Jesse considered Elliot’s words. He’d been willing to forgive Liam when he thought he was going to die. Was he willing to stand by it, now that he was going to live?
“Did you hear me?” Liam said. “Get on with it.”
“I’m not going to shoot you.”
“Why not? That’s what I’d do.”
“Well, I’m not you.”
“Then get out of here and save yourself.” Liam winced. “Take the keys out of my right back pocket. There’s an LED light on the key ring. It’ll be dark soon. That should be enough light to help you see where you’re going.”
Jesse pushed the gun out of Liam’s reach and stuck his hand in Liam’s back pocket and found the key ring. “I’ll send help as soon as I can.” Jesse scrambled to his feet.
“Wait!” Liam said. “In case I don’t make it, tell me the truth. You’ve got nothing to lose now. Who’s trying to get money out of me?”
“I don’t know. I never said a word to anyone. I didn’t want you to hurt my family.”
Jesse looked around in all directions, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. How would he ever find his way home?
“What are you waiting for, kid?”
“I’m turned around. I’m not sure how to get back.”
“You’re facing the right way. Just start walking. Trust me. I’m good with directions. Go! You’re running out of daylight. Take the gun. You might need to scare off a black bear or a wild hog.”
Jesse reached down and grabbed Liam’s gun, and took off running, his fear of the dark forest less ominous than his fear of never seeing his family again.
Thank You, Lord! I knew You would hear me!
Jesse zigzagged around the trees, wrestling with low-lying branches that scratched his face as he fought his way through the maze. He was cold. And hungry. But at least he was finally free.
t
Virgil paced in the command post, checking the maps for minute-by-minute progress on the foot search, and the list of interviews completed, trying to think of anything they hadn’t covered. All teams in the field were on the move, and information was coming in fast. So far, nothing had led them any closer to finding Jesse.
Reggie came and stood next to Virgil. “The one person we still haven’t interviewed is Liam Berne. My mind’s all over the map, wonderin’ why he’s so hard to reach.”
“Mine too.” Virgil threw his paper cup in the trash can. “Come on. Time to speed this up.”
Virgil stepped over to Kevin’s station, Reggie on his heels.
“Kevin, Liam should’ve surfaced by now. Think we should put out an APB on his Caprice?”
Kevin smiled. “You’re reading my mind, Sheriff. Consider it done.”
Virgil patted Kevin’s shoulder, then turned to Reggie. “I’m going to step outside. I’ll be right back.”
Virgil went down the steps and out from under the awning that covered two tables, one arranged with an extra large coffeemaker, bottled water, and doughnuts. The other with battery chargers and recharged batteries.
He turned his back to the media, then took out his cell phone and keyed in the number for Billy Gene.
“Hello, Sheriff.”
“What’s the holdup on locating Liam Berne?”
“Sir, me and Jason have been runnin’ our wheels off tryin’ to track him down. One of us has called his cell phone every fifteen minutes. We’ve been to every establishment on the list his sister gave us. If he’s out doin’ errands, you’d think someone would remember seein’ him. No one does.”
“Change of plans,” Virgil said. “I want you to do a couple things for me. First, on the bookshelf in my office, behind the framed photo of Jill Beth and me, is an empty Coke can. I want you to bag the can and take it to the lab. Give it to Ginger. Have her run a DNA test and compare it to the piece of bubblegum you recovered in the Dixie Berne investigation. Tell her to put a rush on it.”
“Yes, sir. Copy that.”
“Then I want you and Jason to go back to the Bernes’ place and interview Colleen. Find out if Liam has acted out of character lately. You know, seemed anxious. Depressed. Angry. Aloof. Anything different. And pay close attention to her. I want to know if she acts nervous or like she’s hiding something.”
“We’ll get right on it, Sheriff. So … does that Coke can belong to one of them?”
“I’ll fill you in when I have time. Just take it to the lab and go question Colleen. If you think she knows something, don’t be afraid to push her. Call me when you’re done. I need to get back to the command post.”
