“Nina said you need to eat breakfast before we leave.”
She opened her arms. Dylan didn’t hesitate. He embraced her. Head on top of her head he whispered, “I’ve never had a woman sneak into my bed before. I’m usually doing the sneaking.”
“What did I tell you about speaking of your past dalliances?”
He chuckled. “Past is correct. I only have eyes for you, babe.” Clasping her face between his hands he kissed her. “You were magnificent last night.” She met his heated gaze. “The next time we make love I’m staying over. When you left me early this morning, I felt so alone.”
“No argument here.”
Juan shouted through the closed door. “Come on you guys. Josh and Beth are back with Billy Graves.”
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen where everyone was talking at one time. It had always been the hive of the house. Beth pushed Billy’s wheelchair to the table and replied, “I’ll get you a plate. Maria is the best cook in the world.”
Their eyes met. Lacy took the chair next to Billy. “Are you ready to go to the waterfall?”
“I can hardly wait to see this place that holds beauty and tragedy.” His cheeks held more color than usual. Maybe his health had improved because of their friendship.
She leaned over and kissed his wrinkled cheek. “I love you, Billy Graves.”
“I love you too, princess.”
****
Beautiful sunshine, cloudless skies, it was a perfect morning. A huge audience stood on the bank of the river and watched Grant chip away at the cement with a hammer and chisel as he dangled from a rope anchored to a huge boulder. Josh and Dylan stood at the top of the falls to lower other tools he might need and then the heavy bags to hold Hilda’s remains.
“Can you see her?”
“Yes, Richard. She is sitting on the rocks watching Grant work.” She gazed into Richard’s dark eyes. “Don’t you see her?”
“No.”
Lacy reached out and took Nina and Beth’s hands. She gripped them tightly in hers. “Tell Hilda good-bye.”
Nina covered her mouth with her free hand. “Oh my gosh. I can see her.” Not another word was spoken as the three sisters stood as one.
The opening to the cave was now big enough for Grant to enter. He turned and gave everyone a nervous wave before he disappeared into the cave. “Just think that cave had always been there. Russell Reynolds cemented it over with rocks to hide the fact he had killed his own daughter.” A film of sweat covered her body as if she were doing all the work, not Grant. A thick lump formed in every inch of her throat.
Nina squeezed her hand. “It’s a wonder the guilt didn’t kill him.”
Billy sat in his wheelchair between Richard and Grace. He had been extremely quiet and she feared the bumpy drive may have been a little too strenuous. Lacy released her sisters’ hands and moved to his side. She crouched down so their eyes were on the same level. “Would you like to see Hilda?” She offered her hand. After a brief hesitation he took her hand.
A tear slipped over his wrinkled cheek. “I see her. She was very pretty.”
“Yes, she was. She loved Darrell. If not for Russell Reynolds’ prejudices, they could have lived a happy life together.”
Grant emerged from the cave and motioned Dylan and Josh to lower the bags over the side of the cliff. Both had ropes tied to their waists in case they stumbled on the slippery rocks. Grant reached for the first bag and pulled it into the cave. Lacy felt as if she had been cheated. Powerless, she had wanted to be the one to bring Hilda out of her tomb. Grant and Josh both flatly refused to let her put her life in danger.
Minutes ticked by before Grant appeared at the mouth of the cave. He gave a thumbs-up and Josh lowered the canvas bag. Richard dived into the pool of water and swam to the other side to retrieve the bag. He untied it from the rope and swam back with the bag.
Everyone waited for her to open the bag. Her hands shook violently. She couldn’t begin to untie the knot Grant had looped into the drawstring rope so nothing would fall out during its descent. Breath jagged and her heart racing, she offered, “Why don’t we wait on Grant, Josh, and Dylan?”
Billy placed his hand over hers. “It’s okay, Lacy. A little longer won’t make a difference.”
Grant emerged from the cave with another bag. As before, Richard swam out to get the bag.
By the time Dylan, Josh, and Grant stood on solid ground, there were four large canvas bags draped over the grass in the order she received them. Grant never said a word about what he saw. Never told Lacy anything about what he placed in the bags.
