Tracie Peterson - Dawns Prelude

When the train pulled out of Omaha, Evie breathed a sigh of relief. The first part of their deception had come together. Was it wrong to pray for a lie to go undiscovered?

Evic had spent nearly every Sunday for the past year sitting beside her husband in the large Episcopalian church where he'd been raised. Thomas, like her father, saw attending church as a means to gain social acceptability. Evie had tried to understand some of the things spoken of, but when questions arose, she had no one to ask. Even the priest had suggested she not worry about it. But Evie wanted to know more especially about prayer. She thought of the wordy prayers the priest had espoused during services. Could she do the same? What if she prayed in her own words? Common, ordinary, everyday words. Would God understand?

Marston was glad to know that Evie was well on her way to England with Dalton. This relief was even more of a blessing when the butler announced that there were men who wished to see him.

He had just finished breakfast and was enjoying a cup of coffee when the butler ushered the men into the dining room. One was a police official he recognized, and the other two were in plain clothes. Perhaps these were the detectives who had been asking about him.

"Good morning, gentlemen." He nodded to the uniformed man. "Davidson, good to see you. How's your family?"

"Doing well." The man turned to introduce his companions. "This is Mr. Wilson and Mr. Kloosterhof."

Marston nodded. "Gentlemen, will you join me for coffee?"

"No thank you, Mr. Gray," Mr. Wilson responded. "We're here on official business. I've been hired to locate a missing child."

"And what child would that he?" Marston tried to act confused but curious. "One of the neighborhood children?"

"No, sir. A baby. The child would be your brother."

Marston laughed. "I have no baby brother. I'm sorry to say someone has led you on a merry chase. I hope they are paying you well for this joke."

Wilson looked to Kloosterhof and then hack to Gray. "I suppose you had no idea that your stepmother, Lydia Gray, gave birth to a child?"

"Truly?" Marston touched a napkin to his lips. "Now, that is amazing news. My father died over a year ago. I hardly see how she could have given birth to his baby"

"The child was born last December," Kloosterhof said matterof-factly

"I see. Well, that is news to me. I had no idea when Lydia left us that she was expecting. We've heard nothing from her and presumed she'd started a new life elsewhere."

"That much is true, but you were known to have visited her. It was believed you were there when the child was horn, and later you took that child and brought him back to Kansas City "

"And exactly where was it I was supposed to have gone to do all of this?"

"A town called Sitka in Alaska," Wilson replied.

Marston pushed hack from the table. "I can't say I've ever heard of it."

"There are witnesses who will testify to your being there."

"Gentlemen, I don't know how I can possibly help you. Goodness, Davidson, you know I'm a single man without a child anywhere in the vicinity. My sister and brother have children, but I am happily without."

"Can we search your home?" Wilson asked.

"That's uncalled for," the uniformed officer stated. "This man is an honorable gentleman. If he says he knows nothing, he knows nothing."

"That's all right, Davidson." Marston turned to the two detectives and got to his feet. "You are free to look through my home if you'd like. I, however, have several meetings to attend to. I will let the butler know that you will be conducting a search." He paused at the end of the table. "Will that be all?"

For now," Wilson said, frowning. "We will be in touch, however."

"Very good. If indeed I have a little brother who has been taken from the bosom of his mother, I would very much like to aid in his recovery"

Marston then left, the men staring after him.

Evie stared out the window of her hotel room and watched the sun set over the ocean. It was a glorious sight, as the rich golds and oranges reflected back on the water.

California had captivated her. San Francisco was quite a town to behold. It was even bigger than Kansas City -at least, there seemed to he a great many more people. Turning away, she glanced at the sleeping baby. Dalton had been such a good traveler, and for this Evie had been greatly relieved. Especially now that she was on her own.

She had left Ellie in Sacramento only days before. Her sister had cried and fussed over the poor girl until Evie thought Ellie might want to get hack on the train. The woman had thanked Ellie over and over, offering to have her stay with them before heading on to San Francisco. Evie had been touched by her generosity but had refused. The sooner she was on a ship bound for Alaska, the better.

Now, however, she sorely missed Ellie's company Constant baby care was something Evie was not used to, and at times, she found herself overwhelmed. The changes and feedings alone were enough to keep her busy, but sometimes the child cried for seemingly no reason at all.

Not only that, but Ellie had been a fine companion, easy to talk to. And, if she were to he completely honest with herself, Evie was scared. She wasn't sleeping well, fearing that at any given moment Marston would break down the door to her room and demand she give Dalton hack.

Plans were progressing well, however. Evie had managed to secure passage on the regular mail ship, The Constantine, and she would leave in a matter of days. It seemed God was clearing the way for her, although Evie was still struggling to wrap her mind around who He was-and that He might truly care for her. They hadn't suffered a single problem during their trip west. Everything had gone so smoothly, in fact, that Evie was beginning to believe that prayer truly worked.

Lydia awoke screaming. The nightmare had been so real that she could still feel the piercing fire in her neck. She had been shot. A man had come into her bedroom. She could still see him.

"Liddie, are you all right?" Kjell asked. He lit the lamp beside their bed and looked hack to see what was wrong.

"It really happened, didn't it?" she asked, quivering.

"What are you talking about?"

"The night of the storm. Tell me what happened," she pleaded.

"I wasn't here. I don't know exactly."

"I was shot, wasn't I? My wounds weren't from the storm at all."

"You remember, then?"

She shook her head. Not completely. I know I stood over there." She pointed to the corner. "I don't know what happened, but a man came into the room and shot me. That really happened, didn't it?"

His hesitation in answering spoke more than any admission.

"Kjell, who shot me?"

"His name was Anatolli Sidorov."

"Was? You mean he's dead?"

He nodded. "He is. He had once worked for me, and I had to fire him and his brother for deceptive business dealings."

"Why didn't you tell me this before? Why did you let me believe I was injured during the storm?"

"You were injured during the storm-I just never said how it happened. The doctor didn't want us to burden you with a lot of memories. He felt it would be too much for you all at once. Liddie, you have to understand. Everything we've kept from you has been for your own good."

She put her hands to her head. "Stop it! I don't believe it helps me at all. Maybe it's really been for your good yours and Zerelda's-but it's not for mine. I need to know the truth. I need to hear what really happened."

Kjell reached for her, but she pushed him away. "Don't you see, Kjell? I want to know. I need to know, even if it's had." She fixed him with a questioning look. "It was very had, wasn't it? That's why you don't want to tell me."