Healing Faith (40 page)

“Deputy Stevens deals in domestic abuse, Dad,” Stacy
continued, placing her hand along my shoulder as if to give me
strength. “I told you it wouldn’t be a good idea to include Deputy
Miller.”

“Well he wanted to know what the hell his son was
doing for over a month,” he grated and pulled up to the front doors
of the hospital. He turned and looked at me, his eyes wincing when
he took in the bruising around my eyes.

"Are you going to tell me, or are you going to
protect this guy who hit you? You can trust me,” he asked, his
voice showing his frustration.

Now or never.

Swallow.

"I've been trying to tell you for months, Dad," I
whispered, shaking with fear.

"Tell me what, Katie?" he asked, growing more
frustrated. I could tell by his narrowed eyes, he would not believe
me. I let out a breath and reached for the door.

"I'll tell you when you call in Deputy Stevens," I
replied and got out of the car, heading straight through the ER
doors, Stacy guiding me in with a careful hand on my arm.

"Wait a second," my dad growled and grabbed my other
arm roughly.

I winced and he let go instantly, realizing his
mistake. He looked around the lobby and found no one watching.

"Dad. I will tell you everything, but I want a female
officer here. Assault victims get that don't they? Do you really
want to hear how your daughter was assaulted, Dad?" I asked, a
little loudly.

That got his attention. He swallowed and looked at me
again with new eyes. He looked down at my bruises, at my neck, down
my arms. When he looked back up into my eyes, I finally saw it.

Fear.

He was afraid finally.

I had to wonder what he was afraid of.

That he would have to deal with it?

That it would somehow tarnish his political
career?

That he hadn't been able to stop it?

Did he know, deep down that it was Sean all
along?

"I'll call her as soon as we check you in," he
whispered and turned to speak to the nurse on duty.

“Everything’s going to be all right,” Stacy whispered
near my ear. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Why are you here?” I asked and winced at my tone.
“Sorry. Thank you for being here, I was just surprised.”

She smiled and for a second I could see the old
Stacy, the beautiful blonde prom queen in just that smile. But it
was only an instant and then she was worried once more.

“I couldn’t get ahold of you,” she whispered and
pulled me over to a group of chairs to sit. “Sean called me and
then Dad, threatening to take away my tuition. I’m sorry Katie. I
didn’t know what to do. Then Dad called yesterday saying that Sean
was bringing you home. I knew you’d need someone here for you.”

I nodded and tried to swallow, thinking of all the
ways I had fouled up my family’s life.

“I’m sorry I pulled you out of classes with this
mess,” I started and leaned into her for support.

“We don’t start back for a couple weeks yet,” she
said and pushed some of my hair aside, her brown eyes narrowing as
she took in the damage. “He really did a number on you this time,
sis.”

I pushed my hair back in place over my temple, hiding
as well as I could.

“Who was the boy he was accusing?” she asked and
leaned in to look at my downturned eyes.

I shook my head and stood when I heard my name.

“Doesn’t matter now,” I mumbled and choked back the
tears as I walked with the nurse towards the back of the exam
rooms. I settled in to wait, changing into their hospital gown. As
I stripped, I took in the damage.

I swallowed painfully and eyed myself in the mirror.
The image there before me was frightening. The bruises and
inflammation around my right eye was the worst on my face, where my
eye could only now start to open. The eye itself was blood red. I
touched at my jaw tenderly, wincing at the yellow lump there. I had
a clear bruise around my neck, a wide band that seemed to wind
entirely around. Splotches of purple and yellow dotted my body,
where hands had pushed and grabbed.

I closed the gown and turned from the mirror,
sickened by what I saw.

How would my father react to this? Would he believe
me when he saw the damage?

Had he seen the scratches on Sean?

Could he make the connection?

I balled my hands into fists and rocked on the exam
table nervously waiting for the doctors and the police to come in.
It seemed to take forever. Every second felt like another way for
Sean to alert his friends to hurt Nathan. There was no way to get a
hold of Nathan to warn him, and with each moment away from him I
felt the peace I had known slipping from me.

