The Book of Elements Read online

  "Ok."

  "Good. Now, you obviously reached your home after your husband’s service because we found your car in the garage and your dress clothes were on the bed in your room."

  "You’ve been in my bedroom?" Caeli interrupted then silenced herself.

  "I’m sorry. Please go on."

  "You made a 911 call that night. Do you remember making the call?"

  "No."

  "You told the dispatcher that someone was in the house. I stopped by the station and got a recording of the call a little while ago. I’d like to play it for you. When the good doctor here told me your memory might be a bit jumbled, I thought perhaps hearing the call might help."

  "Caeli, it could help. Do you think you can handle it?" Salma was hoping she would say yes, but would never even consider allowing this under different circumstances. Salma had to admit that she, too, was curious about that incident. There hadn't been an opportunity to discuss it with Caeli before everything else happened. Retrieving the tape was a clever idea. The captain was definitely good at his job.

  "Yes. I want to hear it, please," Caeli decided without hesitation.

  "Good."

  He removed a small digital recorder from one of his jacket pockets and held it out over the bed. Caeli nodded, and he pressed the play button. A female voice sounded from the device.

  "911, what's your emergency?"

  "There’s someone in my house, downstairs," she heard her own voice respond.

  "Do you live at...?" Caeli closed her eyes as she listened. The images flashed briefly through her mind again. She was in the little room at the back of her closet. She was holding the phone. She remembered hearing sounds in her room as she hid.

  "What is it, Mrs. Harding? What do you remember?" The captain asked. She hadn’t even noticed that he paused the playback.

  "I do remember bits and pieces. I remember hiding and trying to call for help, but the phone line was dead. That’s why I used the cell phone."

  "That’s real good, Mrs. Harding. Anything else?"

  "I remember hearing them in my room. Can you start the recording again?"

  He did as she requested, and now Caeli was able to force some of the images in her mind to line up with the appropriate points of the recorded conversation.

  "I remember the first guy had some sort of trouble breathing, and he fell over. I remember the second one running in; and the sound of more than one person running up the stairs," she recited aloud as the recording continued.

  "Ma’am? Ma’am, are you still there?" the voice asked.

  "Yes, I’m still here," Caeli spoke along with the tape as she called up the memory.

  "The police are here now."

  "Ma’am, can you get to the officers? They don’t know where you are."

  Silence filled the room again.

  This time the captain waited patiently until she opened her eyes again. Caeli was looking at him as if she were trying to look through him to see what lay beyond. He sat still and waited for her to work it out. The more she could recall on her own, without any taint from his words, the more likely he would be to discover some overlooked detail or perhaps an entirely new one.

  "It was you. You were one of the officers that night. I heard your voice when you were apprehending the man in my closet."

  "Yes, that was me. And we spoke downstairs in your living room afterward. Do you remember any of that?"

  "Not much. At least, not yet. Thank you, Officer Erickson. Thank you for all of it," she replied.

  The way she looked at him seemed to make him feel as if she were thanking him for more than recent events. Ben thought he knew what she was referencing when she called him Officer. Back then, he had only been a patrol officer. He was surprised that she would recall it now. Ben never did get a chance to speak with her to wrap up her case ten years ago, after the death of her grandmother. Thinking about it now caught him off guard.

  "What?" Ben could not come up with a better reply.

  "Thank you for showing up that night. I’m not sure if they would have found me or not, but I know they would not have left until they did. Thank you for coming to my aid." Caeli did not directly mention the past event.

  "You’re welcome, Lass," the unexpected affection broke through his formal police detachment, causing him to reach out and pat her hand as they talked, "but I was just doing my job. What makes you think they were specifically after you?" Captain Erickson returned to the matter at hand.

  "I heard them talking."

  "That’s the same as you told me that night. Do you remember hearing a name? A location maybe? Do you know where they planned to take you?" He rose from the chair and began pacing slowly between the bed and the window, rubbing his chin as was his habit when concentrating on important or puzzling details.

