“Don’t start with me, Martha.”
The two shared a glance filled with love and trust. How wonderful to share a life. It had never been a goal to find her one true love but watching these two she realized that she might be missing something because of that decision.
Matthew turned to her. “It’s so good to see you up and moving, Miss Marks. It’s nothing short of miraculous.”
“God is good.”
Martha patted her hand. “Oh, yes He is, sweetheart. It was so nice to meet you. Now I’ll leave the two of you alone.” She stood and walked away.
Matthew took a seat beside her. “I’m sorry I don’t have any good news to report on your case. I wish there was, but there’s not. So what brings you here today, Miss Marks?”
“Please, call me Raven. I want to see the spot where you found me. Is that possible?”
“More than possible, but why?”
“I was hoping it might jog my memory. To help with the investigation.”
“So you still don’t remember anything?”
“Nothing important.” Like a face. The right face and not the one in her imagination.
“Not remembering might be a blessing.”
“You might be right, but…I just need to know that I’ve done everything I can to try to remember. It… it just seems important. What if…what if he’s kidnapped someone else and I didn’t do everything I could to stop him? To find him?”
“I pray you’re wrong about that. Of course, I’ll be glad to take you. You want to go right now? Probably be better to wait until tomorrow. When there’s more light. It’ll be dark soon.”
She shuddered inwardly, not even wanting to think about being there in the dark. “Tomorrow will be fine.”
“OK, then. Where are you staying?”
“The Inn.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at nine.”
23
Raven stared down into the ravine. Trees and bushes. The bottom wasn’t visible. Neither was the river. It was a miracle she’d been found. “How could anyone have seen me down there?”
“They couldn’t from here. It was two kayakers in the river. They saw you and called for help. Got you out of the water and stayed with you until we got there. Then it was pretty tricky getting you up here so we could get you to the hospital.”
“How did you?”
“Actually, we ended up putting you on a boat and taking you to a waiting helicopter that flew you directly to Cumberland.”
“Do you think I was thrown from here?”
“I don’t think so. If this were the spot, you would have just ended up somewhere in the brush between here and the bottom. Chances are you wouldn’t have made it to the river, and you were in the river. Not sure how long you were in the water, but you had hypothermia.”
“I want to go down there.” Actually she needed to see the spot. The place where she’d almost died. But God had intervened. It was just as Dr. Schaeffer said. It wasn’t her time. God had a reason to save her. Maybe someone else needed saving from the monster?
“You can’t get there from here. But there’s a trail that will get you down to the river and then we can backtrack to the spot. It’ll take a few hours to get there and back. But if you think you’re up to it, we can do it.”
“Oh, I can’t ask you to spend that much time with me. You’ve already spent more than you should have. I can’t take you away from your duties like that.”
“I’m the sheriff. I pretty much work twenty-four hours a day when needed. So it’s not a problem. Besides hiking is one of the things I do for fun, so I’ll get a good workout as well.” He patted his stomach. “Gotta keep looking handsome for Martha, you know.”
“Are you sure?”
“Let me see your shoes.”
She held up a foot.
“OK. Those are good sturdy shoes.”
She’d given up fashion shoes since having to learn to walk again. She just didn’t have it in her to wobble around on heels anymore. Comfort won over fashion these days.
“Let me call Martha to let her know we’re going. I’ve got a backpack in of the trunk. It has water and energy bars. Plus a first-aid kit.” He was already walking back to his cruiser.
“It sounds like you knew what we’d be doing today.”
He smiled. “I had an idea that you might want to. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“I can handle it.” She was suddenly thankful that she’d been working out with Hunter.
The sheriff drove a few miles down the road to another spot. “OK, this is it. It’s not too bad of a trail. Just be careful and move at your own speed. There’s no rush.”
An hour later Raven plopped down on a huge rock. “Oh, my goodness. I’m exhausted. And that was going downhill.”
“But you made it. Considering less than a year ago, you couldn’t walk, I’d say that’s pretty awesome.” He handed her a water bottle and an energy bar.
“And you say you do this for fun?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, Martha won’t come with me either. Thinks I’m crazy, but I love the challenge. Plus in my line of work, I never know what I might have to do on any given day.” He pointed at the river. “We need to go about a mile back upriver. But it’s easy compared to what you just did. There’s only one problem.”
“Getting back up?”
He nodded. “Smart girl—oops, I mean smart woman. If you want, I can get one of my deputies to pick us up in his boat. That won’t be a problem at all. He loves it when he gets to use the boat.”
She shook her head. “No, I want to try to do this. Now that I’m here I don’t feel like giving up.”
“Knowing your limits is not giving up, Raven. It’s smart.”
She smiled. “That’s good to know. I’ll think about it.” She stood up.
They started walking. He was right. It was much easier since they were on flat ground. The river rippled, some places it was smooth and other places it was white from the rocks in the river.
Finally, the sheriff stopped walking. “This is the spot.”
