t
Liam knocked on his supervisor’s door.
Marilyn looked up. “What is it, Liam? Come in.”
“I was wondering if you’d allow me to leave an hour early to keep an appointment and let me work through my lunch hour tomorrow to make up the time. Joe Spalding says he’s got my back, if I need to cut out early.”
“All right. As long as you make up the time.”
“Thanks. We’re finally getting my mother’s estate settled and I need to sign some papers.”
Marilyn waved her hand as if to shoosh him. “See you tomorrow.”
Liam clocked out and hurried to his car. He knew what he had to do.
Chapter 20
Jesse stepped off the school bus behind the Moyer twins. The girls walked down Angel View Road and looked over their shoulders at him, giggling the way girls often do when they’re enjoying petty gossip. It didn’t matter much what they thought of him. But getting the cold shoulder from all the seventh-grade boys had been hard to take.
He wondered what Miss Berne had been thinking after she had come to his rescue in the cafeteria and stood staring at him. Had he been able to hide his guilt? How he wished he could have told her the truth. Though it might be easier for her to get over her mother’s death if she believed the drowning was an accident.
Jesse hooked his thumbs on the straps of his backpack and headed up Angel View Road. The pale-blue sky was dotted with interesting cloud puffs of all sizes. He relished the scent of pine, then filled his lungs with crisp mountain air, glad for the beginning of his favorite season, but unable to shake the heaviness in his gut that reminded him that Dawson would not be around to share his adventures. At least he’d done what the killer demanded. His family was safe now.
A calico cat stood at the tree line, meowing loudly. Jesse smiled and took off his backpack. He went over to the cat and knelt, holding out his arms until she came to him.
“Chestnut, what are you doing out here? Are you lost?” Jesse gently stroked the cat, which had had two litters of kittens, including his own cat, Halo. Should he leave her here or try carrying her to the Lamberts’ house, which was on his way?
A second later, he felt an arm clamped around his neck, cutting off his air. Someone forced him into the woods.
“Don’t fight me and I’ll let you breathe,” said an all-too-familiar voice. “I’m going to let go now. Don’t turn around. And if you try to move or call for help, I’ll strangle the life out of you. Got it?”
Jesse nodded.
The man loosened his grip, and Jesse gasped and coughed until he could finally breathe normally.
“Did you tell your mother you lied?” the man said.
Jesse blew out a breath that ended with a barely audible “Yes.”
“What about the sheriff?”
“Him too,” Jesse said.
“Then why is he still talking to the media like it was a murder?”
“I don’t know,” Jesse insisted. “I told all my friends too. No one believes I’m a witness anymore.”
“What about Miss Berne? What have you said to her?”
“Nothing. I’m not allowed to talk to her.”
“She’s convinced you know something.”
“I don’t! I didn’t see anything.”
The man thumped Jesse on the back of his head. “Now that’s the spirit.”
“No, I mean it. I never saw your face. Honest. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Nice try, kid. But if I saw you, you saw me. You’re the only thing that stands between me and a bright future—and quitting my stinking job. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
He didn’t. But he nodded in agreement, his heart banging against his chest.
“I’m watching your every move. If you even think about double-crossing me, I’ll start picking off your family like a lion stalking wildebeests. They’ll die one by one. It won’t be pretty, and it’ll be your fault. Their blood will be on your conscience. I don’t have one. Now lay facedown and put your hands behind your head.”
Jesse did as he was told, aware of pine needles sticking his cheeks, and the guy’s boot pushing a meowing Chestnut out of the way.
“Slowly count to two hundred and then run home and don’t look back. Tell anyone about this, and your family dies. You won’t get another warning.”
Jesse lay shaking on the forest floor, his hands clasped behind his head, Chestnut rubbing against his side.
The instant he finished counting, he jumped up, grabbed his backpack, and ran toward Angel View Lodge, his mind racing faster than his pulse.
Jesse wondered if he was doing the right thing by handling this by himself. Should he tell the sheriff he was being threatened? Could he trust Sheriff Granger to protect his family from a man he couldn’t even describe? All he was sure of was the guy’s voice. It could be anyone.
t
Virgil stood with Kevin outside the front entrance of the courthouse, holding a late-afternoon press conference for persistent reporters.
“As I stated earlier,” Virgil said, “there is an ongoing investigation into Dixie Berne’s death. At this time, we’re treating it as a murder investigation.”
“Do you have a witness?” said Sarah Halloran, a seasoned reporter for the local TV station.
“I’m not going to comment on that while we’re still investigating,” Virgil replied.
“Can you at least confirm that a student at Foggy Ridge Middle School claims that he witnessed the drowning?”
Virgil kept his voice sure and even. “Since you’re on top of this rumor, Sarah, I’m sure you know the student recanted that claim and admitted to lying. So let’s move on.”
A bearded man raised his hand. “Do you have any suspects?”
“We haven’t made an arrest,” Virgil said, “but that’s all I’m going to say right now.”
“Have you determined the exact location of the drowning?” Sarah scribbled something on her notepad.
