by Anita Higman
I crept up the staircase, hoping there was an easy way to open the door from the inside. Never once forgetting about the third step, I treaded softly up to the landing. I heard nothing. Vlad had surely gone. Unless he was hiding on the other side of the door. But why? He could have killed me so easily. So quickly. And yet he didn’t.
Riddled with indecision, I stood in the same spot for what seemed like hours. Finally, I decided Vlad had left the house. He must have been so obsessed about the ruby he’d forgotten how important it was to dispose of his eyewitness. No problem there.
I mashed the handle on the inside of the door and pushed. Nothing happened. But surely the Sisterhood would have created a way to get out, even if the door got locked from the outside. I looked for a latch or a secret lever. Nothing. Everything about these women was covert.
If all else failed I could try hammering my way or waiting for someone to come looking for me and then screaming my way out. Surely the cellar wasn’t soundproof.
After giving the door some serious body slams, I gave up for a while and sat on the landing to consider a fresh plan.
At least I was alive. I just needed to be alive on the other side of this door. I chuckled. There was nothing funny about my predicament. But it certainly made all my earlier concerns about the wedding seem utterly frivolous. A big wedding—a huge wedding with all of Max’s family now seemed easy. After staring down the barrel of a revolver and death, I could face so much more now. Even motherhood. I wasn’t sure what kind of mom I’d be, but I knew without a doubt I wanted to try.
I sat there praying for a while. Then suddenly I heard noises. Very faint. Was it Vlad coming back to finish me off? That idea brought a rush of emotion. I was looking forward to proving to Max and to Joby that I was no longer afraid to live my life to the fullest. With them. But I’d never get to do that if Vlad had other plans. I sent up another fervent plea to the Almighty.
The sounds, first at a distance, came closer. Should I scream for help or wait? People—I heard people. The door began to open.
Instead of hollering, I held my breath. My eyes adjusted to the light. What presented itself to me on the other side was no less than astonishing. The flashlight fell from my hand.
28 – One Particular Obsession
Three people stood in front of me. Dedra, Vlad, and an older gentleman, who was a stranger to me.
I searched their faces, wondering what was happening. Everything suddenly seemed even more dream-like than it had before.
Vlad looked at me, his eyes now watery and anxious. He bore little resemblance to the man who’d just come into my house wielding a gun and an arrogant smile. He glanced away toward the floor as his right hand twisted as if it were deformed.
“Bailey.” Dedra rushed over to me, hugging me. “You’re all right. I’m so grateful.”
“How did you know how to open the door?” was all that came out of my mouth.
“Vlad told us. . .everything.”
I hugged her back, knowing Dedra was full of distress as well as queries.
“Vlad came over to my house,” Dedra said. “And we called his friend, Adam, for help.” She motioned toward the stranger.
The stranger, who had to be Adam, turned to Vlad. “Please wait in the living room for us. All right?”
I flashed Adam a worried look. Vlad would surely escape.
“He’s given up the gun as well as the ruby,” Adam told me. “It’s over.”
Without ever looking me in the eyes again, Vlad obeyed Adam’s request and shuffled toward my living room, his shoulders drooping and his head lowered.
“My name is Adam Kale.” His warm green eyes radiated kindness and concern.
“Bailey Walker.” I shook his hand.
“I wish we could have met under better circumstances.” Adam breathed in. “Vlad has told me what’s happened. I’m sorry he put you through this.” He handed me the velvet sack, which held the stone.
I accepted the jewel, but knew well that it had caused more sorrow that it would ever give pleasure. “You’re a friend of his then?”
“Yes. And because of his mental issues, for the last ten years he’s made himself, well, accountable to me. I’ve been a little bit of a father to him, but apparently I’ve done a very bad job.” He shook his head. “Vlad’s been on medication and in therapy for a long time, but I had no idea he’d gotten so far off-track. He’s had this one particular obsession since he was a child.”
