Jack ran to Rebecca’s minivan and circled it. He spun back around to Darius.
“Did you see anything?” he shouted. “How did she just vanish? Why didn’t she call out?” He looked accusingly at the chief. “You were supposed to be acting as a lookout, and instead you were chatting with a girl.”
Darius skirted around the edge of the parking lot, looking behind each car. “I thought she’d gotten into her minivan to wait for you,” he said. “I didn’t see her leave.”
Panic started to swell inside Jack’s chest. He had taken his eyes off her for barely a few moments, but it was long enough to expose her to attack. He began to call her name, hoping that she had simply gone to the bathroom or to speak to a friend. Many of the congregation had gathered on the porch of the church to greet one another after the service, and his shouts attracted their attention. The pastor came rushing over with a look of concern on his face.
“Is everything okay, Jack?” he asked. “Has something happened to Rebecca?”
“I don’t know,” Jack replied. “I don’t have time to explain, but I think Rebecca’s life may be in danger. We need to find her. Quickly.”
Roger seemed to sense the urgency in Jack’s voice and didn’t waste time asking unnecessary questions. He simply took Jack at his word and sprang into action, racing back to the church steps to gather the congregation around him.
“Rebecca is missing,” he shouted into the throng. “Please, somebody call 9-1-1. There’s a chance that sinister forces may be at work, trying to cause her distress. If we work together, I’m sure we can find her before she comes to harm.” He looked over to Jack, who had joined the group. “Let’s offer up a quick prayer and get going. There’s no time to lose.”
Ripples of shock spread through the crowd of people. The parishioners asked each other who had seen Rebecca last. Nobody had any useful information to offer. Jack stood among Rebecca’s spiritual family as Roger asked God for His help and guidance. He tried to still his beating heart and give himself up to God also. It felt alien to him, but it also felt right. At that moment, Rebecca needed everybody’s prayers, even those of the skeptical.
The congregation scattered in every direction, young and old, the able-bodied and the infirm. Rebecca’s name could be heard flying back and forth as people searched in the foliage, around cars on the street and in every nook and cranny. Meanwhile, Jack seemed to be frozen outside the church, not knowing which way to turn or where to look.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Roger. “Don’t worry, Jack. The Lord will help us find her. He won’t abandon her.”
“I can’t believe I let this happen,” Jack said, raking a hand down his face. “I’m supposed to be taking care of her.”
Then a voice pierced the air, shouting. “I see her! Come quickly.”
Jack’s limbs freed up instantly, and he jumped the church steps all at once, running hard toward the source of the voice. It was coming from a woman standing on the sidewalk, pointing to a small wooded area close to a playground, where a white van was parked under cover of the trees. A few members of the church were headed toward the van, but they didn’t possess Jack’s level of fitness, so he was able to overtake them quickly, pounding on the sidewalk like an athlete. Approaching the van, he could hear Rebecca calling his name, and it sounded like she was struggling.
He found her at the back of the vehicle, kicking and flailing against a man attempting to shove her through the open doors. She had positioned her feet firmly on either side of the doors and was pushing back with all her might.
Jack grabbed the collar of the man and yanked him back with force—he was wearing overalls, like a mechanic, dirty and stained with grease. The strength of Jack’s grip restricted his airway, and he made retching noises. The man was forced to let go of Rebecca and turn his attention to Jack. Rebecca fell to the ground, and Jack heard her palms slap onto the pavement to break her fall. She was on her feet in a heartbeat, ready to take on her attacker, but Jack had it under control. The man was big, yet he was out of shape and slow. It wasn’t difficult for Jack to overpower him—the only difficulty was pinning him down to the ground until the police arrived. Jack hadn’t felt it appropriate to take his gun into church, so he had left it in the minivan. That made this match one of pure strength.
As if on cue, the members of the church arrived in a large group and assisted in restraining the man, pushing him to the ground while several people held his limbs down. After a few seconds, the guy realized that resistance was futile and he gave up the struggle, allowing his body to go limp in their collectively firm grip.
The sound of sirens in the distance brought welcome relief, and the pastor flagged the patrol car down in the middle of the street. As soon as the police had the suspect cuffed and under control, Jack went to Rebecca and gathered her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and breathed out hard. He felt the warmth penetrate through his white cotton shirt, and he put his hand on the back of her head, lightly stroking her hair, now disheveled from the tussle.
