Praying for Time

by Carlene Thompson

  ‘She came into the restaurant announcing herself to the staff as my wife. She started out by trying to charm me. When that didn’t work, she tried playing on my pity. She said she’d made a mistake in not even trying to get custody of Sam. She realized that now. When that failed, she got nasty. She’s the boy’s mother and courts favor the mother, she told me. Even if she didn’t get custody of him, did I want to drag him through a nasty court battle? Because she was more than ready to fight me.’ He sighed. ‘I don’t want her to see him, Audrey. When I asked if he wanted to see her, he got really agitated.’

  ‘He has been a bit different today. He got touchy when Cara suggested he might want milk.’

  Derek smiled tiredly. ‘Milk? Well, it’s beginning. She upsets him.’ Derek looked at her sheepishly. ‘I won’t leave Sam at home with a stranger. If I take him to the restaurant with me, Nia will barge in demanding to see him. I wonder if … well, I hate to ask, but he’s so happy here and I wonder if he could stay full time for a few days. If it’s any trouble at all, I want you to say no. You won’t hurt my feelings or offend me or—’

  ‘Derek, I know Sammy would be welcome here, but this might not be the safest place in the world.’ Derek frowned at her. ‘I’m sure you’ve heard that Brody Montgomery is missing. Years ago the police thought he kidnapped Roxanne.’

  ‘But he was cleared.’

  ‘Well, yes, but he is schizophrenic and Roxanne has moved back into this house as of this afternoon. If he’s come after her—’

  ‘That’s a big if, Audrey. As far as I know, no one has seen him in Everly Cliffs.’

  ‘Not that I know of. But there was the murder of Zane Felder. Vanessa found him.’

  Derek’s frown deepened. ‘How awful for her! Was she alone?’

  ‘No, she was with Christian Montgomery.’

  ‘God, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry for her.’ He paused. ‘So I’m sure with everything going on, you’d rather Sam didn’t stay here. I understand. It was too much to ask.’

  ‘No, you don’t. I’m only trying to be completely honest. This isn’t like an FBI safe house. We’re having a few problems. To tell you the truth, I won’t feel completely safe until Brody Montgomery is found.’ Audrey hesitated. ‘But given the alternative, I think Sammy should stay here. It’s safer than your home with a stranger or the restaurant where Nia could walk in and take him. Here he’d be surrounded by people who care for him and I guarantee Nia will not make it past the front door. Of course, I’d have to ask Nessa—’

  ‘Ask Nessa what?’ Vanessa strolled into the kitchen. ‘Are you two hatching nefarious plans?’

  ‘Only to have Sammy stay here for a few days,’ Audrey said. ‘You see, Derek is in a spot—’

  ‘In a spot?’ Vanessa looked at him compassionately. ‘Nia has come home after three years and she wants to insert herself into Sammy’s life. Of course you’re in a spot! Derek, we won’t let Nia tear up Sammy’s life again if we can help it. Sammy is welcome to stay for as long as you and he want. All he needs is some more clothes from home.’ She smiled warmly at Derek. ‘He’s already like one of our family. And if Nia causes any trouble, Grace will give her a send-off she’ll never forget!’

  Derek’s face relaxed and the look in his eyes softened. ‘Thank you so much, Vanessa.’

  ‘It’s our pleasure,’ she said casually as she left the kitchen.

  Derek looked at Audrey. ‘You don’t know what this means to me. And …’ his voice thickened, ‘… and you, with your warmth and your honesty, don’t know what you mean to me.’

  Grace coughed and Vanessa sat down beside her on the bed. ‘Do you feel all right, Grace?’

  ‘I’ve felt better.’ She reached for Vanessa’s hand. ‘Darling, I may not be long for this world—’

  ‘Don’t say that!’

  ‘Not saying it doesn’t make it true.’ She looked into Vanessa’s eyes. ‘You know I’m leaving almost my entire estate to you. You will be the guardian of your mother and see to all of her expenses, of course. She can’t cope with them herself.’

  ‘I know that. I’ll always see that Mom gets the best of care.’

  ‘And I’ve left a bequest to Pete.’ She smiled. ‘For meritorious service for all these years.’

  ‘Yes, certainly.’ Vanessa paused. ‘But now that Roxy is home …’ Grace cocked her head. ‘Well, I thought you would want to make changes to your will. I believe that after Dad died, you left everything to me because Roxy had been gone for years. We didn’t think we’d ever see her again.’

