The Yuletide Rescue

by Margaret Daley

  “I used to think that, but after so many prayers went unanswered, I’m beginning to feel He isn’t listening to me. Maybe He is for you.”

  “I know He’s listening, but that doesn’t mean He’ll grant every wish and prayer a person has. He sees the bigger picture. I don’t. Part of having faith is believing through the good and bad. My faith is what keeps me going through the bad times. He’s with me.”

  “During my last two tours of duty, I felt my prayers were falling on deaf ears. People were dying. People there lived in horrific situations. And nothing I did seemed to change anything.”

  “That’s because we aren’t in control. Never have been. I have the most difficulties when I try to control my life. When I try to do things by myself, it often becomes a struggle. I’m trying right now to turn this over to the Lord. It should be easy, but it isn’t. I want to be out there searching for Gail. The least I can do is talk to John.”

  David released a long breath. “I’ve been wrestling with my faith for years. I’ve lost touch with God.”

  “I’ve felt that at times. But if I close myself off when I’m struggling, who can I turn to?”

  “You said earlier you feel all alone.”

  “I am alone and grasping on to my faith. We were never guaranteed an easy life, but God did say He would be with us through that life—the good and bad times. But I can forget that when something awful occurs, like Gail’s disappearance. I wonder where God is in all of this.”

  “Are you two hungry?” his dad called in a loud voice from the hallway.

  David bent forward and whispered, “Sometimes he isn’t too subtle.”

  “What’s that about?”

  “Earlier he told me you were good for me, that it was time that I move on with my life.” Why did I say that? That implies I’m looking and I’m not.

  Red shaded Bree’s cheeks as his father came into the kitchen. She averted her head and smiled at his dad. “I’m starved.”

  “One big breakfast coming up then.”

  While Bree engaged in a conversation with his father, David relaxed back in his chair and thought about what she’d said about having faith even when the bad things happen. Does she really believe that? Can I have that kind of faith? What was going on right now certainly wasn’t working.

  * * *

  “Everything was left to me?” Bree asked as the lawyer finished going over the will.

  “Yes, the house, the possessions in it, his plane, which I understand is wrecked and missing, his Jeep, any money he has, a small life insurance policy and his cabin.”

  Stunned, Bree tried to assimilate what Jeremiah’s lawyer had rattled off. “I didn’t know he had a cabin. Where is it?”

  “I don’t know that. He recently purchased one and had me add it to his will. He didn’t want there to be any doubt he wanted you to have it.” Mr. Anderson opened a drawer and removed a letter. “I was also to give you this letter upon his death. I think this will explain everything. At least he told me it would.” He handed the envelope to her. “When is his funeral?” the lawyer asked.

  “His body was just released for burial, and I’m planning a memorial service at the church I go to—First Community Church. I’ll be finalizing arrangements tomorrow morning.”

  “Thanks. Jeremiah was my client but a friend, too. He helped so many people who needed it. He used me to send money when he discovered someone in need.”

  Tears threatened her composure once again. Mr. Anderson was confirming what she’d always known about Jeremiah—his kind heart, especially for the underdog. “I will miss him. If you know of anyone in trouble that Jeremiah would help, please let me know. I’ll be selling his house, and I can use that money to continue doing what he did.”

  “Fine.” The lawyer drew the word out, then added, “If you want to read the letter in private, I can leave for a few minutes.”

  “No. I’ll read it later.”

  Mr. Anderson rose and extended his hand. “He’s smiling down at us.”

  Standing, Bree shook it. “At least his death was sudden, and he didn’t suffer much. That’s a comfort. He always hated a big fuss. I’m not even sure he would approve of having a memorial service, but I think his friends should have a chance to say goodbye.”

  “Most definitely. Closure is so important for the ones left behind. I’ll keep you informed as the estate goes through probate.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Bree left the lawyer’s office, the moment was bittersweet. The man reinforced everything good that she knew about Jeremiah. But she so wished she hadn’t had to come today.

  David came to his feet, giving her a reassuring smile as she crossed the reception area. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be once I can get back to my normal, dull life. Jeremiah wrote me a letter to be read on his death. I’ll look at it in the car on the way to John and Gail’s.”

  David walked beside her down the long first-floor hall of the professional building in downtown Anchorage. When she emerged outside, the sun brightened the day, and for a few seconds, its light lifted her spirits as though the Lord was showering her with His brilliance.

  Everything will be all right. She latched on to that thought and hurried toward David’s Jeep. When she settled into the passenger seat and David pulled out of the parking space, she slowly opened the letter, wanting to savor the last contact she’d have with Jeremiah. She’d thought about waiting and reading it later in the guest bedroom at David’s, but she couldn’t.

  As she read the letter, her jaw dropped. The trembling started in her hands and quickly spread throughout her body. She nearly let the piece of paper go.

  “What’s wrong?” David asked at a stoplight.

  “Jeremiah wants me to go to a bank where he opened a safety-deposit box. My name is on it, too. He said directions to his cabin are in the box, along with some other stuff he wants me to have.” She held up the safety-deposit box’s key.

