Rising Darkness

by Nancy Mehl

  “Do I have your word that this is over, Sophie?” Paul said.

  Turning back to Paul, I held up one hand, palm out. “Absolutely. I’m heading back to my job at the paper, and I’m going to gladly accept the assignment of reviewing restaurants. I still want to be an investigative reporter, but I’ll just do my time and wait for a promotion like everyone else. Obviously, I still have a lot to learn.” I looked from Paul to Jonathon. “I really wish I could do something to help Tom, though. Maybe one of these days you could visit him?”

  Paul stood up. “I’ll let you two sort all that out. I’m going back to the station. I’ll keep you updated on what happens to Donnie.” He stabbed his index finger toward Jonathon and me. “You both stay out of trouble, okay?”

  “Sounds good,” I said, giving him a sheepish smile. “Frankly, I need a good long nap.”

  Paul tried to hide a grin. “I’m sure you do.”

  He said good-bye and left.

  “Well, you’ve certainly had a busy, busy day. Are you done?”

  I snorted. “I certainly hope so.”

  Jonathon stood, reached for my hand, and pulled me to my feet. “I have a suggestion. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? Then tonight, let me take you to dinner. Not in Sanctuary. Let’s drive to Fredericktown. They have a great little Mexican restaurant. It might do you good to get out of town.”

  “You don’t have a church service tonight?”

  “Nope. We like to give members a chance to spend the rest of Sunday with their families.”

  “I like that idea.”

  He smiled. “So do I. Especially right now.”

  I followed Jonathon down the main aisle. “I love Mexican food, and getting out of Sanctuary for a bit sounds wonderful. I mean, I like it here, but . . .”

  “You need a break?”

  I laughed. “I definitely need a break.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up around six.” He glanced down at his watch. “That will give you a little over three hours to rest.”

  “Maybe I’ll take a catnap. Which at Esther’s is easy because there are always cats around.”

  Jonathon gave an easy laugh at my lame joke. “Do you need me to drive you back to Esther’s?”

  “I’ll check to see if Zac is still waiting outside. If not, I’d rather walk. A little fresh air sounds heavenly.”

  “Okay. I’m headed home, too.”

  I glanced out one of the church windows. Looked liked most of the crowd had dispersed. “You know, Jonathon, I’ve never asked where you live.”

  “The parsonage is next door.”

  “You mean that cute bungalow? The one with the red door?”

  “Yeah, that’s me. The red door wasn’t my idea. Since the church owns the house, they maintain it. The last time they painted the house, I came home and discovered my door was red. I was told that red ‘made it pop.’ What could I say?”

  I laughed. “Well, I like it. I’d love to see the inside sometime.”

  “Sure. But remember, I’m a man. I’ll need to clean up first.”

  “Deal.” I hesitated a moment. “Thanks, Jonathon. I mean, for walking me through this. For trying to help me. For . . . everything.”

  “Of course.” He took my hands. “We have a lot to talk about, Sophie. I don’t want to lose you . . . as a friend. And maybe as someone who might be more someday. Again, no pressure. But I’d like you to think about what you want out of life. If it’s going back to St. Louis and pursuing your career, that’s fine. You could still come to visit, and I can drive up to see you sometimes. I just want you to consider what happens next.”

  “I know. And I am. We’ll talk about it more tonight, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I slowly pulled my hands from his and walked toward the door of the church. I was almost ready to push it open when I stopped, turned, and then ran back to Jonathon. When he saw me coming, he held out his arms, and I fell into them. He held me for quite a while. I felt warm, safe, and happy there. When I stepped back, he released me. I looked up and saw tears in his eyes. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, but I couldn’t right then. I wasn’t the woman he needed in his life. But with God’s help, maybe someday I would be. For now, I hoped the hug said everything I wanted to.

  This time I didn’t look back as I walked out of the church and onto the sidewalk. Paul was still there, and I spotted Zac, leaning against his car, obviously waiting for me. As I started toward him, a small group of people stopped me. A couple of them were strangers, but I recognized Mary and Rosey, as well as Evan Bakker.

  “Is everything okay?” Mary’s forehead wrinkled. “Someone told me you were inside, and I was so worried.”

  I held my arms away from my body to show I was unharmed. “I’m fine. Thanks, Mary.”

  “Martin said you thought he was some kind of famous criminal?” Rosey told me. “Terrance Chase?”

  So Martin was spreading the story around town already. Great. Now everyone in Sanctuary would know the truth. Who I was and what I’d been up to.

  I blushed. “Yes. But I was wrong. I feel stupid. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m an idiot—and a troublemaker.”

  Evan cocked his head to the side and peered at me though his thick glasses. “I don’t believe anyone thinks that. For my part, I’m grateful you cared enough about justice to try to catch that man.” He scratched his head. “I remember the story. He robbed something . . . was it a bank or . . . no, it was an armored car company, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. In St. Louis.”

  “Didn’t he get away with millions of dollars?” Rosey asked.

  “Yes, and it was never found.”

  Mary’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Wouldn’t it be great if it was hidden somewhere in Sanctuary? If we found it, maybe the town would get a reward.”

