get you two anything?"

"I'll have a cup of coffee and creamer on the side, please." Lesley replied.

"I'll take the same." Katherine gazed into the waitress's eyes.

The waitress's eyes widened, and her mouth hung agape as she looked at Katherine.

"Mrs.Meyers, I didn't know that was you!" the waitress said, stunned."How are you doing?"

Katherine forced another smile, "I'm doing as best I can, dear."

"I want you to know that I pray for Leah every night. We graduated together, and she was the sweetest girl." The waitress added.

"Thank you."Katherine responded in her soft-toned voice.

Katherine was noticeably upset. It appeared she hadn't left her house much after Leah's death.

"I don't go out often, especially not here in Arcaden." Katherine began, "I just don't like everyone crowding up around me offering me their condolences and sympathy."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Lesley offered."It must be very tough for you and your family."
Katherine nodded.

"I wanted to ask more about this Darlene lady." Lesley said, "How can I get in contact with her."

"She's actually a waitress at the restaurant across the street." Katherine's gaze drifted out the window and across the street."Over there." She extended her finger, pointing out the window."Brennan's Steak House."

Lesley drove home, her thoughts consumed by her recent meeting with Katherine. She realized that Katherine was just as clueless about her own daughter's predicament with the married councilman, another frustrating dead-end on Lesley's quest for answers.

Her attention shifted to Darlene, the mother of Leah's best friend, Celia. Lesley needed to contact her; Leah had confided in Celia about her affair, and Celia likely knew the councilman's name.

Lesley crafted her plan and would execute it with stealth and precision, as she always did.