“I can’t remember her ever working.”

  “She didn’t. Not since the day she had you. She always said she didn’t want to miss a moment with you. But—”

  Ben paused.

  “But what, Uncle Ben?”

  Ben looked away and then back at Adam.

  “It’s just my feeling, okay. But I always felt it was because your father didn’t want her to work. He seemed to like her being at home, hidden away from the world.”

  Adam didn’t like the insinuation or tone in his uncle’s voice, but he let it go. He flipped to the next page. It was a wedding photo of his parents cutting their cake. His father was dressed in a naval uniform.”

  “My father was in the navy? I never knew that.”

  “When they first met, yes. That picture is the only one I have of him. I had sneaked the photo. I thought your mother needed at least one photo of their wedding day.”

  “So he left the navy then?”

  Ben shrugged his shoulders.

  “I never knew what work your father did, Adam. No one did. He was, how shall I put it, very to himself.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. I’m not sure. All I know is that he didn’t want your mother to leave the house, not even to go to the grocer. He did all the shopping. She was allowed to go as far as the bus stop where she’d see you off for school at the naval base and then meet you again afterward. I recall her saying she had a few friends come over for tea once or twice a month, but that was it. Oh, and church on Sundays, but then your father was with her. She never complained about it though. She seemed happy, so I never pushed her about it.”

  Adam flipped through the album. The pages had mostly pictures of his uncle and his mother as babies and young children, and one picture of his mother as a young teenager.

  “Where did you grow up?”

  “Ah, right here, in Tampa. Best place in the entire world. We had a great childhood.”

  “And my father?”

  “Not sure. He never said. He met your mother while on vacation here in Tampa. He was stationed at the marine base in Pensacola at the time. They moved there once they got married. You were born there too. In the naval hospital.”

  Adam fell silent as he digested all the information his uncle had shared.

  “Go on then, ask me.” His uncle’s calm voice came.

  “What?”

  “What you’ve been dying to ask me more than anything. Why I didn’t take you in after the accident.”

  Was it that obvious? Adam thought. But his uncle was right. The question had been burning in his mind ever since the fishing trip. His eyes met his uncle’s as he waited for the answer.

  Ben pushed the footrest back in its place inside his chair and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his big hands clasped in front of him.

  “Your mother called me up one day, just after your twelfth birthday. She called me from a phone booth, which I thought was very strange, but I figured she was hiding it from your father.”

  “Why?”

  “Your father and I, well, we didn’t get on too well. I wanted him to loosen the reins on your mother a bit. We argued about that a lot. He told me it wasn’t any of my business and your mother, much to my surprise, agreed. So we had a big fallout one year before Christmas. Anyway, I hadn’t spoken to her in quite some time after that, until that day she called me. She told me that if anything ever happened, and you survived, I had to make sure you got to The Lighthouse. We used to go there as children. My parents, your grandparents, had volunteered there for many years so we had gone there each summer. In fact, the very cabin you lived in was once our family’s cabin. It’s where your aunt Agnes and I first met too. Your mother loved you more than anything or anyone in the entire world. And for some reason, she felt you would be better off there. She had me draw up legal papers and everything. I fought her on it for months but she insisted. Said it was the only place you’d be free. I never knew what she meant. I never got the chance to ask her.”

  Adam got up and walked over to the nearby window that overlooked the small backyard. His heart felt as if it was going to explode with emotion. He had hoped to leave there with all the answers but all this visit was doing was create more questions.

  “I know. It’s a lot. And I’m sorry for not telling you all this sooner. But once I saw how happy you were on the island, there was no reason to upset you more than you’ve already had to cope with. I believe God’s timing is perfect and for some reason, this now feels like it’s exactly the right time.”

  Adam returned to the sofa.

  “What happened that day, Uncle Ben? Where did the accident happen? What happened? I can’t remember anything.”

  This time it was Ben who got up and walked to retrieve a wooden object from inside a hidden compartment behind the bookshelf. When he came back he sat down next to Adam on the sofa and handed it to him.

  “I wish I had all the answers but I don’t. I believe that this might lead to the answers you need.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Elsbeth nervously paced the room at The Lighthouse. It usually served as their prayer room but they had thought it best to use for their meeting with the fire chief today. Although it was small, the meeting didn’t involve the entire mission’s team so it seemed perfect. They also knew they wouldn’t be interrupted.

  “You’re going to wear a track in these floors if you don’t stop, Beth,” Daniel commented from where he patiently sat waiting at the nearby table for the chief to arrive.

  She ignored him and pushed her forefinger and thumb between the blind’s slats to study the mission’s main entrance.

  “That’s the hundredth time you’ve done that. It’s not ten o’clock yet, Beth. What’s your hurry anyway?”

  She shot a nervous eye at Jim where he quietly sat at the table next to Daniel. The look in his eyes told her not to say anything just yet.

  “Nothing. I just have a few things to take care of afterward.”

  “You can sit this one out if you like.”

  Her head spun around at Daniel’s suggestion and she was quick to answer.

  “No, don’t be silly. It’s not that urgent. Besides, I am far too curious to know why the chief called this meeting.”

