Unexpected Love

"Not that I'm aware of. We flew down here from Vancouver where my family lives. If he has weapons, I think he's have had to get them here."

One of the officers go to the radio and speaks for a minute or so, then comes back to where we are all standing. "I asked for another car to come over. What can you tell us about the car they're in?"

"It's our rental. I don't know the license number — wait, here — I put the rental papers in my back pocket when I drove over earlier to visit with my sister. Does this help?"

He takes the papers from me. "This helps a lot."

The officer turns and go back to the car and is on the radio, obviously passing on the information about the car Ray and Lauryn are in. At the same time the second squad car pulls up, and I notice the neighbors are starting to come outside to see what's going on.

Manuel walks back over to us, "The APB is out. We'd like to look around inside the house if it's okay Angelie?"

"Of course. The door is open. Do you want me with you, or stay out here?"

"You can stay out here. If we need you, we'll call you in. We just need to see if there's anything useful to us in there."

I wrap an arm around Angelie and pull her tight. "I'm so sorry about all of this. I feel like it's all my fault — he really pulled the wool over my eyes. I should have done what I first set out to do, come down here and check on my sister and make sure she's okay. Now I've brought a lunatic into your lives."

"It's not your fault Carter. It is Ray and only Ray who is to blame for all of this. What I don't understand is what she saw in him in the first place."

"We all go way back. Ray wasn't always like this. Like I told the officer, I think it's the drugs that have changed him. But that's no excuse, he needs to pay a price for what he's done to all of us."

"Do you think he could kill her Carter?"

It's the question that has been screaming inside my head since this all started. "A month ago I'd laugh at that question. I'm not laughing now. All we can do is hope and pray he sobers up and comes down off of whatever he's been snorting. The drugs are a new factor I was totally unaware of. If he sobers up, I think he'll see he's fucked up really bad this time. But I don't think he's stupid enough to think killing anyone is going to make it better. He's actually a pretty smart guy — he sure plowed me under tonight."

All of the police officers come back out of the house, Manuel walks toward us. "It looks like everything went down just inside the front door. I need to ask you two to stay out here for awhile longer. We're calling in a forensics unit to take some fingerprints and photos and just generally document the crime scene. Right now, I think the call out with the vehicle description is out most promising opportunity to nip this quickly. Any idea where he might be going?"

"It makes no sense that he'd be going anywhere. But he has no friends or relatives down here. He lives up in Vancouver, but what's he gonna do with a kidnapped woman up there? From what I know of Ray, he's starting to see that he doesn't have any good options. He was drunk and high on something when he did this, unless he keeps refueling with booze — he's sobering up and probably seeing the mistake he's made. Ray is impulsive, that's his big weakness."

"Okay, we have a big net spread out. Unless he goes to ground, or changes vehicles, his chances of escape are very slim. As I understand it Carter, you have no phone contact?"

"That's correct. He swiped my phone when he bashed me in the head."

"Give me the information on the motel you were staying in. And also your cell phone number — we may be able to track him with that. I'll have someone go check out the motel room and suggest an unmarked car sit there on the off chance he takes her there."

Manuel writes as I talk and I notice the other cars are packing up and leaving.

"Manuel, is it okay if we go back inside? If it's okay, Carter can stay here and you will know where to find him ... and me. Lauryn is very special to both of us."

The tears seem out of place on Angelie, but I guess they look out of place on me too. It's a relief that the police are here and that they are so efficient. But the empty spot where Lauryn is supposed to be looms very large — very large and dark.

"Yes, that's fine. We're all done inside. Let's make sure I have all of the phone contacts before I go."

The mention of phones contacts makes me think of the folks back home. Should I call them, or wait until we know more? I'll ask Angelie what she thinks once we're alone.

Finally, we and all the neighbors go back inside. The only thing left of Lauryn's phone is a small pile of glass shards. The rest turned into evidence, no doubt.

"Are you hungry Carter? Have you eaten anything tonight?"

"I don't want to be any more trouble than I already am."

"Leftovers or a peanut-butter and jelly Carter, I'm not offering much more than that. I usually eat something at work. So what'll it be, peanut-butter and jelly or whatever leftovers are in the fridge?"

"Peanut-butter and jelly."

"Coming right up. Don't think the worst Carter. You're just like your sister, always thinking the worst. Poor old Ray is so out-gunned. I almost feel sorry for him — almost."

"Thanks Angelie, for everything."

After we both eat enough to stop the hunger grumbles, we sit on the sofa and try to be patient for some word of what's going on in the hunt for Lauryn. I look over at Carter and see the angry welt where Ray hit him with the bottle. "I should clean that up and put something on it — he got you good, didn't he."

"That he did. I didn't expect it, and he probably figured on that. Ray isn't stupid, but he's dumb. He's shady but he's not good at seeing the end game — just like this tonight. He planned out a clever way to get here and grab Lauryn, but now what? Can he really think he can woo her and talk her around to come back to him? It's just a dead end. I've misjudged him enough to be worried though. I hope Lauryn is using her head, if she can lead him on — he may just fall into thinking it might work out. If she fights him too much, or makes him go crazy in a rage, then he worries me."

