Jimmy nodded.
“Then it would make sense that you’d want to go back there. It’s only a few miles from your house. You could ride your bike—kind of a sentimental journey. The only problem is that if you’re not careful and ride too close to the edge of the water, the front wheel of your bike could slip in the grass and send you down into the water. Do you remember the deep water near the dam?”
Jimmy didn’t respond.
“That’s the best place for an accident. Everyone knows you can’t swim a lick and could drown in the bathtub. It will be a sad accident. I bet you’ll get a bigger write-up in the paper than your grandfather.”
Jimmy responded to the mention of Grandpa. To hear his heart go thump again and feel his strong arms around him would be heaven.
Scenes with Grandpa began to play in his mind: throwing a baseball, reading a book, climbing the pole, riding his bike. They were the first positive thoughts he’d had since Garner burst into Delores Smythe’s kitchen. A flicker of light flamed within Jimmy’s heart.
Jimmy put his head down on his knees.
“It’s time to say your prayers,” Jake said. “We’re almost there.”
The pavement ended, and they bounced briefly across the grass before stopping. Jake got out and opened the door. He reached in and took off Jimmy’s blindfold.
“Get out. No problem with you seeing where you’re going from here.”
Jimmy got out of the truck and leaned against it.
“Don’t touch the door,” Jake said sharply. “Step away.”
Jimmy took a few shaky steps forward. They were in the place where the vehicles parked for the fishing tournament.
“The presence of my truck won’t stand out at all, will it? There are tire marks everywhere.”
Jake was wearing white gloves. He lifted Jimmy’s bicycle from the back of the truck, reached in again, and retrieved a short rope.
“Let’s slip this around your neck. Don’t worry. I’m not going to hang you. It’s a leash to make sure you don’t wander away. You have a nice dog, don’t you?”
Jimmy thought about Buster. What would Buster do without him? Jimmy wanted to scream.
Jake wrapped the rope around Jimmy’s neck and tied a knot that he could cinch against Jimmy’s throat.
“Not too tight. I don’t want any rope burns. Those bruises on your face came when you fell down the bank.”
Holding the rope with one hand, Jake pushed the bike through the trees with the other. Jimmy walked alongside him. They came out into the open area surrounding the pond. The sun was below the trees now, the water still. A bullfrog at the south end of the pond announced the approach of dusk.
When he saw the water, Jimmy stopped. Jake jerked the rope; Jimmy resisted.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” Jake warned.
Jimmy shook his head. Jake dropped the bike on the ground, came around, and cinched the rope tighter around Jimmy’s neck.
“Come on!” he demanded.
Jimmy was having trouble breathing, but the sight of the water gave him the will to stand firm. He didn’t budge. Jake jerked harder, causing Jimmy to lose his footing. He fell forward, knocking over the bike before landing on the ground. Jake swore. His chest heaving, Jimmy lay on the grass. Jake knelt beside him and loosened the rope. Jimmy gulped in air. Jake pulled him up by the arm.
“We’ll make two trips.”
Leaving the bike, Jake dragged Jimmy forward. When they reached the edge of the dam, Jimmy could see the dark water, and adrenaline coursed through his veins. Instead of trying to resist Jake, he pushed him, causing them both to fall to the ground. Jake lost his grip on the rope. Jimmy rolled to the side and staggered to his feet. He started running away from the water. He made it about twenty feet before Jake tackled him. He pushed Jimmy’s face into the grass.
“You are not going to get away from me,” Jake said, breathing heavily. “I should have brought some tape for your feet.”
Jake wrapped the bandanna around Jimmy’s ankles and tied it in a knot.
“This should last long enough for what I need,” he said.
He picked Jimmy up in his arms and carried him back to the dam. Jimmy turned his head away from the water. The adrenaline gone, Jimmy went limp. Jake put him down on the grass and checked the bandana around Jimmy’s feet.
“I’ll be right back.”
Jake ran toward the bike. Jimmy raised his head and watched. In a minute, Jake returned, riding the bike to the brink of the dam, about five feet above the water. He placed the front wheel of the bike over the edge of the bank and moved it back and forth a few times. He then pushed the bike down into the water, where it slowly disappeared. Jimmy’s bike was gone.
