The Puzzle

by Peggy A. Edelheit

  “Are you all right? What happened?” Clay was gently brushing away dirt from my hair and off my face.

  “I must have tripped on that log,” I replied pointing.

  Can you stand?”

  I precariously got to my feet, with his help. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” I asked weakly.

  “Martha called me all upset, saying she had a flat tire and asked if I could I meet you at the parking area to pick you up and drive you back up the mountain to your car. I said sure. When you didn’t show at four-thirty, I called your cell and didn’t get any answer. I waited about thirty minutes and then rode up the mountain to your car. By the way, did you know, you left your phone on the front seat of your car? Not a smart move.”

  “I was sure I had had it in my pocket.”

  His flashlight illuminated the area. “Well, I came back down to the parking area. It was dark by then and you were nowhere to be found. So, I became concerned and started hiking back up the trail, hoping I would eventually run into you.”

  “What time is it?” I asked, as I massaged my head, which had started throbbing. I felt a monster headache beginning.

  “Six o’clock. You’re lucky I found you not that far in, maybe, five hundred yards or so. You can’t see anything out here now.”

  It was completely dark, but thankfully his flashlight would help guide our way back to his Jeep. I turned to look behind me once more. Somehow, luck was on my side this time.

  Or was it?

  “What’s the matter? Lose something?” Clay asked, as he too stared into the black forest.

  I shrugged. “No.” I was safe and that was all that mattered. I didn’t want to tell him about the footsteps following me. For all I knew, they were his. Yes, I was better off filing that incident in my laptop and nowhere else.

  “Hey,” he said, as he took hold of my arm. “Let’s get you back to the parking area and then to your car. You must be totally exhausted.”

  Truer words were never spoken and shortly after that, we were in his jeep, driving up the mountain, headed in the direction of my car.

  “You owe me, you know,” he said, laughing, as we rode in the dark.

  I had been lost in my own thoughts, staring out the window. I turned to him.

  “Owe you for what?”

  He was grinning and then laughed again. “I’ve rescued you for a second time, haven’t I?”

  And so he had. “Maybe–but eventually I would have made it,” I said, somewhat condescendingly. “I could have used the emergency phone in the parking lot. Don’t let it go to your head.”

  Who was I kidding?

  Chapter 22

  Make It One For The Road

  I was bruised and sore, but we finally made it back to my car. After getting in, I still felt too unsteady to drive home right away, so I sat there thinking for a minute.

  Who had been chasing me through the woods? And why? Were they trying to frighten me into giving them what they were after? Yes. Had they accomplished what they had set out to do? No. What they apparently weren’t aware of was that I didn’t have any information, but more importantly, I wouldn’t scare that easily. Not anymore. I was one very angry woman, in spite of my shakiness.

  I considered the facts. I was dealing with three people who had to be connected in some way other than those working summers, and that perplexed me. There was Jack, Ben, and–waiting patiently in his car for me to leave–Clay. No, make that four. I forgot Stephen. Did their tie to each other involve Stephen’s murder? I couldn’t imagine they would be personally involved in his death, but what did I know? Who and where was Stephen’s killer?

  I had to accept the fact that I was being pursued because of my connection with Stephen. For some reason that placed me in danger. Taking chances and singling out the people from Stephen’s past probably didn’t help much either.

  My safety seemed in jeopardy, but I refused to helplessly wait for someone to come and get me before I understood the reason why.

  Whoever was after me had accused me of possessing the numbers and the key. I was stumped, but determined to find out why they thought I had this information–or even what it meant. I knew Stephen tried to tell me, but I didn’t catch his underlying message and was now convinced he was warning me with our last conversation on the phone.

  I had repeated his words over and over in my head, frustrated, gazing at his photo each night I walked by it.

  “What were you trying to tell me Stephen?”

  His eyes followed me everywhere but he never said a word. I couldn’t believe I was trying to squeeze answers from a dead man. It used to reduce me to tears, but not any longer.

  Like I said from the beginning, I needed my life back. Stephen had made relentless demands on most of it while he was alive. Now that he was dead, I was reclaiming it. I refused to accept anything less. I was not capable of returning to my former self. I had morphed into something Stephen wouldn’t recognize, even if he walked in my front door. He was the one responsible for my transformation. No, I take that back. I was the one responsible for my transformation. His death was just the impetus that shifted me in a new direction.

  I’d be okay going back up the night-shrouded mountain and into my cold, dark, empty house. Of course I would. Even if Clay had offered to go with me, which he didn’t, I would have said no. I’d be fine.

  I waved to him out the window and proceeded on my way. What should I do next? Give up? Keep going and try to stay alive?

  I never got the chance to decide.

  I was entering the hairpin turn at the top of the gorge when I saw headlights reflected from the opposite direction. I felt in the pit of my stomach a strange foreboding. There wasn’t time to back up, and I couldn’t pull off to the side because no shoulder existed, just reinforced steel. I felt a strong premonition, and then a dreadful, sick nausea washed over me. I only had one option: to slam hard on the gas, hoping I could pass whoever was coming toward me before they reached the deadly curve.

