So Dark the Night

by Margaret Daley

  “Why would Derek have kept newspaper articles about these people? Any with him in it?”

  “The last one is an article about the new company he formed with Marcus Peterson and its enormous success. The article states that your brother could give your father a run for his money.”

  “I remember that one. Derek laughed about it over the phone to me. He said he was going to send Dad a copy personally. Definitely put those in the box. My brother never did anything without a good reason.”

  Colin had started to close the folder when his attention fell again on the top article about Alexander Sims. In the margin someone had written Alicia followed by a question mark. “Does an Alicia have a connection to Alexander Sims?”

  “Why would you say that? The only Alicia I know is the woman at the funeral who was dating Derek.”

  Colin read the article to her, which concerned the man’s new company since he had been bought out by S&J Corporation two years ago. “Did your brother have anything to do with the acquisition of Sims’s company?”

  “I’m sure he did, since he headed up Dad’s Research and Development Department, which was really only a glorified title for acquisitions.” Emma tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know of a connection between Alexander Sims and Alicia. The man hated my brother and vowed to take him down one day. Actually, right after it happened, Alexander attacked Derek at a restaurant. I’ve never seen Derek so angry. I was with him when it happened. He even pressed charges but later dropped them.”

  “Then we should check this out.” Colin dropped the folder into the box, thinking of the list of people that Derek had crossed through his dealings. He was beginning to get a picture of a ruthless businessman who rivaled William St. James. How aware was Emma of her brother’s true nature? Did her brother really quit working for their father because he hated what he was doing to others? Or was it something else? He felt like Daniel in the lion’s den. But like Daniel, his faith would see him through this.

  Emma rubbed her hand along her forehead. “That last year Derek worked for Dad, he became depressed. I was really worried about him. I think he was afraid he was becoming like Dad and didn’t like it. Do you think that might be one reason he kept these articles—to remind him of what he’d almost become?”

  “Maybe,” he murmured, not really sure of anything.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what to think anymore.” Collapsing back in the chair, she closed her eyes.

  Exhaustion lined her face. His heart twisted at the sight. “Let’s finish boxing the desk, then go get something to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.”

  She swung her head toward him. “I’m not very hungry, but that sounds like a good idea.”

  He resisted the urge to touch the circles beneath her eyes. “You need to eat something. You’ll need your energy. We’ll have this box to go through when we get home.”

  “Are you and Grace ganging up on me? I woke up this morning to the wonderful smell of baking bread and frying bacon.”

  Her smile transformed her face, and for a moment he glimpsed the woman she had been before tragedy struck. “Guilty. She made me promise that I would take you to a nice restaurant for lunch. She insisted on no fast food.”

  “Your aunt is such a contradiction. She’s all tough and gruff one minute and soft and mushy the next.”

  “That’s Grace. She’s an expert at shooting and at cooking. She can flip you onto your back so fast you don’t know what’s happening until it’s too late, then turn around and smother you with hugs and kisses and feed you the best food you’ve ever had.” Colin opened the last drawer. “I have one left to go through.”

  Emma continued feeling her way through the long skinny drawer. When her fingers clasped a key, she said, “Found it.” She showed him. “It’s the key to Derek’s safety-deposit box. I’m on the account, too. Maybe there’s something in it that can help us.”

  “We’ll grab something to eat, then go to the bank.”

  Colin completed emptying the last drawer, then closed the large box and lifted it into his arms. “Ready?”

  Rising, Emma took hold of his elbow. “I’m actually getting hungry, after all.”

  “Good, because I can’t lie to my aunt. She’ll want to know everything you had for lunch.”

  At the elevator, she punched the down button while he held the box cradled in his arms. When they reached the lobby, Colin signed them out at the security guard’s desk. After glancing at a bank of monitors, Colin turned toward the entrance. As they left the exclusive apartment building, he nodded at another security guard on duty out front.

  “This place is fortified like Fort Knox.” Colin put the box in the back seat of his SUV.

  “That’s why Derek bought his apartment here, since he did so much business from his home.” Emma slid into the front.

  He drove to a restaurant only a few blocks from Derek’s in Central City. After parking in the lot next to the upscale café, he guided Emma inside, glad it was late for the lunch crowd so there weren’t too many people still eating. The hostess sat them at a table in a side alcove with real potted plants surrounding them.

  “Have you ever eaten here?” Emma asked, smoothing her linen napkin in her lap.

  “First time. Grace suggested this restaurant. She said the salads and sandwiches were good. What are you in the mood for?”

  “If they have a club sandwich, I’ll take one. That should be easy enough for me to eat.”

  After the waitress took their order and brought them their iced teas, Emma felt along her plate until she touched her glass then lifted it to take a sip. “I’ve taken so much for granted in my life. I almost asked you to order at a drive-through so we could eat at the apartment.”

  Colin started to help her as she put her glass on the table and nearly spilled it when she set it on the end of her knife, but he held back, letting her handle it, instinctively knowing that was important. “Why didn’t you?”

