by Lisa Prysock
“I understand, but I need to explain something to you before we go inside.” Briar sighed. Her plan to escape at the bank wasn’t going to work. Her sisters were more important to her. She couldn’t take a chance on him bringing harm to them. She may as well tell him now. She’d thought about it, and maybe the truth was the best policy, or at least something to buy her some time to escape.
“What’s that?” Doug asked, looking at her with a raised brow. “Have you changed your mind and decided you want to marry me?”
“No,” she replied. “I’m not going to change my mind about that. I don’t want to marry you, but I do think you should know...” Her voice halted.
“What? What are you trying to tell me?” he asked impatiently.
“My brother had the necklaces moved to a different location and none of us know exactly where,” she lied. “Only Brad knows.”
His fists slammed down on the steering wheel. “That’s just great! When were you going to tell me? Inside the bank, because that would be really stupid on your part!” He was yelling and she covered her ears, squeezing her eyes shut, thankful he’d taken the twine off her wrists. For the first time in days, they didn’t hurt. She had marks on both wrists where the twine had been cutting off her circulation.
He sat there thinking for a minute. Then he said, “I don’t believe you, so you’re going to go inside and show me the empty safe deposit box.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “I can do that, if he didn’t close it out.”
“Close it out?” he repeated.
She nodded. “I think he said he closed it out, but I’m not really sure. I just remember he told me he moved the necklaces to somewhere more secure that only he knows about until...” She wasn’t sure if she should’ve said that last word.
“Until what?” he asked.
Stammering, she answered, “Un-until I want to wear one of them, of course.”
“So you can still ask for them,” he clarified.
She nodded. “Sure. Brad is just trying to keep them safe for me. His future wife will want to wear them too, or at least that is what Granny intended.”
Briar wanted to tell him they weren’t as wealthy as he thought. Maybe her brother had money in the bank, but the rest of the family worked hard to earn every penny. Even her brother continued to work hard, taking on handyman work when he wasn’t on the road building his music ministry or remodeling Granny’s former home. Sure, her grandmother came from money and had left some funds to renovate the house, but they didn’t know their English relations. Furthermore, she had no idea how much money her brother made or didn’t make as a member of Eternity, but she was sure he had to split it three ways. She wasn’t sure any of this knowledge would alter Doug’s plans anyhow, so she figured telling him less was more in her favor. Let him contact her family to obtain whatever he wanted. Maybe they could help her at that point if they knew how to contact him. Maybe they could launch a rescue.
“Well, things have changed then. We’re going inside the bank. You’re going to ask to see the box. If he has closed it out, they’ll tell you.” He paused. “Then, I’ll send him a ransom note. If he wants to see his sister again, he’ll turn them over to me, both of them. Without involving the police, of course...”
“Of course,” she repeated. Bingo! He was going to contact her brother. That’s what she needed. Satisfied with his plan, she nodded. “Okay then, and when you have the necklaces, I get to go free.”
Doug shrugged. “Like I told you before, I’ll consider it. It depends on if you cooperate with me or not. We’re not done talking about us getting back together and the wonderful life we could have together. Consider the necklaces a dowry.”
She sighed. “Let’s just get this over with. We’re not getting married. You will return me to my family, and you can keep the necklaces. I don’t care about stupid things like you do. That’s where we are different, you and me. You can keep them, and I’ll go back to my family when this is over. You’ll have something you want, and I’ll have something I want.”
He appeared to be listening to her reasoning, considering her words, trying to find a way out of all of this. His dignity was important to him, and she figured negotiating with him had some merits. It worked on television crime shows, anyhow. She held her breath, praying.
When he flipped the button to open the car doors without further argument, she figured something she’d said might be getting through to him. “Let’s go inside, and remember, one wrong move and it’s over for your sisters.”
