Sonia didn’t know what to think. She looked up at the wall clock. “Well, I guess we’d better get over to Denny’s and see who this woman really is.”
They were both quiet on the ride over to the restaurant in her unmarked car. She was deep in thought about all that her dad had just told her. When she pulled into the parking lot, she immediately noticed a compact car near the entrance with rental tags.
They approached the front counter where the hostess was waiting to show them to a table when they both looked past her to a woman sitting alone at a table in the middle of the room facing them.
Sonia looked up at her dad with concern. His face was pale and his hands were trembling. She tried to steer him to a bench nearby.
He shook her hand off his arm and said, “I’m all right Sonia. But I’m looking at a ghost.”
Sonia looked back at the woman who was standing now. That was when she noticed that the woman had on an unusual dress. She looked closer and saw that there was something pinned in her hair that was hanging down the back of her neck. She couldn’t be . . . . could she?
Her dad was still standing as if he’d suddenly turned to stone, not visibly moving a muscle. She decided that they might be there like that all day if she didn’t do something. She grabbed his arm again and this time was successful in leading him toward the woman who was still standing by her table looking as if she too had just seen a ghost.
When they were all standing there with the table between them, Sonia looked closely at the woman. She was probably thirty years older than Sonia and several inches shorter, but they looked so much alike that it was unnerving.
“Karl, won’t you please sit down. We’re making a scene.”
Sonia was startled when the words came from across the table but she pulled out a chair as the other woman did. Then her dad finally almost fell into the chair to Sonia’s right and directly across from . . . Errika? . . . Her mother?
Sonia couldn’t help herself, she had to know. She started and stopped. “Are you . . . ? Are you a . . . ?”
Laughter came from across the table, soft and musical. “Yes, Sonia I am a nun, at least for the next ten days . . . until the end of the month. As soon as I found out I was still married, I had to leave the order. As of July first, I will be a normal person again, whatever that is.”
She looked at Sonia’s dad and said, “Karl, my family told me that all five of you had been killed when our house burned to the ground.”
She waved her hand at her dress or habit or whatever it was called. It wasn’t like the old ones. It was a light blue skirt with a white blouse under a vest of the same blue. Her veil or whatever it was called was light blue too. It was pinned on top of her head so that it fell down her neck to her back. This was her mother?
“After that, they easily convinced me to join the order since I didn’t want to have anything to do with any of the men they tried to get me interested in.”
When her dad finally spoke, Sonia jumped from the deep booming sound of his voice. “They told me you died of an aneurism.”
After that, Sonia kept turning her puzzled gaze from one of her parents to the other as they continued to stare at each other as if they thought the other one might disappear at any second.
Sonia wanted to break the silence but couldn’t think of a thing to say. Their server coming to take their orders bailed her out. They all ordered simple hamburgers just to be ordering something.
That interruption didn’t help for very long though. Sonia had to do something. They were still just sitting there staring at each other without moving.
“Are you really my mother?”
There was that musical laugh again. “Yes, Sonia, I am your mother and I want to get to know you . . . . and your brothers.”
She looked at Karl when she finished speaking. He shook his head. “I’ve got to get used to this before I spring it on my sons. I still don’t understand everything that happened.”
Errika tried to smile at him. “Neither do I Karl, but I’m willing to try to understand it if all of you are too.”
They were at it again, just staring at each other.
“Why don’t you tell us all that happened after you left Phoenix?” Sonia hoped that would get things going again.
Errika had focused on Sonia while she spoke but turned back to Karl. “Is that okay with you, Karl?”
When he only nodded, she took a sip of water and started. “Well, to begin with, when I left here, I was so emotionally mixed up that shortly after I arrived in Boston I had a nervous breakdown.”
Sonia saw the look of shock on her dad’s face then realized that she was probably just as shocked.
Errika must have seen the look of disbelief Karl was now giving her. “Think about it, Karl. I must not have made much sense the few times I talked to you on the phone before I was hospitalized.”
Sonia saw her dad visibly relax with that.
“When I was able to leave the hospital that was when they told me you’d all been killed and already buried.”
“You can’t imagine what that did to me.” She looked him in the eye. “I never forgot you Karl, and I never stopped loving you either. Even in the convent and while I taught in the school for all those years, I never forgot you.”
She seemed to run out of things to say and Sonia could see that her dad wasn’t going to talk so she had to get the conversation going again.
“How did you find out the truth?”
This time she frowned. “I . . .” She looked back to Karl. “No, first, you need to know that my parents died in an airplane crash about a year after I joined the order.”
She turned to Sonia. “I was an only child so I had no one else.” She turned back to Karl. “Just recently, I was having trouble with one of my sixth grade students so I had a conference with his father who turned out to be your nephew, Galan. He recognized me and was very rude at first. But when I told him what my parents had told me, he told me that you were all still alive.”
This brought Karl out of his silence. “Why did you call the boys and then Sonia and not me?”
