Of course it would be one of the other sisters. Who else could it be? A sister had come into the tower, seen a painting out of place, moved it to safety and now was returning to the entrance.
Sister Joan opened the door. “Sister,” she said, “I’m here—”
The door was kicked shut, the sharp thrust throwing her off balance. She stumbled, the key flying out of her hand as she lurched forward against the hard oak door.
Sister Joan cried out in prayer, even as the blow struck the back of her head.
CHAPTER 3
SISTER JOAN’S FEW MINUTES TO RETURN WITH the key were dragging on. Emma yanked impatiently on the gate, but the lock held firm.
Never mind the key, and never mind the meditation garden.
She wasn’t willing to wait any longer.
The fastest route to the tower was up and over the fence. The gate itself looked too rickety and would land her on the stone walk. She stepped into the garden, grabbed a cold, wet vertical iron bar in each hand and climbed onto the lower rail. The old fence creaked and groaned but held firm as she hoisted herself up to a middle rail and then launched over the top rail, grateful she didn’t have to dodge ornamental spikes.
She jumped down onto the grass, landing in a crouch, and sprang upright next to a simple, graceful copper angel that stood sentry in the fog.
Still no Sister Joan returning with the gate key.
Emma cut back onto the stone walk and followed it to the tower. A sharp breeze tasted of salt water as she stopped at the bottom of the steps. The door was shut tight. If Sister Joan hadn’t found the key, she could be returning through the meditation garden, and that was why she was taking so long. Emma peered into the near-impenetrable fog, noticing a movement across the lawn, past wild-growing rugosa roses at the edge of the rocks that led straight down to the ocean.
“Sister Joan,” she called. “It’s Emma.”
There was no answer, no further movement.
Emma was aware of her .38 snug in its strap just above her ankle. She had no reason to draw a weapon. During her three years with the FBI, she’d never fired a gun outside a training facility, but she knew what to do.
The wind whipped more salt water and drizzle in her face as she crossed the wet grass. A narrow path, no more than ten inches wide, led through the roses to the tumble of boulders that marked the boundary between ocean and land.
She heard someone panting and made out a woman crouched on a boulder in the swirling fog, at least a three-foot-wide, five-foot-deep gap between her and the roses. She wore only a dove-gray tunic and skirt, without a jacket, sweater or rain gear, and a white headband held back her light brown, chin-length hair. Her face was pale, her lips blue as she shivered, undoubtedly from fear as well as the wet, windy conditions.
Emma squeezed onto the path, thorns, dripping leaves and rose hips brushing against her jeans.
“Don’t come closer.” The woman—a young novice of the Sisters of the Joyful Heart—sounded frightened more than confrontational. “Please. Stay where you are.”
“My name’s Emma Sharpe. I’m a federal agent.” Emma reached into her jacket for her credentials and held them up. “I need to see your hands.”
“I can’t…I can’t move.”
Emma returned her credentials to her jacket. “Just put your hands out in front of you where I can see them.”
The woman complied, gingerly holding her palms in front of her. She was shaking visibly. “I don’t even know how I got out here.”
“What’s your name, Sister?”
“I’m Sister Cecilia. Cecilia Catherine Rousseau. I was in the meditation garden. I saw Sister Joan. I don’t think she saw me. I hadn’t expected to be there. I’d been working on the biography I’m writing of Mother Linden, our foundress. I decided to see if Sister Joan needed any help. Then I—I saw someone else….”
“Where?” Emma asked.
“On the rocks, headed toward the cove. I panicked,” Sister Cecilia added, sheepish. “Next thing, I was here.”
“This person you saw. Man, woman?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t Sister Joan, or any of the other sisters.”
“You’re sure?”
Sister Cecilia nodded. “I knew I didn’t want whoever it was to see me. It could have been someone from one of the boats taking shelter in the cove.” She sniffled, still shivering but steadier, her emotions more under control.
Emma felt another strong, cool gust of wind off the water. “Do you know where Sister Joan is now?”
“No.” Sister Cecilia’s eyes lifted to Emma. “Something terrible has happened, hasn’t it?”
“I hope not. First things first, okay? I want you to jump over to me.”
Sister Cecilia tightened her hands into fists and sobbed. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You just have a touch of vertigo. You jumped over there. You can jump back.”
“If I fall—”
“You won’t fall. I won’t let you.”
“The boulder I’m on is wet. It’s slippery. I almost fell.”
“You didn’t know it was slippery. Now you do. You’ll make allowances.” Emma kept her tone level, patient. “Sister Cecilia, if there’s an intruder, the other members of your community could be in danger. I need to help them.”
The young sister gasped. “In danger?”
“Your instincts drove you to run. Trust them. I’m not leaving you here, but I want to make sure the other sisters are safe.”
“They’re at the motherhouse. Only Sister Joan…” Sister Cecilia trailed off, her panic spiking again. “You have to find her. I’ll wait here.”
“I can’t leave you alone.” Emma softened her voice. “‘Fill us at daybreak with your love, that all our days we may sing for joy.’”
“Psalm 90:14. That’s our motto.”
“I know. It’ll be okay, Sister. Half a second, and you’ll be off that rock.”
Her teeth chattering now, Sister Cecilia nonetheless managed to stand straight and lift the hem of her skirt above her knees. “Ready?”
Emma gave her an encouraging smile. “Ready.”
With a quick breath, Sister
