Where the Heart Is by Patricia Keelyn

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Nothing had felt right to Maddie all day long. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something felt very wrong. Like dark clouds gathering on the horizon, there was an expectancy in the air of something to come.

Something turbulent.

Glancing out her kitchen window at the approaching storm, she shuddered. Maybe it was nothing more than the thunderstorm looming on the horizon. It wouldn’t be long before it hit, and she wanted to be in her room safely tucked beneath the blankets before it did.

She put the last of her dinner dishes into the dishwasher and then grabbed a flashlight and a handful of small candles and matches before heading upstairs. By the time she got to her bedroom, the early-evening light had deteriorated to an eerie shade of green-yellow.

Maddie crossed to the windows to close the curtains and again caught sight of the ominous dark clouds. A shiver of apprehension slithered down her spine. Her back ached and she rubbed it with the heel of her hand. The news on the radio earlier had said they were in for a nasty night. From the looks of the sky, the report had been right. She wished she’d had time for a long soak in the tub before the storm broke. Suppressing her odd feelings, she pulled the curtains closed.

A few minutes later, she climbed into bed with a book. She propped a couple of pillows behind her, one positioned to support her aching lower back, and pulled the comforter tight around her belly and legs.

For a while, she barely noticed the distant rumblings and wind brushing against her bedroom windows. She buried herself in her book, absorbed for the moment in some fictional woman’s problems. Then the storm broke with a crack of thunder that shook the house. Startled, Maddie swung her gaze to the light beside her bed, wondering how long it would be before she lost power. Abandoning her book, she checked to make sure a flashlight and candles were within arm’s reach and then scooted back beneath her blankets. It was going to be a long night.

She must have dozed despite the wind and rain, because when the phone rang, she was completely disoriented. The second ring brought her to a sitting position. Eager for anything to distract her from the maelstrom outside, Maddie reached over and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Maddie, it’s Nick. Have …” Static cut him off and she missed his next words.

“Nick, I can barely hear you.”

“Is Jon there? Have you seen him today?” Despite the poor reception, she heard the urgency in Nick’s voice.

“No. I expected him, but he never showed.” Maddie cradled the receiver in both hands as Nick cursed on the other end of the line. “Nick, what’s wrong?”

“He hasn’t been home since early this morning.” Maddie glanced at the clock. It was after nine. “Evidently, he got into another fight today,” Nick continued, but she again lost his words to static.

“I’m losing you, Nick.”

“I said, no one’s seen him since the fight. And he’s not answering his cell.”

“Was he hurt?”

More crackle on the line. “I thought maybe he’d come to you.”

“Did you try Anna Banks? They’ve been spending a lot of time together lately.”

“… first person I called.” His words continued to break up. “… told us about the fight … hasn’t seen him in hours.” Abruptly, the line cleared. “I’m on my way over there now to talk to her. And Greg has his deputies out looking.”

Maddie remembered the ominous feeling she’d had all day. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. Stay at home and take care of that baby. Maybe Jon will show up there. If you hear from him …”

“I’ll call you immediately.”

“If you can’t reach me, call the sheriff’s office. I’m heading over to talk to Anna, and then I’m going out looking for him.”

Maddie closed her eyes, uttering a silent prayer for Jon. “Please be careful, Nick. And let me know when you find him.”

Nick hesitated and then asked, “Maddie, are you all right? With the storm and all …”

“I’m fine, Nick. Go find your son.”

Maddie hung up the phone, her mind sorting through the last few weeks for some clue as to where Jon might have gone.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light lit the room followed almost instantly by a boom that rocked the house and killed the lights. Maddie shivered, and fought to remain focused. Jon was missing. Finding him was more important than her irrational fear of storms.

She reached for the flashlight and again considered where he might go. The two of them had spent a lot of time together lately. He’d become comfortable with her, telling her things she suspected he hadn’t told anyone else. She went over their conversations in her mind, but nothing jumped out at her. Where would he have gone? Or was he lying hurt somewhere? Possibly by the same boy who’d pulled a knife on him the last time. Then it hit her, and she couldn’t believe no one else had thought of it earlier.

Diana’s grave.

The first time she and Jon had really talked had been at the cemetery. What had he said about the place? “I feel close to her here.” And Diana had died during a storm such as the one raging outside now.

Maddie threw a nervous glance toward her windows and grabbed the phone, punching in the numbers for the sheriff’s office before she even had the receiver to her ear. But nothing happened. She stabbed the receiver button several times without success. There was no dial tone. Evidently the storm had knocked about both the power and phones. Next, she tried her cell phone, but she couldn’t get a signal.

