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“… A TIME TO HEAL …” —ECCLESIASTES 3:3

S tella had just popped a frozen pizza in the oven and was fixing a glass of ice water when she heard the knock at the front door. She placed the glass on the counter and went to the door. Her eyes widened when she saw not only Sydney but Chief Butch Miller and another man standing beside her. It only took her half a second to figure out it was Sean. She’d heard Sydney talk about him often enough.

Sydney cried out and rushed into Stella’s arms. “Stella! You’re okay! I was so worried!”

Stella’s eyes darted back and forth between Chief Miller and Sean. She held Sydney at arm’s length and looked her over. “You’re soaked. What happened to you?”

“Has anyone been here this evening?” Chief Miller asked.

“No, I’ve been all alone. Why?”

Sean pointed to the phone resting on the coffee table. “Is your phone working?”

Stella’s eyes grew round. “I believe so.”

Sean walked over and checked it. “It’s fine.”

Chief Miller looked at Sean. “I can call my deputy up here to watch the house.”

Sean shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll stay here with the two of them. I just need you to take care of the other matters we discussed.”

Stella’s forehead wrinkled and her brows knitted together. “What’s going on here?” Her eyes went to Sydney’s and then Sean’s. “What happened to y’all? How did you cut your foot?”

Sydney was still shaking. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said and hiccupped.

Chief Miller looked at Sean. “Well then, I’ll get out of your hair. If anything—and I mean anything—comes up, you will call me, right?”

“You have my word.”

Stella put her arm around her granddaughter. “Let’s get you into some dry clothes and take care of that foot.” She looked at Sean. “I don’t have anything that will fit you, but take off that wet shirt and I’ll bring you a blanket to wrap up in.”

Sean nodded.

Stella’s eyebrow arched and she peered at Sean. “And after that, young man, you’re going to tell me what in the world is going on here.”

Sean chuckled. “It’s a deal.”

Kendall felt like a part of him had died right along with Sydney. He drove up his long driveway and glanced at her purse that was lying on the passenger seat. He would have to burn it. An image of Sydney and her pleading eyes flashed in his mind, and he tried to block it out. His only hope was that she’d died quickly and without too much pain. He’d done what he had to. It was as simple as that. He walked through the living room and tripped over a footstool that either his mom or Emma had left in the middle of the floor. He kicked it with all his might, sending it crashing into the wall. He then sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

The noise sent his mother running into the living room. She stopped when she saw Kendall. “What’s wrong?” She gasped at his appearance. “What happened? Where have you been?”

He shook his head. “I got in a little brawl. Nothing serious.”

“Well, from the dried blood all over you and the look on your face, it certainly seems serious.”

“I don’t want to talk about it!”

She left and came back with a wet paper towel. She stopped short before she reached him, and he could hear the quick intake of her breath.

“Kendall, why are police cars coming up the driveway? And why do they have their lights on?”

Kendall looked up at her and saw her wince when she met his eyes. He knew he had seen that expression on her face before: when she looked at his dad. Then it hit him. He had hated his dad’s weakness, couldn’t understand what could have possibly motivated him to kill himself. Now he knew. There was only one thing, and it was the same guilt that was now eating him alive piece by piece. History was repeating itself. He was all of those horrible things he hated. It was his worst nightmare—the thing he feared the most. He had become his father.

Gail’s eyes filled with tears. “Son, what’s going on? What have you done?”

Walter poured the shot glass full of whiskey. He replayed the events of the day. He was getting much too old for this crap. At least this had been easier than it was with Avery. There were still a few loose ends to tie up though. Avery’s journal would have to be found and Stella taken care of. He closed his eyes, threw back his head, and let the hot liquid burn down his throat. All in good time, he told himself. All in good time.

The situation with Kendall had been touch and go, but it turned out fine in the end. He’d seen the turmoil churning in Kendall, and he understood it well. Today was the first time that Kendall had been forced to get his hands dirty.

“Please tell me you didn’t hurt that girl.”

Walter didn’t turn around but kept facing the wall. “Go to bed, Maurene.” His voice sounded as tired as he felt.

“Did you hurt her?” she asked again, her trembling voice raising a notch.

Walter took another swig of whiskey. “I’m not sure how you found out about any of this, hon.”

“I hear things, Walter! I overheard you and Kendall. I’m a drunk. I’m not stupid! You didn’t hurt her, did you?”

“It’s all taken care of, if that’s what you mean. Now go to bed. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

The click of metal made his eyes pop open. He put down his glass and turned slowly to face a wild-eyed Maurene holding a revolver. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and streaks of black mascara ran down her pale cheeks.

“Put down the gun, Maurene. You’re drunk.”

Her hands began to shake as she took a step backward. “I’ve never been more sober in my life. You got rid of her, didn’t you? First it was Avery and now her! You just couldn’t leave it alone! I called her!”

“You what?” Walter’s eyes narrowed as he studied Maurene. In the past he’d always been able to control her, but she’d never held a gun in her hands before. He lowered his voice as if he were talking to a child. “Honey, I did what I had to do for us. You know that. I loved Avery and Sydney, but they just wouldn’t listen to reason. It takes money to buy all those fancy clothes you like … and the booze you can’t live without.”

