Friday, April 13, 2007

Truth or Lies?




Chapter Seventy-Eight
I looked at Adam and was stunned; it hadn’t occurred to me that he realized what Ryan and I thought. And he wasn’t upset about it at all; he figured that Ryan would get to the bottom of it.

Lissa left us soon after that and we did finally lie down and sleep a bit. In fact, I didn’t want to get up later; I could have easily slept the whole day hidden away with Adam. We planned to go out to dinner this evening, for Thai of course, and we were all looking forward to it.

Krista and Ryan seemed comfortable together, but I was sure that there hadn’t been any intimacy between them. There was a hesitancy still between them, unlike people who had been lovers. She was still young, and I wondered how Adam would handle things if she did turn out to be his daughter; I could easily see him as being rather overbearing as the father of a daughter.

The evening went well, and we didn’t get to bed until midnight. Krista stayed in the family room, and in the morning I still believed that nothing had occurred between them. They were both still too uptight.

Lissa left after breakfast, and I got Adam and myself packed. When we went shopping for his coat we had also bought sweaters and some warmer things for him, so we had to get all that ready to go. Eventually we got it all into the bags, and then we were off to the airport. Bobby was going to stay at Wendy’s tonight, but would be coming back to my house tomorrow.

The flight back to Dallas was quiet, although there was a huge knot in my stomach. Adam was again reading the script; we had 4 days of shooting before leaving for Italy, and I knew they were all dreading it; the pace would be furious.


Krista had driven our car to the airport and left it in long term parking overnight. We got the bags into it and we all fit in pretty tightly. Krista was staying right down the street from us, so we dropped her off and headed home. All was quiet in the condo; nothing appeared to have been disturbed. It didn’t feel like coming home, though; there was no joy in it at all.

Ryan told me that he had some news and I said, “Ryan, you might as well say it in front of Adam; he already suspects as well.” He raised his eyebrow at that, but after we all grabbed a diet Coke we went to sit in the living room and talk.

“Little Elk tracked down a birth certificate for Krista. She was born in Utah; her parents were Brandon Marshall and Victoria Kristina Marshall. Adam, does that name sound familiar to you? Vicki maybe, or Kris?”

“No, it does not. Not at all, in fact.” He spoke quietly, and I was positive he was a bit saddened by Ryan’s words.

Ryan sat there and nodded his head, thinking about that. “Well, her mother married Brandon in Pindalossa in 1982 and they moved away shortly after that. Her mother died in Pindalossa two years after Krista was born. She apparently committed suicide; she had always been a troubled and unhappy girl. Brandon apparently kept track of Krista and did come to visit her once but provided no support and showed no interest in her. Neighbors in Pindalossa gave us this information. So Krista was apparently right; her father did not want her, but that father isn’t you, Adam. Brandon himself is dead; he died 4 years ago from cancer, still in Utah.”

“Well, okay, that’s a dead end,” I stated, but when I looked at Adam’s sad face I continued. “Adam, we’ll find her; she’s out there, she has to be.”

He nodded silently again and rested his head on the back of the couch, his eyes closed. He took a couple of deep breaths and then said, “Okay then. What’s next?”

“Adam, we need you to give us every bit of information about Penny that you can remember, and any other women who might have been a possibility. It’s very important that you remember as much as possible.” Ryan pulled the inevitable notebook out and began taking notes as Adam talked.

“Her name was Penny Kelly, and she was 22 when I met her. I never really knew where she was born, but I knew she had lived in Oregon with her ex-husband before coming to California. I think she might have had a sister, but I’m not sure of that. We were only together a year, and she had apparently been a real vagabond before that. That’s really all I know. We didn’t either of us talk about our pasts too much.”

Ryan wrote everything down about Penny and the two other girls that Adam mentioned. One of them, Elizabeth Potter, seemed like a possibility, I thought hopefully. She and Adam were together for almost two months. She was an archeology major in college when they met. Since she was in graduate school, a lot of her time was spent in digs around the world, and the last time he had seen her she was headed for South America. They had ended the relationship on pretty good terms, and Adam said that neither one of them had had any expectations about it. In fact, he could have seen her not contacting him if she were to be pregnant; she was very independent. But it didn’t seem like much. Ryan told us he would start checking it all out tomorrow, and we all went to bed.

Those 4 days were excruciating. Two nights we didn’t get home until midnight, but they got everything done. I stayed at home the last day and got everything packed and ready to go because we left for Italy at 10:00 am the next morning. The production company had hired a jet to take the cast and crew over; those who were going, that is. There were about 20 of us, and most moved like zombies onto the plane that Friday morning because the night before had been one of the late nights. Many of the crew would be local Italians, many of the same ones that they had used the first time they shot there. It was a complicated matter to get it all arranged, building permits and such, crew, places to stay, and hired cars all took up a lot of someone’s time.