“How can you tell?”
He pointed at the river. “Those three rocks. We call them The Triplets. You were wedged in them. The current took you to them. It’s probably what saved your life.”
A chill went up her spine. Her pulse was racing, and she fought against hyperventilating. God is with me. God is with me. Everything turned wavy. God is with me. She forced a deep breath. And another. The world came back into focus.
“Are you OK, Raven?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Instead she walked to the water’s edge and then looked up. Matthew was right. This couldn’t have been the spot she’d been tossed from. She wouldn’t have landed in the water.
Matthew stood back but kept a watchful eye on her.
She walked along the bank, trying to remember anything. Finally, she walked back to the sheriff. “Nothing looks familiar. I guess this was a waste of time.”
“Not for me. It was a good hike, and at least you know you tried your best.”
“I guess.”
“So you want me to call my deputy for a ride in his boat?”
“No, I’m feeling pretty good. I think I can make it back.” She looked up the river. “So when you put me on a boat, where did you take me? Upriver or downriver?”
“Downriver to a small town called Paw Paw. And then you were life-flighted to Cumberland.”
She pointed upriver. “What’s up that way?”
“More of this. Lots of woods. You’re in the Cacapon National Forest.”
“So nobody lives around here?”
“Oh, sure but not in the forest itself.”
She wanted to ask where Charles Whitman lived. But that would only feed her delusion, so she kept the question to herself. “How do you think I got here?”
“I see what you’re thinking. That maybe one of the people living near here might be the person who kidnapped you. I can see why you’d think that,
but…” He shook his head. “The river was running fast then. We’d had a lot of rain. Anyone could have put you in the river from anywhere above this spot. I know all the people in this area. It wasn’t any of them.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’m sorry I can’t find the person who did this, but it could have been anyone. From anywhere.”
It could have been anyone. And she could walk right up to the man and never know he was the monster. She looked over at the sheriff. And just like that Charles Whitman’s face disappeared and was replaced by the man who stood there looking at her. It was him. The monster. The world crumbled. She couldn’t breathe. She was with the monster. This time he would kill her. And there was nothing she could do about it. She’d asked him to bring her here.
“Are you OK, Raven?”
She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. She felt herself falling and the world disappeared.
~*~
Couldn’t move her hands or her feet. The monster. She was back with the monster. The light purr of the motor. Back in the golf cart. Soon, he’d kill her. And this time he wouldn’t fail. How had she let this happen? Again. She wouldn’t survive this time, but she’d soon be home with God. It’s OK. I’m ready, Father. Peace descended. She took a deep breath.
“I think she’s awake,” a voice said.
“It’s OK, Raven. You’re safe. You just passed out. You’re in the boat. It’s taking us back to Berkeley Springs.”
She opened her eyes.
Matthew Borden stared down at her with concern and kindness.
Someone touched her cheek. “You’re fine now, dear, but you gave us quite a scare,” Martha said.
Matthew couldn’t be the monster. Monsters didn’t have sweet wives like Martha. Or did they? “What happened?”
“One minute you were fine, and then you started hyperventilating, and then you passed out. I called for a boat to pick us up. Martha came along. She was too worried to stay home.”
Raven looked down. Her hands and feet were clamped in. “Why am I chained up?”
“Not chains, sweetie. Restraints. We couldn’t have you waking up and jumping out of the boat. Or tipping us over. It was for your safety.” Martha began to undo the clamps. “See I’m taking them off now. Nothing to worry about.”
After the restraints were off, Raven moved to a sitting position. “I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” Matthew said with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re all right. You gave me quite a scare.”
Raven looked around as they glided down the river, surrounded by trees. The place seemed so peaceful. So beautiful. And yet some monster had tried to kill her by throwing her in this water. She brushed the thoughts away. Focus on the present. “So this is how you rescued me last time?”
“Pretty much. Except we’re not going to Paw Paw but back toward Berkeley Springs.”
“It’s beautiful here.” She was surrounded by God’s beauty. She breathed in His holy Presence. Peace.
“It surely is.” Martha agreed. “There’s a lot of beauty in this world, Raven. Sometimes we have to make a choice whether to focus on the beauty or the evil.”
Raven stared at Martha. She’d been focusing on the evil, trying to find out who’d hurt her. But at the same time, she was ignoring the beauty, the love, the goodness that was all around her.
God saved her that night for a reason. The monster intended for her to die. But she hadn’t. She’d survived. God healed her broken body and was in the process of healing her broken spirit.
Would she waste her second chance by obsessing over a past she couldn’t change? Or move forward into her future? God loved her no matter what the monster had done, and He had good plans for her. Maybe it was time for her to put the past in the past.
24
“I’m fine, Martha. Really.”
They were back in Raven’s motel room.
Martha sighed, clearly exasperated. “I just hate the thought of leaving you alone in this room after what happened. It just doesn’t seem right. You’re more than welcome to spend the night at our house. We won’t even be around to bother you. My shift starts in a few hours.”
