Secrets of Innocence

by V.

  Sarah jerked back and grabbed Conrad’s arm. “Stop. They’re here.”

  Conrad stopped the car. “Who?”

  “Elisabeth’s here. She’s been hurt. Her head is bleeding,” Sarah said as she held the right side of her head. “He hit her on the head with the butt of the rifle.”

  “How—”

  “Alexander showed me. Hank’s got them both in there. He’s pointing the rifle at Daniel.”

  Conrad pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call Williams.” He dialed, but quickly realized he had no reception. “Stay here Sarah. I’m going to try to get a signal.”

  Without waiting for a reply, he quietly got out and walked a few feet away from the car and the entrance to the mine, moving right, then left, until he found a spot with reception. The call went through.

  “Sheriff Williams’s office,” Cathy answered.

  “This is Conrad Thompson, we have an emergency—” he heard crackling, and realized he’d stepped out of the area where the phone had reception. He took a couple of steps back.

  “Mr. Thompson, are you there?” Cathy asked.

  “I am, sorry, we have bad reception. We believe that Hank Ferguson has Daniel Michaels and Elisabeth Ralston inside an abandoned mine.”

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  “We’re at the entrance to the mine. We veered off of 97 on to Fish Lake Road or Pine Creek Road—I’m no longer sure which is which—and then we took a dirt road with no name. I couldn’t tell you where this is.”

  “I’ll transfer you to dispatch, they’ll tell you what to do. Hold a moment.”

  Conrad waited for a second, not daring to move and lose the connection.

  “Dispatch here. Mr. Thompson, does your phone have a GPS?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then I’ll patch you through to 911 and inform them you’re on the line. Leave your phone on. Do not lose the connection. We’ll track you down.” Conrad heard the 911 operator come on the line. “We got you sir, leave the phone on and we’ll track you down. Are you all right?”

  “Yes, but others are injured.”

  “Okay, stay calm; we’re checking your location right now.”

  “Hurry, please.” He turned around to signal Sarah that all was well, only to realize that she was no longer in the car. “Damn!” he yelled.

  “What is it?” the operator asked.

  “My wife’s gone into the mine.”

  “Mine?”

  “Yes, we’re outside some old abandoned mine.”

  “She’s gone inside the mine?”

  “I didn’t see her go in, but she’s not in the car. Damn, damn, damn!” “Remain calm, sir.”

  “Listen, I’m going to leave the phone on the ground so I can go look for my wife. Tell Sheriff Williams we’re both inside the mine and to approach with caution.”

  Without waiting for a response, he carefully placed the phone on the ground, making sure the reception bars were not affected. The voice of the operator called to him to stay put. He rushed toward the entrance to the mine.

  Sarah made her way into the abandoned mine following the light and the sound of voices. As she drew nearer, she could hear the anger in Hank’s voice and the anguish in Daniel’s.

  “Please, give me a second,” Daniel, pleaded.

  “You’re out of time. I’m shooting her foot off.”

  “Your father wouldn’t approve,” Sarah said as she stepped into the chamber. Hank spun around pointing the rifle at her. “Who the fuck are you?” “My name is Sarah, and your father, Henry, whom you used to call Pa Ree, on account you couldn’t say Henry when you were little, has sent me here to stop you.”

  “My dad’s dead, you bitch.”

  “Yes he is. Nonetheless, he told me to tell to you that no matter what you’ve done in the past, you’ve never hurt a woman. He begs you not to start now.”

  “What the—”

  “He tells me how proud and happy you felt when you were seven and you went fishing with him and you caught a trout on your own. You had it for dinner.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “He says when you brought Rex home and nursed the beat-up old dog back to health you were happy and proud of what you’d done. He asks you to bring back those feelings instead of the anger you feel now.”

  Hank’s eyes widened as he glared at Sarah. “What the hell?”

  Conrad had made his way into the tunnel. He heard the calm voice of his wife and decided to remain hidden, yet near enough to step in to help if need be.