But soon we were jetting away and out over the blue Atlantic on our way to Italy.

 



*******************

 



We landed at the airport in Vicenza at 3:30 am local time, or in other words, 9:30 pm our time. We had stopped in England for fuel and a brief layover where we ate dinner. Adam managed to sleep for several hours over the Atlantic, but I was too excited to be going back to Italy to sleep at all. A bus took us all to the hotels where we would be staying. Adam was back in the same one as before, the Hotel Continental, in a different suite, though. Lyle and Paul were both at the same hotel, as were the other cast members and Sunni, Krista, and several other assistants. William was staying with friends as he did the last time. The next day no one was working; Lyle realized that everyone needed a bit of time and since that was Saturday, that meant that filming didn’t start until Monday, and Adam and I planned to take advantage of the free time.




We both slept off and on all day Friday. Ryan was in a room that had a connecting door into our suite and I think he wandered in and out several times, checking on us. I called Mom, Lissa, and Derek and let them all know that we were here but didn’t talk too long. I also called Cassie and she giggled, remembering the first time I had called her. She sounded wonderful; she was in her own home, and I wondered if she had a house guest. But I didn’t ask because I knew she would tell me when she was ready.

Adam talked to Tamara and the boys very briefly before we had dinner that first evening. When room service brought dinner up, Adam had them set it up near the balcony. It was too cold to eat outside; in fact it was very cold. The waiter said it was the coldest winter they had had in 25 years. They even had some snow a few days ago he said, obviously scandalized by that fact. But we looked out the broad balcony doors and could see the indigo sky with its brightly twinkling stars, and it was somehow enough for us, just to know that we were back in this lovely city where we first met almost 3 months ago.

I don’t know what Ryan did that night, but we didn’t see him any more, and neither of us was unhappy about that. After dinner we took our bottle of wine and our glasses and went into the bedroom. There wasn’t a large tub to bathe in; in fact, there was no tub at all, but there was a very nice shower and we took advantage of it, making love passionately, with eager caresses and a quick fulfillment of our desires. But of course it only slaked our hunger briefly, and after getting into the bed and having a bit more wine, our minds and bodies once again turned to passion to occupy us.

Slowly and tenderly we caressed one another, sharing long and sensual kisses that went on and on. His hungry mouth devoured mine, his tongue driving in and out of my mouth until I was dizzy with desire.

I felt the warm rush of wetness dampen the curls between my legs, and I waited impatiently to feel his caresses. His mouth traveled down my body, devoting lots of attention to the aching tips of my breasts and driving me wild. I begged him to take me, telling him how badly I needed him inside me, but I realized he had other plans when I felt his mouth kissing me in that wet valley of passion.

His hands gently opened me, and his tongue delved deeply into me, stroking me lovingly and then suckling gently. His tongue brought me release very quickly and he entered me then, feeling my body contract around his eager hardness, the contractions pulling him into me greedily.

His mouth found my own again as his hands found mine, our fingers intertwining as our mouths drank hungrily of one another’s. He started moving inside me then, and I wrapped my legs around his so that he might thrust deeply into me. I was throbbing and aching for him as he penetrated the depths of my aroused body over and over.

Our kiss went on and on until just before we both came; he looked at me then, our eyes locked as we both found our pleasure. Our bodies moved of their own accord then, driven by some primitive beat of their own making, as we both cried out our releases. We clung to each other as our bodies shuddered and contracted together until finally we were still and gasping for breath.

We fell asleep quickly after that and didn’t wake until morning, when we made love yet again before showering and getting dressed. I went out onto the balcony, but I couldn’t see the mountains as our hotel was downtown. But the sights before me were very Italian; the colors and scents could be nowhere else in the world.





 



*******************

 



The weekend passed very quickly, and work got started bright and early Monday morning. They hoped to get everything shot in two weeks, and they had a vigorous schedule ahead of them. Our lives quickly adapted to it all, and there was very little spare time. I often talked with Ryan while the shots were filmed, and he said that no new clues were to be found about Penny. It was almost like she hadn’t really existed. They found Elizabeth, married and living in San Francisco, teaching archeology. She assured them that she didn’t have a child, not by Adam or anyone else. The other woman couldn’t be found.

The cast and crew were all pushed almost past their endurance, especially those last few days. Tempers were close to erupting constantly, and angry words could often be heard. Adam’s last scene did not go well. They had worked on it for two days, and it seemed that nothing could please Lyle. After the 45th take, Adam blew up and walked off, saying he needed some time. Ryan wasn’t around at that moment, so he didn’t see where Adam went. I decided to just give him a little space; chances are he would walk for awhile and wear off some of his anger.