  "Not that I can recall."

  "That’s ok. Can you tell me, Mrs. Harding, what you did…?"

  "Caeli," she interrupted him.

  "What’s that?"

  "Caeli. Please, call me Caeli. When you call me Mrs. Harding, I feel the urge to wash the gray out of my hair," she smiled at him. He laughed at her good mood.

  "You amaze me, Mrs.…Caeli. After everything you’ve been through, you’re sitting over there worrying about being nice to an old police dog like me. You’ve a kind heart little lady."

  "Well, you probably just caught me on a good day, and even so, I can’t answer your question very well. I really don’t know much. I remember fixing a pot of coffee, but I don’t even like the taste of it. Vin was the coffee drinker." Caeli stifled the sudden sadness that hit her again and, thankfully, the captain quickly moved the conversation along.

  "My officers thanked you for that." He answered her blank look by providing a few more details.

  "You stubbornly refused to let us put you up in a hotel in protective custody. So we compromised, and you let me place a patrol car in your driveway. The officers reported that you brought them coffee an hour after everyone else was gone. Then your lights went out an hour after that, and they didn’t see or hear anything else until your friend, the good doctor here, arrived the next morning."

  "I don’t remember any of that," Caeli noted.

  Salma picked up the tale at this point.

  "I got to your house around eight because you called and asked me to accompany you to the police station to make a statement. I’m glad I did, too. You looked exhausted. We met Officer Caldwell at the station, and the Chief even took a minute out of his busy schedule to say hello. Between you and me, I think your ordeal might be the most excitement they’ve seen in a while." She winked and nodded toward the captain who smiled in return.

  "We weren’t there long and went straight back to your house afterward because you were upset. And by upset, I mean angry. The more you thought about someone breaking in to your house, the madder it made you. I believe it reminded you of another incident that happened around the time we first met, didn't it? Nonetheless, you were pretty worked up by the time you got home."

  "Salma, didn’t you have to work?" Caeli didn't know why the question popped into her mind.

  "Don’t be silly. You know I pretty much come and go as I please after all these years. I asked someone to cover my shift. I didn’t want you to be alone. Besides, you are my patient, too. So, technically, I was working. Furthermore, gentle Ben over there would not have let you leave the station if I didn’t assure him that I’d be staying with you. Even still, because of the state you were in, he escorted us back to the house and made sure everything was in order. I think he was afraid you might seriously hurt any new intruders that might show up," Salma tried to dismiss Caeli‘s earlier anger with a joke.

  "Meanwhile, the Captain and I had a nice talk in your study while you met with…"

  "Agh! My head…" Caeli was suddenly holding her head with both hands pushing on her templates, eyes forced shut and jaw clenched. Salma hopped up off the bed and moved closer to better assist her, and the captain turned from pacing to walk up
to the other side.

  "I'm sorry, Dear. I think we’ve overdone it. It's too much, too quickly. Do you want me to give you some medicine to ease the pain? It will probably knock you out and make you sleep."

  "No, but another glass of water, please." Caeli drank rapidly from the cup she was handed then laid back with her thumbs still pressed into each temple and her hands covering her closed eyes.

  "I just need a minute. It will pass. It felt like this when I woke up earlier, only this time, the room isn’t spinning along with it." The tension in her voice was evident to both Ben and Salma. Caeli was not hiding the severity of the pain as much as she thought.

  Urim, too, took note of Caeli's suffering as he stood silent vigil near the head of her bed; unbeknownst to those around him. It was difficult for him to tell if this pain was solely due to the current situation or if it was a precursor to what he foresaw looming over her horizon. Either way, she was hurting. Urim gently lifted his hand and ran his index finger slowly from one side of her forehead to the other with a barely audible whisper accompanying it. Of course, none of those in the room would have heard him, regardless, unless he chose to let them. It wasn’t much, in his opinion, but it was the best he could do. Caeli calmed in response to his unknown curative and pulled her hands away from her eyes even before his finger reached the other side of her forehead.