  ‘I didn’t think she’d be back.’

  ‘But now that she is, you’ll want to amend your will, won’t you?’

  Grace looked down, then back up at Vanessa with faded green eyes. ‘Where has she been?’

  Vanessa was startled. ‘A lot of places. She was a prisoner. Her kidnapper dragged her around—’

  ‘Never mind.’ Grace patted her hand. ‘There’s time enough for changing my will.’ She started coughing. ‘When I’m feeling better.’

  Three hours later, Grace was still coughing as Roxanne sat beside her. ‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ Roxanne asked.

  ‘I have a tickle in my throat.’ Grace looked at Sammy and smiled. ‘Frederick, why don’t you come and read Mother a story? You read so beautifully.’

  Sammy’s gaze skimmed uncertainly around the room. Audrey came to the rescue, as was becoming increasingly common. ‘Yes, Sammy, if you don’t mind, why don’t you read a little bit to Grace? She’d enjoy that.’

  ‘OK.’ He sat down by Grace’s bed and picked up one of the several books that lay on her bedside table. ‘War and Peace by—’

  ‘Oh, that’s far too long, Frederick,’ Grace said. ‘How about a short story by Poe?’

  All the child needs is to be scared silly by a Poe story, Vanessa thought. ‘Maybe the beginning of Halprin’s Winter’s Tale would be better. Is that all right with you, Sammy?’

  ‘Sure. Whatever Grace likes, but I like Edgar Allan Poe, too. My favorite story is “The Tell-Tale Heart”.’

  ‘Oh, I love that one!’ Grace exclaimed.

  Vanessa looked at Audrey and shrugged. ‘Whatever you two want, but don’t wake Audrey and me up at two in the morning when you’re having nightmares.’

  ‘Don’t worry about us,’ Grace announced cockily. ‘We’re fright-proof!’

  Grace and Sammy thought this was hilarious. Grace actually cackled and Vanessa hadn’t heard Sammy laugh so joyfully for days. His entire expression had lightened after his father had told him he’d be staying with the Everlys over Christmas and Derek would be visiting every day.

  Sammy had only read the title when Cara pulled a chair near Grace’s bed, sat down and began listening intently, tilting her head until her gleaming black hair was almost touching Sammy’s bright blond. Vanessa noticed that in an attempt to impress her, Sammy pitched his voice deeper. They were joined by Queenie, who carried her beloved toy Dom and lay down beside them.

  ‘“I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this!”’ Sammy read with husky drama. ‘“One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture – a pale, blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell on me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man”’ – Sammy’s voice took on a shiver – ‘“and thus rid myself of the eye for-e-verrr … ”’

  The doorbell rang. Cara shrieked, Sammy flung the book in the air, and Queenie jumped up, barking furiously.

  ‘I knew Poe was a bad choice,’ Vanessa said drolly as she went to the front door. She opened it and faced a smiling Christian.

  ‘Anyone here need a doctor?’

  ‘Several more of us than five minutes ago.’

  Christian stepped inside and winked at Vanessa like he used to do when they didn’t want to make a public display of kissing. ‘How’s everything going tonight?’

  ‘Fine. We’ve found out that Sammy will be spending Christmas with us and we’re overjoyed, especially G
race. It turns out they have the same taste in literature. He’s been reading “The Tell-Tale Heart” to us at Grace’s request.’

  ‘Oh, shoot. And there I thought Cara was squealing with joy because I’m here!’ Christian teased as Cara giggled and lightly elbowed Sammy in his side as if to let him know he had a rival. ‘I suppose Queenie is barking with ecstasy at my arrival, as well.’

  ‘Of course. Everyone is over the moon.’

  Roxanne sat curled into a chair. ‘Hi, Christian. Hard day at the hospital?’

  ‘They’re all grueling, beautiful. I know you’re glad to be home.’

  She smiled. ‘I can’t begin to tell you, Poe and all.’

  ‘You feeling all right?’

  ‘Fine. Better than fine.’ She held up a cup. ‘Chamomile tea. It’s supposed to be calming so I’ll sleep well.’

  ‘I had rum,’ Grace announced. ‘What do you think of that, Dr Montgomery?’