For a moment, Maddie remained perfectly still, while lightning flashed behind the closed curtains and thunder rolled over her house. Jon was out there in the middle of this storm, sitting next to his mother’s grave. She knew it. Again, she glanced toward the closed curtains, fear for Jon warring with her fear of the storm. Before she could change her mind, she threw off the comforter, and then hurried to pull on the last pair of maternity jeans that still fit and a large bulky sweater.

Downstairs, she found her umbrella and pulled on a bright yellow rain poncho. She made it all the way to the back door without hesitating. Then, with her hand on the doorknob, she froze.

Outside, the storm raged.

The last thing she wanted to do was be out in it. She just needed to get over to the sheriff’s office, she argued with herself. She would tell Greg where they could find Jon. Then she could come right back home.

Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the wet darkness.

Nick parked his truck in front of the Banks house.

He wondered if this was going to be a waste of time. Anna had told him she hadn’t seen Jon for hours. Nick thought his time would be better spent driving around looking for Jon, but Greg Banks had insisted Nick come over. He’d assured Nick that talking to Anna would shed some light on their search.

Pulling up the collar of his all-weather coat, Nick got out of the truck and made a dash for the front porch. As he knocked, he shook the moisture from his coat.

Tammy opened the door, her expression grim. “Come in, Nick. Anna and Greg are in the living room.”

“Thanks.” Nick stepped through the door, and Tammy reached for his coat. “I’m really sorry about all this,” he said.

Tammy shook her head. “Don’t be sorry for our sake, Nick. You need to find Jon. If Anna can help, she will.”

Nick nodded, grateful for her understanding, and followed her into the living room.

Anna sat on the edge of the couch, her small hands balled tightly in her lap and her tear-streaked face the picture of distress. Greg stood across the room, near an old brick fireplace, looking formidable. Tammy sat down next to her daughter and wrapped a protective arm around her.

“Anna was just telling me about the fight this afternoon,” Greg said. “Evidently Jon, Anna here, and a boy named Brad Severyn planned it.”

Nick turned to look at Greg. “Jon planned it?”

“He didn’t have a choice,” Anna interjected.

“He should have come to me,” Greg stated, folding his arms and glaring at his daughter. “You should have come to me.”

“Daddy, can’t you understand? That would’ve only made things worse.”

“Wait a minute,” Nick said, going to sit in an armchair across from Anna. “Back up. What do you mean, he didn’t have a choice?”

Anna took a deep breath and met his gaze head on. “Roc, that is, Rick Moran, was out to get Jon.”

“The boy who attacked him with a knife?”

“Yes.” Anna nodded. “I wasn’t there that day, but I was around earlier when Roc was being his usual bullying self. Jon stood up to him. And Roc’s not used to that. He pushes everyone around and gets away with it.”

“Roc’s eighteen,” Greg clarified for Nick. “He’s bigger and stronger than most of the other kids.”

Nick swiveled back to Anna. “Okay. So what happened?”

“As I said, I wasn’t there the first time they really got into it, but from what I was told, Jon wouldn’t back down. Not even when Roc pulled the knife. Between him and Fatso—”

“Fatso?” Nick glanced at Greg, and then back to Anna.

Anna rolled her eyes. “Evan Bradley. But everyone calls him Fatso. He’s Roc’s main sidekick and general pain in the—”

“We get the idea, Anna,” her father interrupted. “Go on with the story.”

“Roc would’ve hurt Jon a lot worse that day, but once he pulled the knife and cut Jon, a couple of the other boys stepped in and stopped it.”

“One of them told me about Roc’s knife,” Greg added.

“Okay,” Nick said, turning back to Anna. “So what happened today?”

“Roc wouldn’t let things alone. He’s been baiting Jon for weeks. He thought it was Jon who told Daddy about the knife.”

Nick nodded. He’d grown up on the wrong side of Felton, and understood how these things worked. The biggest and meanest boys ran things, and everyone else stayed out of their way. He’d hoped by raising Jon in a better environment, he would never have to face any of this. Nick felt like an idiot.

“Jon came up with this great idea to end it all,” Anna said, breaking into his thoughts.

Greg snorted in disgust, and Anna’s gaze swung to her father, then back to Nick. “Jon figured if he could face Roc in a fair fight, without Fatso or a knife, he could settle things.”

“Yeah, and get his butt kicked,” Greg said.

“Greg, please,” Tammy said. “Let her finish.”

“Jon was willing to take that risk, if that’s what it took to get Roc to leave him alone.”

