Summer of the Midnight Sun (30 page)

“Helaina, I don’t know why you’re doing this. I don’t know why you think me guilty of these things. I didn’t do it. I’m telling you, I’ve never been to Washington, D.C.”

She refused to even speak to him about the situation. Her conscience already bothered her more than she’d admit. There were too many inconsistencies, and she didn’t know how to rectify the situation except to take Jayce back to stand trial. Then, surely if he was telling the truth, there would be evidence to support this and he would go free. If not . . . he would hang.

She swallowed hard at this thought.
What if we’re wrong and he does hang? What if he can’t get evidence in time?
She looked at Jayce as he hung his head. He wasn’t fighting them—he wasn’t even really trying to cause them any problems. It was definitely a surprise, given the other times the man had been arrested he’d turned ugly on his captors.

He hardly seemed like a killer. But then again, few killers looked as she had expected them to look. Especially the men who killed her family. They were hardly more than boys. Desperate boys. She shuddered. They had hanged, and Jayce Kincaid would hang as well. It was the price for his crimes.

Chapter Twenty-five

L
eah carefully balanced a plate of food for Jayce as they made their way back to the hotel. Darkness obscured the mountains and shadows hung ominously, then disappeared as patches of fog moved over the town. A sense of foreboding washed over her, but Leah tried not to think about it. Right now she was blessed to be safe and reunited with her family.

She smoothed the red checkered napkin over the plate and smiled. Jayce had been so exhausted, but Leah knew when he awoke, he’d be starved. The restaurant had prepared a nice plate with meatloaf and potatoes. There was even a piece of apple pie. Her heart nearly burst with happiness. It had taken ten years and a shipwreck, but Jayce had finally told her he loved her. God had brought him back to her, and now they would plan a life together.

“I just wish I could figure it all out,” Jacob told Adrik. “I suppose we’ll never know for sure what Helaina’s been up to.

Especially now that we’ll be heading home to Last Chance. I told her she wasn’t to join us.”

“You can hardly keep her from showing up in the village,” Adrik replied.

“You know how the people of those villages are. If a stranger shows up, they handle them with great caution, but if someone known shows up and others speak against them, they’ll be turned away. She won’t be able to survive the winter there without friends.”

“It would probably be good to explain that to her before she tags along.”

“I will.”

They climbed the steps to their room, and Adrik suppressed a yawn. “I don’t know why I’m following you. I need to be gettin’ back to my camp. I’ll come see you in morning, and we’ll discuss your plans.” He started to turn and head back down the stairs.

“That’s strange,” Jacob said. “The door to my room is open.” He looked inside. The hall light revealed that Jayce was gone.

“Maybe Jayce went out for something to eat and didn’t think to close the door,” Adrik offered.

Leah felt her heart skip a beat. She glanced to the door of her own room. “Let me check my room.”

She handed Adrik the plate and went to her door—it was locked. She used her key, and when she stepped into the room, a terrible feeling washed over her. There was no sign of Helaina, and her bag was missing.

“Anything?” Jacob asked as he came to the door.

“Helaina’s gone—her bag’s gone too. She left this,” Leah said, holding up Helaina’s sealskin pants and kuspuk.

“Well, maybe they went to supper together.” Adrik balanced the plate in his left hand and pulled out his watch with his right. “It’s getting late. Why don’t we wait and see if they show up.”

“She’s done something,” Jacob declared. “I know she has. She’s planned all along to get to Jayce, but for what reasons I can only guess.”

Leah’s stomach churned in a most unpleasant way. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Helaina has had an agenda ever since meeting up with us in Nome. I don’t know what it’s all about or why she’s after Jayce, but there’s something she wants bad enough to risk everybody’s anger and a whole lot of danger.”

“But what could that be?” Leah asked. “Do you suppose she’s in love with him?”

“No. That honestly never crossed my mind,” Jacob said. Leah’s face must have shown the relief she felt, because he quickly added, “And it wouldn’t matter if she were in love. I know Jayce loves you. There’s no doubting that.”

“Well, we may just be wrong on all accounts,” Adrik reminded them. “I say let’s wait and see what happens.”

“But it’s nearly nine o’clock,” Leah said. “If we wait much longer we won’t be able to ask anyone about them.”