Lyle realized they had all had enough and called a halt to the shoot for the day. Everyone went back to the hotels, and I waited for Adam to come back, but he didn’t. Ryan was very worried, and that affected me, so then I was worrying too. We talked to Lyle to see if Adam had contacted him to talk about the situation, but Lyle hadn’t seen or talked with him since he walked away. Ryan looked at me, and I started crying.

“This isn’t like him, Ryan, it’s not. Something is wrong; I feel it.”

Ryan nodded his head in agreement and called Little Elk in Dallas to tell him what was going on. It had been 5 hours since we had seen Adam.

I called Tamara to find out if she had talked to Adam, but she hadn’t so all I succeeded in doing was alarming her as well. I sat and worried, turning down some dinner when Lyle stopped in and tried to get some for me.

They tried to run a GPS track on Adam’s phone and couldn’t locate it. That meant trouble, I knew. Whoever had him had destroyed his phone, and we couldn’t find him. Police from Vicenza came then, and Ryan and I both spent hours telling them about the case, everything that had happened. They put out a bulletin for Adam and considered him a missing person, but that was no comfort to me.

All I could think of was how much I loved him and that we hadn’t yet had our chance in life, not really. We were supposed to get married and live happily ever after, weren’t we? I loved him so dearly; he had stood by me though so much, and I had learned what trust was, and more importantly what faith was. I learned too that I didn’t have to surrender myself in order to love someone; that I could still be me and be loved. I constantly sent fervent prayers to God to bring him home safely to me.

Ryan went with the Italian police to their headquarters to try to organize a search for Adam. I decided to stay at the hotel in case he came back. I dozed fitfully for awhile, and around 2:00 am I got up to go to the bathroom and found a note lying on the floor in front of the door. I didn’t hesitate for a moment before picking it up and reading it.

Lovers are parted
death takes its toll
on their lives
From two different houses
love cannot abide
death becomes the only
Friend, not time

I went crazy for a couple of minutes, screaming and crying, before I thought to call Ryan and read him the note. He said he would be back to the hotel as quickly as they could get him there.

And then there was a loud pounding on my door. My heart stopped, thinking it must be Adam, that he had lost his key, and I opened the door ready to throw myself into his arms, but it was Krista instead.

“Sarah, I have to tell you something. I need your help and you need mine. But we have to leave right now.” She looked at me pleadingly and then again urged, “Now, Sarah. We have to find Adam!” and I was rushing out the door with her then, forgetting my coat, my purse, and my phone in my haste to catch up with Krista who was running down the stairs. All I had was the note clenched tightly in my hand, almost unnoticed.

“Krista, wait. What is going on?” I yelled as we hit the deserted lobby of the hotel.

“I’ll explain what I know on the way. We have to find Adam. They’ve got him, I know it.”

We were outside and getting into a car. “Who has him, Krista? Who, goddammit?” I screamed at her and then grabbed her hand to keep her from starting the car.

She started crying then in earnest, and I let go of her hand. She started the car and pulled out of the parking space, the tears running in torrents down her face. She hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand; a childlike gesture, but it only chilled me. She knew something about all this, and I wanted to know as well.

“Where are we going, Krista? And who has him?” I tried to keep my voice calm, hoping that might encourage her to talk.

“I – I don’t know where to look, Sarah. I’ve been looking for hours, but I don’t know where he could be,” she cried.

“Okay, but who has him, Krista?”

“Sunni and Uncle Curtis.”

Sunni, the one person I have never suspected? I found that unbelievable. “Why do they have him, Krista? You have to tell me.”

“They want him to die for hurting my mother, for making her kill herself.” I could see she was gripping the steering wheel tightly even in the feeble light of the dashboard.

“Who was your mother, Krista?”

“Victoria Marshall,” she answered, looking at me in the dim light.

“Adam didn’t know anyone by that name, Ryan and I asked him.”

“When she was little my grandpa called her Penny,” she told me. “Be – because she was always bright like a penny, he told me. I think she probably used a false name to keep Brandon from finding her.”

I sat there in astonishment. So she was Penny’s and Adam’s daughter; Ryan and I had been right. My head was spinning with it all. But I still didn’t understand what Krista was doing; I didn’t even know if she wanted Adam dead as well as Sunni and her uncle.

“Krista, why do you want Adam hurt? He never knew about you.”

“I know he didn’t. I didn’t know until a couple of years ago myself. Honest, Sarah, I don’t want him hurt. I got the job on this movie so I could get to know him. I just wanted to know my dad,” she cried, great sobs shuddering through her small body. “I just wanted to know him.”

My heart ached for her then, and maybe I was a fool but I believed her, that she didn’t want him hurt. “Okay, Krista, why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me everything?”