Virgil put his cell phone in his pocket, the eerie reverberation of the search-and-rescue helicopter starting to get on his nerves.
His instincts were on overload, but he knew better than to jump to conclusions. The DNA test wouldn’t come back sooner than ten days, even on a rush. What he really needed was to find Liam Berne.
t
Jesse moved slowly through the dark forest, holding tightly to the loaded gun, the tiny light on Liam’s key ring illuminating only a concentrated swatch of ground in front of him. Strange animal noises coming from the shadows made him edgy. Hawk told him that wild animals are more afraid of people than people are of them. Jesse was counting on it.
He found a tree stump and sat, the mingled scents of pine and wet earth turning his thoughts to Angel View. He wanted to go home, so why couldn’t he stop thinking about Liam? It was hard to tell how injured the guy was. Or whether he was in shock. And even a healthy person could die of hypothermia in these nighttime temperatures.
Jesse looked down at the gun. He could never have shot Liam, no matter how much the man deserved it. But leaving him out there, wounded and vulnerable, with no protection from the cold, seemed just as wrong. Yet who would blame Jesse for fleeing from the monster who almost killed him—and would probably try again, if he had the chance?
Jesse sighed. Why did he feel so pulled to go back? He planned to send help once he got out. It was crazy to go back and help a guy who wanted him dead. It made sense to get home to the family who wanted him alive. So why the tug-of-war in his gut? Which decision was right—should he keep going or turn around?
Then Jesse remembered the advice Elliot got from his dad. Which decision best showed that Jesse loved God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength? And which decision treated Liam the way Jesse wanted to be treated?
Jesse immediately thought of the parable of the Good Samaritan and mulled it over in his mind. If he left Liam behind, how was he any better than the priest and the Levite who walked past the wounded man and left him to die? If Jesse were the one trapped under a limb, he wouldn’t want to be left alone at night in that cold, creepy forest.
He wrestled with that thought for a few minutes. Going back would be hard. Way out of his comfort zone. But wasn’t putting someone else’s needs ahead of his own what the Bible meant by loving his neighbor—even Liam Berne?
Lord, I really want to go home. But this seems more important than doing what I want.
Jesse pulled his hood over his head and stood, holding tightly to the gun in his right hand. He shone the blue light on the ground in front of him, then made an about-face and began walking the other way.
Chapter 28
Kate sat on the porch swing, zipped up in her red anorak jacket, her mind jumping from one thought to another before she had time to really process any of it. The one thought that had sunk in was tonight’s forecast calling for the temperature to dip below freezing. Jesse wasn’t dressed for a cold snap. How she hated the feeling that she couldn’t protect him.
Kate’s mind flashed back to the hospital on the night Jesse was born. The nurse brought her newborn son and placed him in her arms …
“He’s a little punkin,” the nurse said. “Didn’t even squawk with all the poking and prodding. Have you named him?”
“We�
�re thinking about Jesse Buckley Cummings,” Kate said. “The middle name is after my dad.”
The nurse studied the baby and smiled. “I like the sound of it. Suits him just fine.”
“It really does.” Kate looked over at her husband, Micah, who crouched next to her recliner, studying the baby’s tiny foot. “When you and the kids came up with the name, I thought I would need a while to see if it fit, but he looks like a Jesse.”
“Great. Then it’s unanimous.” Micah kissed his son’s tiny foot. “Okay, buddy, it’s official. Your first name’s Jesse. Your middle name is after your grandpa Buck, who’s about the kindest man you’ll ever know.”
“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted with this little doll,” the nurse said. “Use the call button when you’re ready for me to put him back in the nursery.”
“We will. Thanks,” Micah said.
“I can hardly wait for Dad to see his namesake.” Kate smiled, gently brushing her fingertips through her newborn’s fine dark hair. “This little man has no idea how loved he’s going to be. Abby and Hawk are already fighting over who gets to rock him first in the pine rocker you made when I was pregnant with Hawk.”
