Searching for Faith

by Kristen Middleton

  She wasn’t the one.

  It had been a waste of time…

  Carissa opened her eyes. “Oh my God.”

  “What is it?”

  “I think I know what he wants,” she said, her stomach recoiling at the new knowledge. This wasn’t the first girl he’d killed, and it wouldn’t be the last. She looked at him. “He’s searching for his daughter.”

  ***

  After stopping off at Alex’s place, to let his dog out, he grabbed a bag of beef jerky and they headed back to his Jeep.

  “I have to eat something or I’m going to be a real grouch,” he explained, holding out the bag to her. “Would you like any?”

  “No thank you. I just ate dinner.”

  “Lucky you,” he said, grabbing a piece of jerky. “I haven’t eaten since lunchtime.”

  She stopped. “I’m sorry. You know, you don’t have to drive me out there.”

  “I know, but at this point, I need to. Just for my own curiosity.”

  Carissa smiled. “As in what I might tell you about the case that the cops don’t already know?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

  “Something tells me you won’t,” he said and smiled.

  Chapter 7

  HE’D BEEN SHOCKED to find that the police had found Amy’s body so quickly. Knowing that they were up there, right now, collecting evidence and questioning people, made him anxious. Even though he’d tried his best not to leave anything behind, there was always the chance that he’d missed something. Or that someone had seen him drive away. He began to wonder if he should try and grab Faith tonight, instead of waiting until the following night. He could try and do it after the wedding rehearsal and dinner.

  But how?

  He wasn’t sure. He didn’t have his van, but he had some chloroform in the trunk of his car.

  What to do… What to do…

  If only Barbara wouldn’t have put him in this situation.

  He thought about the woman he’d once loved and how she’d changed so dramatically. One moment, they were a loving, happy couple, with a young child. The next, she was being difficult and blamed everything on him.

  “You keep forgetting to take your pills,” she’d said. “And I feel like I’m always walking on eggshells around you.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll do better. I forget sometimes. You know I’d never hurt you.”

  Unfortunately, even when he remembered to take his medication, things between them didn’t seem to get any better and he began to blame her friends. It was obvious that most of the busybodies didn’t like him. He could see it in their eyes and knew they were probably feeding her bullshit about how she deserved better. Eventually, he demanded that she get new ones, which she refused to do. Then one night, Barbara told him that she had to work late. She was a loan officer at a bank and claimed that a client was coming in, after hours, to sign some paperwork. It sounded a little fishy, so he drove by the bank and noticed that her car wasn’t there. When Barbara arrived home, later that night, he confronted her and she confessed to lying.

  “I went to see a lawyer. I’m leaving you,” she’d declared.

  He’d been shocked. “Why?”

  “Because you frighten me, even when you take your pills. I’m afraid for myself and for Faith.”

  He told her that she’d been over-reacting and vowed he’d never harm either of them. Unfortunately, she had still wanted out.

  “But, I love you, Barbara.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve fallen out of love with you.”

  Her words had cut him like a knife and he’d been heart-broken. “You’re not taking Faith from me.”

  “You can see her every-other-weekend.”

  That set him off and even with his pills, his temper got the best of him. He snapped and began screaming at her that he’d rather die than lose Faith.

  “I’m not taking her away from you!” she’d cried. “She just won’t be living in the same house with you.”

  To him there wasn’t much of a difference. He wanted to wake up every morning and see her sunny face. He needed to be able to kiss her “goodnight” before she went to bed and not just every other weekend.

  “No. You can leave me, if you want to, but you’re not taking my daughter.”

  “You’re being irrational.”

  “I’m being irrational?!” He’d grabbed her by the neck and began to squeeze. “You try taking my daughter and you’ll see what irrational is really about.”

  “Please… stop,” she’d begged, staring at him with a horrified expression.

  The rest was a bit of a blur, but in the end, she’d backed down and promised to be a better wife.

  Obviously, she’d lied.

