Web of Lies

by Brandilyn Collins

  Meanwhile I talked to Stephen, making sure he was safe at work. He was supposed to get off at eight but insisted on leaving immediately.

  “No,” I told him, “you don’t need to do that. I’m fine.”

  “Mom, you are not fine! Somebody’s threatening to kill you again.”

  “Stephen, I’m okay. I have policemen all around me right now. I’m more worried about you. Stay at work. Then come straight home.”

  “I don’t care about me.”

  “Well, I do!” I cut off my words, breathing heavily. Pain tightened my throat. “Just . . . look. Do what I say. Please. There’s a lot going on here already, and I don’t want to have to worry about you.”

  Even then he wasn’t convinced, but he finally agreed to stay put. “Keep your cell phone on,” he demanded. “And let me know when you get home.”

  I promised I would.

  Two phone calls down, one to go. I brought a hand to my forehead, took a minute to pull myself together. Then phoned Dave. The news knocked the breath out of him. Like Stephen, he wanted to come right away, rescue me on a white horse. “No, it’s okay,” I told him. “Jenna’s coming and she’ll bring us home.”

  Like hound dogs with noses to the ground, the media showed up. This time it was Luke Bremington, another crime reporter from the Record Searchlight. Bremington was around my age, with intense brown eyes in a square face. No doubt Adam Bendershil was busy writing about the first crime event of the day. Maybe he was still at Grove Landing, crowing over the bone-by-bone building of the skeleton.

  God, what is going on?

  Just imagining tomorrow morning’s paper tied my muscles in knots.

  Bremington aimed straight for me, questions spilling from his thin lips. I turned away with my typical “No comment.”

  “But just one thing, Ms. Kingston.” He leaned toward me. “First the finding of the skeleton in your neighborhood, now this threat on your life. Do you think the two are connected?”

  Threat on your life. The words made me shudder. How had he heard this so fast, anyway? My eyes wandered to the police station, suspicion coiling through me. Somewhere in that building, Bremington had an inside source. Rex Whitley or Charlie Tranks, one of the two officers who’d given Chelsea and me those curious stares? The thought misted me with fury. And what was this connection business? My mind played the scenes of Chetterling and the other men assembling old, dirt-caked bones . . . the recent shooting.

  “I can’t imagine how they could have anything to do with each other.” I dismissed Bremington with a tight smile, then turned my back on him. A moment later I spotted him querying the technicians. Then he disappeared inside the station.

  Jenna arrived with Kelly, who ran to me, eyes glistening. I clung to my daughter, assuring her that everything would be okay, this crazy man would be caught soon.

  “Oh, he’ll be caught, all right.” Jenna hugged us both fiercely. “He just better hope it’s not by me.”

  I didn’t bother talking to Blanche. I went straight to Chief Bradley Clark to request protection. Blanche might fume at my audacity in going over his head, but I would take no chances. My family had experienced too much in the past couple years. I’d been threatened, as had my children. No way could I doubt that Orwin Neese meant what he said. Our house sat outside of town, in the Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction, but this case rested with the Police Department. I didn’t care who paid for it; I just wanted someone making his presence known outside my house.

  Because of my history, Clark granted my request. Twenty-four hour surveillance, he promised me, three cars a day, in eight-hour shifts.

  My family under guard. Again. I just wanted to gather them up and run.

  Chapter 24

  “You can’t be thinking of staying there!” Paul’s voice fairly crackled in Chelsea’s ear. “We’ve got to get you home now.”

  If only I could leave. The thought of home plucked at Chelsea’s heart. Had she really only been gone since this morning? She wanted to sleep in her own bed tonight, safe, secure. Away from all this craziness. But . . .

  She glanced toward Annie and her family. Jenna paced with indignation, and Kelly and Annie hung on to each other. Poor Kelly looked so frightened. “Paul, think about it. By the time you drive here to pick me up and we get back home again, it’ll be two o’clock in the morning. Then we’ll just have to leave early Monday to come back for my car. You’ll miss a full day’s work. Can you do that?”