I looked at Dedra and then back at Adam. “You mean about the ruby?”
“Well, no, that part is more recent. You see, Vlad gets delusional at times. He thinks he’s a. . .” Adam sighed as his voice faded.
“Yes?”
Adam crossed his arms. “I’m sure you’ll find this hard to believe. But Vlad sometimes imagines that he’s a vampire.”
I cringed, not wanting to believe such a thing, and yet it did explain some of his bizarre behaviors, such as the costume and the hearse and his fascination with blood. “How strange.”
Adam cleared his throat. “Vlad’s real name is Charlie Ware. But he had it changed to Vlad Tepes, since that was the name of the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”
That was it. I knew his name had sounded familiar. How very odd. And truly sick. I looked at Dedra’s sad face as I pondered the news. I knew she’d already started to care for the man, and was grieving for him. She walked over to the French doors and looked out toward the living room where Vlad was sitting. After a moment, she came back to us, her eyes misty.
I turned to Adam. “How could anyone come to think that way? What could have gone wrong?”
“Well, I do know some of his childhood. Not a lot.” Adam clasped his hands together. “At ten years old, Vlad’s mother died, and then he was abandoned by his stepfather who continued to raise B.J. When Vlad was a little older, he tried to take his own life by cutting his wrists. He woke up in the hospital and was told a stranger’s blood had saved his life. . .had made him live again. And Vlad’s suffered on and off with that delusion ever since.”
I tried to absorb all the news, but it was a story I could barely wrap my mind around and one I certainly couldn’t have made up. “But I wonder. . .how could this ruby have become part of the delusion? He talked about it giving him power.”
Adam released a long sigh. “I don’t really understand it either, except that I think he’d read about some sort of mystical legend that was attached to rubies.”
I held up the velvet bag. “Well, I guess you both saw the ruby in this satchel. It’s an incredible jewel, but I only found this cellar and the ruby just hours ago. I can’t imagine how Vlad could have known about it.”
Adam shrugged. “We may never know. While we were talking to him, he was already forgetting some of what had happened.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and then pulled out a cell phone. “Oh, this is yours too.” He handed me my phone.
“Thanks.” What a day. It felt like a year. Or more.
Dedra took hold of my arm. “I’m so sorry. I can’t stop thinking that this is my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten so involved with Vlad. And I shouldn’t have told him about the passage. You warned me, and I didn’t listen to you. I’m so impetuous, and I can’t keep a—”
“Vlad was very determined.” I gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “You wouldn’t have stopped him.”
Tears streamed down as her face tightened in anguish. “But if anything had happened to you down there, I would never have forgiven myself.”
I pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. “It’s all right. All is well.”
When Dedra stopped weeping, I gently released her. She blew her nose and dabbed her eyes.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Adam said to me, “how did you get Vlad to call me?”
I paused to gather my thoughts. “I’m not sure. After he spotted the ruby, he seemed to become more unbalanced. But after I said the words, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown merc
y,’ he changed. In fact, he became so anxious he fled from the cellar.”
Adam’s mouth gaped open. “Now that is amazing. I’ve always tried to live by those words, and Vlad has heard me say them over and over. I guess he was listening after all.” He shook his head.
I knew I’d always remember those words and this day—when God came near, and He allowed me to touch the hem of His garment. The moment felt so stirring I hated to bring up Mr. Ware, but I felt compelled to mention his death. “Did Vlad tell you about his stepbrother, B.J.?”
“He did.” Pain crossed his face. Adam was obviously blaming himself. “Vlad confessed to the murder. Apparently, he’d deliberately caused the heart attack that killed his stepbrother. I’ve called the police. They’re on their way.”
“Oh.” I lowered my head. “I wish things could have gone differently.”
The doorbell rang, and we walked out of the library toward the entry hall. Vlad still sat calmly on one of the folding chairs in the living room. His shoulders gave the impression of defeat, and his arms hung limply at his side. Adam and Dedra went over to Vlad and sat down next to him.
