Praying for Time

by Carlene Thompson

  Christian called Vanessa on his cellphone and told her he’d found an injured Max and to call an ambulance. He was afraid to move Max without a cervical collar for c-spine stabilization. He couldn’t examine Max here on the beach at night so he didn’t know how badly Max was injured. All he could do was sit beside him, frequently taking his pulse and checking his breathing as he waited for help. The emergency team couldn’t get Max to the hospital for at least twenty minutes, having to descend the cliff and then ascend it wielding an ambulance stretcher and he didn’t know how long Max had been lying here. He took off his jacket and spread it over Max, wondering why he had been wandering on the beach at this hour. He didn’t remember Max having any particular fondness for the beach but then to be fair, he barely knew him. It was Brody who’d been friends with him. And his number one rival on the tennis court. But that was ten years ago.

  Christian had told Vanessa he and Max were at her Dark Tower rock, but after twenty minutes, he turned on the bright flashlight so the emergency workers could find them more easily. As soon as the light beamed, Max groaned again, but he still didn’t wake. Christian knew he had a concussion but he wasn’t sure if Max’s jaw was broken or dislocated. He’d run a finger around the inside of Max’s mouth and found a loose second bicuspid on the left side. Max could have swallowed it and choked. The rest of his teeth seemed all right, even if a couple were slightly loose. His lip was split and would probably require a stitch or two. Without X-rays, though, Christian couldn’t assess the true extent of the damage.

  He looked up and saw lights coming slowly down the path. He felt as if he’d been sitting here an hour although the emergency services had actually arrived with amazing speed. Christian stood up and waved the powerful flashlight Vanessa had given him to help the squad find him.

  Twenty minutes later they arrived at the emergency-room entrance of the hospital, where the staff were busy with an elderly man who’d gotten a bad shock when plugging in an old string of Christmas lights he’d placed on his roof. Max was taken to a second room and transferred to the examination table. To Christian’s dismay, Jane Drake was on duty and dashed to the side of the new patient. She frowned at his face then asked Christian, ‘Isn’t that Max Newman?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What happened to him?’

  ‘I’m not sure.’

  A doctor named Parker stepped in to begin the examination. ‘Has he regained consciousness?’ he asked Christian.

  ‘He’s groaned a couple of times but that’s all.’

  ‘How long ago was he injured?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I found him around half an hour ago.’

  ‘We need to get him to X-ray,’ Dr Parker said. ‘I don’t think his jaw is broken but—’

  At that moment, Max’s brown eyes opened slowly then shot from left to right in panic. Dr Parker leaned close, within Max’s range of vision. ‘You’re in the hospital. You’re safe. Blink twice if you understand me.’ Max blinked twice. ‘That’s good. You’re going to be fine.’

  Jane leaned over him and smiled. ‘It’s me – Janey Drake. Don’t worry about a thing, Max. You’re in the best of care.’

  Max seemed to relax slightly and so did Christian until Max’s injured jaw moved slowly, obviously painfully, and he ground out, ‘Brody.’

  ‘Brody Montgomery did this to you?’ Jane shrilled.

  ‘Brody,’ Max repeated. ‘Brody …’

  FOURTEEN

  Vanessa stood at the top of the house’s tower, looking out at the lights dancing like fireflies on the beach. At least eight policemen were searching for Brody Montgomery and she had a view of the entire area surrounding Everly Cliffs as they hunted him.

  Audrey had tried to keep her out of the lighthouse. ‘It’s freezing in there!’

  ‘No, it isn’t, but I’ll wear a coat.’

  ‘You’ll be all alone!’

  ‘Audrey, calm down. I’ll take Queenie with me and lock us in with our new deadbolt. No one else has a key. Believe me, Brody is not going to storm the lighthouse tonight.’

  ‘And how do you know that?’

  ‘Because Brody is running for his life,’ she said bleakly. ‘He’s not going to come here, even for Roxanne.’

  Audrey glared. ‘I don’t know what the hell makes you think you can read his mind, Vanessa.’

  ‘I don’t either. Please don’t be so mad. Pete is staying in the house tonight but we all need you.’

