Forgotten Past by Mary Alford
Chapter Nine
Faith drove through the early-morning streets of Hope Island with a patrol car in front of them and another behind.
When they were safely off the island, the lead car pulled over and flashed his lights. A moment later, the second did the same.
It was as if they’d become trapped in a bad dream that wouldn’t end. “It’s eerie, isn’t it? Do you think people have already started to leave the island?” she asked.
“No doubt. Most of the fishing fleet will have secured their vessels by now. It’s way too risky to fish in these conditions. The ocean can become volatile.”
JT’s phone rang and he answered it without speaking, listened for a second, and then said, “Good.” Once he disconnected the call, he dropped the phone on the console next to him.
“Will’s team finished canvassing the house. They didn’t find anything else. The good news is we weren’t followed off the island, so we should be safe.”
She tried to see the positive in what JT said, yet she couldn’t believe someone who had killed four people would give up so easily.
JT clasped his hand in hers. “Hey, for the first time we actually have something to go on. We’ll get him.”
She turned to him and nodded. “You should try to get some sleep. I’ll be okay for a while and it will give me something to do to take my mind off what’s happening in my life right now.”
JT leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes as the lights of Hope Island disappeared behind them and the coastline along the highway took their place.
If they were truly safe, then why did JT seem so worried? He was good at what he did. If he was concerned about their chances of surviving, then she was terrified at the possibility of what might lay ahead of them.
◆◆◆
They had been driving for hours when his phone rang again. He pulled over on the side of the road and stopped the truck. It was a little past three in the morning. They’d stopped only once to eat the sandwiches Faith had prepared and to switch drivers. He’d managed to get a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep that had worked wonders to restore his strength. With the exception of the pain throbbing in his side and his injured arm, he almost felt like himself again.
JT glanced over at Faith. She’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and peaceful she looked.
He snapped Ollie’s leash on and quietly got out. Ollie could use a bathroom break and JT didn’t want to wake Faith.
“I have the Austin police report,” Will announced without preamble.
“That’s great...isn’t it?” Something didn’t sound right in Will’s tone.
“I hope so. I told the detective what happened here and he expedited it.”
JT had a bad feeling he wasn’t going to like what his friend had to say. “What do you mean you hope?”
Will hesitated. “I spoke in depth to the detective now handling the case.”
“Now handling the case?” JT repeated. “What happened to the original detectives?”
“One’s retired and has since moved to Nome. The other is a sheriff in a small town north of Amarillo.”
Man, this wasn’t what they needed. “That’s not good. We could have used their insight.”
“Yes. Detective Riley is going to try to reach out to them and see if he can get them to call me...” Was Will stalling? JT’s uneasiness kicked up another level.
“What aren’t you telling me, Will? You found something in the report.”
The other man sighed. “It’s not what I found in the report. With everything happening, I’ve just begun reading it. I’m going to email you a copy of it along with your team.”
“Okay. What else? Just say it,” he added when Will was unusually hesitant.
Will sighed. “Detective Riley is very current on the case. He told me in the beginning, the detectives were definitely working under the assumption the murders were part of a home invasion gone wrong.”
“So what changed their minds?”
The length of time it took Will to answer did little to reassure JT.
“Faith. Especially when she reported the calls. Something about them didn’t sit right with the detectives. Riley told me it all seemed a little contrived.”
Contrived. The word stuck in JT’s head. Faith had obviously been telling the truth because the same thing had happened here. So why hadn’t the police believed her? “What do they mean by that?”
“They said something about the calls didn’t seem genuine, so they did a little digging into her life. Turns out, Faith had started working for Carl as his business accountant about three months before the murders.”
Surprise rendered JT speechless for a moment. How could this possibly be true? She’d never said a word to him about working for Carl Jennings. “So what does any of this have to do with the murders?”
“Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. After the homicides and once Faith was no longer the accountant for Carl Jennings’s business, the person who took over for her found some...discrepancies in her record keeping.”
“What kind of discrepancies?” JT asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Something along the lines of a half-million-dollar discrepancy.”
He glanced back at the truck to make sure Faith was still sleeping. “Are you saying they believe Faith took the money?”
“I’m not saying that at all. In fact, no one can seem to pin down when the money went missing. I’m just saying it’s an interesting fact.”
Not the word JT would have used. “I don’t think Faith took the money and I certainly don’t think she’s tied up in those murders. Think about what has happened since she left Austin. There’s no way she had anything to do with this.” JT knew he sounded defensive, but he couldn’t help it. After everything she’d been through, he wasn’t about to let them pin a murder charge on her.
“I’m not saying I think she’s guilty. I’m just giving you the facts.”
JT took a second to calm down. He reminded himself that Will was just doing his job. “I realize that. What about the cousin? Did the police check into him? With no other living relative, it stands to reason he’d be the one to inherit the bulk of the estate.”
