part0043

Blake backed off the throttle as he reached the edge of the channel and entered the mooring field.

Lucy and Zoe sat huddled together on the deck, next to where Blake stood at the controls. Despite the warm breeze, Zoe was hugging herself and shivering as Lucy rubbed her back.

“Almost home,” Blake said. “Hang in there.”

He scanned the area for any incoming vessels. There were none. He looked back at Dutch Island, the dense, uninhabited jungle that had served as Lucy’s prison for the past week.

In a twisted way, it was satirical how close the girls had been. Since Blake arrived, the small island was a constant fixture. Always looming in the background. Only three-quarters of a mile from the West Ferry, it stung to think that the entire time, they were so close that he could have swum to them.

After calling the Police Department and speaking with Charlie Fuller, Blake called Christa. Instead of telling her the good news, he put Lucy on the phone. He wished he could have seen her reaction.

When Lucy passed the phone back, Blake told her they were headed to the West Ferry. He had no doubt that Christa and Gwyn were already at the dock waiting for him. And Hopkins wouldn’t be far behind.

Every night at six o’clock, Jamestown Fire Department tested their emergency response horn. The blast could be heard throughout town and was a signal to volunteers to tune into their radios or muster at the station for emergency response. Weaving through the stationary moored boats, Blake heard the tone in the distance. It meant the cavalry was on their way.

There was about to be a lot of attention on the island, the likes of which most residents had not seen in their lives. Blake found himself wishing it wasn’t so for the two young girls in his charge. They had been through enough already. But no matter what happened from that point on, they were never going to be able to simply slip back into their lives like nothing happened. National press or not.

Unfortunately for everyone affected, the story would never be fully behind them. It would be a topic of every true-crime and investigative reporting franchise for years to come. Dateline, 20/20, and the rest.

Despite having been there, having seen it all unfold, Blake still had a hard time believing it. He’d thought he had seen it all. Horrible atrocities committed in the name of power, religion, politics, and money. He thought he had looked into the face of evil. But he had never seen anything quite like this.

Lucas, the endearing young man who’d greeted everyone with a wave and smile. Who propelled himself through daily life by clinging to his simple schedule. Who could barely form a sentence with more than a few third-grade words. How was it even possible?

As Blake approached the public dock, he could see Christa and Gwyn descending the gangway. When they reached the floating platform, Christa was covering her mouth with both hands and hopping up and down with elation.

Blake turned the boat and coasted until the starboard side contacted the rubber strip along the edge of the platform. He shut off the motor and tied off to the cleat.

“My baby!” Christa held her arms out wide for a hug. She and Gwyn sobbed openly.

Blake helped Lucy to her feet and onto the dock. She was swallowed up by both women’s embraces.

Blake crouched down beside Zoe. “Here, let me help you.”

Zoe took Blake’s hands. He hoisted her to her feet and helped her onto the dock.

Hopkins’ Impala streaked across the parking lot. It skidded to a stop, displacing a strip of crushed shells beneath its tires. Hopkins and Fuller rushed to the top of the gangway. The shock was evident on their faces.

Christa, Gwyn, and Lucy started up the ramp, as one bundled unit.

Blake and Zoe approached the others.

“I’m sure your family will be in here in a few minutes,” Blake said.

As they reached the top, a medic fly-car pulled in, followed by a Jamestown Fire-Rescue ambulance.

The circus had begun.

“We are so glad to see you two,” Hopkins said.

The understatement generated a moment of awkward silence.

“Let’s get these young ladies over to the ambulance,” Blake said. “See if they have a couple of bottles of water on board.”

Blake handed off Zoe to Gwyn, and the four started walking. Blake hung back and watched as the group was met by the paramedic and a couple of EMTs from the ambulance.

“Lucas is dead,” Blake said.

“They told me,” Hopkins said. “Actually, Charlie played me the recording of your call on the way over here. Was it really Lucas behind this whole thing? He must have had help. And what about his doctor? Grenier could still be part of this, right?”

“Maybe,” Blake said. “I’ve been trying to replay everything that happened in my mind. Lucy said that while they were being held, Lucas was role-playing as a doctor. I wonder if there ever actually was a Doctor John in the first place. Lucas left that apartment in Newport and when I got in there, there was no one inside.”

“You said you saw the guy jump out the window.”

“I may have misspoken. The window was open and when I looked out, I saw someone heading away from the building. I figured the guy had to have jumped out, ‘cause he wasn’t inside, right? But what if there was no one else but Lucas?”

