by Lyn Cote
“Not yet.” Now that she was here she didn’t know the words to say.
He froze. “What’s that mean?”
“I got a call. The vandal called me,” she explained.
“He called you? He told you who he was?”
She nodded. “Sort of. You know I brought that hate mail in yesterday.” What if I’m wrong?
He nodded.
“Well, maybe a handwriting expert could figure out whose writing it was—”
“What’s your point?”
“I’m a sound expert.” She groped for words. “I mean, I’m an auditory person. The vandal called tonight and I recognized his voice. He tried to muffle his voice. But I know whose voice—”
“Who?”
She took a deep breath. “Thad Earnest.”
“Thad! Why I never…He’s just a kid.”
“A very unhappy kid.” Thea stared at the sheriff.
“You mean with his dad running out on his family?”
Thea pressed on. “And his mother trying to push him into helping at the camp—”
“She kind of made it a target?”
“I’m afraid so.”
He crossed his arms. “That’s pretty slim evidence. I mean, I think it makes sense but—”
“It’s worse. Thad said, the caller said, ‘Della won’t stop till I hurt him.’ Then he said to tell Peter to stay away tomorrow or he’d get a nasty surprise.” Thea’s pulse raced with each word.
The sheriff looked thoughtful. “Well, that changes things. If there is any chance Thad may have done something which might harm someone, I have to bring him in. Even if it doesn’t pan out. You wait here. The phones are down, but the radio is still working. My deputies are both out already. Here, I’ll show you how to answer and send.”
Thea nodded and took a seat by the radio. The first storm stilled. Outside, just pattering of raindrops kept the storm alive. Thea began to pray for Peter, Thad, for his mother. She felt like a traitor.
“I still can’t believe you brought Thad in to question him.” Vickie’s voice rose shrilly as she led the way into the office followed by her son and finally the sheriff.
“Mrs. Earnest,” the sheriff replied, “if Thea has evidence, it was her duty to bring it to my attention.”
“What evidence? Why won’t you tell me?”
“I’m following proper police procedure.”
Vickie caught sight of Thea and hurried toward her. “How could you tell the sheriff my son had anything to with the vandalism at the camp? I thought you were my friend!”
Thea stood up. Her heart broke for Vickie. She couldn’t think of anything to say. The charge she’d made against Thad was too dreadful. Her stomach clenched painfully.
“Thea, don’t say anything.” The sheriff pushed Thad farther into the room. “I have to question Thad privately.”
“No, you won’t!” Vickie shouted. “This is completely uncalled for.”
“Ma’am, shouting won’t help. I’m bound by law and my oath—”
“I refuse to let you question him without my being present!” Vickie began to sound hysterical.
“It’s not within your power to stop me. I have the right to question—”
“I demand to have a lawyer present—”
“Shut up!” Thad shouted. “Shut up!”
Stunned silence followed.
Vickie started, “Thad, I know—”
“I don’t need your help!”
“But you’re innocent!” Vickie appeared desperate. “They can’t treat you—”
“I’m not innocent! I am the vandal!” He waved a clenched fist. “Do you hear me? I’m the vandal!”
Vickie looked as though someone had hit her with a ball bat White-faced, she looked as though she might faint.
Thea took a step toward her.
Vickie stepped out of Thea’s reach. She looked at the floor and rubbed her forehead as though it pained her. “Thad, you’re just trying to upset me. That’s why. You just—”
“It’s the truth,” her son said angrily. “This isn’t about you.” He stabbed his thumb at his chest emphasizing each word. “It’s about me!”
Vickie collapsed into the nearest chair, her gaze still on the floor. The storm outside surged back to life. The radio crackled with storm static. Lightning flashed outside the windows.
The sheriff cleared his throat. “I don’t believe you. How did you manage to mess up that cafeteria? I’d have seen your car—”
“I parked on the other side of the lake, then I’d walk through Old Lady Magill’s woods, then swim across to the Double L pier,” Thad bragged. “I never left a trace, did I?”
