Storm of Doubt

by Christy Barritt

  “You sure it won’t be too much?”

  “I’m sure.”

  He studied her again before nodding. “Okay, then. And, Juliette, about that—”

  Before he could finish, Cassidy joined them.

  What was he going to say? It was about the kiss, wasn’t it?

  Juliette supposed that conversation might have to wait until later, though. Had their moment together been too good to be true? Probably. Love and romance had only ever disappointed her. She tried to prepare herself to face that fact again.

  Jack sat beside Cassidy in the front seat of the squad car and directed her where to go. It was dark around them now, as night had fallen, adding an even more eerie atmosphere to everything.

  A moment later, the little dirt road ended and brush greeted them—brush that surrounded sand dunes. It mostly looked like shadows at the moment.

  “Here we are,” Jack muttered.

  He sucked in a breath as he remembered when he was here hours before.

  This could have been their grave. Instead, he and Juliette had been held here for six hours. Six hours.

  Rain pounded on the window. Night had fallen. It was still cold and miserable outside. He could see the puddles–or would that be considered floodwater?—that lined the area.

  Mac, an interim police officer, pulled up behind them.

  “Juliette, why don’t you wait here?” Cassidy turned to look at her. “I’d feel better knowing you’re safe. Jack can show us what we need. We’ll get you if we have questions.”

  Jack glanced back and saw Juliette nod, though the action was half-hearted.

  What he wouldn’t give to climb into the back seat and hold her again. To tell her that everything would be okay. Their time in that bunker had been horrific. And wonderful.

  Especially when he thought about that kiss.

  That warm, wonderful kiss.

  But this wasn’t the time or place to address those things.

  Instead he pulled on a rain slicker that Cassidy let him borrow and followed Cassidy and Mac from the car. The bunker was still a short jaunt through the soggy woods. Leggott would remain on guard by Juliette.

  How had John Doting gotten Jack and Juliette here? He must have thrown the two of them in the back of his car and then dragged them through the foliage to the bunker.

  It would have been quite the ordeal and a test of strength. Jack suspected the man had given them some kind of drug as well, which would explain his groggy thoughts earlier.

  As they cleared some of the trees, Jack paused.

  Cassidy drew her gun.

  A man lay over the door to the hatch.

  No, Jack realized. That wasn’t right.

  The man wasn’t just lying there. He appeared to be passed out. Or was he . . . dead?

  Jack sucked in a breath at the thought.

  Cassidy motioned for him to stay put while she approached the figure. Once near him, Cassidy leaned down and took the man’s pulse before looking back at Mac.

  “He’s dead,” she told him.

  Jack sucked in a quick breath.

  Dead?

  He tried to reconcile what might have happened, but the pieces didn’t fall in place.

  Was that the man who had abducted them? Then how . . . ?

  Cassidy took a couple photos before nudging the man onto his back.

  Jack blinked away the rain from his eyes.

  That was the man who’d come into the clinic. The one whose image had been caught on video. But right now he wasn’t wearing his ski mask. His baseball cap lay on the ground below him.

  What had happened? What had changed between the time the man had threatened them and this?

  And how had he ended up like this? How had he ended up dead?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Juliette looked up as she saw Jack walking back to the vehicle. She tried to read his expression but couldn’t.

  Was he upset? Happy?

  Something about him had changed, but she wasn’t sure what.

  He opened the door and extended his hand. The rain had stopped for a moment, but the air was still chilly and damp. “Cassidy said I could come get you.”

  Juliette slid out and took his hand, probably standing too close to him. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure if something is wrong or right, but . . . there was a body by the hatch to the bunker.”

  “A body?” Her lips parted after she said the words. “Whose body?”

  His expression darkened. “It appears to be the man who’s been stalking you.”

  She nearly sank to the ground, but Jack reached for her and held her up. “What?”

  “We’re just as confused as you are. But it looks like he slit his wrists and killed himself.”

  “Why would he do that?” Juliette’s mind raced as she tried to make sense of things.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. There was a note in his pocket, Juliette.”

  “What did it say?” Her heart raced. Answers. Were there answers on that note?

  “Cassidy wouldn’t let me read it, but she gave me a rundown. Basically he said his approach had been all wrong, but he’d finally figured out the perfect ending.”

  The perfect ending? Why was this the perfect ending? Because people remembered tragic conclusions more? Would Juliette always be haunted by this event? Was that his point?

  Maybe.

  “From all appearances it seems like you can finally stop looking over your shoulder,” Jack said.

  Juliette let out a rasp of air that sounded like a half sob, half chuckle. “I can’t believe this.”

  She threw her arms around Jack. She felt guilty to be relieved. Yet . . . maybe this nightmare was finally over.

  But another thought hit her, and she drew back. “Are you sure this is him? Is it the right guy?”

  “It’s the man from the security footage. He left the note. He was at the bunker. It seems like a grand slam. Of course, Cassidy is a better person to ask that question.”

