Inescapable (25 page)

Just as predicted, the wind picked up and heavy snow began to fall, blown sideways by huge gusts of wind. I was thankful we were inside, where it was safe and warm. Seeing it was almost six, I'd gotten up to make dinner when a pickup truck suddenly roared up outside the restaurant. Someone jumped out and ran up to the door. It was Noah. He had to fight the wind as he pushed the door open. His face was red from the cold, and he looked upset.

“Lizzie, Avery called me about thirty minutes ago. The horse he sold to your father just found its way back to his stable. He's obviously broken free of his harness. Do you know where your father might be? We're concerned that there may have been an accident, and your father might be stranded out in this storm.”

“No,” I said. “I have no idea.” I looked at my mother, who had gone pale, her hand covering her mouth. “Mother, do you have any idea where he's staying?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes. I am fairly certain he is at the old Strauss farm about two miles north of the main road.”

“I thought that place was deserted. Why would he be there?”

“Mr. Strauss contacted your father about three months ago, asking him to oversee the sale of the property. It has not been lived in since their daughter, Ava, died over twenty years ago. So far no one has shown any interest because the house needs so much work. Your father thought perhaps he could do some repairs to make the property more desirable. Since he has the keys, it is the most logical place to look for him.”

“I'll drive over and see if he's there,” Noah said. “If not, I'll search the roads around that area.” He turned to go.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “I'm going with you.”

Noah shook his head. “It's not a good idea, Lizzie. The weather—”

“He's my father,” I said with determination, “and it's not open for debate. Wait here while I get my coat.” I ran up the stairs, bundled up as much as I could, and hurried back down to the dining room. It seemed obvious that my father had met with an accident, but the words of that anonymous note echoed in my mind.
Running away has only put more people in danger.
Was this really an accident? Or was someone still stalking me? Still stalking my family? I shook the thought out of my head. Not every mishap was part of an evil plan to harm me or the people I love. Besides, Dave Parsons was dead. Dead men couldn't reach beyond the grave. Could they? When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found Charity and my mother sitting together at the table while Noah stood near the door. “Watch Charity for me, Mother. And don't worry. We'll find him.”

She nodded, not saying a word, but I could see the fear in her eyes. It was echoed in my daughter's face.

“Everything will be okay, Cherry Bear. I'm just going to get Grandpa. I'll be back in a little bit.”

She smiled bravely, but I could still see the anxiety in her expression.

“I'll take care of your mother, Charity. I promise,” Noah said, smiling.

“Okay, I guess,” she said slowly. “If you promise.”

“Anna,” Noah said, “please lock this door behind us after we leave.” He frowned at me. “I know Kingdom is a small town, but you should still lock your doors at night.”

“I know,” I said. “I just keep forgetting.”

I'd started to follow him out the door when Charity called out for me. I hurried back to her, hugged her tightly, and reassured her once more that I'd be back soon. She finally nodded, and I ran out the front door. As I came down the steps, Noah was just getting into his truck. Although I thought it odd that it had taken him so long to reach his vehicle since he'd left the restaurant before me, I pushed the thought away as unimportant.

We both got inside the cab, and he started the engine. He was turning the truck around when Mother ran out the door of the restaurant with something in her arms. Noah stopped, and I rolled down my window.

“Take this blanket,” she said. “If Matthew has been out in the cold for long, he will need it to warm up.”

“Good idea. Thanks,” I said quickly. I took the blanket from her and held it in my arms as Noah started down the road.

“You can put that in the backseat,” he said, nodding at the blanket.

I turned around, surprised to find another seat behind us. A quick look around the cab revealed that Noah had a rather new truck. I tossed the blanket in the back. “Nice truck,” I said. “I thought an elder in the church would have something more humble.”

He shrugged. “Got a great deal on it. I need something I can rely on for the farm. No one's complained.”

A glance in the rearview mirror revealed my Mother standing in the street, watching us drive away while fighting the wind for all she was worth. Her long dress whipped around her, and she held on to her bonnet with both hands. It wasn't long before the snow made it impossible for me to see her any longer.