  ‘I think rum isn’t prescribed.’

  Audrey hurried to Christian’s side and murmured, ‘She’s been extremely difficult today. She wouldn’t take her meds at noon. Later, I let her have a tablespoon of rum in a Coke. She settled down then.’

  ‘If she hadn’t had any medication, a tablespoon of rum certainly wouldn’t have hurt her. If it made her happy, you did the right thing,’ he reassured her.

  Audrey looked relieved.

  ‘Did she eat much dinner?’

  ‘No. She only nibbled,’ Audrey said. ‘And she’s been dozing and coughing more than usual today.’

  ‘All right.’ Christian raised his voice as he walked into the library. ‘So what’s up today, Grace? Are you on a diet? Going on strike against your medication?’

  The children and Queenie scattered as Christian sat down by the bed. ‘I’m just not hungry today,’ she said. ‘I don’t see what all the fuss is about. As for my medication, I don’t think it’s doing me one bit of good. I still can’t walk.’

  ‘It’s too soon for you to be walking. You’re not Superwoman.’

  ‘I used to be. Funny that when you’re young, you never think about how lucky you are to feel well and when you’re old, all you think about is how well you once felt.’ It wasn’t like Grace to indulge in self-pity or refer to herself as old. ‘I’m so sick of lying on this bed,’ she went on, ‘but I feel tired all the time, especially today. And I’m peevish. I hate being peevish!’

  Christian laughed. ‘You’re allowed to be peevish now and then.’

  ‘I’m afraid it will become a habit.’ Grace sighed then brightened. ‘Did I tell you that I had rum today?’

  ‘Did you really? Three or four glasses on the rocks?’ Christian smiled and Grace laughed. ‘Let’s get your temperature and take your blood pressure. You’ll have to take off that pretty bed jacket.’

  ‘Leonard bought the jacket for me,’ she explained, although Vanessa had given it to her for her birthday. ‘He has wonderful taste.’

  ‘Aunt Vanessa, your cellphone is on the dining-room table and it’s ringing,’ Cara told her.

  Vanessa went in the other room and picked up her phone. ‘Hello?’

  ‘It’s Wade Baylor. I’m sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. The anonymous calls you received were made from a prepaid cellphone. TracFone. It’s possible to trace calls from them but extremely difficult.’

  ‘Oh, darn,’ Vanessa said. ‘Well, at least you have the phone to which the calls were made. Maybe another one will come. Or the caller might start ringing me up on my other cellphone.’

  ‘That still wouldn’t help us track the origin of the calls. And we have no idea how the caller got your private number. I hope you don’t get any more.’

  ‘Me, too, although you might get one on my phone. The caller doesn’t know I turned my private phone over to you.’

  ‘I’m sure he has your public number. You still might get another call. If so, let me know immediately.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘How’s everything else going, Vanessa?’

  ‘Oh, so-so after the horror of last night. I brought Roxanne home from the hospital today. She doesn’t seem to feel bad physically but Grace hasn’t been her most welcoming. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Christian is here now giving her a quick check-up. And Derek Sherwin asked if Sammy could stay with us because his mother has come back to town determined to take him away with her.’

  ‘I barely know Derek but I thought Nia didn’t want Sammy.’

  ‘That was three years ago. I don’t know what’s up with her. Anyway, Derek doesn’t want to keep Sammy at the restaurant with him – her access to the boy would be too easy – so he’s staying here. He seems happy and we’re delighted. We all love Sammy.’

  ‘At least something is going right. We still don’t have any leads on Zane Felder’s murder, by the way. The killer was very careful not to leave any physical evidence. Did his girlfriend leave for Portland today?’

  ‘Yes. The poor thing was a wreck.’

  ‘No wonder. It will be a couple of days before we can release the body. We’re looking for relatives. All Libby knew was that his parents are dead and he has no siblings. I’ve tried reaching Zane’s lawyer today but he wasn’t in. I’ll try again tomorrow.’

  ‘Libby mentioned a grandfather to me. Zane’s parents died when he was sixteen and Zane lived with the grandfather who died a few years ago.’ She paused. ‘I just remembered Max Newman knew Zane! Maybe he can help you.’

  ‘Max knew Zane? How?’

  ‘He lived near Brody and Zane in Portland. I don’t think he was close to Zane – not like he was to Brody – but he still might know something about Zane’s background that Libby is too shaken up to remember.’