  “That makes two of us. It’s been months since the incident. Might just be to give us suggestions on preventative measures,” Danny said. “Speaking of Jim, what’s with all the sudden security? The mayor ran late for his meeting the other day because he got stuck this side of that fancy access gate you had installed.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that. Just a few teething problems, but I’ve sorted it out. Won’t happen again.”

  “Is it really necessary? I mean, we’ve been running this mission for almost thirty years and we have never had any security issues. Why now?”

  Jim nervously adjusted his hat that lay in front of him on the table.

  “Simple. Because it has been thirty years. Times have changed and one can never be too careful. We owe it to our guests, the camp kids, and everyone else who comes here to make sure we keep them safe. Who knows who comes through those doors?”

  “Well, hopefully, the lost trying to make sense of their broken lives. We don’t want to turn anyone away now, do we? I just think you should have put it to the team to discuss and decide on together.”

  Daniel’s tone made it very clear that he was displeased. But, much to Jim’s relief, it was at that precise moment that Elsbeth interrupted them.

  “He’s here!” She started pacing again as she picked at her thumbnail.

  “Great! Maybe now you will take a seat and relax a little. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Beth,” Daniel said as he stepped outside to welcome the chief in.

  Using the opportunity, Elsbeth whispered into Jim’s ear.

  “This is bad, Jim. I know the chief is here to tell us the fire wasn’t an accident.”

  “We don’t know that, Beth. Calm down. We’ll handle things as they come. Just sit down and keep your wits about you.”

  “It was Kyle, Jim. I know it. He found me and he wants to get back at me by hurting Adam.”

  “Elsbeth, you’re proposing murder here. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”

  “Not when Kyle Rudd is involved, trust me!”

  While Elsbeth settled into her chair at the table, Daniel and Chief Perry entered the room. Elsbeth’s nerves were shot. It didn’t matter that Jim didn’t agree with her. She knew. Deep down it had suddenly all become crystal clear to her. Kyle was a man who held grudges and he had made it very clear that he would kill her if she ever tried to run away from him again. Well, she had and it had taken twenty years for him to find her, but he had.

  “Well, Chief, this doesn’t happen too often. You have us all curious over your visit,” said Daniel.

  “And I’m afraid it’s not going to be a pleasant one. We finally concluded our investigation.”

  The room fell silent as they watched Chief Perry open a folder, spreading the contents across the table in front of them.

  “What are we looking at?” Daniel asked as his eyes scanned the half-dozen photos.

  “Evidence.”

  “Of what?”

  “Arson.”

  It was as if Daniel’s face had frozen in time. He sat there, mouth open, staring at the chief. Elsbeth, on the other hand, started pacing the room again, arms folded tightly over her chest and her face strained. Behind her, Jim sat in silence. The chief’s revelation confirmed what he had already suspected.

  “You cannot be serious,” Daniel finally said, his voice low and contemplative.

  “I’m afraid I am, Danny. We were very thorough and made double certain of our facts. The evidence doesn’t lie.”

  Daniel sat back in his chair as he rubbed one hand over the nearly bald patch on the crown of his head.

  “Arson. Someone deliberately set fire to Adam’s cabin and murdered his family. And you’re absolutely sure.”

  The chief nodded. “No doubt whatsoever. We don’t deal with many cases like these so I had to call in an expert team from Charleston. That’s why the investigation took a bit longer than intended.”

  “How?” Jimmy spoke for the first time. Elsbeth stopped midway behind him to listen.

  “Using one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to wanting it to appear accidental. The electric iron. These photos here show what was left of the source. Based on our investigation the fire started in the pantry. The iron was left on the top shelf, switched on. We ruled out any possibility of the device malfunctioning. And since neither Ruth nor Adam’s height makes them likely to use a shelf that high up, it’s highly unlikely to have been negligence on their part. Also, the pantry door was locked and all the air vents blocked except for the two leading to the bedrooms. The perpetrator had every intention of killing them, most probably in their sleep.”

  Elsbeth’s sobs caused Daniel to reach out to console her while he spoke again.

  “Chief, I don’t understand why anyone would want to commit such a heinous act. It makes no sense. Who would want to kill Ruth and Abigail?”

  “That is now for the police to determine. You are likely to have them come by as soon as this afternoon. But my guess is that it wasn’t directed only at Ruth and Abigail.”

  Daniel’s face instantly declared the shockwaves that had bolted through his body.

  “You mean whoever did this wanted all three of them dead?”

  “I believe so, yes. Which tells me they were amateurs and quite possibly from out of town. Anyone who knows Adam well enough or has visited the island more than once will tell you he’s out on his surfboard before the sun even rises. He’s been doing it every day since he was, what, thirteen?”

  The chief’s words left Elsbeth icy cold and now sobbing uncontrollably.

  Jim, who had quietly been listening, looked back at Elsbeth. His eyes told her that she should speak up. But he was greeted with nothing but fear in her eyes. It wasn’t his story to tell, so he kept quiet.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” she suddenly announced as she bolted for the door.