A knock at the door made me jump and a tall woman
stepped in, carrying a case with her. Stacy and my father followed
in after her, my father’s eyes bunching up when he saw more of my
marks. Another woman stepped in, carrying a camera. Behind her,
Deputy Stevens came in.

She was new to the police department, a strong woman
with an excellent criminal justice background. The city council had
jumped on board to wholeheartedly welcome her to the force, which
still irked Sean’s father. He had said he was only worried about
having a woman on the force for her protection, but I knew Sean’s
dad hated the thought of her because he felt she was simply weaker.
I didn't think she was. I had seen her stare down angry drunk men.
She was short and looked small next to many of the men in the
department, but it was deceiving.

She was tough.

Which is why I knew she was the one I needed to tell.
I had liked her immediately, because she was determined to make
this town a better place to live. Her presence had helped a lot of
women out. She didn't take domestic violence lightly. So many times
I had wanted to go to her, but the fear of the police covering up
for Sean always stopped me. And Sean's threats kept me quiet.

I had a reason now. Sean would hurt others.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I
knew would come.

"Kate?" Deputy Stevens asked, surprise showing in her
widening ice blue eyes.

Had my father not told her it was his daughter she
was taking a statement from?

"Hey," I murmured, trying to smile. But even that
hurt.

She turned back towards my father, her face hardened
as she stared up at him.

"I need to talk with her alone, Councilman Hill," she
said quickly.

My dad shook his head and made to argue, but she held
up her hand, which silenced him. I had no idea he was that
intimidated by her.

"I'll fill you in, but she needs to be able to talk
freely without her family here to judge. This needs to be an
objective investigation without politics or preferential
treatment," she said.

“What does politics have to do with my daughter’s
assailant?” he shot back at her, his face reddening.

“If you push this, Councilman, you could have an
investigation on you. I need this to be done by the book, and since
you have affiliation with the department, I need you to step out,”
she said, her body tensing when he made to move toward her.

My father looked at me for another moment, then
nodded and stepped towards the door.

"I'll be right outside, Katie. It'll be okay," he
murmured, retreating quickly.

Stacy reached out and held my hand for a second
before nodding to the deputy and stepping out as well.

Deputy Stevens sighed and turned back to me, her eyes
taking me in.

"I was wondering when you would finally say
something, Kate. I wish it had been before we came to this, but I'm
proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to speak out," she said
softly.

I looked at her in shock.

"You knew?" I whispered, feeling the tears burning my
eyes.

She nodded and sat down next to me, her gun belt
creaking slightly as she sat. I understood her words to my dad now.
She knew that he would protect his best friend’s son any way he
could.

"I suspected. I asked your dad once or twice when I
saw the signs, but he denied it. Said you were just clumsy. I am
sorry. I should have pursued further."

I closed my eyes and let out another cleansing
breath.

"He wouldn't listen. He'd rather believe the lies
than me," I whispered and opened my eyes back up to a much more
determined Deputy Stevens.

"This is going to be difficult. I just want you to
know that, Kate. But I am here to help you. You don't need to be
afraid anymore. It’s my job to make sure you are protected, not
your father," she said quietly.

I shook my head.

"No, I need to do this. I know that now.”

She pulled out her notepad and looked up at me with
sympathetic eyes.

"Let's get to it then. We'll need to collect whatever
evidence we can, and we'll have to take pictures. I am going to
have to ask you some painful questions, okay?"

I nodded and held out my hands.

"I scratched him. I don't know if that will help, it
was a couple of days ago. He has welts and cuts on his arms," I
said, biting on my lip to keep from crying.

"Good girl," she whispered with an encouraging smile
and moved aside as the nurse began the task of scraping under my
nails.

I could only hope it helped.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Deputy Stevens asked
gently.

I nodded, and for the first time, told my story,
feeling such relief knowing finally, someone would hear. And maybe
someone would finally make it right.