“You’d think, but according to Riley, the family attorney told them something else. Rachel would have been the next in line to inherit. With her dying at the same time as her father, the estate went into a trust. Apparently, Carl left everything to a list of charities he supported. There’s a board of directors appointed to disburse the funds. And besides, the police ruled Ben out early on. He was at a party across town. He couldn’t have committed the murders.”
JT ran a hand across the back of his neck. “This case just keeps getting better and better.”
“You’ve got that right. Riley is sending over the list of names of the board members, but according to him, the detectives who handled the case checked them out pretty thoroughly and didn’t find anything unusual.”
JT struggled to keep his thoughts in focus.
“Oh, by the way, I heard from Eli.”
JT realized he’d forgotten to tell his partners what had happened. “How’d they take the news of the attack?”
Will chuckled. “They were all mad as all get-out but once they learned you and Faith were safe, they were okay. Eli told me he read Faith’s medical records twice to be sure he didn’t miss it, but there was no mention of the doctor prescribing her anything other than pain meds.”
This confirmed JT’s suspicions. “I’m not surprised. There is no way any reputable doctor would have prescribed a drug like this for someone with amnesia, which leads me to my next question. Where’d the meds come from if not from the doctor who treated her?”
“I don’t know. I’m still trying to track down the doctor to find out what he remembers. It may take some finagling.”
“Let’s hope you can locate him fast. The sooner we figure this out the better. It’s been a crazy couple of days and I don’t see it ending anytime soon.”
“That’s for sure. Where are you two anyway?” Will asked.
“Not too far out of Whaler’s Point. We’ll be there soon.”
“Good. The sooner you have her away from all this the better. My friend has assigned four of his best men to meet you over at Mason’s place. They’ll be stationed outside for as long as he can spare them.”
JT said a silent prayer of thanks. “I owe you for that, Will.” He hesitated. “Have you heard any damage reports from Hatton Island yet?”
Will blew out a sigh. “I’m afraid it’s bad. The hurricane slammed into the island at a category 3. Most of the communications have been down for hours, but from the sketchy bits of information that have been coming out, it looks like half the island may be gone. Thankfully, everyone got off in time. I can’t even imagine how difficult starting over from nothing will be. They’re going to need all our prayers to rebuild.” There was a long pause. “Stay safe, JT. Hopefully something will jump out in the report, and we’ll have some answers for you soon.”
“Let’s hope.”
JT ended the call and stared gloomily at the lonely stretch of road. It seemed the more they uncovered about the case the more confusing it became, and he had a feeling they hadn’t even come close to scratching the surface of what happened that hot August night two years earlier.
◆◆◆
Faith opened her eyes. Since it was still dark out, she had no idea how long she’d been sleeping in that awkward, scrunched-up position.
Last night had seemed like a dream or, more to the point, a nightmare. Yet here she was running for her life. Proof positive he’d found her again.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?” JT glanced over at her. Even from the truck’s interior lighting she could see that lack of sleep had left its imprint around his eyes.
“Okay, I guess.” The kinks in her shoulder and neck told a different story. Ollie had positioned himself on the center console next to JT. When he realized Faith was awake, he hopped into her lap and licked her nose.
Faith kept her attention on JT. “How are you? You look tired.”
He smiled wearily. “I’m fine. I think Ollie’s glad you’re awake. He’s been stuck with only me for company. We made a pit stop a little while back. I’m sure the little guy could use another one.”
She smiled and stroked the dog’s ears. “Thanks for taking such good care of him. Where are we anyway?” The truck’s clock said it was just past four in the morning.
“Almost to Whaler’s Point. I took some back roads to make sure we weren’t followed.”
She peered back over her shoulder but the only thing she could see was pitch black. “And were we?”
JT was quick to reassure her. “No. I haven’t seen another soul on this road for hours.”
“Has there been any news about...last night?”
He didn’t answer right away. Something had happened. She could see it in his eyes.
“We have the police report from Austin. Will spoke with one of the detectives who agreed to send the files over once he found out what happened here.”
Fear slithered deep into her stomach like a familiar yet unwelcome guest. There was something in his tone. “And?”
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “And we don’t know anything yet. Will is stretched pretty thin with the murder investigation and the hurricane so he’s only given the report a cursory review. I’ll get my team to read through it. I’m hoping they’ll find something.”
He hadn’t told her everything. Had he found out something about her involvement and didn’t know how to tell her? “Okay,” she said slowly.
“We have your medical records as well. Just as we suspected, there never was a prescription ordered for Zullin.”
Her gaze shot to his. None of it made any sense. “Then how did I end up with one...and who’s been keeping it active all this time?”
“I don’t know. Will is still trying to reach the doctor who treated you to see if he remembers anything unusual happening the night of the attack.”