  “Pa Ree says you were a good son,” Sarah went on.

  “Bullshit. He hated me. I turned out bad. My little brother is the one he liked. That dipshit got all the breaks and I got all the crap.”

  “You took care of Walter and your mom after the rotary tiller cut off your dad’s fingers. You found him in the field, and all on your own wrapped his hand, picked up his fingers. He says you carried him to the farm and then drove him to the hospital. You saved his life. He says—”

  “Stop this shit!” Hank cried out, his eyes flooding with tears.

  “It’s the truth, isn’t it Hank?”

  “You must’ve heard all this stuff around town, and now you’re here to mess me up.”

  She cocked her head again. “He says no one but you and him were there the time you killed your first deer, and you felt so bad you dropped to the ground crying because you felt so guilty for taking its life. Pa Ree held you in his arms until you stopped crying.”

  “You can’t know that. It’s impossible,” he whispered. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Pa Ree loves you and he begs you not to harm Elisabeth or Daniel.”

  “You’re some kind of witch. Damn it! This shit’s scary! Whatever you are, this ain’t right.”

  “Okay, I’ll stop if you wish. But we both know I’m telling the truth. And that’s what scares you.”

  Conrad heard footsteps behind him and quietly moved back. He found Sheriff Williams and his men entering the tunnel and signaled for them to be silent. He approached Williams and whispered, “Sarah is in there trying to talk Hank down. She’s connected with Hank’s dead father, Henry, and he’s helping her talk to him.”

  Williams’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  “Sounds strange,” Conrad whispered, “even to me, but it’s true. Come and listen.”

  Without a sound, they made their way close enough to the entrance of the underground chamber to overhear the conversation.

  “Shut up, shut up, shut up! Don’t say another word, bitch!” Hank paced the chamber like a caged animal, both arms out, the rifle clasped tightly. “How could you.. .how do you.. .this is all wrong.” He spun and leveled the rifle at Sarah. “Who the hell are you?”

  “My name’s Sarah, and I have received a gift from God. I can talk with those who are in need like Alexander Pitman, who sent me here to stop you from harming Daniel and—”

  “Pitman’s dead, witch!”

  “That’s not what I am. I can simply see and hear things you can’t.”

  “Alexander Pitman?” Daniel whispered.

  Hank turned and aimed the rifle at him. “You remember him now, you son of a bitch?”

  “Alexander Pitman?” Daniel asked again, more to himself than to Hank or Sarah.

  “Yes, Danny, Alexander sent me to you,” Sarah said.

  “Alexander Pitman,” Daniel muttered one more time.

  Hank turned to Sarah with a puzzled look. “What the hell’s wrong with this bastard? Is he crazy? Did you turn him into this nesia he keeps yapping about? You here to put a spell on me?”

  Sarah smiled. “No, I’m not a witch. I’m here to help you so that you don’t do something you’ll regret forever.”

  “Too late for that.”

  “Hank, listen to me. It’s not too late. Pa Ree says he forgives you.”

  “My pa is dead!”

  “Yes, and I can speak with the dead. That’s the gift God gave me.”

  “
You can really talk to dead people?”

  “Yes, at times. I can speak with souls who remain behind because they need to finish some business before they can move on. Your pa asks that you listen to me. He says you were a good kid until you started hanging out with the Sander boys. They turned you, but you didn’t let them do the same to your little brother.”

  “That’s only ’cause they were my band, not his.”

  “Pa Ree says you can’t fool him now that he’s on the other side. He knows the truth.”

  In spite of himself Hank chuckled. “That old goat.”

  “He’s real sad you went and killed Billy Williams’s dad.” No sooner had Sarah uttered these words than her eyes widened with astonishment.

  Hank was clearly shocked. “My pa was long dead when—”

  “You’re the one who killed Sheriff Williams’s father,” Sarah said, staring into Hank’s eyes. “You were following the deer through the scope of your rifle.” She glanced at the rifle. “The same rifle you’re holding now,” she went on, “but you didn’t set out to kill him. He’d locked you up, for five days. My God, Hank, you killed him because you were angry with him.”