  Now, he knew better then to trust anyone completely, especially women, and to go with his gut instincts. Right now, they were telling him that his time was running out and he needed to move quickly.

  Chapter 8

  “HONEY, GO AND change your clothes,” said Rachel, peeking her head into Chloe’s bedroom, where she was playing on her tablet. “It’s time to go to the rehearsal.”

  Chloe looked up. “Can I wear my dress?” She was excited to put on the beautiful, pale blue satin gown her mother had purchased for the wedding. She loved spinning in it and couldn’t wait to show it off.

  “No, honey. That’s for tomorrow. Wear something else. Something clean.” Rachel pointed at Chloe’s top. “The shirt you have on has ketchup on it.”

  Chloe stared down at the stain and her lip started to quiver. There was a picture of a kitty on it and it was one of her favorites. “Oh no! I love this shirt. Will it come out?”

  Rachel walked over and examined it. “Yes. I think so. Once you take it off, I’ll try getting it out with hot water. Now, why don’t you go and put on that white sweater that I bought you.”

  Although it wasn’t as nice as the dress, Chloe loved the soft, fuzzy sweater and had forgotten about it. “Okay. You look so pretty, Mommy,” she said, staring at her mother.

  Rachel had changed into a pair of black slacks and a red silk blouse. She’d also applied makeup and had curled her dark blonde hair. It was rare to see her mother looking so nice.

  “Thank you, Sweetie,” she replied, kissing the top of her head.

  “She does look nice,” agreed Paul, stepping into the bedroom. He’d also changed into a pair of dark pants and light blue dress shirt.

  “Thank you,” replied Rachel looking pleased.

  “So, what time are we supposed to be there?” asked Paul, looking at his watch.

  “In twenty minutes. Let’s get you changed,” Rachel said to Chloe.

  Fifteen minutes later, all three had their winter jackets and boots on and were heading toward the main lodge, where the rehearsal was to take place. It was dark and the snow was falling rapidly. Although Chloe’s parents grumbled about the weather, she was excited and already counting down the days before Christmas.

  “Good thing we got up here when we did,” said Paul. I’m sure the roads are already getting bad and some people are driving like idiots.”

  Rachel agreed.

  Chloe stopped, tilted her head upward, and stuck out her tongue to capture a snowflake. She caught one and then another.

  “Come on, Kiddo,” said Paul, noticing that she was lagging behind. “We’re running late.”

  “Did you know that no two snowflakes are alike?” said Chloe, as he walked back to grab her hand. “That’s what Mommy says.”

  “Well, then it must be true,” he replied dryly as they began walking again.

  “Can we go sledding?” Chloe asked.

  “We’re not here for that,” he replied. “Besides, we don’t have the gear.”

  “Can we do it when we get back home?” she asked, trying to keep up with her father, who was walking very quickly.

  “Maybe. We’ll see,” he replied.

  “You probably won’t,” she mumbled. Her father was alwa
ys too busy.

  “I said ‘we’ll see’. The snow might be melted by the time we get home, anyway,” he said as they caught up to Rachel.

  “What was that?” asked Rachel.

  “I told Daddy that I wanted to go sledding when we get back home,” explained Chloe.

  “Sounds like fun,” replied her mother. “Maybe we can even go tubing while we’re up here? Mackenzie mentioned that there’s a place, not far from the resort, where we can rent them. What do you think?”

  Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Could we really, Mommy? That would be so much fun.”

  “We can try. We’ll look into it on Sunday, okay?” said Rachel, smiling warmly at her.

  Paul sighed. “Honestly, I doubt we’ll be getting that much snow.”

  “We’re supposed to get several inches over the weekend,” said Rachel, opening up the door to the lodge. “If you’d peel your eyes away from your phone once in a while, and watch the weather report, you’d know that.”

  Paul rolled his eyes. “Don’t start,” he muttered as they stepped inside.

  Sighing, Rachel walked up to the front desk and the attendant directed them to the courtyard.

