Always Watching

  He said, “Okay, I’m getting the definite feeling that you’re avoiding me. I’ve left you a couple of messages.…”

  “No, no. I’m sorry. I’ve wanted to talk to you. There are just some things happening in my life that I can’t go into at the moment.”

  He nodded, but he sounded a little annoyed. “If you aren’t interested in pursuing this…” He made a motion between us. “You can just tell me.”

  “It’s not that. You’re a wonderful person and I enjoy your company immensely, but I’m dealing with a lot of personal issues right now.”

  His expression softened. “I’d like to help.”

  “I don’t want to involve you in more of my problems.”

  “I think I’m already pretty involved.” He smiled.

  “You’ve been great.” I smiled back. “But honestly, I don’t think I’m ready for more than friendship—not when I’m dealing with so much. It wouldn’t be giving us a fair chance. We already have enough complications.”

  “Like what?”

  I was flustered. “Uh … We work together, I’m older than you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really? You didn’t strike me as the kind of person who runs from a few complications.”

  “I’m not running away. I promise. I just don’t think it’s good timing until I sort a few things out with my daughter.”

  “Well, the offer for dinner still stands, whenever you’re ready, or if you need a break from it all.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Hang in there, okay?”

  As I watched him walk down the hall, I felt a moment of regret and pushed it away. It had been the right thing to do. I had to deal with this on my own.

  * * *

  I’d only been at the hospital for about thirty minutes, but I couldn’t focus on paperwork, so I drove home to wait for Robbie’s call. Meanwhile, I phoned Tammy, who almost hung up when she heard my voice. As soon as I said, “Aaron’s going to be arrested,” she paused. I told her that my brother was going to the police. Before I could say anything else, she said good-bye and quickly hung up, leaving me to assume her husband had walked in. I hoped she was okay.

  When another half hour had passed without word from Robbie, I began to worry. It had been almost two hours since I’d left Shawnigan. I tried his cell, but it went straight to voice mail and he didn’t have a landline. I told myself to give it some time. He might’ve been delayed at the station. I was sure they had lots of questions. I waited for another twenty minutes, then tried to call Robbie again. Still no answer. Something had to be wrong.

  I called the station. Corporal Cruikshank said she’d come back to the station late and the officer at the front told her Robbie had gone home to drop his dog off and planned on coming straight back. That was an hour ago. My pulse spiked at that news. Where had he gone? I told her what Robbie had planned on sharing—and then, as we spoke, I began to wonder if someone at the commune had found out what he’d been about to report. Had Tammy contacted her sister? I voiced my fears to the corporal. She said that it was unlikely and that Robbie might’ve just changed his mind, or been waylaid somewhere. She also said she’d send a car out to Robbie’s to check on him, but she added, “Is it possible that he had more to do with the event? He might’ve had second thoughts.…”

  Instantly angry, I said, “Not a chance.”

  She just said, “I’ll let you know if we find him.”

  * * *

  I grabbed my purse and headed to Shawnigan. I had no idea what I was going to do once I got there, but I had to try to find Robbie. I slowed down as I approached his house, trying to see from the road if there was any activity or police cars outside, but his place looked quiet, almost serene in the afternoon sun.

  I’d parked and was about to call the station again, when the officer from Shawnigan called. She’d been to Robbie’s, and there was no sign of him—but I should keep her posted if he still didn’t show up. Frustrated, I decided to have a look myself. I got out of the car and walked around, calling his name, and Brew’s name, only hearing birds in response. The officer was right, there was no sign of him or his dog, but his truck was there. I knocked on his front door. Silence. I searched under the front mat for a key, didn’t find one. Then I peered through his windows, trying to see if he was lying hurt somewhere. His coffee mug was on the table, a pad of paper beside it. I checked his shop, but everything was also still and quiet.

