What was she thinking, leading him to her? She should have gotten farther away. He crept forward, one step at a time, surefooted and quiet. Her palms began to sweat, and her body started to shake. Come on. Fire at the shirt. Give yourself away.
Other sounds rustled in the forest. Were Mark and Peter coming? She prayed Edward wouldn’t shoot one of them if they got too close. There, he saw the shirt. He skulked closer, his hunting skills evident. She wouldn’t have imagined a man his size could move so silently. He brought the rifle up and gazed through the scope.
This was a bad idea. She’d forgotten that he’d be able to see the shirt clearly in the scope, knowing she wasn’t in it. He lowered the weapon and stalked until he stood next to the shirt. He gazed around and looked up, locking eyes with her. A smile spread across his face as he raised his weapon. Maggie screamed.
Crashing sounds of pounding feet drew near, but it was too late. She hid in the branches and prayed. At least, Allie would be OK. After he shot her, they would catch him, and Allie would be safe. He fired. Pain scorched her hand, and she lost her grip. She tried to grab the trunk, a branch, anything, to stop her fall, but her right hand wouldn’t work. Several limbs hammered her body, and then mercifully, there was nothing.
42
“Mags? Are you OK?” Allie’s tear-streaked face appeared above her when she opened her eyes.
Maggie squinted against the bright fluorescent lights, alive, and apparently, in the hospital. “Yeah, I’m OK.” She struggled to sit up, her bandaged right hand making it difficult. “I’m feeling some déjà vu. Haven’t we been here before?”
Allie helped her with the pillows, the tight lines in her face relaxing into a smile. “Yeah. One more visit and it’s free.”
“How long have I been in here? Did they catch Edward?”
The smile widened as she plopped into a chair next to the bed. “It all happened yesterday, and I flew in last night. And yeah, they got him. Once he shot at you, Greg shot him. He’ll make it, but when he gets out of here, he’s going to jail.”
Maggie reached out with her good hand, and Allie clutched it between hers. “You’ll be OK. The bullet just grazed your hand. Then you fell and knocked yourself out. The doctor says you have a concussion.”
A light knock sounded, and Greg filled the doorway. “May I come in?”
Allie gave her hand a squeeze, stretched for her crutches, and struggled to her feet. “I haven’t had lunch, so I’ll go get something to eat. Anybody hungry?”
Greg moved a second chair out of her way. “I’m good, thanks. Besides, you can’t carry anything up here with those crutches.”
“That’s true. I guess I’ll eat in the cafeteria.” She hobbled toward the door and looked over her shoulder. “It should take me quite a while.” With a final wink, she left them alone.
Greg smoothed the hair back from Maggie’s forehead and leaned down, his lips brushing hers. “You scared me pretty bad, you know. I thought I’d lost you for good.”
“Me, too.”
He lowered himself into the chair Allie vacated. “They’ll be in soon to take your statement, but for now, just tell me what happened.”
She told him everything from the time she saw Edward in Aunt Esther’s garage to when she fell out of the tree. “So it wasn’t a burglary at all.”
“Edward had heard about the robberies in the area, so he staged the crime scene to look like the others. Bobby, Grady, Cameron, and Cody were all part of the burglary ring. We’re still seeking the brains behind it. Bobby isn’t talking, and the others don’t know who was calling the shots.”
“What about Carla and Ginger? Edward acted like he didn’t know who they were.”
“I don’t think he did. A kid came in with his parents and turned himself in for Carla’s hit and run. So it was an accident, and he got scared and ran. Ginger just let her imagination run away with her.”
Maggie played with the blanket, twisting it in her hand. “So it all came down to a man protecting his son.”
“Not according to Jonathan. He says it was to protect the business. Evidently, Edward grew up with an alcoholic father who never wanted to work. They were very poor, and when he was sixteen, he was expected to work to support his dad. Edward left home, lied about his age, and got a job in construction. He thought Blake sounded classier than Blaszcyzyk, so he gave his employer that name. He never legally changed it, just bought fake documents. That’s why we couldn’t find the cabin.”