“It’s guesswork at this stage,” Virgil said. “We have thoroughly combed the banks of the Sure Foot for two hundred yards upstream from where we discovered the body.”
“Did that uncover any evidence?” said a balding man in thick glasses.
Virgil pursed his lips. “I’m not going to comment on what we might or might not have in evidence.”
“Sheriff, what can you tell us?” said an attractive redheaded woman in a navy dress. “You don’t seem to have answers to any of our questions. Our citizens could be at risk if a killer is on the loose.”
Virgil forced a smile. Why did the media play this game when they knew he couldn’t give them what they wanted? “I agreed to meet with you because I want you to know my department is serious about getting to the bottom of this. There is only so much I can comment on at this stage, but let’s be clear: every effort is being made to uncover details of what happened in this case. It continues to be an active murder investigation. I ask you to be patient with the process and remember it takes time for facts to unfold and additional time for us to put it all together. I’ll be back when I can tell you more. Thank you.”
Virgil turned and went inside the courthouse and made a right down the first corridor, Kevin keeping stride with him, their heels clicking on the shiny marble floor.
“That was short and sweet,” Kevin said. “Think they believed the kid recanted?”
“I hope so.”
“I don’t know what to think,” Kevin said.
Virgil lifted his Stetson and wiped his forehead. “Jesse knows the pain and grief a family goes through when a loved one goes missing and is found dead. I just don’t see him making this up. I have to consider that he recanted because he was threatened.”
“I’m not so sure,” Kevin said. “I can see a middle school kid doing something like that to impress his peers,
especially the star players on a winning football team.”
“You don’t know Jesse like I do.”
“Well, his mother knows him better than anyone,” Kevin said. “She believes him.”
“That’s because Kate doesn’t want Jesse pulled into a murder case. She wants to believe he made it up. She can’t be objective.”
Kevin was quiet, which usually meant he had his own opinion. Finally, he said, “At least she’s on board with our covert operation. I hope it’s not a waste of time and manpower.”
Virgil stopped and held his gaze on Kevin. “What aren’t you saying?”
Kevin seemed trapped in a long pause. Finally he turned to Virgil. “May I speak freely?”
“You know you can.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and ask you something, just friend to friend. You don’t have to answer me, Virgil, but be honest with yourself. Would you be going to this extreme to protect Jesse if he wasn’t Kate’s son?”
t
Jesse stopped running when he reached the top of the hill. He leaned over and grabbed his knees, trying to catch his breath. He looked down Angel View Road and didn’t see anyone. At least he was safe for now. The cawing of a crow echoed through the trees and seemed almost like an omen. Creepy.
He waited until his pulse slowed, then stood up straight and walked the last fifty yards to the two-story log house his dad had built. He bounded up the front steps to the long porch, where Grandpa Buck sat on the wooden swing, nibbling sunflower seeds.
“Hey, Grandpa.”
“Hey yourself. Been prayin’ for you off and on all day. How’d you do?”
Jesse shrugged. “Okay, I guess. As okay as a guy can when he doesn’t have any friends. But I already knew Bull would make sure no one talked to me.”
“That might change with time,” his grandpa said. “Bull will probably lose interest after a while.”
“No, he won’t. Nobody makes Bull Hanson feel stupid and gets away with it. I guess that’s part of the consequences. It’s my own fault for lying.”
“Give yourself some credit for tellin’ the truth, boy. Wasn’t easy admitting you lied. It cost you plenty.”
If you only knew! Jesse studied his grandfather’s kind face. “Thanks for saying that.”
“Feel better?”
“Not yet. But I’ll think about what you said.”
“Good. And don’t forget who it is you belong to when you walk into that school. Bull may be a football hero, but you’re the son of a King.”
“I’m not sure Bull’d be impressed,” Jesse said.
“But are you? That’s what counts. It’s really somethin’ to belong to the royal family.” Buck winked.
Jesse smiled despite his mood. “I never thought of it like that.”
“Your Father, the King, is just waitin’ for you to ask Him for help.”
“I’m pretty sure He’s mad at me for getting myself into this mess.”
“I doubt that,” Buck said. “But He might be disappointed unless you trust Him to help you out of it.”
“I’m not sure there is a way out of it.” Any of it!
“He can still help you. Don’t think you’re all by yourself just because you made a mistake.”
Jesse considered his grandfather’s words. “How come you always know what to say?”
“I don’t always,” Buck said. “But this is a no-brainer.”
“I guess I do need to remember who I am. Bull makes me feel like a nobody, and I get down on myself. But what hurts most of all is losing Dawson. It’s like I’ve lost a brother.”
His grandpa looked over the top of his glasses. “Oh, I wouldn’t count Dawson out just yet.”
t
Kate set a plate of cookies on the kitchen table and heard the front door open and close.
A few seconds later, Jesse stood in the doorway.
“I saw you talking to Grandpa.” Kate got up and walked over to Jesse. “Want some oatmeal-raisin cookies?”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry right now. I have homework to do.”
