Chapter
Twelve

Our visit to the grotto was interesting. The guide told us the story of the shrine, which turned out to be a real testament to dedication and hard work. The shrine had been rebuilt after a devastating fire in the fifties. Vandals had attacked it more than once, but the Franciscan Brothers who cared for it restored it time after time. I tried to stay focused on its fascinating history, but I had a hard time concentrating. My father’s actions back at the restaurant had opened old wounds that were now bleeding.

We got back to Sanctuary around six o’clock. Zac had eaten my dad’s half of the stromboli in the car, but I was hungry. Esther wasn’t home when we arrived, and I assumed she was attending evening church services.

Zac went upstairs to unpack his gear while I raided the refrigerator. Cold chicken, potato salad, and a delicious fruit relish made for a quick dinner that I ate in the kitchen. After I cleaned everything up, I fixed myself a second glass of tea and took it upstairs. The door to Zac’s room was open. We hadn’t talked much on the way home. I’d been too upset, and Zac had wisely kept quiet while I dealt with my bruised feelings. I stopped by his door and leaned against the frame. He was sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for me.

“What’s our next move?” he asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that. I know Ed will expect an update tomorrow. I can’t lie to him, Zac. Either I tell him we’re still in Sanctuary and why, or we leave and call him from somewhere else.”

“You need to be careful.”

“Trust me. I’m aware of that. Did you call your friend in St. Joe?”

He nodded. “Talked to him last night. He planned to visit Jamesport today. He should be calling anytime now.”

“I need to think,” I said. “I’m going for a walk. Maybe by the time I get back, you’ll have heard from him. Then we’ll decide what to do. If Elijah’s family is on the run, we’ve got to move quickly. I can’t take a chance on losing my brother a second time.”

“It’s your decision, Wynter. Not mine.”

“You’re wrong. We’re friends. We’ll decide together.”

Zac’s smile was genuine. “Thanks. I’m glad you see me as your friend.”

“Well, you are. Be back in a bit.”

When I went into my room I found Clyde and Frances sleeping on my bed. They both opened their eyes and looked at me with disinterest before going back to sleep. I almost stepped on a tail sticking out from under the bed. I bent down and found Sam curled up in a ball on the floor. Obviously his older joints hadn’t allowed him to jump up onto the high bed. I would have picked him up and put him next to his kitty friends, but I was concerned he’d have trouble getting down again. I took a minute to pet each one of them, and then changed my clothes.

It felt great to slide on jeans and a comfortable shirt. I exchanged my heels for sneakers and pulled my hair back in a ponytail. I’d just put my clothes away when I noticed a small box on the dresser. When I opened it, I found several pieces of fudge. That’s when I noticed a note that had been placed under the box. It simply said “Welcome!” Although I appreciated Esther’s gesture, I wasn’t hungry and dropped the box off with Zac on my way out. He was only too happy to accept it.

As I walked down the stairs, they creaked beneath my feet. It was a comforting sound and once again reminded me of my grandmother’s house. I heard her voice in my head. “Without God, nothing makes sense, honey. More than anything else, seek Him. Keep Him close. He’s always nearby, never farther away than a whispered prayer.”

I stopped at Esther’s front door, my hand on the knob. “Are you still there, God?” I asked quietly. “I have no right to ask for your help, but if you could show me what to do, I certainly would appreciate it.”

I stepped out onto the front porch and breathed in the soft spring air. There weren’t many people out. Most of them were probably in church. As I walked, I looked more closely at the buildings that made up downtown Sanctuary. There were only a few houses on Main Street, including Esther’s and Janet’s. The business district was four blocks long and contained the two restaurants, the hardware store, a small general store, two buildings without names on the outside, a quilt shop, a clothing store, a secondhand store, and a redbrick building divided into three businesses. The building housed Sanctuary Christian School, Sanctuary Library, and Sanctuary Post Office. The ancient buildings were painted, clean, and cared for. Sanctuary was the epitome of homespun charm. A town caught in time, seemingly untouched by modernism, disinterest, or lack of respect. The idea of graffiti felt like heresy, and littering seemed like a crime worthy of imprisonment.

On the far side of Sanctuary sat Agape Fellowship. Its white spire was the tallest point in town. Sanctuary Mennonite was just two blocks away. The plain structure didn’t have a spire or a cross. In fact, unless you were close enough to read the sign above the entrance, you could mistake it for a commercial building. However, it seemed completely appropriate for the plain people who worshiped there.

There were more homes on neighboring blocks, but almost everything was within walking distance. Reuben had told me that quite a few residents owned farms outside of town, but they were still part of Sanctuary.

I headed toward Randi’s café, hoping to get a cup of coffee. Before I reached the restaurant, I made a decision. Something I’d been toying with since yesterday. As if God was confirming my conclusion, I looked down the street and saw Reuben walking toward me.

