The Chill of an Early Fall

by Mary Alford

  Chapter Twelve

  Sadie didn’t want to let him go. Elam was so much a part of her past. Would he be there for her future? Her heart broke because he wouldn’t.

  Sheriff Mackenzie entered the room along with Dispatcher Garza, who passed out sandwiches to the people seated around the table.

  “This is Joe. If you need anything, ask him. We’ll set up some cots in here for the men. You ladies can use my office. It’s a bit more private.” He smiled at Sadie.

  “Thank you, Sheriff Mackenzie,” she said. Letting go of the pain was hard, but she had to try. She wanted Elam to be happy, and she’d put so many lives in danger by coming home. “Is there any news from your two deputies watching Gamble’s house?”

  Sheriff Mackenzie took one of the sandwiches and sat across from her. “There is. My men are in position close to the cabin. They did a search around the outside of the place and found definite signs someone has been there recently. A set of muddy footprints under the carport. Tire tracks as well. Several gas cans were stashed under the carport. They’re set up a short distance from the cabin with a clear line of sight. As soon as Gamble is in custody, they’ll let us know.”

  Was it possible this nightmare would end soon? Sadie thought about the life she’d lived in Billings. Quiet. Unencumbered. Empty. She didn’t want that life again. She’d left her mamm alone when Mamm needed her. In truth, she shouldn’t have left in the first place. Samuel Albrecht wasn’t worthy of the power she’d allowed him to wield over her.

  Today had opened her eyes, and she noticed things that had been in front of her all these years. Facing danger had a way of clarifying what truly mattered. And what mattered to her had been here in St. Ignatius all along.

  Deputies Anderson and Harris carried in several cots and some bedding. They quickly set up the cots.

  “We have the beds ready in your office, Sheriff,” Deputy Harris said.

  “Good. I’ll leave you folks to settle in for the evening. There are restrooms down the hall.” He pointed toward them. “If you need anything, my two deputies and I will be close by monitoring things. Come morning, we’ll try and get some shut-eye ourselves.” With a nod to all of them, Sheriff Mackenzie and his men left the room.

  Would she ever sleep again? She had to be strong for her mother.

  Willa kissed her husband and reached for his hand as if reluctant to let him go.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Jonah promised with love shining in his eyes.

  Sadie felt like an intruder in their romance, and it shined a glaring light on what was missing from her life. She’d longed for someone to share the little moments with. Someone like Elam.

  Against her will, her eyes sought out Elam. His attention was on his brother as well. Was he thinking the same thing? When his gaze unexpectedly riveted on her, the intensity in his eyes was like a lightning bolt through her system.

  She moved away and looped her arm through her mamm’s. “We should go and let Elam and Jonah get some rest.” Without looking at Elam again, she left the room.

  Though small, Sheriff Mackenzie’s office was transformed into a dorm. Three cots were shoved against the wall with enough room to walk between them.

  Willa followed them into the room, tears in her eyes. “This is the first night Jonah and I have been apart since our wedding.”

  She squeezed Willa’s hand. “I pray it’ll be the last.”

  Willa managed a smile. “Me too.” Wiping her eyes, she took out her gown and held it up. “I’ll go and change.”

  “I remember those first few years of marriage,” Mamm said with a wistful look on her face. Guilt tore at Sadie’s heart. Instead of being there for her mother after Daed’s passing, she’d run away to her hiding place. She had so many things to make up for, and she was ready.

  Willa came back, and Sadie and her mamm went to the restroom and changed. Willa was already in bed when they returned. Sadie turned off the lights and crawled into bed. Her thoughts refused to settle down. A chance encounter had put her in the path of a delusional man. How quickly life changed. Each moment was precious.

  Enough light shone through the window to see around the room. Sadie glanced to where Willa lay, her breathing shallow in sleep, then stared up at the ceiling.

  “You cannot sleep either,” Mamm whispered and flipped on her side to face Sadie.

  Sadie shifted toward her mother. “No, too many things are going round in my head.”