Jake turned his attention to Jimmy. When he leaned over him, Jimmy saw the same evil he’d faced in Walt’s eyes, only worse. Jake seemed to look past Jimmy toward something, or someone, else. He flipped Jimmy over onto his stomach and sat on his back. He untied the bandanna from Jimmy’s feet. Jimmy tried to kick, but his legs were weak. Jake unwrapped the gag covering Jimmy’s mouth.
“Help!” Jimmy yelled.
“Scream all you want. No one will hear you.”
“Please help me!” Jimmy repeated, his voice cracking.
Jake slipped one of his arms beneath Jimmy’s elbows and pulled them back. Jimmy cried out in pain. Jake held him in this painful position and cut the tape around Jimmy’s wrists. Caught in Jake’s grip, the release of the tape didn’t free Jimmy’s hands. Jake dragged Jimmy over the edge of the bank. Jimmy looked down and saw the approaching water. With all the energy left within him, he tried to break free. He kicked his legs, screamed, and tried to jerk his arms free. But Jake’s grip was too strong. The dark water came closer and closer. The grass beneath him disappeared.
Jimmy went headfirst into Webb’s Pond.
— Thirty-six —
Jimmy opened his mouth in a silent scream. He lashed out with his hands but touched nothing. He spun, not sure which way was up. He frantically kicked his legs and came to the surface of the water. He opened his eyes, choked, and gasped for air. He saw Jake, unmoving, standing on the bank. Jimmy went under again. The darkness overtook him. He opened his eyes.
And saw a Watcher.
He could see nothing else in the dark water, yet the Watcher was clear. The Watcher floated without struggle, without panic. He reached out and took Jimmy’s right hand. Warmth and security filled Jimmy. Every fear fled from his soul. Water no longer owned his dread.
The touch turned into an invitation. Deep called to deep. Jimmy’s spirit echoed amen, and a cruel drowning was transformed into a glorious baptism. Jimmy Mitchell entered the realm of unending light.
BEYOND THE FIRST BLAZE OF GLORY, A FAMILIAR FACE WAITED for him. No longer old and wrinkled. Similar yet different. Grandpa, clothed in the splendor of redemption, stood before him. Jimmy gazed in wonder.
The greatest difference lay in the older man’s eyes. The clouded sight of earth had become the clear vision of heaven. From the depths of Grandpa’s eyes poured forth pure love in a torrent. Jimmy let it wash over him. He felt brand-new.
Grandpa opened his arms and, with a smile that contained the power of a thousand trumpets, beckoned to him. Jimmy moved across the space between them with a grace and nobility that caused Grandpa’s eyes to shine even brighter. They came together in an embrace that surpassed their earthly hugs as much as the sun outshines the moon. They held each other, whether for a second or a thousand years made no difference. Time no longer set its cruel parameters on their affection. It was the fellowship of the redeemed—a communion so full, so complete, so absolute, so perfect, that it may be experienced only by those whose hearts have been made ready by the One who is love himself.
Jimmy lowered his head and put his ear against Grandpa’s chest. Grandpa stroked his hair. Jimmy raised his head and looked again into Grandpa’s face.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The sound of eternal life, a hea
rt that will never fail.” Grandpa gestured with his right hand. “And this is the place prepared for you.”
Every sense completely and fully alive, Jimmy drank in the beauty and the glory. All the limitations of his earthly life transformed into glorious strength. Wisdom and knowledge beyond the comprehension of the greatest sages belonged to him. Grandpa laughed with unhindered joy.
“I owe much to you,” Grandpa said.
“Why?”
Grandpa didn’t speak, but Jimmy knew the day in the hospital had opened the doorway to Grandpa’s salvation.
“It was my final call,” Grandpa answered. “He enabled me to hear more than men knew.”
Jimmy saw the hospital room. Brother Fitzgerald praying. Grandpa’s bed surrounded by Watchers that even Jimmy hadn’t been able to see then. The presence hovering over the older man with new creation power.
