A Deep Divide

by Kimberley Woodhouse

  Emma Grace.

  She was probably mad at him and rightly so. Especially when he hadn’t bothered to leave a note for her himself. Why hadn’t he ignored his father and gone to speak to her personally? Or at least written his own note? How many times had he reprimanded himself over the past two days?

  As he paced back and forth in front of the El Tovar, he prayed she would show up for their walk. But what if she didn’t? He’d asked Caroline to give Emma Grace a message that he had returned. There was a good chance that wouldn’t be enough. He’d have to find her and apologize. He couldn’t blame her if she was upset.

  As the sun set completely, the temperature dropped, and Ray rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. She should have been back from her hike before it got dark. Maybe he’d missed her inside?

  He went in the front entrance and through the Rendezvous Room. He couldn’t go to her room to look for her, but maybe Miss Anniston had seen her.

  Walking through the dining room, he saw it was empty except for the head waitress. “Miss Anniston, might I have a word?”

  “Of course.” Her smile turned to a frown as she saw his face. “What’s happened?”

  “I was wondering if you have seen Miss Edwards. She missed the time we normally meet for our walk.”

  “Oh dear. I thought she went hiking with you and some others today.”

  “Unfortunately, I was detained.” He clasped his hands behind his back and clamped his jaw together. Anger at his father burned at the edges of his mind.

  “I wonder who she went with then. I know Blanche and Caroline had to back out this morning.”

  “You don’t think she would have gone by herself, do you?” Worry quickly replaced his angry thoughts.

  The head waitress shook her head. “No. I don’t think she would do anything so foolish.”

  “Would you mind going to check her room? Perhaps she came in and I didn’t see her.” He worked to keep his voice calm, but a niggling inside him told him something was very wrong.

  “Of course.” She wiped her hands on a towel and headed out of the dining room. “I’ll be right back, Mr. Watkins.”

  To pass the time, he began to pace again. Lord, please let my worry be for naught.

  “Ray. What are you doing here at this late hour?” Frank’s voice brought his attention up.

  “I’m looking for Emma Grace—Miss Edwards. Miss Anniston has gone to check her room for me.”

  “Oh? I thought you were going on another hike today.”

  “We were . . . it’s a long story. I didn’t go. And now I’m beginning to worry.” With his hands still clasped behind his back, he realized they were going numb. Perhaps he was squeezing them a bit too hard.

  Frank gripped his shoulder. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

  “I have a bad feeling . . .” Ray couldn’t bear to think about the possibilities.

  Ruth appeared back in the dining room, out of breath and concern etched on her face. “She’s not there. None of the other girls went with her today. I saw her pick up her picnic lunch this morning . . . so she must have gone out alone.”

  Frank yanked off his chef’s coat and slung it over a chair. “Then there’s no time to waste. Let’s put together a search party. Ruth, would you please inform Mr. Owens and the front desk and then see if a couple of the girls would be willing to help look?”

  She nodded and turned back toward the lobby.

  “Meet us out in front of the hotel in five minutes,” Frank called after her.

  She waved in response and then untied her apron as she began to run down the hallway.

  Frank gripped his arm. “We’ll find her.”

  A few minutes later, a group of ten was gathered to help in the hunt. Mr. Owens passed out three flashlights and five lanterns, and Frank split them up into two groups.

  He pointed toward the Hopi House. “I’ll take this group to the path along the rim to the east. Ray will take the rest of you to the west. Miss Edwards enjoys hiking and has been along the rim, so make sure you check all around just in case she’s injured and can’t hike her way back. If we find her, we’ll fire two shots into the air.” He turned and handed Ray a rifle. “Watch out for mountain lions too.”

  Prayerfully, Emma Grace hadn’t run into any wildlife that harmed her. He couldn’t bear the thought.

  As the groups split off, lights shone in different directions as people called for Emma Grace. He wanted to run and find her, but where was she? The best thing they could do was a thorough search. It just took time. And he didn’t want to waste a moment looking in the wrong direction. Lord, we could really use Your help.

  It took more than an hour to search their way down to the Kolb brothers’ studio. The two men must have heard the ruckus because they came out, Emery lifting his suspenders over his shoulders as he exited. “What’s going on? Someone missing?”

  “Yes. Emma Grace Edwards. She’s got blond hair and probably came this way early this morning.”

  “Yeah, we met her. Took her picture. But she never did come back this way. At least, not that we saw.” Ellsworth went back inside and brought the plate from her photograph, along with the printed picture.

  “That’s her.” Ray looked at it and then at the brothers. “Which direction did she head in? She didn’t head down Bright Angel Trail, did she?” His heart sank. That trail would be extremely dangerous in the dark.

  “No. She went along the rim to the west.” Emery pointed.

  Ellsworth put his hat on. “We’ll get some lights and help you search.”

  “Thank you. It’s much appreciated.”

  Another hour passed as they searched the thick trees and scrubby bushes along the rim. Ray kept his light on the very edge so he wouldn’t take a misstep and plummet down. What if Emma Grace had fallen? Would they be able to find her in time?