Nick shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Had he been asleep? He thought things were getting better between him and Jon. How could all this have been going on without his knowledge?

“It’s not your fault, Nick,” Tammy said, as if reading his thoughts.

Nick gave her a tight smile and returned his attention to Anna. “Okay. Go on.”

“We got Brad Severyn to help. And he enlisted a few of his football buddies. It was their job to make sure Fatso was out of the way, and it was my job to make sure Roc didn’t have a knife on him.”

“Your job?” Greg blurted. “What the hell—”

“Greg.” Tammy leveled a warning glare at her husband.

“It’s okay, Daddy,” Anna said. “I had an easy part. I just waited until Roc was swimming in the river. Then I snuck up and stole his knife out of his pants pocket.”

“You stole his knife?” Greg looked ready to come unraveled.

“Borrowed it?”

“Can we please get on with the story?” Tammy said, glaring at her husband again. “We need to find that boy. Go on, Anna.”

“We set the whole thing up for this afternoon,” Anna continued. “There’s a swimming hole about half a mile north of town that a lot of the kids use in the summer.”

Nick nodded. He knew the place. When he was growing up, only kids from the wrong side of the river frequented the spot. Had things changed?

“It’s one of Roc’s favorite haunts,” Anna said. “And it was probably the last place he expected to see Jon.”

“So I take it the two of you just sauntered on down there?” Greg said.

Nick realized that things hadn’t really changed at the swimming hole.

“Brad was with us,” Anna said to her father. “And a couple of other guys from the team.” Turning back to Nick, she said, “It worked just the way Jon planned it.” She smiled shyly. “He’s really smart, Dr. Ryan.”

“Anna …” her mother warned.

Anna blushed and carried on with her story. “So I got Roc’s knife like we planned. Then when he and Fatso got out of the water, they spotted Jon. It was great. Roc’s so stupid he played right into our hands. As usual, he started shoving Jon around, eager for a fight. But when Fatso moved in, Brad and his friends stopped him. And then Roc went for his knife, but it had disappeared. So it was just Roc and Jon.”

Anna stopped.

Nick waited. “And?” he prodded at last.

“That’s pretty much it.” Anna shrugged. “Jon held his own pretty well. Everybody declared it a draw. Roc’s obviously not used to fighting without Fatso on his side. But what could he do? He’d started things, and by that time the place was crawling with kids. Roc couldn’t back out.”

“Was Jon hurt?”

“I don’t think so. He had a cut lip and a couple of bruises. I told him he should go see you at the clinic.”

Nick shook his head. “He didn’t show up.”

“He said he had something else to take care of today.”

“What was that?”

“He wouldn’t tell me. He walked me home and then took off.”

“But now Jon’s missing,” Greg said. “And Roc might have had something to do with it.” He glanced at Nick. “I’ve already sent someone out to pick up Roc and Fatso and bring them in. If either of them had anything to do with Jon’s disappearance, we’ll know within the hour.”

“Okay.” Nick rose from his chair and nodded at Anna. “Thanks. I appreciate your telling me all this.” He paused and then added, “You’ve been a good friend to my son.”

The drive to the sheriff’s office normally took five minutes. With the torrential rain and fierce winds, it took Maddie nearly fifteen. And she’d never been more grateful to see the bright streetlamps in front of the building. Pulling her hood over her head, she hurried inside as quickly as her awkward bulk would allow.

“What are you doing out in this mess?” asked Helen Webb, the night radio dispatcher, when Maddie blew into the office, along with a rush of wind and rain.

“I need to talk to Sheriff Banks.” Maddie shoved back her hood and shook some of the water off her poncho. “And the phones are out.”

“He’s not here.”

“Is anyone?”

“Just me.” Helen smiled apologetically. “They’re all out looking for Jon Ryan. He’s been missing since this afternoon.”

“That’s what I need to talk to Greg about,” Maddie said, lowering herself into a chair next to Helen. “I think I know where Jon is. Can you get Greg on the radio?”

“I can try.” Helen swung back to the radio. “With the storm, there’s been a lot of interference. Sometimes I can get him. Sometimes not.”

Helen worked the radio for a few minutes, while Maddie tapped her fingers nervously against the table. Helen tried calling Greg and the two other deputies on duty. Either she couldn’t get through due to the storm’s interference, or the men weren’t in their cars.

Finally, Maddie couldn’t wait any longer. “Helen, keep trying to get hold of someone,” she said as she pushed herself to her feet. “I’m going after Jon.”

“Maddie, you shouldn’t be out there in your condition.” Helen eyed Maddie’s protruding stomach. “There have been tornadoes sighted all over the county.”

