by Diane Moody
A Jeep Cherokee pulled up in front of the house. Matt hopped out and raced across the lawn and up the porch steps.
Peyton stood to greet him. “Gevin called you?”
“Yes,” he yelled over a clap of thunder, “but I couldn’t believe it.” He pushed the hood of his sweatshirt back off his head. “Then when I got the APB, I called Jeff. But for the life of me, I can’t believe it!”
“I know,” Peyton shouted in response. “Aubrey and I were just having that same conversation.”
“Think it would be okay for us to go inside?” he asked. “It’s awfully hard to talk out here with all this racket.”
“I don’t know,” Aubrey said. “It feels like we’d be trespassing.”
Peyton grabbed the thermos. “He’s right. It’s too loud trying to compete with all this rain.”
They moved inside and finally settled at the kitchen table.
“This is all just crazy,” Matt said, wiping his face with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Aubrey, Jeff told me you were the last one to see Kathleen. She gave you a ride home?”
“Yes, and when she started to turn onto her street, she seemed as confused by all the flashing lights as I was.”
“Did she say where she was going after she let you off?” Matt asked.
“She said she was coming back here to see what was going on. Obviously, she didn’t.”
“Was she acting strange?”
“You mean before she saw all the lights?”
“Before or after.”
“No, not really. Though she’d obviously been drinking. She didn’t appear to be drunk, but I think she must have had some wine in her travel mug or maybe spilled some on her. There was a strong whiff of alcohol the minute I got into her car, though I think she tried to cover it up with cologne.”
“Cologne?” Peyton asked.
“Yes.”
He remembered the night Tristan mentioned smelling some kind of cologne or perfume in the baptistry area when he found Harley’s body. Peyton assumed it was Harley’s aftershave and forgot about it. Could it have been Kathleen’s cologne?
“What is it, Peyton?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter right now. Tell me about your conversation with Kathleen. Did she say anything specific? What did you talk about?”
“Not much. I mean, I was only in the car for a few minutes.” She repeated the conversation, including the plan to join Aubrey and her mother for dinner. “She wanted to stop by her house and pick up a bottle of wine. But right as she started to turn onto her street, we saw all the flashing lights at her house and she hit the brakes.”
“Why didn’t she come to see what was going on?”
“Like I told Peyton, she insisted on driving me home first because of the rain.”
“Taking off like that doesn’t help,” Matt said. “It only makes her look guilty. Anything else you can tell me?”
“No. Except that this all seems like a bad dream.”
They chatted a while longer before Peyton took a call from Jeff. So far no one had seen Kathleen or her car. Gevin had stopped by Braxton House, but she wasn’t there either.
Another hour passed before Gevin returned and joined them in Kathleen’s kitchen.
“I’m trying, but I just cannot make sense of this,” he said, raking his fingers through his damp hair.
“Audrey asked me how long Kathleen has lived here in Braxton, and I realized I don’t actually know,” Peyton said. “Do you?”
Gevin leaned back in his chair. “She’s only been here about a year or so, I think. Maybe not that long. I’m not sure. She had been the CEO of some big corporation out in San Diego. When it was bought out, the new owners cleaned house, including her. She’d given her entire career to that company, and it devastated her, so she moved back here. She and Harley were both raised here in Braxton, though to be honest, I don’t know anything about their parents or what happened to them.”
“I remember her telling me she moved back just about the time they were looking for a curator for Braxton House,” Peyton added. “Certainly a case of divine timing. She’s done an amazing job there since it opened.”
“Except for that whole situation with the sword, right?” Aubrey asked Peyton. “You told me about it after Dad’s funeral there at Braxton House. Some kind of priceless artifact?”
“The Braxton Sword,” Gevin answered. “But that wasn’t her fault. That was when we first found out about Harley’s gambling addiction.”
“In fact, unbeknownst to anyone else,” Matt said, “he stole the sword the night that Julie and I got married there. The security cameras weren’t up and running yet, so he slipped in at some point and used Kathleen’s keys to unlock the case and steal the sword.”
