"Well... I only saw one. You know, when you caught me trying to jump the horse over the..."

Samuel's voice was raw. "You were out hunting bodies?"

"Just the one, out past the corral."

He looked up at a nurse who had just walked in, then back to Emily. His eyes were ablaze. "Schillings is being held on attempted murder charges. I didn't hear anything about..." He thought for a moment then stood. "I'll be back," he said, already heading across the room.

"But wait, there's more."

He turned at the door, shook his head, and disappeared.

Paul returned four hours later just as Emily woke from a nap. She pulled herself up on the pillow and watched him walk across the room.

"They found something, didn't they?"

He took a seat and folded his arms. "I'm afraid so."

"Who was it?"

"Well, there were two so far, and they're looking for more. Erwin, Gabriel's brother was one of them."

"Oh, no. Poor Gabriel." Emily sighed and lay back on the pillow. "Poor Gabriel," she said again. "She has to be so upset." Tears filled her eyes when she realized that the other body must be Peter's.

"Do you know what happened?"

"A little. From what I gather, after the police talked to Gabriel, the theory is that when their father left their mother with five children to raise, Erwin got mixed-up with Schillings' drug ring in an attempt to help her out."

"Wow. So George was right."

"Right about what? The drugs? No, never mind I don't want to know."

"What's the problem? I'm okay, aren't I?"

"You call lying there wrapped up like a mummy, okay?"

"That's not what I meant. I'm sorry. Anyway... what about Erwin. Why'd they kill him?"

"They suspected he was stealing drugs from Schillings and selling them on the side."

Emily felt sick, guilty for not going to the police. "I knew something was wrong with Gabriel. And then I thought... Well, I thought there might be some other things going on too. I don't know, looking back, I see I was being more cautious than I should've been. Now it's too late." She closed her eyes and sighed. "That was so... stupidof me. I should've done something."

"Really, what could you have done? Erwin made his own choices. And if you wouldn't have been there they might never have found his body, or who knows how many more. Hear what I'm saying?"

She felt a chill and pulled up the covers, glancing over. "Yeah... I guess."

"That's it then. It's over. Now I think you should rest. You want me to roll down your bed?"

"No. I just took a long nap." Her head itched. She wondered when the doctor would take off her bandages.

Paul got up and went over to look out the window.

Emily watched him, glad that what she had thought of him wasn't true at all. Everything was so confusing.

"Paul," she said.

He went back and took a seat. "What is it?"

"It's just that in the last few days when I've been dozing and waking, everything's been such a blur, but I thought I saw. Or maybe it was just that I a I thought I heard..." She sighed and dropped her eyes. "Oh, forget it. I'm sure it was just a dream."

"You mean Doctor Michael Foster, don't you? The man you met on the train?"

"You mean he was here?"

"He came in to see how you were doing. Seems like a nice young man. Anyway, your doctor offered to let him assist in your care."

Just knowing he was there excited her. He led you on, silly girl... remember?

"I'm certain he'll be back," Paul said.

"It doesn't matter." Yet she hoped he would. "So, do I really look like a mummy?"

"Mm, just a little." He smiled and reached for a magazine from the nightstand. "But a very attractive one, I have to say."

"Oh sure, trying to take it back are you?"

"Absolutely not. Say, young lady. I think you've had enough excitement for today. So, I'll tell you what. I'm going to take that easy chair over there in the corner and look through this magazine while you rest."

He got up and started for the chair, but she reached for his arm. "I want to talk."

He stepped back, put down the magazine, and took a seat. "Okay. What would you like to talk about?"

"I'm just trying to understand a few things, like. Why are you going through all this trouble for me?" She noticed his jaw tighten. "What, am I gonna die or something?"

"Oh, don't be silly, you're fine."

"So then, what is it? Why are you here? Why do you even care?"

"Well... there is something that I've wanted to talk to you about... It's the letter you wrote to Samuel Dimsmoore. Do you still want to find him?"

"Of course I do."

Paul rubbed his hands together, clearing his throat, looking nervous. "Let me ask you something. Uhm..."

"Paul? What is it?"

"Okay, so this might seem like an odd question, but... did you ever tell anyone you didn't want to meet him... meet Samuel?"

"Nooo?"

"Oh, dear. Wow, okay then... so let's say if Samuel happened to be, let's say...a Negro, that wouldn't... matter to you?"

Now Emily laughed. "Why would you ask such a thing? I've let you hang around my room for days now, haven't I? Hey, wait a minute. How'd you know about Samuel? Did Donald tell you about the letter I sent him?"

Paul put a hand on the rail and pulled himself up. "Listen, Emily. I don't know why this is so difficult for me to say, but the truth is, that I'm Samuel. I'm Samuel Dimsmoore, and I'm..."

