by Jana DeLeon
Although he didn’t think it possible, he ramped his speed up another notch, not about to repeat the worst moment of his life. Especially not now, when it was more important that he succeed than any other time.
Because he couldn’t imagine his life without Joelle in it.
He ran into the massive entry, pistol raised and scanning the area for any sign of Joelle. Voices sounded above him and he ran out from under the overhang. What he saw made his blood run cold. A man had Joelle’s neck clutched in one hand and his pistol in the other, and even though his back was to Tyler, he recognized the frame he’d seen leaving the general store a couple of days before.
Joelle’s face turned red as she pulled at his arm with both hands, unable to break free from his grasp. Her eyes rolled back in her head and Tyler had to force himself from running upstairs and beating the man to death with his bare hands.
Think smart, Duhon!
Lifting his pistol, Tyler tried to get a clear shot, but Dupree was too close to her. If he took a shot, the bullet might go through Dupree and into Joelle.
She gasped for air and her eyes flickered down and she caught sight of Tyler. He pointed down with his finger, hoping she’d understand what he wanted her to do. Dupree lifted the pistol, his finger positioned on the trigger, and Tyler sighted his gun on the back of the man’s head, praying that Joelle acted quickly— before it was too late.
Suddenly, her legs buckled and she dropped to the ground. Without even thinking, Tyler took the shot, and it was deadly accurate.
The bullet passed straight through Dupree’s head and hit the paneling on the wall in front of him, splintering the wood as it entered. At the same time, the front door flew open and the alarm went off as Carter ran inside.
Tyler ran up the stairs two at a time and rushed over to Joelle, who was crumpled on the floor. He glanced at Dupree as he passed, but it was clear the man was no longer a threat. He reached down to touch Joelle’s face, worried that the strain had caused her to pass out or even worse, go into cardiac arrest, but as his fingers touched her cheek, she opened her eyes and smiled before leaping up into his arms.
Downstairs, Tyler heard Carter call for an ambulance as he clutched Joelle close to him, saying a silent prayer of thanks that the woman who’d changed his life was still here with him. And if he had his way, she was going to be part of his life every day from this point forward.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered. “I couldn’t have taken it.”
“I know,” Joelle said. “After what you’d been through before, I can’t imagine how you felt, thinking you might not be able to save me.”
“It wasn’t failure that scared me.” He pulled back a bit and looked down at her. “It was the thought of losing you. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, or that us being involved will be without issues, but now that I’ve met you, I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“It’s the only thing in my life I am sure about.”
She smiled and threw her arms around him again. He stroked her hair and felt her heart beating strong against his chest, and knew without a single doubt that he never wanted to let her go.
“How did you get inside?” she asked.
Tyler told her about the tunnel and finding Bert, who had been trying to find the diamonds.
Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. “I know where they are.”
“What?”
“The diamonds.” Joelle smiled, then started laughing. “They’ve been here all along.”
“Where?”
“In a purple Crown Royal bag tucked underneath the seat of a school desk. They look like rocks—just like the rocks in the driveway.”
“Then how do you know...”
“Because Mother gave them to me and told me never to let Purcell see them. I’d bet everything I’ll inherit that those diamonds have been tucked under the seat of that desk for over twenty-five years.”
Tyler smiled, trying to wrap his mind around what Joelle said. “Wouldn’t that be perfect?”
Joelle’s smile faded. “It’s not perfect until we find our mother, but it’s going to happen. We’re going to find out what happened to our mother and I’m going to move to Calais and start a life with you.”
He gathered her in his arms again. “Sounds perfect to me,” he whispered.
Chapter Twenty-One
Two days later
Joelle stopped at the entrance to the Eleanor Roosevelt Mental Treatment Facility and looked at Alaina and Danae. “Are you ready?” she asked.
They looked at each other, then back at her and nodded. Carter, Zach and Tyler stood behind them, a unified front supporting them. Tyler gave her a thumbs-up and she smiled.
“Let’s do this, then,” she said and pulled open the door.
Joelle walked up to the receptionist desk with Alaina and Danae. “Hi,” she said. “We have an appointment with Mrs. Anderson. Well, the appointment is for Carter Trahan.”
The receptionist checked her log and smiled. “Please step through the secured door when the buzzer sounds and I’ll have Marie escort you to Mrs. Anderson’s office.”
The buzzer seemed incredibly loud in the relative quiet of the building, but Joelle pulled open the door and they all stepped through, where Marie greeted them and led them down several long, white hallways and into a room at the end of the hall.
A large woman with a big head of white hair met them at the front of an enormous room. Shelves, standing a good eight feet tall, ran in long rows from the front of the room to the back. File folders filled every shelf, and Joelle felt a wave of sadness run through her that so many people had needed such a place.
“Carter Trahan?” the woman asked.
Carter stepped forward and extended his hand. “I’m Carter. You must be Mrs. Anderson.”
