Shadow Falls

by Wendy Dranfield

  Pamela closes the journal before reaching the final few entries. It’s time to put all this into some kind of context. She reaches for the report.

  Sixty

  Nate’s driving them to the camp, but he can tell Madison’s not entirely happy with his decision to keep going with their investigation.

  “What’s the point?” she says. “It’s not like we’re welcome there. You said Donna told you to leave the premises, and Jenny’s parents have fired us. I don’t understand what good we can do when we’re shut out of all possible angles. We could be on the road to Colorado instead.”

  He looks across at her. “Think about it for a second. Anna’s pregnant. Neither she nor Grant told us about it. They also didn’t tell us Jenny was adopted. What else are they hiding? I mean, why would you not tell anyone that?”

  She turns away from him and they drive in silence for a few miles, watching the never-ending forest pass them. The heat is back today and there’s not a single cloud in the sky to provide shade from the relentless sunshine. Nate’s arms are burning just resting on his steering wheel, and it’s still only mid morning. He turns the A/C up a notch.

  “It’s probably just superstition,” says Madison. “She might have miscarried in the past. Not volunteering either of those things isn’t a crime. It’s actually none of our business.”

  He’s not so sure. “It’s bothering me. I wonder if Detective Morgan knows. He would probably come to the same conclusion as us and start looking for the biological parents. I think we should tell him, in case the Lucases didn’t.”

  “So why are we headed to the camp?”

  “Because when I called the police department earlier, I was told he’s up there. Apparently he has a team searching the lake again. Maybe he’s had a new lead.”

  She leans back in her seat. “You’re not going to let this go until we find her, are you?”

  He smiles across at her. “No. I like to finish what I start. Unless someone threatens to arrest me, in which case I’m outta here.”

  He drives a little faster.

  Nate parks next to the detective’s car, choosing a spot in the shade. He looks across at the lake. There’s a team of divers bobbing up and down. A crowd of children is watching.

  “Morgan should have instructed the counselors to move those kids away,” says Madison. “If they’re there when the divers pull Jenny’s body from the water, they’ll be traumatized for life.”

  They both get out of the car, and suddenly Brody appears. He seems pleased to see Nate and is practically throwing himself against him. Nate kneels down and gives the dog some attention.

  “Hey, boy. Miss me?”

  When he’s satisfied, Brody runs off toward the lake, into some bushes on the edge of the water. Detective Morgan is standing there with his shades on, jacket off and sleeves rolled up. He watches Nate and Madison approach.

  “It must be my lucky day,” he says. “I thought the family asked you to back off.”

  Nate feels a hint of irritation. Anna must’ve called Morgan before they even left the guest house. “I wanted to tie up some loose ends before we go.”

  “You can’t leave yet anyway,” says Morgan. “I’m still waiting for your DNA samples and signed statements for the Josh Sanders investigation.”

  Madison laughs sarcastically. They all know it’s not going to happen. “Did you interview Josh about what we found at his house?”

  “I did. After consulting a lawyer, he gave us the password for those folders on his laptop.” Morgan looks at them both. “It was as he’d said: adult women, consensual sex. We’re still checking the other laptops, but he’s not a suspect in Jennifer’s disappearance.”

  Kat walks over to them. “Hey, Nate. Sorry for hitting you yesterday.” She looks miserable. Probably still pining after her dick of a boyfriend.

  “Forget about it. Where’s everyone else? It seems pretty quiet around here.”

  She looks around. “Yeah, some of the other counselors have already left now they know we’re closing next week. It always happens near the end of summer too. They move home ready for college or they get another job before anyone else can apply. It’s depressing being one of the last staff standing.”

  Nate leans in and speaks quietly into her ear. “Why don’t you get the kids away from here for a while? If the cops find Jenny in there, it’s not going to be a pretty sight.”

  She looks at him, alarmed. “Good idea.” She turns away and starts to round up the children. “Come on, everyone. It’s time to clean your bunks and tidy camp ready for going home next week.”

