Death Benefits

by Hannah Alexander

  Yes. Of course. No wonder Willow had chosen this place.

  It was worth the trouble.

  SEVENTEEN

  Ray climbed the stone steps beside Ginger, his hand on her arm in case she should stumble on the uneven surface. Not that she ever would. Except when being knocked sideways by an errant wave, she was as surefooted as a mountain goat.

  He grinned to himself. Ah, yes, Ray Clyde, ever the man who had a way with words. No wonder his friendship with Ginger hadn’t developed further in all the years they’d known one another. He wasn’t exactly a sweet talker.

  Not that he’d have tried to talk her out of a calling from God.

  Willow and Graham walked ahead of them with the girls, each holding a child’s hand. Something about this moment satisfied something inside Ray—and it wasn’t only because he and Ginger were momentarily at peace.

  Ginger must have felt it, as well, because she allowed him to hold her arm and guide her.

  Halfway up the stairway, she paused and looked up at him. He didn’t ask if everything was okay. He could tell from her expression that she, too, felt the rightness of this moment, for Graham and Willow, for the children.

  Her eyes filmed with tears, and then she placed her hand over his and continued up the steps.

  He contained his surprise. What had suddenly come over her?

  Helen and Steve had hired a minister from a local congregation to perform the ceremony. The elderly, native Hawaiian man led the intimate service as if he had done this kind of thing quite a few times. He didn’t falter when Graham and Willow explained to him that they had written much of their own ceremony. He seemed overjoyed when they added something to include the children.

  Ray had never been more aware of Ginger’s presence beside him, her fragrance, her living energy, as he was at this moment. He heard her sniff, and she delicately dabbed at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief.

  Ginger had often referred to herself as a sentimental fool, but he loved that about her. No one would ever accuse Ginger Carpenter of being an automaton. She was a human being with a breakable heart.

  He had reminded himself countless times that no matter what he had done last year, her heart would still have been broken.

  Lucy followed Graham and Willow to the minister who held his Bible in his hand and smiled. Lucy glanced up at Uncle Preston, who winked at her.

  Graham and Willow recited the first few words of their ceremony.

  Lucy knew those words. She should. She’d listened to them practice enough times, sitting quietly in the hallway while they worked together to memorize everything. How she’d loved listening to them as they planned this day. They’d laughed and hugged each other any time one of them stuttered or said a wrong word. No yelling or anger.

  Willow held up Graham’s ring and smiled at him. They stood staring at each other for a few seconds, and she swallowed.

  Lucy caught her breath. Oh, no! Willow had forgotten her line! She’d always had trouble with this part.

  So Lucy leaned forward and whispered the words to Willow. “Graham, this ring is only a pale symbol—”

  Willow glanced down at her and grinned. Graham chuckled. The minister smiled.

  “Thank you, sweetheart,” Willow whispered, then continued her line.

  Graham didn’t forget his, of course.

  Neither of them forgot anything else, and soon the minister pronounced them husband and wife. Aunt Ginger cried.

  Why did grown-ups cry at times like this? There was nothing to cry about, they had so much to celebrate!

  When the preacher finally told Graham and Willow they could kiss, Graham picked Willow up and swung her around, and everyone laughed, even Larry Bager.

  Lucy felt so good. Of course, she’d seen Graham and Willow kiss before, but this was their first time as married people.

  In one more week, they’d all be a family!

  Graham and Willow turned to Lucy and Brittany, knelt on the ground and hugged them. Then Graham pulled a little white box from his pocket and opened it. Inside were two gold chains. Graham took one out and placed it around Brittany’s wrist, while Willow did the same with Lucy.

  “These are charm bracelets,” Graham said. “We thought about getting you rings, but we were afraid you’d outgrow them too quickly. A charm bracelet can have links added to it as you grow, and as more charms are added. We want these bracelets to signify the beginning of our lives together as a family.”

  Lucy held up her arm and touched the beautiful crystal heart attached to the chain. For the first time she understood why grown-ups cried when they were happy. Because the happiness built up inside until it felt like it might burst. She’d never been happier.