She smiled. “Please call me Emily. You weren’t lying about bringing family with you, were you?”
“No, ma’am,” he said and introduced everyone. “These three ladies think their mother might have been a patient here twenty-five years ago.”
Emily frowned. “Then why don’t you ask her?”
Carter explained briefly about Ophelia’s supposed death and the dispersal of the sisters.
Emily’s eye grew wider and wider and when Carter finished, she shook her head, giving the sisters a sympathetic look. “What a horrible story. I sure hope I can get you some answers. Grab some of those chairs and drag them over to my desk.”
Three chairs were positioned against the wall. The men dragged them over in front of Emily’s desk and Alaina, Danae and Joelle each took a seat as the men circled around the side of the desk.
“What was your mother’s name?” Emily asked.
“Ophelia LeBeau,” Alaina said.
Emily tapped on the computer, then scrolled through records, shaking her head. “No one by the name of LeBeau has ever been admitted here.”
Joelle’s heart dropped. Surely they hadn’t come all this way for nothing. “Are you certain?”
Emily nodded. “I’ve been entering the historical records myself. I didn’t think I recognized the name, but I wanted to be sure.”
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Joelle. “What if he didn’t admit her with her real name? Someone might discover her that way.”
“That would only be possible if he had the appropriate documents,” Emily said. “Is that something he could have managed?”
Carter nodded. “There’s no limit to what this man could manage.”
“Okay,” Emily said, “then let’s take a look by time. Give me a year and month to start.”
Alaina gave her the year and month they were told their mother died. Emily tapped on the keyboard again, then scrolled through r
ecords. Joelle was about to give the whole thing up as a rabbit trail when Emily put her finger on the screen.
“Only one woman around your mother’s age was admitted at that time. Name is Mary Parker. That mean anything to any of you?”
Joelle looked over at Alaina and Danae, who both shook their head. “No,” Joelle said, “but he would have used a name that couldn’t be traced to her family or to himself, right? Why was she admitted?”
Emily blew out a breath. “Without knowing for sure she’s your mother, I can’t give out any information about her condition.”
“But surely,” Joelle said, “that doesn’t matter after death.”
Emily’s eyes widened and she looked at each of them. “Mary Parker isn’t dead.”
Joelle sucked in a breath as Danae grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You’re certain?” Joelle asked.
“Positive,” Emily said. “She’s still a resident here. The staff always thought it odd that she never had a single family member visit her, but this might explain it all. I can arrange for you to see her...if you’re prepared for that.”
“Yes.” All three of them spoke at once and Emily rose from her desk. “Now, I don’t want you to get your hopes up. This woman may be someone completely different.”
“We understand,” Alaina said, “and we’re ready to accept whatever comes of this, but we need to know for sure, either way.”
Emily gave them a single nod and picked up the phone. She gave a brief explanation of the situation, then went silent. Joelle held her breath, hoping they weren’t refused access. Finally, Emily hung up the phone and rose from her desk.
“I can take you up myself,” she said and waved them out of the office.
They all followed Emily down the hall and crowded on the elevator. “Mary stopped speaking shortly after she got here. Shocked the heck out of everyone when she started trying to again a couple of months ago. I’ve said a few words to her myself. She has always been such a sweet lady, but so sad it hurts even looking at her. I have to admit, I hope you’re her family. Maybe she can get better.”
“You have no idea what’s wrong with her?” Joelle asked.
Emily shrugged. “One of the nurse’s aides said she thought she was paranoid schizophrenic, but maybe what everyone thought was paranoia was the truth, huh? Wouldn’t that be something?”
She stopped at a large steel door and tapped a code into a security panel. Joelle heard a loud click and Emily pushed the door open and waved them inside, then ensured the door closed and locked behind them. Joelle crossed her arms across her chest, a chill running through her at the thought of being locked in this sterile environment for twenty-five years.
“Since there’s so many of you, her nurse thought it would be better to bring her into the activity room. It’s empty right now, so you’ll have plenty of privacy.” She stopped in front of a door. “Are you ready?”
They all nodded, and Emily pushed the door open so that they could walk inside.
A nurse stood beside a chair, positioned near a plate-glass window overlooking a courtyard. The woman in the chair peered out the window, her long black-and-silver hair tied back in a ponytail.
Then she turned.
Alaina clutched Joelle’s arm as Joelle gasped.
“I don’t believe it,” Danae whispered.
The woman focused on them and her eyes widened. She pushed herself up from the chair and walked toward them, the shock on her face turning to excitement with every step. They stood stock-still, none of them able to move.
Mother!
Life had taken her youth, but it couldn’t take her delicate bone structure. Joelle would have recognized her face anywhere and at any age. As she stepped in front of them, her eyes shone and tears collected in her eyes.
“My girls,” she whispered.