  Hank turned to her, his eyes filled with tears and rage. “The son of a bitch had it coming. He kept putting me in jail for no reason. He had it coming.”

  “That’s not true. He locked you up for your own good, to sober you up. You didn’t plan to kill him. But after you got out of jail you went on a binge. You were drunk and had no business hunting. You lost your head.”

  “Pa Ree told you this?”

  “I saw how it happened, Hank. I saw the sheriff’s death the same way you did, through your rifle’s scope.”

  Hank looked at the rifle. “How could you? You weren’t there. I was on my own.”

  “Alexander Pitman was trying to show me how you’ve—”

  “Alexander’s dead?” Daniel interjected.

  Hank pointed the rifle at Sarah. “Make this bastard stop!”

  “Hank,” Sarah went on, “put the rifle down. Pa Ree says you’re not going to harm me. And you’re not going to harm Daniel or Elisabeth, either.”

  Hank turned the rifle on Daniel. “That house was supposed to be empty. This shit ass had no business going into Pitman’s place.”

  “He did have business. He’s Pitman’s heir.”

  “Fuck,” Hank said and shook his head. “You’re shitting me.”

  “It’s true. Pa Ree asks you to give yourself up. It’s time for you to do the right thing as you did when you were younger, before the drinking. He doesn’t want you to die.”

  Hank looked at her, his eyes full of tears. “Tell him I didn’t mean to kill the sheriff. He really liked that old bastard.”

  “He knows.”

  “I didn’t mean to beat up this guy so bad either. He surprised me. He had no business being there. Pitman was dead, so I went after some of his stuff. My brother got a shit load of inheritance money ’cause he took care of the guy’s property. So why shouldn’t I get some of his shit? I was on my way out when all of a sudden this son of a bitch was standing there by the stairs, staring at me. Freaked me out. Before I knew it I’d beat him so bad I thought I’d killed him. So I dumped him in the trunk, took off up the mountains, and tossed his body on the side of the road. Go figure—the son of a bitch wasn’t dead. How was I supposed to figure I hadn’t killed him?”

  “Put the rifle down, Hank,” Sheriff Williams said as he entered the chamber with his weapon leveled at Hank’s chest.

  Hank dropped to his knees.

  Williams yanked him by his shirt and pulled him up, his nose almost touching Hank’s. “You son of a bitch, you killed my father and all these years...”

  “I’m sorry,” Hank muttered.

  Williams spun him to the ground, placed a foot on his back, snatched up his arms, and handcuffed him. “Get this piece of shit out of my sight,” he commanded.

  A couple of officers grabbed Hank and dragged him out of the mine, passing by the two officers who were holding Conrad back until the scene was secure. The moment they released him he rushed to Sarah and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

  Williams knelt next to Elisabeth and examined her. “She’s alive, unconscious, but alive.”

  “Thank God,” Daniel said. As soon as they untied him, he rushed to her.

  An officer held him back. “It’s best if you don’t touch her. We’ll take care of her. You need some medical attention yourself. C’mon, let’s get you out of here.”

  “No, wait. I’m okay. Give me a second.” He approached Sarah and Conrad. “I remember,” he said. “I remember Alexander.”

  Sarah and Conrad embraced him, tears of relief overtaking them all.

  “C’mon, you three,” Williams said. “Let’s get out of here and make room for my officers to tend to Elisabeth until the paramedics get here.”

  “But—” Daniel protested.

  “No arguing, Mr. Michaels. Please, let’s get out into the fresh air. We’ll take care of her.”

  “Michaels,” muttered Daniel, “that is my last name.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Daniel lay impatiently on a hospital bed—head bandaged, face bruised, and lips swollen.

  Dr. Lawrence stepped in, a broad smile across his lips. “Good news, Daniel. No damage to your brain. There’s some swelling, so we’ll keep you here a couple of days for observation—”

  “Elisabeth, Doc, how is she?”