“I’m so sorry I let this happen,” he whispered.
“It’s not your fault,” she said, pulling away to watch her attacker being placed in the patrol car by the police. “I was tricked.”
“Tricked?” he repeated. “How? By who?”
“It was Claire,” she answered. “She asked me to help her find an earring she’d lost in the bushes. Once I started looking, somebody grabbed me from behind and dragged me away.”
Jack couldn’t quite believe it. “Claire?” he asked. “But why would she do this? She doesn’t seem the type.”
“It just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover,” Rebecca said, nervously glancing around. “It makes me wonder who else we can’t trust.”
“One thing is always certain,” Jack said. “You can trust me.”
* * *
The county sheriff’s office in Bristol was stuffy, and Rebecca fanned herself with an old magazine. Perfume samples stuck between the pages sent a flowery fragrance billowing through her hair, creating an aromatic haze where she was seated in front of a desk. The heat was turned up too high, and she wriggled uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair. The sheriff’s office was located in the town’s beautiful, colonial-style courthouse—a place she visited often as a newspaper photographer.
Jack appeared with a cup of ice water. “Drink this,” he said, putting the cup on the table in front of her. “You look a little warm.”
“I’m getting antsy,” she admitted. “I’d really like to leave.” She sipped the water gratefully. “I already told the detectives everything I know, and I’m late for my visit to Sarah’s house.”
“I called her,” Jack said. “I told her we were having car trouble. She’d worry if we told her the truth.”
Rebecca shook her head sadly. “I can’t believe Claire would betray me like that. We’ve been working together for five years. I thought we were friends.” She sighed and let her shoulders droop forward. The shock of the day was finally catching up with her.
Jack pulled his chair across the rough carpeted floor and settled himself close to her. “Are you okay?” he asked, resting his palm on her back. His hand was hot and felt like fire though her thin blouse.
“I just want to leave,” she said quietly. “I need to see Charlotte and Emily.”
“All in good time,” Jack said soothingly. “Let’s be patient.”
The door to the adjoining office opened up, and two male, middle-aged detectives entered the room. She had already given Detective Harman and Detective Smith her detailed statement about the attack. They came and sat on the opposite side of the desk.
“We apologize for the wait, Mrs. Grey,” Detective Smith said. “There are just a couple more questions we need to ask before you leave.”
“Did you arrest Claire Monaghan?” Rebecca asked, anxious to know that Simon’s secretary was in custody and incapable of causing any more harm.
“I’m afraid we haven’t managed to locate Miss Monaghan,” the detective replied. “But we have some information on the man who attempted to kidnap you.”
“You do?” Rebecca asked, running her hand through her hair. “Who is he?”
Detective Smith looked over his notes. “His name is Thomas Drummond. He’s a motor vehicle mechanic over on Industrial Park Drive. His business is in severe financial difficulty, and he told us he agreed to kidnap you for the sum of ten thousand dollars.”
“And it was Claire Monaghan who asked him to do it?” Rebecca asked, wondering how on earth Simon’s shy secretary was capable of this.
“Mr. Drummond confirms that Miss Monaghan gave him half the money up front and was due to give him the second half after the job was completed,” Detective Smith replied. “He claims he wasn’t told of the motive for the kidnapping. He says he just needed the money.”
Rebecca found herself suddenly feeling cold in spite of the warm room. She pulled her jacket from the arm of the chair and put it around her shoulders. Jack looked at her with concern, and she was glad that he sensed her need to stay quiet for a while. He picked up the conversation on her behalf.
“Detectives,” Jack said, addressing them both with a solemn face. “It seems pretty clear to us that Claire is somehow involved with the stolen art. The photographs that were in her possession went missing yesterday, and the kidnap attempt today is intended to prevent Rebecca from taking reprints to the authorities.”
The detectives looked sympathetic. “We appreciate your concern, Mr. Jackson,” Detective Harman said. “But this is all based on supposition. Until we can locate and interview Claire Monaghan, we can’t truly know what her motive was.”
