So Dark the Night

by Margaret Daley

  God will be with you. Those words materialized in her mind and grew with each step she took toward the living room. Serenity calmed the rapid beat of her heart and she knew everything would be all right, even if she didn’t remember at this time. She wasn’t alone.

  A few feet inside the room, Emma saw a tall, thin man holding a bloody towel to his forearm. His dark gaze lifted to hers and she was whisked back to the cabin. She stood outside looking into the window near the door. Her brother sat in a chair with his hands tied behind his back. The tall, thin man hovered over him. He struck Derek over and over, demanding something from her brother. Then she glimpsed the gun in the hand of the other intruder, a short, bulky man who appeared to work out a lot. The weapon’s report staggered her as though she had been shot. The tall man’s gaze was riveted to hers with such coldness in his eyes she couldn’t understand how she could have forgotten him.

  Emma shook the memory from her thoughts, focusing on the present, on the tall man still staring at her. There was something she was forgetting. But what? Nothing came to mind.

  While Colin explained to J.T. that she had regained her eyesight, she swung her attention to the other intruder, handcuffed, with a deputy next to him. The short man didn’t look her way. He kept his face averted.

  Turning toward J.T., she said through clenched teeth, “They’re the ones.” She pointed to the shorter one. “He’s the one who pulled the trigger.”

  “That’s all we need right now. Colin can bring you down to the station and you can give your statement tomorrow.” J.T. nodded to his deputies to take the two outside.

  “Where’s Grace?” Emma asked, searching the couple of people left in the living room.

  “One of my men took her to the hospital to be checked out. She didn’t want to go, but I insisted.”

  Colin chuckled. “That was quite an accomplishment. Grace rarely does what she doesn’t want to do. Very stubborn.”

  “Some say I can have quite a stubborn streak, too. I guess she met her match.” J.T. closed his pad and slid it into his shirt pocket.

  “Or Grace is more hurt than you think,” Emma said, and edged toward the front door, her worry making her anxious. “Colin, let’s go to the hospital.”

  “You two go on. We have some more work to do here.” J.T. waved them away. “But I’ll see both of you first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Five minutes later Colin headed the short distance to the regional hospital. At a four-way stop sign he slanted a look toward Emma. She rested her head back against the seat, staring out the side window.

  “Okay?” he asked, concerned with all that she had been through in the past week and a half.

  She swiveled her head toward him and smiled, the illumination from a streetlight casting a golden glow on her features. “I will be once I know Grace is all right.”

  “Her head’s too hard to have any lasting effects,” Colin said as much to reassure himself as Emma.

  “I hope you’re right. If anything happened to Grace because of me, I don’t know if I could—” Emma didn’t finish her sentence.

  Instead she peered out the window again, letting the silence expand between them. Colin couldn’t blame her. He’d once been trained in combat, and he felt overwhelmed with all that had transpired since her brother’s death. It was a lot to assimilate for anyone. His admiration for Emma grew each day.

  Thinking back to that split second when he had to decide whether to shoot the tall, thin man, he was thankful his accuracy hadn’t faltered over the years, because he had taken a risk and aimed not for the chest but the smaller target of his lower arm, which held his gun. Even doing that had left Colin shaken, producing flashes of memory of the Gulf War and a time when he had killed.

  Thank You, Lord, for sparing me reliving taking a man’s life, no matter how much he may have deserved it. I would have, if need be, to protect Emma and Grace, but I’m glad I didn’t have to. He knew he would have to live with the realization he would have killed again, but he wouldn’t allow the guilt to take hold as it had years before during the Gulf War. Now he knew the power of the Lord’s forgiveness.

  As Colin pulled into the hospital lot, Emma said, “There’s something about that tall man that bothers me.”

  “He killed your brother.”

  “No, it’s more than that.” Her gaze met his. “I can’t put my finger on it. I should be remembering something important.”

  “Something that happened at the cabin?”

