When Lightning Strikes

by Aimée Thurlo

  After several more minutes passed, she finally reached a point where she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. If he was in trouble, he’d need her help. She had to sneak out and look around. She was moving toward the side door when she heard a knock.

  “It’s me, open up,” Daniel called softly.

  His voice filled her with a sense of relief so intense, her knees nearly buckled. She unlocked the door and threw it open. Daniel stood before her with a smug grin on his face. For a heartbeat, she felt torn between the need to kiss him and the urge to sock him in the nose. “How dare you stand there with that self-satisfied look on your face! What took you so long? I’ve gone through hell wondering what happened to you!”

  “You were that worried about me?” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “I’m not sure if I should be flattered or not. I mean I’m glad to hear you admit you’re just crazy about me, but do you honestly believe I couldn’t have taken that guy?”

  She fought the urge to shake him until his brains rattled. “You really are insufferable at times. And don’t ever kiss me and run off like that again.”

  “You didn’t enjoy my kiss? I was under a different impression.”

  “You made your move, but you didn’t give me time to make mine,” she said, a challenge in her voice and a tiny smile on her lips.

  “And what would you have done if I’d given you the chance?”

  “You’ll never know now.”

  “Then maybe I need to kiss you again.”

  “After what you just put me through? No chance, buddy.” Hannah strode off toward the SUV, leaving Daniel to lock the door. A second later Daniel and Wolf fell into step beside her, Daniel on her right, Wolf to her left. “Why were you so worried? You know I can take care of myself.”

  “You’re overconfident. About everything.”

  He chuckled and the sound was low and masculine. “Is there a hidden message in there?”

  “It’s not very hidden. Oh—and for the record—I’m not crazy about you. At the moment, I’m not even sure I like you.”

  “Really? Then why don’t you let me kiss you again?”

  “I haven’t had my shots.”

  Wolf barked once and gave Daniel a doggy grin.

  “Shut up, furball.”

  A few minutes later as they were driving away, Daniel’s cell phone rang. He answered it almost instantly.

  “Silentman here,” the voice informed. “We’ve had a serious new development. The police have confiscated Hannah’s home computer with the deacon’s permission, and they’ve discovered that she’s made a string of electronic withdrawals from the church’s building fund and placed the money into a Mexican bank account. Those entries go back about six weeks and date all the way through September seventh. The police are now trying to get the paperwork to find out how much money was actually transferred. All the figures were encrypted.” He paused then added. “It was all in a subdirectory with a technical sounding name, so it looked like part of the software program itself. They found it by accident, actually, after checking every file.”

  “Are you sure about this information?”

  “Absolutely. Since this puts everything in a new light, what course of action do you recommend we follow?”

  “I’m going to have to get back to you on that.”

  Daniel turned off the highway and down an alley, then parked. “We have a problem,” he said, then watched Hannah as he gave her the news. “How could that have happened?”

  “The same way they did it to my uncle’s computer though, inadvertently, I made it even easier for them. I leave my computer on all the time. Someone obviously hacked into it, and we already know how my password and my uncle’s were compromised. That’s probably also why I never could balance anything. There’s no telling what else he did to my data files or my software. Did Silentman tell you when the withdrawals were made?”

  “He said they went all the way to September seventh.”

  Her eyes widened. “That date also appeared in my uncle’s computer. Remember when I told you that I found withdrawals that had the numbers replaced with asterisks? One of those withdrawals was supposedly made on September seventh. I’ll always remember that date because it’s the day my father died.”

  “This is an important lead. It looks like whoever’s framing you has been busy doing the same number on your uncle. It’s very possible your uncle discovered what was happening, too.” He paused. “No, nix that. If he had, your uncle would have deleted those entries.”

  “My guess is he doesn’t know about the entries in my computer or his,” Hannah said. “He hates bookkeeping and only balances his accounts every other month. I should have caught what had been done through my computer, but it never occurred to me to search for a hidden directory.”

  “Pablo Jackson has to be a player in this. I’ve thought all along that this was a conspiracy, but maybe the truth is even more complicated. We may be dealing with crimes that fed on each other, but were separate—blackmail, and the theft of the church funds.”

  Hannah’s eyebrows knitted together. “I still don’t think we’ve got the whole picture. We’re missing something. This just isn’t like my uncle. Give me some credit for knowing the man who raised me. To him, accepting responsibility is the measure of a man. That’s why he took me on when I was young and, believe me, I was an expensive kid to raise. His insurance didn’t cover psychiatric services, so it was all out of pocket for him. It took him years and years to pay it off. That sense of loyalty is still a part of him. He would never betray the church or any of the parishioners. To him, anything connected to the church is part of his religious duty.”

  “Your uncle’s involved in this, Hannah. You know that. Stop defending him. So what if he was short of money when you were growing up. Most parents with kids are.”