“Mom ran off with Brandon when she was sixteen. They got married by lying to some justice of the peace about her age, and they ended up in Oregon. She was pretty happy for awhile; she and Brandon lived sort of a bohemian kind of lifestyle. Brandon was a musician and played for tips at local clubs in Coos Bay. Mom learned to play the guitar and sing a bit as well, but she mostly just waited tables at different restaurants, or they wouldn’t have been able to live. Brandon’s tips weren’t bad, but he smoked a lot of pot, and most of his money went for that. But she loved him and stuck by him, even when he was arrested for selling marijuana. He served almost a year in jail before he got out. They went to Utah then, but before she knew it he was back selling and smoking pot all the time, and eventually he was caught again and put in prison for 3 years. She didn’t like Utah very much, so she left and eventually found herself in LA, working at a restaurant there. That’s where she met Adam; he worked there too.”

We had pulled over into an empty parking lot, which was a good thing. She couldn’t possibly focus on driving while telling this story.

She took a couple of deep breaths before continuing her story. I watched her lick her lips as she began talking again.

“She really liked Adam, and he seemed so mature compared to Brandon. He held down a job, all the while going to auditions. He even got a few acting jobs, and she knew that he was good; that someday he would make it big. She moved in with him and for awhile it was okay. She met his parents and tried to convince him to go back to Africa with them, but he wouldn’t go. He told her it was a sad place and that people died all the time there and there wasn’t anything you could do to help them because their own governments wouldn’t let you. That disappointed her a lot; she was slowly getting tired of always working and not going anywhere. She would try to get Adam to go places with her, but he was always working one job or another. She was very unhappy at the end. And then she heard through mutual friends that Brandon was out of prison and back in Coos Bay. She called him one day, and she decided to go back to him, so she just left. She didn’t leave Adam a note or anything because she didn’t want him to try to find her. She had never really loved him, and she had never really stopped loving Brandon.

She had been back with Brandon for a month when she realized she was pregnant, and a trip to a clinic proved it. And it had to be Adam’s baby, not Brandon’s. He let her stay, and eventually he got the idea of going back to Utah, this time to supposedly run a club with some buddies from prison that were there. So they left Oregon and moved back to Utah.

She hated it there, Sarah, she truly did. And the people that Brandon hung out with scared her. She knew they were still involved with drugs, and when she asked Brandon about it he told her it was none of her business, that since she came back with another man’s brat in her belly she didn’t have any say in what happened. She gave birth to me a month later and decided she couldn’t take it anymore. She called grandpa and grandma and asked if she could come home.

Grandpa drove all the way to Utah to pick her and me up, and he took us home to Pindalossa. But she was very unhappy there, too. She used to talk to Aunt Sunni and Uncle Curtis all the time about how unhappy she was. Pindalossa is a very small town and there isn’t much going on there. Mom needed something different. I don’t know what exactly, but something. Aunt Sunni was 10 years younger than my mom, and Uncle Curtis was 2 years younger than my mom. Both of them idolized her and had missed her a lot while she was gone. And finally one day, Mom couldn’t handle any of it, her new life or the memories of her past, and she killed herself. Uncle Curtis found her in the barn, where she had hung herself from the rafters. I don’t think he has ever been the same, or at least Sunni says that. But her death almost killed the whole family; that much is true.”


Her tears had dried by this time, and we sat there in silence for a few minutes. I was thinking about all this and how it tied into what was happening now. And then Krista began to speak again, and I had many more answers.

“I found my mom’s journals two years ago and read all this. Sunni never could let it go. All though the years as I was growing up I heard how terrible Adam was, that he never wanted me. I don’t remember Brandon coming to see me, and the truth was, he didn’t understand that the family knew that he wasn’t my father. He wanted to get money from them in exchange for letting me stay with them. Grandpa showed him the road with his shotgun, I guess, but at any rate we never heard from him again.

“Adam became more and more famous, and Sunni and Curtis got even angrier. The stayed informed on where he was and what movies he was going to make next. Then Sunni got a job on Mark Bonner’s film and got a little experience. And when they started looking for crew for Lyle’s movie, she got hired on. It was odd because I also got hired on after I found out that she was going to be on this film. I figured I could do two things, get to know Adam and keep an eye on her at the same time.

“Honestly, Sarah, I didn’t know what she was doing at first. She was poisoning his tea, just enough to make him ill and irritable. She wanted to make him look bad in everyone’s eyes, but you know what? He never did; he always stayed so nice even though it was apparent he wasn’t feeling well. And then he met you and she was furious.

“She set everything up so she could control things. But all I knew was that things seemed to be going fine. And then I heard about the incident in Pisa, and I knew she had been involved in it.”

Something occurred to me then and I finally had one answer. I remembered the smell: it was Sunni’s sunblock, the one she used constantly. Krista went on with the story then.