  “Maybe.” She clasped her head. “I hate this not remembering. When will my life return to normal?”

  “Honestly?” Colin parked his SUV near the emergency entrance. “I don’t know that it ever will. You’ve gone through a lot. You’ve lost someone very important to you. That changes you.”

  “Because you know firsthand with the death of your wife?”

  “Yes. Mary Ann died four years ago, and I thought my life had come to an end. We had been high school sweethearts, and when I married her, I thought we would grow old together. Thankfully I had Amber and Tiffany. They needed me so I couldn’t dwell too long in self-pity. I turned to the Lord and asked for His help. Two days later Grace showed up in Crystal Springs for a two-week vacation. Not six months after that, she retired and moved in next door.”

  “She’s quite a lady.”

  “Yup. She took us under her wing and has become like a second mother to the girls. There are times I have no idea what to say to my two daughters, but Grace does. It’s nice having a woman’s perspective for Amber and Tiffany.”

  Colin exited his car and came around to open Emma’s door. She’d already climbed from the front seat.

  “I keep forgetting you have your eyesight back,” he said with a grin, falling into step beside her.

  “When the doctor first told me it was all in my mind, I didn’t believe him. I wanted to see. But not until I was down in that basement, listening to everything going on upstairs and not knowing what was happening, did I really want to see. I just didn’t know I could, since it was so dark, until you opened the door.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t know. I wouldn’t have wanted you to try something because you could see.”

  “Like one of those moves Grace showed me?”

  “Yeah. I wonder how they got the drop on her.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t say anything. I figure she’ll be pretty upset about that.”

  Colin opened the door into the hospital and let Emma go first. “Knowing Grace, she’ll bring it up.”

  The nurse at the counter directed Colin to a room on the first floor of the two-story hospital. He and Emma waited until the doctor finished with Grace before entering.

  She swung her legs over the edge. “It’s about time y’all got here. Let’s go home.”

  Colin held up his hands. “Hold it. Didn’t I hear the doctor tell you he wanted to keep you overnight for observation?”

  “If he wants to observe me, he’ll have to come to my house. I’m not staying here.” She stood and immediately grasped the edge of the bed.

  “See, you aren’t ready to leave,” Emma said, reaching out to help Grace.

  His aunt’s eyes widened. “You got your sight back?”

  Emma nodded.

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

  “You were already on your way here when we came up from the basement. That’s where Emma was hiding.” Colin assisted Grace in sitting down again on the bed.

  “Smart move.” Grace beamed, turning her full smile on Emma. “Sugar, this is wonderful news!”

  “Yeah, it’s about time.”

  Colin heard Emma’s vulnerability behind her retort. Even though she grinned, he saw the flat dullness in her eyes and the tired set of her shoulders.

  “Well, as soon as we reach home, we need to celebrate.” Grace slowly rose again, wincing halfway up. Wobbling, she stopped.

  “Grace,” Colin said, putting his arm around her to steady her. “You are staying here tonight and I don’t wan
t an argument.”

  “But who’ll stay with Emma?”

  Emma thought of what had happened in Grace’s house not an hour before, and she wasn’t sure if she would sleep a wink, but there was no way she would let Grace come home in the condition she was in. “I can stay by myself.”

  Both Grace and Colin said, “No.”

  “What do you mean no? I’m not blind and I’ll have you two know that I’ve been living by myself for years.” With her hands on her waist, Emma forced a stern tone into her voice, glancing from aunt to nephew.

  “Have you forgotten already what almost happened tonight?” For the second time Colin assisted Grace onto the bed, then faced Emma.

  “Believe me, I remember every second, but those two are in jail so they can’t hurt me anymore.”

  “What about the person who hired them?” Grace eased back against the pillow, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

  “I don’t think—I mean—I—” Emma sighed. “I should be fine for the night. I doubt he would do anything so quickly after what went on at your house.”

  “He?” Colin’s brows rose.

