We sort of kidded around a few minutes and then I asked if she could drive me to my car. I suggested we look into a detective agency on Monday – after all, on Tuesday I would leave to be gone a few days with Nicole. She said she was free on Monday and we went back to the car. As I got out she thanked me again. I told her the evening had been interesting and that maybe we could do some more work on the side, but we should let a professional take care of the more dangerous aspects of investigating. She agreed. As I got into my car I looked at the time – it was almost mid-night. I tried to come up with a good explanation for why a party meeting would take so long on a Saturday evening and then thought maybe I could say that everyone wanted to go out to dinner. I figured that would be a good lie, and that I was protecting Matt and Nicole from worry anyway – if was for their own good after all.
As I neared my home I noticed a yellowish red glow off in the distance. I assumed it was a fire and that hopefully I could get a better view from my home. Then, in one of those moments that a horrible realization slams you in the brain, I realized that the fire was near my house. In fact, a few seconds later, I knew that it was actually my house that was on fire! I approached my home and fell on the horn to get spectators out of my way. I was tempted to run them over as I was in a panic, but they moved as I drove up the street. I parked and ran to see what was happening and could only think of my children. They just had to be okay!
There was a policeman keeping people back but I ran past him. Suddenly, he grabbed onto me and yelled, “Miss, you can’t go past here!” and I turned and looked him straight in the eye, “That is my house and you better take your hand off of my arm right now or you will lose it!” He kept his hold and repeated his comment to which I yelled in an anger only a fearful mother can attain, “You let me go right now you SOB! I am a senator!” At that he released me, but I continued to glare into his eyes for a split second before resuming my flight to the house.
When I arrived I saw ambulance personnel in front of my home which was almost entirely engulfed by flames. Firemen were scurrying about and focusing water onto the fire bursting through the windows. I ran in desperation to see where my loved ones were and then, in a moment of total dread, I saw a gurney with a blanket pulled over what appeared to be an adult body! I stood in shock. I noticed Nicole sitting in the grass with the children huddled around her – but no sign of Magdalena or Matt! I was motionless, with time seeming to stand still. It was a frozen second…no sound…no real recognition of what was going on around me… just shock and bewilderment.
Then my state of paralysis was punctured by the sound of a crying baby. I cannot explain how I heard it over sirens and chatter on the police and firemen’s radios but maybe it was a special sense a mother can possess when, over all the deafening noise, she can hear her child. I started to cry and ran to the ambulance, anticipating what I was going to discover, and then, to my utter amazement, I noticed the blanket on the gurney was pushed back. It was Matt raising his arm up! He was alive.
An EMT ran out to me and yelled, “Are you the baby’s mother?” I yelled back, “Yes!” He then pointed into the ambulance and said in a voice that seemed totally angelic, “Don’t worry…your little girl is perfectly fine. And you have that man there to thank for that.” He pointed at Matt. Apparently the wind had blown the blanket over his face when I had first arrived. I darted to him, “Matt, what happened? Are you hurt?” He nodded in an affirmative yet he seemed to be only semi-conscious. I suddenly had a flashback to when I had seen his brother in a cloud of smoke and began to worry. I clutched his hand and it felt cold and there was little strength in his attempt to take hold of me.
I turned to the EMT, “What is wrong with my husband? What happened?” The EMT pointed to a fireman sitting with a compress against his jaw and said, “It seems your house caught on fire. Your sister and husband were apparently downstairs with all the children except your baby. The fire must have spread quite rapidly but everyone downstairs got out okay. I heard that the firemen arrived just as your husband was about to run into the house for the baby. The fireman on the ground tied to restrain him and that’s when your husband decked him! He then ran into the house to get the baby but the fire spread so quick that he had to escape out the window before they had a ladder in place. He jumped, clutching the baby in his arms, and hit the ground in such a way as to break one leg and sustain a slight fracture of the other.”
The EMT continued, “Your husband will need some time to recover but I think he will be okay. They should be able to re-set the fracture and in a few months he’ll be back on his feet. The pain is pretty intense so he’ll be full of morphine for a while so I suggest you go over to your sister and comfort her. You can come to the hospital in a few hours and he will be conscious again.” He then handed me Magdalena.
I let go of Matt, took my daughter, and yelled, “I love you!” to him as they loaded the gurney into the ambulance. I then ran over to Nicole and grabbed her with my free arm. She was not crying, she had taken charge of the children and was holding her youngest daughter in her arms. The children were visibly shaken and were crying and mine were yelling “mommy” as they clutched my legs. Nicole seemed in a state of emotional shock though. She greeted me in a monotone, “Melanie, the house is gone. The children are safe though. Is Mark okay?” I corrected her, “You mean Matt and yes he will be okay!” Nicole merely stated, “Oh, that’s right, Matt, not Mark…what was I thinking?” She stared at the house; her face conveying only a numb expression or maybe confusion. Our home was still burning despite all the efforts of the firemen. It burned with intensity, illuminating the sky. The loud crackling sounds almost drowned out Nicole’s melancholic voice as she looked towards me and said, “I am okay Melanie…please take care of your children…they are scared you know.”