  I turned into the curve, but approaching in the opposite direction was something I was definitely not prepared for. A huge dump truck was aiming straight for me in my lane. The high beams of the truck fragmented and bounced off my windshield, blinding me. Like a deer caught in the headlights, I froze, and then desperately fought to stay on the road. I couldn’t. Through my open window, the earsplitting screech of brakes and the acrid smell of burning rubber, assaulted my senses.

  I was shoved off the pavement with a brutal, crushing blow and the car plowed through the safety barrier. I remembered irrationally turning my wheel to the left to stay on the pavement, but the multi-ton truck had made child’s play with my car. Then a deadly thought flashed by.

  I had forgotten to put my seatbelt on.

  Terrified, I gripped the wheel as hard as I could, bracing for whatever was out there, even though I knew there was no hope. I was praying as I left solid ground.

  I bounced hard once, and then my fingers were torn from the wheel…

  Chapter 23

  Out, But Not Down For The Count

  Where was the light at the end of the tunnel they all talked about? Well, I didn’t see it. I opened my eyes. A black void smothered me, barely letting me breathe as excruciating pain crawled all over my body. My fingers oozed a sticky substance as I tried to move. Blood. Mine. I got a whiff of metal and rubber burning, and then remembered the truck.

  I smiled in the dark. I was alive: in pain, but still alive. I wanted to laugh out loud, but my ribs ached with each breath I took. Where was I? I didn’t care. I was alive. I became aware of movement from overhead and was about to cry out for help when I heard loud, raspy, unfamiliar male voices arguing. Apprehension suddenly kept me silent.

  “She’s a corpse,” one of them said. “See the car burning at the bottom? She’s gone.”

  I held my breath. Those voices were right over me and so close, yet not close enough for me to clearly identify. Silently, I felt around with my hands. I realiz
ed I had landed on some type of dirt ledge with trees protruding from it. One of the trees had stopped me from going off the edge.

  Dizzy though I was, I realized I must have been thrown from the car when it hit the ledge on the way down. A miracle.

  I saw the flashlight, flashing off to the left and start to swing in my direction. I inched closer to the dirt wall side of the ledge that had a slight overhang, ignoring the searing pain in my leg. I dragged myself on the dirt and stones as quietly as I could, wedging my body in close just as the beam of light headed my way. I tried to melt into the small sheltered space, remaining very still, straining to hear what they were saying.

  “Yeah, I don’t see anything. It looks like it all went over. I’m not climbing down to take a look either.”

  “Hey, what’s that noise? It sounds like another car!”

  “Quick, let’s get out of here! Good thing we parked the truck back down the road, hiding it in the woods. With people crawling all over this place, it won’t be hidden for long.”

  “Let’s go. Hey, wait for me.”

  “We can take the hiking trail to get back to the truck, and then drive the old log road back. Come on. Let’s go!”

  I heard their footsteps pound up the road and break into the woods on the far side. Before long there was silence again. I waited a few minutes, but heard nothing. Painfully, I slid back out onto the ledge, trying to see above me, but couldn’t. It was too dark. Other than being bruised and bleeding in some areas, I felt intact. I tried changing my position and found with just some minor difficulty, I was somewhat mobile. My body parts were slowly, but surely functioning now, not quite normal, but gradually shifting back into gear.

  I inched dizzily to the edge, gripped the tree and looked down. Yeah, my car was burning away, totally engulfed in flames. I turned and looked up behind me and heard a scraping noise and then loud shuffling sounds. I dragged myself over to my hiding spot.

  They’re back.

  I was not going down in flames like my car. I slid my hands around cautiously, looking for a weapon. They would have to physically duke it out with me. “Come and get me, you bastards,” I whispered, trembling with rage.

  Chapter 24

  And In This Corner

  “Samantha?” I heard more shuffling. Then I heard that same voice again, but this time much louder. “Samantha? Please. Oh, no! This can’t be! Sam!”

  I just loved that guy. Super hero, Clay had followed me home after all. I started to laugh uncontrollably. It pained me, but I just couldn’t believe my luck.

  “I’m down here on the dirt ledge,” I yelled up to him. “How did you know something happened to me?”

  “Thank God you’re alive! When you didn’t answer your cell, I became concerned. Where are you?” He apparently was leaning over the edge now, looking down, but I couldn’t see him, only hear his voice. It didn’t sound that far away and it was hard to gauge the distance.

  “I seem to be right below you, but I can’t see you.” I edged out further on the ledge to get a better look, gripping the tree trunk.

  “Wait, I’ll go get a flashlight from my Jeep. I’ll be right back.”

  What did he just say? Wait? Sure, I’d wait. I was alive and could wait forever. A moment later I heard rustling, and sure enough, he was back, shining a beacon of light down my way. I tried to wave my hand, while I still gripped the tree with the other. He quickly spotted me.

  “Samantha! A sight to see! I thought you were dead.”

  “Well, I’m not. Can you help me get me out of here?”

  “You’re not close enough to reach. Is anything broken?”

  “I don’t think so, just some cuts and most likely bruised ribs.”

  “That’s good news to me, but I have some bad news for you.”

  “What?” I really didn’t care what bad news he was offering. Nothing could take away the satisfaction of being alive.

