by Lisa Prysock
“You mentioned your parents live in Nashville with your brother, Brent, and sister, Brooklyn. What do they do?” she asked.
“Brooklyn is a stay-at-home mom, happily married with two kids, Joshua and Jamie. Brent helps my dad with the family handyman business. My mom has always been a stay-at-home mom except for working part time here and there. It was hard growing up. I’m not really sure how my folks did it when I think about it.”
“You haven’t mentioned much about your dad,” she remarked.
“It’s not easy for me to talk about him. I think he grew up in my grandfather’s shadow, the one who was the judge. Since my dad didn’t want to go to law school and was drawn to blue collar work, I think he felt as if he’d let my grandpa down. He became an alcoholic until he met my mom, but he occasionally has reoccurring episodes.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Trisha said.
Brad picked up the oars and began rowing again. “There was a lot of family dysfunction that went with all that. Arguments, disturbing scenes I’d rather not remember. I’ve forgiven him, but I worked hard to do that.”
“How did you recover from it all?” she asked, appearing to study him as he rowed.
He relaxed then, thinking of something. “Probably the same as you. I just went on in spite of it all, but there was one other thing that helped me a great deal besides my love for music. We kind of have that in common, I see.”
“What was the other thing?” Her voice was soft and gentle, her voice comforting.
“The Lord. My mom always took us to youth group and church on Sundays. When I graduated from high school, my grandmother paid for me to go to school here at the Atlanta School of Ministry connected with the Dream Center. It saved my life to get away from all of that dysfunction. I do know my mom did her best to shield us kids, but it wasn’t always easy for her, and my dad worked some seriously long hours. They did some creative financing over the years to give us a decent life. I still have no idea how they paid for some of it. We all learned to work hard for what we wanted in life.”
He paused, then added, “It sounds like you had to forgive your parents for abandoning you.”
Trisha nodded. “Absolutely, and it saved my life that the Lord gave me parents who raised me as if I was their biological child. It took me a while, but I did conclude ultimately that the good Lord knows what He’s doing in what He allows to happen in each of our lives. We all have our cross to bear in life.”
“Wise words from a beautiful lady,” he remarked. Then he reached in the water and splashed her a little to make her laugh.
“Hey!” she yelled, splashing him back.
Chapter 8
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears. Psalm 18:6, ESV
“CALM DOWN, BRIDGET. What do you mean, Briar is missing? Start at the beginning.” Bradley stopped working on his project and sat down on the third step of the staircase in the great hall at his grandmother’s Victorian.
It was Tuesday, the night Brandy, Briar, and Bridget were supposed to be having a girls’ night out with Trisha and her best friend Cara. That’s why he’d decided to work late at the house to finish installing more of the new wood flooring for the first floor. The band had been pestering him to hire some help with his workload, but he rather enjoyed doing most of it himself. Besides, he was putting to use good skills he’d learned from his dad over the years.
“We all met at the nail salon, except Briar. So we texted her, each one of us. We called her, too.” Bridget sobbed, then started talking again. “No responses, no answer. So we decided to go back to the apartment to see if she left us a note because it was so unlike her.”
“Okay, that was a good idea,” he said, trying to remain calm. If anyone hurt his sister, he’d...better not think about it too hard. He clamped his mouth shut, waiting for Bridget to recover from another crying spell.
Finally, Bridget continued, blurting out a string of words he could hardly comprehend through her choked up speech. “Now we’re all here at the apartment, except for Briar, and...” She sniffled before continuing. “The place is a wreck, Bradley. It looks like there was a horrific struggle here of some sort.”
“Someone broke in?” he asked, hardly believing his ears. He jumped up off the steps and grabbed his keys, heading toward the front door.
“The door was left open. The lamp in the living room is on the floor. A drawer was pulled out of the kitchen and dumped everywhere. Her clothes are strewn from her bedroom and down the hallway into the living room. The tablecloth was pulled off the dining room table along with the centerpiece. Everything on her desk and dresser was swept to the floor and completely trashed. It looks like they smashed her laptop. You better get over here and fast. Brandy is in shock, and you know it takes a lot to upset her. She’s usually the strong one and she’s just sitting on the floor crying. Her room was ransacked, too.” Bridget took a deep breath, and he heard her sobbing again.