I knelt down to hug the kids, all of them, yet Nicole just stood there staring at the fire. She then started singing something to her little girl and rocking her in her arms. The fireman’s jacket that covered Nicole’s nightgown fell to the ground but she did not seem to notice. I had to give support to the children though.
In a few moments a man came through the crowd, it was Matt’s bishop. He greeted me and said, “Sister Lindberg, I am so sorry for what has happened. Please can you, your cousin and her family come over and stay with us?” I accepted his generous offer and we started gathering everyone together. A policeman approached and started asking Nicole some questions. While that was taking place I gathered the children and Matt’s bishop and wife led everyone up to their SUV and asked us to meet at their house. Of course, I was not going to relinquish Magdalena.
When the policeman was finished with Nicole he asked me where I had been. I just told him I was out when the fire started. However, I informed him of the threats that I had received as well as reporting them to the police. He thanked me and said that we should come down to the station so a more detailed report could be filed not only for the investigation but also for insurance purposes. I asked, “This is arson, right?” He responded, “I cannot say for sure but I have never seen an accidental fire ever start in all directions of a house. Also, when I first arrived I could smell some sort of petroleum which makes me pretty suspicious.”
I thanked him and urged Nicole along. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Officer Myer’s partner Officer Smith was checking out the area surrounding what used to be my home. I wondered why a vice cop would be on the scene, even if I had filed a report about harassment with his partner. I did not know much about how the police operated but I knew they had departments that had specific functions, and that it was doubtful that Smith would show up, in the middle of the night, to an arson fire. I decided to approach him. I was not sure what to ask but I slowly made my way through the firefighters to get to him. Yet when he turned and saw me he quickly walked the other direction. I sped up but then Magdalena began to cry. My mind was filled with suspicions but my baby was in distress and I had to get back to my children; b
esides, I lost sight of Myers. I was determined to find out what was behind this.
When we arrived at the bishop’s house his wife took us to the rooms downstairs that their teenagers, now in college, had occupied. The children at first were crying, and asking about their father, but soon they were passed out in our arms. Nicole looked at me and said, “Melanie, you should go see how Matt is doing. I can watch the children.” In a moment of selflessness I leaned back in the chair and suggested, “Nicole, maybe you should be the one to see him right now. You were both so brave and wonderful in saving the children.” She began to cry. I asked what was wrong and she curled up in a ball and just cried with more intensity. I gently put Magdalena down and went to Nicole, “What is wrong?”
Nicole looked up in tears, “You don’t get it do you Melanie – I cannot go see Matt. I am not really his family, now am I?” I froze, realizing what she was saying. She continued, “I am in total limbo Melanie. If something happened to you and Matt then I have no legal rights to your kids even though they are my children’s siblings. If anything happened to me then sure… I have written a will that gives you both custody of my daughters; but how would that hold up in court? I am not your wife, and I am not Matt’s wife.” I sighed in realization that she was right. She then said, “Go on Melanie, when he wakes up he needs someone there who loves him, and has the legal right to see him. I will take good care of all our children. Now go!” I grabbed my things but before leaving I turned to Nicole, “Thank you. I’ll let Matt know you appreciate all he did this evening. Oh, and maybe stick with the cousin thing for everybody from now on?” She laughed, “Yeah, the story should stay consistent.”
As I left the anger in my heart was intensifying. I was already angry at whomever it had been who almost took the lives of my family; and now I was also angry at a system that was making Nicole an outcaste. Of course I was also not too happy with not being able to just move everyone to my old house since someone was apparently out to do my family and myself harm; and if any of the police were involved they most certainly could track my ownership and find us as vulnerable as before. When I got in my car I clenched the steering wheel and just stared ahead as I drove off to the hospital.
By the time I arrived, the sky was starting to turn color as dawn approached. It was quiet, even here at an establishment that never ceased to function. I quickly rushed into the doors and asked where my husband was located.
When I reached him I hesitated before entering the room. I was scared to face him – would he, I wondered, blame me for this occurrence? I took a deep breath and entered, just as a nurse was finishing an inspection of the supports on his legs. She greeted me in a barely audible voice, “Oh, you must be the wife – he asked for you…are you Melanie or Nicole?” I answered, “Melanie” to which she said, “Okay, it was strange since he was also asking for someone named ‘Nicole so…oh, uh…” I interrupted, “That’s my cousin. She is like a sister to Matt.” The nurse laughed, probably happy that she had not divulged some secret to the wife of a patient.
“Your husband is asleep for now. You are a lucky woman having a man willing to do what he did to protect his children. Do you realize that the injuries suggest he purposely distributed his weight upon impact so that the baby he was holding would not get hurt?” Just then a doctor came in and the nurse told him she was explaining the injuries to me. He nodded, “Yes, he broke his right femur and his left tibia bone was fractured. He must have been in excruciating pain; even with morphine it must have hurt tremendously when we had to set the bone back in place.” I asked, “Will he be okay?” The doctor nodded again, “We examined the bones and all seems to be fine. We’ll place solid castes on tomorrow. I would say that as long as he rests and keeps weight off of them he should be able to run in the Portland Marathon next year.”