  “Just take those steps and you’ll follow the hallway around to where they have everything set up,” said the receptionist, pointing.

  “Thank you,” said Rachel.

  “An outdoor wedding? Really? This should be fun,” said Paul dryly as they took the staircase down.

  “I’m sure they didn’t anticipate a snow storm,” said Rachel. “Anyways, it’s not that cold and I think the snow is kind of pretty.”

  “Me, too,” said Chloe. “When I grow up, I want to have a wedding outdoors, too. Do you think Santa and Mrs. Claus were married outside?”

  Rachel smiled at her. “I imagine they were. They probably wanted the reindeer to join in the fun.”

  “And the elves, too,” replied Chloe, now skipping ahead of them.

  “Slow down and wait for us,” called Rachel.

  Chloe ignored her and kept going.

  “Good. I’m not the only one running late,” said Maddy, coming up behind them.

  Rachel turned and smiled. “Hi, Maddy. Wow, you look really nice.”

  Maddy, who was holding her coat, had on a tight-fitting dark, green dress that showed off her narrow waist, and black strappy heels. Her hair was in a chignon and she wore a black, velvet choker with an emerald dangling down the middle.

  “Thank you,” she answered and then looked down at her heels. “My feet are going to be hating the snow, but hopefully, we won’t be out in the cold for too long.”

  “I’m sure the rehearsal won’t be long,” said Rachel, glancing at her shoes.

  Maddy looked at Paul and smiled. “Hi.”

  “Hi, Maddy,” he replied. He gave her an appraising look as they stopped at the door. “You know, you’re not supposed to outshine your sister this weekend. She’s going to be ticked.”

  She laughed. “Thank you. I guess?”

  “Obviously, Chloe’s already outside,” said Rachel, opening up the door leading to the courtyard.

  “Of course,” said Paul. “She’s always on her own agenda.”

  When they stepped outside, there were twenty, or so, people standing around and chatting. Sure enough, Chloe had already found Mackenzie, and her fiancé, Brock, and was talking up a storm.

  “Hi. Sorry we’re late,” said Rachel, walking over to them. They were standing by the archway, overlooking the lake. An older man was also with them, holding a camera and smiling at what Chloe was saying.

  “It’s not a problem,” said Mackenzie. “By the way, have you met our photographer, Harold?”

  “We’ve met,” said Paul, sticking his hands in his pockets.

  “You did?” said Rachel, looking surprised.

  “Yes,” replied Harold. “I was taking some photos of the lake, earlier, behind your cabin. I also met your lovely daughter, Chloe. By the way, kiddo, did you find any more nice rocks?”

  “Yes,” Chloe replied. “A couple.”

  “That’s good perfect timing,” Harold replied, looking up at the sky. “If you would have waited any longer, you’d be battling this snow to look for them.”

  Chloe grinned. “I don’t mind. I love the snow. In fact, Mommy said that we might go tubing this weekend.”

  He looked at Rachel. “That sounds like fun. By the way, I haven’t formally introduced myself. I’m Harold,” he said, holding out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Rachel,” she replied, shaking it. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  The photographer looked at Mackenzie. “I’d better get started. If you don’t mind, I’m going to just start taking pictures of the wedding party. Let me know if there is anything specific you’d like photographed.”

  “I want everything and everybody, so just start clicking away,” she said, grinning.

  He nodded. “Sounds great. Before I forget, I’d better go and find your mother, too. She had some suggestions she wanted to talk to me about.”

  “I’m sure she does. The woman is obsessed with making this weekend perfect and is already stressing out about the snow,” replied Mackenzie. “Even more-so than me.”

  “You know, sometimes not having the perfect wedding makes it more memorable,” said Harold with a wink, before walking away.

  “Smart man,” said Brock. “That’s why I’m taking everything in stride.”

  “I wish I could. This weather is even making our minister late. He’s not here yet,” explained Mackenzie, glancing toward the doorway again.