“You drugged Molly,” Thea accused.
Thad glared at her. “I didn’t hurt her. I just took one of Mom’s sleeping pills. I was at your place with Cynda. I just slipped a part of the pill to her along with a doggie treat.”
Grimly the sheriff shook his head. “Son, you have the right to remain silent…” He droned through the Miranda. With his arms crossed, Thad stared at the ceiling.
Thea felt tears clogging her throat. She sat down and struggled to hold herself in check, but the sob broke through her reserve. Distant thunder echoed, sounding louder in the stillness around Thea.
The sheriff tapped Thad’s shoulder. “Young man, do you understand what I have just told you?”
Thad nodded.
“Okay. Sit down here.” The lawman pulled out a chair beside his desk. “I’m going to ask you some questions. You can answer them or not.” The sheriff stared into the teen’s face. “But I warn you if you’ve planned something to hurt Peter Della or anybody else, it would be better to tell me now—before anything worse than vandalism happens. I’ll be taping this.”
Guilt weighed Thea down. She wished she could just vanish from the room.
The sheriff sat down at his desk and clicked on the Record button on a large tape recorder. “Now, Thad Earnest, you just admitted that you are responsible for the vandalism out at the Double L?”
“Yeah.”
“No, no,” Vickie moaned, shaking her head at her son.
“Yes, I did.”
“Mrs. Earnest, you’re only making things more difficult,” the sheriff said kindly. “Would you rather wait in another room?”
Vickie shook her head and wiped a stray tear away.
The thunder outside boomed louder, making Thea glance out the window. Hard rain dashed against the panes again.
The sheriff took a deep breath. “Thad, you spraypainted the camp sign? Broke windows? Punctured canoes? Trashed the cafeteria?”
After each question, Thad replied sullenly, “Yeah.”
“Why? Why?” Vickie spoke through tears.
“I don’t know.” Her son wouldn’t look at her.
“It’s because your father left us,” Vickie sobbed, sounding as though near her breaking point.
“No! I was glad Dad left! He was always getting on my case! Old Crandon’s right! No big shot is going to tell me what to do! Della thinks he knows so much about kids. The camp’s just a power trip for Della. Those kids don’t need him. He’s nobody’s father!”
The sheriff cut in. “Is that why you planned something to hurt Della?”
The thought of anyone hurting Peter—so vibrant and strong—chilled Thea.
“Yeah.” Thad’s tone lost its belligerent edge.
“What have you done?”
“I’m not telling.”
Thea pleaded silently, Thad, just get this over with please. Tell the truth—please! God, help him tell us.
“It’ll go better on you if you do. Right now I’ve only got criminal mischief against you and you’re a minor. You’ll just get something like probation and community service. But if someone gets seriously hurt, you could be tried as an adult.”
Thea held her tears rigidly in check. Lord, please soften Thad’s heart before it’s too late for Peter.
Thad stared at a point just above the sheriff’s h
ead.
Thea cleared her throat. She spoke softly, “Thad, I’m in love with Peter. Please tell us what you’ve done. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to him.” Her voice broke on the last word. New tears sprang to her eyes.
Thad glanced her way.
Gazing at Thad, Thea willed him to believe her. “Please. I know you’re angry, but you’re not the kind of person who can hurt someone without it crushing you, too. I know you’re not. Cynda wouldn’t have become your friend if you were like that.”
Thad stared down at his hands.
“Please,” Thea whispered. The thunder was steady now and drawing nearer.
“All right,” Thad muttered disgustedly. “I saw some stuff about bombs—booby traps—on the Inter-net.”
The sheriff nodded to Thea, silently giving her permission to proceed.
Crushed-looking, Vickie glanced sideways at her son, tears pouring from her eyes.
“Please,” Thea coaxed gently.