  Juliette shook her head again, trying to comprehend everything. “It’s going to take a while for this to sink in.”

  “I know. Cassidy said Leggott can take us back to Hope House. There’s nothing else for us to do here.”

  “Can I see him first? I need to confirm if he’s someone I know.”

  Jack’s expression darkened with worry. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Please.”

  “Leggott, could you radio the chief?”

  Leggott agreed, and a moment later reported, “She said it was fine. If you’re sure you can handle it.”

  “I can.”

  They walked through the brush, Juliette clutching Jack’s arm. It felt good to have him here to support her. But she paused at the perimeter of the bunker and braced herself.

  Cassidy pulled back a plastic tarp and revealed a face.

  Juliette sucked in a breath.

  “It’s the man from the grocery store,” she muttered. “I can’t believe it.”

  “The man from the grocery store?” Cassidy asked.

  “I don’t know his name. But he worked at the market just down the street from where I lived. He was always talking to me and asking questions that were too personal. He gave me the creeps, but I just thought he didn’t have any social skills.”

  “We’ll look into it,” Cassidy said.

  “That sounds good. Thank you.”

  “Juliette, why don’t you stay with us again tonight? Even though this appears to be over, you shouldn’t stay alone.”

  “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

  Jack kept a hand on Juliette’s back as he led her over to Leggott.

  But reality still hadn’t sunk in.

  Could her stalker really be dead?

  And, if so, what would her future now look like? Would she leave Lantern Beach? Would she stay until Christmas?

  She wasn’t sure.

  The drive back to Hope Hous
e was quiet. Juliette could sense that both she and Jack needed space to think and process.

  They thanked Leggott, and he handed them their cell phones—said they found them at the scene of the accident. Then Jack walked her upstairs.

  As they turned to face each other just inside the house, both of their phones seemed to go crazy, dinging with missed messages.

  They both let out a chuckle. They had obviously picked up a signal here.

  Juliette glanced down at her screen and saw that she’d missed calls from . . . well, just about everyone on her team. She knew she had to return some messages before everyone freaked out on her—especially since it was only eight days until her new movie premiered.

  “I guess I should do some catching up,” she muttered, looking up at Jack.

  She wished things were different. She wished she had no responsibilities and that she could just enjoy some time with him.

  But . . . what were they? Were they anything?

  She didn’t know. She only knew she’d be thinking about that kiss for days to come.

  “It has been a long day,” Jack said. “But at least you’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

  “And I guess you can go back to your house.”

  “I suppose I can.”

  She nodded, feeling like maybe they were already slipping apart. Which was silly. Of course, life would resume and things between them would change once the madman stalking her was no longer around.

  But for some reason Juliette already felt like she missed Jack, even though they were standing in front of each other.

  “Juliette—” Jack started.

  Before he could finish, she threw her arms around him. “Thank you for everything, Jack. I don’t know what I would have done without you the past couple days.”

  He held her close, his breath tickling her hair as he leaned into her. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Juliette. About that kiss . . .”

  She pulled back so she could look him in the eye.

  What about that kiss?

  It felt too good to be true.

  Just like Logan had seemed too good to be true.

  Part of her never wanted to trust again . . . yet another side knew that walking away from Jack might be one of the biggest mistakes she could make.

  “Do you regret it?” Juliette kept her arms around him and gazed up.

  His eyes widened. “Regret it? No. Not at all. It’s just that . . . all of this . . . it’s been unexpected and . . . we should probably chat sometime. After we’ve both rested. Because I know your life is down in Atlanta. My life is here. And . . . I don’t know what that means for us.”

  She skimmed her hand across his jaw, which was scruffy with a day’s growth. “I know. I get it. I really do.”

  He closed his eyes at her touch. “How much longer will you stay on Lantern Beach?”

  That was a great question. “I really don’t know right now. I’d planned to stay through Christmas. But I’ve invaded your friends’ home, and I’m sure they don’t want me being a part of their first Christmas together. I just don’t know.”

  “But you’ll be here tomorrow, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Let’s talk more then.”

  She smiled. “I would love that.”

  Jack leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently, lingering there in the moment.

  Until her phone rang again.

  Juliette let out an airy laugh and stepped back.

  The sound reminded her that they both had lives outside the extenuating circumstances of this weekend. Would their lives mesh? She had no idea.

  “You should get that,” Jack said. “But we’ll talk in the morning?”

  “In the morning.”

  “I’m going to hang out here until everyone else gets back. You won’t be here alone.”

  “I appreciate that, Jack. Thank you.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “Tomorrow.”

  Jack knew he should sleep. But he couldn’t. He had too much on his mind. Today’s events played over and over again. The abduction. The question of if today would be his last. The kiss he’d shared with Juliette.

  But he had to turn his thoughts toward tomorrow again—the Lantern Beach Illumination. The town had been celebrating the event for more than a century. Since the island was known for using lanterns to help protect ships being tossed by the sea, an “illumination” event seemed appropriate.