  “Oh, Monday.” Air seeped from his throat. “I’ve got a board meeting. Someone else will have to get you back there.”

  “See?” Chelsea took a deep breath. Closed her eyes. Her husband wasn’t going to like this. “Paul, it’s not just the problem of getting back and forth. I just have this feeling I’m supposed to stay.”

  “Oh no, don’t give me that. Look, you went all the way up there to meet with that woman; isn’t that enough? I don’t want you dragged into another bad situation.”

  “Believe me, I don’t want that either. But look at everything that’s happened. While I’m here, that skull is found? Now this threat on Annie’s life? All this can’t be coincidence, Paul. Whether we like it or not, God’s got a reason for me to be here.”

  “Yeah, and I’ve got a reason to bring you home. I can’t leave you in danger.”

  “I’m not in danger. The threat was only toward Annie.”

  “Then who slashed your tires?”

  Chelsea had no response for that. “Paul, please listen. I just . . . I can’t walk away in the middle of this. God brought me up here. And even if I did go home, I’d have to turn around and come right back. You might as well let me stay.”

  Paul would not cave easily. He’d always seen Chelsea’s visions as a threat. Yes, he’d witnessed all the good that resulted from them and came to believe they were sent from God. But he was Chelsea’s protector and sometimes God asked a little too much.

  Lord, if I’m really supposed to stay, please convince my husband.

  They argued for another ten minutes. In the end Chelsea wore him down with the logistics. What was the point of driving back and forth? She might as well stay in a hotel until Monday. She’d be safe there. Paul finally sighed. “But what about clothes and toiletries? You don’t have anything for overnight.”

  A last-ditch effort, aimed at her womanhood.

  “I’ll . . . manage. The hotel should have emergency packets. And I’ll buy a few things.”

  By the time Chelsea hung up the phone and rejoined Annie’s little group, ambivalence roiled within her. Why had she been so adamant about staying? She wanted to go home and she missed Paul. Still, she sensed God telling her that Annie, even with family nearby, was going to need her help. And she couldn’t ignore that feeling.

  Lord, like the Psalms say, You are my strength. My rock. Please protect Annie. And lead me in whatever I’m supposed to do.

  Annie would not hear of her staying in a hotel.

  “Maybe she doesn’t want to stay with us, Annie.” Jenna stood with arms folded, her cheeks flushed. She seemed more angry over her sister’s plight than terrified. “With all this going on, she probably wants to get as far away from us as possible.”

  “But we’ve got police protection! At least with us she’ll be guarded. That’s better than sleeping alone in a hotel room.”

  “Wait.” Chelsea held up a hand. “I don’t want to cause you any problems.”

  “You’re not causing me problems.” Annie pressed her lips together. For a moment Chelsea thought she was going to cry. “Look, it’ll be far more of a problem for me if I don’t know where you are and that you’re safe. Please stay with us. We’ll get you back into town on Monday to pick up your car.”

  Annie would not be swayed. They had two guest bedrooms, she said, and Chelsea would occupy one of them. She could just call her husband and tell him so. End of conversation.

  “Okay, that’s it!” A call behind them cut off the discussion. Chelsea turned to see the last
of the temporary tires in place on her car.

  Jerry Flagen, a determined-looking officer who stood well over six feet, arrived to serve as Annie’s first shift of protection. He, Detective Blanche, and Chief Clark hustled the four of them into a small conference room in the station to go over plans. First point of agreement — Annie was not to go anywhere alone. Jenna, Kelly, and Stephen should also be careful. Although Neese probably knew little about her family, this was not the time to take chances.

  Chelsea watched Kelly’s face. The girl listened with shoulders drawn in, eyes darting from one policeman to another as if seeking some kind of assurance. Annie sat close to her, their fingers entwined. The sight tightened Chelsea’s throat. Lord, let me somehow be a help to them.

  “Can I at least have my car back?” Annie asked. “Please? You didn’t find any evidence on it. And it was locked, so there can’t be anything inside.”

  Tim Blanche nodded. “I’ll check with the techs. If there’s anything left to do, we won’t be able to release it.”