“And to make a long story short,” Gevin continued, “after Harley went missing, Kathleen called me one night to go with her over to his house. She was afraid to go in by herself. Apparently, a few years ago when Kathleen returned home from a business trip, her husband wasn’t at the San Diego airport to pick her up. So she took a cab home and found him there inside the house. He’d hung himself.”
“Oh, how horrible,” Aubrey said.
“Gevin, I never knew about that,” Peyton said quietly. “She never mentioned it to me.”
“No, she wouldn’t have,” Gevin answered. “And the only reason I know is because that was her explanation for asking me to go inside Harley’s house first. She was afraid of what she might find. And the only reason she asked me was because Jeff wasn’t available. That was when his newborn baby was in Neonatal ICU. Abby was born with some kind of heart arrhythmia, and they weren’t sure she’d make it. Thankfully, she did.”
“What a relief that must have been,” Aubrey said.
“Peyton?”
At the sound of Jeff’s voice in the house, they all stood and followed Peyton into the entry hall.
“Any luck?” he asked.
Jeff took off his hat and rubbed his forehead. “No, and with this downpour, it’s hard to see much of anything out there.”
“That’s why I came back,” Gevin added. “Is Cameron still out looking?”
“Let me check.” He put the call through on his cell and put it on speaker as he pulled off his rain slicker.
“CHIEF! I WAS JUST ABOUT TO CALL YOU!”
“What have you got, Cameron?”
“I FOUND HER!”
Chapter 39
“She’s up on the water tower and threatening to jump!”
“What?! I’m on my way—”
“NO! Hold on, Chief. You can’t come! She’s adamant about that. That’s why I’m way back here at my cruiser. She wouldn’t let me get anywhere close to that tower.”
“Talk to me, Cameron.” Jeff glanced up at the others as he put his rain slicker back on. “There’s no way we’re going to stand by and let her jump!”
“I know, but she’s really messed up, Chief. I found her car hidden behind those shrubs about thirty yards from the base of the tower. The doors were unlocked; the keys were on the console, and her purse was on the passenger seat. I got this awful feeling, so I turned around and looked up at the tower. At first, I didn’t see anything because of all the rain, but I moved a little to the east and that’s when I saw her. She’s up there barefoot and has some kind of bottle she keeps drinking from.”
“Any chance you can talk her down?”
“No, she was furious when I first called out to her. Started screaming all kinds of threats, saying she would do a Peter Lanham dive if I didn’t get back in my cruiser.”
“What if I went?” Peyton said, as all eyes turned to him. “I’m a pastor and her friend. She won’t feel as threatened by me.”
Jeff’s eyes stayed locked on Peyton’s. “Absolutely not. I’m not putting you in harm’s way.”
“Fine. Then let me put myself in harm’s way.”
“No way.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
Jeff pulled hi
s cap back on. “I’m going out there to assess the situation. I suggest you all stay right here until you hear from me.”
“Jeff, you can either let me ride with you, or I’ll drive there myself. But you and I both know she’ll talk to me. And neither you nor Cameron can say the same.”
Jeff held his gaze for a long minute then gave in. “All right. But you don’t make a move unless I say so. Is that understood?”
“Copy that, Chief,” Peyton answered.
“Then let’s roll.”
“Peyton?” Aubrey grabbed his arm as her face clouded with fear. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Don’t try to be a hero. Promise me!”
The split-second plea, her hand grappling for his, the tender compassion in her eyes all hit him at once in a tangled web of adrenaline.
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I promise, but you have to trust me, Aubrey.”
Her eyes searched his, then she nodded.
“I’m leaving, with or without you, Peyton!” Jeff shouted from the porch.
“I’ve gotta go.” He hugged her hard and kissed her once more then hustled out the door.
“Let’s take my car, Jeff!” Peyton shouted. “Yours might scare her. She won’t expect you in mine.”
