“Security guard.”
He swallowed a sob and looked over. “My name is Xander.”
“Whatever.” She’d learned a couple of their names, and where had that gotten her? Mei rubbed her shoulder. Still hurts. Revealing pain was also a weakness. She could see his craggy face in her mind as he said it. The crinkles around his mouth, and the stubble that grew gray. Mei shook off the memories.
The security guard was like a ten year old in a man’s body. She marveled that he’d kept anyone safe, let alone that he might’ve actually planned to kill someone. Though the gym owner had been in a coma so there probably wasn’t much fight.
He blinked at her. Mei got that a lot, there weren’t many people who understood her. She mostly just ignored it. “You tried to kill that man. The one in a coma.”
“Sam.” The security guard broke down again. “And I didn’t.”
“And I’m supposed to believe it was Terrence? Maybe instead of crying, you could explain to me why you tried to kill him.”
“I didn’t try to kill Sam! Why are you saying that?”
He hadn’t had a gun issued as part of his security guard gig for the medical center. That was more of a night-watchman kind of a deal. Making sure no one broke in to steal prescription meds, stuff like that. Guns weren’t technically allowed in this town, except the sheriff. Though the farm had one, and a couple of ranchers. The bullet that had hit Antonia had come from a revolver registered to an old lady in Kentucky. Mei was still waiting on word as to whether it was the same gun used to shoot her outside the radio station.
“So it was Terrence?”
The security guard sucked in a breath and pressed his meaty hand against his mouth. If he started crying again she was liable to strangle him the way he’d strangled that other guy. “I didn’t see his face. He had a big jacket, and his hood was up.”
“Isn’t that weird, since it’s been so mild lately?” She hated the weather here, it was so blah.
He glanced at her. Confused. Then got up and grabbed the bars of the open cell. He reared back and then slammed his head against the metal.
“Whoa, whoa!” Mei rushed over and tugged on his arm. “What are you doing?”
“You don’t believe me. You think I want to kill him!” Blood ran down his face. “You’re going to send me to prison because you think I hurt Sam!”
She hauled on his arm until he let go of the cell bars, but only one hand. He seriously felt so strongly about being accused of trying to kill that man that he was willing to hurt himself because of it? “Xander.”
It was like he didn’t even hear her. “You don’t believe me.” He grabbed the bar, dragging her with him and leaned back to hit his head on there again.
Mei ducked between his arms and came up between the big security guard and the bars. When he moved forward, she grabbed his cheeks, and kissed him quick on the lips. He sputtered and stared at her.
“Don’t get any ideas, it was just to distract you.”
**
Dan didn’t say anything, he just stood in the middle of her library and held up the bag. Everyone outside had left, as he’d politely asked them to give him and Gemma some space. His friends headed home. They’d seen the baby—and the aftermath of an attempted murder—and now it was late.
“I feel like you should say something about birth and death, or the circle of life.”
He lowered the bag. “Do you want me to?”
“No. I’d rather drink Cherry Coke and not talk about anything at all.”
“It has been a crazy day.”
“Same old, same old?” She shook her head, like he could even think things were normal right now.
“I’m not ignoring what’s happening, Gem. I’m just choosing not to let it get to me.” He took the contents from the bag and made them both a drink. Then he pulled out the vanilla ice cream.
“A Cherry Coke float?”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Gemma laughed. “I love you.” Her eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth.
Dan closed the gap between them. “I actually already knew that.” He smiled, his face close to hers. “And for the record, I also love you.”
She smiled. So sweet. “I know.”
“So what now?”
Gemma motioned to a table. The chairs had cushions but they’d been comfortable thirty years ago. “Here or the bean bags in the kid’s section.”
Dan grabbed both cups and the long handled spoons he’d brought and headed for the bean bags. He waited until she’d taken her first sip and swallowed before he said, “Do you want to get married?”
Gemma’s head whipped around, her eyes wide. “Right now?”
“People are dying. And I’ve been trying to talk to you about this for a couple of days.”
“What about the yoke thing?”
“Being unequally yoked?” When she nodded, he said, “It is important, but I think that even if it does cause issues, we have so much of the rest of us that’s straight that we’d get through it.”
“What if I never make a commitment?” She didn’t mean to him, and Dan knew that. He knew she meant what if she never became a Christian.
“Do you think there’s a chance you might not?”
Gemma frowned as she thought. Her thinking face was very cute. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take. He’s not pushing me into it. Which is good, but I don’t feel like it’s urgent, though.”
God wouldn’t pressure her into believing, but it was urgent. That was life, and it could end in a moment. “What if you died?”
“You don’t want me to go to hell?”
Dan stared at her. “Do you want you to go to hell?”
Gemma cocked her head to the side. “Are we sure that we believe in hell?”
Dan nodded. “I’ve lived it. I don’t want that. I want nothing but peace now. Forever.”
“Okay. Bright side, things aren’t going to get worse.”
“There might be challenges for us, Gemma. But we can get through them together.”