“Okay, sit tight. I’m on my way. Do you have Trisha and Cara with you?” He hoped they were okay. What if whoever had done this was still in the area? He reached the truck and unlocked it, trying to stay calm.
“Y-y-yes,” Bridget sputtered into the cell phone. “I think they took Briar, whoever it was that did this. Please hurry.”
“I’ll be there as fast as I can. Lock the door and don’t let anyone in until I get there,” he instructed as he turned the key in the ignition. “I’m bringing Wesley.”
“Wesley?” Bridget wasn’t processing.
“Miss Pepper’s son, the police officer one,” he explained as he slammed the vehicle in reverse and backed out of the drive.
“Oh, yes, good idea. Does he have j-jurisdiction here?” she asked, sniffling again as he threw it in drive and stepped on the gas, his tires squealing.
“I’m pretty sure his precinct extends to where your apartment building is located. You’re only five or ten minutes from the Edgewater,” he reminded her. “Give me thirty minutes or so because I’m a little farther away.”
“Okay. I’m hanging up now. Trisha is making us some tea. I-I’m gonna lock the door and try to stay calm until you get here.”
“Good. See you in a few,” he replied, stepping on the gas to speed up.
The phone call disconnected as Bridget hung up. His knuckles were white from clenching the steering wheel so hard, but he managed to autodial Wesley’s personal cell number by activating and speaking into his car’s voice system.
He’d delayed filing the police report about the missing necklaces for several reasons, but now he was out of time. Strange things were happening all around him and he didn’t have a choice. Surely Patricia would understand that it was completely unavoidable now. She’d been among the reasons he’d put it off.
He’d also been trying to figure things out for himself in the meantime, going over in his mind who knew about his grandmother’s safe deposit box. There weren’t many who did. His mom and dad, his Uncle Cliff and Aunt Tamara, his cousins, Rose Marie and Riley, and his siblings were among the few who knew about Grandma’s safe deposit box at the bank with the fancy jewelry tucked away. Maybe her cleaning lady who’d occasionally worked for her over the years, Sarah. He hadn’t seen Sarah recently except for at the funeral, and he didn’t think she’d have done this anymore than he thought anyone else in his family might have. There was the estate lawyer, Edward Schaefer, a friend of the family, but he certainly didn’t think he’d have had a hand in this. And what did any of it have to do with Briar except for the fact she also had a key to the safe deposit box?
He couldn’t help but wonder if this incident was connected to the other. If something happened to Briar, it’d be impossible for him or his family to bear. He started praying after he spoke to Wesley, glad he’d agreed to meet him there.
“I KNOW THIS IS GOING to sound awful, but aren’t there usually ransom calls or something we can expect to hear at
some point which would be a little better than this not knowing?” Trisha asked after Wesley finished applying bright yellow tape to block off the entry way of the crime scene. He and his partner, Jordan Hunter, a senior officer who went by the nickname Jordy, had herded them out into the empty hall outside the apartment. Wesley had introduced him as Lion-Man Jordy. Currently, most of them were sitting on the floor while the officers wrote down the last few notes on their reports.
Jordy stopped writing things on his clipboard and looked over at her. “It’s a very real possibility, Patricia, especially given the fact Bradley here is a public figure with a very popular band.”
Wesley glanced at Brad. “Be prepared, just in case.”
“I will,” Brad nodded.
Officers Barrington and Hunter, a.k.a. Lion-Man Jordy, had advised them not to touch much of anything, to grab a few necessities, and plan to spend the next few days or so elsewhere until further notice. He’d have to bring in a forensics team since there’d obviously been a struggle and a missing person involved. Briar’s car was parked outside, and they’d found her purse in the apartment with her keys, wallet, and cell phone, but no sign of Briar.