She frowned again. “ But I did Karl. I called you and as soon as I said hello, you hung up on me. I tried to call back but you wouldn’t answer so I tried the boys and when they wouldn’t talk to me, I finally called Sonia.”
Sonia smiled at her mother. “I’m glad I talked to you.”
That was when Sonia felt the presence of someone standing behind her. She turned and found Stan hovering over her.”
Before she could say anything, he said, “Wayne’s been in a wreck and he’s busted up pretty bad but he’ll live. He’s asking for you.”
Sonia’s breath caught as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. She looked at her parents and said, “I’ve got to go.”
With that, she jumped up and ran out of the restaurant. She didn’t even want to analyze her feelings right then. All she knew was that she had to see Wayne and see for herself that he was all right.
* * *
When Wayne opened his eyes again, Kelly was still sitting next to his bed, and she was still holding his hand. Somehow, that gave him a peaceful feeling. That feeling only lasted long enough for his thoughts to turn back to Sonia. Where was she? She should be here by now. He had something important to tell her but he couldn’t remember what it was right then. He knew he’d think of it later though.
That was when he heard sounds coming from behind Kelly and realized that must have been what awakened him. Then two forms appeared behind her. He couldn’t focus on them yet but when one of them spoke, he knew everything was going to be all right now.
“Wayne!” Sonia stepped up next to the bed and Kelly vacated her seat so Sonia could take it. “How are you?”
He tried to laugh, for two reasons. He was so happy to see her and there was no easy answer to her question.
“I’ll live.” That was the best answer he could give her right now. What was it he wanted to tell her? “But I think somebody
tried to kill me.”
He was immediately sorry he said that when her face turned a deathly pale and she looked up at Grant who was now almost in focus for Wayne. That made him realize his eyesight was improving.
Sonia turned back to Wayne and said, “Do you remember what happened?”
He had to concentrate and that caused the pain to intensify briefly in his head. When his mind cleared again, he said, “I think so. I stopped off at the estate on my way to the office to talk to Grandfather. When I was coming down the mountain on the last switchback, a beat up old pickup hit my car in the rear and pushed me off the road and down the embankment.”
Grant spoke from above Sonia. “Did you see anyone after it happened?”
“Not until I was here at the hospital. I came to long enough to get my phone and call 911. Then I was awake again for a minute or two when they pulled me out of my car.” He raised his hands. “That’s all I remember.”
He tried to raise his head enough to look down his body but couldn’t see anything for the sheet. He could feel casts on both legs though. “Did they tell you what all is wrong with me?”
Sonia looked up at Grant again and he said, “Yeah. They said you have a concussion. You broke your lower right leg. It’s the little bone in front. You also broke your left femur but the doctor said it was down close enough to the knee that it wouldn’t give you too much trouble healing. Oh, and you have several bruised ribs.”
“Wow! I guess I’m pretty banged up all right.”
They all laughed and hearing Sonia laugh was what brought back to his mind what he wanted to tell her.
He looked up at Grant and said, “Grant, could you and Kelly step out for a few minutes? I need to talk to Sonia . . . alone.”
Neither his sister nor his brother-in-law said anything as they quietly left the room, closing the door behind them. But not before his sister gave him an encouraging smile.
When they were alone, Wayne looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. “Sonia, there’s something I’ve got to tell you. But first, I want you to know that right now my mind is crystal clear.” He laughed. “It wasn’t before and it might not be again in a little while, but right now I know exactly what I’m about to say.”
When he noticed the worried look on her face, he knew he needed to hurry up and say it. “When I was lying on that stretcher beside my car and they were working on me, I realized something that should have been apparent to me all along. Right then, I promised myself that the first opportunity I got, I was going to tell you. I wasn’t going to wait and maybe never be able to tell you.”
Her eyes were darting from his eyes to his mouth and back again.
“Sonia Nordstrom, I love you!”
She had been leaning over him to hear him better but now fell back against the back of her chair with shock apparent on her face.
“I’m serious Sonia. I should have known for a long time but I guess it just takes a bump on my head to make things clear for me.”
Sonia still didn’t say anything. She had been staring at him but now she closed her eyes and dropped her head forward so that her chin rested on her chest.
Wayne was beginning to get a little worried when she finally lifted her head and there were tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Wayne, I really don’t know what to say to that. I know that I’m beginning to grow very fond of you and that alone scares me. But what you just said scares me even more.”
He didn’t know what to say to that, and besides, he had a feeling that she wasn’t finished. So he waited for her to continue.
“Wayne, before anything serious can ever develop between the two of us, something has to happen first.”
She paused too long for his comfort. “What? Sonia, what has to happen?”
She leaned close to him again. “You need to accept the Lord as your Savior.”
At first, he became angry just as he always had. Then when he thought about it, he realized that he’d changed lately. More than that, Sonia was responsible for that change in him. He saw in her the type of person he wanted to be.
