Love Letters from Heaven

by Debbie Peterson

  Jared jumped down next to them and brushed off his hands. “Do you really want to walk down that path?”

  Justin chuckled as he placed a hand over his heart. “I don’t know what overcame me. Must’ve been the not so very real threat of death and destruction that loosened my tongue in such a dreadful, outspoken manner. In turn, I must also force an insincere apology.”

  “Not to mention your fear of reprisal if you don’t?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, that too.”

  While the boys volleyed insults back and forth, Katie sneaked a glance at William.

  “We can talk later,” he said. “I’ll answer all of your questions then, okay?”

  William remained at her side as they made their way back through the orchard and out to the street. After she climbed into the truck, he settled himself beside her. He took hold of her hand and twined his fingers through hers. She didn’t know how much she needed him until that moment. If she had already mastered the skill, she’d nestle herself against his chest. She’d beg him to hold her until all of the hideous experiences this evening disappeared.

  The moment Justin got Gina on speaker phone, she turned her gaze toward William. “Can you stay with me or do you have to go?” she whispered.

  A small grin accompanied a wink. “I won’t leave you. I promise.”

  “So did you find out the whereabouts of Rachel Jameson?” Justin asked after he and Gina waded through the initial chitchat.

  “Just that she’s living somewhere in Alvin,” Gina replied. “I’m sorry, but that’s the best I could do.”

  Katie tapped Jared on the shoulder. “That’s all we need. I think I know where she lives.”

  “Okay, thanks, Gina. You’re a sweetheart,” Justin said. “I’ll catch up with you next time I’m in town and thank you properly for your help. Deal?”

  Once he ended the call, he looked into the rearview mirror and captured Katie’s gaze. “You say you know where she lives?”

  “Well, not off the top of my head,” she answered. “But I can find it again through the property records online. All I need is a computer.”

  Jared glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late, so why don’t we head home? Katie can find us an address tonight. We can head to Alvin in the morning after we get some sleep. Agreed?”

  Justin started the vehicle and shifted it into gear. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

  All the way back to Houston they talked about the haunted Jameson mansion, Quinn, and Gustavus. They grilled her for every piece of information she had about the family. She couldn’t expect any less. Still, it kept them from asking questions she’d rather they didn’t ask.

  Minutes after they arrived at her cousins’ home, Jared handed her his laptop. She found again the address of the home Rachel owned in Alvin.

  Justin entered it into his phone and then flashed a grin. “Let’s hope she’s there and the house isn’t haunted, shall we?”

  “Oh, but didn’t you know?” she teased. “Sometimes ghosts follow their—”

  “Stop right there and don’t you dare say another word.” Jared held a hand out toward her as he looked away. “I don’t even want to know what ghosts do or do not do. I’ve had enough of that nonsense to last a lifetime. If I never see another haunted house, it will be much too soon.”

  Katie laughed. “Well, look at it this way. At least now you have some experience under your belt if you do.”

  For the remainder of the evening their conversation shifted to far safer topics and pleasant reminisces. As the clocked approached the midnight hour, they all headed off to bed. After she shut the door to the guest room, she turned around and all but bumped into William.

  As he encircled her with his arms, he placed his hands against the casing, and held her captive. “Alone at last.”

  She leaned against the door, smothered her obnoxious butterflies, and nodded. “Um-hmm and that means you can answer all of my questions before you do another thing.”

  “Spoilsport.” William winked as he dropped his arms and stepped back. “Okay, down to business then. To answer the first question you asked me, no, Gustavus didn’t cause Quinn’s sudden disappearance, nor did he hurt him. The old man doesn’t have anywhere near that kind of power. Quinn left because, thanks to you, his work here is done. I simply escorted him from this realm into mine. Once there, his mother greeted him with open arms, so you needn’t look so worried. He’s well, and at long last, he’s happy.”

  “Did he tell you about the letters?”