  Jack thought everything was lined up. This was his first year involved with this event, but he knew it would be a busy day. Apparently, the church pastor was always in charge of the Living Nativity and town carolers, and it was a tradition that no one wanted to break.

  This island took Christmas seriously. Very seriously.

  Finally, he realized, he’d done all he could do until tomorrow.

  He sat back on his couch and let his thoughts drift again.

  They immediately went to Juliette.

  There was so much he’d wanted to say to Juliette, but he knew it was better to wait. For them both to get some rest after everything that had happened. And then tomorrow, maybe they could figure out if what they had was real or just the byproduct of their circumstances.

  He thought he already knew the answer.

  A feeling deep within him seemed to urge him to do something else tonight.

  With a touch of hesitancy, he climbed into his attic and began pulling out his boxes of Christmas decorations. Maybe the best way to move on was to force himself to do just that. Maybe, after the deed was done, it would cause something to change in him.

  He hadn’t even wanted to bring these decorations with him, but he had. He’d known when he came here that one day he might feel differently than he had six months ago.

  While his fireplace blazed, warming his little cottage, he sat on the floor and opened his first box.

  He sucked in a deep breath at what he saw inside.

  This wasn’t Christmas decorations.

  This was a box of Leah’s things.

  And right there on top was Leah’s Bible.

  Jack had packed it away with the rest of her belongings. Looking at it had felt too unbearable right after she passed.

  But seeing it now . . . it was like seeing an old friend.

  Warmth stung his eyes as he remembered how attached Leah had been to this leather-bound book.

  He opened it and another rush of emotions hit him when he saw her highlighted texts. The words she’d underlined. The notes she’d made. The cards she’d kept between the pages.

  This was more than a Bible. It was a journal of her spiritual history.

  Jack flipped through the pages, feeling like he was being transported back in time.

  He paused to read a few of her notes.

  Faith is having peace while facing the unknown.

  God’s glory can be seen in tragedy.

  We don’t live for the satisfaction found in this world. Our satisfaction will be found in heaven.

  Our hearts grieve for today, but our soul has hope in eternity.

  The moisture in his eyes felt warmer.

  It was almost as if Leah was speaking to him from the grave.

  Her words were right on. He couldn’t let the pain he was experiencing here on this earth affect the way he viewed God. If he had faith that the air he pulled into his lungs was sufficient, then surely, he could have faith that the God who’d created him would always be there.

  I’m sorry, Lord, for my questions. You do provide, even when we can’t see it or feel it, and even though we have trials on this earth—even though we grieve—our circumstances don’t affect Your goodness.

  He held Leah’s Bible close and prayed and talked to God like he hadn’t in a long time.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Juliette felt a brush of nerves as she stopped in front of Jack’s place the next morning. The cute white cottage was located beside an equally cute white church building.

  Cassidy had taken her to pick up her car, giving her t
he update on the case as they drove, and she’d then given her directions here to Jack’s.

  The man they’d found at the bunker yesterday was named Ronnie Davis. He was from Atlanta. He had no apparent criminal record, but the receptionist at the clinic had confirmed he was the one who’d come by.

  They’d found his car parked in the woods not far from the bunker. Inside, there had been various pictures of Juliette. His computer showed a history of sending her messages. Apparently, he’d had some prescriptions also that indicated he was on some anti-psychotic medications.

  Everything suggested he was their guy.

  Part of Juliette still found it hard to believe that this could be over so quickly. She’d expected more of a fight. More of a dramatic climax.

  But maybe the man had a change of heart. Juliette might not ever know what had happened to make Ronnie decide to take his own life. Doc Clemson was apparently examining him just to confirm that the police hadn’t missed anything.

  And, while Juliette didn’t feel like suicide was ever an answer, at least she had closure now. Maybe that was selfish. She had no idea.

  But her gut told her this wouldn’t have ended unless one of them was dead.

  And she wasn’t ready for the grave yet.

  He’d decided his theatrical ending.

  Juliette knocked at Jack’s door, feeling a rush of nerves go through her as she waited on the cold porch.

  Stopping by to see Jack unannounced could be a huge mistake. She was about to find out if it was or not. But she had to know. She’d never forgive herself if she didn’t at least try.

  Would Jack have a flash of irritation in his gaze when he saw her—one that he would quickly try to hide? That was what Logan would have done. Or maybe Jack wouldn’t bother to hide his annoyance. Or maybe he’d be happy.

  Juliette knew what her vote was for.

  But it was better that she saw Jack’s true colors now instead of further down the road.

  The door opened, and Jack stood there, already dressed for the day in jeans and an olive-colored cable-knit sweater. A huge grin lit his face when he saw her.

  And Juliette didn’t think he was faking it.

  “Juliette. Come in. What a nice surprise.” He stepped toward her and kissed her cheek.