Chapter 15
Fifteen
Emma jumped, dropping her shovel and launching herself into Daniel's arms. Her heart pounded against the front of her chest. She felt like she was going to explode. She hated the constant on-edge feeling she'd been dealing with all weekend.
Although maybe that wasn't fair. Maybe she'd been feeling this way, trapped forever in a fight or flight mode, since her sister disappeared and was found dead.
Her mind sought relief with suppression.
She never had to deal with working through the details.
Until now as an even more painful moment caught up with her.
“Are you okay?” Daniel asked. He slowly extricated himself from her grip.
Only after he pulled away did she realize her nails had dug into his shirt like claws. Heat swept up her, she bent and grabbed her shovel. “Yeah, sorry,” she said. “Any sound makes me jump lately. Was that a cry?”
“I heard it too but it sounded like an animal.”
“Sure. Definitely. Yeah, you’re probably right.
” She shivered, glad to lean on the shovel.
Her mind had immediately framed the cry as human.
Paranoia threatened her more than the elements.
She had to get a grip on herself mentally and physically.
“Shouldn’t Margaux be back? How long has she been gone? ”
“I don’t think that was her.”
“I don't know why my mind went to Margaux being in trouble.”
“Because she might be, but I don’t think it had anything to do with the sound,” he offered. “I heard the cry, too. Let's take our time and go down this hill safely. Slowly. We will help no one if we tumble and injury ourselves.”
“Shouldn’t we move faster?”
He shook his head. “It’ll be okay.”
She wanted to push and ask him why it was okay.
She nibbled the inside of her cheek. As far as she knew, it was only the two of them and Margaux on this island.
Did he have backup? She’d learned to value the unspoken as much as what was said.
With each passing second, her uncertainty increased exponentially.
She was afraid to ask, worried his answer would be no.
And she didn't want to be out here all alone with Margaux. Emma trusted Daniel. She’d never felt safer with another person than she did with him. But Margaux’s increasingly erratic behavior set Emma’s teeth on edge.
Each carrying a shovel and under the weight of their packs, his carrying the time capsule, they slowly made their way back through the tree line. She manipulated her grip and used the shovel as a walking stick.
“Do you ever think what you would have done if your sister had been one of the teens you were helping?” he asked so softly she almost thought she imagined the question.
She was glad he led the way and couldn't see her smile behind him. It was part soft, part sad, part nostalgic. But all of it was grateful.
Because in spite of everything that had happened, they had come back together and found each other once again.
And part of her heart would always be glad for that. For the chance to say goodbye. She hated farewells and the finality implied in the act. She yearned for closure so she could go on to the next part of her life, serving others and seeking forgiveness.
“I do.” She sighed. “I'm not sure how much I could have done if she wouldn't have been honest with me. And that's the part that I keep coming back to.”
He stiffened, raising his shoulders and glancing at her.
“She must not have been honest with me,” Emma said,
“But what was she lying about?” he asked. “Owen?”
“No, she was very upfront with me about Owen.
She had feelings for him, but she didn't know what would happen.
I was mad because I'd wanted to go to college alone, and she transferred to my school. But we would have worked through it. And probably Owen would have found us there and transferred, too.”
Probably we would have all been together, the four of us.
Probably if everything had worked out, the four of us would have moved back and been running the camp and living in the town as two happily married couples.
But that wasn't what happened. Piecing together the ragged edges of a jigsaw puzzle, she gained some clarity with the picture but other parts remained a dark void.
“Why did she sneak out that night?” Daniel asked. “You didn't disapprove of her seeing Owen.”
“No, but she wasn't allowed to date. It was our parents’ most serious rule.
I was a stickler for following their guidelines.
Liz liked to bend what she could. And I was adamant about anything to do with our safety.
I think she snuck out to try to go somewhere just the two of them.
I wouldn't have stopped her, but I would have told her it wasn't safe to be sneaking around, period, as is clearly evident by what happened next.”
“That's a good point.”
“Being right is no consolation. It makes it harder.” Emma rubbed a hand over her itchy nose. “What did you find in his journal? Did he say if he was meeting up with her?”
“I couldn’t find anything direct. I wonder if he later retracted his words.
