Part 16 (1/2)
”Haven't you ever done something that you know is wrong, but you did it for the right reason?” she asked.
Oh, yeah.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Clouds scudded across the moon, dropping a cloak of darkness over the cemetery. Only a twinkling of stars lit the night sky. A breeze stirred the new buds on the deciduous trees and whispered in the tall evergreens as Jack boosted her over the six-foot-high chain-link fence that surrounded the silent graveyard.
Karen dropped onto the gra.s.s on the other side with a soft thud, then stood back as he tossed over the bag of tools. She couldn't help s.h.i.+vering at the sight of all the gravestones that glowed white as skeletons even in the darkness.
She watched Jack scale the fence and drop effortlessly beside her. He looked at her, his gaze questioning. It wasn't too late to turn back.
She shook her head slowly and glanced past him to the rows and rows of headstones. The mere thought of digging up the grave filled her with trepidation, but she believed in her heart that the answer to Liz's death was in this cemetery, buried in that baby's grave.
Just thinking about the baby unnerved her. What if she was wrong? What if the baby really had died and Vandermullen was telling the truth?
No. He'd lied about Liz's fear of hospitals. He could have lied about the baby. Liz wouldn't have been looking for her child unless she believed Joanna Kay was alive.
Karen and Jack stood in silence for a long moment. As her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, she could make out the long line of railroad cars just across the road. On the other side of the cemetery, car lights flashed high on the hillside where Interstate 90 cut across the state.
IN THOSE FEW MOMENTS, Jack had time to contemplate the strange turn his life had taken since meeting his Girl Next Door. The irony of it didn't escape him.
His job was in serious jeopardy, he'd just interviewed a suspect in a case he wasn't supposed to be near, he'd lied about getting married and now he was standing in the cemetery in the middle of the night with a shovel.
He wondered if Karen had any idea what kind of effect she had on men. Or if he was just the lucky one.
Of course he'd argued that grave digging was illegal. That the thing to do was wait and try to get a court order to have the body exhumed. That grave robbing probably wouldn't be good for her after her accident.
But even as he'd offered excellent arguments, he could see he wasn't making a dent in her reasoning.
”You left out that it is probably morally wrong and will make for very bad karma,” she said when he'd finished, obviously not in the least dissuaded.
”Follow me,” Jack whispered and picked up the tool bag. Denny had said the grave was on Hope, one of the narrow roads that wove through the dark cemetery.
Jack led the way through the maze of white headstones, expanses of dark gra.s.s and winding roads with names like Charity. Faith. And finally, Hope.
Following Denny's directions, he moved through the graves with Karen close behind. The moon broke free of the clouds. He stopped to get his bearings, feeling the steady thump of his heart inside his chest. G.o.d, he didn't want to do this.
But as he looked over at Karen he knew she was going to do it-with or without his help. And one way or another this would end any more speculation about why Liz Jones Vandermullen had come back to Missoula. And for him, it would answer a lot of questions about Liz herself.
Jack knew that if Liz really had been searching for her daughter, it was possible that's what had gotten her killed. It would definitely change Jack's approach to finding her killer-and keeping Karen safe.
But if Liz and Denny's daughter was in this small grave... Well, then he'd have to accept that Dr. Carl Vandermullen was telling the truth and that Liz had been killed by some stranger she'd picked up in the personals column.
As Jack neared the spot where Denny had said he'd find Joanna Kay Vandermullen's grave, he saw something even more unnerving. A shovel. It lay next to a gravestone ahead of them. It looked as if there were fresh dirt on the shovel.
As he and Karen stepped closer, Jack saw that someone had been digging up one of the graves. He knew before the moon cast its eerie light on the stone that it was Joanna Kay's grave.
The headstone was small and simple. Just the baby's name and date of birth and death. Jack felt a sliver of ice wedge itself in his chest. Someone else wanted to see what was buried here.
He glanced around, seeing no one, hearing nothing but silence. Not even a breeze whispered through the cemetery. Not even the rustle of a squirrel or a dried leaf. Nothing moved.
Jack looked over at Karen. She seemed paler in the moonlight, her freckles in stark contrast, her eyes wide and fearful. But her look was determined, even more convinced that they were on to something. It certainly seemed she was right.
He put down the bag of tools and pulled out a shovel. Slowly he began to dig where the last grave robber had left off.
THE TIME Pa.s.sED in a blur of moonlight and darkness. Earth spilled from Karen's shovel in hypnotic repet.i.tion. They hadn't spoken, just worked, neither wanting to talk about what they were doing or why. She suspected, he feared, like her, they would find a small body in the grave. She didn't want to think what that would do to Denny. He wanted so desperately to believe his daughter was alive. in a blur of moonlight and darkness. Earth spilled from Karen's shovel in hypnotic repet.i.tion. They hadn't spoken, just worked, neither wanting to talk about what they were doing or why. She suspected, he feared, like her, they would find a small body in the grave. She didn't want to think what that would do to Denny. He wanted so desperately to believe his daughter was alive.
She'd tried to lose herself in the labor, avoiding thoughts of what they were digging up. Jack had argued she shouldn't shovel, but she'd won him over by a.s.suring him she needed something to do.
She tried not to think at all, but thoughts scudded by like the clouds overhead. Mostly she thought of Jack, her heart welling with her love for him. Funny, but while she couldn't remember falling in love, she knew she had, and obviously at first sight. Why else would she have agreed to marry him the way she had?
How odd to fall so desperately in love when so much was going on in her life. For so long, she'd lived a rather uneventful life. Now, according to Jack, not only had she fallen in love and gotten married, she'd become a witness in a murder case, been almost killed in a hit-and-run and was now helping solve a sixteen-year-old mystery.
This was so unlike her. She hardly recognized herself. But, she had to admit, she was happier than she'd ever been. And Jack Adams was the reason. Being with him was definitely exciting in more ways than one.
Jack struck something with his shovel. He froze, his gaze coming to her.
She held her breath as he began to clear the dirt from around the small coffin so he could get the crowbar under the lid. She closed her eyes in a silent prayer, then opened them as she heard the sharp crack of the seal breaking.
”Hand me the flashlight,” Jack whispered.
She did and watched the sphere of gold light fall across the tiny coffin. Jack seemed to brace himself, his gaze touching hers gently, then he lifted the lid slowly and shone the light inside.
He let out a curse.
She gasped, her hand going to her mouth. At first all she saw was a baby dressed in white. Then the light fell on the baby's face and she realized it was nothing more than a doll.
She felt tears rush to her eyes, unable to hold them back. No baby. Joanna Kay Vandermullen wasn't here. She bit her lip to hold back the avalanche of emotion as she looked down at Jack. Her heart surged with hope that the girl was alive.
He stood for a long moment, the flashlight hanging from his fingertips, his arm at his side, the circle of light glowing on the bottom of the grave. He didn't seem ready to climb from the hole. She wondered if he felt as sick inside as she did. He looked weak with relief and disgust. Someone had buried a doll in a baby's coffin. Someone had pretended that Joanna Kay had died at birth.
That someone had to be Dr. and Mrs. Carl Vandermullen. Did that mean that Liz had had been searching for her baby? Is that what had gotten her killed? Had she found the mystery man she'd advertised for? been searching for her baby? Is that what had gotten her killed? Had she found the mystery man she'd advertised for?
Or was Joanna Kay dead-just not buried here?