She took a sip of water from the cup next to her bed. “So, what will happen to Jonathan? It sounded as though killing Stephanie was an accident.”
“Yeah, but covering it up wasn’t. He’s facing a list of charges. Monica has him all lawyered up, so I imagine he’ll be out on bail soon.”
“Do you think he’ll buckle down and work the construction business?”
“I doubt it. He says his father forced him to work even though he had no interest. My guess is Edward will have to sell to pay his legal fees. I have a feeling Monica will disown him. She’s already making it clear that he’s not a blood relative.”
He grasped her hand, straightening the diamond on her finger. “Enough about them. Does this mean what I think it means?”
She grinned. “It means I’m taken.”
“Blessed man.”
The grin faded from her face. “I acted like an idiot. I don’t know what came over me, but I got scared. I thought when you found out I wasn’t like Aunt Esther, you’d leave. I couldn’t handle that, so I left you first. Dumb, I know.” She gazed into his eyes. “Can you forgive me? Do you still want to get married?”
His clear blue eyes swallowed her, and she felt like she could drown in them. “Of course, I still want to get married.” He leaned over and gave her a long, slow kiss. “And not to an Esther clone.” He sat back, capturing her hand in his. “Trust me. I know what I’m getting, and I want you.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. She blinked them away. “I did a lot of thinking in the hotel, and I decided I want to fix my house and sell it. I’d like us to start someplace new.”
He smiled. “Fine with me.”
“Wait. There’s more. I know how I can finish Aunt Esther’s legacy and leave one of my own.”
Greg stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “How’s that, sweetheart?”
“For Aunt Esther, I’ll continue to support the school she loved so much. And for me, it’s Allie. I know she doesn’t need me the way I needed Esther, but I feel she needs me anyway.”
The stroking paused, and Greg gazed into her eyes. “I agree. She needs a stable influence in her life.”
“I want her to come and live with me. She can go to college wherever she wants and stay with me in between. Whenever she needs a place to land, I want her to be able to land with me.” She watched Greg’s face, looking for any sign of fear or withdrawal and saw none. “Is that something you would consider? Could she live with us when we’re married?”
He smiled. “You don’t even have to ask.”
A Devotional Moment
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:11
We cannot inherit all the positive changes that being a Christian makes in our lives. We have to actively pursue knowledge and understanding. Good deeds, kindness, compassion, and understanding of God’s Word do not happen overnight, even after one professes faith. God has asked us to study and not to lean on our own understanding. He tells us that as we read and listen to ministers and teachers of the Word, we will gain knowledge. We are to participate in acts of faith and words of goodness.
In Deadly Diaries, the protagonist is hoping she inherited the qualities of someone she loved who was kind, compassionate and merciful. Her faith falters when she discovers a devastating secret, and she must work to sustain her life and those around her while
she copes with tragic events.
Have you ever felt as if you have to “work” for your salvation because some spiritual virtues don’t come easy? Remember that, although salvation is a free gift given to all those who accept Christ, you are still human. You will still fail, and the “work” you must do is simply to try! Try each day to gain wisdom, knowledge, virtue. In the trying, you will see victory in this life. Small changes begin happening when you practice what is preached and as time goes on, you will take on the mantle of goodness and joy in the Lord. When that happens, leading a virtuous life turns from feeling like work to being second-nature.
LORD, HELP ME TO LEARN FROM YOUR WORD, TO SEEK SOLACE IN THE SCRIPTURES, TO TRANSLATE WHAT IS WRITTEN INTO GOODNESS THAT SHOWS YOUR LOVE IN ME. IN JESUS’ NAME I PRAY, AMEN.
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May God’s glory shine through
this inspirational work of fiction.
AMDG
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Deadly Diaries Page 23