“A few months ago, no, even a week ago, I would have laughed at that statement. But now, after spending so much time with you in the past two weeks, and some of the things your pastor said last Sunday, I’m not laughing.”
Sonia only nodded encouragement for him to continue.
“Do you remember that I said I had some questions about that sermon?” When she nodded, he continued. “Well, He said that we were all like that prodigal son. We all start out right with God and drift away. But that God is always right there waiting for us to come back to Him.” He opened his hand and Sonia placed hers in it. “Is that what you’re saying that I need to do?”
Her face lit up with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “Yes, Wayne. That is exactly what I’m saying. That’s how you get right with God, by accepting Jesus into your heart.”
“Okay, I’m ready. What do I do?”
Sonia helped him through praying to accept the Lord and they were both laughing and crying when Kelly and Grant came back into the room to investigate all the noise.
When Sonia explained what had happened, Kelly had to hug her brother even though it made him wince in pain from his bruised ribs. He could tell that she was immediately sorry but he wasn’t.
* * *
Sonia was still reeling from all that had just happened between her and Wayne when she noticed that Wayne’s eyelids were getting heavy. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s okay to rest now Wayne. You told me what you needed to tell me and you accepted the Lord so everything is okay right now.”
He smiled up at her, squeezed her hand, and closed his eyes.
Sonia sat there watching his chest rise and fall for a minute or two before turning to look at Kelly and Grant who were both grinning at her. She wasn’t about to walk into that conversation.
She looked at Grant and said, “He’ll probably sleep for at least an hour. You need to bring me up to date on everything that’s happened.”
As she stood, Kelly stepped toward her and hugged her. “I’m so happy. Sonia, you are the best thing that has ever happened to my big brother.”
Sonia blushed. “I still don’t know where this is going.”
Kelly shook her head. “But I do. Just keep on going the way you are and you’ll see soon enough too.”
With that, Kelly reclaimed the chair by Wayne’s bed, Sonia followed Grant out of the room just as Harold and Beth Newcomb entered.
Once they were in the hallway outside Wayne’s room, Sonia squared off on Grant. “Okay, Sergeant Thompson, we left everything personal in that room. Now we need to get back to the business of solving this case. Whether we like it or not it just got personal, very personal.”
Grant laughed and said, “Whatever you say Lieutenant Nordstrom.” Then he turned serious too. “Stan just called and he’s on his way over here. I told him to meet us down in the cafeteria.”
On the brief trip down to the cafeteria, Sonia thought back on how much her life had changed in the past couple of hours. She had a mother! Wayne loves her! Wayne accepted the Lord! What could possibly happen next?
They both bought something to drink and sat down at a table in the corner away from anyone else in the room. Stan came rushing in just as they sat down.
“I’ll be right there as soon as I grab a Coke. Don’t start without me.”
Once Stan was situated, Grant began. “Well Sonia, Stan and I will each have to jump in from time to time.”
When she gave him a puzzled look, he said, “When we got the call, we split up. Stan started looking for you and I went up the mountain to the scene. And he’s done some follow up since he left you at the restaurant.”
She only nodded, so he began. “When I got to the scene, fire was using the Jaws of Life on Wayne’s door to get him out. The other doors were all open. Wayne’s door was the only one that wouldn’t open and he was trapped in that smal
l space between the door and the console.”
He paused and looked at his little notebook. “I didn’t see anyone except fire and ambulance people. What I did see was that someone had apparently turned that car inside out looking for something. Not all of the damage to the car was due to the collision, at least not all inside the car. The seats were cut with a knife, carpet ripped up, and all the stuff was pulled out of the glove compartment. They pulled the spare tire out of the trunk and ripped up all the carpet back there as well.”
Stan whistled. “They were definitely looking for something, and I have a feeling that something is in our evidence room right now.”
Sonia nodded. “I’m sure you’re right Stan. What else can you tell us Grant?”
“That’s about it.” He paused. “Oh, yeah. The paramedics said that it looked like someone had gone through Wayne’s pockets too.”
They all three sat back, deep in thought for a moment. Then Sonia turned to Stan and said, “What do you have to add to all that Stan?”
“Okay, the first place I went after I found you was to dispatch. They said that Wayne called them but they couldn’t understand anything he said. It’s a good thing that they’d already received a call from someone else earlier and they matched his location with that call.”
He looked from one to the other and said, “We may have gotten a break on this one. It seems that this little old lady who lives up by the Newcombs was driving up the mountain when she saw the wreckage of Wayne’s car and called it in.”
That certainly perked the other two up.
“I went up there to see her and just got back. She said she saw two men come up the slope from Wayne’s car and get into a dirty old white truck.”
Grant had excitement in his voice. “Wayne said it was a beat up old truck that hit him.”
Sonia leaned forward. “Did she give any kind of a description of the men?”
Resolved Memories (Sycamore P.D. Series Book 3) Page 17