“Church out?” I asked.

“Yeah, just dismissed.”

“Hey, I wanted to talk to you if you have some time,” I said. “I’m headed to Randi’s for coffee.”

“Sounds great.” He waited for me to catch up and then walked next to me toward the diner.

“I’m surprised she’s open on Sunday,” I said. “Figured almost everything would be closed on the Sabbath.”

Reuben grinned. “You’re right, but Randi does a great business on Sunday. After church her café is packed.”

As we strolled down the street, we were passed by several buggies. Obviously the Mennonite church had completed services too. Reuben called out to most of the people who rode past us. He seemed to be friends with almost everyone in town. A woman coming toward us called out his name, and he stopped.

“Wynter, this is Sarah Miller,” he said as she approached. “She teaches at our small private school.”

I reached out and took her hand. “I’m glad to meet you. I was surprised to learn that a town this small had its own school.”

Sarah, a tall, thin woman with red hair in a bun and a smattering of freckles across her face, smiled. “It’s supported by the churches. There are some parents in our town who don’t want their children to attend public school.”

I smiled at her. “How interesting. I wonder if you’d allow me to interview you. I’d love to find out more.”

“You’re the lady from the news station in St. Louis?”

“Yes. It wouldn’t take long, Sarah. What do you say?”

I noticed Reuben and Sarah exchange quick glances.

“I . . . I don’t know,” she said slowly, dragging the last word out. “You can’t film the children. Many of them come from conservative Mennonite homes. Their parents won’t allow them to be on camera.”

“That’s fine. I’d just be talking to you.”

Another look at Reuben. What now? Was everyone in Sanctuary keeping secrets?

“I . . . I guess it would be all right,” she said finally. “Maybe you could come by the school tomorrow?”

“Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

She nodded and walked away without saying good-bye.

“Okay, what gives?” I asked. “Another person with a deep, dark past?”

He smiled. “Let’s get some coffee, and I’ll tell you about Sarah.”

Once we got to the café, Reuben ordered coffee and urged me to try Randi’s coconut macaroon pie. A nut for coconut, I had to say yes. One bite put me into coconut heaven.

“Randi could make a go of it anywhere,” I said after swallowing the first delicious bite. “I’d ask why she lives here, but I’m afraid to.”

He laughed. “Randi isn’t in witness protection or anything, if that’s what you mean. She just loves Sanctuary. Her mother owned a restaurant in Columbia. When she died, Randi decided to carry on the family tradition, but she didn’t want to deal with the stress of running a large establishment. She stumbled upon Sanctuary when she came to see a friend who lives in Farmington. This place was empty and she asked permission to move here. She was welcomed with open arms.”

“So there’s at least one person in Sanctuary who isn’t living a surreptitious existence?”

Reuben shook his finger at me. “Now you’re just making fun of us.”

“Kind of.” I put another bite of pie on my fork. “Now tell me about Sarah.”

The joviality in his expression disappeared. “Sarah’s parents were murdered when she was only six. The men who broke into her house missed her and her older sister because they hid in a small storage closet under the stairs.” He frowned. “Her hesitation in talking to you comes from not wanting to be associated with such an awful crime from her past. She doesn’t want it to become her identity. Can you understand that?”

I put my fork down. Although I tried to blink back the tears that filled my eyes, I couldn’t stop them.

Reuben looked alarmed. “I’m sorry, Wynter. Have I said something to upset you?”

I grabbed a napkin from the table and dabbed at my eyes. I glanced back toward the kitchen. August wasn’t there, and I breathed a quick sigh of relief. For some odd reason, I didn’t want him to see me cry.

“I completely understand how Sarah feels, Reuben. You see, I’m in the same situation. I have something I need to tell you.” My voice shook, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “I . . . I haven’t been completely honest with you. Not since we got into town.” Our eyes met, and the concern I saw there made me feel even guiltier.

“You’re not really doing a story about towns in Missouri?” he asked, looking a little confused.

“No. I mean, yes.” I picked up my coffee and drank slowly, trying to gather my thoughts. I put my cup down and tried again. “We are doing a story, but I came to Sanctuary because I saw a picture. A picture of Elijah Fisher.”

“Elijah?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Wynter. I don’t understand.”

Taking one more deep breath, I launched into the entire story. My brother’s disappearance, the reason we came to Sanctuary, and everything that had happened since we’d arrived.

“I’ve been hiding the truth from you,” I said, keeping my voice low so no one else could hear us. “All I can say in my defense is that I had no reason to trust you. Maybe now you can understand why I got so upset when you told me Elijah and his family had left town.”

Reuben just stared at me. I couldn’t tell if he was in shock, or if he was trying to process what I’d told him.

“Say something,” I said finally. “I’m praying you’ll understand. That you won’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” he said softly. “But I have to admit I’m not happy about all the lies and secrecy.”

