Skeleton Key (6 page)

“
What happened?” Marshall asked. But he was more concerned with Adrian’s anger than he was with the mess in his office.

“
I’ve been reading the company’s books. Are you keeping any secrets from me, Morty?”

Marshall saw his account ledgers in Adrian’s hand, and he knew he had been caught, so he confessed. As Marshall spoke, Adrian’s temper died down, and eventually he began to smile. Then he said, “You need to take care of this, Morty. What you’ve done is a crime. I could turn you in, and push you out of the business. Probably I’d bankrupt you, and possibly you could end up in jail. You and I are supposed to be
partners
. I won’t forget what you’ve done.”

Over the next many years, Marshall began embezzling from the company a little at a time—stealing money from the business—and then showing Adrian how he was “repaying” the large amount he had originally stolen. He began keeping two completely different sets of books. One set was legitimate, and one set of books was a masterpiece in creativity. However, trouble was just beginning for Marshall. Adrian had begun the process of
legitimately
spending
the company into debt. Whenever he was approached by Marshall about his exorbitant spending, Adrian would say, “Have I done anything
illegal
, Morty? Stealing is more
your
cup of tea, I’ve noticed. You’ll have to take care of it, won’t you?”

Marshall Mortonson, who was stealing money to pay back the money
he
had previously embezzled, was additionally being forced to figure out ways to cover the debt that his partner was creating. He began to underreport earnings and cheat on the company taxes. He was creating false vendor accounts and creating phantom employees who he then paid with false payroll checks. Adrian was enjoying life while he was basically blackmailing his partner into a life of crime. Occasionally, Marshall would sneak back into the depot “attic,” take another look at his duel set of books, and give thanks that Adrian Payne had been missing from his life for so many years. He had built the business back up once Adrian disappeared, and it was doing a profitable business once again. Still, he feared that someday his dirty deeds would be discovered. The consequences of that would be devastating.

Clay donned what looked to him like a miner’s cap, headlamp and all, and stood before Erika feeling kind of silly. Clay decided that Erika was the sexiest woman—even at 42 years of age— that he had ever seen. She was already making him smile and feel like a kid every time he looked at her. From the moment she’d opened her door, he could see that she had a zest for living that was missing in his own life. He, on the other hand, had spent the past year in near seclusion. She smiled a perfect smile and claimed to Clay that she was a speleologist. Clueless as to whether there was really such a thing, Clay cared only that he was actually very much looking forward to spending more time with her. They were standing at the mouth of Doghill-Donahue Cave in Bedford, Indiana.

A pried-open, grill-like filter spanned a huge drainage pipe that lay beneath a four-lane highway. It was through that drainage pipe that the couple would access the cave. It was a cold, blustery day. Erika told Clay that they would spend the next couple of hours spelunking, which meant they would be exploring the cave together. Clay anxiously had visions of Tom Sawyer trapped in the cave with Injun Joe, but decided to trust that Erika knew what she was doing if for no other reason than he was looking forward to the zest and the perfect smile.

Prior to their entry, she was meticulously checking supplies for the second time since they initially left Michigan. Headlamps, flashlights, ropes, and first-aid supplies were rechecked. At a shapely, sexy 110 pounds, she looked more like a woman about to head to the mall than someone about to embark on a journey through a dark, wet, muddy cave. Clay stared at the blue eyeliner that accented her sparkling eyes and wondered how someone so beautiful could be so adventurous, tough, and fearless. “You remembered to dress appropriately, right?” she asked.

“
Yep, polypro from neck to toes. Long johns, long sleeve undershirt, socks, hiking boots, everything. I’ve been sweating like a pig. Is it gonna be cold in there?”

“
The cave’ll be cool, but the polypro is mostly for when you get wet. Cotton’d be cold and miserable…polypro’ll keep you warm.” Erika paused and asked the question that Clay had been expecting ever since he told her in the car that he had the ability to control minds. “So if you look me in the eyes, you can control my mind?”

“
Yeah, and since high school, I’ve learned to read minds too.”

“
You’re looking at my eyes right now.”

“
But I’m just admiring, not controlling. Sorry, I can’t help but look,” Clay smiled and even blushed a bit.

“
Well, get a good look because in just a few minutes we’ll be engulfed in darkness and you’ll have no control over me.” She smiled a flirty smile. “As a matter of fact, you’d better do just as I say ’cause I’m the only one here who knows what to do once we get in there. Do you trust me?”

“
You make it sound kinda scary, but yeah, I trust you…I think.”

“
You don’t sound so sure. Follow me.” Smiling, as she always seemed to do, she turned on her flashlight and entered through the grating to start through the pipe. Clay eyed her perfect behind before inhaling a deep breath, letting out a long, satisfied sigh, and following her in.

Within a few steps into the drainage pipe, light became scarce so Erika switched the light switch on her helmet to the “on” position. Clay did likewise and flashlights were clicked off to save battery power. When they exited the pipe just seconds later, they were in the cave. Sculpted walls rose as much as thirty to forty feet overhead. A glance up revealed stalactites reaching down from the ceiling. It was cool inside the cave and no light was revealed at all, save the light from their helmets. It was dark and spooky. “
How will she know where to go…and how to get back out?”
Clay wondered.

“
You wanna know how I’m gonna keep from getting lost, don’t ya?”

“
What? Are you reading
my
mind?”

“
No,” she laughed. “That’s what
I
would be thinking, so why wouldn’t you? Would it bother you if I
could
read your mind?”

“
It doesn’t bother me for you to know that I’d rather not get lost, but if you knew what I was thinking while I followed you through the drainage pipe,
that
might be a little embarrassing.”