  “That would be nice. But don’t go tearing up Sanctuary looking for it. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s unlikely Chase was ever here.”

  “But if he was,” Evan interjected, “where would he hide millions of dollars?”

  I shook my head. “I actually had an idea about that, but after all the trouble I’ve caused so far, I have no intention of following up on it.”

  Mary patted my arm. “We understand, and I’m sorry things didn’t turn out the way you’d hoped. Again, we’re all glad you’re okay. Hope you stick around our town for a while. You fit in nicely.”

  I was touched by her kind words. “I’m not sure anyone else feels that way, but it means a lot to me that you do.”

  “You’d be surprised, Emily,” Evan said. “This town is very special. As are the people. Don’t underestimate us, okay?”

  “I’ll try not to. It really is a special place, isn’t it?”

  Rosey slid her arm around my waist for a quick hug. “Yes, it is.” She looked at me carefully as she stepped away. “You look tired. Hope you get some rest this afternoon.”

  “Actually, I’m headed back to Esther’s right now. Then I think I’ll take a nap. Not something I usually do. Tonight, Jonathon’s taking me to some restaurant in Fredericktown. I guess they have good Mexican food.”

  Mary clapped her hands together. “Oh, they do. You’ll love it. I’m so glad you’re getting a night out. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

  “Thank you. I plan to.” I said good-bye to them and walked over to where Zac waited for me.

  “Have any other plans for today?” he asked, a smirk on his face. “You could blow up something. I know where there’s some dynamite.”

  “I think I’ve done enough for one day.” I leaned against his car, right next to him. “And it worries me that you know where dynamite is.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “They’re dynamiting that old mine tomorrow.”

  I straightened. “Really? In the morning? I need to talk to Reuben. Do you know where he is?”

  “He went home. Esther’s over there visiting with Wynter. You can see him when he brings her home.”

&n
bsp; “Yeah. Maybe.”

  He put his hand up, shielding his eyes from the sun that was glaring down on us. “Reuben let me in on some of what happened. Is there something else going on?”

  “Maybe. Probably not.”

  “Well . . . okay. You sound very positive about it.”

  I laughed. “I’m not. That’s why I’m hesitating.” I took a deep breath. “Okay, don’t call me crazy, but remember what Esther said about the mine at lunch? That it was originally called the Gabriel Mine?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “A source once told me he overheard a guy he thought was Terrance Chase talking on the phone, he mentioned coming to a town called Sanctuary. Then he said something about it being protected by an angel. I know it’s a reach, but could he have been talking about the money? Is it possible he hid the money in the Gabriel Mine?”

  “Oh, Sophie. I don’t think so. People have been in and out of that mine. Kids and . . . well, other people. Surely the money would have been found by now. I mean, officials from the state have been in there, too.”

  “But aren’t there a lot of tunnels? Even some that have already collapsed?”

  “Yeah. I mean, it’s not impossible. But you’re still assuming Chase was ever in Sanctuary. Do you still believe that?”

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I spent hours looking through records at the Mennonite church. Records that track the residents of Sanctuary. After all that work, I ended up with only two possibilities, and neither one of them turned out to be Chase.”

  “Wait a minute. What records are you talking about?”

  I quickly explained what I’d been doing at the church.

  “Okay, well, shouldn’t you finish going through them?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. Someone burned them. It’s hard to believe all those details from Sanctuary’s history are gone. I feel awful about it.”

  His eyes widened. “I heard about the fire at the Mennonite church, but I had no idea what was burned.” He peered into the distance as he considered what I’d told him. “Who would have done that?”

  “Nate. He was behind all of the weird stuff going on.”

  Zac was quiet for a moment. “I don’t get it. Reuben didn’t have time to explain everything.”

  “One of the guards shot in the robbery of that armored car company was his brother. He wanted to find Chase on his own. He already had my list of names. He took that from me earlier. Then I guess he wanted to keep me from finding any more information. I had almost everything on my laptop, though. I guess he didn’t think about that.”

  Zac pushed himself away from the car. “Well, if that money is in the mine, six million dollars is going up in smoke tomorrow.”

  “Frankly, I don’t care anymore.” I kicked at a rock with the toe of my shoe. “I’m giving everything I have to Paul. Who knows? Maybe he can use it to find Chase. That would be awesome, wouldn’t it? I’d really like to see the families of those guards get some justice.”

  “Yes, that would be awesome.” Zac casually put his arm around me and gave me a quick hug. “You can only do what you can do. Then you’ve gotta let it go. Something I’m learning.” He tilted his head toward his car. “Can I give you a ride back to Esther’s?”

  “No, thanks. I think I’ll walk. Clear my head. But thanks, Zac. For everything.”

  He grinned. “Not sure what I did. Keeping your secret didn’t last long. Seems the cat’s outta the bag now.”

  “That’s for sure. I’ll give you a call and let you know when I’m back in town. We can set up that dinner. Oh, and if you’d drop that glass off at the restaurant on your way out of town, I’d appreciate it.”

  He waved. “Will do. Not sure how I’m going to explain that to Randi, but I’ll try.” He got into his car and drove away.