“I know, and I feel terrible about it. I hope you can see why I couldn’t just waltz into town and start claiming my kidnapped brother was living here under a different name.”

“Do you really believe Elijah is your brother?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know. And I’m not sure how to find out. I have no desire to cause trouble in Sanctuary. Especially since finding out there are people counting on their continued anonymity. I don’t want to do something I can’t take back. That’s why I wanted to talk to Elijah. I’d hoped I could find out the truth before—”

“You called the authorities?”

I nodded. “But then you told me Elijah and his family were gone, and I’m wondering if I made a mistake.”

Reuben was quiet as he studied me. “So what is it you want me to do?” he said finally.

“I want your help, Reuben. Not just to find the truth, but to handle this situation in a way that won’t harm anyone. I’ve—” My nose started to run, and I quickly dabbed at it. “I’ve started to care about this place. There are good people here. People I don’t want to hurt. Telling you the truth is scary. Until this trip, my boss in St. Louis was the only person I’d ever shared my story with. I had to tell Zac, and now I’ve told you. I don’t trust people easily.”

“Well, I’m glad you decided to confide in me.” He ran his hand over his face. “I need time to think. Can we meet for breakfast and talk again? After I have a chance to process this a little bit?”

I nodded. “But please don’t ask me to leave, Reuben. I can’t do it.”

He reached out and took my hand. “I won’t. My problem is finding a way to balance my responsibilities to Sanctuary against my feelings for you.”

“You have feelings for me?” A strong rush of emotion flowed through me, taking me by surprise.

Reuben’s serious expression lifted a little. “Yes, they started the first moment we met, and they’ve only grown stronger the more I’ve been around you. I’d like the chance to get to know you better. Unless you have no interest . . .”

“I-I’d like to get to know you better too,” I said softly. “But I have to warn you that I have a hard time—”

“Trusting people. So you said.”

I nodded. “Ever since I was a kid.”

He smiled. “Well, I like a challenge.”

I returned his smile but couldn’t help wondering if he really could get past the barriers I’d built around my life. As I looked at him, I knew I wanted to find out.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Wynter. But no more lies, okay?”

“No lies. I promise.”

He let go of my hand and nodded. “All right. First of all, we need to know if Nathan really took his family to his brother’s place. You let me take care of that, okay?”

“But you can’t tell him the truth. If Elijah’s my brother, Nathan could move his family far away, and we might never be able to find them.”

“I can’t believe Nathan Fisher would be involved in kidnapping a child. He’s a good person. And so is Anna.”

“I believe you. It’s possible they have no idea who Elijah really is.”

Reuben stared at me, his expression solemn. “Thank you for trusting me. It means a lot.”

I hesitated a moment before saying what I knew had to be said. “Before we go any further, you know a relationship between us probably won’t work, don’t you? I live in St. Louis and you live here. It may not be that far away, but I have no plans to move, and I assume you don’t either. I don’t want you to help me because you think we have a future together. It wouldn’t be right.”

He smiled slowly. “Why don’t we let God work that out? If we’re supposed to be together, the details will fall into place.”

“So you still like me? Even though I lied to you?”

He laughed lightly. “Yes, I still like you. In the end, you told me the truth. I know it wasn’t easy for you.”

“You know, Jonathon hit the nail on the head during his sermon this morning. The day my brother disappeared, my life ground to a halt. I quit trusting people. Stopped trusting God. I can see now that almost every decision I’ve made since had something to do with what happened to Ryan.” I shook my head. “Want to hear something funny? I love being a reporter, but when I was a kid, I really wanted to be a writer. Thought I’d write novels someday.” I shrugged. “Eventually I realized I couldn’t do it.”

“I don’t understand. Why would your brother’s disappearance keep you from writing?”

I stared down at the table, searching for the right words. “I don’t know if I can explain it, but writers exist in their stories and characters. Their lives pour through their words. Every time I sat down to write, the hurt I carried inside tumbled out onto the paper. My characters were searching for answers—just like I was. Not the same answers, but their motivations and mine were too tightly intertwined. I couldn’t handle it. Couldn’t face it.”

“‘Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed.’”

I smiled. “You know that old Red Smith quote?”

He nodded. “My sister Maggie writes.”

“Really? Has she been published?”

“Not yet. But she keeps trying. I guess it’s pretty hard to get a foot in the door.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Reuben drank the rest of his coffee. His eyes searched the room, looking for Randi. When she came out of the back, he motioned to her for more coffee.

“You’ll be up all night,” I said.

“I’ll probably be up anyway. This situation with your brother is unsettling, to say the least.”

“Look, I know this is way off the subject, but I want to ask you something totally unrelated to Ryan.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you know anything about babies being stolen from hospitals in Missouri? This happened over a five-year period. I think the last one was a few years ago.”