“Who do you propose we ask?” Jacob said, shaking his head.

Leah had no idea. She heard the sorrowful blast of a ship’s whistle, and she couldn’t help but think of
Orion’s Belt
and the accident that took the lives of so many people. She had thought she and Jayce had survived for a reason—a reason that clearly involved a future together. Now she wasn’t so sure. What if Jayce had deserted her? What if all of his words of love and devotion were just given because of the situation they were in? She bit her lip to keep from crying.

“I need to clean up,” she told her brother. “Why don’t you two wait in Jacob’s room? I’ll come over when I’m done.”

“Bath is at the end of the hall,” Jacob told her.

His words barely registered. The exhaustion of her ordeal began to overpower her. All Leah wanted was to run and hide and have a good cry.

As soon as Jacob and Adrik pulled the door closed, she let the tears come. A deep sob broke from her throat. “I can’t understand any of this, Lord. I suppose it’s silly to be worried already, but something’s wrong. I just know it. I felt it even when Helaina showed up earlier. I could see in her eyes that she was watching Jayce with new purpose. I should have warned him. I shouldn’t have left him alone.”

She went to find her things, tears blinding her eyes. There had to be an answer—a reason for the things that were happening. Leah reached for her bundle of clothes Adrik had given her.

On the floor she saw a piece of paper. It seemed unimportant, but at the same time it beckoned her attention. She bent over to pick it up and noticed there were two other pieces in the trash can. They were telegrams. Taking all three in hand, Leah read the words addressed to Mrs. Helaina Beecham.

Leah read the words aloud. “‘JK is a killer. STOP. Do not worry about his innocence or guilt. STOP. We have all the proof we need. STOP. Get him to Seattle. . . .”’ She looked at the other cables and felt a wave of dizziness overcome her. What in the world was this all about? Who was JK?

Jayce Kincaid
.

She hurried to Jacob’s room and pounded on the door until he opened it. “Look!” She thrust the telegrams into her brother’s hands.

“What is it?”

“These are telegrams addressed to Helaina. Jacob, she’s taken Jayce away. She thinks he’s a killer. Apparently someone else does too.”

Jacob read the cables and handed them over to Adrik one by one. “I knew she had something going on. At least it explains her continued desire to get Jayce to Seattle.”

“But what’s this about him being a killer and not worrying about his guilt or innocence?” Adrik asked.

Jacob met Leah’s eyes. “I don’t know. I do know that Jayce Kincaid is no killer. I’d be willing to stake my life on that.”

Adrik handed the paper back to Jacob. “It says the local law authorities are supposed to be helping her. My guess is that she has Jayce down at the jail. Why don’t we get on down there and see for ourselves what this ruckus is all about.”

“That’s a good idea,” Leah said, already heading out the door.

A million thoughts rushed through her head. Who was Jayce supposed to have killed, and why was Helaina involved in his capture? Had she really come to Alaska with the purpose of finding Jayce in order to take him back to Seattle?

“Hold up, Leah. You don’t even know where you’re going,” Jacob called to her.

She stopped just outside the hotel, the fog much thicker now. At least Adrik would know where they were going. “It doesn’t make sense,” she said as the men joined her. “None of it. Why would the authorities send a woman to capture a man they believed was a killer?”

“That’s a good question,” Adrik replied, leading the way to the jail. “One that we’ll hopefully get to ask her in just a minute.”

Leah felt a surge of energy as anger encased her mind. She would tell Helaina Beecham what an awful person she was to force an innocent man to jail—a man who had just been rescued from a horrible ordeal.
The thought of that woman lying in wait at my home, just to capture Jayce, makes me want to throttle her
.

Adrik went into the jail first, with Jacob and Leah right behind him. Jacob put his arm out to keep Leah from rushing ahead. “Let Adrik handle it,” he whispered.

“What can I do for you?” a large man asked. He leaned back in his chair and watched the three of them with a wary expression.

“I’m Adrik Ivankov. I’m wondering if you can tell me if Jayce Kincaid is here.”

The man got to his feet. He was nearly as big as Adrik and didn’t seem at all intimidated, as many people were when encountering the big man. “What do you want with him?”

