From The Ashes

by Claire Sanders

  Mark spoke up. “It may not seem like it now, Judith, but this is a significant break in the case. Not only can you I.D. the truck, you can also identify the woman. Agent Lawson and I reviewed the videos from the day she and her sister came to visit you, but there aren’t any clear shots of their faces.”

  “If you catch them, will the arsons stop?” Judith asked.

  Sheriff Miller leaned forward. “There aren’t any guarantees in this business, Miss Robertson, but knowing they can’t get away with it usually makes a criminal think twice.”

  Judith rose and moved to Jacob’s side. “If you’re finished talking to me, I’d like to get Jacob to the hospital.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me,” Jacob said.

  “I’m taking you, anyway. That cut on your head is turning purple.”

  Sheriff Miller rose to his feet. “That’s it for now. We’ll be in touch.” He offered a hand to Jacob. “I really wish you’d think about my offer.”

  Jacob shook the sheriff’s hand. “I will.”

  Judith studied the two men. What offer had the sheriff made that Jacob wasn’t telling her about?

  ****

  Judith sat on the examination table beside Jacob. “What do you think Rev. Washington will do now?”

  “Meet somewhere else. He may even keep meeting at the site of your church. There’s lots of shade there.”

  “Do you think your minister would let Henry’s congregation meet at your church?”

  “That’s a possibility. Henry would have to change the time of his service, but something could be done. I’ll talk to our minister about it.”

  “Dwight Thompson wouldn’t burn his own church, would he?”

  “Do you think Dwight was there last night?”

  Before Judith could answer, there was a short rap on the door and a man wearing a green scrub suit entered the exam room. “Mr. Fraser? I’m Dr. Jansen. We finally got the results from your CT scan. The good news is there’s no bleeding into the brain so all you need is a good bandage to close that cut. I’ll send in the nurse.” The doctor rushed out of the room.

  Judith and Jacob exchanged gazes and chuckled. “We waited two hours to see the doctor and our visit lasted all of thirty seconds,” Jacob said.

  “But at least we know you’re OK. How long do you think we’ll have to wait for the nurse? An hour?”

  “At least.” Jacob took Judith’s hand. “Since we’ll be waiting for a while, this would probably be a good time to tell you how sorry I am for letting you down.”

  Judith’s heart twisted to hear bitter regret in Jacob’s voice. “You’ve never let me down.”

  Jacob looked at their joined hands, but not at her. “I promised to watch out for you, but I wasn’t there when you needed me. I promised I’d keep an eye on the church, and it’s destroyed. I tried to help Sheriff Miller and Mark Grey get some information about a local hate group, and I learned absolutely nothing. I don’t know how you could call that anything other than failure.”

  She shouldn’t have involved Jacob in her fight. She’d known she was risking the church, but she’d never considered how she was endangering Jacob. What could she say to make him feel better? “You helped Henry’s congregation when they needed it. Not only did you arrange for monetary donations, you pitched in and helped them refurbish my grandfather’s church. And the only reason you weren’t keeping an eye on the church was because you were trying to help solve the crime.”

  “Didn’t do any good, did it?”

  Judith was the one who’d let the ladies explore the church. She had no inner compass when it came to trust. A few months ago, she’d trusted no one. But when those ladies had shown up at her front door, she’d ignored the warnings. “We all knew my grandfather’s church would probably be burned.”

  “But maybe I could have prevented it,” Jacob continued. “I definitely could have prevented you from getting hurt. Judith, if anything happened to you…”

  Visible guilt and regret dimmed his features, and she’d put it there. Jacob, whose eyes had twinkled with merriment and whose mouth had always been quick to smile, couldn’t meet her gaze because she’d over-reached her ability. How could he think he’d let her down when the truth was that she’d failed him?

  Judith’s cell phone rang. She pulled her hand away from Jacob’s grip in order to answer it.

  “Miss Robertson? This is Mark Grey. Are you and Jacob still at the emergency room?”

  “Yes, but we’re almost finished . Do you need us?”

  “There’s no hurry. I’ve got some good news for you.”

  Judith looked at Jacob. He sat patiently on the examination table, intently listening to her side of the conversation. “Hold on, I’m going to put the phone on speaker so Jacob can hear this.” Judith returned to Jacob’s side and pushed the speaker button. “Go ahead, Mark.”

  “Special Agent Lawson got the license plate numbers from the video. The cars belong to people who live in the county so Sheriff Miller was able to move fast. He’s already made the arrests. He wants to know if you’ll come down to his office to identify the woman you saw last night.”

  “He’s caught them? Already?”

  “Seems that way.”

  “Was Dwight Thompson one of them?”

  “No. We’re also working on locating the man who called Jacob. Since the call came from a land line inside the sheriff’s department, and since we know the exact time it was made, we should be able to narrow down who made the call.”

  A blonde nurse wearing pink scrubs entered carrying a metal tray with bandages.

  Judith pressed the speaker button again and brought the phone to her ear. “Do I have time to go home for a shower first?”