  I started down the road. It was a little chilly, and I wished I’d brought my coat. But it didn’t take long to get to Esther’s. The house seemed empty with everyone gone.

  By the time I got upstairs, I’d started feeling really sleepy. I was certain it was from all the stress. I set the alarm on my phone to wake me up after two hours, but when I climbed up on the bed, all I could do was lie there and stare at the ceiling. Clyde and Maizie joined me, cuddling up next to my legs. Even their gentle purring didn’t lull me to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Jonathon had said. What did I really want? I didn’t know how to answer that question. I wanted to be an investigative reporter, but for some reason the desire wasn’t as strong now. I was beginning to see that a job wasn’t enough to make me feel like a success. My real value was in God, and in the people He put in my life. People I cared about.

  “What about Jonathon, Lord?” I said aloud. “I love him so much that I want the best for him. And I’m not sure that’s me. He needs some woman who can play the piano, bake cookies, and lead the women’s Bible study. And that’s definitely not me. How can I be selfish and ruin his life?”

  The room was silent. I sighed so loudly that Maizie raised her head and stared at me.

  “Sorry,” I said to her. As if satisfied, she put her head down again.

  It would be nice if Jesus would just walk into the room, sit down, and have a conversation with me. “I can keep it brief,” I whispered. “Just a few minutes.”

  I was answered with silence. I hadn’t really expected to hear an audible voice, but it was worth a try. “I’m not sure what to do, Lord. All I can do is count on You to lead me. I don’t have the answers, so I’m just going to try to trust You to show me what to do at the right time. Thanks.”

  A scripture I’d heard at church once drifted into my mind. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. “I guess that’s what I’m doing, God. I’m committing this to You and trusting in You to work it out.” As soon as I said the words, I began to feel more relaxed. When my alarm went off, I didn’t even remember falling asleep.

  I sat up in the bed, gently moved my feline sleeping buddies, and turned off the alarm. I went to the bathroom, refreshed my makeup, and brushed out my hair. Then I hurried back to my room and changed clothes. I picked black wool leggings, a black skirt, and a soft turquoise sweater. My dangly silver earrings and matching bracelet set off the outfit. As I pulled on my black leather boots, I thought I heard someone knock on the front door. A quick look out the window revealed Jonathon’s truck out front. I quickly scribbled a note to Esther so she’d know where we were, and then I grabbed my leather jacket out of the closet and ran down the stairs.

  After putting the note on the kitchen table, I flung the door open and found Jonathon standing there, a strange look on his face. Evan Bakker stood behind him. It wasn’t until Jonathon stepped inside the house that I saw the gun.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  Shocked, all I could do was step back as Evan pushed Jonathon through the front door.

  “Get over there and sit down,” Evan barked out.

  Jonathon and I obeyed, walking quickly over to the couch.

  “I don’t understand,” I hissed. “What’s happening?”

  “I don’t know,” Jonathon said. “He met me at the door.” He glared at Evan. “I don’t suppose you plan to explain yourself?”

  “Shut up!” Evan yelled.

  “Esther could be back any minute,” I said, my voice shaking. “I don’t want her to walk in on this.”

  “Esther goes to Reuben’s house every other Sunday,” Evan fired back. “It’s her routine. She doesn’t come home until after dinner. We’re not going to be here that long. Unless you force it. Then I’ll have to take care of her, too. It’s your choice.”

  I thought about the note on the kitchen table. When she read that, she wouldn’t wonder about me at all. She wouldn’t realize I was missing until tomorrow morning.

  “Why are you doing this, Evan?” Jonathon asked. “I’ve known you for a long time. This doesn’t make any sense.”

  Evan sat down in the chair across from us, his g
un leveled straight at me. This was the second time I’d had to face a gun today, and I was getting tired of it.

  “Surely this has nothing to do with Terrance Chase,” I said. “You’re not him.”

  “You’re right,” he said slowly. “I’m not him. You were so close to the truth, but you missed the most important part of the story.”

  “Then explain it to me.”

  “You were right when you guessed he came to Sanctuary. It was in 2009. After the robbery, he hid out with some friends near Kansas City for a while. Then someone told him about Sanctuary. Someone who used to live here. Sounded like the perfect place to hide, so he came here. He used the name Peter Bakker.”

  “Your brother?” Jonathon said, surprise written on his face.

  Evan made a sound that could have been interpreted as laughter, but there was an edge of anger to it that made it unpleasant and disturbing. “Not even close. Terry used the name Bakker because of some old family friend.” Evan pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeve. On his upper arm was a frightening tattoo. Of a snake.

  “You’re . . . you’re Richard Osborne. The partner. The man nicknamed Snake. But I thought you were dead.”

  “You and everyone else. Including my so-called partner. He left me with a doctor who nursed me back from the brink. But by then, Chase was gone. He didn’t bother to leave a forwarding address.”

  “But you found him?”

  Osborne crossed his legs, still keeping the gun trained on me. “Yeah. Chase’s friend in Kansas City knows my sister. After I recovered, I hid out for a while, living in two-bit dumps where no one cared who I was. When the heat died down, I went to stay with my sister in Washington, Kansas. She contacted Chase’s friend, and he told Chase I was alive.”