  From the front of the shop, which was higher than the house, I could see where he’d been working in the field just below. The excavator was sitting near a mound of dirt that looked fresh, not yet dried out in the sun. That’s what he was probably working on this morning. Then I remembered that he’d also been at a job site at the end of the road. I drove down that way. When I spotted Robbie’s backhoe at a construction site, I stopped and talked to a carpenter, who said Robbie hadn’t been there since that morning. I sat in my car, thinking. If Joseph and Aaron had come after him, where would they take him? The old commune?

  I drove out there and checked the barn, the cabins, down at the river, calling Robbie’s name, even searching the area where Willow was buried in case Aaron had decided to dig up her body, but the ground was undisturbed. I’d felt ill, seeing the dry fir needles coating the earth, knowing what was underneath that peaceful surface. I thought of Willow’s body, curled up in a forty-five-gallon drum, and backed away from the area, alert to every noise in the forest, until I was safe in my car with the doors locked.

  * * *

  On the way back to the village, my iPhone finally got coverage and a call came through. I recognized the number right away.

  “Mary, I can’t—”

  “I need to see you. I’ve been thinking about everything you said. I’m ready to talk.” She sounded upset.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time right now. I’m trying to find my brother. I think Aaron’s done something to him.”

  “How…” She paused, like she was trying to take it all in. “How did he know he was going to the police?”

  “I don’t know. But Robbie never made it to the station.”

  “Come get me. We’ll look together—I might know some places. And if we have to, I’ll go to the police with you and tell them what I know.”

  “Be there in ten minutes.”

  * * *

  When I pulled in the driveway, the dogs didn’t come running. Thinking they were just inside the house, I ran up to the front door and rapped hard. Mary whipped open the door, pulling on a coat. “Come in for a second.”

  “I don’t have time—”

  “I need to show you something.” Her face was anxious and pale.

  I stepped in and she closed the door behind me. She quickly walked toward the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, “I remember a place they used to hide up in the mountains. I can show you, on the map.”

  I hurried after her—and stopped abruptly when I saw Aaron sitting at the kitchen table, with Daniel standing behind. Mary sat down across from Aaron, tears on her face. Something cold and hard pressed into my side.

  Joseph was holding a gun on me.

  I put my hands up, my blood roaring loud in my head as my mind tried to make sense of what was happening. Why was Daniel here? My breath left my chest in a rush when I realized he was also holding a gun, but it was by his side and he didn’t look comfortable with it. He was staring down at his hand, his face pale, and his hair around his forehead wet with sweat.

  “Daniel, what are you doing here?”

  He met my eyes, then quickly looked away again, shamefaced.

  My pulse hammered hard, my throat was tight with panic. My hands still in front of me, I shifted slightly, so I could keep an eye on Joseph, who’d deteriorated even further since I’d last seen him. His hair was greasy, his face pale, and his eyes bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept for days. He looked jumpy, on edge. I said to Aaron, “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk.”

  They’d brought me here for a reason, and I dou
bted it was just to talk. That shocking thought led to another. “Lisa, is she—”

  “Lisa’s doing very well.” His tone was casual, almost friendly, no sense of urgency.

  “What did you do with Robbie?”

  “We tried to make him see why going to the police would be a mistake, but he wasn’t ready to listen. It’s up to the Light now.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “What does that mean?”

  “When he’s ready to surrender to his fears, he’ll be freed.”

  I didn’t believe that Aaron ever planned on freeing my brother. Wherever Robbie was, he didn’t have long. I faced Daniel. Maybe I’d have better luck with him. “Please tell me where my brother is. He’s done nothing wrong.”

  Sounding overwhelmed, Daniel said, “I thought we were just talking—”

  Aaron said, “Enough.”

  Daniel stiffened.

  I said, “I told you, Daniel, they aren’t what you think.” I still didn’t know what they had planned, but I sensed that things had already gone further than Daniel had expected. “You don’t want to go to jail for anything this man has—”

  Aaron said, “Daniel knows where he belongs. He’s my son.”

