Paul pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made a call to the emergency phone at the cabin. When he received no answer, he called Donald. When his brother failed to pick up at such an early hour, worry gnawed at Paul's gut. He climbed into the truck and headed toward the cabin.
Jamie ran through the woods in a blind panic with Eden close on her heels. They had not stopped to see if their attacker was dead. Instead they leapt over him and ran for their lives.
Eden grabbed Jamie's shoulder and pulled her to the ground, holding her with her weight. Jamie shook violently beneath her. "I shot that man, Eden. I can't believe I shot someone."
Eden looked into Jamie's wide eyes. "He would've shot us if you hadn't. Right now you've got to get it together because we don't know if he was alone."
Jamie's face blanched at her words.
"There's a car sitting near the road. I can't tell if there's anyone in it," Eden whispered breathlessly.
"Do you think it's his car?"
"Give me the gun," Eden said as she pried the weapon from Jamie's trembling fingers. "I'm going to sneak up and see if it's occupied."
Jamie watched as Eden made her way carefully to the vehicle. Her heart skipped in her chest when she saw Eden step out of the shadows with the weapon raised and approach the old sedan. When Eden waved giving the all clear, Jamie bolted from her hiding place and joined Eden as she circled the car.
"It's his," Eden said grimly as she looked over the things inside. "This is probably how he found us." Eden handed Jamie a utility bill.
"Oh, my God, this is Donald's!" Jamie shrieked.
"Lower your voice," Eden whispered. "As I said before, there may be someone else with him, although by the looks of this car, he came alone. There's trash piled up in all the seats."
"I need to make sure Donald is okay," Jamie said hysterically.
Eden grabbed Jamie by the shoulders. "Look at me," she said sternly. "We've got to go back and get the keys to this car, and I need you to be calm."
Tears glistened in the moonlight as they streamed down Jamie's face. "What if he's not dead?"
"If he's not, he will be soon. You fired off quite a few rounds. I'll get the keys, but I want you to follow me back to the cabin, just on the off chance that there is someone else. I don't feel good about you staying here alone."
Jamie clutched Eden's hand tightly as they crept back toward the cabin, then waited in a cluster of trees as she watched Eden disappear into the darkness just behind the cabin. Never once could she remember being so terrified. The thought of something happening to Eden made her knees weak, causing her to crumble to the ground.
Eden sneaked around the rear of the cabin and came up the side closest to the porch. Each step she made sounded amplified by the crunching of dried leaves under her feet. Every muscle in her body froze stiff as she rounded the corner and looked into a pair of eyes staring back at her eerily in the moonlight.
Paul struggled to remain at a moderate speed as he made his way to the cabin, clutching his cell phone. He had not been able to reach Jamie. He cursed the timing of his sister's illness that kept him away from his older brother and the women who desperately needed his help. He wondered if Donald was not home because he had simply gone to the cabin, but something deep inside told him otherwise.
Eden swallowed hard as she stared into the lifeless eyes of the man who had burst into the cabin earlier. He lay sprawled out on the porch just as he was when they had fled. She willed her feet to move and slowly walked up the steps looking down at the bullet-riddled body.
She nudged him with her foot, and when there was no response, she knelt and carefully went through his pockets. The only sound she made was a sigh of relief when she tugged the key ring free of his pocket. Feeling a little braver, she reached beneath him and pulled out his wallet. Refusing to take the time to peek inside, she stuffed it in her pocket and made her way back to Jamie.
"Where do we go now?" Jamie asked as she sat behind the wheel of the old sedan. Her hands shook violently as she slipped the car into drive.
"Just get us back onto a real road and we'll come up with something then," Eden said as she squinted into the darkness that surrounded them. "I know a place we can go."
Jamie obediently followed Eden's instructions and followed the gravel road until they came to the highway. "What if we're stopped?"