Micah smiled. “I wouldn’t trade those late-night feedings alone with Hawk and Abby for anything.”
“So does that mean you’re taking the night shift with Jesse too?”
“Absolutely. And if by some miracle, he wants to sleep through the night, I’ll get up and rock him anyway.”
Kate chuckled. “Oh really?”
“Yep. I want the whole experience. Hear that, Jesse? Your ol’ man is all in.”
“Mama is too.” Kate looked into her baby’s round dark eyes. “We just want you to be happy and carefree and not grow up too fast.”
Kate blinked the stinging from her eyes. Micah didn’t live to keep that promise, and she was failing miserably. Why hadn’t she been able to read the signs that Jesse was keeping something from her, or at least that he was troubled? Was it because he had never given her cause to doubt his word before? Or was it because she’d been too self-centered and preoccupied?
The door opened, and Elliot came out on the porch, carrying her pink and ivory afghan, and sat next to her in the swing.
“You’ve been out here a long time.” He opened the afghan and draped it over her legs. “How are you holding up?”
Kate shook her head and swallowed the emotion that threatened to steal her composure. “Why can’t Virgil find Jesse? They’ve turned Foggy Ridge and the outlying areas upside down. Search and Rescue has flown over every inch of Sure Foot Mountain.”
“They’re not finished yet. But don’t forget, the Lord knows where Jesse is. If he’s in trouble, there’s no doubt in my mind that Jesse will rely on God to help him.”
“I know,” Kate said. “It’s how God will respond that makes me nervous. There, I finally said it.”
Elliot didn’t flinch at her admission and just looked into her eyes as if he understood.
“Don’t forget,” Kate said, “I lived through five years of God’s silence while my husband and two-year-old daughter disappeared from my life. I want more than anything to trust God to bring Jesse home. But I’m struggling with doubt, no matter how much I don’t want to.” Kate buried her face in her hands and stifled a sob. “I’m so sorry. My faith isn’t as strong as yours. Or Jesse’s.”
Elliot put his arm around her. “It’s not a contest, honey. You’ve been through more than most people will face in a lifetime. Just don’t lose sight of the fact that God also brought Abby and Riley home unharmed. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
Kate heard a knock, and then the door opened.
“Excuse me,” Deputy Roberta Freed said. “Just checking to see if I can get anything for you.”
“We’re okay.” Kate dabbed her eyes. “No news from the command post?”
“Not yet. But don’t be discouraged. Sheriff Granger and Chief Mitchell are using every available resource. I’ve seen situations like this turn on a dime.”
t
Virgil sat at his station in the command post, tapping his fingers on his desk. What was taking Billy Gene and Jason so long to report back on their interview with Colleen Berne?
Reggie came over and stood next to Virgil’s chair. “No success yet with the APB on Berne’s car. How’re we comin’ with leads?”
Virgil smiled. “Oh, since Elliot Stafford offered a five-thousand-dollar reward and Jesse’s picture was shown on the five o’clock news, leads’re pouring in faster than we can sift through them. Nothing useful. Just the usual deluge of flaky people making up information in hopes of cashing in.”
“That kid didn’t just disappear from the face of the earth,” Reggie said. “Somebody knows somethin’. And I keep thinkin’ that somebody might be Liam Berne. The longer Berne’s incommunicado, the more suspicious he looks.”
Virgil’s cell phone vibrated, and he glanced at the screen. “Excuse me, Reg. I need to take this.” Virgil turned around and faced the computer, the phone to his ear. “Were you able to find out anything useful from Colleen Berne?”
“Sheriff, this is Colleen Berne. Deputy Duncan insisted I call you on his cell phone so I could get through faster. I haven’t heard back from my brother. But I have something important you need to see. Deputy Duncan said you’re not in the office. Is there someplace we can meet?”