Jeff paused only a moment before changing direction to follow Peyton to his car. On the short drive to the tower, Jeff called Cameron to give him a heads up. Peyton silently prayed while keeping his eyes focused on the road through the pulsing wipers.
I know You’ve got this, Lord. Just lead me. Tell me what to say. Use me to break through to Kathleen and bring her safely off that tower. Whatever has led her to this moment, let me be Your vessel to convey Your love and forgiveness for her.
He shut off his headlights as he drove up the hill then pulled off the road and slowly approached Cameron’s cruiser.
With a final thought, he added one last prayer. Any chance You could give us a break from this rain, Lord?
As agreed, Peyton climbed out of the car, quietly closing the door as Jeff stayed inside. Shielding his eyes, he glanced up at the tower and spotted her, seated way up on the platform that circled the tower, her legs dangling off the ledge and her feet bare.
“Peyton,” Cameron said, coming to his side. “I don’t think she noticed you pulling up. She’s had her head resting on that rail for about five minutes now.”
Jeff slipped out the passenger door and joined them. “You ready?” he asked Peyton.
Peyton rubbed his hands on his damp jeans. “Ready.”
“We’ll keep you covered.”
“Guys, the best thing you can do for all of us right now is pray.”
“Got it.”
With that, Peyton started toward the tower. By the time he’d closed half the distance, the rain eased up considerably. He raised a finger toward the sky and thanked the Lord.
“STOP! DON’T COME ANY CLOSER OR I’LL JUMP!”
He stopped, raising both his hands, then yelled, “Kathleen, it’s me, Peyton!”
“Noooooo, no, no, no!” she cried out. “Oh Peyton, why’d you come? I don’t want you to see me like this!”
“Well, the way I see it, you could use a pastor about now, so that’s why I’m here.”
“Oh Peyton …”
With the height of the tower and the distance between them making it difficult to have a conversation, Peyton made up his mind.
“Here’s what I’m going to do, Kathleen,” he shouted. “I’m coming up there, and you’re not going to do anything but stay right where you are. You know me, and you know I’m no threat to you.”
“Peyton, please don’t …”
He brought his palms together and lifted them to her as a silent plea to hear him out. “It’s okay, Kathleen. It’s okay.”
He took a few steps and kept his eyes glued to her. Her cries broke his heart, but even more, they empowered him to do what needed to be done. She lifted her head and watched him at the base of the rungs, her whimpers barely audible over the rain still falling on the tower.
He took one step. Then another. She watched him but said nothing. Rung after rung he climbed, his hands grasping the wet rails as he went higher and higher. When he finally reached the landing, he paused and raised his hands again as if waiting for permission to come aboard a vessel. Sorrow crowded her features and slumped her weary shoulders until there was nothing left of her.
“Kathleen, you know I’m not here to judge you. I only want to help. You know that, right?”
“No.” She hung her head, shaking it back and forth. “It’s too late. You’re too late to help me.”
His hands still raised, he continued. “It’s never too late. I know you’re scared, but no one’s going to hurt you. You know you can trust me.”
“But you don’t understand. It’s all my fault. All of it. There’s nothing you can say. Not now.”
“I don’t believe that for one moment. We’ve always been able to talk, you and I.”
“Not now. Not after this.”
“Listen to me, Kathleen. It doesn’t have to end this way. Whatever you think you’ve done, it’s not worth this. Not in a thousand years.”
She didn’t answer, just shook her head woefully. Rivers of rain plastered her white hair against her head, her clothes against her body; her appearance like that of a skeleton wrapped in wet rags.
“Kathleen, I just want to talk. That’s all. We’re friends, and I’m hurting so badly for you right now. But I’m also your pastor, and whatever you tell me is in confidence. Don’t carry this burden alone. Let me help you. All I’ve ever wanted to do with my life is to help others, especially in their darkest hours.”
“Oh Peyton … I’ve made such a mess of it all.”