  It was the least he could do to make up for forcing her to injure her foot earlier. But, if he had not acted, the dart would have hit her in the side of the neck. Urim was satisfied that it was enough and left to report the incident to Eyvindr as Michael had instructed him to do.

  "Caeli, we really should let you rest. We can pick this up later, right Captain?" Salma suggested.

  "I’m sorry, but no. I wish it could be that easy, but we have to move her some place safe," he explained.

  "I will admit, I did not think anyone could get in through the windows and was lax in planning for that possibility. For that, I apologize, Caeli. That’s twice now that I have let you down." His self-reprimand was fleeting, but serious. Ben felt partially responsible for not doing more to ensure her safety when he knew the threat remained.

  "This is a busy place. There are far too many people who know you are here. Officer Caldwell and I worked out a plan to lure this guy out during shift change tonight, and we were waiting until the Doc said it was ok to move you to a different location. We don’t want you endangered as a result of our ploy. Now that the attempt has already been made, it seems we cannot use our scheme after all. We simply can’t wait that long to get you out of here. We need an environment that we have better control over. Why don’t you get some rest, as the Doc suggests? I need to make a few adjustments to the original plan and prepare to get you relocated. It shouldn’t take all that long. This time, young lady, I will not debate the matter with you," Ben stated with a small smile and nod in her direction, but it was obvious that there was no room for negotiation. He would not be denied this time.

  "Doc, would you be so kind as to stay with her while I’m out of the room?"

  "Yes, of course. I’m not going anywhere." Salma offered another small smile to the captain as he left the room. Then she returned to the chair on the opposite side of the bed and sat down with a soft sigh, which did not go unnoticed.

  "You could do a lot worse," Caeli grinned at her friend.

  "What do you mean?" Salma asked.

  "You seem to like him, and he is clearly interested in you."

  Salma blushed.

  "Oh goodness! You are reading way too much into it. He is just a nice man, certainly not unpleasant to look at, I’ll admit. His sole purpose at the moment is to protect you, and don’t you forget it. Don’t go getting any ideas into that romantic head of yours. Now, try to close your eyes and get some rest while you can. I’ll be right here."

  It was forty five minutes later when the captain returned. Caeli was asleep and didn’t stir when he entered the room. Salma walked over to meet him at the door, so that their conversation would not disturb Caeli.

  "Everything is ready. I’ve informed the Chief, and nobody else, of my intentions. He will know what’s going on, but the only others who will have any details are the two officers who will remain posted outside after we’re gone, and Officer Caldwell, who will be going with us," Ben began.

  "As am I," Salma would not send Caeli off alone with strangers and a gap in her memory.

  "I was hoping you would say that. Not that I want to drag you any further into this or put you in harm’s way, because I would prefer otherwise. However, she may still medical attention, and you are her friend. She trusts you, and so do I. I don’t want her to feel like she is alone with a stranger. I can’t think of a better person to take along than you, Doc."

  "Agreed, just give me twenty minutes to wrap up some loose ends here, and I will be ready to go."

  "Ok. I will let her sleep until you get back. I might even prop my feet up for a minute or two."

  Caeli heard Salma leave the room and risked a furtive glance at Captain Erickson. His gaze lingered even after the door had been closed for several seconds. Caeli smiled to herself, happy for her friend, and fell asleep again.

  This time, she dreamed. Her dreams were haphazard and filled with turmoil. She dreamt of chasing down murderers and bank robbers; of hurricanes that wiped out coastal cities; and of a great flood that covered most of the globe. But, the one dream that played most clearly was of an old book with several similar, but not identical, triangles on its cover. Then the dream shifted and she imagined a mosquito biting at her neck. One dream, a nightmare really, was of Vin and the storm that took him away from her. It was followed by an earthquake in Idaho which opened a crater beneath her feet. She began to fall…"

  "Mrs. Harding. Caeli, wake up," a soft voice whispered and a firm hand gently shook her shoulder.

