“And?”
She explained the conversation.
“Don’t worry about coming in today, Susannah. Take the day off and for whatever it’s worth, I think he is incubating. From what Dave tells me, Val is head over heels in love with you. He’ll come around.”
“Oh Ginny, I wish I could believe that, but I can’t. He said I made him sick.”
“No, he said your vision made him sick. You’ve just rocked his world, Susannah. He knows you are not a nut case. He knows you are a rational, intelligent woman and he can’t explain your experiences without accepting things so far out of his realm of experience, he doesn’t know what to do. Just give him time. He’ll be back.”
“I’m not so sure. Regardless, I have the next rescue in two days.”
“Isn’t there another way to handle it? Couldn’t someone in my group tell the police?”
“Would they believe one of you quicker than they would me?”
Susannah could hear Ginny’s sigh over the phone. “Probably not. We do have a reputation of being grounded in science, but I have a feeling they wouldn’t believe the tip came from one of us. They’d think it came from one of our cases and we were only passing it along.”
“My point. There isn’t anyone to help. But you know, God promised me He would protect me, as long as I hold onto my faith. I think I’ll be all right, and so will the child. That’s the part I couldn’t make Val understand. Well, one of the things he couldn’t grasp.”
“Want to come down to the shop and talk?”
“Thanks for the offer, but actually no. I’ve got to get myself straightened out before Thursday. And, if it’s okay, I think I’d rather go the greenhouse. Working with the plants seems to calm me down and help me think.”
“I know exactly what you mean. Just remember, Rachel and I are here if you need us.”
“Thanks, Ginny.”
Susannah pulled into Ginny’s driveway forty-five minutes later. She rested her head on the steering wheel and willed the tears away. She had shed too many in the last few months. This would pass, as all things eventually passed. She would focus on the next hour, and the next, and soon the piercing pain would dull. After a little more time, even that ache would recede.
She had been so sure Val was the one God had promised. Did she miss some signs? Had there been things she ignored because she liked his company too much?
In the end, it didn’t matter. The result she had feared was now reality and there was nothing to do but move on. Where that would be, was an even bigger question. What future did she have? She didn’t have any family other than her parents, no husband, no children. Monsters ripped those away.
Susannah swallowed down the anger. That emotion would do far more harm than good. However at the same time, she couldn’t ignore how she felt, that too would lead to more issues, and she’d already been down that path.
She opened the car door and climbed out. Instead of wallowing, she’d work out the frustration and the anger productively. Working in the relaxing atmosphere of the greenhouse, surrounded with the gentle fragrances of the foliage would calm her soul. With her favorite CD playing, and her fingers enmeshed in potting soil, gently potting and caring for the plants would be the perfect catharsis. Unless she couldn’t control the anger and she ended up beating the fragile plants against the workbench. Surely, she had more control than that.
The menagerie gathered around her and silently escorted her to the door. They were subdued, evidently aware of her sorrow as animals so often are. She paused, hugging, and petting, then eventually sitting and pulling them close. She clung to them, Rufus in particular. He was large and soft, gentle, and perfect for hugs. The Burmese cuddled close, purring. Tiger Lily rubbed against her ankles.
After several minutes, she slowly extricated herself and went inside the greenhouse.
Concentrating on the work kept the worst thoughts at bay, and the morning passed quicker than she anticipated.
Instead of sitting on the porch with her lunch, she took her sandwich and headed down the road, eating while she walked.
It was another beautiful summer day with blue skies. A slight breeze helped keep the temperature a bit cooler, and birds sang. She glanced up at one tree. A different colored bird flittered from one branch to a higher one. She could have sworn it looked blue, but it had to be some kind of optical illusion. Spokane didn’t have blue birds. But, it did remind her of the hopeful words from the song: troubles melting away, birds soaring, and rainbows splashed against stormy skies. She decided to believe it was a bluebird, a miraculous sign, and that everything would turn out.
Unfortunately, it didn’t diminish the ache in her heart. Instead, it brought on a deeper melancholy. She could pretend all she wanted, but it wouldn’t change her circumstances, and playing games in her mind didn’t convince her heart. She would always be alone concerning her so-called gift. Why was it easier for most women to believe than for most men? Her dad believed her after a long battle and a preponderance of evidence. Dr. Forrester was the only one that believed even before she told him about the premonitions, but then, he was a spiritual man, used to accepting things on faith.
At the fifteen-minute mark, she turned and headed back. Ginny’s nosey neighbor stood beside her mailbox. She waved Susannah over.
“I’m not sure what’s wrong,” she held up her hand, “you don’t need to tell me. But, I wondered if you would like me to pray with you?”
Why not?
Susannah nodded. “Yes. I’d like that.”
The two women grasped hands and bowed their heads.
“Dear Lord, you know the heartache this woman is carrying. Give her Your strength, Your grace, and Your courage to face her trial. Heal her heart, Lord. Amen.”
The woman released Susannah’s hand and hugged her. “Trust Him.”
Susannah nodded, brushing back tears. “Thank you.”
“You are most welcome. Remember, if you need anything, I’m right next door.”
“I appreciate that.”