Faith glanced out the passenger window at the darkness. She couldn’t dispel the uneasiness growing inside. Everything they’d uncovered so far hinted that what she believed happened that night was an illusion. Had her brain simply created its own version of events to protect her from the reality?
The sky had just begun to turn pink when JT pulled into the parking lot of a retro diner with bright neon lights. The sign flashed, “Mel’s Place. Open seven days a week. Best burgers in town.”
“It’s been hours since we’ve eaten. Let’s have breakfast, then we’ll stop at the store to get some supplies. With Mason out of town, I doubt his fridge is well stocked.”
He was trying hard to take her mind off things and she was so grateful.
She got out and stretched. Off in the distance, she could see the boat docks where a handful of fishing vessels were anchored.
JT followed her gaze. “In its day, this locale used to be a huge port of call for merchant ships and whaling vessels, thus the name, Whaler’s Point. When the ships disappeared, the town almost did as well. Still, there are several generations of fishermen who make their living at sea. Mason has tons of books on the history of the area.” When he saw her curious expression, he added, “As you can see, I’m a bit of a history buff myself.”
Faith noticed he wasn’t wearing the sling anymore. “Where’s your contraption?”
“I took it off. It made it impossible for me to drive comfortably. The arm’s fine as long as I don’t bump into anything.”
The shadows beneath his eyes told a different story. So did the grooves around his mouth. “JT...”
He took her hand and tugged her closer. “To tell you the truth, it hurts like crazy, but I really am okay.”
His smile sent her heart slamming against her chest. “We should probably change the bandage,” she whispered, a little unsteady.
He stopped smiling when their eyes met. “Once we get to the house, we’ll take a look at it,” he said almost to himself and moved closer. His hand threaded through her hair, bringing her still closer. He was going to kiss her. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.
Close by, a car horn blared, and they jumped guiltily apart.
Faith’s hand flew to cover her pounding heart and JT laughed sheepishly. “I think maybe we’d better try to stay focused on what we’re doing. We don’t want to escape the person chasing you only to have a car hit us in a parking lot. Come on, I could use some coffee.”
The bell above the diner’s door jingled their arrival to the handful of patrons and staff. No one seemed particularly interested in them. The sign by the register said, “Seat Yourself,” so they did. JT took her arm and directed her to the back of the diner where no one else sat. He waited for her to slide into the booth and then he scooted in next to her, facing the door with the windows revealing the entire parking lot and the highway to their left. They could see anyone coming or going into the place.
“Can I get you two some coffee?” a bored-looking waitress stopped at their table and asked.
“Yes.” JT glanced at Faith who nodded. “Make it two.”
The waitress brought two cups overfilled and sloshing with coffee. “Cream? Sugar?”
“Both,” JT said. “And could we see a menu?” The waitress dumped sugar packets and creamers on the table and left.
Faith emptied two sugars and a creamer in her coffee, before stirring it to perfection. When the waitress returned she brought a couple of menus and waited for them to decide, tapping her pencil against her pad somewhat impatiently.
“How about the Western omelet?” JT looked at Faith who nodded. “Make it two.” He closed the menu and handed them to the waitress, who left them alone.
Faith could feel JT watching her. “No one could have predicted the murders or my attack.” JT’s sleep-deprived, rough voice interrupted her tortured thoughts.
She took a sip of coffee. “I should have. With everything that’s happened, I should have seen this outcome and never gotten you and Will involved.”
He covered her hand with his. “You didn’t ask for any of this to happen—it just did. Don’t start taking the blame for what you couldn’t have any way of controlling. He’s used your guilt against you in the past, and it’s time to put the blame where it belongs. On him. When we catch him, he’ll answer for his crimes.”
Their eyes met in a long, lingering look. Her heart melted. JT was such a good man. He’d been through so much in his own life yet he’d found a way to rise above his pain. Now he was going out on a limb to help her, and she owed him so much. He’d never once wavered in his belief in her innocence, even after the murders of those two officers. She so wanted to be the person he saw in her.
“You’re just as much a victim as those two officers,” he told her with conviction. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”
“I know that in my head, but in my heart, well, it’s hard.”
“I realize that it is, but if we have any hope of getting through this I need you to be angry. Fight. Don’t give in to the guilt.”
He was doing everything in his power to keep her safe. She needed to do her part and not give up.
“Here are your omelets. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know if I can get you anything else.” The waitress set their food in front of them and hurried to help another customer.
JT pointed to her plate. “Better eat up. We need to maintain our energy level so that we can keep fighting.”
Faith’s appetite had returned in full force, reminding her it had been hours since she’d last eaten. She polished off most of the omelet and toast. Two cups of coffee later, the caffeine caught up with her. She felt almost normal again.