"Don't stop for anyone unless it's the police," Eden said as she fished a cell phone from the trash on the seat. She punched in a number, hoping she had gotten it right.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Paul pulled up in front of the cabin. Tension gnawed at his gut as he slowly crept toward the door, peering over the barrel of his shotgun. The occasional squawk of a bird toyed with his frayed nerves.
In the early morning light, his eyes were barely able to make out the form of a body lying on the front porch. His throat constricted painfully until he was able to ascertain that it was not one of the women he had vowed to protect. Slowly, he stepped over the lifeless man and entered the cabin, his ears straining for any sound.
He began to relax after he found the place was empty. He searched the surrounding area cautiously, calling out for anyone who could hear. After an hour of searching, he reluctantly climbed back into his truck and made his way to Donald's, hoping he would find them alive and well with his brother.
Al Pittman rode in the front seat of the unmarked police car as he and Detective Salamoni intercepted the two women at a meeting spot they had agreed upon. Tears streamed down his face when at last he looked Eden in the eyes. He wasted no time getting out of the car when it came to a stop, and he tugged Eden into his arms.
Jamie watched with tears of her own as the two embraced. She cried tears of joy for them and tears of worry and fear for what may have happened to Donald.
"Miss Spencer, are you all right?" Detective Salamoni asked as she approached the haggard-looking woman.
"Are you going to arrest me now?" Jamie asked nervously.
Detective Salamoni smiled reassuringly. "No, ma'am, as I told you on the phone, we know the truth about what happened. I'll need you to give a formal statement, but after that, you'll be free to go."
"We just need to eat and to rest, no hospital," Eden stated resolutely as Al tried to convince her to get checked for injuries.
"Can I go home?" Jamie asked the detective.
"You really should be looked at by a doctor," Detective Salamoni tried to argue.
"No hospitals!" Eden demanded.
"Then you'll both come home with me," Al replied staunchly. "They can come home with me, can't they?" he asked the detective.
Detective Salamoni sighed. "Well, if they don't feel they need medical attention, that would probably be best. After I get the report from the sheriff who's working the cabin and this car impounded, I'll need to question them both."
Jamie called her parents from Al's cell phone as they made the trip to his home. Tearfully, she assured them that she was all right. Eden watched her from the backseat, feeling guilty about making the wrong assumptions.
Detective Salamoni and several other members of her team questioned Eden and Jamie until they both looked as though they would drop from exhaustion. Al doted over the two women as they recounted the horrific events since leaving the McManus facility.
During the questioning, Jamie repeatedly asked about Holly, hoping that she had already come forward. Detective Salamoni skirted the issue, fearful that the news would be too much for Jamie in her current state. When Jamie refused to accept another excuse, the detective relayed the information that she dreaded to deliver.
"Miss Spencer, late yesterday evening, we recovered the van that belonged to Beth Briggs. We found signs of a struggle, but we've not been able to locate Miss Patton."
Jamie's heart sank into the pit of her stomach. "What do you mean 'signs'?"
Detective Salamoni sighed. "We found a fair amount of blood that we believe to be Miss Patton's, but the test results haven'
t come back from the lab."
Jamie shoved away from the table; Eden stood and tried to take her into her arms, but Jamie shrieked and pushed away. Al followed her from the room as Eden stood helpless.
Jamie refused to be consoled until Al convinced her to take some of his medication for anxiety. He stayed with her until she relaxed and her body gave into sleep. The following morning, he was at her door the minute the sun rose.
Al poked his head inside. "May I come in for a second?" He asked politely before stepping into the room. "If there's anything I can get for you, please don't hesitate to ask." He dabbed at his eyes before continuing. "I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for Eden. She's all I have left in this world."
"There's nothing to repay me for, Mr. Pittman. I'm just thankful you were there for us and I'm not sitting in jail right now," Jamie replied sadly.
"I'll have the lady who tends my home bring up something for you to eat, then I'd like you to try and get some more rest. I'll keep trying to get in touch with Dr. Briggs for you, and if I hear anything at all, I'll wake you myself. Please treat my house as your home." He then backed out of the room, allowing Jamie the rest she so obviously needed.