“I’m currently at the command post we set up to manage our search for Jesse Cummings. I can’t leave right now. Could you show it to my deputies or have them bring it to me?”
“No. I need to show you myself. Believe me, it’ll be worth your time.”
“I suppose Duncan and Hobbs could bring you here,” Virgil said. “It’s kind of crazy, but I’ll find us a place where we can talk privately.”
“All right. Hold on a minute.”
Virgil heard Colleen talking to someone, and then Billy Gene took the phone. “Sheriff, we can have her there in ten minutes.”
“Any idea what this is about?”
“No, sir,” Billy Gene said. “She’s being real closed with us. Whatever she’s got, she’s only willing to share with you.”
“Did you bag the Coke can and take it to the lab?”
“Sure did. Right before we came over here. Said they’d move it to the front of the line but would need ten days, at the very least.”
“Okay, Billy Gene, thanks. See you soon.”
Virgil put his cell phone in his pocket and sensed someone standing next to him. He looked up into Reggie’s inquiring eyes.
“I supposed you overheard me talking to Colleen Berne,” Virgil said.
Reggie folded his arms across his chest. “Did she tell your deputy where her brother is?”
“Come with me.” Virgil rose to his feet. “I need to tell you and Kevin about a new development.”
t
Jesse inched his way through the thick, inky blackness of the forest, feeling disoriented, much like he did in a blinding snowstorm. As far as he could tell, he was moving in the right direction. But how could he really know for certain?
He stopped and set the key-ring flashlight between his feet, then blew on his hands and rubbed them together. The night air felt even colder than he had anticipated. What if he wasn’t able to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together? He’d only done it one other time, and Hawk had helped him.
Jesse’s thoughts turned to his brother. Hawk probably felt responsible for losing track of Jesse.
Lord, don’t let Hawk get in trouble or blame himself. He’s the best big brother I could ever have.
Jesse’s mind drifted back to the first time he could remember feeling a closeness with his brother …
Jesse lay on his back in his sleeping bag, his hands behind his head, staring up at the moonlit sky.
“I’m sorry Dawson got the stomach f
lu,” Hawk said. “I know how long you waited for Mama to let you camp in the backyard by yourselves.”
“Only my whole life.”
Hawk smiled. “If it’s any consolation, I had to wait until I was eight too. And even then, Mama and Daddy made me pitch my tent so they could see me through the kitchen window.”
“Did you stay out alone?” Jesse said.
“Are you kidding? I was too chicken. Of course, I wouldn’t admit it. I asked this kid, Joey Ray Miller, to camp out with me. You should’ve seen us. We shrieked every time the breeze moved a leaf.” Hawk laughed. “I think we scared ourselves.”
“So you had fun?”
“Oh, yeah. We lasted until midnight. I was just starting to nod off when Daddy stuck his head inside the tent and nearly scared Joey Ray to death. That kid let out a scream I’m sure every guest at Angel View could hear. He was so shaken and embarrassed that he started to cry.”
“I’ll bet Daddy felt bad.”
“For sure. He was just checking on us.”
“So did y’all go back to sleep?” Jesse said.
“Nope. Joey Ray wanted to go home. So Mama called his parents and they came and got him.”
“Then you stayed outside by yourself?”
A grin spread across Hawk’s face. “Absolutely not. I was as freaked out as Joey Ray, just quieter about it. Daddy said I could stay out if I let him sleep in the tent with me. I was glad. There were a lot more sounds in the dark than I remembered hearing when I’d gone camping with the family.”
“Did you still have fun?” Jesse said.
“There’s no way you could spend time with Daddy and not have fun. He stayed out with me all the next day, and we hiked, collected interesting rocks, and caught some fish for dinner. He started a small campfire and fried the fish and some potatoes in an iron skillet. Later, we got real comfy in our sleeping bags and he told me stories about when he was a kid. I was fixin’ to listen all night, but he finally fell asleep in the middle of a sentence.”
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