Hidden in Shadow
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Hidden in Shadow
Georgia Florey-Evans
Copyright © 2015 Georgia A Evans
All rights reserved.
Published by Georgia A Evans
Beecher City, Illinois
This book is dedicated to the most amazing person I know. My husband has stood by me as we became very young parents, when we moved away from all our family and friends, when one precious little boy was taken before he was barely here—through my struggles and illnesses—with no complaints or concern for himself, he has loved me.
I don’t have to imagine the heroes in books or on the screen because I have the real hero sharing my life.
Jeff, we’ve made it through thirty-six years—raising three semi-normal children, spoiling six remarkable grandchildren, and even surviving the most ridiculous dog in the world. RIP Buddy Ray.
I pray we have at least another thirty-six years together. I love you.
Also by Georgia Florey-Evans
Writing as Georgia A Evans
Extended Family Series
Book 1 – Making Memories
Book 2 – Counting On It
Book 3 – Because of Bob
Writing as Georgia A Evans
Hearts for Ransom Series
Book 1 – Counting On It
Book 2 – Just Practicing
Book 3 – Believe Me
In Shadow Trilogy
Book 1 – Hidden in Shadow
Coming soon:
Book 2 – Living in Shadow
Book 3 – Staying in Shadow
After watching a movie about stalking, I was curious—horrified, but curious. So, being a retired teacher and perpetual student (still taking online classes), I researched.
Reports vary, but according to the Stalking Resource Center, over seven million* people are victims each year. Add to that the three million cyber-stalker victims reported by the National White Collar Crime Center, and we’re talking about a lot of people.
Because the crime is so prevalent and laws confusing, legal agencies often have difficulty deciding whose jurisdiction a case is in.
I wondered what would happen to a stalking victim if the local police department was the only law enforcement involved. So, Holly Morris was born and placed in the relatively small community of Shadow, Illinois. I gave her a healthy, loving family, a couple of really good friends, sense of humor, and extremely strong faith.
Then, one of those good friends refused to sit on the sidelines. Luke Walker, a gentle man with deep beliefs and principles, had a story to tell.
Join both of them as they discover the power of love over evil, and the power of God over everything.
*This does not take into account victims too intimidated to come forward, or those who feel embarrassed or even guilty. Estimates range from 1.5-3 million unreported stalking cases per year.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My heartfelt gratitude goes to Nicole Gordon for the amazing cover design. Without her help, Hidden would strongly resemble a coloring book.
Also…
Thank you to
Detective John Niccum for
answering all my questions
about how to break the law, and
promising to back me up if my
million internet searches for
such things as how to
poison somebody
were flagged.
You never know where you’ll find a blessing.
The Legend of Shadow
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Epilogue
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
The Legend of Shadow
Chapter 1
“Hellllllp Meeee!”
A blood-curdling scream followed the equally distressing plea. Holly Morris promptly dropped her laundry basket and wildly looked around. It wasn't until the sound repeated that she realized its source.
“So, you set up speed dial for me, did you?” Her feet slipped and slid as she hurriedly raced across the freshly mopped dining room floor. She should have known better than to let a fourteen-year-old boy “fix up” her new smartphone.
The screaming had just stopped when she finally managed to extract it from her satchel. She no more than had a good grip on the contraption when the stupid thing took off shaking like a hula dancer and screamed bloody murder again. Her helpful student would be summoned to her office first thing Monday morning.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, Holly. Is this a bad time?" Her mom’s voice was a pleasant contrast to ear-splitting shrieks.
"No." She took a deep breath and willed her pounding heart to slow down. "I'm just doing laundry. It’s nothing that can't wait."
“Well, I talked to Anita Walker a few minutes ago. Has Luke told you about his new...?” As her mom began a Luke Walker promotion worthy of the most aggressive salesman, Holly gazed out the window and idly contemplated the various shapes of cumulus clouds. One in the east resembled a rooster, and that could be a turtle in front of it.
When she figured her mom should be winding down, Holly shifted her focus away from a bunny-shaped cloud appearing to hop across the horizon and tuned back in to her mother’s words.
"... Dad and I want you and Luke to join us for lunch tomorrow."
“I’m sorry, Mom, but we can’t. Luke just took over the youth group, and I promised to help him tomorrow. I appreciate the invitation, though."