  “She’s asleep. We’ve given her something to help her rest and relieve the pain from that nasty blow to her head. Her skull isn’t broken, and we’ve sewn the wound, but she’s got a severe concussion. We’re keeping her here a few days to make sure she heals properly. Don’t worry she’s well taken care of. Nurses and doctors are doting over her.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “In due time. We’re going to keep her sedated so that she can rest.”

  “Did she say anything when she came to? Did he.. .rape her?”

  “No, no, nothing like that. He knocked her out.”

  “Did she tell you that?”

  “Yes. Rest assured; he didn’t molest her at all. She’s happy you’re okay. But when we told her Hank’s been put in jail, she started fussing over some dogs she found over at his farm.”

  “She went to his place?”

  “That’s where Hank found her. She was looking for you.”

  “And you’re sure he didn’t—”

  “Yes, yes, I’m sure. Put that out of your mind. She’s recovering from a mean blow to the head, and that’s all. She’s very relieved you’re okay and that you’ve reconnected with your past. So let’s focus on you for the moment. Tell me how much memory you’ve recovered.”

  “It’s hard to tell since I have no idea what I’m missing.”

  “That’s true. Tell me how it happened?”

  Daniel smiled. “I imagine that after all that you’ve gone through with me, the least I can do is explain how my memory came back.”

  “Well, I’d like to hear it, first as a physician, but also to make sure that your memories match what we’ve learned about you.”

  “I get it, a bit of a test, huh?”

  “Something like that.” Dr. Lawrence chuckled.

  “Fair enough.” Daniel’s eyes wandered as he began to recall. “It started in the mine. I heard the name Alexander Pitman, and it sounded familiar. Then, all of a sudden, it popped into my head that I had met Alexander when I was in my teens.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I heard Sarah talking to Hank about his father, Henry, but all I could think about was how sad it was that Alexander had died.”

  “And then?”

  “My mind went back to when I met him.”

  “What else do you recall from that time period?”

  Daniel looked puzzled. “Should there be something special?”

  “Something that affected you profoundly.”

  Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “You me
an my father’s death?”

  “How did he die?”

  “You can’t possibly know about my father.”

  “Why not?”

  “How could you? My last name wouldn’t be enough.”

  “Answer me.”

  A sudden understanding came over Daniel. “Sarah. She’s talked to my father, just as she talked to Hank’s dad.”

  “No, she hasn’t, at least not in the same way. Why won’t you answer my question?”

  “He killed himself,” he said with evident annoyance. “Are you satisfied now?

  “You still blame yourself?”

  “How the hell did you find that out?”

  “Why are you here in the Northwest?”

  Daniel frowned and then nodded. “Sarah said that Alexander made me his heir. Now tell me, how did you discover those details about my childhood?” “Daniel, you didn’t remember the fact that you’re Alexander’s heir on your own. Why?”

  “It’s as if I did, and I didn’t. I’m aware of it, but I’m not sure how. But that’s not important. Tell me, please, how did you find out about my father?” “Sarah mentioned a movie playing in her head, right?”

  Daniel nodded.

  “Alexander’s been showing her your story.”

  “Showing?”

  “Apparently it’s a screenplay that Alexander wrote about what happened in 1976.”

  “How much information do you all have about what happened then?” “Pretty much all of it. Well, from Alexander’s point of view, of course. Williams, Conrad, and I have all read his screenplay, but—”

  “And Elisabeth?”

  “No. We’ve told her nothing about it. They discovered the screenplay only two days ago, before I told you we knew some things about you.”

  “Has Sarah read the screenplay? How detailed is it?”

  “Detailed enough.”

  Daniel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shook his head.

  “You were a kid, Daniel.”

  He opened his eyes and smiled. “Sarah read the details as well?”

  “No. Sarah hasn’t read the story. She lived through the events that are described in the screenplay. All played out in her head, mind you, exactly as Alexander wrote them.”