Bridget and Brandy were teary-eyed, and Cara and Trisha were visibly shaken. Brad knew he needed to get them all home and situated, or at least somewhere safe where they could rest and rejuvenate. None of them had eaten dinner yet, but at least Trisha had been able to comfort them by making hot tea.
“What if this happened to my little girl?” Brad heard Cara whisper to Trisha after the officers had finished taking the reports and his sisters were out of earshot. They’d decided to stay with Aunt Tamara and Uncle Cliff. His cousin, Rose Marie, would be there since she still lived at home. Riley would stop by later tonight and bring Brandy and Bridget some extra clothing since she wore a similar size.
Trisha had offered his sisters a place to stay at Brook Cottage, but she’d appeared to understand when they’d said they didn’t want to impose. She’d responded that she’d also want to be with family at a time like this.
Brad was thankful everything was finally out in the open and the officers had taken down a thorough police report. On a separate report, Jordy had taken down the information about the missing necklaces. He’d had to start at the beginning to explain the missing antique watch and go from there. The truth was, Bradley could care less about the jewelry or the watch. He just wanted his sister back. Jordan and Wesley had no idea if the cases were connected, but they appreciated knowing the whole story.
“I have to go, but I’ll talk to you soon,” Brad said, touching Trisha’s elbow, looking into her beautiful brown eyes. “I’ve got to follow my sisters to my Uncle’s home so they can get some rest and something to eat. I hope you’ll do the same, both you and Cara.”
Trisha nodded. “Don’t worry about us right now. Take care of your sisters.”
He nodded, relieved she seemed to understand. Turning to Cara, he added. “I’m sorry to meet you under circumstances like these.”
“Not a problem. I’ll be praying for you all that Briar is returned unharmed and swiftly,” Cara replied.
“Thanks, but let’s all walk outside together. I’d feel better,” Brad said. He didn’t want any of the ladies in the parking lot alone.
“Good idea,” Wesley said as he and Officer Hunter joined them. The group sped up to catch up with Brad’s sisters. “I’m finished here for now, but I’ll walk you all out to your vehicles. Brad, I’ll be in touch as soon as we know more or hear from forensics.”
Jordy added, “We’ll do some checking on the ex-boyfriend next to see what we can find out. First thing we’ll do is try and get a trace on his cell phone. Too bad nobody here has his number.”
“Yeah, they weren’t together very long, so we don’t have that kind of information, if it’s even him who did this.” Brad responded. “I appreciate your quick response and discretion.”
Wesley nodded as they walked downstairs to join Brandy and Bridget. “You’re welcome. Don’t worry. We’ll find her. Like my mom says, keep the faith in the hard times and the good times.”
Bradley appreciated the encouragement as he reached his truck, pausing to be sure all of the girls made it safely inside their cars. He was going to need it. He planned to spend the next thirty minutes of the drive to his uncle’s home in prayer for Briar’s safety and the return of the necklaces.
Chapter 9
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
THE NEXT EVENING AROUND seven o’clock, Brad was surprised by a visit from his cousins while giving Trisha a tour of the place. He’d spent most of the daylight hours working hard to finish installing the new wood flooring at his grandmother’s Victorian. It was certainly better than sitting around doing nothing. He wanted to be out driving the streets looking for Briar, but his uncle had warned him it would be best to let the police do their job. He wasn’t so sure. Hopefully Wesley and Jordan would have some kind of news about the ex-boyfriend soon. Surely they’d tracked him down by now.
“We’re sorry to hear about Briar,” Riley said as he opened the front door and let them inside. “We thought we’d stop by to see if there’s anything we can do, anything at all.”
Rose Marie nodded, holding out a casserole baked in one of those tin foil pans. “Mom made it. She’s worried you won’t eat properly under the circumstances. It’s lasagna.”
He accepted it with a sheepish grin. “Tell Aunt Tamara I said thanks. One of my favorites. Follow me to the kitchen. Oh, and this is my new girlfriend, Patricia Johnston.”