  Voices echoed around him as everyone called her name. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He should have been with her.

  His heart nearly stopped in his chest. What if she hadn’t gotten things right with the Lord . . . and what if . . . ? No. He couldn’t allow his thoughts to go down that negative route.

  As the seconds passed, each felt like an hour.

  The rim of the canyon was uneven, rocky, and full of obstacles in the light of day. At night, it was ten times worse. Each step he took, he searched in every direction around him, hoping the light would fall on her.

  Two shots rang out. “We’ve got her!”

  His heart shuddered, and Ray ran toward the voices. Thank You, God. “Where is she?”

  “Keep comin’.” It was one of the Kolb brothers.

  “Is she all right?” he couldn’t help but yell. Then he saw her. Disheveled and banged up, but she was alive.

  He rushed to her side. “Emma Grace, are you all right?” He put his hands on the sides of her face.

  Her head bobbed up and down in his hands. “I’m so glad you found me.”

  “Emma Grace.” Ruth’s soft voice invaded the quiet of her sleep.

  She opened her eyes and blinked away the light. Head pounding, she placed a hand over her forehead.

  “Mr. Owens needs to ask you a few questions.” Her friend’s face hovered above hers. “Do you think you can manage that?”

  Emma Grace dipped her chin down in a nod and then pushed herself up to a seated position. Every muscle and bone in her body ached. “Could we turn off the light?”

  “Sure. There’s enough light coming in through the window.” Ruth went to the door and let their manager in.

  “It’s good to see you are all right, Miss Edwards.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry to intrude, but the sheriff in Williams telephoned this morning and wanted more information.”

  “I’ll do my best, but there’s not much that I remember.” She rubbed her eyes with her fingers and hoped the fog would lift.

  He stepped forward. “Last night you said that a couple men came upon you and threw something over your head, is th
at correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “They were talking about whether I could have seen or heard what they were doing. There were at least two voices. Maybe three. Then something hit me on the head, and I woke up when I heard people calling my name.” She glanced at Ruth, who gripped her hands in front of her.

  “What time do you think the attack happened?” Mr. Owens scribbled in a notebook.

  “It was a little after three in the afternoon. I had just looked at my watch before I heard the rustling.”

  He let out a long sigh and exchanged glances with Ruth. “That was not too long before the robbery. From where she was found to the Hopi House is a considerable jaunt. It would take at least an hour and a half to cover that much ground. The timeline is congruent.”

  “What robbery?” Emma Grace sat up a little straighter in the bed.

  “I need to get this information back to the sheriff, but I’ll let Miss Anniston fill you in.” He went toward the door and then turned. “We are all very thankful that you are all right.”

  After he closed the door, Emma Grace leaned forward. “So, this had nothing to do with whoever is after me?”

  With a shake of her head, Ruth sat on the bed. “No, we don’t believe so. Shortly before five, three men entered the Hopi House and stole everything out of the cash drawer and some of the more expensive pieces of jewelry. Chuma was by herself inside and about to lock up. The others were outside on the roof. So, the thieves must have been watching until she was alone.”

  “That’s terrible. Is she all right?”

  “She’s in better shape than you are.” Ruth grinned at her. “Had they not tied her up, she probably could have caught at least one of them.”

  She glanced down at her lap. “So that’s why they were talking about whether I had seen anything. They were afraid I would be able to identify them.”

  “Most likely. But, Emma Grace, I have to be honest. With as cold as it gets at night here, not to mention the wild animals, those men probably left you for dead. Mr. Owens thinks you need to stay in your room all day, just in case. They’re probably long gone by now, but in case they aren’t, he doesn’t want them to see you.”

  She put her head in her hands. “You won’t get any argument from me. My head is killing me.” Gingerly feeling the back of her scalp, she found the lump. “Ow. I don’t know what they hit me with, but I’m glad I have a hard head.”

  “We’re all very thankful for that.” Ruth laughed. “Ray asked for permission to come down and visit you and I said it was okay. Just this once. But I told him he should come before I am needed upstairs.” She glanced at the clock. “Which should mean he will arrive any minute now.”

  Emma Grace put her hands to her hair. “I must look a sight.”

  “I don’t think he will mind.”

  “Well, I do.” She couldn’t help the irritation in her voice. She wasn’t sure how she wanted to respond to Ray right now.

  A knock sounded at the door.

  Ruth stood up to answer it. “You look beautiful.” She opened the door, and Ray’s worried face greeted her.

  “How are you feeling?” He stepped into the room.

  It was odd having a gentleman enter her private space. Not like Mr. Owens. He was her boss. She pulled her covers up a little higher. “My head hurts. And I feel like I’ve been dragged behind a horse for a hundred yards, but other than that, just peachy.” The edge to her words couldn’t be missed.

  Ruth raised her brows. “I think you two might need to talk. I’ll just go to my room. But I’ll leave the door open between them. No funny business, Mr. Watkins.”

  Emma Grace crossed her arms over her chest.

  “You’re angry with me.” Ray sighed. It was more of a statement than a question.