Lacy picked up a bag and tugged at the knots. Grant took it from her and handed her the first bag he lowered to the ground. “This one contains Hilda’s remains.” In the end he had to untie the knots. She shook the small bones onto the grass for everyone to see. The skull looked like that of a small child. The soles of small shoes were also in the bag. That was all that was left of Hilda Reynolds.
Josh untied the second bag and shook it. Larger bones fell to ground. Lacy peered at Billy. “It must be Darrell. How in the world did Russell Reynolds lift his body and carry it to the cave?”
Dylan picked up a bone and examined the ends. “He cut him up in pieces.” He placed his finger on the edge of the bone. “See the hack marks. I would guess an ax or something of that nature.” He shuddered. “Sounds a little gory to me.”
Billy placed his hand on Darrell’s bone in Dylan’s hand. “At least they were entombed together.”
Hands pressed to her shoulders. Cold swept through. Lacy felt Hilda leave this world. “Hilda crossed over. She’s finally in heaven.” Eyes at the top of the falls, she didn’t see Hilda. Deep down she knew she would never see her again.
Grant replied, “The third bag contains the rest of Darrell’s bones and his skull.” He stooped and gently picked up the fourth bag and untied the knots in the drawstring rope. Handing Lacy the bag he smiled. “It’s the missing jewelry. It’s a little tarnished. With a little spit and shine you’ll have it looking brand new.”
Emptying the bag on the grass, she arranged each item so everyone could see the antique pieces. As Grant described, they were tarnished. Even through the filth, Lacy could see the pieces were spectacular.
Billy took the emerald and diamond necklace from her. “Granny said this necklace had belonged to Hilda’s grandmother. It was a family heirloom brought from Germany when she first stepped foot in America. It alone is probably worth a small fortune.”
“You keep it, Billy. You deserve it after what Russell Reynolds did your family.”
“I have no need of treasure. The real treasure is now we know the ending of the story.” He placed the chain of the necklace in Lacy’s hand. “Hilda would have wanted you to keep the jewelry.”
Dylan asked, “What now?”
“We will bury them in the cemetery about a mile from the house. Hilda will be buried next to her mother and Darrell on the other side of Hilda. It is fitting that they stay together.”
Tears welled in Billy’s eyes. “It is only fitting that they be buried together. I ask that you put them in the same coffin.”
A sense of peace consumed her. In the silence that followed she peered into Dylan’s eyes. He took her hand and she felt the love Hilda had with Darrell. True love rarely comes around. She had seen it twice. Once through Hilda’s eyes, and now through her own eyes.
Blood of the Falls
Fourth and final book in the Twelve Oaks Series
Turn the page to read the first Chapter
Chapter One
Lacy Reynolds wiped the sweat from her brow. The end of June had brought some of the hottest temperatures on record. It had rained yesterday and washed out part of the narrow trail to Russell Reynolds’ family grave yard. A month had passed since she had found Hilda Reynolds’ remains hidden in a small cave by the waterfall on their land. Buried in the same cave had been Hilda’s lover, Darrell Talbert. Over a hundred years they had be
en together waiting for someone to discover the mystery of what happened to the two lovers. Hilda’s own father had accidentally shot her when she was only sixteen years old. His real target had been Darrell. Russell had explained their disappearance by telling everyone Darrell had kidnapped his daughter and stolen valuable family heirlooms. Along with the two young lovers’ remains were the jewels which were worth a small fortune.
Her sisters, Nina and Beth held her hand as they walked the rough terrain. She had never worn boots to a funeral before. But then this was an unusual ceremony. All the people who had known and loved Hilda and Darrell were long dead. Everyone believed Russell’s account of what happened to them. Darrell kidnapped Hilda and they were never seen again. No one knew they had been right under their noses the whole time buried in a small cave at the waterfall.
“It’s hot.”
Lacy peered into her oldest sister’s beautiful face. Sweat pearled on her top lip. “It is sweltering.” Nina was four months pregnant and beginning to show. She placed her hand on her sister’s stomach and asked, “Do you need to sit in the shade? We can take a break.”