  "What is it? Is it time to go?"

  "No, not yet. You were tossing and turning, having a bad dream. I thought it best to wake you."

  "Thanks, Captain. The dream was terrible, lots of upheaval and disaster," she replied.

  "For a few minutes, just before you woke me, I thought I was going to be swallowed up by an enormous sink hole in the middle of Idaho. I fell over the edge and was barely hanging on by my fingertips."

  "Eaten by Idaho? Well then, Lass, guess I reached out to you just in the nick of time," he joked, returning to his chair by the window. Caeli raised the upper portion of the hospital bed so that she could sit up and speak with him.

  "Captain Erickson," she hesitated until he looked directly at her, "have you learned anything more about my accident during the storm? The one where Vin was kil...when he di…where I lost Vin?" She still couldn’t bring herself to say those words.

  "Do you mean how it happened or what happened afterward? Aside from what you told me during the search, I haven't learned anything new, if that's what you're asking."

  Caeli did her best to contain a soft sob.

  "I’m sorry, Lass, I wish I did have something good to tell you."

  "It's not your fault. It still hurts me to think about it. But, I wasn't asking for newly discovered information. I was wondering if anyone reported another person in the area, maybe a witness or a good Samaritan."

  "I didn't see anyone, and none of the other officers reported another person in the woods. Why do you ask? What’s troubling you?"

  "I'm not sure; nothing that I can pinpoint. I was thinking how strange it is that all of this is happening to me now, since the accident. I’m trying to decide if the accident was coincidence or if it was the first incident. It may sound crazy, but I was wondering if someone could be holding Vin hostage and trying to hurt me as a way to get him to cooperate."

  "I have to admit, I considered that myself after hearing your account of what took place in the clearing, and then finding you repeatedly in dire straits. But, I cannot find a connection. What would they want from him? His work was routine, and he wasn't involved in anything untoward. I
just don't see how it could be. Your husband’s disappearance seems to be the result of an unfortunate act of nature, whereas these three attacks were clearly directed at you by another person. I'm sorry, Caeli, but I truly believe Vin is gone."

  "I know he's gone, but it was more than nature that took him. Wait a minute, three attacks? Apparently, there is still a large gap in my memory. You’ll have to fill me in, but I would rather hold off on that for a minute," Caeli picked up on the distinction that he’d referenced and wanted to clarify it for Vin's sake.

  "Captain, Vin did not die of natural causes, not like you think. He gave his life to protect me from something in those woods. I'm certain of it. I could not see who it was, but it was definitely more than just the wind."

  "Let’s not worry about it right now. The Doc will be back in a few minutes, and then we are going to get out of here. We can talk more once we get you some place safe. Speaking of which, you should probably get yourself ready to go."

  "I’d love to, but I don’t seem to see my clothes anywhere. Could you check in that cabinet for me?"

  Captain Erickson got up and looked, but the cabinet was empty. He glanced around the room, but there were no clothes of any kind to be found.

  "Salma must’ve taken them to the laundry. I guess we’ll have to hold off on leaving until they’re ready; unless, of course, you expect me to go out in this airy, little gown. You don’t, do you?" Caeli teased. Captain Erickson blushed in embarrassment.

  "Don’t be silly, Caeli. I brought you clean clothes to wear," Salma rescued him. She returned in time to hear the last exchange between them.

  "Now, quit embarrassing the good Captain and go into the other room and get changed. I ordered up a wheelchair for you, and it will be here in a few minutes. It will look less suspicious if you leave like any other patient." Salma walked into the room, now dressed in blue jeans and a red knit top, dropped the bags she was carrying on the floor, and deposited a pile of clothes on top of the short cabinet in the restroom.