  “The beginning of our lives together,” Willow murmured softly, then kissed Lucy’s cheek.

  Ginger dabbed at her tears, wishing the wedding party had more time to linger in the Fern Grotto. This place held her spellbound, the cool, dripping cave with lush, green, lacy ferns hanging from the ceiling of stone. What a beautiful metaphor. By God’s grace, life could find its way through the hardest of surfaces when there was opportunity.

  She lingered behind the others, watching the girls walk back down the stone steps beside Graham and Willow Vaughn. Though today felt bittersweet to Ginger, she knew the loss of her mothering role with the girls would be worth it in the end. She’d raised her sons successfully into adulthood; it was Willow’s turn to enjoy motherhood now.

  As Preston and Graham escorted Lucy and Brittany into the boat, Ginger spotted Larry Bager drawing Helen and Steve Courtney aside at the bottom of the stairway.

  “It was beautiful, wasn’t it?” came a voice behind Ginger that seemed to resonate through the grotto.

  She turned and looked up at Ray and nodded, unsure of her own ability to speak at this moment.

  “I know this must be difficult for you,” he said. “Lucy and Brittany are precious little girls, and you’ve spent so much time with them.”

  “So has Willow. We worked things out at the free clinic and at Hideaway Hospital so that Graham, Willow or I could be with them at all times. They needed that special attention this past year.”

  Another boat half-filled with tourists disgorged its passengers at the dock.

  “Would you be interested in a beach walk later tonight?” Ray asked. “I think it’s time we had that talk.”

  “But we’ve got the luau, and it’ll last until long after dark, and—”

  “There isn’t going to be a luau for us tonight.”

  She grimaced. “Please don’t tell me there’s been another glitch.”

  “Not this time.” Ray glanced at the group of newcomers who had started up the steps. He took Ginger’s arm as they began their descent. “Our hired bodyguard, Larry, has made the executive decision not only to skip the luau, but to change lodging.”

  She stopped. “We’re leaving the island?”

  “Please keep your voice down. We have no idea who might be listening. No, we’re not leaving, but we won’t return to the hotel.”

  “Then where will we go?”

  Ray leaned closer. “He’s arranged for us to stay at the north shore of the island,” he said, lowering his voice further.

  “Do Steve and Helen know about this?”

  “I have a feeling they just found out,” he said, nodding toward the couple as they climbed into the boat. “It seems Rick Fenrow has discovered our location.”

  She felt a tremor of fear. “Oh, Ray, this is all my fault. Why did I leave that calendar up on the wall with all our travel information on it? I should have known better.”

  Ray put his arm around her and urged her forward again. “I fail to see how you’re to blame for the actions of a madman.”

  “I could have prevented—”

  “Stop that. You aren’t the culprit here.”

  “But I knew Fenrow was out of jail, and Lucy was convinced she saw him outside her bedroom window. I kept trying to tell her it was one of her nightmares
, and I persuaded myself everything would be okay.”

  Ray’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “Would you stop beating yourself up and listen to me for a minute? Larry hopes to convince Fenrow we’ve left the island.”

  The warmth of his arm, his closeness, distracted her. “How…uh…how’s Larry going to do that?”

  “He’s left a trail of misinformation.”

  “Don’t you think we should leave?” Ginger asked. “I know I may sound like a coward, but do you know how wicked this man is?”

  “Yes, but I also know that it’s easier to keep a lookout for someone in a smaller area. He doesn’t know Kauai, and we’ll be out of sight. Law enforcement all over the island will be watching for him.”

  Ginger stopped at the foot of the steps and frowned up at Ray. “Why do I suddenly feel like cheese in a mousetrap?”

  “I don’t think that’s what this is, but wouldn’t you rather give him a chance to expose his location here than let him follow all of us back home?”

  “We wouldn’t necessarily have to go back home,” she said. “We could go to California or Montana, New York City or Florida. Lots of places to get lost on the mainland.”