Scared kid worried he’d implicate himself.
His journal was full of what ifs and pointing the finger at everybody, I'm afraid.
Margaux was a problem for him. She was always hanging around.
In his words, Margaux was obsessed with Liz.
Not in a romantic way but with an all-consuming focus on her that disturbed him.
I think that's who he was most worried about.”
Emma wasn’t surprised. She had flashes of Margaux underfoot.
Finding time alone with her twin, without Margaux or Owen, was almost impossible at summer camp.
Liz never really noticed or cared whether Margaux was around or not.
Had that indifference only fueled Margaux more?
“Do you remember, when we were kids, Liz always was saving someone or something?”
Daniel chuckled. “I think I helped her with saving bugs a few times at vacation bible school.”
“Insects were only the start. Her compassion guided her. I lost count of the wild animals she rescued. Our parents had wildlife control on speed dial to clear our yard after Liz had adopted and cared for the latest critter.” Emma smiled, warmth spreading through her.
She liked sharing the good about her sister. It had been far too long since she’d had someone to reminisce with and since she could recall those moments. She wasn’t na?ve enough not to realize he had redirected the conversation to calm her nerves. She was filled with gratitude for him once again.
“Do you think Margaux was another injured, wild animal Liz took care of?” he asked.
“I didn’t, but I’m starting to see a wildness in her. I think she's being controlled by someone or something,” Emma said.
“Like her husband?” he asked.
“Maybe he doesn’t know she’s here. Is she in danger from him?
Or are we at risk from her?” If Emma could help, she would.
She prayed for clarity and guidance. “Why has she wandered off? Why would she leave us here with the time capsule? She was so adamant about getting it.” Emma’s kinder side wanted to believe Margaux thought Emma needed a moment alone to discover the contents.
After the past few days, however, Emma wasn’t so sure.
“I have no idea.” He raised a hand to shield his gaze and scanned their surroundings.
“I don’t like…” Emma crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her shoulders. The skin on her arms raised in goosebumps. “Any of this.”
“Neither do I. Because whatever is inside—and she knew exactly where to look—isn’t good for her. With bad cell service, she figures we’ll be trapped. She has a head start back to camp. She can tell her side of the story before we arrive.”
Emma shook her head, refusing to give in to the doubt and fear curling at her feet. “Why would she trap us? No, I think this is a misunderstanding. She got lost. We have to track her down.”
They'd made their way all the way back down to the shore.
“Are we in the right spot?” he asked.
She frowned. She looked straight across to the dock. “Of course. Why would you—” She scanned their surroundings and stopped. “Oh.” She’d reached the spot where the canoe should be. And it was gone.
Margaux had abandoned them.
Daniel leaned on the shovel, digging the tip into the soft ground. Murky water lapped against the shore. The sun shone overhead, clearing any trace of the haze from earlier in the day. It was a peaceful scene totally at odds with their situation.
With the weight of the pack and time capsule on his back, he didn’t mind a minute to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. He shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. He’d started down a line of paranoid thinking, and she followed.
Emma nodded, uncapping her water and taking a long drink. Her skin paled as she gulped the rest of the water.
He didn’t want her to faint. Getting help was impossible here. “Hey, take a seat. Rest for a second.” He motioned to a large, flat rock.
She sank onto the rock, dropping her shovel and wrapping an arm around her bent knees.
He scanned the opposite shoreline, relieved at what he didn’t see. “The boat isn’t over there on the other side.”
They’d gotten turned around and confused. No cause for alarm. He released an easy breath. “I need to get a better view. Maybe see if I can find the canoe. We’ve lost our bearings. Nothing to fear. I’m sure she wanted privacy and wandered too far. Or we got confused.”
Emma flashed a thumbs up and recapped the empty bottle, crinkling the thin plastic.
“You’re okay? Can you wait here? I’ll be right back.” He grabbed a water out of his pack and handed it over. “Take this, too.”
“Thanks. Don’t go too far.”
“I won’t. I promise.” He hated to leave her for even a second. But he had to find Margaux. Guilt gnawed at him. He’d begun to paint her as a villain when she might be the ultimate victim. Emma’s words about the husband gave him clarity. And now Daniel felt shame for his assumptions.