“
I
do
give quite a view from behind, don’t I?” she giggled as Clay’s mouth gaped open a bit. “See? I knew what you were thinking
then
too. All I had to do was deduce that
you
are a man, and that I look good in these jeans, and I kind of put ‘two and two together.’”

Clay laughed. “So you don’t mind that I can read and control minds?”

“
I can see how it could be a problem, unless you happen to be a trustworthy person. I mean, if I trusted you, and you
talked
to me, I think it’s something I could live with. I’d probably invest in a pair of dark sunglasses to put on when I planned to hide something from you,” she joked. “But I don’t think your problem is that you have a gift, Clay. I think you’re a person who lacks faith.”

“
Faith?”

“
Faith is the substance of things hoped for…the evidence of things unseen. You don’t seem to believe that God gave you your gifts for a reason, and you aren’t able to trust Him because you lack faith in what you can’t see. And you don’t trust that people in your life were put there for a purpose too. You try to make it through life all on your own, trusting only in yourself.”

Those were some pretty harsh words coming from someone that didn’t really know him, but it actually rang pretty true, and Clay didn’t seem to mind hearing it from Erika, so he decided not to try to defend himself.

They walked a short time in silence while they were making their way deeper into the cave. Finally Clay asked, “What makes you so sure?” The cave floor had been sloping downward, yet the impressive walls somehow seemed to be shrinking in size. The temperature was cooling a bit, but Clay was getting more of a chill from the conversation. What was Erika getting at?

“
You told me about your mind powers as we drove here. I said you were gifted, but you said you were cursed. A person of faith would believe there is a reason or purpose for his powers. Don’t you believe there is a way to use this gift for good?” While she was speaking, she began pulling rope from the bag she was carrying. They were approaching a twelve-foot barrier of solid rock. Erika instructed Clay to boost her to the top of the wall. Once she grabbed the top, she neatly vaulted over like a gymnast over a pommel horse. From the other side, she threw an end of the rope over to Clay’s side of the wall and instructed Clay to grab hold and use it to climb. Once Clay reached the top, he also dropped to the other side and Erika continued her conversation.

“
How many truly good personal relationships do you have?”“Well, my son and I are aware of each other’s powers. We have a lot in common and can talk about it…Maybe Zander Frauss. He specializes in the field of parapsychology so he understands me and seems able to accept me for who I am...I can’t think of anyone else.”

“
So you don’t trust that God gave you your powers for a purpose and you don’t trust other people enough to open up to them.”

“
I told
you
.”

“
Why is that? You said you ‘
think
’
that maybe you can trust me.”

Clay shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe I was hoping you would like me again…the
real
me. Flaws and all. I decided to take a risk, I guess. Plus Zander’s wife
said
I should trust you.”

Since dropping from the barrier, they had been walking down an open passageway under a high ceiling and between flat, tall walls. There was nothing jutting out and no difficulties in the path. They had simply been leisurely walking along when suddenly, as if in response to Clay’s answer, Erika said, “Let’s stop here.” Erika sat down and because she was Clay’s guide, he followed suit even though he wasn’t tired in the least. “You actually trust only in yourself, and that is
not
sufficient. Turn off your light.” Erika flipped off her headlamp, and Clay did as he was instructed. “It’s dark, isn’t it?” Even as she said it, Clay knew she was smiling again.

“
I can’t see my hand in front of my face. Wow…it actually
feels
dark. Is that possible?”

She ignored his question. “Take off your helmet and give it to me. Your flashlight too.”

“
Yes, Ma’am,” Clay replied in a weak attempt at humor.

“
You always handle your problems in your own strength. Am I right about that?”

“
I’m not sure that I understand what you’re asking me.”

“
I said you lacked faith. When you can’t see where you’re going, you flounder. You press on, but you can’t see the end, so you try to find the end in your own strength.” Erika paused giving Clay time to think. “After we climbed over that wall, as you might remember, we walked a short distance through a wide passage. Now all you have to do is walk back to that wall in the dark.”

“
But I can’t see
anything
.”

“
That’s right, but you remember the passage…I’m heading to the other end. I’ll wait for you there, but if you speak to me, I won’t answer. When you catch up to me at the end of the passage, I’ll give you back your light. Have fun,” she giggled, and she left Clay alone in the dark.

Clay stood and stretched out his hand, feeling for something…anything. What exactly he was reaching for, he was unsure. There was no noise and absolutely no light, and he was unsure what to do next. He took a couple of very hesitant steps with his hands stretched out before him. He swung his right arm slowly to the side and then his left arm, making no contact with anything at all. He stood still, wondering what to do next. He took a deep breath and tried to picture the passageway, but all he could visualize was utter blackness. His heart started to race and he wanted to call out to Erika. Instead he took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. He could do this. What was it, a hundred feet? Erika said she’d be waiting at the end of the passage, but the trouble was that Clay couldn’t see what was ahead of him, and he didn’t know how to get there. He actually began to feel betrayed that she would leave him alone to flounder.

Clay started sidestepping in miniature steps to his right. He held his right arm out to the side and gradually worked his way toward what he believed would eventually be a wall. Minutes passed as Clay slowly shuffled no more than ten feet to the flat rock wall surface. When his hand touched rock, his legs seemed to give out and he sank to the cave floor. From there he inched his way forward, putting all his weight on his left hand and his knees, his right hand never losing contact with the wall. The only noise he could hear was the scraping of his knees and the deafening sound of his breathing. Why couldn’t he seem to get any oxygen? Where was the end? Why was it taking so long? Was he lost? Was he in danger? How did Erika expect him to find his way without any guidance? But he pressed on alone, determined to find the end of the corridor.