  “Larry seems to think it would be easier for the police to close in on him here on this island.”

  She raised her hands in surrender and headed for the boat. “You know what? I disagree, but I’m finished arguing for the day, with anyone.”

  She’d made enough mistakes in the past two days. Let someone else make the decisions now.

  EIGHTEEN

  Lucy stared out the back window of the van at the jungle of trees and bushes around them and leaned closer to Aunt Ginger. Brittany sat in front of them beside Uncle Preston, chattering to Chuckles about rivers, mountains and beaches. Larry sat in the front passenger seat, and Helen drove.

  Lucy peered over the back of her seat and saw three cars behind them. None were the vehicle she was looking for. “Where are Willow and Graham and Ray?”

  Helen glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. “They’ll be along shortly. Steve wanted to stop and get some steaks and salad fixings in Princeville. Now that we have a kitchen, but no restaurant nearby, I plan to cook some of my famous gourmet meals.”

  Every few seconds, Lucy caught a flicker of ocean waves and a streak of sand to the right of the road, past the trees. “We can’t swim in that water,” she told Aunt Ginger softly. “The waves are too high.”

  “Let’s hope they won’t be so high all the time we’re here,” Aunt Ginger said. “After the storm, things should calm down, and I’ve heard there’s a good place to snorkel near here.”

  “Did you all know we’re staying at the edge of a rain forest?” Helen glanced at Lucy again in the mirror. “There’s a mountain near here that gets more daily rain than any other place on the planet.”

  Lucy grimaced. Rain? Storms? Rough water? Why would anyone want to spend their vacation in this place? “Why did we have to come here?” she muttered to Aunt Ginger under her breath. “We can’t swim, can’t snorkel.”

  Helen glanced in the mirror again. “That mountain rain is farther inland, a couple of mountains away.”

  Lucy frowned at her. Why was Helen listening to everything she said?

  “Don’t worry, sweetie,” Helen continued. “Maybe you’ll get to do some snorkeling at Anini Beach before we have to fly back home. That’s only a short drive away. We might all want to take a hiking expedition while we’re here.”

  “There’s a hiking trail?” Aunt Ginger asked.

  “Sure is,” Helen said. “We’re close to the Kalalau Trail on the Napali Coastline, though that trail isn’t recommended for children. It’s slick, and there are dangerous drops from the cliffs. Lots of wilderness in these mountains, though, so we could find another trail. Oopsie, here’s the address.” She turned into a muddy, narrow driveway half-overgrown with tall bushes that brushed the windows of the van, like green arms reaching out.

  Lucy stared into the shadows of those bushes. This place looked scary. And wet. “I guess nobody’s going to find us here, are they?”

  Aunt Ginger put an arm around her and drew her close. “It looks like a pretty good hiding place, if you ask me.”

  “But what if they find us anyway?” Lucy whispered. “There’s nobody around to save us.”

  Aunt Ginger sighed, but she didn’t say anything. That worried Lucy.

  “Larry, didn’t you speak to the owner about opening the house?” Helen asked.

  “Yes, and the hotel staff who brought our things were supposed to open the windows and air it out. There are six bedrooms and four bathrooms, two living areas, a game room and a deck on the roof.”

  “Is there a swimming pool?” Lucy asked.

  “With a beach barely two hundred feet away?” Larry asked. “Not hardly.”

  “It should be wonderful!” Helen’s voice sounded too cheerful. “As soon as we get settled, I can send Steve back to the store to stock up while I start dinner.”

  Lucy turned in her seat to see if Steve was following with Graham and Willow and Ray, but the overgrown bushes had closed in behind them, swallowing them.

  The van plunged from the trees into a wide clearing beside a huge gray house that stood high above the ground on thick columns, set back against a tall mountain.

  “It’s got stilts!” Brittany exclaimed.

  “That’s to protect from storm surges,” Helen said as she pulled beneath the house and parked.

  “What’s a storm surge?” Brittany asked.

  “Back home in Missouri, we call them floods,” Helen replied.