  ‘I’ll get in touch in with him. Are you OK, Vanessa? You had a terrible shock last night.’

  ‘It hasn’t been a great day but I’ll recover once I stop flashing back to visions of Zane at that piano. Lord, what kind of ghoul would think up that horrid scenario? Why not kill him and leave him lying down?’

  After a pause, Wade said, ‘Zane was posed at the piano because we are dealing with a ghoul – someone who doesn’t only want to murder but to create a horrible image no one would ever forget.’

  And he had.

  TWELVE

  Vanessa lay in bed listening to Queenie breathe in her own bed on the floor where she slept with Dom safely tucked under her chin. The dog’s presence was calming and Vanessa was once again thankful that the crew of Kingdom of Corinna had given her the gift. On her own, Vanessa might not have gotten a dog because of the time she spent away from home, but she’d always wanted one not for protection, but for love.

  She’d stayed up later than anyone else. Grace had fallen asleep early and Audrey had taken advantage of Grace’s drowsiness to go to bed before her usual eleven o’clock. Christian had pronounced Grace well, although he told Audrey and Vanessa he’d heard a bit of rattling when she coughed, which would be caused by phlegm in her lungs. He wanted Audrey to keep track of her coughing in case she was developing pneumonia. Audrey had been concerned, but Vanessa was certain her mind was on more than Grace. Probably it had something to do with her long talk with Derek before dinner.

  On her way to her bedroom, Vanessa had peeked in Sammy’s door. He lay sprawled in the middle of the double bed, his mouth open. Further down the hall, she’d quietly opened the door to Roxanne’s room. Roxy had rolled into a ball, her hands clenched into fists, the sheet and blanket thrown off her thin body. Vanessa tiptoed to the bed and pulled the blanket up to Roxy’s chin. She’d murmured incomprehensibly then snuggled deeper under the blanket. She’d slept the same way when she was a little girl.

  Now in her own bed, Vanessa looked at the Jane Austen novel that lay open on her lap. She couldn’t concentrate. She sank even deeper into the down pillows piled behind her and worried about Libby. She was a delicate girl full of emotion and tenderness. Vanessa also realized how much Libby had loved Zane. Poor, shattered girl, Vanessa thought.
She’d gotten Libby’s home landline phone number and her address before she’d left the young woman in the motel room to wait for her friend to take her back to Portland. I’ll call her in a couple of days, Vanessa told herself. I’ll go to Zane’s funeral and I’m sure Christian will want to go, too. We’ll offer all the support we can.

  Then there was Roxanne. Was Roxanne all right? She knew Roxy was doing well physically – better than expected – but Grace’s cool reception seemed to have hurt her. True, telling Roxy that Grace had changed during the last eight years was one thing. Confronting the reality was something different, especially when Grace hadn’t really seemed at all glad to see Roxy. Vanessa had received a warmer greeting when she’d arrived for Christmas.

  But Grace wasn’t doing well. Vanessa could tell when Christian was trying to downplay a worrisome situation. She didn’t know if Grace’s condition was bad, but clearly she wasn’t doing as well as they’d hoped. The Alzheimer’s seemed worse, she was losing her appetite and she had a rattling cough. Maybe she was having a bad day or perhaps this was the beginning of many bad days.

  Vanessa finally felt her eyelids grow heavy and then shut. Images began floating through her mind: the party at Nia’s with good-looking, happy Max; Nia trying to wheedle her way into Sammy’s life as she talked to Vanessa at the café; Roxanne’s disappointed expression as she joyously greeted her blasé grandmother; Sammy reading ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ with Cara’s head leaning toward him—

  Out of nowhere, she heard a shrill scream. She would have thought she was dreaming of Cara’s scary-story inspired shriek when Christian knocked on the door earlier, but Queenie jumped up from her bed, barking loudly. The dog shot to the open bedroom door and out of the room.

  ‘Wait! Queenie!’ Vanessa floundered in the sheets and blanket then her feet found the floor and she ran after the dog, not bothering with slippers or a robe. As she emerged from her bedroom, she saw Queenie heading down the hallway at the same time as another scream tore through the house. Vanessa passed Roxanne’s closed door and Sammy’s open one. She glanced in. He wasn’t in bed. He was in trouble, she thought frantically.