  Her mother reached for her hand. “Jah, mine as well. None of this seems real. I don’t understand such evil.”

  Sadie didn’t either. “This man is disturbed. His mind doesn’t work like ours.”

  Mamm shook her head. “So troubling. But we’re called to pray for others. I’ll pray Gott will help him find peace, and then I’ll try to forgive him for what he has done.”

  Her mother’s faith amazed Sadie. Mamm always reached out to those in need in the community. She was never too busy to lend a hand whenever necessary.

  “I love you, Mamm,” Sadie whispered with a smile. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you in the past, but I want to change that.” She squeezed her mother’s hand and then lay on her back and asked Gott to help her be a better person—for her mother.

  ◆◆◆

  Hours passed while Elam stared up at the ceiling. Sleep was elusive. The storm clouds from outside seemed to have followed him. Would the rain in his life ever end?

  One thing became clear. He could no longer continue on the path he had been on all these years. Living in limbo. Waiting for something that would never come. He had to make a change. Otherwise he’d lose himself. He’d held onto doubts about West Kootenai. Would it be the best thing for him to take his cousin up on the dairy offer?

  Down the hall, voices drifted in. Elam caught snatches of conversation. Something was taking place.

  He sat up in bed and waited. Jonah didn’t move. Elam smiled and shook his head. His brother could sleep through a tornado. Elam threw off the covers and eased from the bed.

  Jonah mumbled something and rolled onto his side.

  Elam waited a second, then slipped from the room and moved down the hall to the dispatch station where Sheriff Mackenzie and his men worked.

  The sheriff caught sight of him and motioned to him.

  “Has something happened?” Elam asked.

  Sheriff Mackenzie pointed to a vacant chair and waited until Elam sat. Elam’s nerves were on edge. All he wanted was for the sheriff to tell him what he knew. “There was an explosion at Gamble’s cabin a few minutes ago.”

  Elam’s body froze.

  “The place went up like a tinderbox. The fire department is on the way there now. The flames are too hot for my deputies to get close enough to investigate. We have no idea what’s happening.”

  Elam tried to make sense of what he’d learned. “You think he set the fire to destroy evidence or create a distraction?”

  Sheriff Mackenzie lifted a shoulder. “We don’t know. And until we do, we won’t let you guys out of our care.” The sheriff paused for a moment. “It’s going to be a long night. You should try to get some rest.”

  The thought of sleep seemed about as impossible as Sadie returning his feelings. “I’ll stay,” Elam insisted and waited for the sheriff to argue.

  After a long look, Sheriff Mackenzie agreed. “All right.” He pointed to the computer screen he and his men were watching. “Deputy Clark is filming the events for us. We’ve hooked the feed up to the computer.”

  Elam dragged his chair around to watch the raging inferno that had once been a cabin.

  In the distance, a siren blared.

  “Fire department’s almost here.” Elam recognized the voice as Deputy Clark’s.

  Headlights of multiple emergency vehicles flashed across the screen, but Elam couldn’t take his eyes off the fire. Why would Gamble set his own house on fire?

  The firetrucks appeared on the screen. Firemen jumped from one of the trucks and unreeled the powerf
ul hose, then aimed it at the blaze.

  Behind him, someone gasped. Elam turned. Sadie clamped her hand over her mouth. She’d dressed again. Elam forgot all about the scene unfolding in front of him. “What are you doing up?” he asked gently.

  She tore her panicked eyes from the screen. “I couldn’t sleep. What’s happening?”

  He pointed to the computer. “An explosion. Sheriff Mackenzie believes Gamble did it deliberately.”

  Her gaze zeroed to his. “Why would he do that?”

  Elam scanned her pale complexion. Exhaustion lines settled around the corners of her mouth and eyes. “Maybe to destroy evidence. We won’t know until the deputies can get inside the remains of the house.”

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” she murmured.

  He reached for her arm. “Let’s step away for a second. Coffee is probably the last thing any of us need now, but I think I saw some juice in the refrigerator.”