He looked surprised. “As a matter of fact, I do. I have a friend who is a Madison County sheriff’s deputy. He told me about it once. It’s been a while though. He was very concerned about it at the time. I have no idea if they ever caught the person responsible.” He frowned at me. “Why are you asking?”

I told him about the newspaper clippings someone had left for me.

“I don’t understand,” he said when I finished. “Why would anyone in Sanctuary save those stories? And why give them to you?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea, but my guess is this person thinks they know something about the kidnappings and wants me to look into it. News stations get all kinds of weird stuff sent to them. It’s not really all that unusual.”

“Does any of it ever pan out?”

“Once in a great while. But for the most part, these tips come from people who spend too much time alone.”

“Still, it concerns me that this package originated from someone in Sanctuary.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it yet. Might be nothing. When you have time, I’d like to show you the stories. Maybe you can remember something your friend told you that’s not in the articles.”

“Sure, but I really don’t know much.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late, and you have a busy day scheduled for tomorrow. I’ll walk you back to Esther’s.”

“Sounds good.”

At that moment, Randi walked up to the table with a carafe of coffee. Reuben put his hand over his mug.

“Changed my mind, Randi. We’re heading out.”

“Sorry to take so long. August didn’t come into work, and I’ve been trying to cover the place by myself.”

“Doesn’t sound like August,” Reuben said. “He’s always here.”

“I know. I tried calling him, but there wasn’t any answer. I plan to stop by his place after I close. Make sure he’s okay.”

“Did you check with Rae?”

She nodded. “She was as surprised as I am. She hasn’t heard from him since yesterday.”

“Do you want me to go by his apartment?”

“No. I’ll do it.” She gave Reuben a quick smile, a gesture she hadn’t granted me yet. “But thanks.” Ignoring me completely, she walked away.

“I’ve known August Metzger for a long time,” Reuben said thoughtfully. “Never known him not to show up for work.”

“You mentioned Rae. Are they friends?”

“More than friends. They’ve been together for a couple of years now. Unfortunately, Rae isn’t interested in marriage. I think that bothers August. He’d like to make their relationship permanent.”

I shook my head. “Hard for me to envision them as a couple. He gives me the creeps. Always watching me.”

“What do you mean?”

I told him about the way August stared at me the first time I visited the restaurant. “And then I saw him across from Esther’s. He seemed to be watching the house.” I shrugged. “Maybe it doesn’t mean anything, but it was enough to give me the heebie-jeebies. To be honest, I’ve had the feeling of being watched ever since I got to town. Even the first night here, I was certain I saw someone across the street, staring up at my bedroom window.”

“August is an odd duck, but he’s harmless. I wouldn’t worry about him.” Reuben looked around the room. Almost everyone was gone, and the only other couple left was paying their tab. “Well, Randi’s about to close up. Let’s get you home.”

“Where’s your truck?”

“Parked at the church. I’d rather walk awhile, if you don’t mind. I can get my truck after I leave you at Esther’s. Something about walking outside after a rain. I love it.”

“I’m game if you are.”

He put some money on the table, said good-bye to Randi, and we left. Reuben was right. The storm from the night before had baptized Sanctuary with the scent of rain. A light breeze carried the fragrance on its wings. It felt fresh and invigorating. I realized this unusual town had captured a piece of my heart. Leaving it behind would be difficult.

“We’ll miss you when you leave,” Reuben said suddenly, as if he’d been reading my mind.

“I was just thinking how much I’ll miss Sanctuary. This is a special place. Even if I don’t find Ryan, I’m glad I came.”

Reuben stopped walking and gazed intently at me. “And if you do find him?”

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. I frowned at him. “You realize that if Elijah is my brother, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep Sanctuary out of the news. It would be a huge story.”

“Does it have to be?”

I took a step back. “I don’t know what you mean.”

He sighed and stared down at the ground. “I’m not convinced Elijah is Ryan, but if he is, and if Nathan and Anna adopted him, thinking it was legal, why stir up a hornet’s nest? The authorities think your brother is dead, right? Why not just reestablish a connection and let Elijah make his own decision about what happens next in his life?”

“Someone did this,” I said firmly. “And they need to be punished. My family has lost so much.”

Reuben nodded. “You’re right. And if that person is still alive, I agree. He should be brought to justice. Sorry, I guess I hadn’t thought it all the way through.” He came closer to me and took my hand. “Discovering the truth and restoring your family is the most important thing. Whatever it takes, I’ll walk through this with you.”

Before I had a chance to utter a response, he leaned in and kissed me lightly. Then he smiled. “Looks like it might rain again. We’d better hurry.”

We walked the rest of the way in silence. When we reached Esther’s porch, I started to say good night, but the door suddenly flung open. Esther stood there, her eyes wide.

“It’s Zac. Something’s wrong. You’d better come quick.”