  “Okay, she, he, it. Whoever was behind everything.” Frustration, ever present, flooded Emma, and she wanted to do something irrational like scream.

  “Why don’t you stay at my house for the night? Amber has been dying to show you her room. She has twin beds. You can use one of them. In fact, my two girls will probably fight over whose room you’ll share.”

  “Then tomorrow, first thing, y’all can come pick me up.” Grace’s forehead crunched up as though she was in pain.

  “Do you need anything?” Emma came closer, worried about the woman who had taken her in and become a friend.

  Grace waved her hand. “No, I’ll be fine. The doctor gave me some pain medication, which should be kicking in at any moment.”

  The mention of pain medication doubled Emma’s heartbeat. She remembered her fight to shake the habit and never wanted anyone to go through what she had. “Be careful, Grace.”

  The older woman laughed shakily. “It takes more than a bump on the head to get me down for long. I still can’t believe they took me by surprise when I carried the cookies out to the car. When they forced me into the house because they wanted me to show them where you were, I saw my opportunity. I had the short guy on the floor, but the other one hit me with his gun. As I passed out, I took the chair with me, hoping you heard the noise.”

  “I did! That saved my life.”

  Grace’s intense gaze caught hers. “No, your quick thinking saved your life. You’ll be teaching a class on self-defense before too long.”

  “I think I’ll leave that to you.”

  “It didn’t do me much good tonight.”

  “Kinda hard to defend yourself against a gun,” Colin said with a twinkle in his eyes. “We’d better leave you to get some rest. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow.”

  Grace shifted on the bed. “What I mean by first thing is six in the morning,” she called out as they left.

  Out in the hall Colin chuckled. “But that’s not what I mean. I’ll give her until nine.”

  “You don’t think she’ll call you before that.”

  “Probably. Maybe I won’t answer.”

  “Oh, you’re a tricky one.”

  “We’ll need to go by the police station first, anyway. I want to make our statements before picking up Grace. I don’t want to see those two out on the street.”

  Emma shivered, hugging her arms to her, remembering the cold look in the tall one’s eyes, as though human life meant nothing to him. But tomorrow she would ask J.T. if she could see the man again. She had to remember what was nagging her.

  The dark shadows of night gave way to the gray of dawn. Emma stood at the window in the kitchen, staring at Grace’s house, a short distance from Colin’s. She cradled a mug of awful-tasting coffee and took several sips of the hot brew, wrinkling her nose as she drank it. Nothing seemed to warm her insides, not even this foul blackened water. She really needed to learn to cook.

  A sound above her told her someone was up and moving around. The day was beginning and soon she would have to face her brother’s murderers.

  Last night she hadn’t slept at all. After talking to Tiffany and Amber for an hour, she had tried to lie down, but every time she’d closed her eyes she’d seen her brother being murdered again. Finally, around four in the morning, she’d crept from Amber’s bedroom and down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone. She was exhausted, but she couldn’t stop from thinking and replaying all that had happened.

  Grace’s car stood sentinel next to the house. That was where everything had started last night. When Emma thought about the terror that had gripped her, she also remembered the prayers she’d offered to God. She recalled the peace she had experienced when she had walked toward the living room and Derek’s killers. It had felt as if the Lord had walked with her. Is that what Colin meant? With God, you weren’t ever alone?

  “Did you get any sleep last night?” Colin’s deep voice penetrated her musing.

  She twisted around, her hands still cupping her mug, trying to draw some warmth into her. “No.”

  “I’m so sorry, Emma. I know none of this is easy.”

  “I have remembered something.” She came toward him. “I know that tall man.”

  TEN

  “Who is he?” Colin headed for the coffeepot, sitting on his kitchen counter.

  “Don’t. It tastes bad. You probably should make some more.”

  Emma offered him a small smile, still not used to seeing him. His dark hair lay at odd angles, as though he had run his fingers through it instead of combing it. She fought the urge to straighten it, curling her hands tighter around the mug.