Oh God, thank you that I didn’t lead Vlad to his death in the cellar. And that he didn’t lead me to mine. Please let there be justice served, but let Vlad find some mercy too. To be abandoned as a child must not have been an easy road. Then I thought of Joby’s plight, and tears welled up in my eyes.
I took in a deep breath and opened the front door. Two police officers stood on my porch. “Please, won’t you come in?”
29 – All That Glitters is Not Gold
After refusing an attorney, Vlad confessed his crimes to the police. Then, without resisting arrest, he allowed the officers to handcuff him and take him away. Adam and Dedra decided to drive to the police station in the hopes of providing moral support. I stood at my front door, watching and pondering, as the last of their procession of cars turned the corner off Midnight Falls.
What an unbelievable day. I certainly didn’t want to repeat it. Ever. But at least the house felt more settled. More at rest. And so did I.
Max came striding up the sidewalk toward my house. I could see a look of genuine concern on his face, and it warmed me through.
When he reached my porch he said, “Hey, what were the police doing here? Are you all right? I’ve been trying to call—”
“I’m okay, but we’re going to need a pot of good strong coffee.”
Max winced. “That bad?”
“Yeah.” I chuckled, releasing some of the tension of the day. “I’m afraid so. I don’t even know where to begin really.”
We walked into the kitchen, and after reaching for coffee filters and a bag of beans, Max turned me around to face him. “Just start anywhere. Talk to me, Bailey.”
“Okay.” I licked my lips. “Vlad Tepes, our new neighbor, just confessed to the murder of his stepbrother, B.J. Ware. Well, that among other crimes. That’s why the police were here. They arrested him.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding.” Max set the coffee grinder back down on the counter.
“Vlad frightened B.J. to death. That’s how B.J. died of a heart attack.”
“Incredible. Just as you predicted.” He shook his head. “Bottom line, from now on, you’ll always be right.”
I shook my finger at him. “And a truth I hope you’ll never forget.”
Max grinned. “But how did you figure it out?”
“Well, I’d been suspecting Vlad for various reasons, but I only just put the whole picture together a couple of hours ago.”
After explaining a few of the finer points of the murder, Max asked, “But why would Vlad want to kill his stepbrother?”
“They had a disagreement. B.J. wanted to sell the ruby, and Vlad wanted to keep it. Use its power, or so he thought.” I leaned against the counter. “But that’s another whole story for another day and another pot of coffee.”
“You say they had a disagreement about a ruby?” He put up his hands. “What ruby?”
I pulled the velvet bag out of my pocket and opened the golden ropes. I gingerly lifted out the crimson stone and set it in Max’s hands. “This ruby.”
“So, there really was a treasure. All this time.” He studied the jewel and shook his head. “Where was the ruby hidden?”
“In an underground room.” I grinned at the absurdity of my statement.
Max looked stunned as he stared at me. “So, there’s a cellar under this house? I had no idea. Where exactly?”
I realized how much I’d kept from Max. Shame consumed me. “I’m so sorry Max. There’s still a great deal I need to tell you. A lot has happened in the last few days.”
“I guess so. Please tell me more. I’m all yours.” Max took another look at the jewel, slipped it back into the velvet bag, and set it on the counter. “Maybe I do need some coffee. Make it extra strong.”
After we sat down with our beverages, I told Max about finding the diary and about the Sisterhood of the Penumbra and their writings about the cellar. “You see, I had to find that underground room. I felt somehow all the elements were tied together. The treasure, B.J.’s death, and Vlad’s strange behavior.”
Max took a deep swig from his mug. “So, all the people who’ve been after this treasure, they were right all along. Isn’t that something?”
I nodded. “I want to show you the cellar.”
He held up a finger. “But first, I still don’t understand something. Vlad wanted the ruby, so he was over here. Did he harm you?”
