44: Book Three (16 page)

I backed away.

“That’s not true, Nathaniel,” I said. “She’s standing right next to you. She’s saying those things. She wishes you could hear her, but you can’t. She says your heart is closed.”

He glared at me.

“Okay, then. Okay. I want a specific question answered. I want some proof,” he said. “I want you to tell me exactly how she died.”

I waited.

“Go ahead. Tell me how she died!”

His arrogance had returned, as had his anger. I knew that unless I could answer this, I would be back in the laboratory. I looked over at her, but she was quiet.

I studied her body. She looked perfectly normal. I didn’t see any sort of scars like the one Jesse had on his forehead. She didn’t look like she had been submerged in a river, like Annabelle. There was no way I would be able to guess.

I had no idea how she died.

His eyes locked onto mine.

“Well?” he said.

Her large, sad eyes were fixed on him.

And then she finally spoke.

“She says she doesn’t know what happened,” I said, my heart racing.

Nathaniel stepped closer to me.

“But… but… she’s pointing to her head,” I said. “Something exploded in her brain. That’s what she is saying. And that it happened fast. She was fine, and then she was gone.”

I looked back at him, his face now desperate.

And then he nodded.

“Yes,” he said, burying his head in his hands. “That’s exactly right. She had a brain aneurysm. There was nothing I could do. She died in my arms.”

I took a deep breath and backed away. Emma was still standing next to him.

“Tell her that I loved her,” he said. “Tell her that I never let her go. And I never will.”

“She can hear you,” I said. “And she wants me to tell you something else.”

I wasn’t sure how he would react, but she insisted that I say it.

“What?”

“She doesn’t want you to continue with this,” I said.

He stood up straighter.

“She says that this is not who you are. That you went down a wrong path. That she doesn’t recognize you anymore.” I swallowed hard. “And that you are not the man she married.”

Nathaniel held up his hand, wanting me to stop.

“I am that man,” he said finally, staring at me with wild eyes. “I am the man who she left alone in this world, trying to make sense of her loss. Tell her.”

“She heard you, and she says she knows why you’ve done all this. But that you shouldn’t have. That it’s not you.”

He sighed deeply.

“What would she have me do? I am a man of science. I needed to find a way of never letting this kind of tragedy ever happen again. I have done all of this for her. In her memory.”

Emma walked away from him and over to me, shaking her head.

“No,” I said. “She says, no. This has nothing to do with her. That’s what she is saying, Nathaniel. And she’s saying it over and over again.”

He turned away, looking back at the flames.

“She says to stop. And that it’s not what you should be doing. How, how…”

I paused.

“Go on, Abby. Say it.”

“How it’s ruined you.”

He inhaled raggedly.

“She loves you,” I said. “She wants you to know that she will always wait for you, no matter how long it takes. You were her sun, too, she says.”

Nathaniel stood hunched over and wept softly.

“I have to—” he said. “I have to go.”

He quickly walked out of the library with Emma following.

I sighed.

Nathaniel had heard her this time. But I was pretty sure it hadn’t been the reunion any of us had hoped for.

CHAPTER 48

I stood all alone in the library, not sure what to do.

Seeing his face, I knew he was in pain and despair and that hearing from Emma had broken him. It was obvious that he still loved her as much as ever, even after all these years. And that he had never been able to let go. He had never moved on.

It was strange feeling all this for a man who had kidnapped me and had tried to drown me just a few hours ago.

I walked out in a daze and climbed the stairs to my room. After I got in bed, I heard the lock click on the door.

CHAPTER 49

Simon was at the door early in the morning.

“Here you go, Abby,” he said, handing me the tray.

“Thanks,” I said.

I realized that he hadn’t come into the room, which was odd. He always brought the tray over to the desk.

I looked out at the water and then remembered the strange promise I had made to Simon about eating my breakfast, about how I would need my strength.

I picked up a muffin and gasped.

There was something shiny at the bottom of the small basket.

A key.

Simon had given me a way out.

A note was in there as well.

I’ll be back to unlock the door in an hour.

I stared at the key in my hand and then I walked over to the window and looked out. It must have been to the boat, which was still parked by the dock, bobbing up and down in the water. Everything was deathly quiet outside. I watched as a flock of seagulls floated in the breeze.

It was real, this new escape plan. All I had to do was get outside, run to the boat, start it up, put it in gear, and drive away. I knew I could do it.

I looked across to the island. I would get there today.

CHAPTER 50

Someone was unlocking the door. I knew it was too early for Simon. I slid the key into my pocket and sat down, pretending to eat.

It was Jack. There was urgency in his face as he walked over and grabbed me. He must have known that I had the key.

“Take it easy,” I yelled at him as his sharp fingers dug into my arm.

“Come on,” he said. “You need to talk to him.”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to go talk to Nathaniel. What did you do to him? He’s a wreck. He’s been despondent ever since you two had that session last night. I don’t know what nonsense you told him, but there is no way all this is going down the toilet because of your lies.”

“Jack, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Tell him that it was all a hoax, Abby, that you made it all up, those stories about his wife. I don’t know what you said exactly to him last night, but this morning you’re going to unsay it.”

“I wasn’t lying,” I said.

“Yeah, you were, and you’re going to tell him so. You saw an angle and you played it. Now it’s time to tell the truth.”

He pushed me across the room and out into the hall.

“I was telling the truth, Jack.”

“Bull. You were looking for a way out. I understand, but it’s not going to work. I’ve given up three years of my life for this, Abby. I’m not losing everything we’ve been working on because of you. Tell him you were lying or you’ll never see your sister again. I’ll personally make sure of that.”