  She moved like someone in a daze. Elam led her into the small breakroom. Sadie dropped into one of the chairs while he opened the refrigerator and removed two bottles of orange juice. He handed her one and pulled out the chair next to hers.

  Sadie kneaded her temples. “I can’t help but feel Gamble is getting desperate.” She stared into his eyes. “And you?”

  He couldn’t deny it. “I think it’s only a matter of time before he tries something else.”

  Sadie shivered and circled the bottle with both hands as if needing something to hold onto. She struggled to open it. Elam took it from her and twisted the lid free.

  “Thank you,” she murmured and took the bottle from him and sipped from it.

  “It could be hours before the deputies can search the rubble for clues.” He needed something more than silence between them. His heart was still raw. He couldn’t let himself think about anything but what was happening with the fire.

  “You weren’t able to sleep either?” she asked while watching him. Probably seeing more than he wanted her to.

  He shook his head. “Nein. Too much going on, I guess.”

  She smiled, and the sight of her angelic face swept his breath away.

  “I know what you mean. Mamm finally drifted off. All I could do was stare at the ceiling and think. It feels like I’m living in someone else’s life. Things like this aren’t supposed to happen to regular people like us.”

  He clutched her hand, entwining their fingers. “I know. Our community has always been quiet. Peaceful. It makes you appreciate what we have.” He liked the way the conversation was heading away from things that were best left alone.

  “I hate that this is all because of me. The last thing I ever wanted was to bring this to our community. I never thought he would follow me here.” A pained expression crossed her face.

  “How could you? This type of violence is not something any of us are used to. Don’t blame yourself, Sadie. This man is not well. He needs to be in a hospital where he can’t hurt anyone ever again. Hopefully, he will be soon, and this will end for good.”

  And when it did, what would their future look like? That was a question for another day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sadie kept her attention on their joined hands. When this thing with Gamble ended, Elam would leave for West Kootenai. Would their friendship survive the move? She couldn’t think about that now and not fall apart.

  “We should go. Perhaps something more is taking place.” She freed her hand. Without waiting for his response, she started toward the area where Sheriff Mackenzie and his men watched the story unfold.

  “The fire is almost out,” Deputy Anderson told her when she stopped next to him. A sound behind her assured her Elam was close, but she couldn’t look at him. Her heart was too heavy.

  Sadie stared at the screen showing the two firefighters manning the hose. The deputy filming the blaze accidentally panned to the right. Something caught her attention immediately. From the light of the fire, a large object showed on the right of the screen.

  “What is that?” She pointed.

  Sheriff Mackenzie leaned in. “That’s the car.” He hit the mic button on his shoulder.

  Deputy Franklin answered. “Yes?”

  “Look to your right.”

  Deputy Clark homed in on the area.

  “It’s a car. It wasn’t there before the explosion.” Deputy Franklin’s voice crackled from the background.

  “Fan out. He’s been there recently. If he left the car, chances are he’s close. Watching. I’m on my way there along with Deputy Harris.”

  The screen turned dark. Sheriff Mackenzie leapt to his feet. “Anderson, stay here with the family. Make sure you lock both doors. Until we have this guy, we can’t rule out anything. Harris, you’re with me.” Sheriff Mackenzie snatched up his jacket and headed toward the rear of the building with Deputy Harris.

  Deputy Anderson locked the door behind them and moved to the front of the building to check the door there. All at once, the phones went crazy. The deputy’s attention riveted to the incoming calls Garza was answering.

  “Do you think he’s close?” Sadie asked Elam with a feeling of dread in her heart.

  “I can’t be sure. Nothing about what this man is doing makes sense.”

  She sank to the closest chair. “This is so frightening.”

  Elam took the seat next to hers. “It is, but it’s almost finished, Sadie.”

  Her blue eyes skimmed his handsome face. “You believe that?” She wanted to as well.

