As if he could read her mind, Edward turned to Lucky. “You know I can’t let you or Elizabeth go free. My entire life has been a prison sentence. I have no intention of spending my last years in another sort of prison.”
“A prison of your own making, Edward,” Elizabeth said.
“That may be, but my only regret is that I didn’t dispose of them all years ago. They weren’t entitled to the years they had, the years they took from Johnny.” Something in his face shifted. His eyes were grim. “Now walk.” He indicated with the gun.
“Walk? Walk where?” Lucky croaked.
“Into the woods, follow that path.” He indicated a well-worn path into the trees away from the house, away from the car, away from escape. Lucky felt her knees start to shake. He planned to march them into the woods and what? Shoot them? Had the man lost touch with all human feeling?
Elizabeth straightened up. A jolt of anger ran through her slight frame. “You’ll never get away with this, Edward.”
“Oh, but I have gotten away with it. For years I’ve gotten away with it.” He laughed softly. “I made sure Danny Harkins died in that wreck twenty-seven years ago.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened and a look of shock registered on her face. “What do you mean?”
Edward smiled at the memory. “It was quite by accident really. I was driving home and passed his car on the road. He had run off the road and hit a tree.” He chuckled. “It’s true you know, that old saying, ‘God looks after fools and drunks.’ Danny reeked of alcohol and yet there wasn’t a scratch on him. The idiot had been drinking and missed the turn. His car was in the ditch, but he was conscious.”
Edward barked a short, harsh laugh. “He actually thought I had stopped to help him. The gas tank was leaking. Fuel was everywhere. Killing him was so easy. But it was important to me that he was conscious and knew what was happening to him. And he knew I did it for Johnny. He begged and screamed as I lit the match and watched him die—die just like my Johnny.”
Another scream, wild and primitive, came from the trees. Maggie flew at Embry. She was like a beast of the forest. Taken by surprise, he hadn’t had time to even raise his gun. She lunged at him, knocking him to the ground, screaming, clawing at his face, his eyes. He shouted and struggled, but Maggie had called upon superhuman strength. Edward tried to get to his feet, to raise the gun and aim it at Maggie. But she clung to him, fighting him with all her strength, uncaring that she might cause her own death. She grasped the weapon and, groaning with the effort, turned it against his chest. The gun fired. Birds screeched and flew from the trees. Lucky’s ears rang and finally all was quiet.
No one breathed. Time seemed to halt in the frozen silence. Maggie slowly climbed off the body of Edward Embry and stood, devoid of expression, staring at the dying man. The gun dropped from her hand. Edward’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came. Blood bubbled from his lips. Staring at the trees above him, his eyes glazed over and his body was still. A sudden violent wind bent the treetops. And then the rain came.
Lucky approached softly and, reaching down, picked up the gun. It wasn’t safe to leave it. She didn’t know what reaction if any Maggie might have to what she had just done.
Lucky took Elizabeth’s hand. “Let’s go,” she whispered. They stumbled out of the clearing, leaving Maggie in the rain still staring at Edward’s body. They followed the path out of the trees and reached Sophie’s car. The heat from the burning house was intense. By now, someone would have seen smoke and reported a fire. Lucky only hoped the downpour would quench the fire before it spread. When they reached the car Lucky eased Elizabeth into the passenger seat. She climbed in on the driver’s side, started the engine and reversed down the drive. She backed up the road a good distance away and hit the brakes. Reaching behind her, she grabbed her purse and rummaged for her cell phone. She punched in the first few numbers, then heard the sirens. She grasped Elizabeth’s hand, leaned her head back and waited for the cavalry.
Chapter 36
“I KNOW I said I wanted some time with you, but this is ridiculous.” Elias chuckled as he threaded a suture through the fleshy part of Lucky’s forearm. “This isn’t quite what I had in mind.”
“Just keep sewing, will you?” Lucky did her best to study the acoustic panels on the ceiling of the Snowflake Clinic. “It makes me sick if I look.”