“I’m fine. I’m accustomed to the heat,” Nina reassured her. “Besides, Hilda and Darrell have waited long enough. Let’s put them to rest.” Her thick, blond hair was arranged artfully on top of her head. Blue eyes the same color as hers gleamed with happiness. Pregnancy suited her sister. Gone was the morning sickness which plagued her the first three months. She glowed with happiness and health.
Beth squeezed her hand before she released it to wipe the sweat from her face with a lacy handkerchief. Always in good spirits, she smiled and replied, “It’s not far to the Reynolds’ Cemetery.” Only two years older, Beth had auburn hair and the face of an angel. Usually dolled up as if she was going to the office, she had chosen to wear comfortable jeans and a tee-shirt for their trek to the cemetery. Even in the simple attire, Beth looked sexy and gorgeous.
Lacy touched her fingers to the ruby and diamond necklace found with Hilda’s skeleton. It was fitting to wear the necklace to Hilda and Darrell’s funeral service. Even though Hilda had passed over and she hadn’t seen her ghost since the day at the waterfall when she accidentally discovered their remains, she still felt a connection to the dead, young lady.
She stopped and waited for the men carrying the casket with the lovers’ remains which were nothing but bones. Because the road had been washed out, they had to lug the heavy casket the last remaining leg of their destination. Her brother-in-law, Grant Wilson replied, “We would pick the hottest day of the month to have a funeral.”
Josh Wilson, her other brother-in-law who was married to Beth answered, “How much farther is it?”
“Not far, just around the next bend.” Josh had only visited the cemetery where Russell Reynolds, his wife and other descendants were buried once. It was a narrow path through the forest about a mile from Twelve Oaks. Why Russell hadn’t chosen a place closer to the house for the family plot was a mystery to her.
Lacy waited until they caught up with her and she smiled at Dylan Bauer. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, Dylan, I’m fine.” Last night he had stayed over in her dorm room that she shared with Michelle. She couldn’t sleep. Nightmares plagued her. It was only a month ago when she almost died at the waterfall. A man by the name of Chad Grey tried to murder her. She trembled as the memory came flooding back. When Dylan woke and realized she wasn’t in bed, he found her sitting at the table. For over an hour they sat talking about her ordeal. She had to admit having a shoulder to cry on helped ease the pain.
Juan, their housekeeper’s fourteen year old son stumbled and almost fell. He tightened his hold on the casket. “The rain did a number on this road. It’s going to take some work with the tractor blade to repair the damage.”
On the other side of the casket from Juan, Richard Lewis offered, “I’ll hang around tomorrow and help out.” Skin crinkled around his eyes when he smiled. “I don’t have any pressing business.”
Lacy asked, “No dead bodies to find?”
“Yes, but it’s a cold case and there is no rush. I’ll call the family and postpone until Monday.”
Without a doubt the only reason Richard would be hanging around tomorrow would be to spend time with Grace. Richard was a psychic. Grant had hired him to discover why Hilda hadn’t passed over when she died. The moment he met Grace, he had been infatuated. Seemed she felt the same way about him. Their eyes met and she saw a moment pass between them.
In the distance, Lacy heard the gurgle of the creek that snaked around the cemetery. They turned the bend and the wind worn rock wall surrounding the graves came into view. She imagined the field hands having the painstaking job of building the wall one rock at a time. It was beautiful even after all this time. What a lovely, peaceful place for a cemetery she thought. Now she could understand why Russell picked that spot to spend eternity.
Weathered, century old tombstones stood high and exalted. Russell and Margaret Reynolds’ stone towered over all the other tombstones in the cemetery giving it the impression of being a monument to a great man. Russell had built the house and maintained the land. It was Russell who deemed the farm Twelve Oaks.
The men took careful care as they lowered the casket to the ground and followed Lacy to the graveyard. She handed Juan his tablet so he could video the ceremony.