She was quiet for a moment and then she said, “I always knew that what happened with us would roll hand-in-hand with me and Him.” She pointed one finger at the ceiling. “You’re just so much a part of each other, that’s how I see you. Both of you.” She smiled a sweet smile. For him, and for God. “So yes. I accept—”
She glanced at the ceiling. “—I’m ready.” Then looked back at Dan. “Because people are dying. Because things are crazy right now, more crazy than I know how to handle, and you’ve always been my haven in the midst of all of it. No matter what. You always have been, and even with everything that’s happened that’s never changed.”
“It won’t.”
“I know. I trust you. And I trust Him. You’ve both always had my back.”
Dan scooted to the edge of his bean bag, braced one foot on the floor, and leaned over to her. “Kiss.”
Gemma obliged, along with another smile. “How long do you want to wait?”
“Well, there’s no jewelers in town, so I gotta order you something online. Guess I jumped the gun on asking.”
Gemma shrugged. “I don’t care. It can be our secret. But I don’t want to wait too long.”
“We also have to find someone who can marry us. I’m the only pastor, and I’m not even officially a minister except from this random website. I don’t even belong to a denomination, I kind of have to cover them all because people come from everywhere.”
“Huh.”
He frowned. “Guess I really didn’t think it through all the way, either.”
“Who marries the pastor when the pastor gets married?”
“Something like that.” He shot her a grin.
“Let’s put a pin in that.”
“What?”
Gemma chuckled. “Just something I saw on TV. Hang onto that thought for later. We’ll come back to it.”
“And in the meantime?�
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“I don’t know, but it’ll take some planning. Not that a wedding should be a big deal. Me, you. Someone to marry us. Witnesses. Cake—I guess that’s Frannie’s department. A dress and some flowers.”
“I’m really glad you don’t want a huge thing.”
“Would you marry me if I did?”
“You wouldn’t be you, but I’d still think you’re cute.” The best friend he knew didn’t want fanfare, ever.
Gemma set her cup aside. “Can I ask you something?” Dan shot her a look, and she said, “Okay, fine. But sometimes I just have to say it so that you’ll brace.”
“I’m braced.”
“Do you want to stay here?” Gemma’s breath hitched. “I know you have your farm and your friends. The church and all the people here, but…” She picked at a thread on her jeans. “Maybe, would you think about whether or not, if we could leave?”
“Leave Sanctuary?”
She nodded.
“Is that what you want?” He had to tread carefully, or she’d shut down. Gemma didn’t like having her feelings dismissed, or feeling like she was trapped. It was important to her to have freedom after being cooped up for so long.
Gemma bit her lip. “I think we should talk about it.”
“You said it yourself. I have the farm, the church. My friends.” She had Shelby, and now Elliot. Did Dan want to think about leaving? Sure, he’d been here his entire life as well and unable to leave, but then he’d never really wanted to the way Gemma had.
Dan stood to pace the kid’s area. Could he navigate the outside world? It would likely be akin to moving to a foreign country. He wouldn’t be doing it alone, though, would he?
Gemma stood as well. “Never mind. It’s fine.”
It was not fine. There was no way she meant that. “Gem—”
“Forget I said it. I’m tired, and I’m going to head home and try to sleep.”
She didn’t mean that, either. “Gem—” He tried to catch her as she swept around, cleaning up and grabbing her purse. “Lock the doors behind you.”
“Gemma!”
Two seconds before the door shut after her, Dan heard the hitch of her breath. She was crying.
Chapter 19
“We don’t have to go in the living room.”
Dan ignored Mei’s comment and glanced in there anyway. It was getting easier. “Remind me why we’re even in here again. Do you think Antonia’s killer has been in my house? Or has Terrence been hiding out in here?”
“We’re in here looking.”
Dan didn’t need this after that disastrous conversation with Gemma. Now Mei was evidently done with Xander, and she’d come back. The woman clearly knew a bunch of things he did not, because from his perspective it made no sense.
He still hadn’t been upstairs in his parent’s house. What did he expect to find up there but more evidence of the sad existence of his childhood? Before he could think about it, Dan trotted up the stairs. The air in the hall was dense with memories. He could hardly take one step without hearing his dad’s voice or remembering being shoved against the wall. Doors were open. He walked to the first room. Dust had been disturbed but still sat thick in the air in his parent’s bedroom.
Drawers had been pulled open. The contents of the closet lay on the floor. Disarray, but not as he remembered it. “Someone was in here. But recently?” It could have been years ago, and he wouldn’t have known. Dan turned and saw Mei in the doorway behind him. He pointed to the mess and said, “This your doing?”
“You think I’d search for something and you’d be able to tell after?” She looked disgusted. “Please.” She surveyed the room. “Sloppy. Searched all the normal hiding spots.” Mei folded her arms. “And they have no imagination.”
“Okay, so someone was definitely in here, and it was for nefarious reasons.”
Mei lifted both hands.
Dan sighed. “Could be they were looking for something related to the papers from the radio station.”
“Ah, the papers.”
“What does that mean?”
Mei shrugged and blew out an exasperated breath. “It’s just that… you know, you’d think if what’s in there was so explosive, then whoever took it would have spread it around by now. Blown the whole thing wide open, and all that. Wouldn’t they? I’d have spread that stuff wide.”