“Don’t you dare drag me into this filthy mess! We’re like cannibals, you and I, living off the flesh of others. Well, it’s gonna stop. Do you hear me? It ends here!”

“Yes, dear.”

She lowered the gun.Walter took advantage of the opportunity and stepped forward just as she jerked the gun back up. This time it was aimed directly at his chest. “You killed Avery and Sydney. How many more people have to die because of you? You’re destroying innocent lives. Those kids you’re selling drugs to have done nothing to you!”

“Maurene, honey, you’re not making any sense.” His eyes plead with hers. “Nowadays all kids take drugs. If I weren’t furnishing drugs for them, someone else would be.”

She shook her head. “No, that’s not true.” Her voice was barely audible.

Walter started walking toward her. “Now give me that gun.” The sound of the shot vibrated through the house. He stared at Maurene, then fell to the floor. There was a moment of silence. Maurene stood looking down at him. “I’m sorry Walter … for both of us,” she said softly. She turned the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

The three of them made a cozy picture, with Sean and Sydney wrapped in blankets and all of them sipping hot chocolate. Sydney was sitting next to Sean, who had his arm draped comfortably around her shoulders.

Stella’s eyes widened as she listened to them relate the events of the day and how they’d barely escaped with their lives. Stella clucked her tongue. “Walter and Kendall. Who would’ve thought it? Both of them sure had me fooled.” She sighed. “What will happen to them?”

“The authorities are on their way to pick them up right now,” Sean said.

Sydney turned to Sean. “Was Louellen involved?”

“No, but Lewis Jackson and Buck Gibson are a different matter.”

Sydney nodded. “Thank goodness for Louellen’s innocence. Otherwise, I couldn’t begin to imagine what would happen to Hazel. It will be bad enough for Mrs. Fletcher and Emma.”

Stella took a sip of her drink. “Yes, it is going to be hard on them.” She paused. “But time is a great healer, and they have each other.” Stella placed her cup on the table. “It’s funny how people think they’re an island unto themselves and what they do only affects them. It’s like ripples in a pond. Everything we do touches the lives of those around us.” Sydney’s eyes caught Stella’s and a look of understanding passed between them. She knew Stella was thinking about Avery.

A comfortable silence filled the room. Sydney stared off into the distance. Something extraordinary had happened to her today, something even more powerful than the fire. She’d been in the depths of despair and had received help straight from heaven, right when she needed it most. The Lord was mindful of her. He’d given her peace. It was a feeling that she wanted to bottle up and clutch next to her heart forever. Her thoughts went to Kendall and his trembling hand when he touched her face for the last time. Her feelings for him were so complex and mixed up that she wasn’t sure what to make of them. “Kendall was a good man in so many ways.”

Sean scowled. “Yeah, except in the ways that really mattered. The most frustrating part of this whole case has been watching Kendall pull the wool over your eyes and the whole town. You know, Syd, Kendall was a big boy. No one held a gun to his head and made him do the things he did. He made his own choices. I’ll tell you another thing too. He didn’t become a murderer overnight. What you saw today was the end result that he built layer upon layer over a long period of time.”

Sydney sighed. “He just reminded me so much of my dad.”

Sean was quick to counter. “No, you’re wrong, Syd. They were very different. Avery had conviction and died for what he believed in.”

This won him a look of admiration from Stella. “You’re a man wise beyond your years. A drop of water, harmless enough in itself, yet over time, those tiny droplets, one upon the other in a continuous flow can hollow the face of stone.”

Sydney let this sink in. For her it would never be that black and white. Kendall would always be linked to her tragic past, a mixture of good and bad. One whose inner demons got to him in the end. “You’re right, Sean. I guess I just assumed that because Kendall was such a good person when he was young that he was the same now. I never really understood him.” She could follow that train of thought further and add that because Sean was so handsome and suave that she’d automatically assumed the worst of him, but she wasn’t ready to say that out loud … at least not yet.

Sydney’s mind raced to another part of the puzzle. She looked at Sean. “How did you know that I was in trouble today? And how did you know where to find me?”

Sean withdrew his arm from around Sydney’s shoulders and shifted on the couch. “To answer your first question, I know this may sound strange, but all I can say is that I had a terrible feeling that something was wrong. I’ve learned to trust that inner feeling.”

“Me too,” Sydney said.

“Now the second part was more concrete.”

Sydney’s eyebrow arched; she waited for him to continue.

“Hazel told me.”

“Hazel?”

“I went to your house to check on you and saw Hazel watching me. I went next door to talk to her. I told her you were in danger and that I needed to know where you were. She told me how Kendall had insisted you go on the boat with him. I was headed to the dock when I saw Kendall speeding down the road.”

Sydney chuckled. “Well thank goodness Hazel was eavesdropping again. And to think how aggravated I used to get because she was always poking her nose into my business.” She smiled at Sean and used her elbow to give him a slight jab in the ribs.