  “Cabin? He has one?”

  “Apparently so, recently. I didn’t know about it, and he never said anything about buying one. I don’t know where he got the money for it. He was always scrimping by.” Bree turned toward David. “Mr. Anderson said Jeremiah often helped others out financially, so I guess that’s where his money went. He never said a word about that, but that doesn’t surprise me because he was always doing things for me without me knowing. Once I came back from my month’s rotation at a village to find my house had been painted outside. He’d known I wanted to do it and had planned on doing it when I returned to Anchorage.”

  “That’s a nice surprise.”

  “Yes, especially because I wasn’t expecting it. I’ve been saving my money to pay off my college loans and was going to do it myself. Now do you see why I don’t think Jeremiah could have anything to do with selling drugs?”

  “I agree, but something is going on with all that has happened in the past week.”

  Bree drew in a fortifying breath. “I know. Let’s visit the bank before going to John and Gail’s.” She gave him the name and address, pressing the key to the box into her palm as if that made the whole experience real.

  He made a turn at the next corner and headed back the way they had come. Fifteen minutes later, Bree waited until the bank teller left the room to open the safety-deposit box. David lounged against the door with his arms and legs crossed.

  Slowly Bree lifted the lid on the box and gasped at the sight before her.

  NINE

  As the sound of the lid clanging down on the box echoed through the small room, David shoved off the door and was at Bree’s side in seconds. “What’s wrong?”

  Bree’s hands shook as she opened it again. “Look at this. Where did this come from?”

  A Eurobond sat on top of a stack of papers. David picked it up and ano
ther one was beneath it. He counted ten Eurobonds in all. “At the current rate, these are worth over a million dollars.”

  “How do you know? Where did Jeremiah get this kind of money?”

  “I have some investments overseas and keep track of that kind of thing. These bonds are like bearer bonds in the United States.”

  “Jeremiah never seemed interested in the stock market or anything like that.”

  Below the Eurobonds was an envelope with Bree’s name on it. “Maybe this will explain where the bonds came from.” He pushed away the thought of drug running as a source, but that left the question: Where did Jeremiah get the money?

  Bree tore into the envelope and read out loud, “Years ago your father helped me buy my first plane. I’m repaying the debt plus interest. He would never take the money from me, but I didn’t want to die without fulfilling that obligation. Below are the directions to a cabin I purchased. Another dream your dad and I had—to escape into the wilderness and live off the land when we grew old and retired.” Bree glanced at David. “I didn’t know Dad helped him buy his first plane. I do remember Dad talking about a cabin with Mom and Jeremiah.”

  David laid the bonds in the box. “He repaid your dad plus interest and then some.”

  She stared at the certificates, touching the top one. “I guess I didn’t really know Jeremiah.”

  “What else does he say?”

  Bree returned her attention to the letter and continued, “It’s where I go to retreat from life. You’ll love the cabin. So would your parents have, and my regret is that I didn’t buy it sooner. I hope you can use it when you need to get away. You were the daughter I never had. I love you. Jeremiah.” Holding up the piece of paper, she cleared her throat. “These are the coordinates of the cabin at the bottom of the letter, and also I believe this is the key for it.” She held it up.

  “Do you want to go and see it?”

  Bree blinked several times as though fighting tears. “I don’t know what I want or should do.” She slammed the lid closed on the safety-deposit box. “For the time being, I’m leaving the bonds here, and I’ll tell Mr. Anderson about them since they’re part of the estate. I can’t deal with it now.”

  He saw fear in her eyes as she raised them to his. “Are you concerned about where this money might have come from?”

  Silent, Bree bit her lower lip. Finally she nodded. “It scares me what I’m finding out about Jeremiah. I loved him. He was always there for me, but he must have lived a secret life.” She waved her hand at the box. “If it was obtained legitimately, then why keep it a secret?” Slumping against the counter, she gripped its edge. “If I could misread him so much, how can I ever trust my perceptions of others again?”

  “There are times I’ve wondered that, too. When I left my wife to go on assignment in the Middle East, she told me she was fine and urged me to go. I thought she was.” Even though he was surprised he’d told Bree that much, he couldn’t stop the flow of words once he started. “I should have known she wasn’t and alerted someone. Done something to save her. Trish put on a front, and I let her because I was focused on the upcoming mission. In the end she overdosed. I have to live with that guilt.”

  “Guilt has a way of attacking a person even years later. My fiancé was killed in an accident because I challenged him to a downhill race. We were always competitive and doing things like that. At least that’s what I tell myself when guilt raises its ugly head and stops me in my tracks. I’m already regretting having Jeremiah come pick me up the day he had his heart attack. If only I hadn’t, he might be alive because he could have gotten the help he needed in time. I couldn’t save him.”

  David grasped her hands and held them, moving nearer to her. “We’re a pair. The what-ifs in life really can be damaging to a person’s peace.”

  “God doesn’t want us reliving our past but to live for the present. Learn from the past mistakes but don’t let them cripple you. You know who told me that? Gail.”