  ‘Apparently you don’t need me, but I know there’s no changing your mind when it’s made up, even if you’re being foolish.’

  ‘That’s right. Even when I’m being foolish.’

  Which is exactly what Wade Baylor told her when she called him after she heard from Christian, who said Max had regained consciousness in the emergency room and said Brody had attacked him. Wade already knew – Jane had immediately been on the hotline to him.

  ‘Why didn’t you call me after Sammy saw Brody at the kitchen window?’ he’d demanded.

  ‘Sammy didn’t know who was at the window. He gave a vague description.’

  ‘How vague?’

  ‘He said the man was young and had light brown hair and blue eyes and … and looked a little like Dr Montgomery.’

  ‘Oh. And that was so vague it didn’t occur to you he’d seen Brody? Don’t bother answering. That’s why you called Christian instead of me. Vanessa, you astound me! Brody Montgomery probably murdered Zane Felder. Murdered him! He also probably kidnapped your sister eight years ago. I know you used to be friends with him. I know you were in love with his brother. Maybe you still are, but you can’t expect me to believe you thought calling Christian instead of me was the sensible thing to do.’

  Vanessa had sighed. ‘No, Wade, I knew the proper thing to do was to call you. However, I believed you’d arrive with a search party and if Brody was around, he’d run. I thought that maybe if he saw his brother—’

  ‘He’d throw himself into Christian’s arms?’

  ‘No, but he might not … I don’t know … flee the area. I don’t know how else to put it. I believed if he saw only Christian, Brody might hide but not vanish.’ She drew a deep breath. ‘I still believe that.’

  ‘What you’re saying sounds good but it doesn’t make sense in light of what Brody’s done and I’m sure that no matter what you’re telling yourself, you know it.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Wade. I’m sorry I didn’t do what you think was the right thing and I’m sorry you don’t understand it.’

  Wade had taken a couple of deep breaths then said more calmly, ‘Do you think Brody’s close by?’

  ‘I don’t know. Honestly, Wade. I’m not hiding anything from you.’

  ‘You hid something when it really mattered. I’m ordering an immediate search for him, Vanessa, and we won’t give up until morning.’

  Wade had hung up on her and she understood his anger and frustration. Perhaps Brody was a violent threat to Roxanne, although he hadn’t tried to break into the house. He might have been in the lighthouse a few nights ago, though. And he’d beaten Max, although she didn’t yet know the extent of Max’s injuries. She couldn’t bear to think about Zane Felder. Surely to God, Brody couldn’t be capable of slitting his best friend’s throat.

  But who else would have done it?

  Vanessa pulled her coat tighter then bent and stroked Queenie, who seemed uneasy in this unusual space reached by a four-story wooden spiral staircase, surrounded by glass and topped by a metal dome. The dog had left Dom in Sammy’s room as if for safekeeping. She’d explored her surroundings, sniffing the black leather loveseat, the table with maps and tide charts stored beneath a glass lid, some low shelves holding books and candles, and the small serving table on which Vanessa had placed a thermos of coffee, a few chocolate chip cookies, and some dog treats. Finally Queenie lay down on the thick, gray shag area rug Vanessa had bought and placed in the room two years ago.

  ‘Do you like it up here?’ Vanessa asked. The dog looked at her with m
ournful eyes. Vanessa smiled. ‘I’m being selfish. You’d rather be with Cara or Sammy but I need you tonight, sweetie.’ Queenie let out a long, beleaguered sigh that made Vanessa laugh.

  Vanessa sat down on a padded leather chair on rollers and pulled it up to the telescope, aiming it at the beach directly ahead. Squinting through the lens, she watched waves roll in, crest, and break. If she’d been looking through the telescope earlier, she would have seen Brody on the beach, she thought with regret. Maybe she could have prevented the attack on Max, wondering how badly he was hurt and knowing the assault had only made things worse for Brody. That’s what she should have done as soon as Sammy saw Brody at the window, she thought. She could have been searching for Brody through the telescope while calling Christian, a call that had enraged Wade but for which she still didn’t feel entirely guilty.

  Her cellphone rang.

  ‘Hi, Chris. How’s Max?’