  They groan in unison but follow her, a few of the boys looking back over their shoulders as they walk away.

  Madison’s watching them. “They might think they want to see what a real dead body looks like, but it’s nothing like on TV. I’ve attended a drowning. The boy was in the water for three weeks and the smell made me sick. I couldn’t eat without gagging for days. And I haven’t eaten fish since.”

  Nate looks across at her. He’s beginning to realize police officers have it tougher than he’s ever considered.

  Brody’s watching the divers in the lake with interest, sniffing the air in front of him. Nate wonders if their movement in the water is releasing some kind of smell from a potential cadaver.

  He turns to the detective. “Did you find anything related to Jenny Lucas in Josh’s house?”

  Morgan looks irritated, and not just because he’s being eaten alive by bugs. “I think I’ve told you enough, Monroe. Your interest in this case needs to end.”

  “I thought you wanted us all to work together?”

  He smiles. “Yeah, well. That was for Esme Lucas’s sake, and unfortunately she’s no longer with us. This is official police business and I’m under no obligation to share any more details with you than I would with a reporter.”

  So he knows about Esme too.

  “Did you know Mrs. Lucas is pregnant?”

  Morgan isn’t able to hide his surprise. He looks at Nate and hesitates before responding. “Did she tell you that?”

  “No. I figured it out for myself. Did you also know Jenny is adopted?”

  His face gives away more surprise, but it’s difficult to tell if it’s a reaction to the news itself or to the fact that Nate has found out about it. He doesn’t say anything.

  “I just came here to let you know, in case it affects your investigation,” Nate adds. “I’m sure you’ll eventually put two and two together and realize she may have been taken by her biological parents, if they’re still alive. Especially if they didn’t voluntarily give her up in the first place.”

  “I’ve already checked them out,” says Morgan. “They’re not involved.”

  Nate can’t tell if he’s lying. He hears a car pulling up to the graveled parking lot and turns around at the same time as Madison. It’s Anna Lucas. When she spots them, she doesn’t get out of the car. She doesn’t move; she just stares. Nate turns to Morgan, who has gone a shade paler at the sight of her. He raises his hand in greeting.

  At last Anna opens the car door and steps out. As she turns to lock it, Brody suddenly shoots past them and runs toward her, barking intensely. Before he reaches her, he sits and looks back over his shoulder at Nate. Nate doesn’t know what the problem is.

  “Get away from me!” shouts Anna with wide eyes. “Someone get him away from me, he bites!”

  Before anyone can move, she starts walking around the car and away from the dog. Brody follows and jumps up at her. Both Morgan and Madison stare in shock as he grabs her arm in his jaws and starts pulling her down to the ground. It looks aggressive, but Nate knows police dogs are trained to keep hold of the arm. This isn’t a random attack. Still, he runs over there as fast as he can.

  “Brody, no! Cease! Stop!”

  The dog immediately releases Anna’s arm, leaving her on the ground, shaken. Although she’s wearing a shirt, he can see blood starting to seep through the sleeve.

  “Madison!
Get her into the office,” he yells. “See if they’ve got a first aid kit.”

  Madison runs up behind him and pulls Anna up from the grass. She leads her to the office while Nate holds onto Brody’s collar. The dog is growling, but quietly and controlled. Nate doesn’t like it.

  “What the fuck was that?” says Morgan as he approaches. “I’m going to have that dog put down. He should not be around kids. Hell, he shouldn’t be around anyone. He’s dangerous!”

  Nate doesn’t disagree. He thinks Brody could be suffering with some kind of PTSD from his time on the force. He should not have reacted like that here. He wonders if it’s because Anna’s pregnant. He’s heard of dogs acting aggressively around pregnant women.

  Morgan is about to grab Brody, but the dog gives a warning growl that even Nate wants to back away from. “Let me take him for now,” he says, opening the back door of his car. The dog whines when he realizes what’s going on. “Come on, boy.” Nate pats the back seat. “We’ll just go for a ride.”