“What have you made a mess of?”
She shook her head even harder then buried her face in her hands and wept.
He uttered another desperate prayer. First, asking God for the right words to say. Then another in gratitude for the rain that was finally clearing. As if God had literally shooed away the rain, leaving only a fine mist in its absence.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, her head still buried in her hands.
A moment later, he plopped down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and resting his head on hers. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Kathleen. I’m here. Right here.”
She sobbed, her body trembling with each breath she struggled to find as she lay her head against his shoulder. He let her cry as long as it took, holding her and covering her with silent prayers.
Time stood still, or so it seemed. A movement below caught his eye. With a stealth-like gesture, he signaled Jeff and Cameron with a raised and open palm.
Wait. Just wait.
When her cries finally grew silent, he positioned himself to sit beside her, his own feet dangling off the ledge like hers with the rails keeping them safe.
“I’d offer you my handkerchief, but it’s soaked,” he said quietly.
She pulled back, her head bowed in shame. “I never wanted you to see me like this.”
“Then I guess you need to let that go. Because all I see is a friend in need.”
She tried to wipe away her tears, then pushed her drenched hair back from her face. “Did you mean what you said?”
“About what? Seeing a friend in need?”
“No. About keeping whatever I say in confidence?”
“Yes, of course. It’s like the attorney/client privilege, just a more sacred version,” he said with a hint of humor.
She nodded, still not willing to make eye contact.
“Kathleen, look at me.”
She shook her head and started to crumble again.
“Look at me,” he said, gently cupping his fingers beneath her chin to turn her face toward him. “Don’t be afraid. There’s nothing you could say or do that will make me stop caring about you or wanting to help you. Okay?”
At last, she trailed her eyes to look into his ever so briefly, then closed them tig
ht and slowly nodded.
“Good,” he said, releasing her chin. “Then why don’t you tell me what made you climb this tower in the middle of a storm.”
It took a moment before she found the courage to begin.
“I don’t even know where to start. I’ve … it’s just that …”
“Take your time. We’ve got no place to be.”
“You’re too good to me, Peyton. I’ve always appreciated you. And I hate having to tell you all this, because I know you’ll never look at me the same again.”
“No, you don’t know that, so why don’t you just start from the beginning.”
Another moment passed before she sighed and finally began.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was just so angry at him. But I never would have hurt him. You have to believe me about that. My brother … Harley was blackmailing me. It’s no secret, of course, that he’d gotten himself into such horrendous debt with his ridiculous gambling. He was convinced the loan sharks would kill him if he didn’t repay them immediately. And … well, I suppose you know about the Braxton Sword.”
“Yes, I heard he’d stolen it, hoping to sell it for enough money to cover his debt. But he didn’t go through with it.”
“No, he didn’t. Well, yes and no. When he came to me, asking for money, I was furious with him for being so stupid. But little by little, he wore me down and convinced me they really would kill him. He’s my brother. How could I stand back and let them kill him? So I gave him twenty thousand dollars. That was a drop in the bucket compared to what he owed them, but it was all I could give him at the time without raising suspicion from the bank. He took it, of course, but … well, that’s when he came up with the idea of stealing the sword.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
She said nothing, then slowly turned to face him. “You thought I had no part in it, right? You and everyone else. But I did.”
“Kathleen, what are you saying?”
“Harley told me about the sword. He said he would steal it, then sell it and pay off his debts. Of course, I said no. I told him it was a preposterous idea! But in the end, with his life on the line, I begrudgingly agreed to go along with his idiotic plan, knowing the insurance would reimburse Braxton House. I knew it was wrong, and I’ve asked myself a thousand times why I went along with it. After all we’d been through to get the Braxton Sword back here where it belonged? But in the end, I suppose I felt some kind of responsibility for my brother. He was the only family I had left. But it was without question the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. It made me sick, Peyton. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I worked so hard to keep my game face on so no one would suspect I had anything to do with it.”