“I got scared then, so when a script had to be delivered to Adam in Florence, I volunteered to go. Sunni laughed at that, at my attempts to get to know Adam. I tried to warn you both that day, you know,” she told me and I nodded. I remembered her words, but at the time they really hadn’t meant that much.

“Everything got worse when you got home. Curtis was following you and your friend from the airport when the accident happened. He didn’t cause it, Sarah, really, but he pulled over and found your purse and took it. He broke into your house a couple of times I think, poisoning your tea. I finally realized they were determined to hurt you both, or at least Adam.”

“That’s how she knew about where I was and why she helped him,” I told Krista. “She told Adam she had a brother on the Dallas police force, and that was how she found out what had happened to me so quickly!”

“Yes, and actually Curtis was a Dallas cop a few years ago. That’s how he got the security job, I think.”

“The security job?” I asked.

“Yes. At the condo complex. Sarah, I wanted to say something, but they told me that if I did they would kill Adam or you. That they were only toying with you and would tire of it soon enough. By the time they had killed Rachel I knew they were serious, but they told me I would be an accessory then and would go to jail. I’m so sorry, but I was scared and then Ryan was there all the time and I thought you’d both be safe. But I was wrong and now they have Adam and I don’t know where!” she cried.

I sat there trying to take it all in. So Mr. Keaton was Uncle Curtis, I guessed. No wonder he always gave me the creeps. I tried for a minute to think like Sunni and realized that was impossible. “Krista, do you have any idea where they might take him?”

She shook her head miserably. “No, I don’t. I don’t know Italy well at all, so I have no idea. It would probably have to be someplace sort of secluded, don’t you think? But that could be anywhere, Sarah!”

“Did you know she gave me one last note a little while ago, Krista?” I asked.

“No, I didn’t. What did it say?” she asked, her voice trembling.

I held it up and asked her to turn the overhead light on and then I read it to her. “Does that mean anything to you, Krista?”

“No, it doesn’t. It’s weird though, and I know there is a message in it. Lovers and death and I don’t have a clue what that business about two houses divided means. It’s gibberish really.”

I thought about it and then it all made sense to me. I knew, or at least I thought I knew, exactly where they were. And if I was given that message it meant that they wanted me there, probably to kill along with Adam, if he was still alive.

“Krista, I know exactly where they are. But the problem is, can I find it?” I pondered for a long moment our destination. During daylight it is easily seen, but at night it would be sheer luck if I found it. Which means, I hoped anyway, that they didn’t expect us until daylight. We had probably 3 more hours of darkness to get there without being seen. “Okay, Krista, let’s go. Pull out of this parking lot and turn right.”

She did and we headed north, toward the mountains. And as luck would have it, I spotted a store I used to shop at and knew where we needed to turn. After we got into the neighborhood, it was only a matter of time before I would spot the sign that would point the way. We found it, and I had Krista stop the car and turn the lights off.

It was too dark to try to navigate the twisting and winding road that led up the hill without lights on, and they might see the lights if we used them. So we would have to walk it. I didn’t have a coat and I knew it would be cold, but I was going anyway.

Krista looked at the sign and read in faltering Italian: Romeo e Guiletta Castelli. “Romeo and Juliet’s castles?” she asked.

“Yep,” I told her. “Lovers parted, two houses divided? The Montagues and Capulets? Any of that ring a bell?”

“Well, yeah, but that was just a story. And these apparently are real castles, aren’t they?”

“Don’t try to tell the Italians it was just a story, because to them it is real. And yes, up on that hill are two castles and a church. Romeo’s castle was a tavern the last time I saw it, but Juliet’s castle was abandoned and not in very good repair. But it has a very high tower on one corner of it and probably a dungeon as well. And there are no houses up there so it’s pretty quiet. So come on, Krista, let’s go.”

“Can’t we drive up?” she asked, looking up at the long and winding road that led upward.

“No, they might see the headlights. We gotta walk.” And I started out at a brisk pace, partly because of my eagerness to find Adam and partly because of the cold. The temperature had to be in the mid 30’s, and it was too cold to stand around.

She followed me without question, and although it took half an hour, we made it to the top of the hill. We were both panting heavily as we looked around; it was very dark, and we could see the outline of both the castles, but only dimly. There was no moon tonight, which was a good thing for us, and thankfully we were both wearing dark clothes. I nodded to the right, indicating that that was Juliet’s castle, and started walking towards it. There weren’t really any trees around for cover, so we were very exposed if they were watching. I could only hope that it was like I wanted; that they thought we would come in the daylight.

We got up next to the castle wall, and I leaned against it to try to catch my breath. The stones were icy cold, and I imagined Adam in there somewhere, cold and alone. I refused to believe he was dead. I knew that I would be able to feel it in my heart if he wasn’t alive.

