Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Jessica Martin turned her gaze to the statues poised on the edge of the lagoon. One stood at the western point where the shallow azure waters met the deeper midnight blue of the Pacific. The other was near the first one, but closer inshore -- almost halfway to the apex of the lagoon where a peninsula divided the waters into two equal sections. Over thirty-feet tall, they looked like gigantic ceramic dolls. As blasphemous as it sounded, Jessica likened them to the Virgin Mary.
Their hair was long and painted dark brown, the eyes a cerulean blue. Robes of blue edged in a thin line of red with a larger band of white on the outside showed the detail the ancient, mysterious craftsman put in his work that time could not erase. A glossy sheen of enamel covered the surface. Both gazed serenely down upon the lagoon. With arms crossed over their hearts, benevolent smiles danced upon their lips. A smile Jessica normally returned. Today she did not; she could not.
The tropical breeze stirred her hair until the copper-colored tendrils licked her cheeks. Jessica ignored the attempt to cheer her. The giant ladies were going to have to do more than that to pull her from her fear and depression.
Why? she silently demanded. But no explanation came. The statues were mute. Jessica wanted to scream out her frustration. Since the day she arrived on the island seven years ago, they had been a part of her heart, a part of her soul. They saved her from death, and once she put all her faith in their abilities, saved her from the horror of an abusive marriage.
So why this? Why now? Have I done something to displease them?
Hadn't she always touted theirabilities, even to the extent of being teased by others on the island? How many times had people rolled their eyes and placated her with "Yes, Jessica." She brushed it all aside for them -- Hurago's lovely ladies.
Now joy over the arrival of a much-needed doctor and two wildlife biologists was marred by the arrival of another -- a presence so evil he could only have been spawned by the devil.
"Why?" she whispered on a choked sob.
She heard footsteps smush the grass behind her and blinked away her tears. It wouldn't do to have someone see her this upset. That would involve too much explanation.
"Meredith sent me to check on you. You okay?"
Jessica glanced over her shoulder to Leia Chamberlain. A smile dredged from the pit of her stomach never made it to her lips. "Meredith worries too much."
Leia sat beside her on the grass and dug her tanned toes in the sand that bordered it. Her sun-lightened brown hair dangled to her shoulders in a long ponytail.
"A regular mother hen. I was tempted to tell her to check herself, but I couldn't stand to see her waddle all the way over here."
This time Jessica did smile. Her friend was close to delivering her third child. The doctor was arriving none too soon. "This doctor is certainly a blessing. What do you know about him?"
Leia shrugged and stared at the waves gently washing to shore. "Nothing you don't already know. Divorced. His one child died in an accident. He's supposed to be very good... good-looking, too, so Gina says. She doesn't know his brother or the other wildlife biologist, but they come highly recommended."
Of course they did. Leia's father wouldn't let them on the island otherwise. Too bad Edward wasn't as selective with members of his own family.
"Well, that's good. We sure need that doctor, and it'll be interesting to have wildlife biologists study the island. We've never had that before."
Leia hugged her knees and let her gaze follow Jessica's to the statutes. "Amazing how things worked. Just think, if I hadn't met Gina in college, she never would have come here to be our nurse. And she certainly wouldn't have been able to convince Chris Matthews to be our doctor. Guess everything happens for a reason."
Silence fell between them. Obviously Leia realized the phrase was frightening under the circumstances. What reason would Eddie Chambers have for coming to Hurago after all these years? The possibilities scared Jessica half to death.
"You won't like him, Jessica. I can't believe Daddy is actually allowing him to come here."
No, Jessica didn't like Eddie Chamberlain. She hated him to the very core of her being. She knew him more than she cared to. That had been and always would be her horrible secret.
"It's a pity Edward hasn't taken the same precaution with his own son as he does with everyone else on Hurago."
Edward's background investigations for anyone coming to live on the island rivaled anything the government could do. But when his oldest son was the subject, he turned a blind eye to his faults. And Eddie had a million of them.
"Or to listen to what Bobby had to say about it. They've argued and argued. I still think about that time at the waterfall. If Bobby and Dan hadn't come when they did, Jackie and I would have..." Leia broke off with a shudder.
Jessica touched Leia's arm lightly. "Tell your father about it." Someone had to make Edward listen. Maybe he'd listen to his daughter. God knew, Jessica couldn't begin to tell Edward how evil Eddie was. That would involve dredging up more nightmares than Jessica cared to relive.
Leia shook her head. Sunlight glinted off the highlights in her hair. "I can't. I just can't."
Jessica couldn't condemn her; not when she felt the same way. She dropped her hand to the statue's foot and traced each toe with a blade of grass. "It's hard to believe he came from the same parents as you and Bobby. He's so different... doesn't even look like you."
Puzzlement clouded Leia's face. "How did you know?"
Jessica longed to bite her tongue in two. How could she have slipped so easily? "Oh, your mother showed me family pictures."
"Oh..." She rested her chin on her knees and stared at the lagoon. "Keep your doors locked and your windows shut, Jess."
But Jessica knew even that wasn't enough to keep out a determined man. "You could stay with me and William."
"I'll be fine." Leia rocked herself and focused on the blue horizon. "I have a gun, Jessica."
She jerked her head around. "Leia!"
"I do. I borrowed it from Dan. I'll use it, too, if that bastard lays one finger on me."
Jessica gently touched her arm again. This time Leia looked at her. "Think of what you're saying."
"I want him dead." Her brown eyes clouded with tears. "I know it's wrong, but I want him dead. If Bobby weren't flying that plane, I'd wish it into the ocean so I'd never have to worry about Eddie again."
"And what about Bobby and those three innocent men on board?"
Leia sighed and looked back to the sapphire water. "I know...I know."
"It'll be all right." It was a lie, but it was all Jessica could think of to say. "We'll keep together. We'll watch the kids. We'll get through this."
"I hope you're right."
Jessica had no reassurances to give. She studied Leia for a moment, envying the way the sun shot streaks of gold through her long brown hair. Sparked by a touch of whimsy, she ruffled her own red hair. "You know, I think it's time I let my hair grow. What do you think?"
A smile brought Leia's head around. "You'll curse it when you're working at the farm."
"I curse it now 'cause it's always tickling my neck. It defies a ponytail."
Their shared laughter was interrupted by a shout from Meredith. "We could use a little help in here. There is an engagement ceremony tonight. There are new people arriving."
"Bossy, bossy, bossy," they said in unison, then laughed again.
A glance toward the community building and the sight of Meredith Chamberlain standing in the doorway with arms crossed over her belly set them off again. Before she could scold, they started her way.
Jessica lagged behind for a final look at the statues. This time she didn't ask them why, but neither did she arbitrarily accept whatever fate they were planning. Instead, she prayed for the strength to get through whatever was to come.
The sound of a small plane reached her. They were almost here and she hadn't realized it until now. Bobby was close enough to see her. Had he been alone he would have dipped the wings in greeting. Had Eddie not been on board she would have lifted a wave his way.
Instead, she ducked into the building to drown out the sound of the plane and smother the fear in her heart.
Copyright © 2002 by Catherine Snodgrass
loading...