“I rigged something up at the back gate of his truck. It shouldn’t kill him. I mean, at least, I don’t think so. I didn’t want to hurt anyone bad.”
Thea swallowed a sob and squeezed Thad’s arm. “Thank you. I know you didn’t.” Her heart wrung with pity.
The sheriff stood up and snapped off the recorder. “Son, I’m going to have to put you back in the holding cell.” He pulled a large key ring out of his drawer.
Thea pulled herself together. Thank you, Lord. Protect us all.
He walked over to Thad, who stood up and moved in front of the sheriff. Within a few moments, the sheriff returned. “Mrs. Earnest, my deputy is out on a call already. The dispatcher’s home sick. Could you watch things here? I can’t waste anytime getting out there. I’ll radio the state police from my car for help in defusing an explosive. Maybe they’ll have a car nearby.”
Still looking as though she couldn’t grasp what had happened, Vickie stood up. “But Peter won’t be here for hours.”
“Yes, but what if Aldo decides to go out and get something out of Peter’s vehicle?”
“In this storm?” Vickie objected.
Thea looked around and found her keys and stood up. Vickie, please we’ve got to go!
“What if the explosive triggers by itself? An inexpert device can go off by itself. I mean, we don’t even know where the vehicle is parked. It could go off and start a building on fire.” The sheriff headed for the door.
“I’m coming, too!” Thea gave Vickie a quick reassuring hug and started after him. She wished she could just fly over the miles that separated her from the camp.
“I don’t need your help!” the sheriff objected.
“Well, the car’s next door to my home and Cynda’s at the lodge tonight!”
“Suit yourself. I don’t have time to argue.”
Thea hurried after him, then ran through the pouring rain. The storm raged stronger than ever. Wet wind lashed her face.
The sheriff’s car sped away and Thea took off right after it. Following the sheriffs red taillights made the drive to the camp easier than the drive to town had been. The second storm front had hit them even harder than the first. Lightning zigzagged around the car. The winds fought her for control of her car and thunder raged growing louder, stronger.
Thea nearly wept with relief when they finally drove up to the lodge. The sheriff parked and got out of the car. He bounded up the steps of the lodge and pounded on the door.
Thea parked right behind him. They stood together under the dripping overhang waiting for the Dellas to answer the door.
Aldo, in sweats and a robe, opened the door. “What is it, sheriff? More trouble?”
“Where’s Peter’s vehicle?” the sheriff asked brusquely.
Aldo motioned to the east toward Thea’s place. “We parked it near the lodge. What is it?”
Thea could hardly hold in her impatience.
“We have reason to believe someone may have tampered with it. Maybe rigged up an explosive.”
“What!”
The whine of another police car competed with the violent sounds of the storm. Fighting the gusts of wind and torrent of rain, Thea charged around the side of the lodge.
The sheriff shouted after her, “Where are you going? Don’t touch that car!”
“I just want to see how close the truck is to my house!” Thea ran around to the side of the lodge. As soon as she made sure the Dellas and Cynda were safe, she could relax. Peter’s red vehicle sat parked beside the garage.
White, brilliant lightning streaked overhead, followed instantly by an explosion of thunder. Boom!
Thea felt vibrations of the strike go through her. Cracking. She heard the loud sound of wood splitting apart.
She looked up in horror. An ancient pine had been hit by lightning and was breaking in half. Thea screamed. The top half plunged to the ground between Peter’s vehicle and her. On impact it bounced with deadly force.
Boom! Impact! Thea screamed again and staggered. White flames shot up from the truck. From the shattered tree trunk. Rain sizzled as it contacted flame. Searing pain. Heat and blackness smothered her. “Pe-ter!”
Chapter Fifteen
“Thea?”
A deep voice penetrated her fuzzy mind.
“Thea, it’s time you woke up.”
She tried to open her eyes, but her lids felt heavy.
“Wake up, sleepy head.”