It had been too many years for me to remember where the entrance was, if in fact we had even gone in to begin with. But we finally found a place where the wall had crumbled away and stepped into the castle itself. It was even darker in here, and all we could do was cautiously pick our way through the debris.





Farther down the hall I saw a light, and we headed toward it. It was pale to be sure, but it was coming from under a door. We crept closer and heard a voice, a male voice, and Krista whispered that it was her Uncle Curtis’ voice. And then we heard Sunni as well. We couldn’t understand what they were saying, but we decided that if they were talking to each other, Adam must be somewhere else, so we kept hunting for him, cautiously trying door handles to see if we could get in.

We found a stairway down and carefully felt our way down those stairs. We heard things rustling around us and stayed as close together as we could. We seemed to be in some sort of large room right now, and I softly called out “Adam?” but there was no reply. As we felt our way along a wall, I felt a hasp on a door. It was locked, but the key was in the lock, and I turned it and it sprung open easily. We entered the room and I called again, “Adam?” and I heard his sharply indrawn breath.

“Sarah, what the hell are you doing here? How did you find me?” And then I found him and sat down next to him on the cold floor and held him close. Krista followed closely and sat down as well. Adam said, “Is that you, Ryan?”

“No – no, it’s Krista,” she said and I heard her voice catch with emotion. “Oh, thank God you’re safe, Adam.”

And then behind us Sunni laughed and said, “Well, maybe not so safe after all!”



Copyright 2006 Cynthia Hope Hodge



58 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, Hope! This is a good day---Friday...Payday...sitting at work with some chicken hot wing dip and garlic bagel chips (yeah, not so much the breakfast of champions!), and reading this roller coaster of a blog! I'm not sure I can wait until Monday, but as always, will do my best. I know I've said it before, but this is the BEST blog! And I'm following directions right now to get logged on to the message boards!

Anonymous said...

i knew it was sunni, man i cant wait to see what happens next, this blog just makes my day.....great job hope!!!!!!!!!!

Jaime said...

Great post!! This is going to kill me waiting for Monday!! This will be the longest weekend ever, I don't think I have ever looked forward to Monday this much!! lol
Hope everyone has a wonderful day and even better weekend!

Jaime

Anonymous said...

Hope,

Yet another great entry! Can't wait for the end and at the same time dreading the ending.

New site is great but for this technically challenged person might take awhile to figure things out! Great job to you and G-Man.

Everyone have a great day and wonderful week-end!!

Jackie

x5head3pay said...

I am glad Krista is turning out to be a good person. I never suspected Mr. Keaton. They probably would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids (Where was the Mystery Machine & Scooby Doo when you need them?) LOL....

I have decided that I am not awake yet OR am still in Richland land because I can't find the messageboards on the new site. I would like to think that I am in Richland land...

Katie

Hope said...

Okay Katie, what you do mean by 'can't find the message board'? That you can't get the email address to work or you can't find the site?

Engbunny said...

When I log in, I takes me to a blank screen. However, I am registered so I am thinking it is just glitch that will get fixed.

Loved the post! Monday is going to be a long time coming!

Hope said...

Laurie - I'll let G-man know that. I wonder if that is what Katie is finding.

It's going to take a bit of figuring out that's for sure.

DayDreamer said...

Oh Wow, I'm so excited and so sad at the same time. I don't want this to end. I love this blog.

I'm going to register for the message boards right now!!

Anonymous said...

AHHHHH!! Why didn't they call Ryan before going out there?!?!?!? I hope Sarah has him on speed dial, and can feel the numbers on her phone in her pocket or something!

I am a bit in shock!! Wow! There was always something very odd about the way she was ALWAYS happy though! Have we met Curtis before, or is Krista just introducing him? I don't remember...

D

Anonymous said...

Hope,

Just wanted to let you know that I registered on your new site and did the test signature and it seemed fine. Still trying to navigate around the site though and see how to do things but I am sure that will come with trial and error.

Jackie

Anonymous said...

WOW! It was sort of a shock, but not completely.

Hey D, when Sarah left the room it said all she had was the note in her hand. do you suppose they mean that she doesn't have her phone? I don't think we have met Curtis.

Anonymous said...

I agree with D. I was ready to scream - Call Ryan! Why didn't she call before going into the Castle? Let's just hope she has her cell phone so they can trace it. Or it is atleast in the car.

Twinkie2

Hope said...

Lynne's birthday is tomorrow everyone, I forgot to mention that. This will be the first time she has ever had a birthday when a blizzard was expected! LOL

Also, her internet is not up today, so she won't be able to receive messages. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Mehreen said...

Wow, definately thought it was Sunni...I was curious about that security guy who always butted in, but didn't really think he was involved, what a story!

Anonymous said...