  “You don’t understand. To be honest, it wasn’t until recently that I realized how many sacrifices he’d had to make. We never had money for luxuries. Do you remember seeing his little sports car in the driveway?” When he nodded, she continued. “It’s not a high-priced car, but he told me a few weeks ago that all his life he’d wanted one of those, but he’d never had the money, not even for an old used one. He bought the one he has now from a parishioner and it’s certainly no prize, but he was as proud of it as a kid with a new toy. What makes it stick in my mind was that I realized that if it hadn’t been for me, he would have probably had the money to buy things like that which give him so much pleasure. I still feel guilty.”

  “Why? Nothing that happened was your fault.”

  “But don’t you see? While he was trying to dig up enough money to cover my medical expenses, I was working against the doctors every step of the way.” She shook her head slowly. “I was really afraid to remember. Something inside me told me that it wasn’t the right time yet, and that opening that door would only cause me more harm. But the doctors felt that they should help me come to grips with everything. They believed that it was the only way I’d be free of the past. So it became a war of sorts. The more they pressed, the more I withdrew into myself. My uncle finally stuck up for me and demanded that they help me cope with my present and let the other problem rest. It was thanks to him that I was released and allowed to finally start living a normal life again.”

  Daniel said nothing for several long moments, then finally spoke. “You told me before that you’re prepared to face things squarely now. Are you sure that you’re really ready to remember everything you’ve forgotten—the recent and the distant past?”

  “Yes,” she said without hesitation. “Everything in my life is different now. My greatest fear as a kid was that I’d find myself suddenly alone again. My mother’s and father’s deaths were too close together, and that left some heavy-duty emotional scars on me. Whenever my uncle was even an hour late, I’d go into panic attacks. Then, as I grew older, I realized that I didn’t like being that vulnerable, so I taught myself not to depend on anyone except myself. Over the years, I’ve
found the confidence to stand on my own and I liked myself for being able to do that. It proved that I’d become the strong woman I’d wanted to be.”

  Hannah paused to take a deep breath. “That’s why losing my memory again has thrown me so much. Everything I believed I am is being tested. I need to face those memories not only because of what’s at stake, but because I need to be whole again so I can reclaim my life. I will remember. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. I just hope it’s sooner instead of later.”

  “There’s something we can do to insure that,” he said slowly.

  “No more psychiatrists,” she said. “I’ve had my fill of them.”

  “There’s another option—something I’ve mentioned before. Hypnosis didn’t work on you before because, as you admitted, you fought it. This time, with you helping, it might.”

  Hannah considered it. “I’ve always been against the idea, but after all I’ve been through, I’m willing to give it a try, but I don’t know anyone we could trust.”

  “I do. Nelson Benally is a good friend of mine. He’s also a Navajo resident at the hospital on the Rez, so he does have medical training. But I should warn you, despite his credentials, he learned hypnosis from his uncle, who was a magician. He’s really pretty good, don’t get me wrong. He put me under one time, and I saw him do it to a friend of mine.”

  “Let’s go see him then.” She lapsed into a thoughtful silence, then added, “Do you think Pablo Jackson played a part in whatever happened to me at the church?”

  “From the evidence, I’d say yes. The problem is that all we have is a theory with nothing substantial behind it—and that theory still doesn’t answer the main question. Who stole the money from the construction fund? And is it all in the account that was set up to frame you and your uncle? Somehow I doubt that.”

  Hannah stuck out her chin, determination etched clearly on her features. “Let’s go see if your doctor friend can help us uncover the truth.”

  THEY ARRIVED at Nelson Benally’s trailer home a short time later. Daniel had called ahead, but he’d only given Nelson sketchy details of what to expect.

  As Daniel walked inside his friend’s home, he saw the admiring look Nelson gave Hannah. Then slowly, recognition dawned over his features, and it was obvious Nelson had seen her photo in the newspaper.

  “You old fox. You’ve had her all along, haven’t you?” Nelson observed, glancing at Daniel. Before Daniel could say anything, he held up a hand. “No, never mind. Don’t answer. I don’t want to know.”

  “You know who I am?” Hannah asked.

  Nelson nodded. “You were hard to miss on the front page of the newspaper,” he answered.

  Daniel saw the way Nelson was looking at Hannah. He was all but salivating. For some reason he didn’t want to analyze, Daniel thought about punching Nelson’s lights out.

  “I was told that you would be able to hypnotize me,” Hannah said.

  Nelson hesitated, then looked at Daniel. “Hey, on the phone we were talking in abstracts. I had no idea—”

  “You did it to me and my cousin just for fun at a party. Now you’re a doctor and you’ll be even more careful,” Daniel said.

  “What is it that you expect from this?” he asked Hannah.

  “There’s a stretch of time I’ve blocked from my memory and I need to get it back,” she said simply.

  Nelson looked at Daniel who filled him in. Nelson considered everything they’d said, then shook his head. “It sounds too dangerous. If the two memories are linked, I may bring out more than you intended.”

  “I’ll be in far more trouble if I continue to suppress it,” Hannah said.

  “Her life—and mine—are on the line here, buddy,” Daniel said, deliberately not using Nelson’s name out of respect. Although Nelson was a modernist, training to be a doctor, his father was a Navajo hataalii, a healer. He knew that Nelson walked the road between the two worlds—healing in the Anglo way, but never forgetting his roots.