I sighed, not wanting to tell Max about my little skirmish with death. “Well, he did pull a gun on me today.”
Max’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
I frowned. “And the first evening he came over to introduce himself as my new neighbor, he slipped something in my coffee.”
“You mean a drug?” He stood up, nearly knocking his chair over. “Bailey, why didn’t you tell me? We would have called the police immediately. Put this guy behind bars.”
After apologizing profusely for not telling him, Max sat back down, shaking his head. “And to think B.J. and Vlad were our neighbors. Your neighbors.”
I took a sip of my coffee. Ahh. It was amazing that a stimulant could be so soothing. “There’s something else you may find interesting. B.J. Ware’s first name was Buford. He was the same Buford who’d wanted to buy this house from Granny. Apparently, he never gave up. Or I should say, the stepbrothers never gave up. Maybe they figured if they couldn’t own my house, they could at least be near enough to steal the treasure.”
“You were right about that too. I’ve been such a fool.” Max raked his fingers through his hair. “I wasn’t here for you, Bailey. I wasn’t paying enough attention. I wasn’t really listening. What kind of an enormous failure of a fiancé does this make me?”
“No.” I took hold of his hand. “I’m the one who needs to apologize. I should have told you everything. It’s just that all the clues never seemed to add up right. Nothing was all that definitive. And then suddenly, everything happened so fast, I barely had time to breathe. But you are, after all, the man I’ll be spending the rest of my life with. We shouldn’t have such terrible secrets. I’m so sorry.” I lifted his hand to my face, and his palm cupped my cheek.
Max looked at me with such tenderness. “You’re forgiven, even though there’s nothing to forgive.”
I kissed the palm of his hand and then released him. “And, Mr. Sumner, while I was staring down the barrel of a gun today, I discovered something.”
“Bailey, to think he could have killed you so easily. I can hardly think of it. I’d like to be on the witness stand and put that guy away for life.” Max let out a puff of anger. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I rubbed his back to comfort him.
“Please,” Max said, “tell me what you were going to say. What did you find out?”
“Well, I discovered the Psalms were right. When I pass through the shadows of death, I have nothing to fear. . .since
the Lord is my Shepherd. My comings and goings are in His hands, and that’s more than enough.” My smile felt like it covered the whole of me, right down to my toes. I fingered my coffee cup. “And I learned something else. If I can stare down the barrel of a snub-nosed revolver, then I can certainly stare down the church aisle at a few hundred wedding guests.”
“What are you saying?” Max took my hands in his. “You mean, you really do want a big wedding after all?”
“I do. No limit on the number of guests. Or anything else. I’m not even sure what I was so afraid of. Except maybe it felt like one more piece of my life was flying out of my grasp. But then control is just an illusion. We have very little of it. But as Christians, we don’t really need it. Do we?” A grin teased the corners of my lips as I leaned over to give Max a kiss.
Our affections lingered for a while and then Max eased away. “You’ve made a lot of folks very happy. . .including me.”
“Well, then.” We rose, and I circled my arm though Max’s. “And now I’d like to show you the infamous cellar.” Before we headed toward the library, I glanced back at the clay pot in the kitchen window. The little shoot, which had barely been able to call itself a plant, had not only grown tall, but was now bursting with some sort of lavender flower. I had no idea what its name was, but I thought it was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. Amazing what a little mercy will do.
Then I leaned my head on my fiancé’s arm as we strolled into the library. I felt for the key in my pocket, almost forgetting it was there. Funny, how the most likely object had produced nothing. And now there were no more doors to open. No more secrets to be revealed. At least that was my deepest hope.
“You know,” Max kissed the top of my head. “I can think of a lot more questions, but there’s one thing I have to know right now.”
“And what is that?”
He stopped for a moment and looked at me. “The final clue. When did you know for sure he’d murdered his stepbrother?”
I gave him a shoulder shrug. “His shoes gave it away.”
Max chuckled. “I saw them. They were pretty ridiculous.”