“All the more reason I can’t leave Jon out there alone.” Maddie moved to the door and pulled the hood back over her head. “One of us has to go after him. You need to stay here and try to reach Greg. That leaves me.”

“But, Maddie—”

“When you get hold of Greg,” Maddie interrupted, “tell him I’m on my way out to the cemetery. I think that’s where Jon is.”

Helen’s face whitened. “The cemetery?”

“At his mother’s grave.” Maddie headed out the door before Helen could say anything else. She feared that if she stayed any longer, Helen would talk her out of going.

Outside, Maddie immediately wished she had any other option than going after Jon herself. If possible, the storm had worsened. The wind blew the rain in horizontal sheets that tore at Maddie’s heavy plastic coat. With her balance already off, it was all she could do to keep from falling. She wondered how she’d manage in the hilly cemetery, but quickly pushed the thought aside. One problem at a time. Get to the cemetery, then she’d deal with the hilly climb.

Closed inside her car, she felt a little safer. Then another bolt of lightning split the sky, and she wished to God she was home tucked beneath her blankets. She thought of the massive number of old trees out at the cemetery and, pushing her own fear aside, started the car.

Driving was a nightmare. After living three years in South Florida with its tropical rains, she’d believed there wasn’t a storm she couldn’t drive through. She’d been wrong. The problem here was the utter and complete darkness, pierced momentarily by blinding flashes of lightning. Several times, she almost pulled over. But that, too, held risks. She could barely make out the sides of the road.

Finally, the old gates marking the entrance to the cemetery loomed before her, and Maddie breathed a sigh of relief. At least she’d made it this far. Now she needed to negotiate the hills and hairpin curves within the grounds. She’d never been here at night, and there were no lights.

Years of traveling these roads helped, however. She seemed instinctively to know where she was at each intersection and which turns to take. When she found the spot below Diana’s grave where she usually left her car, she thanked whatever powers were watching out for her.

She parked her car, but hesitated before getting out. All around her, huge trees shielded the grounds from the worst of the storm. But the trees also drew danger. Only the thought of Jon sitting under one of these ancient sentinels gave her the courage to get out of the car.

This time, she took the umbrella and flashlight. Running the light over the hill above her, she tried to see if Jon was up there. But the night was too dark, and the beam of light too limited.

“Jon,” she called, but the wind ripped at her voice and she knew he couldn’t possibly have heard her. She tried again. Louder. “Jon!” Her only answer was the howl of the wind and the hammering of the rain.

She started walking up the hill, carefully picking her way among the gravestones, using the trees to support her along the way. As she got closer, a streak of lightning blazed across the sky, momentarily transforming the night to day. That was when she saw him, a dark, barely distinguishable lump huddling next to Diana’s grave.

Maddie moved up beside him, holding the umbrella over his head.

Jon glanced up, but didn’t really seem to see her.

“Jon, your father’s worried about you.”

He nodded and looked back at the grave. “She died two years ago today.”

Maddie felt his pain constrict around her heart. “Is that why you’re here?”

“I had to come. It was time.”

Maddie sighed and used the headstone to lower herself to the ground next to him. “I understand.” She remembered spending the entire day next to her father’s grave on the anniversary of his death. But it hadn’t been storming, and the whole town hadn’t been out looking for her.

“Jon, it’s late and there are tornado warnings. Everyone’s worried about you. I was worried about you.”

He looked at her again, his eyes like bottomless black holes in the dark night. “I didn’t mean for anyone to worry. I just had to say goodbye. I’m letting her go, Maddie.”

“Come on, Jon.” Maddie offered him her hand, and he silently took it, but didn’t make any move to stand. Another flash of lightning forked through the sky, followed by a crash of thunder. Maddie shuddered, barely holding on to her courage.

“You’re in danger here,” Maddie pleaded. “We’re both in danger.”

He looked at her and suddenly his eyes lost their glazed expression. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. “Maddie, what are doing out here?” Climbing to his feet, he helped her stand. “The ground’s slippery. You could have hurt yourself.”

Maddie glanced back down the muddy hill she’d just climbed and winced. “I came after a friend.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done.”

Maddie looked at him and grinned. “No, I guess not. But then, what are friends for?” She shot another uncertain glance at the hill. “How about a little help getting back down?”

“Come on.” Jon took her hand and slipped his other arm around her ample waist. “We’ll take it slow.”

The trip down the hill took an eternity. Around them, the storm raged, but Maddie knew they’d be okay. Jon reminded her more of his father at that moment than ever before. Calm. Patient. Strong. He held her firmly but gently as they made their way down the slippery slope.