“Hi,” Riley said as they walked down the great hall toward the kitchen. “I’m Brad’s cousin, Riley.”
“Nice to meet you,” Rose Marie added. “I’m Rose Marie, Riley’s older sister.”
“Nice to meet both of you. Please, call me Trisha.”
Brad placed the lasagna on the counter next to his keys, taking note of the shy smile on Trisha’s face when he’d introduced her as his girlfriend. Then he turned to his cousins. “Sorry I missed seeing you last night, Rose Marie, when I arrived at Uncle Cliff’s with my sisters. I understand Riley has her first apartment now.”
“She’s got a new boyfriend keeping her busy these days,” Riley teased, causing her sister to turn a shade of pink.
Bradley was glad Rose finally had someone in her life. He hadn’t heard too many stories about her going out with anyone over the years. She’d always been the more serious, responsible one of the two, spending much of her time caring for their grandmother during the last few years of her life. “That’s awesome! What’s his name?”
“Jason Frederick,” Rose Marie answered. “We met on an airplane when I was flying back to Atlanta from my trip to France last year. He’d just spent ten days in Italy, and I’d just spent ten days in France. He gave me the window seat.”
“That was nice of him,” Brad commented. “What does he do?”
“He’s a travel agent,” Riley answered for her sister.
“Yeah, he’s been busy with some convention going on here in Atlanta and now he’s behind at work, so we didn’t have our usual weekly dinner date tonight,” Rose Marie explained.
“There has been a travel convention going on,” Trisha interjected. “We’ve got a client from the same industry staying at the bed and breakfast attending the same one.”
Rose Marie nodded as Riley asked, “Oh, you work at the bed and breakfast?”
“Yes, that’s how Brad and I met,” Trisha explained. “I’m an administrative assistant for the owner.”
“Very nice,” Riley commented.
“I’m happy you’ve found someone, Rose Marie,” Brad said. From what he remembered, Rose had taken the news about his grandmother’s death hard, crying through most of the funeral. Riley, on the other hand, was the outgoing one who bounced back from life’s hard knocks with ease. She’d had several boyfriends and generally, little time for family with being on the swim team and volleyball in high school, then more re
cently, enrolling college. He couldn’t remember what she was majoring in. He had a hard enough time keeping track of his sisters.
“Thank you and we’re sorry about Briar, but your sisters are doing well. Mom is taking good care of them. Brandy didn’t go into the vet’s office today and Bridget didn’t go to her classes at the dental school. We all thought it best for them to stay home and rest,” Rose Marie explained. “Mom gave them the spare room.”
“Yes, it’s probably best they stayed home to rest and get their thoughts together,” he agreed. “Thanks for coming out. I’m not always here this late, so I’m glad you caught me.”
“We’re sure Briar will turn up.” Riley tried to sound encouraging. Then she changed the subject as she looked through the arched door at the beautiful new floors in the great hall. “Wow, you’ve done a lot of work in here. The place is going to look great. Grandmother would be so proud.”
Rose Marie nodded, appearing preoccupied. Riley elbowed her older sister. “Don’t the floors look nice, Rose?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, sorry. I was thinking of those last few months with Grandma. I’m just glad she’s not suffering anymore. She was in a lot of pain at the end. Yes, the floors look great.” Rose Marie sounded a little downcast.
“Thanks,” Brad replied, observing his cousin’s sad appearance. She’d been close with Lady Callie Rose Halston Fielding. They shared the same name. He’d often wondered if Rose Marie felt slighted that the house, the bank accounts, and the necklaces hadn’t been left to her in the will. However, his grandmother had left her many of her beautiful dishes, and he’d made sure he gave them to her, personally delivering them to her house after the funeral.
He was the oldest grandchild after all, so it’d been a sensible and fair decision on his grandmother’s part to leave him the house. He’d been close with his grandmother too, just in a different way. They talked on the phone and corresponded through letters. Well, he usually sent her post cards, but he’d always replied. He’d spent a lot of time at her home in the summers and when he attended college in Atlanta.