What if I Fall: The Pocket Watch Chronicles

by Ceci Giltenan

  “Where are we?”

  “This is a hunting lodge that belongs to the family of an old friend of ours—I mean Mark and Ben and me. We all came here years ago to drink and hang out. No one will think to look here. In fact, it’s likely that no one will come here for a couple months, not until deer season. And the best part is, when they find you, everyone will think Mark did it.”

  Sara remembered trying to figure out why Mark would be blamed, but she couldn’t seem to prise another memory from her befuddled brain. She turned her attention to her restraints. She tried again to loosen them, twisting and pulling with a new urgency. If she didn’t free herself, she had little doubt that Daphne would kill her.

  She hadn’t been at it long when the door opened and the bright overhead light was switched on.

  “Ah, you’re awake,” said Daphne from the doorway. She held a gun loosely in one hand. “It’s late. I thought you were never going to sleep it off.”

  “Sleep it off? What did you give me.”

  “A roofie.”

  “A roofie? Rohypnol?”

  “Yup. And I understand now why guys use it to commit rape. You were practically comatose. I was barely able to get you out of the car.”

  “You just happened to have a roofie with you when you ran into me at the mall?”

  “Of course not. I followed you to the mall. I had planned to do this a couple days ago. I was going to run into you at the health club and chat over juice, but you haven’t been out of the house.”

  “You’ve had this planned for days? Dear God, why?”

  “Initially, I was trying to get Benjamin back. I was going to take pictures of you and I…enjoying each other. I wanted to convince him that you made up everything about what had happened on the ship. I was going to tell him that I had been trying to set up a ménage with you. He’s always wanted one. I was going to tell him that you got greedy and lied about finding Mark and I together. Mark wanted you back so bad, I’d convinced him to help me. But not only did he chicken out, the asshole said he and I should take a break. It was always supposed to be the two of us. From the start.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Mark. He was supposed to be mine. He wanted me all through high school. I know he did. I was going with the quarterback of their football team, so Mark settled for my younger cousin. He dated her for a while until we went off to college. I still dated jocks but after graduation, things in my personal life changed a little and I realized I wanted more than muscle. I wanted money, too. Then Mark started dating you and I couldn’t have that. I started dating his best friend, but my goal from the start was to seduce Mark away from you. If I could pick up a few million in the process, that was even better. Once he was interested, I talked him into a long con. He’d marry you and take your money. I’d marry Benjamin and take his, then we’d marry each other and live wealthily ever after. But after you broke up with him, the idiot decided you were the one he’d wanted all along. You ruined my chances with both men and robbed me of all that money.”

  “But you are already wealthy. Don’t you have a rich family and some big trust fund?”

  “It’s not a huge amount of money and my family…well, let’s just say I can’t count on them anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, that’s your fault, too.”

  “How could it possibly be my fault? I don’t know your family.”

  “Yes, you do. You just don’t know they’re my family. Anyway, you’re a millionaire because of them.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The millions you won in the wrongful death lawsuit.”

  “The DeWitts? You’re a DeWitt?” The girl who caused the accident that killed Sara’s family was Cordelia DeWitt.

  “No. My mother’s sister married a DeWitt. Their maiden name was Cheswick. The Cheswicks were comfortably wealthy, but my aunt definitely married up. She and my mother were opposites. My aunt was the good sister who did exactly what mummy and daddy wanted. My mother was not quite as good. She got into trouble frequently. Eventually, she ran off with her one true love, a good-for-nothing lowlife name Ralph Chappy. He got drunk and knocked the shit out of her regularly and he wouldn’t marry her, but woe be it to anyone who uttered a word against him. After I was born, her parents threatened to disinherit her if she didn’t leave him. She didn’t and they were true to their word. They didn’t want to watch her piss away her inheritance, so they put it in a trust for me. As things got worse, she turned to drugs and alcohol to get through her days. In the end, it was Ralph who left us. She got it together just long enough to attract another loser who didn’t want to take care of someone else’s kid. So she dropped me on Honoria’s doorstep when I was nine and that’s the last I saw of her.”