  His face lit up with a smile, erasing the shadows that had been following her lately. Sadie drew in a breath and couldn’t take her eyes off Elam. Things she’d denied for so long fell into place. She loved him. Not as a friend but as the man she wanted to be with. Through the years, she’d counted on Elam. Leaned on him. Couldn’t wait to be with him. She’d been so blinded by Samuel’s rejection, she’d missed what had been in front of her all along. She’d picked the wrong man. Was it too late?

  “Are you okay?” Elam asked.

  With the realization she loved him fresh on her heart, Sadie felt exposed. Vulnerable. She drew in a breath. Would her love change Elam’s mind?

  Before she managed the words, Garza finished the call he was on. “Neighbors have spotted the fire and are calling it into the fire station. Folks are worried.”

  Now was not the time. She wanted to be alone with Elam when she let him know how she felt.

  “Any sightings of Gamble around the area?” Deputy Anderson asked.

  Garza shook his head. “I’ve asked folks to be on the alert. If they see anything out of the ordinary, they should call.”

  “I can’t believe Gamble would be hanging around with deputies there, but then again, as the doctor mentioned, this man is unstable,” Anderson said.

  Goosebumps sprang up Sadie’s arms. What if Gamble somehow managed to escape? Would he keep on chasing her for the rest of her life? Sadie glanced at the clock behind the desk. Barely three in the morning. Hours still before the light of dawn. Gamble had ambushed them on the way to the station. He knew Sadie was with the sheriff. Chances are, he’d figure out she was here.

  Elam touched her arm. “Don’t go there,” he murmured. “You’re at the safest possible place. He won’t try anything here.”

  “How can you be so sure? He attacked deputies on the road. At least one other woman that we know of has been murdered. He hasn’t acted rationally from the beginning.”

  Deputy Anderson’s radio chirped, and he answered it.

  “The car was empty,” Sheriff Mackenzie said. “The rain washed away any footprints that might have been there. We are searching the area, but he could be anywhere.”

  The realization settled around her like a prickly blanket. Gamble could be anywhere, including outside the station, waiting for them to make a move. They couldn’t stay here forever. Elam and Jonah would need to care for the animals soon. What if Gamble had another car stashed and went back to the house to wait for them? He’d shot at th
em more than once. The man had proven he’d stop at nothing to get to Sadie, and he was willing to take out anyone standing in his way.

  Elam said something she didn’t catch. Sadie’s attention jerked toward him. Before she could ask what he said, a noise toward the front of the station had her jumping to her feet. It sounded as if someone was rattling the doorknob.

  Deputy Anderson drew his weapon. “Ma’am, I need you and Elam to get out of sight while I check it out.”

  “Come with me to the breakroom,” Garza said, whisking them both forward.

  Her heart drummed a frantic beat in her ears. Would this end before another innocent life was lost?

  ◆◆◆

  Deputy Anderson stepped into the room a short time later. “All’s clear. No one was there. I’m guessing the wind caught the door somehow.” He shook off the rain from his slicker. “The wind’s blowing hard out there. The storm’s growing in intensity.”

  No matter how hard he tried, Elam couldn’t believe what happened wasn’t connected to Gamble.

  Deputy Anderson left the room.

  “As soon as it gets daylight, I’ll order some breakfast to be delivered to the station. Until then, I’ll put on some coffee,” the dispatcher told them with a sympathetic smile.

  “I have a bad feeling,” Sadie said once it was the two of them.

  “Me too,” he agreed. “I sure hope this weather lets up soon. It’s certainly not helping matters.”

  “I think I’ll go check on Mamm and Willa. Hopefully the storm hasn’t awakened them.” She left him alone.

  Elam wasn’t sure what to do with himself to pass the uneasy time. He moved to the conference room where Jonah was awake and folding up the covers. “Hey, how long have you been awake?” He asked his brother.

  “A while. I heard noises. Is something going on?”

  Elam updated him on what he knew so far, and Jonah blew out a breath. “This guy is relentless.” Like Elam, Jonah had slept in the clothes he wore. He settled his suspenders on his shoulders.