"You're Samuel?"

"I know, I know I should've told you sooner."

"Then why didn't you? Oh, my God, I can't believe this. Just when I trusted you."

He dropped his hand from the rail and slumped to the chair. "You have no idea how sorry I am."

"You should've told me right off and saved us all a bunch of trouble."

"Listen, Emily. Maybe it's no excuse, but I was told that you didn't want to see me because I'm...Well, because of my color."

"Who. Who told you that?"

"Maxine."

"Oooh that... woman. Oooh."

"I wasn't sure I believed her," Samuel continued, "not until I went to Schillings and saw your reaction to me."

"Oh... yeah," Emily said, embarrassed. "Okay, so I was a little upset with you for being there. That was because I expected to be in charge of the horses and the lessons. I thought Donald wanted you to spy on his help too."

"As a matter of fact, he did."

"So there you are. Don't forget how rude you were to me."

"That's because I wasn't sure I could trust your boss, and in the meantime you were going around doing just as you pleased. I was afraid you'd get yourself into trouble. No matter what I said, it seemed I couldn't get through to you. You can be stubborn, you know, and that frustrated me. In fact, I almost told you who I was a number of times. Remember the day I woke up and found your horse gone? Well, that was one of them."

"Really? But then, what about the traps? Why'd you set them on the neighbor's property? You nearly killed one of their dogs."

"Emily, I found those. Harold was bragging about the traps he set one day. I guess he used to hunt fur with an old guy that lived over the hill. I didn't have any idea what was going on, but I just knew it wasn't right, and so I went over and found as many as I could and took them to the barn."

"Oh, well... sorry for the way I acted."

"Me, too."

"Hey. Wait a minute. Y-you're Samuel."

"Yes, that's what I just said."

"You knew my mother."

"Yes, I knew her."

"So then..." Tears welled, her heart pounding. "Did you know my father, too?"

"Yes, I know him."

"You mean you knew him. Maybe you didn't realize, but he died too."

"Emily, your father isn't dead. He would've given his own life to save your mother's."

She fell back onto her pillow, tears rolling down her cheeks. "My father's alive? But, I aI can't believe this. So, do you know why he left me? Do you know where he is?"

"Emily, you're all worked-up. The Doctor's not going to like this one bit." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm afraid you need a rest. Tomorrow, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"How can I rest? Please, Paul. I a I mean Samuel. For once in my life, I want the truth. I want to know about my mother. I want to know where my father is. I want to know why he left me with my grandfather." She struggled to hold back a sob. "My grandfather never wanted me."

Samuel groaned, and leaned forward in his chair, wringing his hands. "I'm sorry, Emily. If I'd've known you were so unhappy, I never would've left you there..."

The blood drained from her face, and the shock left her cold. Her tears stopped. She couldn't look at him, wanting, and then again, not wanting it to be true. Her father alive the whole time... through the years of loneliness... through the years of rape and heartbreak... while she was killing a man, and running for her life.

Samuel stood and tried offering her water, but she pushed it away. "Emily, I've wanted so much to tell you."

Still, she turned away.

"Don't be angry, please."

She slammed a hand on the bed, pinching her eyes to hold back tears, trying to understand how they could've done this to her. How could Paul, or... or Samuel, her father, and all the rest of them have lied to her all these years?

Her lids flashed open. "Why did everyone lie to me? Just tell me that." She began to sob.

Samuel placed a box of tissues on the bed, and she grabbed with her free hand, dabbing, throwing them aside, grabbing more, sobbing as if she would never stop.

He tried to take her hand, but she pulled it back. He reached for it again and held tight.

"Please listen to me, Emily. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I didn't even know about you until you were two years old. As soon as I did, I went to see you."

Her sobs stopped, not sure what he'd said. But she wanted to hear more. "What did you say?"

"I went to Illinois and saw you out in the yard with your grandmother."

"You saw me with... Grandmother?" There were so many emotions pulling and pushing her every-which-way that she couldn't think straight.

Samuel reached back for the arm of the chair and lowered himself. "You both looked so happy. You were running with the dogs, tumbling on the grass and laughing. Your grandmother was sitting on the front steps, both of you enjoying yourselves so much, I just couldn't see me taking you away."

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth, wanting to stay angry. It was as if she wanted someone to pay for the pain. But... hadn't he gone all the way out there to see her? She lay for a few minutes taking long slow breaths and releasing years of pent-up emotions. Wasn't he sitting right there beside her by his own choice, with the same warm blood running through his veins as the blood in hers? When she could breathe again without trembling, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Grandmother and I were really happy back then. Us two together always made the best of things." She picked up the tissue box and dropped it back onto the bed. "She died when I was five."

"Oh, Emily. I didn't know. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."