“Many are in this place because of their last three minutes,” Grandpa continued. “The Father’s mercy and grace are great. He desires that none should perish but all come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Love for the lost and a longing for them touched Jimmy’s heart.
“Jake Garner,” Jimmy said softly.
“Yes, even Jake Garner.”
LEE MITCHELL CLOSED THE FRONT DOOR BEHIND DETECTIVE Milligan and returned to the living room. Ellen sat on the sofa, her hands wrapped around a wad of tissues, her eyes swollen and red.
“Are you sure you should have mentioned Walt as a possible suspect?” Ellen asked anxiously. “Jake Garner is the one who scares me.”
“It’s not our job to eliminate anyone from suspicion. Who knows what has been going on in Walt’s mind? He’s twisted.”
The initial worry that Jimmy was simply lost had been replaced by increasing panic as the hours passed and he didn’t return. Lee and Ellen conducted an informal search and, when that failed, called the sheriff’s department, which launched a full-scale search that included a door-to-door canvass of the neighborhood. Two people interviewed by officers documented Jimmy’s bicycle trip to Delores Smythe’s house but not his return. According to Detective Milligan, the house itself revealed no clues. Jimmy had fed the cats, cleaned the litter box, and vanished.
“It’s a missing-person case, not a criminal investigation, but he promised that they’d talk to Garner, Sharpton, Gambrell, and Brown as soon as possible,” Daddy said. “I asked Milligan not to contact Bart until that’s done.”
Ellen bit her lower lip. “It’s getting dark. I can’t stand the thought of Jimmy out there alone and scared.”
“I’m going out to look again,” Lee responded. “Milligan has both phone numbers in case he finds out anything.”
“I’m going with you. I can’t stand the thought of sitting here doing nothing.”
They returned at 3:30 a.m., exhausted, having driven for hours, stopped repeatedly, called Jimmy’s name, and waited for any whisper of an answer. Several times they encountered patrol cars also involved in the search. Deputy Askew was so distraught that he didn’t try to hide his tears when they talked to him in the parking lot of a convenience store.
“I’ll find him,” Askew said when he regained his composure. “I will find him.”
They fell into bed for a few fitful hours. Once awake, the crushing reality of Jimmy’s disappearance filled their world. They sat in the kitchen in silence, drinking coffee. The phone rang. Ellen jumped up, then stopped to let Lee answer. It was Detective Milligan.
“Wait until Ellen can get the other phone,” Lee said.
Ellen hurried into the living room, picked up on the other handset, and returned to the kitchen.
“Go ahead,” Lee said.
“We don’t know where Jimmy is, but we interviewed the boys from the high school. It took a while; however, once one of them talked, the others fell into line. It turns out Garner was giving them money to fix the scores for football games.”
“Fix what?” Ellen asked.
“Garner works for a bookie who takes bets on sporting events, including high school football games. He gave the boys money to make mistakes on the field so the score would be closer than everyone thought and enable the bookie to beat the spread. Sharpton worked for the bookie last summer, probably delivering money or drugs from Atlanta. Jimmy overheard them in the locker room talking about what they needed to do in the Dake County game.”
“The day of the fight?” Lee asked.
“We’re not sure how it all fits together. Did Jimmy ever tell you what he heard in the locker room?”
“No. Just the conversation in the stands when he was at the trash container after the Dake County game.”
“The two go together, but the boys claim that they don’t know anything about Jimmy’s whereabouts. I’m inclined to believe them since they came clean about the other matters.”
“What about Garner?” Lee asked.
“We haven’t been able to locate him.”
“And the bookie?”
“We don’t know his name. The boys couldn’t identify Garner, except as ‘the snake man’; however, the physical description is a one hundred percent match. You and I know Garner. If he or his boss believe Jimmy is a threat—”
Milligan stopped. Ellen looked at Lee with a crestfallen expression.
Lee swallowed. “Garner knows firsthand about Jimmy’s memory.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. We’ll try to locate Garner, but focus on searching for Jimmy. The radio station started airing a public service announcement at six o’clock this morning. Several officers whose cars he washed have volunteered to work an extra shift today.”