Rebecca shook her head. Something didn’t feel right. “Claire would never plan this alone,” she said. “She must’ve been manipulated by somebody. I’ve never known her to be a bad person.”
Jack raised his eyebrows. “Simon Orwell?”
“I called Mr. Orwell just a few moments ago, and he strenuously refutes any involvement in this,” Detective Harman said. “And we have no evidence to contradict his statement.”
“What will happen to Thomas Drummond?” Jack asked.
“He’s being charged with attempted kidnapping,” Detective Harman replied. “And he’ll stay in custody until the preliminary hearing. Even if he’s granted bail, I doubt he’ll be able to afford it, so I don’t think he’ll be out anytime soon. Don’t worry—you’ll both be the first to know if he’s released from police custody.”
“That’s a relief,” Jack said. “At least we know he’s behind bars for now.” He leaned across the desk. “But Rebecca still isn’t safe. What did the forensics team find yesterday in the darkroom? Were there any fingerprints?”
Detective Smith shook his head. “I’m afraid they found nothing except Mrs. Grey’s prints. But the police department received a report from the accident investigators today, and they found evidence of an explosive device in your vehicle, Mr. Jackson. It looks like a fairly sophisticated one.” His face turned grave. “I’ve formally asked the FBI to take over this investigation. It seems to be escalating pretty fast, and this county simply doesn’t have the resources for round-the-clock protection.”
“How long will the Feds take to move on something like this?” Jack asked.
“Probably a couple of days,” the detective replied. “They’ll consider what’s happened so far and review your claims about the stolen artwork. If they think there’s a case, it’ll be handed over to the War Crimes Unit. In the meantime, we’re doing all we can to find Claire Monaghan and get some answers from her. But please rest assured that you can call 9-1-1 at any time for assistance. The sheriff’s deputies will be able to respond to any emergencies.”
These words did not reassure Rebecca in the slightest, but she knew the detectives were doing their best to make her feel at ease. “Thank you,” she said. “Can I leave now? I’m late for an appointment.”
The detectives stood up. “Of course,” he said. “If we have any updates for you, we’ll telephone immediately.”
Rebecca reached for Jack’s hand, and he gripped it as she rose from her seat. He smiled at her in a way that made her feel a little calmer inside. If the police were unable to protect her, she would have to put all her faith in Jack.
* * *
Jack drove along Highway 20 on high alert, determined to be supervigilant. Rebecca had been insistent on continuing with her plan for the day—to visit her daughters at Sarah Grey’s house—and he certainly didn’t want to be followed to such an important location. He had woven through the streets of Bristol before turning onto the highway, using evasive maneuvering techniques to ensure that no one could possibly be on their tail. Darius had asked to accompany them, but Rebecca hadn’t wanted his presence there. Jack could understand why. Darius was often intense and overwhelming, and Rebecca was clearly in need of quiet family time. In this instance, Jack had assumed that he counted as family.
“Do you think Simon put Claire up to the kidnapping attempt?” Rebecca asked. “I can’t believe he would do something like that, but maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought.”
“If the police say Simon’s not involved, I think we have to trust in their judgment,” Jack replied. “I’m certain that the FBI will find good enough cause to open an investigation. Until then, let’s continue with our plan to visit the professor at the museum in Tallahassee.” He reached over to touch her hand but thought better of it. “Stay close to me at all times.”
“I intend to,” she said. She looked down into her lap, where her fingers were tightly wound together. “At least for the time being.”
He steeled himself to say the words that he’d been storing up since their earlier conversation. “I understand why you said those things to me after church this morning. I’m glad you explained how you feel. I can see you’re struggling with your faith.”
“I’m not,” she said. “I still have faith in God’s plan for my life.” She dropped her voice to barely a whisper. “It’s just hard to accept the plan.”
He looked over at her, but her eyes were fixed on the flat, green land whizzing past the window. “Do you think you might have gotten it wrong?” he asked. “I mean, I don’t know much about faith, but isn’t it blind?”
“Blind?” she repeated, holding up her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun.
He pulled the visor down above his head, and Rebecca’s aviator sunglasses tipped out into his lap. He handed them to her. “I thought the whole point of faith was not knowing what the future holds, but trusting in it anyway.” He smiled. “I apologize if I’m way off track, but I’m new to all this church stuff.”