“SO LET ME GET THIS straight,” Lion-Man Jordy said as he examined the ransom note. “The bank contacted you today and said they have surveillance of Doug Robinson entering the premise with your sister, Briar. The manager speaks to her privately and explains to her after she presents the key to the safe deposit box that it has been previously closed out by you. Briar doesn’t say a word about being kidnapped to any of the bank staff, but there is the chance she has been threatened in some way or is afraid to divulge what is happening to her for some reason. So what we do know is that Briar is alive, which is a good thing. Then a few days later, you received this ransom note by regular postal mail, delivered to your address here at Edgewater Coventry B & B, in this envelope. Inside the envelope is this typewritten note and all it reads: get the necklaces and be ready to bring them to an undisclosed location to be revealed in the near future. In exchange, Briar will be returned unharmed.”
“Yes, you have the facts right.” Brad nodded. “Except I need to remind you that I did speak to Briar before her disappearance. She was aware that the necklaces were stolen, which leads me to believe Robinson took her key when he abducted her and was planning this all along. He was at the funeral for my grandmother as Briar’s date a few months ago. I guess there’s the chance he could have heard something about the necklaces at that time. He might have discussed how the reading of the will went with Briar or something along those lines, so he’d likely have known she had a key given to her as part of the will stipulations. He’s forcing her to take those necklaces, and then found out they weren’t there, so he sent this note. At least, that’s my personal opinion. Is it possible Briar told him they were moved and that I am the one who moved them?”
Wesley reached for the coffee pot in his mother’s kitchen where they’d gathered around the island. “I think you’re on the right track, Fielding. I wonder where this guy is hiding out with Briar, and where and when he’ll want to meet to make the exchange.”
“I don’t know if we can meet, given the fact we don’t have the necklaces in our possession to wheel and deal with,” Brad remarked.
“Yes, but the good news is, Briar hasn’t told him they’re stolen, or he most likely wouldn’t have sent the ransom note. She’s a smart young lady,” Lion-Man Jordy commented.
“An excellent point,” Miss Pepper agreed. “Just how much are these necklaces worth? No, on second thought, don’t tell me. The less I know, the better.”
Wesley grinned. “Mom is right. The less she knows, the better. She’ll either put the details in a book she’s writing, or accidentally tell the wrong person.”
“I’ll disregard that comment,” Pepper said pointedly, looking at her son.
“You know I’m only teasing,” Wesley replied as he accepted the slice of apple pie Trisha handed him.
“I know,” Pepper responded.
“Anyone else want a piece of Esther’s delicious apple pie?” Trisha asked.
“I do,” Jordy nodded.
“The other good news we have is that with the fingerprints our forensics team found at the apartment your sisters share, and the video surveillance the bank has because the cameras were working this time, and this ransom note, we won’t have any problem getting a conviction. Since he had no priors, we had to get a warrant to collect samples of his fingerprints from his house to match them to the ones we found at the abduction scene. That slowed things down a little bit, but I think it’s helped create a solid case.” Wesle
y tasted some of his pie. “Esther always makes the best pie.”
“That is something, but right now, I’d just like to have my sister returned safely.” Brad sighed. “Not that I don’t appreciate all of the hard work you’ve done.”
“We feel the same way if it makes you feel any better, Bradley,” Pepper remarked, yawning. “I suggest we all get a good night’s sleep and think about this in the morning. Here it is after nine o’clock, and we’ve all got to be up early.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Trisha said as she covered the pie. “If you all don’t mind, I’m going to head to the guest house and get some rest. I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m glad Brandy and Bridget are able to move back into their apartment, too.”
“Yes, that is something. I’m sure it’s been a difficult week for them being away from their home. I’ll walk you to your door.” Brad gave her a warm and tender look.
“Yeah, I need to head home as soon as I finish this pie,” Jordy Lion-Man agreed, glancing at Brad as he spoke. “I’ve got an early morning appointment to interview two of your cousins tomorrow about the missing necklaces as part of our ongoing investigation.”