  “I can’t reach you from here, even if I stretched out on the ground with my arms dangling. I’m about thirty feet shy of reaching you. Damn.”

  I heard his frustration. “Do you have any rope in your Jeep?” I shouted back.

  “No.” He aimed the light around me. “Maybe you could try and climb part of the way, using some of those boulders and old broken tree roots and stumps on the inside of the cliff. Then I could reach down and grab hold of you. Do you think you’re strong enough to get to your feet?”

  “I’ll try. Just give me a second to take a stab at standing up.” Little by little, I slowly rose to my hands and knees, and then grabbed onto some of the roots sticking out from the dirt wall, forcing myself to an upright position. Talk about feeling like you were in a car wreck! I was throbbing everywhere. “I see the rocks and tree trunks. I guess I could take a crack at it. I seem to be missing a shoe, though,” I said looking down at my feet. I laughed. Who cared!

  “I’ll keep the light shining down there so you can see what to grab hold of. Take it easy and please be careful.”

  I looked behind me and then down to the gorge and what remained of my burning car. “Don’t worry, I got that message loud and clear.” Apprehensive, I cautiously climbed upward, clinging onto every rock and branch within reach for dear life.

  Clay swung his light up to himself for a second, giving me a better idea exactly how far and where he was positioned. As far as I was concerned, it might have been thirty feet or thirty miles. There wasn’t much for me to latch onto as I methodically continued to make my way up. I could not afford to let go, not with what was waiting at the bottom of the gorge. Talk about concentration! I was so focused my hands began trembling with the strain of gripping the rocks and whatever else I could latch my hands onto.

  “Clay, I don’t know about this,” I said, at last.

  “Come on, Samantha, you can do it. Keep on moving, one step at a time.”

  I turned back to look down at my feet, and suddenly nausea coursed through me. My foot slipped, and I tumbled awkwardly back to the ledge. I was blinded for a second when I landed, as my head bounced off the rough dirt outcropping.

  “Samantha, are you okay? Please answer me,” Clay sounded panic stricken, as he flashed the light directly on me.

  It took a moment to catch my breath. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Don’t quit now. Just get up and try again. It’s not that far. It’s only thirty feet.”

  “Only thirty feet, he tells me!” I whimpered. The guy was unrelenting!

  “Do I have to come down there and rescue the innocent, fair maiden once again?” he said, mockingly, taunting me to give up.

  “Fat chance,” I shot back.

  His teasing was just what I needed, and I started my climb once more, grabbing hold of roots, boulders, and old tree trunks, making my slow agonizing ascent, first moving one foot, and then the other.

  “You’re doing great Samantha, take your time.”

  This time I did not look down. After a while I realized I was getting closer to Clay. I couldn’t fall and die, not after what I just survived. Besides, I didn’t want to give whoever did this to me the satisfaction. The question was, did someone do this to me on purpose? Or had two guys, who were driving carelessly in my lane, panicked, and then taken off?

  Either way, what would I tell the authorities? I couldn’t tell them the truth, which included Stephen’s murder and my crazy idea to find out who did it. That would probably turn into a complete disaster. I would have police all over this town and me. My so-called good intentions would be exposed and ruined.

  I stepped methodically, grimacing and grunting with the effort. After what seemed forever, I heard in the distance approaching sirens coming up the mountain road.

  I continued to climb with a renewed determination and before long was finally within twenty feet from the top, Clay, and I might add, a questionable future.

  Chapter 25

  Two’s Company, Three’s Better

  I heard another voice, one that I recognized straight away. I looked up
. Jack?

  “Clay, I got here as fast as I could,” Jack panted. “I brought the rope that you asked for.”

  “Thank goodness. Drive as close as you can and tie the rope to your truck. I’m going down to get her

  “Is she okay?”

  “She’s bleeding from her arms and head, and not too steady. I need to help her.”

  How did Jack get here? Clay must have called him.

  “Okay, tell her to hold on. I’ll be right back.”

  My hands were losing their grasp and I started sliding downward. “Clay, I’m losing my hold. Please hurry!” My muscles were straining with the effort.

  “Hang on!” Clay ordered. “Just another minute.”

  “I’m trying.”

  Finally, I heard Jack return.

  “Here, Clay, tie this around your waist. I’ll lower you down to Samantha. I’ve already anchored the other end to the truck. Hey, Samantha, are you okay down there?”

  “Barely. I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”

  Clay scrambled over the side, as Jack flashed the light downward. He got to me within minutes, tying additional rope around us both, then called back up to Jack to pull us slowly with his truck.

  Gradually, we started to steadily move in an upward motion. I flexed my fingers, which were numb from hanging on, while simultaneously letting out a huge sigh of relief.

  Clay’s face was close to mine. “You know, you smell. What is that?”

  “Eau de tree sap,” I responded, smiling. “Sort of unique, don’t you think?”

  By the time we made it to the top, the ambulance and paramedics were already there, waiting for us. The police were there too. I guess I should have been glad to see them, but I wasn’t.

  I just wanted to go to bed and sleep for a hundred years.

  A policeman approached me, while the paramedics were checking my stats and probing me for injuries.