  “I’m sure the roads are starting to get pretty bad,” said Brock. “And of course, people seem to forget how to drive in the snow, making everything worse. Hopefully, he didn’t get stuck somewhere.”

  “What great timing, huh?” said Paul, frowning. “A blizzard on your wedding.”

  “I know,” replied Mackenzie. “I’m just grateful that almost everyone arrived before the snow began. It would have been a rough ride from the cities.”

  “Apparently, it’s not letting up anytime soon. If you’re thinking about bolting, Brock, you’d better do it before you’re snowed in,” joked Paul.

  “I can’t. She took my keys. My wallet. My driver’s license. And… my ability to be funny, apparently. I’m sorry, honey,” he said, smiling sheepishly at Mackenzie, who was pretending to glare at him. “You know that first and foremost, you took my heart and I would never run out on you.”

  “Good answer,” she said, now looking amused more than anything.

  “Where would Brock run to, Mommy?” asked Chloe, who was watching them quietly.

  “They’re just kidding around,” said Rachel, smiling down at her daughter. “Men do that when they’re about to do something adultish and are anxious about it. That’s why your dad is always joking around.”

  “Whoa,” said Paul. “And on that note,” he put his arm around Brock’s shoulders, “as long as the minister is late, why don’t we get ourselves a couple of stiff drinks, Brock? Something to keep us warm?”

  “Sounds good. Do either of you want anything?” Brock asked the two women.

  “No, thank you,” said Rachel.

  “I’m fine,” said Mackenzie.

  “What about you?” Brock asked Chloe. “I believe I saw some hot apple cider floating around here. I could get you a cup.”

  “I’m okay,” she said.

  “All righty then. We’ll be back shortly,” said Brock, as Paul led him away.

  “Don’t take too long. The minister should be here any minute,” called Mackenzie.

  “I’m sorry. Paul’s a bad influence,” said Rachel with a sigh. “I’m sure he’ll buy Brock a couple of shots, too.”

  “It’s okay. Besides, Brock’s a big boy and is responsible for any and all of his own bad choices,” she replied, smiling.

  “Are stiff drinks bad choices?” asked Chloe.

  “You are too smart for your own good,” said Macken
zie, leaning down. “You obviously take after your mother.”

  Rachel smiled.

  “By the way, Chloe, Angie has been looking for you.” She pointed toward Brock’s niece, who was the same age. They’d played together a few times before and got along nicely. “See, she’s over there, by her brother. Why don’t you go and say ‘hello’.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Okay!” she replied and then bolted away.

  “So, how are things with you?” asked Mackenzie, when Chloe was out of ear-shot.

  “Fine,” replied Rachel, knowing what she was really asking. It wasn’t a secret that Rachel and Paul were having problems. All they did was bicker about everything, especially lately. And that was when he was home. Lately, he’d been putting a lot of over-time at the advertising firm, where he worked.

  “You know what you need? A romantic getaway. Just the two of you. I told you before that you can leave Chloe with me and Brock. Or, Maddy would even watch her.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Seriously, Rachel. It would do you both good. When was the last time you two did anything by yourselves?”

  Rachel gave her the same excuse as she always did. “It’s been hard because Chloe is so young and, to be honest, I don’t know if I could stand to be away from her for more than a couple of days. I work so much now as it is myself, and she’s always with a sitter it seems.”

  “You’re a worry-wort,” she replied. “A few days away from Chloe won’t hurt and it will do you and Paul some good.”

  “Maybe. I’ll think about it. Thank you.”

  “No problem, now…” Mackenzie looked around the busy courtyard. “I saw you walk in with my sister. Do you know where she disappeared to?”

  “No. Sorry.”

  “I wish she’d meet someone nice,” said Mackenzie. “Brock has a big family. Maybe she will at the wedding.”

  “Why are you trying to set her up?” asked Rachel, surprised. “She’s so young and has her life ahead of her. Besides, she’s beautiful. She’ll find someone.”