  “Grace. In just the two days I’ve gotten to know her, I’ve learned she would never let blindness stop her from doing something she wanted to do. I’ve always enjoyed eating out at restaurants so I need to get used to it. I’ve never had to fight for much. Everything has come easy.” She shrugged. “I guess some people would think I had a charmed life.”

  “What do you think?”

  Her laugh held no humor. “No—yes, money has never been a problem, but I have two very visible parents who enjoy fighting in public as well as private and never hesitated to bring Derek and me into the middle of their battles. Not what I would call a normal childhood. Derek was my rock and that has been taken away from me.”

  “Have you ever thought about letting God be your rock? The Lord can’t be taken away from you no matter what, if you believe.”

  “I haven’t seen a lot of evidence of God in life.”

  “He’s all around us. When my wife died, God was who helped me through the rough times when I wanted to sink down into my sorrow. I couldn’t. I had two daughters who needed me, but it was so tempting.” He covered her hand on the table. “When I was in the Gulf War and trapped behind enemy lines, the Lord saw me through. I thought I would die in the desert, but He had other plans for me.”

  “What?”

  “After the war, I came home and became a minister. Surrounded on all four sides by the enemy, I pledged myself to the Lord. I survived without a scratch on me and haven’t regretted for one day my vow to God.”

  She withdrew her hand. “He wouldn’t have me. I’ve done some things in my life I’m not proud of. Until two years ago, I had an addiction that threatened to destroy me.”

  SIX

  Sitting in the restaurant with Colin, Emma drew back, deep in memories of the days where all she had cared about was taking her pain medication. Her life had revolved around ways to get enough of what she needed to make it through each day. She looked away from him, imagining the repulsion and disappointment on his face.

  “
I was a drug addict.”

  “What happened?” he asked in a neutral voice.

  “Three years ago I liked to live hard and fast. I was in a car accident. I wrapped my car around a tree. I broke both legs, along with other injuries. I ended up becoming dependent on pain medication. If it hadn’t been for Derek’s interference, I might still be. I owe my brother so much. He made me go to a clinic. He was there for me every step of the way. So you see why it’s so important for me to find out who murdered him.” And why I must stand on my own two feet, she thought, never wanting to turn control of her life over to anything else.

  “Yes, but Emma, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. There are countless stories in the Bible where people who had sinned many times were accepted by the Lord into His fold without question. One of Jesus’ disciples was a tax collector. Matthew, who was the author of one of the gospels, was hated by his people. He took from them and gave to the Romans. He was the lowest of the low, doing his own dirty work, and yet Christ called him to His side and Matthew answered the call, becoming one of His ardent believers, spreading His word among the people.”

  Is that possible? Is it that simple? Open your heart and let the Lord in? She wished it were, but how could it be? She didn’t know what to say to Colin, was at a loss to reply to him. The silence elongated between them with sounds of people talking and eating intruding.

  “Anytime you want to talk or ask questions, I’m available,” Colin finally said.

  “I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she murmured, not uncomfortable, as she thought she would be, but curious.

  “If you want, you can come with Grace to church this Sunday.”

  The idea of sitting in front of his congregation, friends of Colin who had, no doubt, heard about what had happened to her, helpless, blind, unable even to walk down the aisle without someone guiding her, made her hesitate. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Ah, it looks like our lunch has arrived and I’m past being hungry.”

  The lightness in his voice, which held no censure, prodded her to smile and say, “I have to admit I may actually eat the whole sandwich. I guess if you wait long enough for a meal, you’ll eat it. I normally eat around noon.”

  After the waitress placed their food in front of them, Colin said, “The sandwich is on the right side of the plate at three o’clock and the fries on the left at nine.”

  Emma touched the edge of the plate nearest her, then eased her hand forward until she encountered the sandwich. Picking up half of it, she bit into it. “Mmm. Grace is right. This is good.”

  When she had managed to finish part of her meal, her hunger abated, she sipped her peach tea then wiped her mouth. “Tell me about Tiffany and Amber. I don’t even know what they look like.”

  “Although they are twins, they don’t dress alike. Even their brown hair isn’t the same. Tiffany wears hers short, sometimes spiked on top, like Grace, while Amber usually has hers pulled back in a long ponytail. They’re petite, like their mother, and they have gray eyes, like me.”

  “Grace told me they’re very different.”

  “Two sisters couldn’t be as different as they are. Tiffany is athletic. Amber comes alive in front of a computer. She’s a whiz and will probably end up doing something along that line when she goes to college. Tiffany’s outgoing and will try anything once, which may prematurely turn my hair gray. Amber’s reserved and studious. She examines a problem from every angle while Tiffany jumps in with both feet without thinking.”

  “I bet that can lead to problems.”

  He laughed. “A few. I hope Tiffany hasn’t bothered you too much.”

  “No. She’s a delight. Talks a mile a minute.”

  “And Amber hasn’t said two words?”

