Under the Willows

by Pamela McCord

  “I’m so relieved,” I said. “I’ve been a bundle of nerves all day. It almost makes me want to bake him cookies.”

  “You can bake me cookies anytime,” Rob said with a smile. “I think Captain Magnusson might be immune to your efforts to sweeten the deal.”

  He paused for a moment, and cleared his throat. “I’m going to be part of the search team.”

  “But you’re not okay.” I said.

  “I’ll be okay enough.”

  “Have you done that kind of search before?”

  “I had Marine Combat Diver training. So, yeah. I know what I’m doing.”

  “You’re really going out with them?”

  “I’m planning on it.”

  “But you’re not up to your . . . your—”

  “My superpowers?”

  “Yeah. Your superpowers. You know what I mean. You’re still recuperating. Won’t your injury inhibit your swimming ability?”

  “I’ve been wounded before. I can tough it out.”

  “But the water’s dirty. What if your wound gets infected?”

  “I’ll have a waterproof dressing put on the wound. That will keep the bacteria from getting in. I’m going to be there to find Emma.”

  I didn’t have an answer for that. I just looked at him in frustration.

  “Does your captain know you’re planning to join the search?”

  “Uh, no. I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow. It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

  I sipped my coffee, fighting to rein in my anxiety. “You’re staying tonight, aren’t you?”

  “Do you want me to?”

  “I don’t want you to overtax yourself if you’re planning to dive in two days.”

  “Aren’t you sick of me yet?”

  “I want you to be healthy enough that you don’t join Emma down there.”

  “Aww. You care.”

  “You’re impossible!” Though I was frustrated with him, I had to laugh.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you that I talked to the press this afternoon. I had the Captain set it up when I met with him this morning.”

  “Great. So they’re not hanging out at your condo anymore?”

  “I hope not. I won’t know for sure until I go back there.”

  “Just not right away, okay?”

  His face turned serious. “I want to talk to Emma again. So, yeah, I do want to stay.”

  “I’m glad you agree.”

  “I’d like to try in the morning. I’m going to ask for her help.”

  “And if she doesn’t come in the morning?”

  “Then I’ll have to stay another night.”

  “Are you moving in?”

  It was his turn to laugh. “We should at least have a first date first.”

  I grinned, and noted that his flirting didn’t scare me in the least.

  —

  When the doorbell rang, I opened the door to find the Harmons and Marilee standing on the porch. Nick held a large bundle, and I stepped aside for them to enter. Nick asked “kitchen?” and I nodded in that direction.

  Rob shook hands with the Harmons. He bent to Marilee’s level and said, “It’s great to see you, Marilee,” and squeezed her shoulder.

  “We wanted to do something to thank you for, you know, for everything,” Jane said. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t feel like cooking, so we brought over a ham, and the side dishes.”

  “It smells great,” I said. “But you didn’t have to do that.”

  “We wanted to. We owe you so much. Marilee is getting better every day, aren’t you, sweetie?” Jane directed a comforting smile at her daughter.

  “She’s still weak, and she lost a lot of weight, but she’s bounced back really well,” Jane paused. “Except for the nightmares.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, “but not surprised. How could she not have lingering emotional problems after what she’s been through.”

  “Has she talked much about what happened to her?” Rob asked.

  “No. She doesn’t want to talk about it. Hopefully, a therapist will help her find a way to deal with the trauma she experienced,” Jane said.

  Marilee’s head was bowed and she scuffed one shoe back and forth on the floor.

  I looked at her, and my heart almost broke. How could she bounce back from the darkness she’d endured.

  TJ came tromping down the stairs at the sound of voices.

  I put my arm around his shoulders as he popped up at my side. “TJ, I’d like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Harmon and their daughter, Marilee.”

  His eyes widened. “Oh, Marilee! We told Emma you’re safe.”

  “Thank you,” she said shyly. “She must be so lonely.”

  “Who’s Emma,” Jane asked. “Marilee mentioned her in the hospital.”