  “Honoria? Your aunt is Honoria DeWitt?”

  “Connecting the dots now?”

  “Cordelia is your cousin? The one who dated Mark?”

  “Yup. The DeWitts turned on me after that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Cordie was on her way to pick me up. We were going to a party. She was late and I kept texting her to hurry.”

  “You’re the reason she was speeding and texting? My family is dead because of you?”

  “Your family is dead because Cordie couldn’t manage to get anywhere on time, ever. I can’t help it if she was speeding.”

  “You were texting her, telling her to hurry?”

  “Well, she didn’t have to do it. And that’s what I told my aunt and uncle, but they said I was a bad influence and wanted me to stay away from Cordie. Sara, when I said you ruined my whole life, you really did. You can apologize if it makes you feel better, but it won’t change anything. I still must get rid of you. Then everything will fall back into place.”

  Sara just stared incomprehensively. This was mind-boggling. Daphne wasn’t just a vain entitled rich girl. She’s a sociopath. Nothing is her fault, she has no empathy, shows no remorse, and makes decisions based solely on what she wants. Sara knew in that instant that if she didn’t manage to free herself, she was going to die. She would not be able to reason with a sociopath.

  Daphne frowned and looked towards the door as if she had heard something. She left the room.

  Sara began pulling frantically at the ropes again, but she stopped when she heard footsteps on the stairs and realized someone was opening the window.

  Ben climbed over the sash just as Daphne stepped through the door.

  Daphne shook her head sadly. “Oh, Benjamin. You really shouldn’t have come.”

  “Sara, are you all right?”

  “Yes, but Ben she’s…,” crazy was on the tip of her tongue but she restrained herself. “She’s got a gun.”

  “Benjamin, I can’t believe how rude you’ve become. You didn’t even say hello.”

  ~ * ~

  Ben’s initial joy at finding Sara alive morphed instantly to dread when he saw Daphne with a gun in her hand.

  Daphne.

  His brain could scarcely process it. She was the last person he’d expected to see.

  It had taken nearly two hours to get there. Mark had told him everything he could remember about the lodge.

  “The front is two-stories tall, but the back of the house, where the kitchen is, is only one story. There used to be an apple tree near the back door and its branches stuck out over the roof.” They had decided to park at the end of the lane and approach the house on foot. Then, regardless of whether it looked like someone was there or not, if the tree was still standing, they would climb onto the kitchen roof and enter through one of the upper windows.

  When they’d reached the house, his heart leapt. There were lights on, but there was no sign of a vehicle anywhere.

  “You were right,” he whispered to Mark. “He left her. There’s no car.”

  Mark shook his head, pointed to a barnlike structure not far from the house and whispered, “We can’t be sure. They converted that barn to a garage. If there’
s a vehicle here, it’ll be in there.”

  So they stuck to the plan and Ben climbed the tree to get on the kitchen roof first.

  On the drive they’d also discussed the best way to handle Carl if he were there. But they had never given any thought to the possibility that it wasn’t Carl. Since Mark hadn’t followed him through the window, he must have seen what was happening. Ben needed to keep Daphne talking and focused on him. Maybe Mark could gain access downstairs and slip up behind Daphne

  “Hello, Daphne,” Ben said as calmly as possible. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  She tittered a little. “No, I don’t suppose you did. Frankly, I’m surprised to see you. I mean I assumed Mark would come running to you for the money, but I’m not sure how you figured out that she was here. It’s a shame really. I just wanted to be rid of her, but now you’ll both have to die.”

  “Daphne, please. Let’s let Sara go. If you need money, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

  “I don’t need money. I need to get rid of her.” She motioned towards Sara with the gun.

  By instinct, Ben moved to put himself between Daphne and Sara.

  Daphne swung the gun back towards him. “Don’t move.”