Those two words broke the spell and all three of them reached for her as they collapsed into tears. But this time, it was tears of joy.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve
Joelle ran down the kitchen hallway, pulling her heels on as she went. “They’re here,” she called out and looked up at the balcony. Tyler started down the stairs and she sucked in a breath at how gorgeous he looked in his black tuxedo.
He grinned at her as he ran down the stairs and lifted her up to twirl her around. “Have I told you yet how stunning you are in this dress?”
The dress was navy blue sequined and designed to fit every curve of her body, and Joelle knew she looked good in it. “Not in the last ten minutes,” she said with a smile.
“Have I told you how I can’t wait to get you out of it?”
She laughed. “Party first. Private celebration later.”
He put her down and gave her a lingering kiss. “Promise?”
“It’s going to be the highlight of my night.”
“Really?” He lifted her hand to see the sparkling diamond he’d placed on her finger earlier. “I thought this was the highlight.”
She looked down at the ring and sighed, unable to help herself. “A girl’s allowed more than one highlight on such a special occasion. Now, come on, before they start banging on the door.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the front door.
She could already hear the voices outside as car doors slammed. Wave number one of the party guests had arrived. The first hour was for family—the people closest to the sisters and Ophelia—then after that, the entire town was invited to the celebration.
Joelle pulled open the door and beamed at everyone as they made their way toward the house. Carter and Alaina, looking every bit the golden couple they were. Zach and Danae, beautifully matched and so clearly in love. Amos, no longer on crutches but still refusing any help from his niece, who tried to assist him up the steps. Johnny, carrying a tray of food even though he’d been told only to bring himself.
The last couple made Joelle’s heart swell with joy—William and Willamina.
Willamina was simply breathtaking in a long white sequined gown, and William was every bit his son’s father in his black tuxedo. She had her hand on his arm and as they walked, he looked down at her, his adoration apparent in his smile.
“Look at my dad,” Tyler whispered.
Joelle slipped her hand in Tyler’s and gave it a squeeze. “I’m so glad you pushed him. They’re made for each other.”
Everyone filed up the steps, pausing only long enough to hug Joelle and exclaim over her ring before entering the house. Gasps filled the entry as they collected in the center of the large room, gazing around with obvious delight.
The house was returned to its previous splendor. A thirty-foot tree sat at the back of the entry, its top almost reaching the vaulted ceiling. It glittered with white and silver ribbons and decorations. Thick garland made from real pine trees wove around the balconies and down the spiral staircase. Silver ribbon and white poinsettias that matched the tree adorned it.
When everything unfolded to the Calais residents, the entire town was stunned by the extent of Purcell’s crimes and the number of Calais locals who had participated. They were equally surprised and thrilled that Ophelia was alive and back home where she belonged, but saddened that she’d lost so many years of her life locked away in a facility where she finally chose silence because no one would listen.
“It’s beautiful,” Alaina said. “Is everything ready?”
“Yes, it’s been amazing how everyone in Calais pitched in and helped get the house ready. I can’t believe all of this was accomplished in less than two months.”
“Now that all the bad guys and ghosts are gone, people are happy to be here,” Alaina said.
Danae looked around the beautiful room and smiled. “Next year, your first occupants will be moving in. I can’t believe this former monstrosity is going to be a beautiful safe hav
en for abused women. It’s such a wonderful thing you’re doing, Joelle.”
Joelle sniffed. “I couldn’t have done it without you. After all, the house belonged to Mother and you’ve both invested some of your own trust funds in this.”
“And I’ve never been happier to write a check in my life,” Alaina said as Danae nodded in agreement.
Joelle reached out to grab her sisters’ hands. “Let’s go get Mother. She’s been primping forever. It’s time for her to get out here and see the people who care about her.”
They headed to a newly remodeled bedroom at the back of the entry and Joelle knocked lightly on the door before poking her head inside. “Mom, it’s us,” she said and the three sisters slipped inside.
Ophelia stepped out of the bathroom and they all stared. She wore a long dress of satin and sequined teal. Joelle had called her genius hairstylist for an on-site consultation, and she’d trimmed Ophelia’s long locks and eliminated the silver, restoring her hair to the lustrous black they remembered.
Her skin had developed a healthy glow from working outside, planting flowers alongside her daughters, but she’d kept hidden while the contractors and Calais locals were in the house, not yet steady enough to face everyone.
Ophelia didn’t have an answer for how she’d been able to appear to each of them—only that she concentrated all of her will on making it happen and was sometimes able to see them, even speak. She’d also seen the other spirit—the one they thought was Purcell—and had driven him away. Since she’d returned to her home, no one had seen the bad spirit, and they all hoped that meant they were rid of Trenton Purcell once and for all.
“Mother, you’re breathtaking,” Alaina said.
Ophelia looked in the dresser mirror and pulled at a tendril of hair. “I don’t know. This dress is cut so low and I’m not sure about my hair.”
“Your hair is gorgeous,” Danae said.
Joelle nodded. “And we have just the thing to take attention away from that low-cut dress.”