“Please tell them thanks,” Lee replied, his voice cracking.
“And someone will call you as soon as we know anything.”
They hung up the phones. Ellen returned to the kitchen table and put her head in her hands.
“Something horrible has happened,” she said flatly. “I can feel it in my heart.”
Lee came over and put his hand on her shoulder. “Maybe he spent the night with someone, and now that it’s a new day—”
“No,” Ellen said, getting up from the chair. “Don’t make up stories. I’m going upstairs to his room to pray.” When she reached the door, she stopped and turned around. “And if Jake Garner is involved in any way with this, I’m not sure I can forgive you.”
Lee looked down at the floor as he listened to Ellen’s slow ascent up the stairs. Jimmy’s door closed. Grabbing his car keys, Lee left the house.
HE’D LOST TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES HE RETRACED Jimmy’s route to Delores Smythe’s house but did it again in the half light of early morning. The sidewalks were deserted, every house at peace. Nothing seemed amiss. If the streets knew the truth, they weren’t talking.
Not knowing where to go next, he drove downtown to his office. He went inside and sat for several minutes behind his desk, staring across the room, focusing on nothing. Everything he’d worked to build in his professional life seemed pointless. He wandered into the conference room. On the small table in the corner of the room was Jimmy’s legal pad. Lee picked it up and stared at his son’s careful attempt to copy his name in the same manner Lee had scrawled it across the top. He opened the drawer of the table and took out the handheld tape recorder. Flipping it on, he listened to the sound of Jimmy’s voice expressing his love for his mama.
“Ellen can’t handle this,” he said softly to himself.
He started to turn it off, but Jimmy continued talking. Puzzled, Lee sat down and listened. When the tape ended, he immediately called Detective Milligan.
“Jimmy remembered details about the first conversation in the locker room,” he said.
“How do you know?” Milligan asked.
Lee explained what he heard on the tape.
“That’s consistent with what the boys told me,” Milligan said.
“Did they know what Jimmy heard and remembered?”
“It’s possible. If that’s the case, we have to assume
Garner knew—” Milligan stopped.
“Find him!” Daddy said.
Milligan was silent for a moment.
“Lee, we’re doing all we can. The announcement on the radio is producing calls, and we’re sorting them out. One came in from a hunter who may have heard someone yelling for help from an old house in the woods yesterday afternoon.”
“Give me details,” Lee said quickly.
“I don’t have any. I haven’t been able to reach the caller. I left him a voice mail. The men on patrol are looking. We’ll find him.”
Lee hung up the phone. He stared at the legal pad. Where would Jimmy go if he decided not to come directly home from Delores Smythe’s house? The thought of Jimmy not following instructions made no sense, but every other option had been eliminated. Lee ticked off in his mind the number of places in and around Piney Grove known to Jimmy. It was a finite universe, and Lee had gone to every one of them the previous day without finding a clue.
Then he remembered Webb’s Pond.
In all the swirl of activity following the wreck and his father’s death, Lee had forgotten that Jimmy rode his bike to the fishing tournament.
Leaving the office, he drove down Hathaway Street. It was Sunday, and he met individuals and families going to early morning activities at the town’s churches. In most of those churches, he knew people would be praying today for Jimmy Mitchell.
At Webb’s Road he turned in front of the freshly painted sign announcing Alfred Walker as the most recent winner of the carp fishing contest. He passed the place where his father’s truck skidded along the ditch and rolled over. The grass and gravel still showed the marks of the truck’s passage. He reached the end of the road and parked under the trees. He got out of the car to the sounds of silence. It was a calm morning.
“Jimmy!” he called out tentatively.
No response.
“Jimmy!” he called out louder.
He listened but heard nothing. Sighing, he put his hand on the car door to leave. But where would he go next? To the office? Home? The pond was a special place to both Jimmy and his father. Ellen could pray in Jimmy’s room; Lee decided to take a walk around the small lake and ask for God’s help.
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