  Nelson looked at Hannah. “All right. I’ll try to put you under, but the moment any part of you rallies against it, I’m not going to push any further. Agreed?”

  “Okay.”

  “And if I can get you under, I’m going to restrict my questions to what happened recently. If you appear to be in any distress, I’ll bring you right out.” Seeing her nod, he picked up an old windup alarm clock from the shelf. “Do you want to get started now?”

  “I’m ready.”

  Her voice sounded confident, but Daniel noted the way her hands were trembling though she’d kept them folded on her lap. She was frightened, and doing precisely the thing that made her the most uncomfortable—putting herself in the hands of a stranger—and that because he’d vouched for Nelson. If Daniel had ever doubted that she trusted him, he didn’t now.

  Seeing how hard she was trying to hide her fears, he wished he could have found another way to help her. But he knew from bitter experience that some demons had to be faced on a one-to-one basis, or they’d never go away.

  “I want you to concentrate on the sound of my voice and the ticking of the clock,” Nelson told her. “All I want you to do is relax. Nothing here can harm you. You’re among friends.”

  Heeding a signal from Nelson, Daniel stepped back into the shadows, and watched his friend work.

  HANNAH TRIED TO RELAX and cooperate. She closed her eyes and listened to the soothing ticktock and the calm, sure voice that enticed her to let go. Nelson didn’t have the magic of Daniel’s rough, deep voice, but he was compelling in his own way.

  Then she found herself drifting among soft, peaceful clouds, in a dream where serenity enveloped her.

  “I want you to go back a few days, Hannah,” Nelson urged quietly. “Do you remember when you woke up in that car?”

  Hannah felt herself there, in the seat of that car again, and fear shot through her. She tried to stand up, but soothing, gentle hands guided her back into her chair.

  “You’re not part of what’s going on,” a faraway voice said. “You’re only a spectator watching from a safe place, like you’re viewing a movie. No one can harm you.”

  She relaxed again.

  “Let’s go back one step, before you found yourself in the car. You’re in the church getting your work done. Describe what you’re doing.”

  “I have to go to my uncle’s office. I need to get purchase order forms from the bottom drawer of his cabinet.” Hannah paused, then grimaced. “The drawer’s locked. But I saw him hide the spare key once. I’ll just borrow it.” Hannah remained silent for a moment, then her breathing quickened. “That money doesn’t belong here. And why a gun?” Hannah began to shake. “This isn’t right. That videotape. Something weird’s going on.”

  “What are you doing now?” Nelson intoned.

  “I’m going to talk to Uncle Bob. He’ll explain.” Hannah’s trembling intensified.

  “What do you see?” Nelson asked.

  “My uncle just came in. I’ve never seen him angrier. He’s yelling at me, but I won’t let him intimidate me. I want to know what’s going on.” Hannah suddenly looked behind her. “No!”

  She held out her hands to ward someone off, and as Nelson tried to calm her, she jerked free, wildly, glancing around in terror as if surrounded by mortal danger. “Noooooo…”

  “I’m bringing her out of this now!” Nelson told Daniel. “Hannah, when I count to three, you’ll awaken feeling safe, calm and refreshed. One, two, three!”

  Hannah opened her eyes and, disoriented at first, looked until she located Daniel. “What happened? Did I do all right?”

  DANIEL HAD his fists clenched tightly, anger biting at his self-control. Someone had terrorized Hannah, and he wanted them to pay in spades for every second of torment they’d put her through.

  “How do you feel?” Nelson asked her, offering her a tissue so she could wipe her tears. “Do you remember now?”

  Hannah took a deep breath. “I feel fine, and I do remember more than I did before
. But there are still gaps,” she said, disappointed. “I recall going into my uncle’s file cabinet and finding myself staring at a bunch of cash, a videotape cassette and a pistol. But it was the gun that threw me most. I couldn’t believe it. He hates guns! I confronted him about it when he came in, but someone interrupted us. After that, everything goes blank for me again. I have no idea what happened next or even why I can’t recall it. All I remember is the fear I felt—the kind that’s so overwhelming you can barely catch your breath.”

  “It’s okay, Hannah. You made progress. Take it one step at a time,” Daniel said.

  “I’ve learned more about myself and my life in these past few weeks than I ever knew before. But it’s just not enough. I’ve got to keep trying. I’m tired of living with questions and dark shadows.”

  Her eyes were radiant, full of fire and courage. He would have gladly died for her when she looked at him like that. “You’ll clear your name, Hannah. We’ll both see to that. And nothing’s going to stop us until we do.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Daniel swore Nelson to secrecy, then said goodbye, promising to come back after the case was solved to answer as many of Nelson’s questions as he could.

  After taking Wolf for a walk because of his long stay in the SUV, they drove away. Hannah wrapped her wool jacket tightly around her. The weather was cooler now.

  “I want to go someplace outdoors where I’ve never been before. A quiet spot that’ll help me free my thinking. I want to piece what I know with our speculations and see what kind of picture emerges. With luck, I may jog the rest of my memories.”