“She still loves him,” Noah said.

“Yes. Yes, she does. If anything happens to him after she made him leave . . .”

“It won't, Lizzie. We'll find him.” Noah reached over and popped open the glove compartment. He pulled out a flashlight and handed it to me. “When we get past the edge of town, use this to check this side of the road. Just in case. I'm going to the Strauss place first, but if he isn't there, we'll search the other side on the way back. If you see anything unusual, anything at all, let me know. Okay?”

“Okay.” The snow almost blinded us as it covered the windshield. Noah drove slowly, out of necessity, and it gave me plenty of time to check the road for an overturned buggy. But even with the high-powered flashlight, it was hard to see much of anything. Noah was silent as he concentrated on the road. Although my concern was for my father, my mind drifted back to Clay's phone call. Was I doing the right thing? Was going away with Clay my only option?

“I heard Clay Troyer's still hanging around,” Noah said suddenly, as if he'd been reading my mind. The coincidence startled me.

“Well, yes. I mean he isn't ‘hanging around.' We've spent some time together. He's getting to know Charity.”

“Nice of him to show up now. Where was he when she was born?”

I started to tell him that it really wasn't any of his business, but before I spouted off, I realized he'd only asked because he was concerned about me. I took a deep breath and calmed my ruffled emotions. “Look, Clay explained what happened.” As I began to recount the story Clay told me about his father's death and his attempt to find me, Noah's expression grew even harder.

“Oh, come on,” he said when I'd finished. “He's really plugged up all the holes, hasn't he? And how do you know any of this is true?”

“I asked my mother about the letters, and she confirmed that he really did send them. I never got to see them.”

Noah didn't say anything for several seconds, but his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “Maybe he did write,” he said finally, “but I still don't trust him. Didn't trust him when we went to school together. Don't trust him now.”

“You were never close to him in school, and you haven't seen him for years. You have no idea what kind of a person he is.” I shook my head. “How can an elder in the church judge someone this way? What happened to ‘Thou shalt not judge'?”

“Maybe I am being too critical. I don't know. There's just something about Clay Troyer that sets off alarm bells in my gut.”

“I think your
alarm bells
are nothing more than your own jealousy. I'm leaving Kingdom with him, Noah. We're getting married.” I hadn't meant to announce my plans yet, but Noah's high-and-mighty attitude made me angry. After the words were out, I felt a sense of relief. Why not marry the man I'd fallen in love with all those years ago? Charity and I would be safe. Besides, I was tired of living hand to mouth. Reuniting with Clay seemed to be God's plan.

Noah kept his eyes on the road, acting almost as if he hadn't heard me. But the muscles in his jaws were working furiously. Finally he muttered, “Well, congratulations. I hope you'll be very happy.”

“I'm not sure you mean that, but thank you for saying it. I wouldn't hurt you for the world, Noah. But I have to do this. There's no other choice. I hope we'll still be friends.”

He didn't respond, but I could see the hurt in his face. For some reason, it made me want to cry. I tried to keep my focus on the side of the road as I watched for my father's buggy, but the tears in my eyes made it hard to see.

Noah was quiet the rest of the way to the Strauss farm. The wind screeched with fury as it rocked the truck back and forth. We made it to the main highway with Noah driving as fast as he dared. The truck spun out on the icy roads more than once. Each time he expertly fought the sliding tires and brought the vehicle back from the edge of the road.

“That's the farmhouse up there,” he said suddenly. “I don't see any lights.”

We drove slowly up to the place where the driveway should have been. Problem was, it was hidden under the snow. I shone the light out the window, trying to help Noah. “I think I see it,” I said. “It's right there.” I pointed toward our right.