  “All right, everybody on board here?” Chief Clark rose, signaling the end of the meeting. “Officer Flagen will follow you home, Annie.” He lowered his chin to look Kelly in the eye. “We’re going to protect your mom; I want you to know that. Nobody’s going to come anywhere near her.”

  Kelly dropped her gaze and nodded. Chelsea could have hugged the man for his empathy.

  Back in the parking lot, Annie received good news: her car could be released. Chelsea breathed a prayer of gratitude at the small victory. While the technicians completed their work, Jenna drove Chelsea to a drugstore to buy some toiletries. By the time they returned and Annie’s car was ready, it was eight thirty. Darkness had fallen. Annie climbed into the SUV with Kelly. Chelsea stayed with Jenna. Officer Flagen followed in his police car.

  “I can’t believe this is happening again,” Jenna breathed as she drove toward Grove Landing. “I could kill this scumbag.”

  Chelsea tried to keep her hands from fidgeting in her lap. She needed calmness, but that’s the last thing she felt. God, where are You right now? “I’m so sorry for all of you. I know Annie’s terrified, but she’s trying to hold it together for Kelly.”

  “Oh, don’t be sorry for me. But Kelly — she almost lost her mom three months ago. No wonder she’s petrified. After what this household has been through, we can’t do anything but assume the worst.” Jenna stopped at a red light. She turned to look at Chelsea. “I’m surprised you’re still with us. If I were you, I’d walk back to the Bay Area if I had to. Just get out of this madness.”

  Chelsea managed a smile. “Don’t think I haven’t considered it. And my husband’s not exactly thrilled. But I . . . God brought me here, Jenna. I don’t understand why yet.” She sighed. “I wish I did.”

  Jenna eyed Chelsea as if trying to figure her out. “Well, next time you talk to God, would you let Him know I’m downright ticked? My sister’s the best person on earth and she doesn’t deserve this. Seems to me He could take better care of her.” The light turned green. She drove through the intersection, her mouth firming. “Meanwhile I have my gun.”

  Chapter 25

  Kelly and I rode in silence until we neared the edge of town. My mind spun with events of the day. Chelsea’s vision . . . the unknown face . . . the discovered skeleton . . . the threatening note. I hadn’t thought to ask Jenna if she’d checked Chetterling’s progress at the airstrip. Were he and Stanish and the others finished with their work?

  Tiredness surged through me. I sighed, flexed my aching neck.

  Kelly shot me a worried look. “You okay, Mom?”

  “Yes, sure. Just worn out.”

  She exhaled slowly. “Are you going to see Dave tonight?”

  Dave. From nowhere the guilt I couldn’t shake raised its ugly head. Here we go again — Annie the troublemaker. Always bringing chaos into Dave’s life, when he so deserves some peace . . .

  “I don’t know, it’s pretty late. Maybe I’ll just talk to him for a minute.”

  Kelly made a noise of disapproval in her throat. I ignored it. She and Erin were the same — they wanted to push me toward Dave. But on some level Kelly seemed to sense that even though I wanted to be with him, some nagging thing held me back.

  “Well, anyway, I want to stay over at Erin’s house.”

  Couldn’t blame her. “Sure. I’ll walk you across the street. And I’ll talk to Dave then, okay?”

  The promise sounded so placating, as if I would see Dave merely to please my daughter. Kelly surveyed me, mouth tight. “Are you going to marry him?” The question burst from her as if it had been bottled up for some time.

  We stopped at a red light. I made a point of checking the rearview mirror for Jenna and Officer Flagen. Anything to keep from looking my daughter in the eye. “Kelly, we’ve only been dating for a few months.”

  “So? It’s not like you’re going to find anyone else like him. Besides, he loves you, you know that.”

  Loves me. Dave had never uttered the words. Nor could I be sure I wanted him to. “I love you” demands a response, like a lifeline thrown across a chasm. You either catch your end or it will fall. Could I do that to Dave? Watch him coil the rope back up, walk away alone?