  William nodded. “He did. As you might’ve guessed, Gustavus didn’t approve of the relationship between Rachel and Don. He did everything he could think of and then some to keep them apart. At one point he even ordered Don out of the house and told him not to come back. That same night, Gustavus told Rachel she couldn’t see Don anymore—that he’d lock her up if necessary. None of that stopped them though. The old man knew it, and it angered him beyond all normal reason. Quinn said he’d always ruled his home with an iron fist. Throughout their entire lives, he expected their unquestionable obedience. Even his wife had to tow the mark or suffer the consequences.”

  “Those horrible eyes of his are proof of that.” She moved away from the door and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Why did he feel such a need to interfere? Why couldn’t he have just left them alone?”

  “That’s something only he can answer. Anything short of that is just a guess.” William sat down beside her. “Quinn said the day Don got his draft notice, Gustavus hatched a simple plan. In phase one, Rachel could send off her letters to Don without interference, which she did. After a couple of months had passed, he went to the post office. There he offered a specific clerk a large sum of money. In exchange for that cash, he simply had to place a ‘refused and return to sender’ stamp on Rachel’s letters to Don and mail them back to his daughter. He accepted the bribe and did the job.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “Yes indeed. In phase two of his plan, he let Rachel receive two or three letters from Don. Then as more arrived, he ordered Quinn to get them from the mailbox and destroy them.”

  “Why did he involve Quinn? Why didn’t he just get one of his servants do to his dirty work?”

  “Because of the fondness the servants had for Rachel, Gustavus didn’t trust them to carry out his orders. On the other hand, he believed Quinn would follow his orders just as he always had. Quinn couldn’t do it though. Instead of destroying them, he hid them all away.”

  “In the loft of the barn.”

  “Yes. He knew his father would never lower himself to enter the barn, much less go up into the loft and move a heavy tool box. He didn’t think the notion would even occur to him. That notion proved correct. Anyway, as time passed, Rachel voiced her worry over Don’s well-being. She thought perhaps he’d been wounded or worse. At that point, a gleeful Gustavus sat her down. He handed her all the letters she had written that the mail clerk returned. In addition, he told her that for the sum of ten thousand dollars, her precious fiancé had eagerly severed the relationship. Therefore, she shouldn’t expect to ever hear from him again. You can imagine what that did to Rachel.”

  “Oh, no.” Tears stung her eyes as she thought of Rachel’s devastation. “What kind of monster would do something like that to his daughter?”

  “The worst kind.”

  She wiped at the tear that meandered down her face. “I’ll not argue with you there. I don’t see how she could’ve survived it.”

  “She didn’t. At least not very well.” William took hold of her hand and caressed the top of it with his thumb. “Rachel’s deep sorrow and despair ate at Quinn. She didn’t eat, she didn’t sleep. Most of the time she stayed in her room. He worried for her health, both emotional as well as physical. Finally Quinn went to his father and confessed what he had done. He thought for sure his father would be relieved. For the love and well-being of his daughter Quinn thought he’d give her the stolen letters. He thought he’d offer her an ap
ology for his actions just so he could see her smile again. Instead, Gustavus flew into a demented rage. He demanded the letters. Quinn refused to hand them over. Their argument turned into an ugly fight. That fight resulted in his death.”

  “Yes, I saw the ghastly movie from start to finish. We all did.” Katie gulped. “Is that why he remained earthbound—because his father caused his death and he wants some kind of justice?”

  “No. He doesn’t care about any of that. Quinn stayed behind after his death so he could protect the letters. He vowed to stay in the house until they were in the hands of his sister even though by then Don had met his death in Vietnam. Countless times after Quinn died, he tried to tell Rachel the letters existed and where he had hidden them. He said she never heard him. No matter what he said or did, Quinn couldn’t get through. He even tried dreams, which she promptly dismissed as just that. In the meantime, his father tore the house apart in search of them. Of course, he never found them and it drove him mad. That madness didn’t end with his death. Anyway, you showed up at the door and Quinn heard you mention Don. He thought maybe he could enlist your help. See? You didn’t let him down.”