Her sisters, Nina and Beth took her hand and they walked the last few feet. Maria, their housekeeper and cook, Grace, Grant and Josh’s mother followed quietly.
Lacy peered at Russell and Margaret’s headstone. The air seemed to grow hotter. The epithet on the headstone was a lie.
A great man, husband, and father.
The unexpected rush of emotion almost took her to her knees. Even though she never knew the man, she hated him. The scheming devil was going to force Hilda to marry his business partner’s son. She was only a possession in his eyes. With a long breath to calm her anger, she whispered, “It should say murderer.”
Margaret died a year before he died, having survived her daughter by a decade. Lacy asked no one in particular. “Do you think he ever told his wife that he killed Hilda? Do you think the grief and pain ever got to be too much to bear and he confessed his sins?”
Nina snorted, “It’s doubtful. Men like him don’t have a conscience.”
“But he loved her. The words in Hilda’s diary proved he loved her. After he killed her, the rest of his life had to be nothing but agony.” At least that was what she hoped. It was only fair that he be punished in some way. It wasn’t fair he got to go on with his life after he ended Hilda and Darrell’s at such a young age. “Russell might have gotten away with murder on earth, but God knows what he did to Hilda and Darrell. No doubt he is paying for those horrid sins.”
“I’m sure God punished him.” In her mind Lacy could see Russell in the pits of hell burning for all eternity. She promised herself she’d let go of the anger that poisoned her where he was concerned. Russell Reynolds died a long time ago. Maybe he had asked for forgiveness and God granted him that forgiveness. It wasn’t up to her to decide Russell’s punishment.
Juan followed Lacy videoing her every move as she meandered from one gravestone to the other reading each one. Her ancestors were buried there. She wondered if any of them had also had tragedy in their lives. As she made her way to the very back of the stone wall, she stopped at the grave that had always made her sad. A young woman by the name of Sally May Reynolds died at the tender age of eighteen during the year 1951. A small grave and marker was next to her. Baby Girl was all that was inscribed on the tiny stone. Reynolds was her maiden name so the woman had never married. She and her baby must have died during childbirth.
A horrible image popped into her head. What if Sally’s parents were so embarrassed because she had a child out of wedlock that they killed her and her baby? She shook her head to dissolve the appalling idea. After all the tragedy she had been subjected to the last month, she was becoming morbid. Just be
cause Russell Reynolds had been evil, it didn’t mean the rest of her ancestors were murderers. Her first instinct was probably correct. Sally died while giving birth to her baby. Her parents grieved as they buried their daughter and grandchild in the family cemetery. That scenario sounded much better to Lacy.
No one said a word as she strolled through the graveyard imagining what the residents’ lives had been like. Were they happy, were they content with their husbands, wives, and children? She wished she had diaries of each and everyone so she would know. At least she knew Hilda was happy up until her death. It was a shame her life was cut short. She never got the chance to marry Darrell, have children, and live happily ever after.
The tombstone for Hilda and Darrell had already been erected next to Margaret’s grave. It was the only new stone in the family cemetery. The last person buried had been Sally Reynolds. From that point on family members were buried at the Baptist church she now attended.
Lacy had chosen the stone herself. It was dark marble. Carved on the front were Hilda Reynolds and Darrell Talbert June 12, 1912. They lived, loved, and died together.
The six-foot deep hole had been dug yesterday by Grant, Josh, and Dylan. Grant placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you ready?”
She nodded her head and wiped away a tear. She didn’t know why she was crying. This was what she had wanted for so long. She found Hilda and Darrell and now they could have a proper burial.
Nina and Beth took her hands and led her a safe distance from the grave site. The men looped a rope through the handles of the black, shiny casket and lowered it into the ground inch by methodical inch. Grace handed her a bouquet of flowers from her flower garden. Grace had a green thumb and the flowers were beautiful. Before she dropped them onto the casket, she took a sniff. The fragrant smell lifted her spirits. She bent and scooped up a handful of the freshly unearthed soil. She tossed the dirt on top of the casket and stepped back.
Secrets of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Book 3) Page 25