  “He’s not going to listen to you. He’s an animal. A dangerous one. I want him put to sleep.”

  Brody jumps onto the back seat, so Nate opens the windows and closes the door. Brody sits alert, looking toward the office cabin. Waiting.

  Sixty-One

  Nate’s leaning against his car, waiting for Madison to finish in the office, when one of the divers blows his whistle.

  “We’ve got something!”

  He and Morgan both spin around to face the lake. The sun is bouncing off the water, making Nate squint as he watches the divers. He wonders if this is it; if Jenny was down there all along, just as Josh predicted.

  “What is it?” shouts Morgan.

  “A number of bones,” replies the diver. “All located in the same area.”

  Nate looks over at the detective. He’s sweating and looks uneasy, pulling a tissue out to wipe his face.

  “Copy that.” Morgan sighs. “Bring them in.”

  While the divers do their work, Nate goes to check on Anna and Madison. He expected Morgan to do it, seeing as he has to deliver the bad news about remains being found, but the detective stays lakeside, shouting orders. Brody is still watching everyone. He’s jumped out of the Jeep’s window and is lying next to the car, out of the sun. He’s more relaxed now, but he hasn’t taken his eyes off the office. Nate has no idea what he’s going to do with the dog. If he lets Morgan have his way, Brody will be toast.

  As he walks into the office, both women look up at him. Donna’s nowhere to be seen, and he wonders if she’s just given up on this place like the rest of the staff. He can see that Anna has been crying, and Madison has managed to wrap her bleeding arm in a bandage.

  “I’ve told her she needs to get checked out at the hospital,” says Madison. “But she won’t go.”

  Nate approaches them. “Mrs. Lucas, the dog could be carrying a disease that could harm your baby.”

  She looks up at him with shock and mistrust in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “Well let’s face it, he probably hasn’t been vaccinated for a couple of years and he lives in a forest. He could’ve picked up anything from the wild animals around here.”

  “No, not that. I mean how did you know I was pregnant?”

  He leans against the wall. “I saw your vitamins, and your bump. What are you, about five months?”

  She looks down and cradles her injured arm to her chest. “Seven months. I should be showing more by now but I’m struggling to eat because of all the stress. This baby is going to be small.”

  Madison puts a hand on her shoulder. “That’s understandable. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be pregnant when your child is missing. You can’t do anything to protect Jenny right now, but you can protect your baby. Seriously, Anna, let us take you to the hospital. They’ll probably just give you a few shots, clean up the wound and then you’ll be good to go.”

  Anna suddenly clutches her stomach and winces in pain.

  “What is it?” asks Nate.

  “Oh my God, I feel like I’m being stabbed!”

  Madison looks across at him and silently mouths, “Contractions?”

  “Shit.” He thinks about the remains being pulled from the lake. If Anna finds out, it could make her even more stressed, putting the baby in danger. As she leans forward on the chair, cradling her bump, he pulls Madison to one side and whispers into her ear. “They’re pulling up bones from the lake right now.”

  Her eyes widen and she puts her hand to her mouth.

  “She can’t know. It won’t help her and could make her condition worse,” he says. “Take her car and get her to the nearest hospital. You’ll need to hustle her past before she realizes what the divers are doing.”

  Madison nods, but before she can move, the door to the cabin opens and Kat enters, looking tearful. She must know what they’re doing out there. Before she can speak, Madison asks her where the nearest hospital is, just as Anna screams in pain.

  “Oh my God, is she okay?”

  “Kat, listen to me!” Madison says, trying to get her attention. “Can you come with us? You need to direct me to the hospital,” she lowers her voice to a whisper, “or this woman could lose her baby.”

  Kat seems to understand that time is of the essence. “Sure, let’s go.” She holds the door open as Madison leads a wincing Anna outside.