  The satisfaction in Mark’s voice was unmistakable. “Take your time, Judith. I think we should make Miss Lily White sit in the holding cell for as long as possible.”

  ****

  Two hours later, Judith parked her car in front of the Sheriff’s Department.

  Jacob sat in the passenger’s seat, his eyes closed and his head resting against the back of the seat.

  “Do you still have a headache?”

  “Oh, yeah. If I didn’t know better, I’d think some of your fairies were mining for ore in there.”

  “Did you take the pain medication the nurse gave you?”

  “Not yet. She said it would make me sleepy. I’ll take some when this is over.”

  Judith looked at the building’s glass door. She’d identify the women and the law would take care of the rest. She’d done what she could for Rev. Washington. His congregation could continue to meet on the site of the ruined church or make other arrangements, but she was finished. She had nothing more to offer him.

  Jacob got out of the car and walked towards the building.

  Judith remembered the day of the church picnic when she’d admired his strength and agility.

  Now his shoulders slumped and his jaws clenched. He turned at the entrance and looked at her.

  It was time to finish this.

  Mark Grey met them near the dispatcher’s desk and shook Jacob’s hand. “How’s that hard head of yours?”

  “Just a bump. I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

  “Glad to hear it. Judith, if you’ll come this way, we have the woman we arrested in an interview room.”

  Judith followed the agent to a short hallway with windowed rooms.

  “This is one-way glass,” Mark explained. “You can see in, but she can’t see out. Take a good look.”

  Judith stepped to the window and viewed the gray-haired woman who’d threatened her life. Judith’s throat squeezed shut as anger rekindled her outrage. What kind of hatred motivated someone to commit such heinous acts?

  Mark opened a folder and pulled out a copy of her drawing. “Your artwork was spot on, Judith. We showed this rendering around the county and more than one person pointed us to the woman you see sitting in that room.”

  “What’s her real name?” Judith
asked.

  “Barbara Sullivan. We also arrested her husband, Alfred Sullivan. He was still wearing those fancy cowboy boots you drew. No word yet on the other man.”

  Jacob touched Judith’s shoulder. “Is that the woman who threatened you?”

  Judith’s mind flashed back to the way the woman had sneered at her as the church burned. “Yes.”

  Jacob’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Are you willing to testify to that in a court of law?” Mark asked.

  Judith thought of Rev. Washington’s congregation. They drew so much strength from each other, and this woman wanted to find a way to put an end to that. “Of course.”

  Mark smiled broadly. “That’s all I need now.”

  “What about the woman’s sister?” Jacob asked.

  “We haven’t been able to locate her. The suspect says she doesn’t have a sister, and so far, all the other woman is guilty of is lying about her identity. But don’t worry. This investigation is far from over.”

  Jacob moved closer to the window. “Are you going to question her now?”

  “No,” Mark answered. “The suspect has already confessed.”

  “Confessed?” Jacob’s surprise was obvious.

  “I can’t say too much more because you’re both potential witnesses. I just needed the I.D. as a safety measure. We’re going to take her back to the holding cell now. You two may want to leave before we do.”

  Jacob laid his palm against the small of Judith’s back. “Let’s go. This woman has caused you enough harm.”

  Judith allowed him to guide her back towards the front of the building. A deputy passed them in the hall and Judith heard the interview room door being opened.

  Barbara Sullivan’s voice carried down the short hallway. “I’ll tell you whose fault it is that old church was burned. Judith Robertson. Her own grandfather built that church, but she didn’t have any respect for that. We wouldn’t have even known about that old place if Judith hadn’t let the blacks use it.”

  Something cold skittered up Judith’s spine. If she’d denied Henry’s request, the church would still be standing.

  “And you can blame Judith for the truck accident, too,” Barbara continued. “That black woman and her little girl wouldn’t have even been in the truck if Judith hadn’t made friends with her.”

  Judith fought to keep her tears from falling. The suspect may have been lying about other things, but what she’d said about Beverly and Keneisha was true. They would have been better off if Judith had never tried to help them.

  Judith squeezed Jacob’s upper arm. “I’d like to go home now.”

  Jacob reached for her.

  Judith stepped away. “I need some time alone.” Her hand went to her aching throat. “And we both need some sleep.” She walked briskly towards the front door.

  She was so close to crying, so close to collapsing in the hallway and surrendering to the anger and self-reproach that bit at the edges of her soul. If only she could get back to the privacy of her cabin where no one could witness her loss of self-control.

  ****

  Home, in her cabin. Safe. In the last twenty-four hours, Judith had been terrified, threatened, angry, and grief-stricken. She’d cried until her swollen eyes burned. Nothing would keep her awake that night.

  Pumpkin jumped on the bed and kneaded Judith’s stomach. Pumpkin didn’t know how badly Judith had messed up, but Jacob did.

  He’d driven her home, helped her into the cabin, and driven away. Not even a good-bye kiss. His feelings couldn’t have been clearer. The love he’d once felt for her was buried under disappointment and remorse.

  She’d put others in danger. Maybe he’d been right that she was too young to know better when she’d allowed her mother to get murdered, but what was her excuse now? She was certainly old enough to know she shouldn’t have let Beverly or Keneisha come to harm, but her stubbornness about the church had put them in danger.

