Chapter 4
1127 Words
Nobody in the fellowship hall moved. The only sound came from the industrial
coffee maker sputtering behind the serving line.
Emma stood just inside the doorway, one hand still wrapped around the handle
of her suitcase. She looked like she had driven all night. Her blouse was wrinkled
beneath an expensive trench coat, and the careful makeup she’d put on hours earlier
couldn’t quite hide the dark circles under her eyes.
Beau stared at her like he had just seen a ghost.
“You..” he said quietly. “What are you doing here?”
Emma opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Around the room, conversations resumed in hushed whispers.
“Who’s that?”
”She know Beau?”
”I’ve never seen her before.”
Frank Dixon leaned just a little farther over his coffee cup.
Mags fought the urge to elbow him.
Emma glanced around the room, taking in the curious faces watching every
move she made.
“I need to talk to you.” She said,
Beau didn’t answer.
“It’s important.”
”What could possibly be important enough for you to show up here after all
these years?”
His voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t have to be.
Emma lowered her eyes.
”I know I don’t deserve five minutes.”
”No,” Beau replied. “You don’t.”
The words landed harder than if he’d shouted them. Mags had known Beau
since they were kids. She’d seen him angry. She’d seen him heartbroken. But, she has
never seen him look at another person like this.
Darlene wiped her hands on a dish towel before walking around the serving
line. ”Folks,” she called, her voice carrying easily across the fellowship hall. “Unless
one of y’all plans on washing dishes, you’ve got no reason to be standing around.”
A few embarrassed smiles appeared. Chairs scraped against the floor as people
slowly returned to breakfast, though no one was fooling anybody. Every ear in the
room remained pointed toward the front door.
“Pastor’s office is empty.” Darlene whispered to Beau while on her way to serve
meals to customers.
He looked at Emma.
“I don’t have anything to say to you.”
”I know,” she answered. “ I just need you to listen.”
“For what? Five minutes? Ten?”
“As long as it takes.”
He laughed once. It wasn’t a happy sound.
”You had fifteen years.”
Emma closed her eyes.
“I know.”
Silence settled between them. Finally Darlene spoke again, gentler this time.
“Beau.”
He rubbed a hand across his face.
Then, without looking at Emma, he said, “Fine.”
She let out a shaky breath.
“But if you’re lying to me…”
”I’m not.”
He picked up his coffee and turned towards the hallway. Mag stayed where she
was. This wasn’t her business. It never had been. She watched as Beau disappeared
around the corner, Emma following a few steps behind him. Just as she started to turn
back towards the kitchen, Beau stopped. He looked over his shoulder.
”Mags.”
She blinked.
“Yeah?”
”Come with us.”
She hesitated.
”Are you sure?”
“I don’t think I can do this alone.” He nodded.
Mags looked toward Darlene. Darlene gave her a small nod. “Go.”
The pastor‘s office sat at the end of the hallway, tucked between the sanctuary.
It was a modest room with overflowing bookshelves, family, photographs, and the faint
smell of old paper in furniture polish. Beau didn’t sit. Neither did Emma. For several
long moments, the only sound was rain beginning to tap against the windows. Finally,
Beau folded his arms.
“You’ve got one chance.”
Emma stared at the floor.
“I’ve practiced this conversation a thousand times.”
”Then start talking”
She swallowed hard.
“I came because..” Her voice cracked. “… because they found Ray.”
Beau’s expression didn’t change.
“Everybody in this town knows they found my father.”
She slowly nodded.
“I know.”
”Then why are you really here?”
”Because I’ve spent fifteen years hoping no one would ever find him.” She said
with teary eyes.
The room went still.
“What does that mean?” Beau said tightening his jaw
“It means..” She drew a slow, unsteady breath. “…I was there the night your
father disappeared.”
Silence. Not the kind filled with whispers. The kind that makes every heartbeat
sound too loud.
Nobody moved. Mags felt the air leave her lungs. Beau simply stared at Emma.
For several long seconds, he didn’t blink. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper.
“No.’
”I’m sorry.”
”No..” His voice cracked. “You’re lying.”
”I wish I was.”
“You’ve had fifteen years..”
”I know.”
“Fifteen years.”
“I know.” ”You let my family bury an empty coffin.”
Emma covered her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I know.”
”You watched people search for him.”
”I know.”
”You watched me-“
“I KNOW!” She shouted through the tears.
The words echoed through the tiny office. Emma broke. She slid into the nearest
chair, sobbing into trembling hands.
“I know what I did..” She whispered. “..I’ve lived with it every single day.”
The room fell silent again. Mags looked between them, her own heart
hammering. Finally, she spoke.
“Why now?”
Emma slowly lowered her hands.
“Because someone tried to kill me last night.”
The room froze.
She looked at Beau.
“I got a letter last week.”
Her voice shook.
“It said..” She swallowed hard. “Some secrets should stay buried.”
She reached into her overnight back. Beau immediately tensed. Emma carefully
removed a thick manila envelope.
“I almost burned this a hundred times.”
She held it with both hands.
”But if something happens to me..” She looked directly at Beau. “…you deserve
the truth.”
Slowly..
Very slowly..
She slid a faded photograph from the envelope.
”I brought proof.”
Beau reached for it with shaking fingers. The second the paper touched his
hand, his breath caught. The photograph showed his father standing in the church
parking lot, rain darkening his shoulders, one hand lifted as if he were caught
mid-conversation.
But it was the second figure beside him that made Beau’s blood run cold. He knew that face.
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