“He’s our friend!” Leah declared. “We just got back after nearly losing our lives on the
Orion’s Belt
.” Jacob held her tight. It was the only thing that kept Leah from charging the man.

“Well, your friend is in a world of trouble, missy. He’s been arrested for murder.”

Leah lunged forward, but Jacob held her securely. “He didn’t do anything of the kind. Jayce Kincaid is no killer.”

“The authorities in Washington, D.C., say otherwise. They’ve charged him with the death of their people. We received a cable earlier in the day asking us to assist the Pinkertons in his arrest.”

“Pinkertons? Here?” Adrik questioned. “Who?”

“Mrs. Beecham,” the man replied. “Not that I approve of women in such lines of duty, but it came all official. We helped her apprehend Kincaid earlier tonight.”

“I want to see him,” Leah said.

The man shook his head. “He’s not here. He’s on his way to Seattle.”

“How? When?” She was terrified.

The man looked at them and crossed his arms. “Mrs. Beecham took him out of here on the
Victoria
. It just left the sound a few minutes ago. They’re bound for Seattle with the last of the summer tourists.”

Leah turned to Jacob and Adrik. “We have to do something!”

“I don’t know what we can do,” Jacob replied. “There isn’t another ship available—at least not another steamer.”

“Please, Adrik, we have to figure a way. Couldn’t we get a message to the ship?”

“You people don’t seem to understand. The Pinkertons were hired to take this man back for trial. You aren’t going to stop that, and you sure aren’t going to interfere with the
Victoria’s
schedule. I’ll arrest you myself on charges of obstructing justice.”

“Justice,” Jacob muttered. “That’s what this is all about.”

“What?” Leah turned to him. “What are you saying?”

“Helaina has this idea of what justice is. She believes that criminals should be meted out their full due without thought or consideration of the circumstance. She’s without any compassion. She believes the law is the law, and there’s no room for further consideration.”

“She seems a good, law-abiding citizen.”

Jacob turned to the officer. “She’s angry and vengeful, and I intend to see her stopped.”

————

Hours later the trio sat rather dumbfounded in Jacob’s room. They had worn themselves out trying to figure what their next step should be.

“I think we can send a cable to Seattle,” Adrik said. “We can contact the authorities there and suggest Helaina has the wrong man.”

Jacob shook his head; his shoulders slumped in defeat as much as exhaustion. “But they’ll want some sort of proof, and we don’t have anything to offer.”

“I think the man Helaina really wants is Jayce’s twin brother, Chase,” Leah said without warning.

Jacob looked at her. She was serious. “What are you talking about? Jayce has a twin?”

“Yes!” She suddenly seemed to regain her strength. “He told us about him while we were trying to get to Sitka. Me and Mrs. Wilkerson. He told us that he had a brother named Chase—that he was born just a few minutes after Jayce and that they are identical in appearance. Jayce said that his brother was always getting into trouble. That has to be the answer!”

“It could very well explain an awful lot,” Adrik said, nodding. “But would that offer enough proof to the police?”

“I don’t know, but I believe we have to try. Jayce said that Chase has been causing him trouble for years. The man even blames Jayce for the death of their mother, although she died because she was heartbroken over the misdeeds of Chase and the loss of her home and husband.”

Jacob listened to every word, but he still found Leah’s story difficult to believe.
And if I don’t believe it—how can I expect the authorities to accept it as truth?
He blew out a heavy breath. “Look, I don’t see how this is going to matter to the police. We can tell them whatever we want, but we can’t prove any of it. I can’t prove Jayce has an identical twin brother. I can’t prove he has any family at all.”

“We have to try,” Leah said, tears forming in her eyes. “They mean to see him dead. They’ll hang him for murdering those two agents. We have to find a way to help him, Jacob. We need to go to Seattle.”

Chapter Twenty-six

J
ayce couldn’t figure out what Helaina had planned next. She seemed quite nervous about the entire matter of docking in Seattle. Two burly sailors appeared at their cabin when the passengers were notified they could begin debarking. Jayce looked at the men, wondering if they were going to be the ones to escort him straight to jail.

“Look, my plans have changed,” Helaina told Jayce. “There are a half-dozen Pinkertons waiting to take you from me when we set foot in Seattle. However, I would rather they not do that just yet.”