The woman hugged her again and then retreated into her house.
Susannah stared after her for a moment. Perhaps she had misjudged the woman. Rather than being the eccentric busybody she appeared to be, she was instead one of those exceptionally intuitive people who recognized, and then acted, on spiritual intuition, and was judged for it. That sounded all too familiar.
She strolled back to Ginny’s, retrieved the menagerie’s snacks, and sat on the porch swing. She carefully doled out the goodies and then sat back. There was something soothing about swinging and she indulged for several minutes before going back out to the gardens.
Ginny called once, Rachel twice. Each time, Susannah half hoped it would be Val, even though she knew it wouldn’t be. She politely declined offers for visits, for dinner, for overnight company. She didn’t want company, didn’t want to talk. If she could, she’d pretend she never met Val, never loved, and thus never had her heart broken.
She worked until late in the afternoon, stopping only when she remembered Buddy would be waiting for her. At least there was one other soul who cared whether she came home or not. Of course, her parents did, bless them, but that was a different kind of love.
Susannah followed the lock up procedure and drove home, once again on autopilot. She pulled into the garage and sat for several minutes. Grief was fatiguing. Her entire body felt weighed down. Well, in a way it was.
With a deep breath, she climbed out of the car and entered the house. Buddy’s exuberance was comforting and she didn’t try to stem it. When he finally settled down, she fixed his dinner, tossed a green salad together, and ate out on the deck. She could finish only half. Wine would taste good, but she wouldn’t go there. It would be too easy to numb herself in more than one glass. Instead, she fixed a cup of hot tea, equally soothing, and sat outside until the sun set.
She went in at dusk, fixed one more cup of tea, and settled in her chair in the den with a book. When her eyes could no longer
see the print, she closed the cover, and with Buddy at her heels went upstairs to bed.
Sleep came quickly.
***
Three days passed and not a word from Val. Had she expected it? Part of her had hoped, but the other part said, “See, told ya’.”
Regardless, the day was here. She’d muddle through as she always had. What was that old saying? “God takes care of children and fools.” Since she wasn’t a child, that left only one other option.
Susannah rolled out of bed and went down to the kitchen. She made a full pot of coffee and sat in the breakfast nook. Buddy huddled close. His closeness was comforting. It was true, God never took anything away that He didn’t replace in some way. She really wasn’t alone. She’d be fine. Life would go on. God would protect her and the child. Someone else may even come into her life.
Then, there was last night’s dream. It was as painful as salt poured directly into an opened wound, this one being in her heart. She and Val were honeymooning in Africa. Why would she dream that now when it was so improbable?
Africa. It helped her heal after Mark’s death. It might help her heal from Val ― or stir up more trouble. If she could talk to Dr. Forrester…
Barb would know how to get in touch with him. Perhaps she should call her. They’d promised to keep in touch and it had been a month since they’d last spoken.
She picked up her Bible. Devotions first, then perhaps some phone calls.
As she opened the cover, the Holy Book fell open to the Book of Daniel, the chapter where Daniel saved Susannah from the evil elders’ false accusations. She shook her head, nothing but salt.
***
In spite of her best efforts to concentrate and stay busy throughout the rest of the day, her mind kept going back over Val’s words. She searched for a loophole, anything to give her hope. He didn’t say he never wanted to see her again, yet he hadn’t exactly said he wanted to either. So where did she stand? Alone, that’s where, right back to being on her own. But she did have the old Indian, Rachel, Ginny, and her folks. See, she wasn’t alone. But, it wasn’t the same, was it?
Lunch came and went. The sun sank lower and long shadows crept across the lawn. Susannah put down her trowel and arched her back. It was time to go home and get ready. She didn’t feel ready, wasn’t prepared mentally, but time had run out and lives depended on her keeping it together.
***
Brian followed Rab down the steep stairwell to the ceremonial chamber, as the big man called it. So far, Brian had managed to stay out of it, and he didn’t like the idea of going down there now. At least he wasn’t there to witness or participate in whatever gruesome things went on in the room. He was only on clean up duty, whatever that entailed.
A strong stench assaulted him about half way down the staircase, growing stronger the further down they went. His mouth filled with a familiar coppery taste. He really didn’t want to be involved, but he wasn’t given a choice.
They entered an oval shaped room lit only by torches embedded in the walls. A large fireplace held some kind of giant pot. Strange sticks poked out of it. A stone table sat in the middle. Brian’s legs threatened to dump him on the floor. He was a killer, unfazed by gore ― until now. The only thing recognizable on the mass lying on the table was the face and only part of that. Charlie.
Rab held out several large garbage bags. Brian took one and accepted the plastic gloves. It took nearly an hour with both of them working to remove all the blood and tissue. Finished, they carried the bags upstairs and placed them in the trunk of a junked out old car.
Rab held out a set of keys. “Dispose of those.”
“Where?”
“Use your skills.”
Right. Brian took the keys and climbed into the driver’s seat. He pulled out of the compound and headed into the city. After prowling around several abandoned buildings, he parked next to a large commercial dumpster at a construction site. He scanned the area. It appeared clear. Not even any of the city’s numerous homeless were within sight.
