Page 54 of Shadow of Death
“No, I don’t think she is,” Hunter said. “Trust me. I understand more about the Johnston family than most people.”
“Of course,” Amy murmured.
He shook his head. “And still after all I lived through, after all I’ve seen—we’ve seen now—it is hard to understand the human mind. Cults seem to offer the warmth, the friendship, the kindness, the belonging that people need. And there have been so many cases when people have gotten away, but many haven’t—because they came to realize if they didn’t go with the leader, they were in danger of being sacrifices or simply murdered as a warning to the rest of the members.”
“I think it really was like a light switch with Peggy,” Amy said. “I guess instinct kicked in or the simple depth of a mother’s love for her child.”
“They’ll still need a lot of therapy,” Hunter said.
“Right. So...”
Hunter and Amy nodded to the second agent in the hallway and stepped into Peggy’s room. While she would be placed under arrest for arraignment when she was released from the hospital, she had not been chained to her bed.
She was reclined but with the bed set up halfway between flat and raised. Her eyes were closed.
An IV was still attached to her arm.
She heard them and opened her eyes. She saw Amy and started to smile, saw Hunter behind her and sighed softly. “It’s you!” she said. “I... Thank you. You saved me. And Brian. I may not be worth it, but Brian is, and...”
“It’s all right. It’s over,” Hunter said.
“It’s not over. I have so much to apologize for!” she said. “It just...it just started out so good! Kids were never to bully kids. There were activities families did together. I never... How was I so sucked in?” Tears stung her eyes. “Violet has forgiven us! That’s a miracle, that’s true goodness! She’ll take wonderful care of Brian no matter what happens to me...and Bret. Whatever happens to us, we deserve. And I will accept it. But I am so grateful Brian is with Violet.”
“Peggy, we can’t tell you what attorneys and judges will do—and you and Bret may face some time, but thankfully, Magda didn’t die. And with real remorse, maybe sentencing won’t be harsh. Some believe we’re all the enemy, and anyone responsible for the loss of Mateus will burn into eternity,” Hunter said. “Some of your group just might wind up in mental facilities for the criminally insane. There could even be community service and probation—but don’t quote me on that because, again, Amy and I are not attorneys or judges.”
“We were just checking on you. How are you feeling?” Amy asked.
“They’re keeping me out of pain,” Peggy said. “I will be all right. I lost a lot of blood. They’re giving it back to me, bit by bit, and monitoring me. I don’t think I’ll be in here too long. And I’m so grateful. Again, I thank the two of you. They’re letting Violet bring Brian to see me! I want to see him so badly. I just pray he can forgive me!”
“He will forgive you,” Hunter said with certainty. “He loves you. And he knows you would have died for him. And trust me, that means a lot to a kid.”
“I just hope one day we can be a family again,” Peggy said.
“You’re still a family right now,” Amy told her.
“Peggy, I have a question for you,” Hunter said. “Violet mentioned she had met Mateus. And after a phone call, he said there had to be another meeting. Do you know who he was talking to or do you know... Was there someone he took orders from?”
“Orders,” she murmured thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it...yes. We were at a fair. Mateus was being great with several of the kids there. Then he excused himself and answered his phone. When he came back, he was talking about a meeting that needed to take place. I think he said we needed to perform a rite. So maybe someone did tell him the young woman needed to be taken and her sins needed to beabsorbedby others.”
“You have no idea who he might have been speaking to?” Hunter asked.
Peggy’s face knit into a mask of regret. “I’m so sorry. No.”
“But when you think about it, you agree he seemed to be taking orders from someone?”
“Looking back now, I’d say it was obvious,” she said quietly.
“All right, well, you take care,” Amy said. “And we’re glad you’ll get to see Brian.”
“He is truly everything,” she whispered, then smiled and waved as they left the room.
Their last stop was with Magda Kenward.
She was sitting up in bed, watching a movie on the television set on the opposite wall.
She greeted them with a quick smile.
“Thank you!” she said. “Thank you! Amy, you did come to check on me!”