The deep bass voice finally registered. Her eyes fluttered open. “Peter?” She moved her sluggish-feeling lips into a smile.
“Oh, thank God.” He was sitting beside the bed. “You’ve had me worried.” He gently ran his fingers through her hair, bringing her wide awake.
Looking around at the hospital surroundings, she frowned. “What time is it? Where am I?”
“At the county clinic.” Peter took her hand. “Don’t you remember?”
“Was I hurt?” She watched him kiss both her hands, then turn them over and kiss her palms. His irresistible touch made it hard for her to breathe.
“Do you remember the explosion?”
She shook her head. She squeezed his hands tightly while she gathered the facts she needed to know. “I remember the tree being hit by lightning. Did it hit me?”
“No, the sheriff thinks the vibrations of the tree falling set off the primitive explosive in my truck. It was the impact of the explosion that threw you to the ground.” He drew her hand to his lips again as though he couldn’t stop himself.
“Explosion?” she asked weakly, unable to imagine she’d been near an explosion, unable to control her reactions to his gentle touch.
“You lost consciousness. Your head must have struck a rock or maybe a chunk of debris hit you. You’ve quite a knot on the side of your head, but no other injury. You just scared us by sleeping this long.”
As he said this, she drew her hand away from Peter and touched her scalp and found the tender spot he had mentioned. Wincing, she tried to think, but her memory failed her.
“They were afraid you might have a concussion.”
“Do I?” She searched his eyes, reading there his deep concern for her.
“We’ll call the nurse and see what the doctor says now that you’re awake.” He reached for the nurse’s call button.
Thea tried to remember what she had done the night before, attempting to put events in order. “I went to the sheriff. Thad—“
“Yes, I never suspected him. Well, frankly I didn’t have a clue who the vandal was.”
She let her gaze drink in Peter’s deep brown eyes, dark skin, classic features. “Peter, I love you.”
He looked startled, then a smile spread across his face. Standing, he bent and kissed her. The tender touch of his lips sent warmth through her.
She ran her fingers through his rich hair as his lips teased and delighted her. When he pulled away, she sighed with pleasure. “It’s not too late for us then?” she whispered.
“Of course not, I need a heroine like you coming to my resc
ue.” He kissed her nose.
“Really?”
He chuckled, then sobered. “No, don’t you ever do anything like that again! When I arrived this morning and Mom told me, I couldn’t get here fast enough!”
Thea became thoughtful. “I had quite an experience before the explosion.”
“What?”
“After I got the phone call warning me you were going to be hurt, I started driving to the sheriff…. The storm scared me, but more than that, I was afraid the sheriff wouldn’t believe me. My car skidded. Then…” She looked at Peter solemnly. “A Bible verse I must have memorized as a child came to mind.”
“What verse?” He sat down again.
“Second Timothy 1:7.”
“Refresh my memory,” Peter said enfolding both her hands within his.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and power and discipline.”
“Wow,” he said quietly.
“Yes, it was exactly what I needed. I’ve been filled with fear most of my life and I suddenly realized that God didn’t want me to be afraid. I told you I couldn’t love you because we were different. But in reality, it was my fear that was separating us.”
“Thea, there’s good fear and bad. Mom told me you tell the good from the bad by how they affect your life. Bad fear brings sorrow and loss. Good fear protects you.”
“I know!” Her excitement bubbled up. “God doesn’t want me to be afraid of loving you. You’re so good for me, Peter. My life has changed because of you, because God brought you into my life.”
She laid one hand on each side of his face. “But I don’t need to tell you that. You live His power and love.”
He chuckled dryly. “Maybe. But I think I could use the discipline part. You’ve seen how I lose my tem-per.”
“Oh, that doesn’t bother me.”
He placed his hands over hers. “It bothers me. You deserve the best of me, Thea. With God’s help, you’ll get it.”
She leaned forward to kiss him, but paused to speak just a fraction of an inch from his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you.”