  “I hope not.” Her thoughts drifted toward Gustavus. “If I remember correctly, Jameson survived his son by not quite two years. Do I have that right?”

  “You do.”

  “Why does Gustavus stay earthbound? Surely by now the letters are no longer important. After all, Don is already dead. That makes it impossible for Rachel to have any kind of future with Don now. Well, at least a normal one. So you see, his vile plan worked. He should be overjoyed.”

  “My impression when I saw him inside the barn is that he greatly fears a date with the devil.”

  “I bet. I would too, were I in his shoes.”

  William wiped away the tear that had dripped down and settled on her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Katie.”

  Confusion beset her. “For what?”

  “For involving you in all of this. I shouldn’t have asked your help. I should’ve found another way.”

  “Don’t say that. Not ever.” She shook her head and sniffed. “I’m not sorry at all. What happened at the Jameson estate is all part of the story that not only Rachel should know, but so should Donnie.”

  “They will. I promise you they will.”

  ****

  From the comfortable recliner next to the bed, William remained at her side as promised. While he watched over her, he wondered what the morning would bring. Would they find Rachel at her home in Alvin? If they did, would she listen to what Katie had to say? He also wondered if it would matter even if she did. Rachel may’ve moved well beyond any feeling she once had for Don. They might even find a husband of many years at her side, just as Don feared. What then?

  Katie drew in a deep breath and stretched her body from head to toe as her eyes fluttered open. She turned to her side and smiled. “Good morning, William.”

  “Good morning, my love.” For the surprised look on her face, he chuckled. He claimed her hand as she inched her way into a seated position. “Too much for you? Would you prefer ‘sweetheart,’ ‘darling,’ ‘cupcake’ even?”

  As she gazed at him, she opened her mouth and closed it. For a few precious seconds she did nothing more than gaze at him. All the while her eyes danced with a mixture of mischief and delight. “I suggest you stop before you get to ‘Twinkie.’ Cupcake will fall on deaf ears. I kind of think darling and sweetheart—although both most endearing to heart and soul—are a little overused, don’t you?”

  “My love it is then—it’s my favorite out of the four anyway.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss as she giggled,.

  He meant to leave it at just the one, but he couldn’t. The deep love he had for his woman bubbled to the surface and expressed itself in a series of kisses, each one far deeper than the last, each one expressing the various emotions she inspired. She responded with the same passion she always did. At last he allowed her a breath of much needed air. An adorable glow colored her cheeks. Wonder shone within those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers. They expressed the depth of her feelings for him, even if for now, she couldn’t—or wouldn’t—voice them. He could live with that. For now. The knock on the door prevented the next kiss he ached to give her.

  Katie sighed. “I’m awake.”

  “Good thing, too,” Jared shot back. “If you sleep much longer, you might as well stay in bed for the day.”

  “I mean, really,” Justin hollered. “Did the Jameson ghosts and goblins take so much out of you that you can’t get up at a decent hour?”

  “Oh, give it a rest.” Katie tossed her blankets off to the side and slipped out of bed. “It’s not even eight o’clock for crying out loud.”

  “In the meantime, you’re missing out on the delicious breakfast now on the table. If you don’t hurry, Justin will have eaten it all.”

  “Would serve you right, too,” Justin said.

  “Oh, quit your whining, I’m coming.”

  Katie took some clothes from out of her backpack and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later she emerged. She looked quite luscious in a pair of faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved, powder blue t-shirt that somehow enhanced the color of her eyes.

  Breakfast passed with the usual banter William expected from the trio, as did the ride to Alvin. However, the moment they pulled up in front of the late nineteenth century Victorian home, the chatter stopped.

  “Someone definitely lives there,” Katie murmured.

  Justin gazed at the pale yellow house as he mowed over the stubble on his chin. “What makes you think so?”

