Chapter
Two

I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth. Janet stared down at me, a worried look on her face. I sat up, even though she encouraged me to stay still. It took me a few seconds to figure out where I was. As I gazed at the empty schoolroom, I remembered. For just a moment I wondered if I’d had another awful nightmare. Maybe this was nothing more than a bad dream. Then reality hit me, cruelly tearing hope away. Hannah was gone. Janet put her arms around me and let me cry. I had no idea how long we sat like that, but slowly my sobs began to decrease in intensity. Little by little my mind cleared until I felt I could think again. When I let go of Janet, I realized Paul was still in the room. The look of compassion on his face chased away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him.

“Let’s get you home,” Janet said gently.

I nodded and tried to get to my feet, but my body felt limp—almost devoid of strength.

“Here,” Paul said, reaching down and helping me up. “Just lean on me.”

The three of us left the school, and Paul held on to me while I got into his car. Though Janet’s house was only two blocks away, I was too weak to walk. When we reached our destination, Paul’s strong arms supported me while we went up the steps and into Janet’s house. As I leaned in to him, I could smell his shaving lotion. Masculine but gentle. After helping me up the stairs and into the old room where I’d lived before moving to my apartment at the school, he quietly left the room. Janet got me settled, making me lie down on the bed. Then she went downstairs to get me a glass of water.

“Is Paul still here?” I asked when she came back.

She nodded. “He’s downstairs. I told him he could leave, but he didn’t want to go until he was certain you were okay.”

“That’s very kind.” A thought suddenly struck me. I felt ashamed that it only occurred to me now. “Cicely. Where is Cicely?”

“That’s something we need to talk about, Sarah. You’re her closest relative.”

I sat up straighter in the bed. “I’m her only relative. Her father isn’t part of her life. I’ve got to get her. She’ll have to come here, Janet.”

She nodded. “We probably need to contact the police department in Kansas City and let them know that.”

“You’re right.” I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy and fell back.

“Let me do some checking,” Janet said. “I’ll find out who you need to talk to.”

“And ask where she is now. She’s only ten years old. I don’t want her to be afraid. I need to speak to her. Let her know I’m coming.”

“I’ll take care of it, honey.” She frowned. “I know Hannah’s foster father died several years ago, but didn’t you say her foster mother was still alive?”

“She’s in a nursing home. In the last stages of Alzheimer’s.” I shook my head. “She doesn’t even remember Hannah. There’s no reason to call her.”

I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Although I felt another wave of dizziness, it dissipated quickly. My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them. “I’d like to talk to Paul.”

Janet took my hand. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t you lie down a bit longer?”

I grabbed her hand. “I’ve got to keep myself together for Cicely. I’m so thankful Hannah and I found each other again after all these years. If we hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t know about her death, and Cicely would be all alone.”

Janet hugged me. “She is blessed to have you for an aunt. There isn’t anyone else in the world who could take care of her the way you will.” She stroked my hair. “I think it would be best if you moved back to my house, Sarah. Right away. Your apartment is too small for two people, and I have an extra room for Cicely. Besides, I can help. Be a support for both of you.”

I wiped away tears of gratitude. “I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I know Cicely will love you too.”

“We’ll all be okay,” she said quietly. “God will walk us through this.”

I finally got to my feet. “He’ll have to. I know I can’t do this under my own power.”

Janet slid her arm through mine. “I’ll make you something to eat while you talk to Paul.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I understand, honey, but you need to keep your strength up. Just trust me. Okay?”

I gave her a small smile. “Whatever you say.”

She returned my smile, though her eyes held the pain of the past few hours. “Now, that’s what I like to hear.”

She helped me downstairs. I found Paul sitting on the couch in the living room. When I came into the room, he stood up.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his eyes wide with concern.

“Better, thank you. I’m sorry I fainted.”

He shook his head. “Please don’t apologize. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” I sank down into the chair next to the couch.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Janet said, “I want to make Sarah some lunch. Will you stay and eat with us, Paul?”

“I’d like to, but I’ve got to get back to the station. They’re probably wondering where I am. After you called me, I told them I would help you deliver the news about Sarah’s sister and then report right back.”

“I called Paul after I talked to Hannah’s neighbor,” Janet explained. “I wanted to make sure what she told me was true. Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the details.”