“Wait here.” He jumped out of the truck and walked over to the place I'd indicated. Navigating our way to the house was tricky because of the drainage ditches that ran on each side of the driveway. One wrong move and we'd end up stuck in a ditch, in trouble ourselves and unable to help my father. It only took one gust of wind for Noah's broad black hat to fly off his head and blow down the highway. He didn't appear to even notice. Gingerly stepping on the snow, he was able to confirm I was right. We'd found the driveway.

He jumped back into the truck and drove carefully past the ditches. Once we cleared them, he stepped on the accelerator and drove quickly to the front of the old, decrepit house.

Built before Kingdom was established, the house was two stories tall with a large wraparound front porch. It was obvious it had been beautiful in its day, but neglect had stripped it of its former glory, and it was surprising that it still stood at all. The windows were dark, and there was no sign of life.

“I don't think anyone's here,” I said.

“We need to make sure before we go traipsing out into snowdrifts searching for Matthew,” Noah said. “Why don't you check the front door? I'll go around to the back.” He reached for the flashlight in my hand. “The headlights will give you enough light to see.”

“Okay.” I handed him the light, and our hands touched. It sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with the weather. He gazed into my eyes, and I felt that weird sensation of falling, just as I had with Clay. Quickly looking away, I opened the truck door and got out, putting my head down and fighting the snow and wind as I made my way up the front steps of the aged structure.

I heard Noah slam his door and turned to see him heading around to the back of the house. When I got to the door, I tried to turn the handle, but it was locked. The door seemed so old I thought maybe a few good shoves would cause it to open. Unfortunately, I only ended up hurting my shoulder. Looking through the window next to the door revealed a light in the house. It was moving. Noah had obviously been more successful. He pulled the door handle, and I stepped inside, grateful to get out of the storm.

“Is he here?” I asked as soon as he closed the door behind me.

“Just got in. I haven't really looked.” He swung the flashlight toward the stairs. “Can you check upstairs while I look around down here? And you might check for any signs he's actually been staying here. If not, we're wasting precious time.”

“I understand.”

“You take the flashlight. The headlights will give me some illumination down here.”

“Okay.” I headed toward the stairway.

“And be careful, Lizzie. Those stairs could be in really bad condition.”

“All right.” I shone the light on the steps in front of me. They looked solid enough, but Noah's advice was wise. Holding on to the banister with one hand and the flashlight with the other, I took each step slowly. The wood underneath my feet seemed strong, but the banister wobbled every time I pulled on it. However, by the time I reached the top I felt more secure. Unfortunately, my first step onto the landing almost sent me to my knees. I swung the light down toward my feet. There was a gaping hole, almost large enough for a person to fall through. I carefully moved to the other side of the floor, praying it was more solid. Then I eased my way down the hall, shining the light in front of me. There were several rooms up here. I opened the door at the end of the hall only to find old pieces of furniture stacked on top of each other, most of them covered with cloth. Backing out of that room, I went to the next. Empty. The third room was the same. The fourth room held a bed, a chair and a dresser. It had obviously once been someone's bedroom, but the dust was so thick on everything it was clear my father hadn't been sleeping here.

I wondered why the other rooms had been cleared and this one left alone. Then I noticed a child's prayer covering draped over the chair in the corner, and a small Teddy bear sitting on the bed looking forlorn and abandoned. This had been Ava's room. A deep sense of sorrow filled me, and I fought back tears. Being the mother of a young girl made the pain this family had experienced all too real. I quietly closed the door.

I made my way back down the stairs, carefully avoiding the large hole in the floor. I'd just reached the bottom when Noah came around the corner from the back of the house.

“I think I've found where your father's been staying,” he said, “but it's so dark I can't see much in the room. Bring the flashlight back here, will you?”

I followed him through the kitchen and into another small room. This bedroom had definitely been used lately. It was clean and dusted, and the bed was unmade. I noticed a Bible on the dresser and flipped the first page open. “It's Father's,” I said. “Here's his name.” As I handed the Bible to Noah, a piece of paper fell out and drifted to the floor. I bent over to pick it up. It was folded in half, and I pulled it open, shining the light down so I could see it clearly. When I realized what it was, I cried out with surprise.