  “Yes, I’m angry. I know I don’t deserve to be in the know of everything in your life, but you didn’t even have the courtesy to leave me a note. You missed our walk Sunday evening and then you stood me up yesterday.”

  “I’m sorry.” And he really did look quite pathetic as he apologized. “Dad woke me moments before he wanted to leave on the train. There’s no excuse—other than the fact that I wasn’t thinking properly as we left. You can’t even begin to understand how sorry I am. I was so worried about you last night. I should have been with you. There’s no excuse.”

  Picking at a thread on her quilt, she twisted it around her finger. “It was your father, wasn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your father must have said that you had something urgent to do and so you went, right?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I watched my father control all of his employees for many years. It seems like the typical thing for your father to do.”

  She waited to see what he would say. It didn’t matter that Ray knew that she was an heiress. She didn’t want the money. How much did his father know, anyway? It’s not like they had hidden the fact they walked together each evening. That aside, the fact that Mr. Watkins Senior didn’t approve of her—or anyone beneath him for that matter—was clear. Ray’s father would think less of her because he thought she didn’t have money. That irked her more than she cared to admit.

  “I’m going to talk to him.” He dipped his chin and lowered his voice. “About us.”

  He used the word us. Her heart skipped a beat. “What are you going to say?”

  “That you are my friend and an amazing woman. And . . . that I care for you.”

  The look of expectation on his face lifted her mood. “I care for you too.” She bit her lip. “But you can’t tell him who I am.” Heat rushed to her face as reality flooded into her mind. This was why she never made friends. This was why it would have been better if she would have kept the dashing Mr. Watkins at arm’s length like she had at the beginning. This was why she’d contemplated shedding the façade. It was beginning to tear her apart inside. “Look, Ray, I really have enjoyed knowing you—”

  “Don’t you even attempt to shut me out now.” He held up a hand. “I’m sorry for interrupting you, but I care too much for you to let you push me away.”

  “But what if it’s best for all of us?”

  “It’s not.” He leaned back against the door and crossed his arms, daring her to argue with him.

  “Well, I disagree. Besides, I’m still mad at you.” Even as she said the words, she knew it wasn’t true.

  “Disagree and be mad all you want, Miss Edwards. You’re not getting rid of me so easily.”

  A sharp pain began to pulse behind her eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly between her teeth. “Well, I’m going to have to ask you to leave because you’re making my headache worse.”

  “I’ll go. But only because I don’t wish to see you in pain. But rest assured, I will be back.” He poked his head into the other room. “Is that all right with you, Miss Anniston?”

  “You may have ten minutes with her when I come down after lunch. But that’s it—and only if Miss Edwards wants to see you.” Ruth sauntered through the door.

  Ray towered over her by a foot, but he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Go on with you.” Emma Grace shooed him out. “But this is not over. I tend to hold grudges.” She kept her face down so he couldn’t see the signs of how much she enjoyed his presence.

  Every response was negative. No one had seen or known an Emma Grace.

  Peter pulled out the long list of Harvey Houses and compared it to all the telegrams he’d received. Had he heard back from everyone? If so, and no one had seen her, he’d have to start all over. But that couldn’t be. In his gut, he knew he was right. She had been a Harvey Girl. In fact, he was quite certain in his gut that she still was.

  Carefully checking off one after another, he stacked the telegrams beside him. As he finished going through the pile, he leaned back and looked at the list.

  There it was. Two with no responses.

  One in Guthri
e, Oklahoma, and the other was the brand-new El Tovar at the Grand Canyon. He looked at the map in front of him and placed a tack in each place.

  Standing up, he stretched and then began to pace the room. He rubbed his jaw. If he were running away, where would he go? Someplace remote. And as far away from where he was running from as he could.

  Even though Oklahoma was a great distance from Boston, it wasn’t near as remote as the Arizona Territory. So that ruled it out in his mind. But he could check on the way . . . just in case.

  He grinned and marked a dark red circle around the Grand Canyon in Arizona Territory.

  “Gotcha.”

  17

  I need to go to Kingman tomorrow.” Ray’s father walked over to the window. “I know how tedious that last trip was for you, so you can stay here.”

  “Kingman? You’ve been doing nothing but traveling all week.” He’d kept his mouth shut about all his father’s comings and goings, but this was just odd. It didn’t make sense that Dad would be going there—especially since the client he had in Kingman would no longer do business with him.

  “Yes, Kingman. My new employees will handle what needs to be done.”

  “What exactly are they doing for you, Dad?”

  His father adjusted his cuffs. “Just some business that Ben should have been handling.”

  That didn’t exactly make him feel better about it. Ben had proved himself shady and a thief.

  A horrible thought made its way through his mind for the fourth or fifth time since the night they’d found Emma Grace. Those men couldn’t have helped with the robbery of the Hopi House . . . could they?

  Shaking his head, Ray couldn’t fathom that his father would hire men to be thieves for him. Especially not men who would be violent.

  It was too much to think that his father could be involved. Maybe Ray should count his blessings. With his father gone, he’d be able to spend a bit more time with Emma Grace now that she was feeling better. A week had passed since the attack and robbery, and the sheriff felt she was safe now.