“How was school?”
“Not great. None of the guys are speaking to me. I told you they wouldn’t.”
“It’ll pass, honey. Give it time.”
“I don’t have much choice. I’m going to go do my history report. It’s due Monday, and I don’t want to have homework this weekend.”
“Sure you don’t want a cookie?” Kate said. “They’re still warm.”
“No, thanks.”
Kate saw something in Jesse’s hair and picked out a clump of pine needles. “How’d you get these?”
“I saw Chestnut at the edge of the woods. I went to get her and tripped over a tree root. At least Mother Nature doesn’t laugh at me, even if I am a klutz.” Jesse turned and went upstairs.
Kate went back in the kitchen and sat at the table, across from Elliot. “He’s upset. Did you see the look on his face?”
“We knew school would be a challenge for a while,” Elliot said. “I’ll talk to him later, after he’s had a chance to be alone with his thoughts.”
Kate sighed. “Thanks. He really respects you. He’s getting to the age where he needs to hear a male perspective.”
“I’m your man,” Elliot said, taking Kate’s hands in his. “I love Jesse.”
“I know. He’s crazy about you. They all are. Jesse and Riley don’t remember their father and thrive on your attention. They listen to everything you tell them.”
Elliot smiled. “I look forward to the day when I officially become their stepdad.”
“I’m not sure things would be different than they are now. You’re already wonderful with them.”
“Thanks, but they don’t need a part-time dad.” Elliot gently squeezed her hand. “They need to know I’m there for the long haul—no matter what.”
Kate didn’t say anything.
Elliot tilted her chin. “A few hours from now, I’ll go home to an empty house and think of you alone in your bed, wrestling with the pressures of being a single parent.”
“I don’t handle it alone,” Kate said. “You’re a lot of support.”
Elliot was quiet for a moment. “And I always will be. But, Kate … have you stopped to think about what it’s like for me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been in love with you for the biggest part of seven years. It’s become almost torture for me to go home alone, night after night, especially when I feel like such a part of this family. I want you, Kate. Body, mind, and spirit. And I want to share all that I am and all that I have with you.”
“Elliot, I—”
He touched her lips with his fingers. “Just let me say it. I’ve built a relationship with each of your children. I’m there whenever you need me. I’ve shared Christmases and special events and holidays for years. I run errands, do dishes, babysit, help with homework, help with crises of all kinds. I love this family. I adore you and every moment we spend together. So why aren’t we together?”
“Other than physical intimacy, what do you think is missing?” she said.
“I happen to think physical intimacy is pretty great, by the way. But that’s just part of it. What’s missing is the oneness. We’re still two. You have your life. I have mine. It should be our life. We should grow together and learn to know each other on a deeper level than we do with anyone else. I had that with Pam, and you had it with Micah, so don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.”
She did know. “Why are you bringing this up now when I’m in the middle of a crisis with Jesse?”
“We are in a crisis with Jesse.”
“Fair enough, but I can’t think about where this relationship is going when I’m preoccupied with his well-being.”
“You’re hiding, Kate. It’s always somethi
ng. You seem afraid to accept that you could have a bright future with me. I have so much love I want to give you and these kids. Plus, I can offer you financial security. You can keep Angel View Lodge without owing a dime on it.”
Kate let go of his hands. “I love you, Elliot. But I won’t be pressured into making such a life-changing decision.”
“I’m not trying to pressure you, honey. I just want you to know how I feel. I want to share all that I am and all that I have with you. It isn’t as though we don’t know what it’s like to be a family. We’ve got that down pat. But this aching in my heart is not going to go away until you marry me.”
Kate looked into his gentle eyes that were not quite blue and not quite gray, and felt as if he could see into her very soul. She looked away, sure that her face was flushed. “I–I know you’re right. Something in me just wants to freeze this stage of my life. I’m afraid to move beyond it.”
“Maybe if you’d talk about it, we could figure this out.”
“What if marriage changes things?” Kate said, surprised at her own words. “I know what we have now is good. But after we’re married, the kids might resent you suddenly being the head of the house. At the moment, they adore you. Will they feel that way when your role changes and you help to enforce the rules?”
“Why don’t we ask them?” Elliot said. “Hawk and Abby are adults, for all practical purposes. I want to be there for them, but they don’t need me the way Jesse and Riley do. We can just explain to the kids that I’m not trying to take their father’s place, but that I love them and want to stand in as their dad. And that I’ll be watching out for them, just like you do. Kate, they’re going to resent me at times. It comes with the territory. The key is making sure they know how much I love them. It’s not like I haven’t had time to think this through.”
Of course you have. Kate felt as if her mouth were stuffed with cotton and her head would explode. How was she supposed to answer him?
“I didn’t start this conversation with the intention of putting you on the spot,” Elliot said, kissing her hand. “But it’s time we both got serious about how we want to spend the future. The kids are growing up fast. This family can only be stronger with two parents. And I’m miserable living apart from you. I’m not content with things the way they are.”
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