  Nate jogs ahead of them to grab Brody by his collar. Once the women are safely in Anna’s car, he returns to Morgan. “Mrs. Lucas is having stomach pains, possible contractions, so Madison’s taking her to the hospital. Don’t tell her what they’re doing.” He nods to the divers, who are approaching the shore with a plastic tarp drifting behind them.

  Morgan looks over at the women, who are slipping their seat belts on. He makes a move to approach them, but Nate steps in front of him. “Let them go. She can’t lose another child.”

  The detective looks defeated, like everything that’s happening is out of his control. As they watch the women drive away, Brody barks loudly.

  Sixty-Two

  Grant arrives home in Santa Barbara to an empty house. Of course it’s empty: his mother is lying in a mortuary far from home, his daughter’s dead in a ditch somewhere, and his wife has probably left him.

  He throws his keys onto the table by the door and collapses on their white leather couch. His phone is constantly buzzing with messages and missed calls. He’s numb to it all right now. He couldn’t even begin to think about responding to work stuff, and he doesn’t want to speak to his wife. Just thinking about Anna angers him. Without realizing what he’s about to do, he thumps the glass coffee table in front of him with his fist. It cracks but doesn’t shatter. He smiles wryly at the idea of them owning childproof safety glass.

  He sits back, rubs his temples and tries hard not to scream. There’s nothing left in his life that he cares about. He meant it when he told Anna that they’re cursed. He just can’t figure out whether it’s him or her who brought them such bad luck.

  An urge to be in Jenny’s room overwhelms him. He wants to smell her pillow. He wants to sit amongst her childish belongings. With trembling legs—he hasn’t eaten in twenty-four hours—he climbs the stairs. Jenny’s door is closed. All kinds of images flash before his eyes as he looks at the door and imagines what’s behind it. He reaches for the doorknob and slowly turns it. The blind is pulled down, blocking out the daylight. Jenny hated too much sunshine; she was sensitive to stuff like that. More than most kids. He knows she would have hated spending time outside at the summer camp.

  He walks across to her small bed and sits down. He picks up a pillow and looks closely at it, trying to find anything of Jenny’s; a stray hair from her head, maybe. But there’s nothing. He holds it to his face and inhales. It smells of washing powder. Anna must’ve changed the sheets, because these covers are clean. His daughter hasn’t been in them since she left for camp. Disappointment rises through his body and consumes him.

  Racked with guilt, he realizes he
has to read Anna’s journal. He knows her therapist suggested she write down her feelings to help overcome her depression after the children died, but she’s never invited him to read it. He knows where she keeps it because he spotted her through the bedroom window one day. She was opening the hatch to the swimming pool pump and he wondered what she was doing. When he realized she must be hiding her journal in there, he assumed she was writing to the children, pouring her heart out about missing them, so he didn’t snoop.

  But now, with nothing left to lose, he needs to know everything. Moving fast, before he can change his mind, he heads outside. The hatch to the pump is screwed on, but the two screws are easily loosened. The journal drops out in front of him. He sits on the ground and hesitates. Does he really want to know what Anna has been going through this last year? Her grief has been obvious to him, and this feels like prying. But he has unanswered questions.

  As he starts to read through the pages of Anna’s innermost thoughts, he’s confronted with horrific answers, many of which he now realizes he would rather not have known about. More than once he gasps and stops reading, unable to continue through his sobs. This is worse than he ever expected. But one thing stands out: Jenny loved him. And Jenny needed him.

  Once he has finished, he realizes with absolute certainty that it’s all over for him and Anna. They can never recover from this. Not as a couple, and for him, not as an individual. His heart is broken. Numb, he stands up and enters the house, heading for his office. Finding an envelope big enough for the journal becomes a task in itself, making him angry enough to swipe everything else out of the way. He finally finds one and addresses it to Anna’s therapist.

  Then he grabs his handgun from the safe and leaves his house for the final time. After he drops the journal in at Dr. Jarvis’s office, he’ll be driving to Shadow Falls.

  Sixty-Three