He pulled the bags out of the trunk and threw them into the dumpster. He drove several blocks to an old subdivision and parked in front of a row of abandoned houses. He got out, caught a city bus to his apartment, grabbed his duffel bag and his cash, and left. Outside, checked for any observers. When he was certain the area was safe, he hustled down the street and disappeared into the city’s underground. Next stop, anywhere but Seattle.
***
The area was much darker than Susannah had anticipated. The proximity of the houses in conjunction with the privacy fences shut out most of the light coming from the streetlights, and the predicted full moon had yet to rise, if that would make any difference.
She skirted around the front of the house, crossed the back yard, and pressed up against the back corner of the home. She peered into the side yard. Better. Light from the streetlight didn’t illuminate the area, but the man’s form was plainly visible against the lighter background. He worked at the screen. When loose, he set it on the ground, leaning it against the house, and turned back to the window. The moment he slid it open, Susannah stepped forward.
“Stop!”
The man turned toward her. Susannah pressed the button down on the pepper spray and the red vapor spewed out in a wide arc, catching the man full in the face. He screamed, stumbled in the opposite direction, and collapsed on the front lawn. Without taking her eyes off the prostrate form, Susannah called 911.
“What is your emergency?”
“I want to report a prowler…”
Lights flicked on in the room. Susannah moved back into deeper shadows. A man leaned out, cell phone in hand. Good, a second corroboration never hurt.
She finished her phone call and hung up. The man still lay moaning in the front yard, now bathed with light from the front porch. The man with the phone, presumably the girl’s dad, stood on the front step watching the pedophile. Even better, another pair of eyes with enough motivation to ensure the felon stayed until the cops showed up.
Staying out of sight behind hedges and in deep shadows, Susannah went back to her car. With shaking hands, she poured coffee from her thermos, and settled down to wait.
Someone tapped on the passenger door window. Val.
Susannah unlocked the door.
Val climbed in. “Don’t look so shocked. I didn’t say I never wanted to see you again. I just needed some time to think.”
Susannah shrugged. “How long have you been here?”
“I followed you from the house.”
“And you said nothing?”
“I didn’t need to.”
Visualizing the effects of the pepper spray, she couldn’t argue that point.
“You know this is against all my training, against everything I have known to be true. You have rent a hole in my world, Susannah, and I don’t know what to do.”
“You could trust me.”
“I trusted you enough to show up tonight.”
“Out of curiosity, full of skepticism. You didn’t come out of trust.”
“Guilty, but remember, by profession I deal with facts, scientifically provable facts. What you told me is in whole other realm. So, please, hear me out.
“I do love you and can’t even think of letting you go. I know, even though I do not quite understand it, you aren’t lying. You aren’t some nut case looking for their fifteen minutes of fame. Something is going on, something I’ve never been confronted with, and I need to keep an open mind until I know all the facts.”
“Oh, Val. There are no facts. It’s just visions, dreams – a knowing that something is going to happen.”
“If I promise to listen and not judge, will you try explaining it to me again?”
“I’ll try ― if you truly want me to, otherwise, just end it now.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Susannah, I promise I’ll never hurt you again, never. These last few days have been hell for me too.”
They sat, holding hands. Val listened t
o every word, grimacing with the description of her attack, nodding when she vowed to stop the men, silent and thoughtful when she repeated her visions, and dreams.
She fell silent, staring out across the street. The police had the pedophile in custody, but through inexperience or carelessness, cuffed his hands in front, not behind as they should.
“Val.”
He saw it too. Before he could get out of the car, the felon smashed one officer in the face, grabbed the gun from the other officer’s holster, and fired. Both men were down. He snagged the keys to the handcuffs and ran.
Val pursued. Susannah bolted from the car and followed, but lagged too far behind. She continued running, pausing at the corner. Shots came from her left. She ran harder. After several false turns, she found Val slumped on the ground next to a fence. The pedophile was not in sight.
She knelt next to Val. He was conscious, but bleeding profusely from a shoulder wound.
“Hang on, I’ll call 911.”
He nodded.
With directions from the dispatcher, she started first aid and listened for the sirens.
A child’s cry rent the air. Susannah looked up. The sound came from the empty house behind Val. The cry turned to whimpering. She stood.
Val looked up at her. “What?”
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Another cry.
“That.”
“I don’t hear anything.”
“There’s a child in that empty house. It sounds hurt.”
“That is unlikely. Don’t go in there, wait for the police.”
“I can’t let the child suffer.”
“Don’t go in there, Susannah.”
She placed his hand over the makeshift bandage she’d made from his shirt. “Press that tight.”
“Susannah.”
Ignoring his plea, she ran up the walk to the front door. The old porch squeaked and grumbled under her weight. The door hung half open, revealing a black interior. Anything could be in there.
Again, the child cried out.
Susannah slipped through into the interior. The acrid stench of rotten wood, rancid water, and rodent droppings assaulted her senses. She stifled the gag reflex and listened. Whimpering came from a back room.
And Then Came A Lion (Lions and Lambs Book 1) Page 22