  “She’s our ghost,” TJ said, a big smile on his face.

  “Your what?” Jane responded, turning to look questioningly at me.

  “TJ, maybe—” I started to interrupt but he was already launching into a glowing account of our conversations with Emma.

  “Maybe you’d better sit down,” I said, pulling out a kitchen chair for her. “Nick, you, too.”

  I turned to TJ. “Honey, why don’t you and Marilee go watch TV for a while? The grownups need to talk.”

  “Okay, Mom.” He took Marilee’s hand and they disappeared into the front room.

  Rob and I took the other two kitchen chairs. I started to offer coffee, but from the strained looks I saw around the table, I sat down again.

  “What’s he talking about?” Jane asked.

  “Kids have such active imaginations,” I said, knowing even as I said it that it was an inadequate response, but hesitant to step into what I was sure would be a difficult discussion.

  “It doesn’t sound like imaginations—” Jane started, but stopped, confusion and concern reflected on her face. “How would your son know about Emma when he’s never met Marilee?”

  Rob sighed deeply. “Not directly, no.”

  “And who, exactly, is Emma?” Nick asked.

  “Look,” I said. “We really don’t want to get into this. Marilee’s safe now and you should concentrate on helping her get over everything that happened.”

  “Of course we’ll do everything in our power to help her,” Jane said. “But she keeps mentioning someone named Emma. If you know who that is, you need to tell us.”

  “But—” I started, but trailed off. They deserved an explanation, even if it wouldn’t make any sense to them. And even if it expanded the possibility the story could get out to the public, which could affect Rob’s job.

  Rob stared at the table, and lifted his head. “Emma Corning was a little girl who went missing under conditions similar to Marilee’s. Eight years ago. She was never found.”

  “What does she have to do with Marilee?” Jane asked.

  “Emma,” I started. “Emma’s ghost . . . she led us to Marilee.” I held up my hand. “Look, before you say that’s impossible, why don’t you ask Marilee about Emma?”

  “My daughter has been through enough,” Jane said with a huff.

  “Yes. She has.” I had no idea how to proceed. None of us spoke for several moments.

  The two kids appeared in the kitchen doorway. Marilee ran up to her mother, her eyes shining. “Mommy! TJ’s Dot talks to Emma. Can we get a Dot so I can talk to Emma, too?”

  “What’s a Dot and what is going on here?” Nick asked, his reddening face reflecting his consternation.

  I stood up. “Look. I would have preferred we not get into this, and we wouldn’t have if Marilee hadn’t brought it up but, since it’s the elephant in the room, I’ll tell you. You’re not going to believe me, and I’m sorry about that, but it is what it is. The Dot is a smaller version of Alexa. You know what Alexa is, right? TJ told me the Dot in his room was crying. I didn’t believe him at first, but after a few days I heard the crying for myself
. Then a child’s voice started asking for help. I was freaked out and we even spent a night in a hotel when it all started but, when I got brave enough, I asked the voice questions, like what her name was. She said her name was Emma. One of the questions I asked was whether she was alone. She said that Marilee was there, too. At that point, I contacted Detective Porter, who was also skeptical, until he heard her for himself.”

  “What she’s telling you is the truth, as far-fetched as it sounds. I didn’t want to believe the wild story, until I came here and heard it for myself. It was Emma speaking, asking for help. And eventually it was Emma telling us how to find Marilee.”

  “She did, Mommy. Emma talked to me while I was in that box. She told me not to be afraid, that she was there. I miss her so much.”

  “Did you see her?” Jane asked.

  “No. She just talked to me. I only heard her voice. I wish I could see her.”

  Jane looked at her, weighing the words, then lowered her head into one hand, rubbing her forehead. When she dropped her hand back into her lap, she looked weary.

  “Look,” I said again. “I don’t know how any of this is possible. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it myself. And Rob’s a policeman. Do you think he would blithely accept a story about a ghost?”