He winced in pain. “Careful. I’m a little sore there.”

“Sorry.” A sheepish smile crept over her face. “I knew you were a lousy sawmill manager, but it never dawned on me that you worked for the FBI.”

He made a face. “Was I really that bad?”

She nodded.

“Ouch!”

This brought laughs from Stella and Sydney.

Sydney’s eyebrows knitted together. “I’m just having a hard time seeing you as an FBI agent. I mean, does the FBI really put people in positions like that?”

Sean chuckled. “Absolutely.”

“But how did they put you in a management position? Who else knows about you? Does Jake Roberts know? Is he involved?”

Sean laughed and held up his hand as a shield. “Whoa, one question at a time.”

She waited for him to continue.“Well, for starters, we have informants all over the place.” He raised an eyebrow at Sydney. “And no, I can’t tell you who they are.”

She laughed. “And Jake?”

Sean shrugged and made a motion like he was zipping his lips. “I’ll never tell.”

“Well, why not?”

“Oh, he wasn’t trafficking drugs if that’s what you’re asking. Other than that, that’s all I can say.”

Sydney huffed. “You’re impossible!”

“Anyway, back to the story. Our informant told us that drugs were being run from the sawmill, so the bureau approached the owners of Chamberland Mills about putting me in that position.” He paused. “It took me a while to figure out who the players were and to gain their trust.”

Sydney mulled this over. “Well, I’m really impressed with how you solved this case.”

“I never could have done it without you.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s been a growing concern for a few years about the large-scale meth operation in this area, but no one could find out who was really running it. Drugs are being run all over the Southeast from here. That’s what prompted the bureau to get involved. My contact was Buck Gibson, who then led me to Kendall. But Kendall was very careful to hide Walter’s identity, and even though he let me be a part of operations, I was still considered an outsider. Without you, we would’ve indicted Kendall eventually, but Walter would’ve gotten away. Then when I started reading Avery’s journal, I found out about Avery and his connection to Walter.”

Sydney’s face paled. “Wait a minute. What do you mean when you started reading Avery’s journal? How did you get hold of it?”

Sean searched Sydney’s face for a moment. “I stole it.”

Sydney’s mouth dropped. “You’re the one who broke into my house?”

He nodded.

She slammed her cup on the table and jumped to her feet. “How could you do that? Do you have any idea what that journal meant to me? You invaded my privacy!” Her voice grew soft. “You took the only tangible thing I had left of my dad.”

“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” Sean said.

Stella cocked her head. “No one knew about the journal. How did you know to go searching for it?”

“That’s a good question. I didn’t know about the journal … at first. I broke into Sydney’s house to learn more about her.” He looked up at Sydney. “When you first came to work at the mill, I knew there was more to the picture than met the eye. I mean, why would a girl like you leave Ft. Worth to come and work as a safety consultant in a sawmill in Alabama?”

“And just what is so bad about Alabama?” Stella asked.

He held up his hand in defense. “Nothing. I mean no disrespect. It’s just that something about the whole picture didn’t seem right. So I had Sydney checked out.”

“You what?” She glared at him.

Sean’s eyes met hers in a direct challenge. “Yes, I did.” He kept his voice level. “There was too much at stake to take any chances. When I found out who you really were, I had to learn the real reason why you came back to Stoney Creek. I broke into your house, not really knowing what I would find. That’s when I came across the secretary with the locked drawer.” He held up his hands. “It just goes to reason that anytime someone locks a drawer, I figure?—”

“There must be something of value in it,” Stella finished for him.

His eyes met Sydney’s in a plea for understanding. “Exactly.”

She studied his face for a moment as the full picture began taking shape. “You were the one who made the bogus call that sent me on that wild goose chase to the outlying woodlands.”

He nodded.

She ran her fingers through her hair. “You made me feel like such a fool for going out there, and all the while you’re the one …” She shook her head. “You were the one who was always watching me. The eyes, as Hazel says. It was no accident when you showed up just in time to rescue me that day in the park, was it? You were also at the cockfight. I saw you.”

“Yeah, Syd. I was there all of those times, but if I hadn’t been, you might not be alive right now.”

She thought about the man who had threatened her with the switchblade. “You were my guard dog.”

“Yes.”

She felt so betrayed. So used. “I have to think about all this.”

“Honey, Sean’s right.” Stella stood and put her arm around Sydney’s shoulder. “He did what he had to do to take care of you.” Stella turned and looked pointedly at Sean. “You are giving the journal back to her? Right?”

“I want my articles back too,” Sydney said.

Before Sean could respond, the phone rang. Stella moved to answer it. A small furrow appeared between her brows and she handed the phone to Sean. “It’s for you.”

“I see … yes, I understand. No, everything here is okay.” He hung up the phone.

Sydney’s hands went to her hips. “Who was that? What happened?”

“That was Chief Miller. Kendall, Buck, and Lewis have been arrested, but when they went to pick up Walter, they found him and Maurene dead.”

Sydney and Stella looked at each other in horror as Sean continued. “Apparently, Maurene shot Walter and then turned the gun on herself.”