  Shock staggered through me. I looked back and forth between the men. Could it be true? I said, “He’s your father?”

  Mary finally looked up, her eyes focused on Daniel, worry in her face. But it wasn’t worry for herself—it was a mother’s worry. Now I saw it. Yes, Daniel looked like his father, but he had his mother’s green eyes. She must’ve been the one who warned them Robbie was going to the police.

  I spoke to Daniel, confused. “Did Heather know?”

  Daniel shook his head. “No one knew. I was overseas working at one of the communes. I didn’t want special treatment.” His gaze slid to his father. Special treatment or not, he’d still wanted his father’s approval. I noticed that Joseph’s gaze also flicked to his brother, but then he stared slightly off to the side, his face attentive, like he was hearing or seeing something that no one else did.

  I had to keep a conversation going with Daniel, in hopes of distracting Joseph, who was now starting to look agitated. His gaze moved all over the room and even up to the ceiling.

  “Why did you marry Heather? For her money?”

  He looked shocked. “No, of course not. I loved her.”

  “But Aaron encouraged you, he matched you up. He wanted you to marry her because she was wealthy—he knew, Daniel.” I threw out another quick thought. “Did he pressure you to convince her to move back after her parents died?”

  He hesitated, a look crossing his face that told me I might not be far off.

  Then Joseph, speaking to the side again as though answering someone else, said, “The Light said they had to die, and I was the one chosen to release them.” His voice had an odd, fervent tone, a terrifying intensity that signaled someone no longer in check with reality.

  Daniel stared at the back of his father’s head, shock in his eyes as he said, “You killed them?”

  Aaron glanced behind him. “It was their time.”

  Daniel was stunned—I could see the horror in his face, and the anger. I didn’t know how much longer they’d be content to talk, but I had to keep them distracted.

  I spoke to Aaron. “You killed Heather’s parents when she was still vulnerable from the miscarriage—you pushed her over the edge.”

  Daniel’s knuckles were white on the gun, a slight shake making the barrel tremble against his leg. He looked back and forth between me and his father. He was furious, no doubt about it, but would he do anything about it?

  Aaron said, “They weren’t committed to a spiritual path. Her father was a lawyer—he worked for the logging companies.” Aaron sounded disgusted, and I remembered his long-standing hatred of logging. He added, “Heather was weak.”

  Daniel jerked back, his mouth open, and in his eyes, an expression of pain. He walked around the front of the table, to face his father. “You did this? I told you Heather was still having a hard time and you kill her parents? That’s murder.”

  Aaron said, “I did it because I love you. She was hurting you. I could see your struggle—you were weakening, losing faith in our beliefs.”

  Daniel looked conflicted, wanting, needing, to believe his father had good intentions and that he had cared for him.

  I said, “He doesn’t love you, Daniel. If he loved you, he wouldn’t have kept you a secret all these years. He’s using you.”

  Joseph shoved the gun in my side as he said, “Just shut up—shut up.”

  I held my hands out. Aaron stood up, took the gun from Daniel’s hand before he had a chance to react, and headed toward me. My blood flooded with adrenaline. I backed up a step and shouted at Mary and Daniel. “Are you just going to sit there and let them hurt me?”

  Mary flinched, her face terrified, but didn’t say anything.

  Daniel said, “What are you going to do with her? Can’t we let her go?”

  Aaron said, “Her fear is blocking her from seeing the truth. She’ll ruin everything we’ve worked for, all the good we’ve done. Joseph. It’s time.”

  Joseph reached for me. I kicked out, but he spun me around and pinned both my arms behind my back. I twisted and turned, rearing against him, slamming my head back, hoping to fracture his nose, but he dodged at the last moment. I struggled to break his hold, but nothing was working.

  My breath came out in hard gasps.

  I tried to calm down. If I broke free now, I’d get trapped in the house in minutes. If he was going to take me outside, I had a better chance of making a run for it. There was thick forest behind Mary’s place, and I’d have cover if they started firing. But first, I had to get away.