Hope
I am dumb and dumber but what is icq number and aim address? I'm trying to register and not sure what that is.
I know I'm making this harder than it is.

Sara didn't take her phone with her when she ran out. Talk about dumb..lol

S

Anonymous said...

To help a couple of you!
Laurie once you register you need to check your e-mail once more and click on the link in the e-mail to get to the boards the first time then just book mark it!

D & Tigger, yes we have 'met' Curtis. He was the security guard at the place that Adam and Sarah were staying at in Texas.

Anonymous said...

Please....not the ending...not yet! Can't we have a few more romantic dinners, a walk in the chilly air... I hope there's a sequel!

Thanks, Hope! I am registering on your site right now.
K.

Anonymous said...

S, I know I'm not hope but ICQ is an instant message service and an aim address is the web address to an aim page if you have one. An aim page is sort of like Myspace, facebook, etc.

Shar said...

Wow! Sarah was pretty brave to go along with Kristi. I mean, Kristi could have been in on the whole thing too.

I'm sad the story is almost over, but I still can't wait for the next post!

Anonymous said...

Exciting!!! Silly Sarah for running out without her cell phone or anything else! Wouldn't Krista have hers? Hope, you write the most incredible love scenes. They surely NEVER have to do any other type of exercise!! lollol

I am now attempting to follow the directions (kind of like the yellow brick road)...see you on ther other side (oops, I mean site)

Becky

kmorales4 said...

OMG, I feel antsy now. What an action packed post. Cant' wait till Monday.

Anonymous said...

I cant believe its almost over. I have read from the very first day, (but havent posted much)

I cant wait to read Adams version!

Anonymous said...

Wow, hope I definitely didnt see this coming......... Sunni & Krista related and Sunni is the one behind it all. Never would have guessed this. Great Entry and I can't wait for monday!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Sarah dear, what were you thinking, leaving without your CELL PHONE! Silly girl!

Lovely Hope, please give us a few more posts! I'm dyin' over here in Nebraska!!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Charlotte

Anonymous said...

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! :) I had a nice relaxing night at home with the boyfriend. We watched 'The Holiday'...If you guys haven't seen it you should go out and rent it!!!

Hope- This is really good!! Getting better and better every day! I can't wait until Monday!!! You really know how to leave us hanging!


Beth- I live in MN too...I have lived here my whole life. (23 years) I don't remember snow in April ever! My parents said the year I was born we had 2 feet of snow on April 30th! Gotta love MN huh? Luckily the snow is melting and it is starting to get nice out now!! :)

Lisha

Kristin said...

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!

I purposely didn't look too closely at the clues toward the end, because I wanted to be suprised, and still....

I'm excited, thrilled, and depressed to tears now that our little adventure is coming to a close. But knowing the damsel in distress is going to end up saving her knight in shining armour is WAY COOL!!!!

Hope, thanks for making the past several months a pleasant interlude for all of us! We are definitely on the Hopie train to the new website!

Oh, and Happy Friday all! Happy B-day to Lynn, and I'm defintely feeling a boozapalooza under the table for lunch! Tigger and Hope where are ya'!!!LOL

Hope said...

Hey!

Been busy watching the message board. It seems as if it's going pretty smoothly, so I hope no one is having too many problems.

I think I want an icy cold beer for lunch and I'm sure G-man would agree. We may get him under the table yet! lol

Hope said...

I forgot to mention earlier that G-man will be doing a FAQ for the message boards, so that may help a great deal!

tita said...

I couldn't register!!!
I sent the e-mail and it came back to me!!
Please help me!!
XOXO

Anonymous said...

man i am so confused. thats what i get for not being good with computers. i sent a blank email. didnt know if i should write anything, lol! cant believe its sunni and the security guard! i dont know why but i never really thought sunni. it all meakes sense now. and there were a lot of clues. i love this blog and hate to see it end! two more posts left. alright now i gotta figure out how to use this message board thing!
~rachael

Anonymous said...

i got two messages that said to confirm. guess i'm special lol.

Anonymous said...

Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God.......!!!!!
Seriously, me = speechless!!!
But I have to warn you Hope, if something happens to Adam or Sarah I will never forgive you!!!!!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

ok i got it finally but now i'm having the same problem that engbunny is. i tried to reply and had to log in and when i did it just went to a blank page. does it everytime i try to log in but it says i am registered.

Anonymous said...

That was AWESOME!!! Great job Hope and Happy Birthday Lynne. A blizzard...stay safe and warm. We are just expecting rain tomorrow in Louisiana.
carrie.

Anonymous said...

Sarah did read the note to Ryan before Krista came knocking, so holding breath that he figures it out asap!! I hope nothing happens to Krista for telling Sarah.

Kate

Lynne said...

Hi all!

Im back!

