Chapter
Twenty-Seven

“Before they get here, I wanted to make sure you don’t have any other questions.” Paul was in street clothes, and I marveled at how different he looked. Although he wasn’t here in an official capacity, we’d asked him to stay until they arrived. He was the one who had explained the truth to the Fishers. Then he’d set up this meeting. It had been four days since Marian Belker forced me into the shelter under her clinic. Today was the day we’d all been waiting for.

“Tell me exactly what Ryan said when you spoke to him,” Mom said.

My mother, whom I’d seen as fragile, had been a source of encouragement and strength since learning the truth about the past. Dealing with the death of her biological daughter wasn’t easy, but her love for me hadn’t changed at all. As she told me, “You are my daughter, Emily. Nothing in this world could change that.” And although she had every right to be angry with my father, instead, she seemed touched by his attempt to protect her from sorrow. During my father’s confession, Mom actually asked him to forgive her for turning her back on his pain. “I should have been there for you, Lyndon,” she’d said. “Instead, I needed someone to blame. I’m sorry it was you.”

“At first he denied he was Ryan,” Paul said. “But after I explained what really happened—that you didn’t give him away, and that you did everything you could to find him, he finally opened up. The Fishers were stunned. They’d believed Joe Belker’s lies that Ryan was an abused child who needed protection. They never heard the news reports about Ryan’s abduction, so they just named him after their dead son and moved him into their family. Belker was right in his belief that sending Ryan to live with a conservative Mennonite family would keep him away from prying eyes.

“By the time the Fishers moved here, the stories about Ryan had pretty much subsided. Even if someone could have recognized him from past newscasts, no one made the connection between the boy in the pictures and a Mennonite boy living in a small town. People weren’t looking in Sanctuary. It was the perfect cover.”

“But he said he wanted to see us?” Mom asked. Paul had already assured her on this point several times. It was obvious Mom was nervous.

“Yes, he does. Very much. Ever since he saw you in the restaurant, Wynter. He recognized you immediately. In fact, he followed you. Watched you, trying to decide what to do.”

I nodded. “I saw him outside Esther’s the first night I was in town. Although I didn’t notice him again, I had the feeling I was being watched.”

“That’s because you were. Ryan wanted to talk to you, wanted to contact you, but he was afraid the Fishers would get in trouble, and he loves them very much. They’re very nice people, and they feel awful for everything you’ve been through.”

“This must be hard on them too,” I said.

Paul nodded. “Yes, it is. But they want the best for Ryan—and for you.”

“How could Joe Belker do something so evil?” Mom asked. “Taking our child because Lyndon refused to pay any more blackmail money?”

Paul shrugged. “It was strictly revenge. He targeted Ryan, and when he finally caught him alone, he took him. Called himself Bill Martin. Ryan was convinced he was a neighbor. I guess Belker was very persuasive.” He shook his head. “The Belkers were quite a couple. No sense of right or wrong. But in the end, Marian’s lack of conscience betrayed Joe. In her mind, killing him made sense. She did it because she didn’t want to steal any more babies. She still sees herself as misunderstood. Someone just trying to do the right thing.”

“I thank God Zac survived one of her attempts to do the right thing,” I said. “If he’d eaten all that fudge, he might not have made it.”

Paul nodded. “She took a chance putting that candy in your room. Anyone could have gotten into it. You might have mentioned it to Esther when you found it.”

“I guess she was so desperate she was willing to try anything.”

Esther and Reuben had gone to The Oil Lamp for lunch so we could be together as a family. Oddly, with them gone, I felt as if some of my family were missing.

“That’s true.” Paul shook his head. “I don’t know if she will ever take responsibility for her actions. But it’s in the state’s hands now. They’ll decide what to do with her.”

“I feel sorry for August,” I said. “When he found out the truth, he tried to help.”

“If he hadn’t been so reluctant to betray Rae, he might have saved his life,” Paul said. “He hoped that by sending you those clippings you would find a way to link them back to Rae. And the note he sent to you, Lyndon, was designed to bring you to Sanctuary. I’m not sure why. Maybe he thought you’d recognize Marian. He hoped one of you would put the pieces together so he wouldn’t be the one responsible for her arrest. Even with everything she’d done, he still loved her.”

“We know now why Marian didn’t stay for dinner the night she came over to Esther’s,” I said. “When she found out you were coming, Dad, she was afraid you’d realize who she was.”

My father shook his head. “I’m afraid August and Marian were both wrong about that. I can’t remember what she looked like twenty-three years ago. There’s no chance I would have recognized her now.”

“Will Marian be charged with two murders?” Mom asked.

“I have no idea. Illinois and Missouri are trying to decide who gets her—and for what. It will take some time to sort everything out. The important thing to realize is that she can’t hurt you anymore.”

“And what about Ryan?” I asked. “Will our story end up in the press?”

“I don’t know that either. Everything has been turned over to the authorities. What happens after that is up to them. I think you have to be prepared for anything. Besides Ryan’s abduction, there’s the kidnapping of seven babies to deal with. Searching for them will certainly garner national press. You need to discuss the possibility of media attention with the Fishers and together decide what to do. The best thing might be to go into hiding. I know they’d rather not leave their farm.” He gave me a quick smile. “Maybe you could take Ryan back to St. Louis for a while. Give yourselves some time to get reacquainted.”

“That might be a little difficult,” I said. “I’ll only be there a couple more weeks. You see, I’m moving.”

Paul’s eyebrows shot up. “Moving? I thought you’d stay near Ryan now that you’ve found him.”

I smiled at him. “Well, if he stays in Sanctuary, we’ll be very close.”

“You mean . . . ?”

“Yes, I’m moving here. Esther is putting me up. I’ve decided to do some writing. And there’s a certain farmer I want to spend some time with.” I sighed. “If you’d told me a couple of weeks ago that I’d walk away from my job at the station, I’d have said you were crazy. But now I can’t imagine going back.”

“And Zac?”

“He’s staying at KDSM, but he’s promised to visit. Esther is still determined to teach him to cook.”

Paul laughed. “I’m glad you’re coming back, Wynter. Sanctuary would miss you.”

I looked over at my mother and father. Mom’s eyes kept darting to the front door. She’d been waiting a long time for Ryan, and today that waiting was coming to an end. I saw my father reach over and take her hand. She grabbed on to him like a drowning woman finding a life preserver. When they looked at each other, it was as if time hadn’t passed at all. My father was still the handsome man my mother had fallen in love with, and Mom was still the young, beautiful girl who turned heads when she walked down the street. Maybe others could see the changes age had brought, but at that moment, I only saw them the way they’d been when Ryan and I were young.

“Actually, you can call me Emily,” I said. “I don’t think I need Wynter anymore. She’s retiring.”

He smiled. “Nice to meet you, Emily.”

“And I’m happy to meet you, Paul.”

The sound of a horse’s whinny came from outside. Mom stood to her feet and Dad followed her.

“Are you ready?” Paul asked.

I laughed lightly. “We’ve been ready for a long, long time.”

When the door opened and Ryan stepped inside, he caught my eye and smiled. Tonight I’d sleep sweetly, and the voices in my head would be silent. As my parents approached him, the shadows we’d gathered for years were swept away in an instant, and together we walked into a future full of light, love, and promise.