“Thank you, Paul,” I said. “I appreciate all your help.”

“I want to thank you too,” Janet said. “Not only for your assistance with the police, but for helping me get Sarah home.” She patted my shoulder and left the room.

“I’m so embarrassed,” I said to Paul. “I can remember fainting only one other time in my entire life.”

“You were told some incredibly shocking news. Fainting is a natural reaction.”

“You’re very kind.”

He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment. When he looked up again, his expression was somber. “When you got the news about your sister, you said, ‘Not again.’ I hope you won’t think I’m sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong, but I couldn’t help but wonder what you meant.”

I cleared my throat. Sharing my past was something I didn’t often do. Only a few people in Sanctuary knew my history. With Hannah’s death, the past had suddenly come roaring back.

“When I was six and my sister was twelve, we lived in Raytown, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. One night my parents were murdered. Hannah and I were both in the house when it happened. Hannah hid us in a small storage area under the stairs. If she hadn’t, we probably would have been killed as well. Some things were taken from our house, so the police ruled the killings the result of a burglary gone wrong.”

Paul looked stunned. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“Paul, did I hear Janet right? Did Cicely find Hannah?”

He nodded.

I covered my face with my hands, trying to compose myself. When I finally brought them down, I took a deep, shaky breath. “When my parents were murdered, our next-door neighbor called the police. I guess he saw the killers leave and thought it looked suspicious. Unfortunately, he couldn’t identify them. It was night. Too dark to see anything clearly. Hannah and I stayed in that closet until the police came, but as they removed us from our home, we saw our parents’ bodies.”

“I can’t imagine how traumatic that was.”

I nodded. “Hannah saw more than I did. I was so young all I can remember is blood . . . and white orchids. I guess my mother had them in a vase. In the struggle they fell on the floor next to her.”

“I’m so sorry, Sarah.” He paused for a moment. “I understand you and Hannah only recently reconnected. Did you get separated after you lost your parents?”

I nodded. “It’s a rather complicated story.”

“I’d like to hear it sometime. If you want to tell me, that is.”

I stared at him in surprise. “I’m not sure you’d find it very interesting.” I was startled to see him blush.

“Actually, I’m very interested in you.” He coughed lightly. “In your story, I mean.”

Not knowing what to say, all I could come up with was “Thanks.” I shook my head. “I . . . I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to think right now.”

“I understand. I wish I could do something more to help you.”

“You’ve done enough,” I said, trying to smile at him. “I’m very grateful you were here.”

He stood up slowly. I sensed his concern for me, and I fought back the tears that threatened to overtake me again. He’d seen me cry enough for one day.

Paul’s eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through his thick, dark hair. “Someone from Kansas City will contact you soon. Again, please feel free to call me if I can do anything. Anything at all.”

“If you learn any details about the investigation, will you share them with me?”

He put his hat on his head. “Certainly. But I’m not really involved with Kansas City. I do have a friend who works for the department there. If you want, I can call him and ask him to keep me updated. I really doubt he’ll be able to tell me anything different from what the police will tell you.”

“I’d really appreciate it, Paul. Whoever killed our parents was never caught. I really don’t want to see that happen again.”

“Give the police a chance, Sarah. Don’t give up on them before the process even begins. Just because law enforcement let you down once doesn’t mean the same thing will happen this time.”

I sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. It’s just that I’ve lived without closure for all these years. I don’t want that for Cicely.”

“I understand. I’ll give my friend a call. For now, you take care of yourself and your niece.”

“Thank you so much. Cicely will need a lot of help. Believe me, I know what it’s like to feel all alone in the world.”

“I’m sure you do. Cicely is blessed to have you to turn to.” He walked over to the front door. “I’m going back to the station. You know how to reach me?”

“I do. Thank you.”

He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Again, I’m really very sorry, Sarah.”

“I know you are. Thanks.”

I watched him leave, hoping he would follow through on his promise to call his contact in Kansas City. I really wanted the person who killed my sister brought to justice. Not knowing who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in my soul that had never healed. I’d lived my life in the shadow of their murders. How could I be in the same situation again? I struggled to push the thought out of my mind. For now, I needed to concentrate on bringing Cicely home. Even more than seeing Hannah’s murderer brought to justice, I was certain my sister would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved. I was determined to do everything in my power to make that happen.