“Ready?” JT took out his wallet and left money on the table. He rose to his feet and held out his hand to her.
“Yes.”
“Good. We’re almost there. God willing, this’ll all be over soon.” He had no idea how much she hoped his words proved true.
◆◆◆
JT pulled out of the parking lot and headed up the coastal highway as his phone rang. He answered it through the vehicle’s hands-free speaker system.
It was Declan. “Where are you guys?”
“Almost to the house. We should be there in half an hour. What’s going on there?” JT didn’t miss the tension crackling in his colleague’s tone.
“I’ve been keeping a close eye on the storm from here. The good news is, Tyler’s been downgraded to a category 2 after all the damage it did on Hatton Island.”
“That’s something anyway.” JT glanced over at Faith who was hanging on every word. “I think we need to go over the files as soon as possible before the weather deteriorates any further and disrupts cell service. Maybe we can do a conference call later this morning.”
“I’m on my way back to the office now to pick up some things just in case the roads become impassable. I’ll get up with Eli and Janine and we’ll give you a call in a little while. I know you both have to be dead on your feet, so try to get some sleep. Be careful, JT. This person is unstable and things have started to escalate beyond what any of us could have predicted. Who knows how it’s going to end.”
Those ominous words stuck in JT’s head.
Once he disconnected the call, Faith asked, “Do you think everyone will get off the island in time?”
“I’m pretty sure they will. We have an excellent team of first responders who help coordinate the evacuation and they anticipate just about every possible problem.” Faith accepted his answer and went back to watching the handful of fishing boats on the horizon.
The sun had inched up further in the sky by the time he turned onto the winding road leading to childhood friend Mason Steven’s place. The house itself sat perched high on a rocky cliff, allowing spectacular views of the ocean while offering much-needed protection against most hurricanes.
The first unmarked police car with two plainclothes officers inside was parked a little ways down from the house, off the road and hidden slightly behind a clump of maple trees. JT waved as they passed. As he rounded the final bend in the road, the house spread out before him and he sighed in relief. For the first time since they’d left Hope Island, he felt safe.
JT pulled Will’s truck into the garage at the side of the house and then turned to Faith. She had her eyes closed. She’d been fighting sleep for a while.
When the garage door closed behind them, she opened her eyes.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” he said gently before he grabbed their bags, and she followed him into the house.
The pain in his side had continued to throb.
Faith noticed it as well. “Let me take a look at your side. You’ve been favoring it for a while.”
JT dropped their bags by the door. “I think that’s a good idea. There are some extra bandages in my bag.”
She took out the bandages while JT unbuttoned his shirt and tried to ease it off. Every little move hurt like crazy. Faith set the supplies on the table and helped him get the shirt off the rest of the way.
Dried blood stained the outside of the bandage. It stuck to his side and he grimaced when she pulled it free.
She glanced up at him, worried. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth.
Once the bandage was off, the wound was red and ugly, but at least it had stopped bleeding.
“I need to clean it before we put the new bandage on.” She took the medicine the EMT had given them and gently dabbed it on the wound. JT winced. The stuff burned. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts. I’m almost done.”
He clenched his jaw. “Just finish what you’re doing.”
She taped the bandage in place and helped him put his shirt back on. “Thanks. It feels better.”
Her hands rested on the button she’d fastened. “You’re welcome.” She was so close. If he leaned in just a bit he could kiss her.
JT cleared his throat and tried to do the same with his straying thoughts. He desperately needed to keep a clear head, but whenever he was with her, his thoughts scattered to the wind. The scriptures said there was a time for everything. Someday, with God’s help, maybe there would be a time for them.
“I’m going to bring in the groceries and make some coffee. Want some?”
“No, thanks,” she murmured. “I’m bushed. I think I’ll just go to bed.”
“I understand. Do you mind waiting here for a second? Let me scope the place out. Make sure everything’s on the up-and-up.”
She stifled a yawn as he went around double-checking the doors and windows, verifying that the house was secure. Outside the window facing the ocean, the second unmarked car had parked behind Mason’s storage building.
“Everything’s good,” he told her once he went back to the living room. “Thanks to Will, we have plenty of police protection and even if the storm hits Whaler’s Point, we’re safe here.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for what you’re doing. What price can you put on getting your life back?”
His hands circled her arms, holding her in place. Their eyes met. She was thanking him, but she’d done just as much for him. She’d made him realize he wasn’t dead, even though he’d simply been going through the motions of living since losing Emily. He didn’t want to just try to get through each day anymore.
He leaned close and rested his head against hers. “You don’t owe me, Faith. If anything, you’ve made me realize how precious life is. You’ve struggled to live every minute of the past two long years. It couldn’t have been easy. You make me feel guilty that I’ve taken my life for granted. I don’t want to anymore. I want to live every day without regrets.”