  “Only if I ask her a question. But then I’m not sure she could get much in with Tiffany.” Emma fumbled for a fry and popped it into her mouth. “You know, I used to be like Amber.”

  “You were?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised. Living with Marlena Howard, who demanded all the limelight, wasn’t easy. I learned to live in the background, especially for years when she didn’t want people to know she had a daughter as old as I was.”

  “How old were you?”

  “It started when I was a teenager. Thankfully, she is past that and in her own way is proud of the work I do. In fact, she insists I be the only photographer to take her pictures for magazines and such.”

  “I don’t see you as shy and reserved now.”

  Taking another fry, she said, “In a lot of ways I still am. That’s why I became a photographer instead of working in front of the camera.”

  “But Tiffany says you’re all over the place in magazines and the newspaper. She even showed me some Internet sites devoted to you and your work.”

  Heat seared her cheeks. “Please don’t remind me of those. That’s not of my choosing.”

  “Not another word, then,” he said with amusement.

  She washed another fry down with a sip of tea. “That’s it. I’m done. Any more and I’ll blow my diet.”

  “Diet! You can’t weigh more than a hundred and ten.”

  “In my world appearance is everything, even though I’m only the photographer.”

  “Your work should be all that matters.”

  The sadness in his voice aroused her defenses until she thought a moment about what he had said. He was right. And in his world that was true.

  “Tiffany has shown me some of your pictures. They’re quite good.”

  Thinking about her work produced a heavy ache. What was she going to do if she didn’t regain her eyesight? The question she had been avoiding for days taunted her now. Especially the past few years, her work had been her life. Before her emotions took over again and she cried in front of this man a second time in one day, she needed to change the subject. “Do you think Amber would take a look at Derek’s computer?”

  “Why?”

  “Even though my brother wasn’t into computers, there might be something on the laptop that can help us.”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. I’ll ask her when we get home.”

  Emma sighed. “Great. But right now I don’t have any idea what to do next.”

  “We’ll go by the bank and check his safety-deposit box, then later tonight have Amber look at the computer while we go through the papers in Derek’s desk. That’s a start.”

  The bank employee slid the signature card toward Emma. Colin took the pen and gave it to her, guiding her hand to the line she needed to sign on. He noticed the last time her brother had been to the safety-deposit box was the day he died.

  With his assistance, Emma followed the woman into the vault. After the bank employee opened the box, Colin waited until she left before removing the box and taking it over to the table for Emma to look through. She sat while he flipped the lid up.

  “What’s in it?” Emma started to reach inside.

  “Nothing. It’s empty.”

  “Empty? That’s strange. Why have a box with nothing in it?”

  “Your brother was here the day he was killed. He must have taken everything out then. Do you have any idea what was in it?”

  “No, but he made a big deal a year ago when I was here about adding me to the signature card. I don’t understand.”

  Colin closed the box and put it back. “I don’t, either. Let’s go home and see what we can find on the laptop and in the papers.”

  “If there’s nothing there, I think we should go back to his apartment and look around some more. We should also check the cabin when the sheriff releases it.”

  “It was trashed.”

  “I know, but I don’t know what else to do. I can’t sit around doing nothing. I feel like a bomb is ticking down.” Emma rose, leaning into the table as though the activities of the day were finally catching up with her.

  “You need to rest.” Colin took her arm. “Remember, you were in the hospital three days ago and were seriously injured less than
a week ago.”

  She allowed him to lead her from the vault, resting her head against him, which underscored how tired she must be. He helped her to his SUV, then pulled out of the parking lot. She slumped against the door, her head against the window, her eyes closed.

  At a stoplight he peered at her, exhaustion evident in her features, with dark circles under her eyes. Lord, I don’t know where You’re taking me but I do know she needs me. Give me the right words to say to her to ease her pain and help her deal with what life has thrown at her. And help me to show her the way to You. Amen.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Amber. Are you sure you don’t mind?” Emma ran her hand along the back of the couch until she came to the end. She stepped around to the front and settled next to the teenager.

  “I don’t mind, but Miss St. James, I’m not sure what you’re looking for.”

  “Please, call me Emma.” She heard the sound of the laptop coming on, a finely honed tension taking hold. She hoped there was something on Derek’s computer that would indicate who hated him enough to kill him. “I’ve got to say I don’t know what I’m looking for. I guess anything unusual. Maybe we could start with the places my brother used to visit on the Internet. What do you think?” Twisting around to face Amber, she leaned back against the arm of the couch. The material beneath her fingertips felt rough, as though it was brocade. “What color is this couch?”

  “Huh?”

  “I was just wondering what color this couch is.” In the past, she’d taken for granted the color of an object.

  “Oh, it’s gold and silver. Ugly, but don’t tell Aunt Grace that,” Amber whispered close to her.

  “You’ve got my promise.”

  “She doesn’t have very good taste when it comes to decorating. Tiffany has tried to help her, but Aunt Grace wants her house her way and what Aunt Grace wants, she gets. Even my sister can’t change her mind.”