Later that morning, Eden paced back and forth in the room she had taken refuge in. She jumped when she heard the anguished wail from down the hall. Al had given her the news about Donald Briggs, and she chose to hide while he relayed the same information to Jamie.
She knew it was her place to tell Jamie what had happened to Donald, but the guilt and shame was too great for her. The man who Jamie looked to as a father figure died because of her. And Jamie's life had been turned upside down because she cared enough to help a stranger in need. Eden hid in her room, feeling ashamed and guilty.
Chapter Twelve
"I'll have a burger with extra cheese and go heavy on the pickles. I'd also like a large fry and a chocolate shake," Jamie said, looking at the menu of her favorite fast food restaurant.
"Now, that's more like the sister I know and love," Ann said with a smile. "Mom and Dad were really beginning to get worried about your lack of appetite."
Jamie grabbed the tray heavily laden with food and found a table. "I'm fine," she grumbled as she settled into a chair.
Ann decided to keep the conversation light, until Jamie was ready to purge her soul. She would not push her baby sister like her parents had, but she knew something wasn't right. "I imagine you went through some pretty bad junk food withdrawals at the cabin."
Mention of the cabin made the bite of burger sour in Jamie's mouth. She set it down and went to work on her fries. "I won't be in a hurry to have fish or soup anytime soon."
"I wonder if Mom and Dad have made it home yet," Ann wondered aloud as they ate. Their parents spent a month with Jamie until Ann relieved them. Jamie felt smothered by their attention and was close to the boiling point when Ann arrived and assured them that she would be there for her little sister.
"I was pretty hard on them before they left," Jamie said with regret. "They were just in my face all the time wanting to know if I was okay. I just couldn't take it anymore."
"Dad admitted that they had been overbearing. They were so worried about you when you were gone, and I think they expected you to fall apart when you got home."
"I'm sure that'll happen when I have a moment to myself and I get a chance to think about things. Between our parents the media, and the police, I haven't been able to go to the bathroom by myself," Jamie said before she realized how she must have sounded. "I...I'm glad you're here, though."
Ann smiled and patted her sister's hand. "I'll give you all the space you need, but I'll be seconds away if you need me."
"I need to call Holly's parents. Detective Salamoni said she would do some research and see if she could get a phone number and address for me..." Jamie's voice went raspy with emotion. "I just wanted to tell them what she meant to me."
After lunch, Jamie took Ann to an older area of town. The ride down tree-lined streets lifted her spirits a little. She smiled as she passed the older homes, thinking this area would soon be her own.
"This is the one," Jamie said as they pulled up in front of the wood-framed house with a wraparound porch.
Ann sighed and paused a moment before getting out of the car. "Jamie, this is a terrible thing to ask, but I need to know. How are you going to afford to buy a house with no job?"
Jamie killed the engine and opened the door, allowing cool air to fill the inside of the car. "Al Pittman is buying it for me. And he won't take no for an answer," Jamie answered guiltily.
"Then why do you sound so ashamed of it?" Ann asked as she took Jamie's hand into her own.
"Because he doesn't owe me a thing, and I feel guilty for getting a reward after what happened to Donald and Holly."
Ann tugged her sister's hand until Jamie looked her in the eye. "They would want you to have this house, you know that. I understand how you must feel, but I'm sure it means a lot to Al to be able to do this for you."
Jamie swallowed hard as she looked across the small lawn to the house of her dreams.
"Is Eden helping with the purchase of this place, too?" Ann asked, watching Jamie flinch at the mention of her name.
"I doubt she knows anything about it," Jamie responded bitterly.
Ann smiled, knowing she had a leg in the door of the conversation she had been dying to have since she arrived. "Let's go give that porch swing a try, and you can tell me all about it."
Jamie smiled weakly at Ann, knowing she had been had. Her sister could always read her like a book. They sat on the swing and chatted about the house until Ann could take it no longer.