  He put his hands up. “Okay, I won’t. But Daphne, you don’t want to do this. Come on, give me the gun before you hurt someone. Then you and I can talk.”

  He reached his hand out, taking a step towards Daphne.

  She turned the gun back towards Sara. “I said don’t move! If you take another step I’ll kill her.”

  “Daphne, please. Look at me. I’m the one you’re mad at not Sara.”

  “You have no fucking idea about anything. I am mad at her. This is all her fault. Even the fact that you’re here and I’m going to have to kill you is her fault. You’ve never given a flying fuck about anyone but yourself. And yet here you are, like a goddamn knight in shining armor, risking your life to save poor little Sara Wells.”

  “You don’t have to kill either of us.”

  “Oh, but I do. I don’t want to. I thought with her out of the way you might come back to me. Baby, we were so good together.” Her free hand slid seductively up her body and she caressed her breast. “The things you do to me.” She sighed. “No, I wish it could be different but you’ve given me no choice.

  A noise, like someone stepping on loose floorboard, came from behind Daphne, drawing her attention for a moment. In that split second, as her head turned away, Ben dove towards her. Even caught off guard, she was able to pull the trigger before he reached her. The sound of the gunshot along with Sara’s screams reverberated in his ears as white hot pain tore through the upper left side of his abdomen. He crumpled to his knees.

  Mark charged through the door behind Daphne. She spun and fired the gun again as he tackled her. She landed on her back, her head hitting the floor with a sickening thud, and she went limp. Blood blossomed on Mark’s right shoulder. He pulled the gun from Daphne’s hand before turning towards Ben.

  “Jesus Christ. Ben.” He put his hand over the gunshot wound and lowered Ben to the floor.

  Sara was in hysterics.

  “Mark, I’m…I’m okay. Call for help, then see to Sara.

  “Help is already on the way. When I heard Daphne’s voice, I got off the roof and called 911 as I was trying to get in downstairs.”

  Ben nodded. “Good. Help Sara.”

  “You’re bleeding, man. We need to keep pressure on it.”

  “I’ll hold it. You’re hurt, too.” Blood was soaking the right side of Mark’s shirt. “If Daphne comes around…” He pushed Mark’s hand away, replacing it with his own. “Help Sara.”

  Mark went to the bed and Ben closed his eyes. It was simply too much work to keep them open.

  He heard Sara’s protest. “No! I’m okay. Help him, Mark.”

  “No, gorgeous, he’s right. I don’t feel so good either. You need to be free in case Daphne comes around.”

  It took a minute for Mark to get her untied. “I’m sorry, the blood’s making my hands slippery.”

  As soon as she was free, she was on the floor beside Ben. He opened his eyes and stared into the beautiful brown eyes he loved. “My brown-eyed girl. I love you.” He closed his eyes again.

  “No, no, no, no, no.” She put her hand over his, putting pressure on the wound. “Stay with me, Ben. I love you. Please, stay with me.”

  He wanted to. Really, he did. But he just couldn’t force his eyes open. And she was so far away.

  Chapter 19

  Benedict slowly became aware of his surroundings. Based on things he had seen on television, he appeared to be in an operating room. Someone was lying on the operating table surrounded by people wearing masks, gowns, and gloves, who appeared to be working frantically on the patient.

  “Oh, dear God. Sara. Daphne shot Sara. Please, please, God, I can’t live without her.” He started to move closer, to see her, to tell her to fight, to tell her how much he loved her, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He glanced back. “Gertrude.”

  “Benedict, lad, ye don’t need to see that.”

  “But, Gertrude, I love her. I can’t lose her.”

  “Ye needn’t worry about Sara. She’s fine. Ye saved her.”

  “Then, it’s Mark on the table? It must be. Daphne shot him, too. Is he going to be okay?”

  “Aye, Benedict, Mark is fine. His injury isn’t serious.”

  “Then who is it?”