  ‘He has a concussion, a dislocated jaw, a missing tooth, and a cracked rib. He’s in quite a bit of pain but he’ll be OK.’

  ‘And he definitely identified his attacker as Brody?’

  ‘Yeah. He hasn’t described how they met on the beach, though. What are you doing?’

  ‘Sitting in the lighthouse looking at the cops searching for Brody. They seem to be everywhere. Do you have any idea where he went?’

  ‘Absolutely none.’ He paused. ‘You always liked the lighthouse but I didn’t expect you to be there tonight.’

  ‘You thought I’d be huddled in terror with my family?’

  ‘I don’t know. I suppose we should have called Derek and given him the option of picking up Sammy.’

  ‘Derek’s getting a good night’s sleep and Sammy is safe. You didn’t want them both up half the night.’

  ‘Wade is trying to be the best sheriff he can, especially considering the poor job his predecessor did.’

  ‘I understand. And technically, I did do the wrong thing by calling you.’

  ‘I’m glad you gave me a chance to find Brody, even if I didn’t have any luck.’

  ‘You found Max.’

  ‘The police would have, too, if you’d called them.’

  A short silence spun out before Vanessa said, ‘I plan on spending most of the night in here. It’s cold but would you like to join me? I know you must be tired but—’

  ‘I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.’

  Vanessa led Queenie down the spiral staircase to the first floor of the lighthouse so the dog wouldn’t charge ahead and perhaps fall. She glanced at her watch and after exactly sixteen minutes, Christian tapped on the door. Queenie barked once. Vanessa flipped the deadbolt and opened the door.

  Christian smiled, the fine lines around his eyes deeper than usual. ‘Hiding out?’

  ‘How did you know?’

  ‘Because you used to retreat to your tower to brood when you were upset.’

  ‘What a memory you have! I was a kid when I did that.’ She leaned forward and kissed him. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’

  ‘I parked halfway up the hill. I didn’t want to disturb anyone in the house.’ He held up a bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and a plastic bag containing two glasses. ‘For our nerves.’

  ‘I need it. Please come in, sir.’

  First Christian kneeled and rubbed Queenie’s ears, then he followed the two of them upstairs. He opened the wine, poured two glasses, and handed one to Vanessa before they sat down on the love seat. He took a gulp of the white wine, leaned back his head and closed his eyes. ‘God, I’m tired.’

  ‘No wonder. You can’t be getting much sleep considering how you’re stressing about Brody. Then last night you found Zane and tonight Max. I’m surprised you can stand up.’

  ‘I can’t. Not for a while at least.’

  Vanessa pulled the blue wool afghan on the arm of the love seat over their laps. Then she grasped his right hand and put her head on his shoulder. ‘I always loved this tower. The only other person who did was Grace. She and I spent a lot of time here talking and looking out at the ocean.’

  ‘I didn’t know that.’

  ‘I never told you. Anyway, I think it’s cozy. That’s why I always came here. I felt safe, locked away from the world, high above it all.’

  ‘The tower isn’t really very tall.’

  ‘You have to use your imagination.’

  ‘You’ve always had more imagination than I have. That’s one of the things that makes you such a good actress. You can lose yourself in a scene, act as if it’s all real.’

  ‘Thank you. My parents never understood why I wanted to spend my life “pretending”, but you did.’

  ‘I didn’t think talent like yours should be wasted, even if it took you away from me.’

  ‘Even if I were as talented as you seem to think I am, it wouldn’t have taken me away from you.’ Vanessa hesitated. ‘It was something else.’

  ‘You mean someone. Brody and what you believed he did.’ He tilted her head up so their gazes met. ‘Vanessa, even when he was in the midst of his worst episodes, I never knew him to be violent. Whoever took Roxanne beat you. I knew Brody couldn’t do that to anyone. And then tonight …’

  ‘Max was beaten and you know Brody did it. You can’t run from that realization.’