  “I don’t know what I think,” Jane said. “But whether it really happened or it was just my daughter’s imagination, I’m glad she didn’t feel alone.”

  “Did you find Emma’s, uh, remains?” Nick asked.

  “No. Not yet. Emma told us Brindleson dumped her in the lake. But it’s a big lake.”

  “So, there’s no proof that—”

  “No proof yet, but we owe Emma and I’ll do everything I can to find her body so that she can move on. The way she’s supposed to. We’ll be searching the lake in a couple of days. And I’m going to ask Emma for help. If we do find her, you’ll have your proof.”

  Nick tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m sorry, but this seems preposterous.” He glanced at his wife, who was watching her daughter. “But I know that you and Kelly saved my daughter, and I’m eternally grateful to you both. So, whatever happened here, we’ll leave it be. Is that okay with you, Jane?”

  She nodded.

  “You can’t tell anyone about this,” I said. “Please.”

  Nick looked at me questioningly.

  “She’s right,” Rob said. “Despite your skepticism, it’s important you don’t repeat what we’ve told you. Most people would react like you did. Not to mention that it might give Brindleson’s counsel a solid argument to have his case dismissed.”

  “And it could have negative implications for Rob’s job,” I said. “But it’s not just for our benefit. Think about what would happen if the media found out. They’re already focused on Marilee. It would be a whole media circus if they heard about Emma. And not in a good way.”

  “Our lips are sealed,” Jane said, her eyes solemn. “You don’t have to worry about us. We’ll talk to Marilee, too. In the meantime, you should probably refrigerate that ham.”

  “Eek. I forgot all about it,” I said, laughing.

  Chapter 34

  O

  O

  nce I got TJ off to camp the next morning, Rob and I headed for TJ’s room. Both of us were nervous, knowing how important it was, fearing Emma wouldn’t appear.

  “Emma,” I started. “Are you here? Can you come out?”

  “I need to talk to you, Emma,” Rob added. “It’s important.”

  The room stayed warm. We waited, calling out to her several times, but with no success. Rob looked worried, and stood. “Emma. We need you. Now.”

  I put my hand on his arm. “I’m not sure she’ll respond to your angry voice.”

  He sat down again. “I know. It’s just that it’s frustrating. I need her help.”

  “Should we go and try again later?” I asked.

  “What’s the point? I guess her business with us is done. She was just trying to save Marilee.” He stood and walked to the doorway.

  “Wait,” I said. “I have an idea. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s all we’ve got.” I brushed past him as I headed for my room, and was back moments later, dangling my necklace from my fingers.

  I clutched it tightly. “Emma, now will you come?”

  We only waited a moment before a chill settled over us.

  “Emma?” Rob said.

  I’m here, she responded. She sounded sad. I’m sure she was lonely.

  “I’m coming to find you, Emma,” Rob said.

  You can’t. I’m in the water.

  “We have a search team set up for tomorrow, but it’s a big lake. Is there any way you can give me a sign to let me know where to look? Anything? If you do, I can dive down there and, with luck, I’ll be able to find you.”

  I’ll try, she said. I might have detected a note of hope in her disembodied voice.

  “Tomorrow, Emma. Look for me on the lake tomorrow. We’ll start from the cabin so you’ll know which boat, and I’ll be searching the water, waiting for a sign. Okay?”

  Okay.

  And she was gone.

  We looked at each other, and he squeezed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

  “Now we wait for tomorrow,” he said.

  At least there’s a chance. We have a chance.

  Chapter 35

  O

  I

  rode shotgun in Rob’s truck on the two-and-a-half-hour drive to the lake. We didn’t talk on the way, each lost in our own thoughts. I couldn’t go out on the boat with him; it was police business, after all. But I could watch from the dock.

  The first boat set out, straight ahead from the dock, then to the left. Rob’s boat planned to launch half an hour after the first. He kept scanning the horizon, looking for Emma’s sign, seemingly without success. As his boat set out, he looked at me and shrugged, then turned back to scanning the lake.