  “Because the grounds are well-kept and the flower baskets hanging from the eaves are in full bloom,” she said. “In addition to that, the furniture on the porch doesn’t show the slightest sign of neglect.”

  “All right then, are you ready for whatever comes next?” Jared asked.

  Katie lifted a shoulder as she took in a breath. “Whether I am or not, we’re here and I have to go home tomorrow, so—”

  Justin grabbed the door handle and tugged. “Okay, let’s get it done.”

  Katie clutched the leather pouch as she exited the truck. William put a hand on her waist as they crossed the walkway and climbed the steps to the porch. Jared rang the doorbell and stepped back.

  The woman that answered the door didn’t in any way look like the pictures William had seen of Rachel. This lady looked about seventy-five years of age or so, had hazel eyes, and snow-white hair. He turned his gaze toward Katie who shot him a worried glance.

  The woman wiped her hands on her apron as she looked them over. “May I help you?”

  Katie moved forward. “Yes, please. I’m hoping we can speak with Rachel Jameson. Does she live here?”

  The surprise in her eyes gave way to suspicion. “May I ask what this is all about?”

  Katie looked down at the bag she held in her arms. “A friend entrusted me with something that belongs to her. Something very important. I promised him I would make sure she gets it.”

  “I see. Well, I’d be happy to give it to her if you’d like.”

  Katie shook her head. “Please don’t misunderstand, I don’t have any doubt you would keep your word, but I must give it to her myself. I promise I won’t take much of her time.”

  “Let her come in, Martha.”

  The soft voice came from somewhere behind Martha. Nonetheless, the emphasis on the word ‘her’ made it clear the twins were not invited inside. Katie looked at them and shrugged.

  Jared glanced at Martha and then gave Katie his full attention. “Don’t worry. We’ll sit right there on that swing and wait for you to come out. So if for any reason you need us—”

  Katie took hold of his hand and gave it a gentle press. “I know, and thank you. I won’t be long.”

  Martha stepped back and ushered her inside. William accompanied her as she entered the living room.

  An older version of the Rachel in the photograph sat in one of the two blue Victor
ian-style chairs turned slightly toward each other. She closed her book and put it on the small rosewood table that separated one chair from the other. Rachel waved a hand toward the empty one as Martha vacated the room. “Please sit down and make yourself comfortable, Miss—?”

  Katie approached her with hand extended. Rachel readily accepted it.

  “My name is Katie Adelton, Miss Jameson. Thank you so much for seeing me.”

  “You’ve piqued my curiosity, Miss Adelton.” She paused as she looked her over. “I know it isn’t difficult to find out where one lives if one looks hard enough, the question is why. You said you had something that belongs to me. The trouble is—I don’t recall losing anything of importance. I also can’t imagine how a perfect stranger could get possession of it, even if I had. So would you care to enlighten me?”

  As Katie sat down, she took in a deep breath and blew it out again. William could hear her heart pounding inside her chest as she dropped her gaze to the leather pouch. She toyed with the strings for a moment and then gazed into Rachel’s eyes.

  “I don’t quite know where to begin. This will probably sound strange and maybe even unbelievable. Nonetheless, I’d like to ask you one very personal question before we get started if you don’t mind.”

  Rachel clasped her hands together and laid them on her lap. “If I refuse, will you still tell me the reason for this visit?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded. “All right, fair enough. You may ask your question. However I reserve the right not to answer.”

  Katie gulped and nodded. “Of course. I know this must seem so bizarre, but—here goes. Did you ever marry?”

  For a time Rachel didn’t say anything at all. A host of emotions passed through her eyes though. William could see sorrow, regret, longing, and maybe even a touch of bitter resentment. Although the wait seemed long, especially for his restless lady, Rachel returned an almost indiscernible shake of her head.

  “No, I didn’t. That’s all I’ll say on the matter. Does that help you?”

  “I hope so. These belong to you.” Katie handed her the pouch. She leaned back against her chair as Rachel opened it and withdrew the stack of letters.