“You do?” Brad asked. “That would be my Jenson cousins, Rose Marie and Riley, the daughters of my aunt and uncle, Tamara and Cliff Jenson, if you’ve talked to them yet.”
Officer Jordan Hunter nodded, tasting another bite of the pie. Then he drank some of his coffee and set the mug on the island. “I’ve already spoken to the parents, and I saw Bridget and Brandy again. They seem to be doing well in spite of all this. I think we can safely rule out your Nashville family as suspects for the time being and focus on those who live in this area who knew your grandmother and might have had some kind of motive. I’ll let you know how it goes after I speak to the lawyer and the cleaning lady your aunt employed.”
Chapter 12
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:9-10, NIV
TRISHA FELT THE WARMTH and strength of Brad’s hand as he led her from the kitchen onto the veranda, walking her to the door of Brook Cottage. She smiled contentedly beneath the moonlight bathing them in a golden ribbon along the path. Was this man for real, or someone from a distant dream?
When he pulled her into his arms without any words and gave her a long, tender kiss beneath the shadows of the roof overhang at the door, her fears seemed to melt into nothing. She’d had a hard time keeping all of her fear at bay since his sister’s abduction. She’d suffered through two mild panic attacks since then, both during her work day. Thankfully, she’d had her wireless headphones at her desk to blast some strong, Christian music from her cell phone, relieving her of the fears and anxiety. Now, standing there in his muscular arms, feeling his heart beating, she felt perfectly safe. Everything was somehow going to be okay.
When he withdrew from the kiss, all she could do was breathe, “Wow!” Looking into his eyes, she could see he’d felt the same thing. The attraction between them was powerful, magnetic, and filled with yearning.
“Thank you for being there for me through all of this,” he said in a low voice. “If I don’t seem myself, it’s just all of this other on my mind.”
“Perfectly understandable,” she replied. “We’re going to get through this, together.”
“What do you say we have a few minutes of prayer and Bible study before breakfast tomorrow?” he asked, his wavy brown hair and sky blue eyes becoming more visible as she adjusted to the darkness of the evening.
How had the Lord put her together with such an attractive man? He’d been worth the long wait and the time she’d spent alone in recent months and during the years before meeting Dallas Bad-Boy. Sure, she’d had a few dates over the years, and a string of short-lived boyfriends way back in high school, but other than Dallas, she’d been on her own for the majority of her twenty-seven years. Bradley Fielding had been way worth the wait. The man actually wanted to study the Word of God with her.
She smiled up at him, “I’d like that very much. What time?”
“I’m thinking about eight o’clock. We can pray for my sister’s safe return and any other prayer requests.” He shifted his weight, tilting his white cowboy hat back farther on his dark hair.
“Sounds great. I’ll be ready,” she smiled. “The Lord will hear our prayers and answer. He’s not let us down before.”
Nodding, he let go of her hand slowly, their fingertips drifting apart as he turned to go upstairs to the Gardenia Suite. “See you then.”
THE NEXT MORNING, PEPPER joined Bradley and Patricia in the dining room for a breakfast of brioche style French toast, scrambled eggs, maple-flavored bacon, orange juice, coffee, and a variety of syrups, jams, and honey. They sat together near the head of the table, clustered around Ms. Barrington’s customary seat. A few other guests wandered in and out as they enjoyed selections from the hearty breakfast Esther had laid out on the buffet. Annette bustled through the swinging door from the kitchen with a tray to carry upstairs, most likely for the Holstein newlyweds. The Edgewater Coventry B & B sprang to life with activity.
“This looks delicious. Oh, and I love that you two had devotions together this morning. However, on to other matters. I’ve been meaning to ask you a question, Bradley.” Pepper sliced her meal into smaller bites after they’d said a blessing.
“What’s that, Miss Pepper?” Brad drank some of his black, strong coffee.