  Biting my fingernails did little to distract me from the stress of worrying. The first boat returned to the dock after an hour, with nothing to report. I watched Rob’s boat from the cabin porch as it motored along the shore, then farther out. And I watched when the boat turned back toward the dock. Even from a distance, I could see the defeated look on Rob’s face.

  He turned slightly to look back over his shoulder, and did a double-take. Following where I thought he was focused, I saw a waterspout twenty yards behind the boat. Rob pointed and yelled for his crew to turn the boat around. The waterspout stayed in one spot, the water rising fifty feet in the air. Rob sat on the side of the boat as it approached the waterspout, then slipped over the side and disappeared into the lake.

  I watched the surface, my heart in my throat, for what seemed an eternity. Divers from the first boat watched from the dock, some pacing as the minutes stretched out. I closed my eyes and prayed.

  A cheer erupted when Rob emerged from the water and swam toward the boat. When he reached it, I watched him hand something to one of the crew as he was hauled aboard.

  I wanted to run down onto the dock to meet the boat, but wasn’t sure of the protocol in a police investigation. And, I didn’t want to make a scene in front of his team. They had no idea why we knew the lake had to be searched.

  He somehow managed to attach a buoy to the location where he’d made the discovery, of what I didn’t know. But it meant something or he wouldn’t have needed to mark the scene.

  I sank down onto the cabin’s porch as I waited for the boat to dock. Then I waited as the divers exited the boat, and as Rob was surrounded, everyone shouting questions. I saw him glance in my direction. Our eyes met and held for just a moment . . . and he smiled.

  He started up the path to the cabin as the boat with other divers headed back out on the lake to finish what he’d begun.

  “Kelly, I think I found her” he said as he sat beside me on the porch. “God, I’m tired.”

  “I bet you are. You w
ere down there a long time.”

  “Only as long as it took,” he said with a smile.

  “I’d hug you, but you’re all wet,” I said.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, hanging his head.

  “Heroes don’t have to be sorry.”

  Chapter 36

  O

  C

  rap. A missed call from Jeff Silver, the attorney handling the lawsuit contesting Kate’s will. I leaned against the kitchen counter, frowning, waiting for the coffee to brew. My frown turned into a smile as I listened to the voicemail. The judge had ruled in my favor. I won.

  One less stress I had to deal with. I confess that one had been pushed way into the background by all the Marilee and Emma drama. I’d almost forgotten about it. Still, what a relief.

  I carried the coffee mugs out to the living room and handed one to Rob, who was still floating on euphoria from this afternoon.

  “Okay. Tell me everything,” I said.

  “I told you at the cabin.”

  “I know, but I want to hear it again, in case you forgot anything.” Really, I just wanted to listen to him talk.

  “Well, to begin with, did you see that waterspout?”

  “Did I? Oh my God! It was amazing.”

  “It was doubly amazing because Emma caused it.”

  “Did the guys give you a hard time when you said you wanted to dive there?”

  “Oh, yeah. It didn’t make sense, but I told them I had a feeling and to humor me. I said maybe it was a sign from God.”

  “I bet that went over well.”

  “Actually, it did. Anyway, I dropped into the water, and . . . did I tell you how dark it is down there? Visibility wasn’t good, and I think the lake might be a hundred feet deep around that area. I have to admit feeling that it would be a longshot to find her, even if she did show me the spot. My flashlight picked up a stream of bubbles maybe thirty feet down and I didn’t think twice. I just beelined for that spot. I saw an outcropping where the bubbles were originating. At first, nothing stood out, but I brushed at silt covering a pile of what seemed to be rocks and, when I uncovered them, it was obvious they weren’t rocks. Long strands of hair floated in the water and the tiny skull was silently, sightlessly looking at me. There was no doubt it was Emma. I took a bunch of pictures and carried the camera up to the boat. Anyway, that’s about the whole story. They should have been able to retrieve the bones by the end of today. They’ll let me know.”