“Gemma said the same thing. Am I supposed to know why they haven’t?” Dan wasn’t doing well knowing the answer to a woman’s question.
Gemma had stormed out of the library because he’d taken too long processing the idea of living somewhere other than Sanctuary. He didn’t even know if he would be safe if he left this town. He had to find out from the Marshal’s service if the CIA agents who’d wanted to kill his father for turning on them would come after him. Were they even still alive?
Dan had no idea.
It might be that the Marshal’s service wouldn’t have the first clue what he was talking about. A lot about Bill Jones went under the radar back in the seventies, and it seemed like only Hal knew what had really happened. And Janice. Hal’s contact at the Marshals had known—a man John had told him was killed a few months back. The list of people who knew Bill Jones was shrinking. Soon no one would be left to corroborate.
There were so many questions. And yet, when he didn’t answer fast enough to satisfy her, Gemma had walked out.
“Are we going to the basement, or what?”
“You’re not going to, like, dust for prints in here?” Evidently Mei didn’t want to do police stuff on his possible break-in. “You said they were sloppy. Maybe they left fingerprints behind.”
“Do you have any idea how long it takes to run a print?” When he said nothing she said, “Besides, I’d have to go all the way back to the sheriff’s office for the stuff, and it’s nearly dinnertime.”
“It’s after ten.”
She ignored him and pointed to the door, as though leading the charge. “To the basement.”
Rather than figure out what on earth Mei was talking about, or what she wanted, Dan said, “One second.” He wandered down the hall to his bedroom. His bed was still inside. No mattress—that had been tossed in the horse stall. No toys. Nothing hung on the walls now. A couple of shirts in a drawer, but not much else. Rags, like the towels still on the rails in the bathroom.
A scuffle caught his attention, probably rats in the walls. He wouldn’t be surprised to find birds in the attic. Or bats. There had been bats when he’d been shut up there, in that dark empty space. You can sit here until you’ve learned your lesson.
“Someone’s downstairs.” Mei’s voice was low, guarded.
“Rats, probably.” Dan wasn’t that worried.
She shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips. Dan signaled— he would go first—and then he pointed to the wood floor. He stepped to the top of the stairs, avoiding every creaky board. Same as they descended to the first floor. Muffled talking came from downstairs. Thank You, Papa, the walls are thin. They always had been, and it had driven him crazy when he lay awake at night listening to his father yelling and his mother crying.
Mei tapped his arm. Dan nodded. He had no intention of confronting anyone, though he wasn’t about to let her go alone.
Mei crept to the stairs and started down. “Police! Freeze, both of you!”
There was a crash and then the sound of feet running. Dan headed down and caught up in time to see Mei disappear through the tunnel. He raced after her and the punishing pace she set. There was no let up, not until she reached the opening where they’d found Dan’s mother. Mei stood with her hands on her knees, her head forward. “Lost them.”
“They went different ways?”
She nodded. “Couldn’t tell which was in charge, but they were both fast.”
There were more than two tunnels here. His mom had been removed so that he could set about burying her. “Two guys?”
“Spindly. Young, probably. Still kinda teenage-lanky.”
; “I know them.” Dan gave her their names, and the houses where they lived. One was the kid’s mom’s address. “If they’ve been dragged in, it isn’t like Xander was. They probably volunteered, figured it would be more exciting than their lives. I can see that. Part of something big, so they might get noticed.”
Mei said, “I’ll go talk to the mom and confirm, add them to John’s list of those involved. Then I’ll find them.”
“In there?” Dan motioned to the tunnels that branched off from where they stood. “It has to be a maze.”
“There must be a way out, maybe to the woods. That might be how they got in, whatever they were doing in your basement. But one of these tunnels leads through the mountains out of Sanctuary. Your dad used it; it has to be there.”
His breath still came fast, and now he was going to have to go all the way back to his house. “I can hardly even comprehend the idea that there’s a way out of Sanctuary. All this time, the ‘safe, secure town of Sanctuary’ was wide open for someone to make their way here. My dad conducted illegal business out of the house. He breached the security of this town, how many times?” He sucked in a breath. “And for money? Where is it?”
Mei nodded. “I have someone looking for it. Do you remember Remy? She used to live here. And I am going to pass that information to you when I find out. It’s technically yours, as his only living dependent. Though it’s ill-gotten gains. I’ll have to ask about the legalities, but I’m sure we can work something out.”
Dan didn’t know where to start. Why would he need money when he had no expenses? The business paid for itself. But what if he had a brother or sister out in the world? Maybe Mei could find that out. They would be much older, but Dan would like to know. He could have family. Good or bad, they’d been related, but maybe they’d be good. Another gift from God.
He’d have to talk to Gemma about that idea. If she would listen to him, or even let him talk. When she didn’t want to, she absolutely would not, and there was no changing her mind.
Help us, Papa. Don’t let a stupid misunderstanding ruin what’s between us. He still intended to get that ring. Dan had thought about giving her his mother’s ring, but he didn’t want anything that his dad had touched. This wasn’t about the past, it was about who they were together and the future they could build.
Sanctuary Forever WITSEC Town Series Book 5 Page 21