  “But here they’re like huge waves that blast everything in their path,” Lucy said. “Like when there’s a hurricane or tropical storm, and the ocean drowns—”

  Aunt Ginger pressed her fingers over Lucy’s lips and gave her a warning look.

  “Sweethearts,” Helen said, “this house is so high off the ground, I doubt any storm surge could reach it. And it looks like we’ll have a great view of the ocean from the deck on the roof. Larry, how did you come up with this place on such short notice?”

  “I asked around,” he said. “This time of year a lot of vacation places are empty.”

  “I want to go see the waves!” Brittany cried as she scrambled for the door and tried to open it.

  “Hold it for a minute, okay?” Larry got out and slid the door back for her. “Give us some time to settle.”

  Brittany took Larry’s hand, still clutching Chuckles. “Can we go see those flowers over there?” She turned back to Uncle Preston. “Come on, Uncle Preston, I see a pond. Let’s go see if there’s fish!”

  “Why don’t I take the girls for a little walk,” Helen suggested to Aunt Ginger. “We can go down and check out the shoreline, maybe look for some shells while Steve helps the rest of you—”

  Lucy gasped. “No!” She turned to Aunt Ginger. “Don’t let her do it, Aunt Ginger. Please don’t let her take us!”

  Ginger stared with surprise into Lucy’s frightened face, then cast a confused look at Helen, who met her gaze in the rear-view mirror. The woman’s shoulders slumped as she closed her eyes and sighed.

  What’s going on here?

  “Sweetheart,” Ginger said to Lucy, “why are you so frightened? Helen won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “She might,” Lucy muttered under her breath.

  “I think you’re afraid of Rick Fenrow, aren’t you? Do you think Helen won’t be able to protect you from him? If that’s the problem, Larry can go with you, too.”

  “No, Ginger,” Helen said as she opened the driver door and slid out from behind the steering wheel. “I don’t think that’s the problem.” She closed the door and circled the van.

  Lucy stiffened and clutched Ginger’s arm. “I don’t want to go with her,” she whispered. “I’m scared of her.”

  “Why?”

  “She and Steve knew my mother, and they’re keeping it a secret.”

  “What
do you mean? How could they have known your mother?”

  “I heard them talking.” Lucy glanced at Helen, who stood outside the van with her arms crossed, watching Larry and Preston with Brittany. “She and Steve were talking about Mama, and she said her name, like she knew her.” Lucy looked up at Ginger. “She shouldn’t know my mother. Why would wedding people know my mother? Why didn’t they say anything? Don’t let them be alone with us, Aunt Ginger.”

  “I won’t let anyone hurt you, honey. You know that.” Something was definitely strange about this, and it wasn’t Lucy’s overactive imagination. Helen didn’t seem surprised by Lucy’s behavior, she seemed upset.

  But she didn’t look dangerous to Ginger.

  At last, Steve arrived with the rest of the wedding party. He pulled the Xterra beneath the house and parked. Laughter spilled from the open driver’s window, but Steve sobered when his wife rushed to intercept him as soon as he opened his door.

  She spoke a few quiet words to him, and he looked over at Lucy as she climbed from the van.

  He nodded and turned to intercept Graham as he and Willow stepped from the vehicle. Ray got out of the passenger seat, and the smile on his face died.

  Then Helen turned back to Lucy. “Honey, I think you and I need to have a little talk.” When Lucy started to protest, she continued, “It’s okay, Graham and Willow will be with us.” She sighed, looking tired, even haggard. This trip had not been easy on any of them.

  The four adults walked with Lucy toward the outdoor staircase that led to the upstairs entryway. Brittany continued to explore the grounds with Preston and Larry, chattering about the mountain with all the rain.

  Ray circled the SUV to Ginger’s side, looking thoughtful. “What do you say to a little exploring?”

  “What do you want to explore?”

  “How about the roof deck? I saw a stairway at the side of the house, and I bet that’s where it leads.”

  “Aren’t you even curious about what’s going on with Helen and Steve?”