“I don’t know,” Hopkins said. “I don’t see how he could have managed any of this.”

“I don’t know either,” Blake said. “But I believe Lucy. And everything matches up. She said he was calling himself ‘The Captain,’ and would wear a captain’s hat when he would get particularly violent. If you look in that boat, you’ll see that hat. I think I was chasing Lucas last night.”

“I was so sure Grenier was my guy,” Hopkins said. “How could I have been so wrong? If you hadn’t called when you did, I’m afraid I would have done something I would have regretted.”

“Well, I’m glad I found them in time.” Blake smiled. “Wouldn’t want you getting fired, again.”

Hopkins snickered. Then his face contorted as if he had a revelation. “But how did you end up finding them?”

“It’s a long story,” Blake said. “But it turned out they were right there the whole time.” He pointed toward the west. “Locked up in some old underground bunker.”

“Unbelievable,” Hopkins said. “Right under our noses.”

“What the hell is that place, anyway?”

“Dutch Island?” Hopkins said. “Now, it’s designated as a wildlife management area, but it used to be a military installation. During World War II, it housed enemy POWs. After the war, the big guns were scrapped, and it was abandoned. Transferred back to the State. The fort went to ruins and then, years ago, they made it off-limits due to safety concerns. No one should have been out there. That’s probably why we didn’t think to look.”

“I’m sure that was the whole idea.”

A second ambulance arrived. It looped around and parked next to the first.

Blake could see Lucy and Zoe, sitting in the back of the open ambulance. One of the EMTs appeared to be checking Zoe’s blood pressure, while Lucy guzzled a bottle of water. Christa and Gwyn stood outside with Fuller, looking in.

As the second crew extracted their stretcher, the paramedic helped Zoe down and led her to the waiting gurney. They strapped the girl in and loaded her into the back of the bus. Fuller got in with her. Blake knew her injuries would require immediate intervention. He figured Zoe’s parents were meeting her at the hospital.

“He cut her tongue out, you know,” Blake said.

Hopkins tilted his head. His mouth parted, but he didn’t speak.

“Zoe,” Blake clarified. “Complete hack job. I’m surprised she didn’t bleed to death.”

“My God,” Hopkins said. “That poor girl.”

“There’s a lot of blood in one of the rooms. And there are tools. It’s a pretty horrific scene over there, Tom.”

“So, it looks like the murder happened there, then?”

“I’d say it’s likely. Whose jurisdiction is Dutch Island?”

“It’s ours,” Hopkins said. “Jamestown is actually made up of three islands. The one we’re standing on is Conanicut. Then there’s Dutch and Gould. Conanicut’s the only one inhabited. Which means we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“You certainly do. It’s going to be quite an undertaking, processing that scene. The fort, the boat. And what about Lucas’s house?”

“Of course, Lucas’s house and that condo in Newport,” Hopkins said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll have you head over to the station and put your account on paper. This way Bobby can get started on the search warrants. I’ve already got everyone coming in. We should be able to handle it all if we plan it right. I’m going to hold off on notifying his aunt until we get an official ID on the body. I’ll put Charlie on coordinating the rest once he’s relieved from the hospital.”

“No problem,” Blake said. “Let me check on Lucy for a minute, then I’ll grab my car and head over.”

Hopkins paused, then extended his hand. They shook.

“Thank you,” Hopkins said. “If you hadn’t been here…”

“Well, I was,” Blake said. He slapped Hopkins on the shoulder and headed toward the ambulance.

Lucy was safe. And, at that moment, it was all that mattered.

She and Christa and Gwyn would have a second chance. A new chapter, with a new perspective. They would go forward knowing what truly matters.

Blake had gained a new perspective of his own. It was as if Christa and Gwyn’s journey through blame and regret had allowed him to release his own.

Blake slid in between Christa and Gwyn and put an arm around each of them. They both turned to him with huge grins and tears of joy.

Lucy reached out her hand toward Blake. Blake released one arm and took her hand. Lucy squeezed, and for the first time since he met her, she smiled.

Maybe bringing Lucy back safely had somehow set things right. Reset the balance of fate. Maybe just spending time with Christa was the closure he needed. Or maybe his own cheesy words had resonated within himself. Whatever the case, Anja’s death would no longer have a hold over him. Not like it used to. And he had all of them to thank for that.