“Do you happen to have any photographs of the missing necklaces?” she inquired, keeping her voice low so no guests could overhear them.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” He reached for his wallet. “They’re custom made jewelry items, by the way. No other necklaces in the world look exactly as these do. I happen to have two photos of my grandmother wearing them when she was in the prime of her life.”
“Oh good!” Pepper grinned like a Cheshire cat as Brad fished for a photo or two. “I’ve been curious about these necklaces.”
“Now that you mention it, there’s an amazing portrait of his grandmother, Lady Callie Rose Halston Fielding, above the fireplace in the drawing room at her Victorian mansion,” Trisha mentioned as she reached for her goblet of orange juice. “When Brad gave me a tour of the house, I noticed she was wearing a lovely necklace in the painting. She was a stunning beauty in her day. I guessed it was one of the missing ones.”
Brad nodded as he slid the two photographs across the table. “The portrait in the drawing room would be of her wearing the ruby necklace, the one my grandfather gave her after he became a judge. That necklace, as you can see from one of these photos, drops into the shape of a heart formed by the ruby gems, each surrounded by diamonds, then a string of the same gems dangle from the heart. The emerald one was from her father, the Duke. That one has the three strands of gems, but the third and longest strand has the alternating diamonds and gold roses between each emerald.”
“I had no idea your grandmother had such a rich heritage or that your grandfather was a judge until the other day, but it seems to me, it was a wonderful idea to host a display of some of their vintage items at the Museum of Southern Antiquity. Reading about the highly anticipated display, since I’m a supporting member of the museum and receive all of their email invitations, I realized these were Brad’s grandparents. Quite an outstanding biography about Judge Fielding and his lovely English bride accompanied the invite.” Miss Pepper reached for the salt shaker and began sprinkling some on her scrambled eggs.
Brad nodded. “It’s one of the things I’ve been looking forward to as a celebration of their lives, but now we won’t be able to display the necklaces unless...”
“The Lord will see that they are returned. Keep the faith, Bradley. These things take time. Give the good Lord some room to work.” Miss Pepper advised.
“Yes, you’re right, Ms. Barrington. We have some time before the display to find them. Aunt Tamara and I
chose a number of other items and relics of interest we think folks will find enjoyable. There are some antique books by Dickens and Emerson, a few of Grandfather’s law books, and a locket my grandmother enjoyed wearing with samples of hair from both of her children. Oh and her wedding day pearl drop earrings and tiara, photos of them on their wedding day, a few portraits of their children. I believe Aunt Tamara submitted my grandmother’s wedding dress and veil, his courtroom robe, and some unique household items such as dishes, Grandma’s tea service, his walking cane, a pair of her gloves, a vase from their travels to Italy, and a few fascinating portraits they owned. Oh, and my father’s christening gown. There will be some other things I can’t remember.” Brad rattled off the list of items they’d contributed. “A share of the proceeds from the purchased tickets will go toward one of my grandmother’s favorite charities, the Atlanta Dream Center.”
“Truly remarkable. I’m sure it will be a tremendous success with or without the jewels, especially given the fact you have her wedding day tiara and earrings there. People will be none the wiser that the necklaces may not be there.” Miss Pepper studied the photos he’d handed her, passing each along to Trisha in turn. “Hopefully, they will be found or returned by then.”
“Despite that, I can’t help feeling as though the enemy is trampling me and my family right now,” Brad remarked as he reached for a piece from the pile of bacon on his plate. “I delayed our usual band practices and spent several days driving around last week looking for some sign of my sister, but it seemed so futile. She could be anywhere.”
“The truth is, we do have a very real enemy. Anytime someone steps out to make a difference with the kind of impact you’re causing for the Kingdom of God, you can expect some degree of retaliation and trouble.” Pepper Barrington reached for the handle of an elegant trio of crystal dishes containing a variety of jams. She held it up to consider which of the three flavors she might want. “You’re obviously creating a stir and the other side doesn’t like the success you’re experiencing with Eternity. However, when the enemy comes in like a flood, God will raise up a standard against him.”