Elias looked up quickly. “Any pain?” His demeanor was immediately professional.
“Yes, you’re a terrible seamstress . . . seamster . . . what’s the right word?”
“Whoa there. Don’t be casting aspersions on my abilities as a doctor. I’ll have you know my mother taught me to sew!” Elias declared in mock indignation.
“Really? So did mine. Our mothers must have had a lot in common.”
Lucky felt no pain after the anesthetic had been injected, but the tug on her skin was disconcerting. All things considered, she had no complaints. A jagged cut to her arm from the wooden boards of the hatch was minor compared to what could have happened.
The door from the waiting area flew open and Sophie marched into the examining room. “Hope you don’t mind. This is taking way too long . . . visiting hours will be over soon.” Sophie smiled. “How is she?”
“Worst patient I ever had,” Elias mumbled without looking up. He tied off the last suture and covered the wound with an antiseptic ointment and a sterile bandage. “Come back to the Clinic in a few days. I want to check that there’s no infection.” He leaned over and planted a light kiss on Lucky’s lips. “I know it’s no good to tell you to stay out of trouble, but try to stay out of trouble.”
“How did you know where to find me?” she asked Sophie.
“Well, you said you’d be back in a half hour. When more than an hour had gone by, Jack and I both got worried. Jack’s in the waiting room by the way. I called Emily at the library and grilled her. She told me about the conversation you had with her and that she had given you directions to Maggie’s house. I wasn’t positive you had gone there first, without me. It was a long shot, but it was the only thing I could think of when you didn’t come back. I got really worried. I finally managed to reach Nate and catch a ride with him. Nate got the report of a fire when we were headed out there. That’s when he turned on the siren. And you know the rest. Oh, by the way, Nate found Elizabeth’s car hidden way back in the woods behind Maggie’s house. We never would have found it on our own.”
“I guess our efforts were for nothing.” Lucky shrugged and winced in pain from the movement. Once Nate had taken charge of the scene, Lucky handed the gun over to him and drove straight back to town with Sophie and Elizabeth. “Where’s Nate now?”
“He’s with the State Police at Maggie’s house. They’ve got quite a scene out there. More to the point, where is Elizabeth?” Sophie asked.
“She’s right next door, getting her vitals checked.”
“I’ll go sit with her. Join us when you two are finished here.” Sophie smiled suggestively at Elias. She breezed out and knocked on the door to Elizabeth’s examining room. A minute or so later, Lucky and Elias heard gales of laughter. Lucky smiled. “Laughter’s the best thing for her right now. Am I done? I’ll go see Jack. I’m sure he’s worried.”
“Go ahead. I’ll catch up. I need to see how Elizabeth’s doing. It’ll be a miracle if she isn’t dehydrated. That’d be the most dangerous thing.”
“She told me Maggie gave her a large jug of water and fed her every day. Elizabeth was worried though because the water was running out.”
“Whatever possessed Maggie to go along with Embry?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the shrinks can get something out of her. I doubt she’s well-balanced so who knows what her mental or emotional competence is. Edward must have threatened her. He must have told her he’d kill her if she let Elizabeth go. She was the one he blamed for the boys not being charged with his son’s death. Obviously he never told her what he did to Danny. He was sure she was still tied up in that burning house w
hen he confessed to us.”
“What was he doing in her house to begin with?”
“I think when he saw his opportunity to take revenge on Rowland, he didn’t want anyone around to remember or rake up the past. After all, Maggie has done nothing but live in the past all these years. Apparently, it was Maggie who had given the boys their alibi. Edward said he had left her alone all this time, but always kept an eye on her. Her own guilt must have tortured her terribly. Perhaps she felt there was no one she could turn to for help. And of course he planned to kill her too. What he didn’t anticipate was that Elizabeth would show up unexpectedly.” Lucky shuddered. “Elias, he had poured gasoline all over the house. If I had gotten there a few minutes later, it would have been too late.”