What the doctor said was re-assuring. And I was indeed proud of my husband. Yet as I sat there in that boring hospital room I ran the events of the evening through my mind. The most disturbing part was remembering what my son had said about the man and the cat, and then pointing out Myers as the perpetrator. And on top of that seeing Officer Smith at the fire? Then it struck me that if he was there as part of the harassment investigation then why did he not approach me to ask any questions? Why did he intentionally try to avoid me? I wanted answers… no, I needed answers; not just to satisfy my unquenchable desire to know what was going on, but also to protect my family from this ever happening again!
As I sat there pondering the events earlier in the evening with the fire, the feeling intensified that my investigation into Katja’s sister’s fate and the threats against me were somehow related. Then a disturbing thought came to my mind – something that a few hours earlier would have been repulsive and unimaginable to me. I had to write an email right away; but first I had to make sure my loved ones were protected, and if that meant devising a plan that would be unthinkable to them then it was best they did not know all the particulars. Sometimes one must be willing to do the unthinkable to protect the ones they love.
Chapter 6
It was around seven in the morning when Matt woke up; moaning from the pain and discomfort of the restraints. I rushed over and greeted him, “Hey there my hero!” He focused on me and smiled. He apologized for what he called an “undignified” appearance. I laughed and grabbed his hand; which by now he was able to grip tightly.
He then asked in an anxious manner, “Is everyone okay? How are Nicole and the children?” I squeezed his hand, and assured him that they were perfectly fine. He leaned back into his pillow, occasionally clenching his teeth as sensations of pain shot up his legs. He laughed, “The doctor lied! The pain killers only ease the sensations but they don’t stop them.” I felt sorry for my husband but I needed to know what had happened. I asked, “Matt, one of the cops said he smelt petroleum and the fire spread unusually fast. Do you remember anything?” He took a deep breath, “Everyone had fallen asleep together watching TV. I awoke and saw flames everywhere! Nicole and I rounded up the children and rushed them out as quickly as we could. The fire department arrived just then and we realized we didn’t have Magdalena. I rushed in, after a little dispute with a fireman, and the rest is history.” I laughed, “You punched the fireman. I’m glad you did though. You saved our little girl’s life.” Matt took another deep breath, “So everyone is at the other house?” I sighed, “No. They are staying with the bishop. I don’t want to take any chances that someone set the fire on purpose and might look up if I own any other house.” He sat up, “So what do you propose? We can’t live at his house.” I replied, “I have a plan, don’t worry. Please don’t worry.”
He then commented, “Well my dear we are at least insured. We lost a lot but we should be thankful to God for protecting us all. Hopefully the police will solve this quickly and we can grow from this tragedy.” I nodded my head, yet I wondered if Matt thought this was all some sort of lesson for us to learn from. If God was fair, why was Matt, the most devout person I knew, going to be spending a long time confined to a bed or wheelchair when all he had done was make sure his baby lived? I did not show my confusion to Matt. When he asked that we pray together I agreed, and even offered the words as best I could.
Right after the obligatory “amen” the doctor walked in, “Good morning, how’s the patient doing today?” Matt complained, “Well, I have an IV stuck in my arm, but my legs feel like someone is stabbing them with an ice pick; and I feel sick to my stomach.” The doctor glanced over the IV and warned, “I could raise your dosage here, but you should eat something quick or else it will make you feel more sickness.” Matt tried to prop himself up and asked, “So how long do I have to be here?” The doctor said he could leave in a few days, but that he would have to take it easy. I then walked over to the table at the foot of the bed and motioned for the doctor to follow me. I asked, “When he leaves, will he be up for riding in an airplane?” The doctor, sensing my hushed manner of asking whispered, “I don’t see why he couldn’t fly. He w
ould need a special seating arrangement though.” I thanked him and we both returned to Matt’s side.
I asked if there were a computer nearby I could use as my mobile had no reception within the hospital. The doctor suggested I ask the nurse at reception and she could hook me up. Matt laughed, “You really can’t stay away from a computer very long, can you?” I put my hand on his cheek, “Matt, my love, if I was not addicted to the computer we would never have met and fallen in love, would we?” The doctor stood aside as Matt and I stared at each other in total devotion. Then he cleared his throat, probably to signal that he had some more tasks to perform with Matt, so I smiled and excused myself.
What I was planning on doing was…well, something Matt could never find out about. As I thought of him in pain I felt the anger return, a primitive anger different from what I had felt the night before. This was an anger that had existed all my life, but that I had compartmentalized, repressed tightly and only allowed to come out at special times…like with the bully I castrated before killing him, or when Mark and I had cut up Frank Reid alive. I could still portray a calm persona to the nurse when I asked to use a computer and said I had an urgent government letter to send. I opened up my personal email account and then stopped abruptly. I asked the nurse if I could use her phone for a minute. When she handed it to me I called Nicole.
Descent Into Darkness Page 8