  With Elsbeth out of the room, Daniel took his seat at the table again. He leaned close to Jim.

  “You knew, didn’t you?”

  “I had my suspicions but I wasn’t sure.”

  “Why, Jim? Why didn’t you come to me? How long have you known?”

  “Not long,” the chief answered for him. “I thought it best to share my suspicions with Jim. We were still waiting on the final results to come in and didn’t want to cause unnecessary panic.”

  Daniel sat back in his chair, one side of his mouth pulling to the side.

  “That’s why you had all these fences and gates installed.”

  Jim nodded.

  “I did what I thought was best.”

  Daniel drew his chest full of air and then blew it out, puffing his cheeks in the process.

  “We’re going to have to tell Adam.”

  “I would urge you to, yes. The police are going to want to speak with him. But I reckon it’s best he hears about it from you. You might want to keep an eye on him too. By now the entire island knows he survived and there’s a good chance whoever did this will come after him again.”

  “We sent him out of town for a bit. He left early this morning,” Jim divulged.

  “Elsbeth knew too? Really Jim?”

  “And that’s my cue, fellows. I’ll leave you two to talk it out. If you have any more questions, you know where to find me.”

  * * *

  Elsbeth stared at her image in the mirror. She had made it to the ladies’ bathroom just in time before she emptied the entire contents of her stomach. Her face was gray, her eyes red and swollen from all the crying. She cupped her hands under the tap and splashed the cool water over her face before she looked up at her reflection again. The woman who stared back at her wasn’t Elsbeth Porter. It was Victoria Rudd. She was two decades older, and her hair was different. But her eyes were filled with the same fear. The same shame. The same weakness.

  “No!” she shouted out then splashed another few handfuls of water over her face before drying her hands on the loose fabric on her hips. She smoothed her hair from her face and adjusted her blouse. When she was satisfied, she straightened her shoulders, pushed out her chin and spoke out loud to her reflection.

  “You are Elsbeth Porter. You are NOT that woman anymore. You are a new creation in Christ. You have conquered. You are strong through him who gives you strength. Though you walk through the valley of death, you shall fear no evil. For he has rescued you.”

  Her words echoed in the empty bathroom but Elsbeth did what she had done every time she felt the enemy’s attack for almost two decades since she had come to know Christ. God had brought her to The Lighthouse, her safe haven, and he wasn’t about to fail her now.

  As peace washed over her she thanked God for saving Adam from the fire. Asked him to have his hand of protection over the son she never birthed. She thanked him for his grace and for taking him away and out of danger.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Adam stared at the flat piece of wood in his lap. Roughly the size of a thick novel, it was hand-carved from some kind of dark wood he didn’t recognize. There were no hinges or anything to indicate it could be opened. Just an oddly shaped indentation that almost appeared to look as if it was a drawer, and the decorative pattern along its edges that looked like the waves in the ocean on a windy day. It had no keyholes or any other type of lock anywhere.

  “What is it?”

  “It was your father’s. He left it here one night, just days before the accident. It was quite strange actually. He wasn’t one to just pop in for an impromptu visit, much less without your mother and in the middle of the night. He woke me up, you know. Incessantly banging on my door at two o’clock in the morning, all dressed in black as if he was some secret spy or something. At first, I thought something had happened to your mother, or you, but then he pushed the piece of wood into my hand, said to keep it safe until the time was right to give it to you and left. I never saw him again.”

  Adam shook the object next to his ear.

  “Is there anything inside?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest. I have never been able to figure out how to open it or even if it could be opened. There are strange number sequences on the back, in each of the corners, but I haven’t figured out what they mean or what to do with them.”

  Adam flipped the wooden object over and studied the numbers. Each corner had several small numbers engraved into the wood. He ran his fingers over them, then held it up to the light that streamed in through the window behind him to better inspect it.

  “They’re not dates if that’s what you’re thinking. I already looked into that. The numbers are too big and the sequence is all wrong.”

  Adam dropped it onto the table and slumped back into the couch.

  “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with all of this. Nothing makes any sense. I came here for answers and all I have are more questions. Some stranger stalks me but then saves me. I lost my wife and daughter, it’s all too much!”

  He got up and walked over to the large window overlooking the back garden, his hands clasped behind his neck. His stomach twisted with confusion. Two seconds later, his uncle stood behind him.

  “What man?”

  His words had Adam turn to face him, perplexed by the look in his uncle’s eyes.

  “What man, Adam?” Ben asked again, sounding more urgent than before.

  “I don’t know. Just a man. I saw him the day of the funeral, then at the town fair, watching me from a distance. I thought he was out to hurt me, but then when I nearly drowned on a fishing trip the other day, he saved me. I’d be dead if it weren’t for him.”

  Ben swung around and took the three strides into the kitchen, knocking his walking stick to the floor in his haste. Adam watched as he yanked one of the drawers open and tipped all of its contents over onto the floor before placing it upside down onto the kitchen island that now separated them. Stuck to the bottom of the drawer was an old brown letter-sized envelope which he plucked off and pulled out a newspaper clipping, his clumsy fingers fumbling to unfold it.