Elias quickly wrapped his arms around her, careful not to touch the injured part of her arm. “If anything had happened to you . . .”
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine. And Elizabeth too. Another thing . . . Embry said he didn’t kill Harry. He said he was sure Rowland had done it, and I think he was right.”
“Harry was dying. There are treatments, but it would have just prolonged his agony. And the information I had from his specialist was that he refused any treatment.”
“Poor Harry. He must have felt the most important thing he had left to do was confess what really happened to Edward’s little boy all those years ago. He must have told Rowland what he intended. It all makes sense now. Why he told Pastor Wilson he needed to speak to someone else first. He never got the chance to clear his conscience. Rowland took even that away from him.”
Elias cleaned his instruments off the tray and pushed it out of the way. “Come on, bad patient. Off you go. Elizabeth is waiting for me.” Lucky smiled and their eyes held. Elias reached for her as she hopped off the examining table. He pulled her tight in an enveloping embrace and buried his face in her hair. She could feel the beating of his heart. He was completely silent, but Lucky knew his thoughts and his fears without the need to say a word. She was so terribly grateful Elias was in her life.
Jack looked uncomfortable as he sat in one of the molded plastic chairs in the waiting room of the Clinic. Rosemary, one of the Clinic receptionists at the front desk today, was wonderful with patients and kept Jack chatting. When Lucky entered, Jack jumped up and rushed over to her, enveloping her in yet another bear hug.
“It’s about time, my girl. You survived the rocks and shoals.”
“I’m fine, Jack, no worries. Elizabeth is too. She’ll be out in a minute.”
“Who’d have thought . . .” He trailed off, unable to put into words the absurdity of Maggie Harkins keeping Elizabeth a prisoner in her cellar. He shook his head.
“I think it’ll take everyone in town a while to process what’s happened.”
“If it weren’t for you goin’ out there, Elizabeth and Maggie Harkins would both be gone. And to think he held a gun on you. I would have killed him myself if he had hurt a hair on your head.” Jack choked back a sob. “. . . and Elizabeth too. I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe Edward Embry of all people coulda been capable of something like this. Twisted. That’s what it is. His head just got twisted, and we all thought he was doing fine.”
“Have you heard anything about Maggie?”
Jack nodded. “Nate called a few minutes ago. He’s been out there at Maggie’s house the whole time. He just wanted to make sure you and Elizabeth were on the mend. He’s gonna take Maggie over to the hospital in Lincoln Falls. They’ll probably admit her. It was crazy what she did, but I guess she’s been half crazy all this time. We should all be ashamed of ourselves that we didn’t keep a better eye on her.”
“You’re right, Jack. Maybe it wouldn’t have done any good, but all the same, it’s like she slipped through the cracks, all alone with all that grief.” Lucky shook her head. “You should have seen her. She was like a wild animal when she attacked Embry. She was in the woods watching us. When she heard what he did to her son—that Danny would still be alive if Embry hadn’t set that gasoline alight—she went crazy, crazy with rage.”
Chapter 37
NATE KNOCKED FIRMLY on the door. It was opened immediately by Cordelia Rank. Lucky had seen a curtain in the front window move slightly. She was sure Cordelia had watched their progress up the path. Lucky squeezed Horace’s hand to give him courage. She knew he was dreading this moment, but it was something he had to see through. Horace leaned over and secured Cicero’s leash to the column on the front porch. “Stay, Cicero.” Cicero sat obediently, his tail wagging. Lucky scratched the dog’s head, happy that Horace had agreed to adopt Edward’s orphaned pet.
Cordelia opened the door and turned a frosty gaze on Nate. Her look swept over Lucky and Horace. “Nate,” she stated flatly. She was well aware why they were all on her doorstep.
“May we come in?” Nate asked.
Cordelia said nothing, but stepped back and opened the front door of her home. Without a word, she turned and walked into the large front parlor taking a seat in a straight-backed armchair. The three of them, Nate, Lucky and Horace, trailed in after Cordelia and sat on the sofa facing her.