  Joseph began to drag me to the door. I struggled, but I was biding my time. Aaron followed behind with the gun. Daniel put his hands to his head, like he couldn’t believe what was happening, and turned back to his mother, who was now sobbing. Daniel spun back around and followed us, but he looked panicky.

  I said to Aaron, “Is this how you do it? You make your brother do your dirty work?”

  Aaron said, “The Light wants me to use whatever tools are available to share his word. Sometimes his message flows through my aides.”

  Then it came to me. “You didn’t kill Willow; you made Joseph do it.” I could see it now, the missing piece. Joseph back early from the walk, Aaron whispering in his ear, the dark and twisted thoughts, sending paranoid words into his head, feeding his fear, and unleashing him on Willow.

  Aaron calmly said, “My brother’s on his own spiritual path.”

  “You know he’s sick.” It all fit into place. “You knew what to say, so that he’d go after her.” Could I also manipulate Joseph somehow?

  Joseph twisted my arms again, dragged me another couple of feet.

  I gasped from the pain, trying to focus. No, Joseph was too loyal to his brother. I had to work on Daniel. It was my only chance.

  “Daniel, he’s murdered another girl before, and he’s going to murder me. You’ll be an accomplice.”

  Aaron sounded annoyed as he kept moving us toward the door. “Don’t believe anything she says. She’s trying to distract you.”

  Daniel was still following, but his face was desperate and stricken, like he didn’t know what to do or how to stop the events from unfolding.

  We stumbled down the steps, the backs of my heels hitting each one. At the bottom, Joseph spun me around, then marched me toward the barn. Terror, loud and violent, began to shriek in my head. Was he going to kill me now? He tripped on a rock, and his grip loosened. I twisted hard and elbowed him in the gut, finally breaking his hold. I ran as fast as I could, my lungs screaming.

  Go, go, go.

  A body slammed into my back, and I hit the ground hard, my teeth going into my bottom lip. My mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood. Joseph pulled me up. I reared backward, connecting with his chin, sending a jolt of pain down my neck and spine. He grab
bed me in a bear hug from behind, squeezing until I started to feel faint. Then he forced me toward the barn, my heels dug futilely into the ground, trying to slow the process, but I was off balance, being propelled backward. Helpless and grunting with exertion, I tried to get some air back in my lungs, breathing in big, panicky gasps. We were almost at the gate.

  * * *

  When we reached the barn, my entire system went into survival mode and I struggled like a wild animal caught in a net. Joseph grunted a couple of times as my blows connected, but he still didn’t let go. I stepped down hard on his instep, gouging and biting at his wrists—fighting for my life. He almost dropped me again, and I managed to get one hand onto the barn gate, my nails tearing as he tried to pull me away. Aaron smacked my wrist with the butt of his gun. Pain shot up my arm and exploded behind my eyeballs. I screamed. Joseph slapped a hand down over my mouth and dragged me the rest of the way into the barn.

  My body was paralyzed with terror now. My heart beating so hard in my chest I thought I might pass out. I could no longer fight. I was going to die.

  We were at a door. Aaron opened it. It was dark inside, looked like a small storage room. The smell of stale horse feed and mold wafted out. Joseph force-walked me into the dark. I came back to life. My body heaving and jerking. I kicked up and out, braced my legs on the sides of the door. Now both their hands were on me, and they thrust me into the room. I fell onto the floor, my knee cracking on concrete. In front of me, there was a small freezer, not much bigger than me, old and covered with rust spots and filth. Joseph picked me up, holding me while Aaron lifted the lid on the bin. I fought in Joseph’s arms, my breath panting out. Aaron grabbed my legs, and they dumped me into the freezer. I landed on a pile of grain, my body sinking into it slightly, my knees bent.

  The lid was closing. I slammed my fists into it. “Let me out of here.”

  Sounds from the outside. Aaron’s voice, “Where’s the padlock?”