  David gathered her to him and held her. Her presence in his embrace soothed the memories their conversation produced. He had regrets about his marriage, ones he wished he could redo. But that wasn’t possible. He needed to move on. And he wanted to help Bree see that she should, too.

  She gave him a squeeze, then stepped back, her glance straying to the safety-deposit box. A shudder passed through her. “I need to get out of here.”

  “Let’s go grab some lunch—then we can head to John’s.”

  As David escorted Bree to his Jeep, he marveled at how easy she was to talk to. He’d told her things he didn’t share with others. If only he could talk about his last tour of duty...

  * * *

  As Bree approached her friend’s porch, her heart raced. If Gail had been kidnapped because she was in Bree’s car... She should have been the one taken. How could she tell that to John? Her step faltered, and she slowed her pace, trying to gather her courage and composure to be there for John.

  David touched the small of her back and moved closer. “You are not at fault. Only the person who took Gail. Don’t talk yourself into it.”

  She paused at the bottom of the stairs. “I don’t have to. I already feel that way.”

  “You were helping a friend. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Remember that.”

  A part of her knew what David was saying was true, but she couldn’t shake the other part that heaped more guilt on her. “Thanks for being with me, or I’m not sure I would be brave enough to come.”

  David scoffed at the words. “You? Not brave? A lady who fought off a pack of wolves. Kept her wits about her and remained alive in a snowstorm after a wreck. You can’t convince me you aren’t brave.”

  A smile graced her mouth for a second. Until the door opened and she peered at John standing in the entrance. Bree stiffened.

  John stepped out on the porch. “I’m glad you came. I’ve been worried about you.”

  She nearly crumbled at the sincerity in his voice. David slipped his arm around her waist.

  “Don’t just stand there. C’mon in. It’s freezing out here.” John reentered his house.

  Bree followed him inside with David behind her. “John, this is David Stone. He is the pilot who rescued me last week.”

  “Nice to meet you,” John said as he shook David’s hand. Then he turned back to Bree. “I tried your house and the clinic. I couldn’t find your cell phone number. The receptionist said you’re taking the next few weeks off.”

  “I can’t let anything happen to anyone else. David and his father are—” she looked back at him “—my protectors. The police detective working the case didn’t think I should be alone.” She met John’s gaze. “They aren’t ruling out the possibility I was the target, not Gail.”

  “I was told that this morning when Detective Thomas Caldwell came by, but he also said that they are looking into Gail’s life. They wanted to know if she had problems with anyone lately.” John clasped his arms across his chest. “I honestly couldn’t think of a soul. They wondered about problems that might have arisen at the clinic. Gail never said anything to me.”

  “There wasn’t any problem that I know of, but I’ve just come back from being gone for a month. I know the detective was talking to everyone at work.”

  “Come in and sit. I want to make sure you’re all right. That’s why I called this morning.” John sank into a chair across from the couch where Bree and David sat.

  Bree swallowed to coat her dry throat, then said, “I’m trying to understand what’s going on. I can’t think of anyone who would do this to Gail or me.”

  “It’s possible it could be a predator, that Gail was snatched at random. If so...” A tic jerked in John’s cheek. “If so...” He shook his head and averted his gaze. “I have to leave this in God’s hands. I feel so helpless.”

 
As do I. Bree stood and moved to John, then knelt next to him. “If there’s anything I can do, I will. Would you like me to bring you some food?” She touched his arm, hoping to convey how much she cared for him and Gail.

  “No. The people at the base and church have been bringing food by. My sister just went home to pack a bag. She’s staying with me. Praying is all I can ask of you. That and to keep yourself safe.”

  “I’ll make sure she is,” David said.

  John placed his hand over hers. “Thank you for coming. I needed to see that you were all right.”

  The finality in his words indicated he wanted to be alone. She’d known Gail and John for three years and cherished their friendship. “If you need anything, please let me know.” She rose and grabbed her purse, then wrote her cell phone number on a receipt. “You can call me anytime you need someone to talk to.”

  John nodded.

  “We can find our way out.” Bree headed toward the foyer, her heart breaking at the pain etched on John’s face and in his voice.

  Outside she drew in a deep inhalation of the frigid air. “I’m glad we came, but that was tough. At least his sister is staying with him. He doesn’t need to be alone for long.”

  “When we get back to my house, I’m calling Thomas. Maybe something has developed today.”

  “If it had, he’d have called.”

  “I know. But this inactivity is driving me crazy. Besides, he needs to know about the bonds and cabin.”

  “He’s going to think Jeremiah was into something illegal unless Mr. Anderson knows differently. Nothing we found at Jeremiah’s house explains the large amount of money. Could he have stolen the bonds?” She finally asked out loud what she’d been wondering since she opened the safety-deposit box.

  “We may never know. The United States doesn’t issue bearer bonds anymore that allow whoever brings them to a bank to cash them in. There was trouble with people hiding and stealing money. Eurobonds are more like what US bonds used to be.”