  No wonder Jacob had been anxious to get away from her.

  He’d once told her he’d waited a long time for her. But she was not the woman meant for him. He needed someone who could make a clear decision without risking someone else’s life. He deserved a help mate, not someone who would force him to question his very judgment.

  How could she stay in Piney Meadow, knowing what she’d done to him, to his friends? She should go back to Dallas, back to the insular life she’d created for herself. It may have been lonely, but she hadn’t hurt anyone.

  Sheriff Miller had told Judith she wouldn’t be needed for several weeks. She could always come back to testify. Otherwise, she’d make her home in Dallas. She’d concentrate on work and eventually the pain of losing Jacob would diminish.

  And surely the hollow feeling inside her would eventually fade.

  18

  Pumpkin emitted an indignant wail as Judith set the pet carrier on the cold tile floor of her condo in Dallas. Everything was just as she’d left it, as uninviting as a morgue.

  She knelt beside the crate and opened Pumpkin’s door, but despite the cat’s constant complaints during the three hour trip from Piney Meadow, the feline cowered in the corner of her crate, distrustful of the new surroundings.

  “I know how you feel,” Judith coaxed in her gentlest voice. “This place doesn’t feel like home, does it?” Already she missed the summer breeze that wafted through her grandfather’s cabin and the constant birdsong that accompanied her daily tasks.

  Pumpkin eased her nose to the edge of the carrier and sniffed the air. One small paw tested the floor, followed by a blur of orange as the kitten bolted to the nearest hiding place.

  Still on her knees, Judith moved to peer under the couch. “Oh, sweet cat. I’m so sorry. You were just getting used to the cabin and I brought you here.” Maybe her father had been right to never allow her a pet. She certainly wasn’t doing a very good job with Pumpkin.

  The ringing phone forced her to leave the cat where it was. She answered, not surprised to hear her father’s voice.

  “Are you all right, Judith? I got your message.”

  “I’m fine, Dad. How are you?”

  “Fine, but I’m worried. Why did you leave Piney Meadow so quickly?”

  “I’ve already done enough harm there. Thought it was time to come back home.”

  “What are you talking about? When I saw you a few weeks ago, you were surrounded by people who obviously loved you. What harm could you have possibly done?”

  Judith held the receiver at arm’s length so she could sniff back her threatening tears.

  “Judith?” her father’s voice crackled loudly.

  “I’m here,” she answered, struggling to keep her voice steady.

  “Sounds as though we need to talk. Want to have dinner tonight? We can meet anywhere you’d like.”

  “Why don’t you come here?”

  “You’re going to cook?”

  Despite her sorrow, Judith smiled at her father’s incredulous tone. “I learned to make a few dishes while I was away. I can run to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner. Do you like fried okra?”

  “Sure.” Her father paused, obviously considering the invitation. “OK, if that’s what you want, I’ll see you after work.”

  Judith ended the call and slumped against the wall, imagining how difficult the evening would be. She’d disappointed so many people since going to Piney Meadow. Tonight she’d have to disappoint her father because she’d come back.

  ****

  Her father stepped through the doorway, almost tripping on Pumpkin as the kitten darted for cover. “If you brought the cat, you must be planning on staying for a while.”

  “Things have been crazy in Piney Meadow. I just needed to get away from it all.”

  Her father draped his suit jacket over the back of the kitchen chair and sat at the table. “Who taught you how to make fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fried okra?”

  Judith slid
into the chair next to him. “Beverly Lewis. You met her at the hospital.”

  “Oh, yes. Your new neighbor. She seemed like a lovely person.”

  “Good cook, too. Jacob Fraser once said she made a sweet potato pie so good it would make a man propose.”

  Her dad grinned at the comment. “That must be good pie. But from what Jacob told me, he wouldn’t need any bribe to propose to you.”

  “He never proposed.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  Judith took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She’d learned from experience that there was no skirting the painful truth when it came to her father. “Jacob talked to me about marriage, but he never out right proposed.”

  “Uh-huh. What did he say when you told him you were leaving?”

  “I didn’t tell him.”

  Her father’s eyes widened. “You left without saying goodbye?”

  Judith dropped her gaze but didn’t answer.

  “You just packed your car and left? Did you tell anyone you were coming to Dallas?”

  Judith winced at the rising tone of disbelief in her father’s voice.

  “Well?” he demanded.

  “I had to leave. Saying goodbye to everyone would have only have made it more difficult.”

  He let out a long sigh that conveyed his frustration. “Let’s start this conversation over. Tell me what happened.”

  Judith described the night the church had burned. Unlike the account she’d related to Sheriff Miller, she left out the part where she’d been thrown to the ground and threatened with a gun. There was no need to add to her father’s worries.

  When she’d finished, her father leaned back in his chair and blew out a breath. “The sheriff arrested the arsonists?”

  “Yes. I identified the woman and the sheriff arrested three other men. Apparently, one of them gave up the other two in an effort to cooperate with the police.”