Ok, G-man said for me to let you all know that the blank screen could be a pop up blocker or slow internet connection. They are working on the problem.
Tita, we are thinking that your problem might be related to where you are. I am going to have g man check into that as soon as possible.

As this is the first day, things are bound to be a problem, and Friday the 13th of course does not help lol. Please be patient. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will try to help. My mother is swamped. Lynne

tita said...

I hope Krista is really sincere and not playing a part in Sunni's plan
LOL
XOXO

Anonymous said...

OK, I'm just back from registering on the new site. I'm so excited about it. :-)

Now, regarding the story .... AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Hope said...

I'm seeing most of you turning up on the message boards! Yeah! For some of us (Me leading the pack) it is quite an accomplishment to figure it out.

However, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at hope@hopesjournesys.com or g-man@hopesjourneys.com if you are feeling uncomfortable or are still having problems. We are trying to get to all the problems as quickly as possible. And Lynne is helping too, you can contact her as well.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer
Thanks, yes it did help. I finally got registered.:)

Anonymous said...

Ok, I am all registered. Question: Is there a way to get to the message boards from the web site?

Awesome post today. I am on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen. I hope Krista wasnt setting Sarah up!! I thought Sunni was too good to be true!!

Ahh, how can sunni & curtis blame Adam. It's not his fault Penny left him and never told him about their daughter....

Can't wait for monday!!
Nicole

Hope said...

Hi Nicole!

Saw you on the boards! Yay!

When the regular site comes live there will be a button on the quick links menu to the boards. I think you can also get there from:
http://hopesjourneys.com/phpBB

Anonymous said...

Thanks Hope!! You rock!!!
Nicole

Hope said...

Nicole - Thanks. Although my daughter and g-man would likely tell you that I'm just hard-headed!

Anonymous said...

I sent the e-mail, got one in reply, and replied to it as instructed. I went to 'hopesjourneys.com' but I can't navigate anywhere. I don't see any message boards! Have I done something wrong? This is like life and death to me....With no Hope....well, there's NO HOPE!
Taking a deep breath------

Anonymous said...

Katrina,

There is a link to the message board on the reply back message that says:

To access the message board go to:

It is followed by the link to get you to the messsage boards.

I know this becasue I did the same thing as you did, but discovered my error when I checked back on the eamil.

Good luck!
Becky

Hope said...

Catrina - if Becky's suggestion doesn't work, e-mail G-man@hopesjourneys.com

He should be reading his e-mails about now and can probably help.

Have faith dearest Cat, we WILL get you on, I promise! We can't make the transition with our family!

kmorales4 said...

Down on the dumps here. I'm registered in the new website but cannot sign in. All I get is a black page. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP.

Hope said...

Karen - we will get it figured out for you, I promise. As I told Cat, we have to have our family there.

A couple of notes from G-man. He has changed auto-reply. Now only 1 message will come and will give you the link to sign into the message board. Also, he has put a link on the home page of hopesjourneys.com.

Karen, please e-mail him at G-man@hopesjourneys.com

Engbunny said...

It is still going to a blank page when I go to log in. I enabled your address for popups but it is still not working.

Engbunny said...

YAY!!!!! IT WORKS NOW!!!!!

Stephanie Graston said...

I, I.. Yeah, i can't even say anything except, un-freakin-believable!!!!! This is amaaaaaaaaaaaazing, i also thought there was something fishy about the security guard, now it all makes sense.

I just can't help but imagining adam tied up with some bruising and it makes me sad, make it all better hope make it all better!

much love to everyone have a fantabulous weekend!

Val said...

WooHoo!

Looks like the big launch is going well, and folks are popping over to the message board. Yay!

Wow on the post! I'm so excited we're getting to the bottom of it, but yikes it's almost OVER! Boohoo...

Hopie the first...
V

Anonymous said...

Eeek. Didn't have a chance to read it until right now. Oh my lord....wow.....mind you I guess we had already suspected it....

I uh...don't know what to say. Wow Hope!

I'm registered now too!!!

I don't wanna wait til Monday:( Ugh...too far away.

Hi All!

Kahlea

Anonymous said...

(OH WOW OH WOW OH WOW * infinity)^2

Haven't posted in a looong time so just wanted to say Hi to Hope and the other Hopies!! This new message board sounds uberexciting..hopefully I'll figure it out eh.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNNE!!!!!

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend :)

Anonymous said...

im having the same prob as everyone else...when i log in it just goes to a blank pg...technology not my thing! Need some HELP!! LOL
Back to the story....poor Adam! i noe i didnt like Sunni! i cant wait until monday!!!! Oh i hate this catch 22....i cant wait to hear the ending yet i hate to see it end!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

YAY! IM IN!!! :D Is it sad that I hope that Hope'll be kind to an insomniac like me and post REALLY REALLY early??