  “Ye took the bullet meant for Sara. Ye’re the one on the table. Or more precisely, it’s Benjamin.”

  “Me? Nay, it can’t be. I’m standing here beside ye.”

  Gertrude caressed his cheek with her wizened hand. “Aye, lad, yer soul stands here beside me. Not yer body.”

  “Am I dying?”

  “The doctors are fighting desperately to keep Benjamin’s body alive, but I’m sorry to say, death seems to be a distinct possibility.”

  “A possibility? You’re an angel, don’t you know?”

  She shook her head. “I only know what I need to know, when I need to know it. Evidently, whether Benjamin’s body will survive this injury is not vital information.”

  “Not vital information? It’s pretty vital to me.”

  Gertrude chuckled. “Humans often think they need to know more than they do. But ye have a choice facing ye and knowledge of the future isn’t required to make yer decision.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Do ye remember what I said about choices when I offered ye the watch?”

  “Aye. Ye said I had to decide to accept the pocket watch and then to use it. But ye also said the choice to return to my own time was mine. I decided to stay and yet it seems I was never intended to stay. Why did ye let me think I could? Why give me the chance to come here and to fall in love if I couldn’t stay? Ye lied to me.”

  “I never lie. You certainly can stay here. The choice to return is still yers. Nothing has changed.”

  “But if I’m dying, I have to go back.”

  “Nay, ye don’t. It’s true that while Benjamin’s body is still alive, ye can say yer return word if ye choose to. But ye can also choose not to say it.”

  “But then I’ll die…Gertrude, I don’t want to die.”

  “I understand, but ye aren’t promised anything in life. Whether ye’re here or in the eighteenth century, ye’re simply human. Yer days are finite. Ye will die someday. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in seventy years.”

  “So if I say the word I’ll return to my own body and I’ll be alive.”

  “Aye. At least for the moment. As I said, no one is promised tomorrow.”

  Benedict glanced back at the team working to save Benjamin. There was so much blood. How could he live through this? Then the memory of those last moments on the bedroom floor in the lodge came to him. He remembered looking into Sara’s beautiful brown eyes. He remembered her words: Stay with me, Ben. I love you. Please, stay with me.

  “How can I leave her? I don’t th
ink I could stand losing her forever. Can you give her the pocket watch? Can you send her back to me?”

  “That isn’t the way it works, lad. Say the word and wake in your own body as it was when you left. Or, in order to stay with your soulmate for whatever time you are given, decide not to say the word knowing that death is a very real possibility. The choice is yours, Benedict.”

  “I don’t want to leave her.”

  “Then don’t give her up easily. Fight like the very devil is on your heels to live. But if ye’re going to say the word, ye need to say it right now.”

  In that instant, he felt as if he were being pulled in opposite directions. It was all he could do to maintain focus on Gertrude. “What’s happening?”

  “It’s a crossroads, lad. Ye’re being pulled either into Benjamin’s body, or onward to the afterlife.”

  Images of his life passed before him, but those from the last few weeks with his beloved Sara were so vibrant, so tangible, they filled him with joy and purpose. His decision was made. He would not give up. “She’s my soulmate. I’ll fight for her.”

  Those words were no sooner spoken than he felt one force overcome the other and he was yanked into nothingness.

  ~* ~

  When Sara had watched the trauma team load Ben into the helicopter, she feared she’d never see him again. How had things gone so horribly awry? She and Ben were meant to be together, weren’t they?

  They were taking him to a trauma center in Baltimore. Mark was being flown to a level three trauma center in Hagerstown and they wanted to take Sara by ambulance to a hospital in Cumberland. Initially, she’d refused. She needed to get to Baltimore to be with Ben. But they convinced her that it would be exceedingly dangerous for her to do that. They didn’t know what she’d been drugged with and she needed to be checked out.

  However, no sooner had she arrived at the hospital than a nurse told her, “A man named Samuel Talbot is on the phone wanting to speak with you. Can I transfer the call in here?”