  Christian seemed to deflate, to somehow shrink into himself. ‘Something has changed with him. I have to accept it now. But murder? No. My brother is not a murderer. Someone else killed Zane Felder. I don’t know who, I don’t know why. I only know that my brother didn’t slash his best friend’s throat.’ His voice rose. ‘He didn’t, Vanessa. He didn’t—’

  ‘Stop, Chris.’ Her voice was firm. ‘I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I don’t want you to think about it anymore. Not tonight. You might not know it, but you’re at your breaking point.’ His eyes shifted away from hers and he stared almost sullenly at the opposite wall. ‘I want you to try to forget everything bad that’s happened and relax.’

  He laughed sharply. ‘Forget everything bad that’s happened? Yeah, that’s easy.’

  ‘Don’t be sarcastic. I’m trying to help. I’m worried about you, Christian.’

  ‘A week ago I wouldn’t have believed you could be worried about me.’

  ‘I never stopped caring about you or thinking about you. Not for one day. But now you need more wine.’

  She refilled his glass. He took a gulp, then rested his head against hers. ‘Your hair smells good.’

  ‘These days I use ridiculously expensive shampoo and conditioner.’

  ‘It always smelled good. I remember. We used to lie beside each other and you’d spread your hair over my chest. I loved that. It felt so intimate, so protective.’

  ‘Then let’s trade Queenie the love seat for the rug. It’s thick and soft.’ In a minute, Queenie lay on the leather seat and Vanessa and Christian arranged themselves on the shag rug. Vanessa covered them with the blue throw, then put her head on his shoulder and spread her hair across his chest. ‘There. Does that feel the same?’

  ‘Not quite. You used to spread it on my bare chest.’

  ‘Then take off your shirt.’

  Vanessa unbuttoned his shirt and opened it, then lay down and arranged her hair once again. ‘How’s that?’

  ‘Wonderful.’

  ‘Are you cold?’

  ‘Not at all. I feel like I’m floating on a warm breeze while I’m holding you in my arms.’ He raised his head and took another drink of wine. Then he lay back and was quiet for a while. Vanessa thought he’d drifted to sleep until he asked, ‘What made you follow me into the Diamond Rose?’

  ‘I was worried about you, naturally.’

  ‘There was something else. When I first saw your face, you looked terrified. I know a lot of people might be terrified in that situation, but not you. You looked panic-stricken but also kind of knowing. What did you think you knew?’

  Here it was, Vanessa thought dismally. She was in love with Christian. There could be no more evasions with Christia
n. She would have to tell him the truth, even if he thought she was crazy.

  ‘When I was a child, my father told Roxanne and me a story.’ She went on to recount the tale of the night the family had driven past the Diamond Rose at night and her father had told them about the mosgrum. ‘He said it was a thousand-year-old evil spirit that crawled from the burning depths of the Earth and set the Diamond Rose on fire then laughed as the people burned. The story scared me so badly that for years I was haunted with fear of that terrible creature. The night you went in the building, all of my fear of the mosgrum came flooding back. I thought … well, that it was waiting inside for you.’

  ‘A mosgrum? What a horrible story to tell two little girls!’

  ‘It was a couple of months after his father died and his first bout of heavy drinking.’

  ‘Nevertheless …’ Christian was quiet for a moment before he asked, ‘And even though you’re still afraid of the mosgrum, you came rushing in to protect me.’ His arms tightened around her. ‘You dear girl.’

  ‘I don’t believe in the mosgrum anymore but last night the fear of it washed over me as if I were eight again and had just heard about it. I didn’t think twice about coming after you.’

  ‘You love me.’

  ‘Yes, Christian, I love you. You know I do.’

  ‘It seems too good to be true. I’ve missed your love for so long. Right now your love is the only bright spot in my life.’

  ‘I know how much Brody means to you. He always has. There was never any sibling rivalry.’

  ‘No. That may have been because we were so different. I was always the scientist, even when I was a little boy. Brody was the kid who read fantasy novels, who was intrigued by medieval tales of King Arthur and the Round Table, who wrote magical stories. He wasn’t interested in chemistry sets like me.’ Christian was silent. ‘He was the charmer.’

  ‘He was charming, Christian, but so were you. My God, do you think I would have been attracted to a guy who couldn’t talk about anything except science? You knew everything about current affairs and history. You had an overwhelming desire to help other people through practicing medicine or participating in charities. And you were … you seemed … devoted to me as a person, not just a girl you thought was pretty.’