  The light turned green. We surged forward. “I’m not . . . I don’t know what to tell you. Marriage is a huge commitment and we haven’t even discussed it. You have to give us time.”

  Kelly pushed back against her seat with a sigh. Crossed her arms. “Well, for the record, I want you to. So does Erin. We don’t see what you’re waiting for.”

  My mental projector kicked on, the worn-out and caustic scene playing upon the walls of my head. Kelly’s father, in our bedroom four and a half years ago . . .

  “It’s time I told you.” The words drop like ice cubes. He unknots his tie, slips it from his neck. I stare at it dangling in his hands, somehow knowing that it’s a metaphor, that he does not see this. “I’m leaving the marriage. Yes, there’s someone else. I’ll be moving in with her . . .”

  My fingers stiffened against the steering wheel. In quick succession more fractured scenes flashed.

  My father when I am eight years old: “You were supposed to be a boy . . .”

  My mother, crying to me about Dad’s affairs. “He doesn’t love us!”

  Dave’s grief-racked face the day after his beloved wife is killed . . .

  I took a deep breath, struggling to yank out the splintered memories. Why did they still plague me? I was a Christian now. I knew God loved me; I should be able to rest in that. Still, deep inside me hulked this thing, this beast that roared my unworthiness. Hadn’t I gone through life feeling like I’d let people down? Truth be told, I hadn’t felt worthy since the day I was born. Not to my husband, not to my father before him. And certainly not to someone as wonderful as Dave.

  Some time passed before I could answer Kelly. When I did, my voice sounded stripped, barren. “Let us handle it, okay? This isn’t for you to decide.” I glanced at her, registering the puzzlement etching her forehead. My mouth tried to smile, but it came out lopsided.

  We spoke no more on the way home.

  When we reached Grove Landing, I drove straight toward the house. I had no energy, emotional or otherwise, to check on progress at the airstrip. Most likely they were gone anyway, now that it was dark. Besides, Kelly shouldn’t be exposed to that. She had enough to deal with. Good thing she was going to Erin’s. Her best friend would be more comfort to her than anyone, including me.

  At the house, Officer Flagen took up his post on Barrister Court, parking just before the curve of the cul-de-sac so he faced the length of the street. I did not envy him the job of sitting in his car for hours. Mind on hold, I showed Chelsea her upstairs guest bedroom and bath, and Jenna provided her with a pair of pajamas. The two women wore the same size of clothes. Next stop — the kitchen. We’d eaten little all day. Not that I possessed much appetite. Jenna, God bless her, said she’d throw some dinner together while I
went to see Dave.

  Kelly bundled up a few belongings, and together we marched across the street under the officer’s watchful eye. Kelly and Erin hugged as if they hadn’t seen each other in a year. Dave’s green eyes fixed upon me with palpable fear as he drew me inside. The girls headed down the hall to Erin’s bedroom. There they would face this new problem in their typical teenage way — with lots of talking and music. Within seconds Erin’s CD player kicked on to some hip-hop group.

  Dave and I wandered into his family room and sank onto the couch. He put his arm around me and pulled me to his chest. The familiar rush swept over me, the warmth, the throat-tightening desire. I could hear his heart beating.

  “Annie.” He cradled a hand around my head. “It drives me crazy that this is happening to you. I just want to make it all go away.”

  Thump-thump, went his heart. The feel of him, the very life of him soothed me. At that moment I couldn’t imagine why I’d ever want to push him away.

  “It’s okay.” My voice half muffled into his shirt. “It’s not going to last long. Neese’s face is everywhere; they’ll find him soon.”

  No reply. I knew he wanted to believe that as much as I did.

  “Anyway.” I laid my head on his shoulder. “I promised I’d tell you about Chelsea.”

  “Yes. I want to hear everything.”

  While he stroked my hair, I told him. All about her vision, her reaction to the discovery of bones at the airstrip. About her.

  “She’s amazing, really. She has real insight into people, and then she’ll say what she sees. Not like Jenna would; she’s not that blatant. But in this . . . empathetic way. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to go up against her. She’s crafty when she has to be. She played Tim Blanche like a fiddle.”