"I see what you mean. I don't know how she'll handle herself. I know we can't not think about it, but we also can't do much about it. Why don't you go grab a shower, you look a mess. Come on, I'll show you the way and find something to put on those cuts — last thing we need is for you to get an infection. I'll wait for the phone call."

"That's probably a good idea Angelie. Lead the way.

The shower did wash some of the cobwebs out of my head. And whatever she put on my face soothes some of the pain. It's not a bad injury, just annoying and pisses me off that I let him get that punch in.

***

I know it's not, but it seems like days — not hours, that Angelie and I sit waiting. After all of the excitement, the police cars and hope — the long slow wait feels like it is draining the hope out of both of us. There's nothing left to talk about, the only voices left are the ones in our heads spinning the details of every horror movie we ever saw and every horrendous newspaper article we ever read — and there is no way to shut those voices up.

Finally, we're sitting on the sofa switching between the late night shows when Angelie's phone rings.

No caller ID, "Hello. Yes, it's me Manuel. You did? Thank God — and she's alright? He didn't hurt her? Can we come down to the station when they get here? Thank you for calling Manuel, you're a good man. Bye."

"They found them?"

"They got him. The State Troopers spotted him west of here on Interstate 40. Must have been trying to get to California and get lost in the rush over there. Manuel said they should be back here in an hour or hour and a half — he'll call when they get closer and we can go down to be there for Lauryn. It's over Carter."

We hug each other and if I ever had any doubts about Angelie and her intentions for my sister, they all vanished in that hug and her soft sob of relief. We sit back and our goofy smiles are a fitting end to this miserable night. "Manuel seemed to know you — is he a friend?"

"He's my cousin. I knew he would do whatever needed to be done. You'd like him I think."

"I already like him. Just as much as I like you. Angelie, I'm making you a promise right now, I will support you and your relationship with our parents. I will lobby for you both. You and Lauryn may have already talked, but I think our mother will be supporting of you and Lauryn. If our father balks, which I'm not sure he will, then I will tell him what I've seen, the happiness I've seen in Lauryn — I'll persuade him what ever it takes. I promise you that."

"Carter, thank you for saying that. I have a pretty tough skin, but this I feel with Lauryn is really different. I worry about my own folks and I also worried what pressure your folks would put on her. Carter, this is no fling for me. If Lauryn will have me, I hope it grows ever deeper. I really hope for that. Thank you for understanding."

Her hug is tender and for the first time I see her softer side — yes, Lauryn is in good hands here. As the moment passes, we move apart and can only smile at each other.

In my happy spirit, I fall back on my bad habit of telling bad jokes, "Well, you can imagine how disappointed I am that Lauryn passed on such a suave and galant man as Ray — I guess you'll do for a substitute."

Angelie must share my love of bad jokes, or she's just polite, she laughs, "I can understand your disappointment. When I first laid eyes on him — I have to confess, I thought of pushing Lauryn into the river so I could run away and marry Ray."

"Oh Angelie, such restraint and strength to not murder my sister for Ray."

"I think we're worry drunk Carter, but it feels good to laugh at it all now that it's over."

"It really does. In hindsight we can see every stupid move — it'd make a good comedy. But I doubt either Lauryn or Ray are laughing right now."

"No, you're right. And probably we shouldn't be laughing so much either — it just feels good it's all over. But we both need to get her to laugh Carter. Like we just did, to make Ray disappear in our laughs."

We lean back on the sofa to wait for the call telling us they are all back in town. I must have dozed off, the ringing of a cell phone is the next thing I remember. Angelie is talking, it's clear from what she's saying they're back in town.

"Well, we don't even have to go pick her up — Manuel is bringing her home. He's five minutes out he said. It's over ... it's really over."

*****

EPILOGUE: Almost One Year Later — Spring - Our New Beginning

Finally all of the Lacomb family and most of the Aguilar family are together. The crisis in these many lives is past, but will never be forgotten. The one bright light in it all, as everyone learned more of Angelie's and Lauryn's ordeal it seems to have turned some hard hearts softer. Many of them are here today at Red Rock Crossing on Oak Creek. It is only fitting that Angelie and Lauryn get married here, Sedona is nearby and Lauryn is already a known up and coming artist — and this is where their love took firm root. There is a huge fiesta planned for later, after the wedding vows have been said.

It is a spectacularly beautiful place with the creek running through and Cathedral Rock looming large. It is fitting that this place filled with the beauty of wild nature all around be the place for Angelie and Lauryn to be married. For they too are part of this wild nature created and set loose by some unknown Hand. As future days unfold they will be out in this raw landscape — making art and making love and living life to the fullest.

The two lovers stand holding hands as the words are spoken and the promises are made. And there is a sacred silence when the pronouncement is made — "You are now joined in matrimony in the eyes of the law, in the eyes of family and friends gather here, and in the eyes of all who watch unseen."

Their kiss is something many here have never seen — and yet no one turns away, no one frowns. Love is here. Love itself is in the air and is too strong for even the hardest of hearts to resist that love. Even the most prejudiced pauses to reconsider their opinion of who shall be allowed to know Love.

The quiet is then shattered with the shouts of joy and good will — the Sun is slipping to the horizon and offers up deep reds and bright shafts of golden light to the festive occasion. And the Fiesta beckons....

*****

THE END