“That’s not necessary, but you are so sweet to offer. I promise I will call you or 911 if I start to feel dizzy again.”
She gave her a stern look. “You promise?”
Raven put a hand over her heart. “I solemnly promise.”
Martha laughed. “Well, I suppose that will have to do. But I will call you later to check on you. All right?”
“Sure.” Raven gave her the phone number. “I really appreciate all you’ve done. And Matthew too. You’ve both gone way beyond the call of duty.”
Martha blushed. “Well, thanks for that. I’ll talk to you in a few hours.”
Raven held up her phone. “I’ll keep it close by.”
After Martha left, Raven laid down on the bed, exhausted, physically and mentally. She couldn’t keep passing out like that. She needed to get the anxiety under control. It really had been better before she’d started remembering. She wished she could go back to not knowing.
Not knowing about the barn. The cattle prod. The monster. But she did know—at least parts of it. But it was what she didn’t know that terrified her.
The identity of the monster.
She wanted to let go of the past and move forward, but one recurring thought kept her from doing that. What if he’d kidnapped someone else? What if there was another woman in those chains right this moment?
She opened the nightstand beside the bed. Just what she was looking for. A Bible. She turned to the concordance and looked under anxiety, then turned to John 14.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
But she was troubled and afraid. So very afraid. “Please, God. I want Your peace. I’m tired of being afraid of everything and everybody.” Especially the monster.
Who was the monster? First she’d seen the face of Charles Whitman, and then Matthew Borden. Obviously she couldn’t trust her own memories. It was ridiculous to think either of them had anything to do with her abduction.
But why had she fixated on these men? She understood Matthew. He’d been standing in front her. But what about Charles Whitman? And what about the coincidence that he was from this area where they’d found her broken body?
“I know it must be a delusion, but I can’t stop thinking about him.” No matter how crazy it was, she needed to see Charles Whitman’s house. To see if he had a barn. Her barn. But what if it was? What would she do then? How would she get anyone to believe her?
“One step at a time.” She grabbed her keys and her purse. She was almost out the door when she realized she’d forgotten her phone. That wouldn’t have been good. The last thing she wanted to do was to worry Martha.
After getting her phone, she walked to the counter in the lobby.
A young man rushed over. “Are you leaving us so soon?”
“Actually, no, I’m not leaving until tomorrow morning. I have a strange request.”
“Probably not as strange as some of the requests I’ve had. You can’t even imagine what it’s like working in a hotel.”
She laughed. “You’re probably right about that. I came down here for one reason, but I found out that Charles Whitman lives in the area. Is that right?”
“He sure does.”
“I’d love to see his house. Do you know where he lives?”
“Everyone around here knows where he lives. You drive over the mountain to Great Cacapon. Now don’t blink, or you’ll miss it. It’s not much to look at. Then you drive about two miles past Great Cacapon and you’ll see a big white house on the left. You can’t miss it.”
“A white house. I guess he likes living in them.”
“Isn’t that the truth? I think he’ll make it to the other White House. At least I hope he does. He’ll make a great President.
” He laughed. “Anyway it’s got a long drive, and you aren’t allowed to go back there, but you can see the house from the road.”
“Oh, great. I’ll take a few pictures to show all my friends.”
“While you’re here, make sure you go see our castle too.”
“Castle?”
“Yep, it’s a real castle. It was built by some man for his wife. I guess you could say he treated her like a queen.”
“I guess you could say that. Thanks, I might just do that.”
Raven clutched the steering wheel as she drove up the mountain, glad she didn’t have to drive this road every day. Especially in the winter. It would be treacherous when it snowed.
She came to the tiny town of Great Cacapon. The clerk was right—not much there. She kept driving. She looked down at the mileage so she could keep track. Almost exactly two miles later she saw the huge white house on the left.
She slowed but didn’t stop.
She turned around at the next drive and drove past the house again. Even slower this time. Nothing looked familiar. No alarms went off in her head. Not a shred of anxiety. And it wasn’t even on the river side of the mountain.
Once again, she turned around.
As she approached the house for the third time, she suddenly made a decision and turned in. No one stopped her. She drove up the lane. Still no one stopped her. Her gaze took in the property.
The house was large but not quite a mansion. It was in the elegant style of a pre-Civil War home with pillars and a portico. Off to the side was what looked to be a garage but still matched the style of the house—even had pillars.
Behind the house a barn—a huge barn.
Her pulse raced.
Charles Whitman, III did have a barn.
The world turned wavy. Very deliberately Raven slowed her breathing. This was not the place or time to have another anxiety attack. As she was deep breathing a man walked around the corner of the house. He motioned at her.
She rolled down her window.
“This is private property, ma’am. You can’t be here.”
“I’m sorry. I needed to turn around, and I hated the thought of backing out on that crazy road.”
“Not a problem. Are you lost? Can I help you in some way?”
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