  “Emma!”

  She blinked and realized she had been caught staring at him instead of answering.

  “Who is he?”

  “That I don’t know. I just know I’ve seen him before my brother was murdered. I’m still trying to figure out where and when. I hope seeing him today will spark a memory.”

  “It’ll come to you.” Colin emptied the pot and then began preparing more coffee.

  Emma watched him, his movements economical, nothing wasted. His hands were large with long, slender fingers. They were capable of beating up an intruder but also being so gentle and comforting to a lost soul.

  She walked to the sink and poured the half-drunk coffee down the drain, relishing the scent of the new brew as it saturated the kitchen. “I hope you’re right.” She placed her mug next to the pot.

  Colin relaxed back against the counter, his gaze sweeping down her length. “Do you want to get a change of clothes from Grace’s?”

  Emma chuckled. “Are you telling me I don’t look good?”

  His grin lit his whole face. “On the contrary. You look very good.” A smoldering regard traveled down her. “I just figured you were tired of wearing the same clothes as yesterday. My daughters, especially Tiffany, manage to change several times a day.”

  Emma took in her attire of black slacks and animal-print blouse. “They have been through a lot.” She gestured down her length. “Thankfully, they don’t wrinkle easily—especially since I’ve slept in them—but I should probably change. I also want to make sure Grace’s house is cleaned up before she comes home. Can we go over there before we go to the sheriff’s office?”

  “Yeah, since it’s the crack of dawn, we should have plenty of time. I’ll call J.T. to make sure he’s through with the house and we can go in. But first I need some coffee.” He shifted around and took a mug from the cabinet. After pouring Emma hers, he filled his. “I heard you and the girls talking.”

  “We didn’t keep you up, did we?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t go to sleep for quite a while and then I don’t think I slept more than an hour or so. It was good to hear you all laughing.”

  “You have great daughters. Tiffany had me in tears telling me about a chocolate-milk bo
mber. Some student at school has been tossing a carton of chocolate milk over the balcony every day after lunch and it busted all over the floor down below, making a mess. The principal laid a trap for the bomber, as the kids call the student, but he eluded it. No one knows who the student is, but every day a chocolate-milk carton is busted somewhere in the school.”

  “The pranks kids play.” Colin sipped his coffee.

  “I bet you did a few in your day.”

  “Who? Me? I was a perfect child.”

  His mischievous gleam told her otherwise. “Yeah, I bet. I’m going to have to talk to Grace and get the scoop on you.”

  The mischief curled his lips. “She doesn’t know a thing.”

  “Have I ever told you that when my curiosity is aroused I don’t let go until I find out what I want to know?”

  “Nope. That’s nice to know. Have I ever told you I was trained never to divulge national secrets?”

  “Oh, I think you have challenged me.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I have.” His smirk flashed over the rim of his mug as he took another drink.

  She playfully punched him in the arm. “I didn’t know you were such a rogue.”

  “There are many sides to me, Emma.” His intense gaze snared hers.

  The coldness inside her melted at the look he gave her. Each day she was with him she was discovering the truth in that statement. A man comfortable in many different situations. A man capable of such tenderness but also such fierceness, too. A man she could fall in love with.

  A man who could break her heart.

  Colin thrust open the back door to Grace’s house and allowed Emma to enter first. She hesitated, then stepped through the threshold into the kitchen, her attention on the overturned chair next to the table in the middle of the room. Seeing the trembling in her hands, he took hold of them and halted her progress.

  “We don’t have to do this. You look fine the way you are.”

  She attempted a smile that faded instantly. “No, I won’t let fear rule my life. And I won’t let Grace come home to a messy house.” Emma pulled her hands from his and bent over to right the chair, scooting it in flush with the table’s edge as Grace had it every morning. “One room down and quite a few left.” She glanced at him over her shoulder and this time her smile stayed.