She was quiet for a moment. “No, you’re right,” she said finally. “Faith is blind.”
“So you don’t really know what God has planned for you, right?” he asked, hoping that he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries. “You’re just assuming things based on your own judgment.”
“I can’t explain it,” she said, putting her hand on her heart. “I just feel it inside.”
“Feel what?”
She turned to face him. “Loneliness.”
He wished he could screech to a halt to take her in his arms, to ease her pain, if only for a short time. But instead he asked, “Do you think God wants you to feel that way for the rest of your life?”
“I think He’ll give me the strength to live with it,” she said. “Because it seems to me that the empty feeling will never be filled.”
He tried to choose his words carefully. “Maybe you just need to wait a little longer.”
She let out a laugh, and he guessed that this was something she had considered many times already. “I’ve reached the conclusion that God must want me to dedicate my life to raising the children and serving the community,” she said. “Rather than meeting someone special.”
“You don’t know that,” he said. “Maybe you just haven’t met the right man yet.” He looked over the top of his sunglasses at her. “Or maybe you met him already and you just don’t know it.”
“No,” she said quickly. “I can’t imagine opening up the secrets of my heart to a man again.”
He smiled slowly as a thought crept into his mind—you just did.
* * *
Jack pulled the minivan into Sarah’s gravel driveway as the sky clouded over and the mercury dipped to a temperature that reminded Rebecca it was still winter in Florida. As soon as the tires crunched on the long path, Charlotte and Emily came running from Sarah’s neatly maintained ranch-style home. They were closely followed by Sarah herself, who made the girls stand and wait while Jack parked in the carport. When Rebecca stepped from the vehicle, they tore over to her with arms outstretched.
“Mom,” they both called in unison. “We miss you.”
She dropped to her knees, not caring about getting dirt on her tailored pants, and scooped them into her arms. “Hey,” she said with a wide smile. “I hope you’ve been behaving yourselves for Grandma?” She looked up at Jack and winked. “Because the swamp monster will get you if you’ve been misbehaving.”
The girls squealed with delight at the mention of playing their favorite game of chase. Jack dutifully played along and stretched his arms out wide, making groaning noises and walking toward them with slow, heavy steps. They turned and raced into the yard at the side of the house, running around the swing set while Jack attempted to grab them as they wriggled out of reach.
Rebecca stood and watched them. She had seen Jack play chase with the girls many times before, but this time she took the opportunity to savor it. She didn’t know how long this pretense of family life was going to last, and she wanted to bask in the pleasure it brought.
“Are you okay, Rebecca?” Sarah asked, rubbing her hand on her shoulder. “You look pensive.”
Rebecca bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. The last thing she needed right now was somebody showing kindness, especially her sweet and gentle-natured mother-in-law.
“I’m fine,” she said, giving Sarah a kiss on the cheek. “It’s been a difficult weekend, is all.”
Sarah led her toward the house. “We all have good and bad days,” she said. “When we go through hard times, it makes us appreciate the good times so much more.”
Rebecca gave a brittle laugh. “I’m still waiting on those good times.”
Sarah pointed to the lawn where Charlotte and Emily were giggling with joy, each one dangling from Jack’s strong arms. “The good times are right here, honey,” she said with a smile. “Sometimes we don’t see what’s in front of us because we’re too busy looking to the future.” She opened the door. “I made iced tea. You want some?”
“Sure,” Rebecca answered. “I’ll be there in a minute or two. I’d like to stay out here awhile longer.”
Sarah went inside, leaving Rebecca standing alone in the carport, contemplating her mother-in-law’s wise words. Had she really been so blind that she had failed to recognize the situation as it really was? She had assumed that her life needed to be changed in order to make it better, but would change make her happier? Was she trying to fix something that wasn’t broken? She gasped and put a hand over her mouth as an idea of such enormity entered her mind that her stomach dropped away. Could her feelings of loneliness actually be caused by pushing Jack away? She had felt more and more hollow with each day that she pulled back from him.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Rebecca,” she said under her breath. “You are not in love with Jack.”
She turned and walked into the house. Her resolve was being tested, and she would not waver.