They’d just reached the road when a police cruiser pulled up behind Maddie’s car. Greg Banks jumped out of the vehicle and raced to their side. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine,” she assured him, taking a step away from Jon, but giving his hand one final squeeze before releasing it. “Jon helped me down the hill.”

“Down the hill? What in the hell were you doing up there?”

“I’m okay, Greg.”

He took a moment longer, looking her up and down as if assuring himself she was telling the truth. Then he turned his attention to Jon. “And you, young man. Where the hell have you been? You’ve scared us all half to death.”

Jon met the older man’s gaze and nodded. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry everybody.”

Greg seemed a little taken aback by Jon’s acceptance of blame.

“It’s okay,” Maddie started. “He’s …” Her voice trailed off as another set of headlights lit the night.

“That’ll be your father,” Greg said to Jon. “I expect you’ll have a little explaining to do. And when he gets done with you, there’s a little matter of a fight you and I need to discuss.”

“Yes, sir.” But Jon’s attention was now focused on the truck as it came to a screeching halt behind Greg’s police cruiser.

Nick leapt out of the cab, covering the distance between them in seconds. Without a word he pulled Jon into his arms. “Don’t ever do that again,” Nick said, his voice ragged. “I thought …” He pulled the boy closer, leaving the rest of the thought unspoken.

Jon buried his head against his father’s chest. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

Maddie touched Greg’s arm and motioned toward her car, wanting to give Nick and Jon a little space. Greg nodded and took her elbow.

Once they’d moved out of earshot from the others, he asked, “What was he doing out here?”

Maddie looked up at the big man. “Saying goodbye.”

Greg looked confused, but he let it go. “Come on,” he said, motioning toward the police cruiser parked behind her car. “I’ll drive you home. You shouldn’t be out here in this weather.”

“I can drive.”

“Tammy will have my hide if she finds out I let you drive home alone.”

“How about if we don’t tell her?”

Greg gave her the same glowering look he’d given Jon a few minutes earlier.

Maddie relented. “Okay, but what about my car?”

“I’ll have one of my deputies come get it in the morning.” He grinned. “Or maybe I’ll come get it myself.”

Maddie was too tired to argue further, and she didn’t really have any desire to drive, anyway. Getting out here had been enough of an adventure. It had been a heck of a night, and her back hurt. She just wanted to get home and curl up beneath a pile of blankets.

She’d started walking with Greg toward his cruiser when the first pain hit her. Starting low in her belly, it snuck up on her until it filled her lower body, doubling her over on the spot.

“Greg,” she moaned, leaning hard against his arm.

“Maddie, are you all right?”

She couldn’t answer.

“Nick, get over here,” Greg called as he shifted his arm around her back to give her more support. “I think Maddie’s having labor pains.”

Maddie shook her head, barely able to get the words past her sudden fear. “Too early.”

Suddenly, Nick was by her side, taking her weight against him, and her fear subsided. Nick would take care of her.

“Let’s get her into the car,” Nick said.

“Nick, it’s too early,” Maddie repeated, but the men weren’t listening. Greg opened the back door of the car, and Nick lowered her onto the seat.

“Okay, Maddie,” Nick said, leaning over her. “Just take it easy. It’s been a rough night. We’re going to get you to the hospital and check you out.”

“I’m fine, Nick, it was just—” The rest of her sentence got lost as another wave of pain hit her.

“It’s okay, Maddie. Breathe.” Nick’s voice reached her through the onslaught of pain, pulling her back, reminding her to take air into her lungs. “That’s it, Mads. Breathe deep.”

“Greg, let’s see how fast you can get us to the hospital.” Then to Jon, he called, “Come on, Jon. Get in.”

As soon as the wave of pain eased, Nick closed the door and circled around to climb in the other. “It’s going to be okay, Mads. I’ll take care of you.”

Maddie leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’s too early, Nick.”

“Nonsense. Babies come when they’re ready.” To Greg, he said, “Get on the radio. Warn the hospital we’re on the way. And see if they can reach Ted.”

Greg didn’t need to be told twice. “Banks to Central. Come in, Helen.”

The radio crackled and popped, but finally, Helen’s voice filtered through. “I hear you, Sheriff. Did you find Maddie and the boy?”

“Yes. We’re taking Maddie to the hospital now. Send someone out to Doc Eagen’s place. Then get someone over to pick up my wife and bring her in, too.”

“Your wife?”

“You heard me. Maddie may be in labor. And Tammy’s her coach.”