CONVINCED I WASN'T going to kill them, Percy removed my chains. Convinced they were going to remove my chains, I decided not to kill them.
The Sheriff put his shotgun down and said, "Libby's not our prisoner, but there is a conspiracy of sorts."
He paused as if trying to find the best words.
"A bunch of us-the descendants-are helping her hide here."
"So eighty people are working together?"
"Maybe eighty."
"And you've managed to keep it a secret this whole time?"
"Till you showed up."
"How's it possible for that many people to keep a secret?"
"We're all related."
"What's she up to, that requires such secrecy?"
The Sheriff and Percy exchanged a look.
I dove in. "It's the healing power, isn't it?"
Percy said, "Told you he knew. That's why he was at the church, trying to talk to the elders."
I said, "I felt something myself and was trying to find out what it was. These old people were like statues at first, and then they started moving around. There were two guys in the van watching them. The driver made a phone call and you showed up in seconds. How'd you get there so fast?"
"We were already nearby, north on A1A."
"Guarding Libby?"
"Guarding her secret and making sure the elders got to her safely. We sometimes help with the driving."
"Tell me about the elders," I said.
"Libby's not a healer," the Sheriff said, "but she has the power to make people feel better. We're her people, and she's our blood. Of the roughly eighty descendants, there are fifteen or twenty older ones. Some are sick, some arthritic. When she's at the church, if we think it's safe, we bring them to see her. If we're not sure, we bring them to the church yard so they can be close enough for her to ease their pain."
"And you believe this."
"Doesn't matter if I believe it."
"Why's that?"
"'Cause you do."
Ignoring him, I said, "And where does Beth fit into all this?"
"Beth is one of us."
"Why hasn't she had any luck?"
"Luck?"
"Well, it seems the whole town is prospering, but Beth's husband died, she's losing money, her B amp;B's falling apart…"
"Libby doesn't bring good luck, she attracts good people."
I thought about that a minute.
"Like Dr. Carstairs?"
"Surely you've wondered how a rinky dink town like ours could land a nationally respected medical guy like Carstairs."
"You don't think his coming here had anything to do with the climate, the beaches, the friendly people, the desire to do something simple but meaningful?"
"You tell me."
"What do you mean?"
"You're a six billion dollar caretaker and part-time cook. Your girlfriend's a twenty-five million dollar waitress. You telling me you folks always had a desire to do something simple but meaningful before you visited our little town?"
"So you think Libby Vail summoned us?"
"Nope."
"Then what?"
"She summoned you."
"What, Beth couldn't find her own cook and caretaker locally?"
Percy laughed. "He just don't get it, does he?"
"Get what?" I said.
"Libby summoned you for Beth."
"You mean-"
"You're going to marry Beth."
I laughed. "You're insane!"
"Maybe."
"I'm with Rachel."
"Uh huh."
"Beth and I haven't exchanged fifty words together."
"Not yet."
"Well, if she's got a thing for me, why hasn't she said so?"
"Wouldn't be proper, long as you've got a girlfriend."
"This whole thing is crazy. I'm not even attracted to Beth in that way."
"Libby won't let you feel it till the time is right."
"So you're saying that the reason Beth's good fortune lagged behind the town's is that she was waiting on me to show up?"
"She probably didn't know it was you at first, but when you agreed to take care of the B amp;B she probably figured it out."
"So Libby's not only got the power to ease people's pain, she's also a matchmaker?"
"Ain't it the same thing?"