“Mrs. Rank, I have reason to believe that you lured Horace Winthorpe into the woods outside his home and that you or you and your husband entered that home without permission to steal one of the artifacts found with the remains.”
Cordelia stared at Nate stonily. “How dare you . . .”
“I’m here to ask you nicely to hand it over. It does not belong to you, and should be kept at the University until the final disposition of the remains and other artifacts is decided.”
Cordelia sniffed. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Nate sighed. “I’m really hoping that I don’t have to get a warrant, Cordelia. I’d like to handle this in a civilized manner.”
Cordelia’s breathing became shallower. Her face was pinched and white lines appeared around her nose. “You are wrong, Nate Edgerton. Those remains do belong to me. They are the remains of my ancestor and I can prove it. I have all the research and paperwork that I’ve submitted to the Daughters of the American Revolution, and you and this town have no right to interfere with the proper burial of my ancestor and his personal possessions. I’ll have you know I have sought legal counsel and my attorney will be bringing an action against the University to release those remains.”
Lucky heard a step in the hallway and looked up to see Norman Rank standing in the archway to the parlor.
“Well, Cordelia, I can’t argue legal technicalities with you. I guess that will be for a judge to decide. But in the meantime, I can and will apply for a warrant, and if that lead ball is on the premises, I would be forced to bring charges against you. Fortunately for your sake, Professor Winthorpe has no desire to cause you trouble, but the University entrusted those artifacts to him and he’s compelled to return them. Completely apart from the injury he suffered that night and the emotional upset, he’s personally embarrassed by the loss.”
Norman glared across the room at his wife. He turned and disappeared from the threshold, while Cordelia and Nate faced each other in silence, neither one willing to relinquish a position of power. Norman returned and walked toward Nate. He handed him a small box.
Surprised, Nate looked up and took the box. He opened it carefully while Lucky peeked over his shoulder. On a pad of cotton lay the small lead ball once fashioned from family pewter that had killed a man more than two centuries ago. Horace breathed an audible sigh of relief.
“I apologize and I am very sorry for all the trouble we’ve caused you.” Norman addressed his comment to Horace. “We never meant you any harm.”
Horace stood and shook Norman’s hand vigorously. “It’s all forgotten. Thank you.”
Cordelia’s complexion had turned bright red. She opened her mouth to object, but Norman silenced her with a look. “My wife has a very good point. If the remains are those of her ancestor, she is entitled to claim those remains and artifacts. I was . . . it was very f
oolish to do what we did. I hope you’ll forgive us. We’ll handle this through legal means and let the court decide what to do.”
Cordelia mustered her dignity. “The fact remains that I am still a Daughter of the American Revolution. And I’ll have you know that my ancestor was a patriot. He was not a traitor, no matter whose bullet killed him. Anyone who says otherwise is guilty of slander. We possess a very fine record proving that Nathanael Cooper was a militiaman in the Continental Army and that’s all that really counts.” Cordelia choked on her words and rushed from the room. She looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
Lucky had a moment of pity for Cordelia. That is, until she remembered the night she discovered Horace injured in the woods. Maybe Cordelia Cooper Rank deserved a little humiliation.
Chapter 38
CHARLIE LEAPED FROM the grass and landed on Lucky’s lap, purring and nuzzling her face.
“You’ve got a fan,” Elizabeth remarked. She moved around the large picnic table, lighting candles.
The sun was just starting to set. The evening promised to stay warm, the last of the days of summer before the first chill of autumn arrived. Elizabeth had decided to organize an “End of Summer” party as she called it, to celebrate her rescue and release. She had invited Lucky and Elias, Jack, Sophie and Sage, Horace, and Nate and Susanna Edgerton.
Susanna poured a glass of wine and carried it over to Lucky. “I know you don’t want to disturb Charlie. He looks so happy on your lap.”
“We bonded while Elizabeth was away.”
A Broth of Betrayal Page 23