I clenched my fists.

“Okay, just take it easy,” I said. “I’ll talk to him.”

We walked downstairs, through the living room, down the long corridor. We stopped in front of the door, which was closed over.

It was Nathaniel’s room. I remembered it from the time Jesse and I had found it.

Jack knocked and then turned the knob, not waiting for a response.

“She’s here,” he said as we walked in.

Nathaniel was in a chair, next to the window, staring out at the calm Sound. He was wearing the same clothes as the night before. I almost hadn’t recognized him with his hair down. His bed was still made and it looked like he had been sitting up all night.

He didn’t look at me or get up.

“Jack,” Nathaniel said. “I told you not to bring her. It’s over.”

“She has some things she wants to tell you. She was lying to you before. About your wife.”

Nathaniel looked over at me, but I said nothing.

“Abby, I want you to know that this doesn’t change how I feel about you. But I have to sort through this, and find out what it means for me. For us.”

“There is no
us
, Nathaniel,” I said.

“Damn!” Jack said, suddenly rushing up to the window.

“I’ve been watching it all morning,” Nathaniel said with no emotion. “It’s been circling the area.”

Jack studied the sky for a minute.

“It looks like the plane from yesterday,” he said. “It’s coming our way. Look, Dr. Mortimer. We need you. Let’s get going. We have just enough time.”

Nathaniel shook his head.

“Leave, Jack,” he said.

“We can start over somewhere else, Dr. Mort—”

“Jack, leave now! And take Abby and lock her in her room. Go!”

Nathaniel’s black eyes caught mine. He stood up, walked over to the desk drawer and opened it. My heart raced as he pulled out a small, gray pistol and put it in his pocket.

Jack pulled me away and we ran up to the bedroom.

“He’s gone off the deep end,” he said, shoving me inside and flipping the deadbolt.

I heard his heavy footsteps trail down the hall.

I ran to the window.

CHAPTER 51

It did look like the plane from the day before. It was the same color, the same size.

And Jack was right. It was heading toward the island, even lower this time.

I didn’t know who was on the plane. It could have been anyone really. The owners of the house. But it was a good sign that they didn’t know who it was either. 

I stood watching as it landed on the water and taxied over to the dock. Four men, dressed in black, jumped out.

And then I saw her.

Kate.

Kate was getting out of the plane.

Tears pooled in my eyes as I pounded on the glass, screaming out her name.

“Kate!” I yelled. “I’m up here!”

Dr. Mortimer was next off the plane. He looked up in my direction.

“I’m up here!”

He saw me. They all ran toward the house.

A moment later I heard shouting. Then it sounded like they were knocking on the front door. It was soon followed by a loud crash.

They were in the house.

***

There was nothing to do but wait.

I heard more yelling and then running. And then it was quiet for a long time. I pounded on the door with my fists, shouting.

“I’m in here. I’m in here!”

But no one came. A strange, ghostly quiet settled upon the house.

And then I heard a gunshot.

And I knew that someone was dead.

CHAPTER 52

I sat on the bed, holding my head.

“Please don’t let it be Kate,” I said softly. “Please let her be okay.”

Someone started yelling and knocking on the door.

“I’m in here!” I called out.

“Abby!” I heard.

The lock clicked and the door flew open.

And then I saw Kate.

I ran up, throwing my arms around her.

“Abby!” she screamed in my ear.

We stood there, in the middle of the room, for a full minute. I held on to her tightly, thick tears running down my face. I didn’t want to, but I finally let her go. She put her arm on my shoulders and walked me over to the bed.

“You okay?” she asked, wiping her face and looking around the room.

“I just can’t quite believe you’re really here. I can’t believe you’re here.”

She smiled and nodded.

“I have to help secure the rest of the house,” one of the men standing in the hallway said before leaving.

“We’ll get you out of here as soon as we can,” Kate said, sitting next to me. “We’re waiting for the police. They’re on their way.”

“I thought that was the police,” I said.

“No, these men are a security team that Ben hired.”

She grabbed me again and gave me another long hug.

“I love you so much, Abby,” she whispered. “And I’m so grateful that you’re okay.”

I couldn’t talk anymore, the emotions rippling through me were all too much. I just sat there, my head on her shoulder, a sudden exhaustion washing over me. There was so much I wanted to tell her, so much I wanted to know, but none of it mattered right now.

All that mattered was that Kate was here, next to me, and we would be going home.

“I heard a gunshot,” I said after a while.

She looked over at me.

“He’s dead,” she said. “The bastard is dead.”

CHAPTER 53

Kate didn’t want to, but I made her take me to him anyway.

We walked into his bedroom.

Dr. Mortimer was sitting at the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands. He looked up when he heard us come in and stood slowly. He came over and wrapped his arms around me.

“I’m glad you’re safe now, Abby,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

“Thank you for coming,” I said.

His eyes were swollen and bloodshot. I could tell he was trying to smile, but his facial muscles couldn’t manage it. He sat back on the bed, looking down. Kate went over and sat next to him, holding his hand.

I looked over at the corner where Nathaniel was slumped on the floor, up against the wall, the gun by his side. I walked over and stared into his black, lifeless eyes.

And said a prayer.

CHAPTER 54

We stood outside on the ferry in the chilly twilight, watching the Puget Sound disappear behind us. The sky was mostly clear, with just a few wispy thin clouds spread out on the horizon in different shades of gray and black.