"Do you want to grab something at a restaurant?" my
dad asked on our way home.

I shook my head and remained quiet, looking at the
last of the weak sunlight as it disappeared in the trees as we
drove up the coast towards home. Stacy held me a little closer as I
had retreated to the backseat with her after the exam.

"Or maybe we can order in?" he suggested, glancing
back at me worriedly every chance he could.

"Whatever you want. I'm not that hungry," I replied
numbly.

"You have to eat, Katie. We can order Chinese. Maybe
watch a movie?" he said and tried to smile. I finally looked up at
him and watched his forced smile slip in the rearview mirror. He
was looking at me with that uncomfortable grimace again.

"You don't believe it, do you?" I whispered, looking
him in the eye.

He frowned and he returned his gaze to the highway.
He hadn't spoken about what Deputy Stevens had told him since I had
come out of the exam room two hours later. I had heard the heated
discussion between them about arrest warrants and bad press going
public. I heard her suggest he wasn't trying very hard to bring his
little girl's assailant in fast enough. He had threatened her with
a lame accusation of insubordination. She shot back something about
a judge and going with news coverage. It was election season and my
dad caved quickly, allowing Deputy Stevens to call in a warrant to
pick up Sean for questioning.

I knew my father would be defensive, and as he looked
at me uncomfortably from the mirror repeatedly, he only confirmed
it. How could he go against his best friend’s son? He was
protecting Sean, over me. He doubted me.

He shook his head and kept his eyes on the road.

“I think it’s best to let the police deal with the
evidence,” Stacy interjected, earning another put out look from our
father.

"It's not that I don't believe you, Katie. It's just
hard for me to think that Sean would do that to you. He adores
you," he argued.

My confession to Deputy Stevens had given me courage.
She had offered me hope. She had promised to look into speaking
with the West Grove police in an effort to protect Nathan and the
Bergers. She was what my dad should have been, months ago. But he
hadn't. He had practically encouraged Sean. Having known the
Millers for years, he had wanted nothing less than the families to
be that much closer.

"I was a possession to him, Dad. I ran away for a
reason. He didn’t have the right to take me like he did," I
replied, my throat tightening at the idea that I had lost what I
had found.

I thought again about the Bergers and Nathan, and how
they had to be worried sick.

"I just thought he would be able to get you back. I
couldn't go, I had campaigning here and if I left I would forfeit
my chair in council. When he asked for help finding you, I thought
I was helping. He wanted to find you. Bring you home," he
stammered.

"How did you help him?" I asked, aghast. Stacy held
me a little tighter and whispered my name as if to warn me.

He shrugged and let out a long exasperated sigh.

"I sent him money, Katie. He needed money to stay out
there looking for you. And I had his father call the Sheriff there
in Iowa, trying to get information between two law agencies. You
were completely off the grid, not even the sheriff could tell us
where you might be. Who knew you would shack up with a bunch of
Amish? The sheriff said you could be anywhere. But the Amish?
You're joining crazy religious orders now? Seriously Katie, you do
the most ridiculous things!" he said, looking at me like I was
crazy.

"You paid for him to hunt me down?" I whispered,
dumbfounded.

I didn’t believe Deputy Miller had even bothered to
contact the Sheriff in West Grove, but the fact that my father had
paid Sean cut deeply of his betrayal of keeping me safe.

"A hefty portion of savings that should have gone to
tuition for you and Stacy," he grunted as he pulled into the drive.
“No chance of you going to that cooking school now.”

"Then you are to blame for what happened to me as
much as he is," I spat out and jumped out of the car before he even
had it in park in the yard.

"Katie! Wait! Katie! Come on! We'll eat and we'll
talk," he called after me as I ran up the stairs to my room.

I closed and locked the door and turned on the light,
squinting at how bright it seemed. Digging into my foot chest, I
found my candles I had for when the power went out. I lit them and
turned out my light, slipping into bed and watched the shadows as
they played across my bedroom walls.