"Tell me what really happened with Eden Carlton at the cabin," she blurted out.
"Just like you to get straight to the point," Jamie said with a smile that quickly faded from her face. "I fell in love with her."
"And?" her sister stated impatiently.
"And I have no idea what she feels, if anything at all. She's difficult to read.. .well, just plain difficult."
"Does she know how you feel?" Ann pressed a little further, testing the waters.
"She has no idea how I feel," Jamie said dejectedly as she remembered how cold Eden was during their last day at the cabin.
"And you're not brave enough to tell her," Ann said, making a clucking noise, which was quickly silenced when Jamie turned angry eyes on her.
"She wouldn't even look at me when we were questioned by the police. Obviously, I was a quick roll in the hay to her."
"You slept with her already?"
"Don't look at me that way, Ann, you slept with Tim on your second date! In the backseat of a Pacer, no less," Jamie exclaimed.
"Touché." Ann held up her hands in defeat. "So you slept with her and now she's clammed up."
"On our last day at the cabin, we got into a vicious fight, and she basically accused me of kidnapping her. And now that she knows the truth, she's made no attempt to apologize or reconcile." Jamie sniffed back the tears. "I have no idea what she thinks of me now."
Ann draped her arm over her baby sister's shoulders. "Honey, I wouldn't rest until I found out. Do you want me to talk to her?"
"I'm not in junior high anymore, Ann, we're a little old for that now," Jamie said ruefully.
"Then you need to do it, Jamie. If for nothing else, simple peace of mind."
"I'm not ready to set myself up for that kind of hurt right now. Maybe when I feel a little better about myself," Jamie said as she stood. "Let's go look in the windows. I want to know what you think of this place."
"Are you sure?" Jamie asked as she set down the box she was getting ready to pack. "Detective, they can't be dead. Holly called someone to pass along a message to them while we were at the cabin. She said they were elderly, and she was worried about them."
"I used Miss Patton's Social Security number to track them down. I'm certain that these people were her parents, and they both passed away within a year of each other five
years ago."
Jamie sat down, reeling from the shock. "This doesn't make sense. Maybe she meant an aunt or uncle."
"As far as I can tell, Holly Patton had one brother, and according to him, they've not spoken since their parents died. Apparently, there was a bitter dispute over what their parents left them. He said Holly moved away and hasn't spoken to him since."
"Well, thank you, detective. I'm sorry to have put you through the trouble for nothing," Jamie said sadly before hanging up the phone.
Detective Salamoni switched lines and called another extension. "Carl, hey, it's Melanie. Can you get me the cell phone recovered from the cabin in the Carlton case?" She hung up the phone and smiled. "You're a sly one," she muttered under her breath.
Jamie unpacked the last of her belongings and sighed as she looked around the house she now owned. Significantly larger than her apartment, it paled in comparison to Al's opulent home. She briefly wondered if Eden's house was just as grand.
"She'd probably feel out of place in such a common setting," Jamie said aloud bitterly. She should have been thrilled to be spending the first night in her new home, but the empty feeling she felt inside stole what little happiness she had left.
She plopped down on the sofa and stared out of the huge living room window at the live oak laden with moss that adorned her front yard. She wondered what type of people Eden associated with and if they would snub their noses at her modest home and furnishings.
Now that the nightmare was over, she felt a void in her life. She'd lost her two closest friends and the woman she had foolishly given her heart to. "What will I do now?" she wondered aloud.
A soft knock at her front door interrupted her thoughts. She glanced out the window and smiled when she saw the familiar pickup sitting in her driveway.
"Paul," she said with a grin as she opened the door and fell into his arms. "It's so good to see you again."
"Congratulations on your new home," he said with a smile as he produced a bouquet of flowers. "Give me a tour."
After Jamie led Paul throughout the house, they settled in the den in front of the fireplace. "Have you heard from Eden?" he asked softly.
The Taking of Eden Page 13