"Well, then we'll plan on having you both out for grilled steaks next Sunday." Nobody could ever fault Susan Morris for a lack of tenacity.
"Okay. I'll talk to Luke about it tomorrow."
After a few more minutes of idle chitchat, the women said their goodbyes.
Holly ruminated over her mother’s mule-headedness as she gathered the towels that had flopped out of the basket when it fell. While her mom knew perfectly well Holly and Luke weren’t actually a couple, she persisted in using every opportunity to promote a romance between them. Susan was wasting her time. As much as their relationship meant to Holly, that kind of love was not involved.
Her gaze went to a framed photograph on her desk, and she picked it up. Luke’s dad took it in the high school lobby right after their graduation. Richard Walker was a certified goofball, and he said something that had both graduates laughing. With Luke’s arm casually draped across her shoulders and her gown hiding extra pounds, it was one of her favorite pictures.
She carefully replaced it before retrieving the basket and making her way back across the open space between the dining a
nd living rooms. As she sat and folded laundry, her eyes wandered back to the picture.
Holly and Luke started kindergarten together, and as part of a small class of only thirty-four students, it seemed natural for the two "farm kids" to bond. Then, as they grew, Luke was just there. He was well-liked, and his friendship helped her through some teenage-induced rough patches. Being a plain, slightly overweight, young woman wasn’t easy.
It would have been natural to assume they would grow apart while they were in college. After all, she went all the way to Massachusetts, and Luke stayed put, content to attend a school within driving distance. Even so, when she came home for breaks and holidays, there he'd be. And after graduation, when he bought his retiring grandparents' farm, and she was hired as the guidance counselor for Shadow High School, there he was again.
The sun’s rays made it through the picture window and shone on a strawberry-print dish towel in the basket. The sight reminded her of a day not long after she moved back to Shadow. It was the evening Luke took her on their first post-college “date,” for want of a better word, and would have made a good sitcom episode.
After a long day of school, she could barely wait to shed her dress and heels in favor of her favorite jeans, faded T-shirt, and bare feet. She had just taken her hair out of its customary twist and was about to give it a much-needed brushing when the doorbell rang. It was all she could do not to shut the door in Luke’s face when she found him standing there, amazingly handsome in a pair of khakis and polo shirt.
"I was going to take you out for dinner, but maybe I’m underdressed." His dark green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Ha, ha." She opened the door farther. "Come in. It will just take me a minute to change clothes."
His expression sobered. "If you're too tired, we can have a pizza delivered."
She was tempted for a moment before good manners kicked in. After working in his fields all day, Luke took the time to get cleaned up. The least she could do was slip into a decent top and pair of slacks. "I'll get ready. Come on in."
Luke laughed all through dinner and continued even after they were on their way home.
“Guess you didn’t need to change clothes,” he said, taking his eyes off the road long enough to wink.
“Be quiet.” Holly stopped scrubbing her pants leg and hesitantly lifted the cloth. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised to see an abstract painting of salad dressing and strawberry juice still proudly on display.
“You still have some red stuff between your eyes.” The car swerved as Luke reached over and ran his finger across her forehead. “You know, if you wanted a bite of my pie, all you had to do was ask. There was no need to launch a strawberry.”
“I did not launch that strawberry on purpose, and you know it, Lucas Ryan Walker.” She leaned toward him. “I didn’t do any of this intentionally, so stop teasing me.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “The salad dressing was practically overflowing before you even picked the bottle up. And, the spaghetti was greasy, so it slid right off the fork onto your lap—three times. And, then I tempted you with—”
“Enough!” Holly fought to keep her smile at bay. "You're not exactly Mr. Clean."
“Hey.” His smile disappeared. “Fine, Cruella. Not another word.”
“Thank you.”
“But, next time, just ask for a doggy bag instead of wearing the leftovers home.”
After that, they fell into a routine which had now lasted nearly six years. They spent every Friday evening together, and on Wednesdays, he gave her a lift to Bible study. They developed a habit of sitting together at Sunday morning worship, as well, and usually did something for lunch afterward.
Their relationship was unconventional by most people’s standards, however; because in no way were they actually dating. They were simply good friends who enjoyed spending time together. Why, Luke had never tried to kiss her, and she didn't know how she'd respond if he did. In fact, other than behavior mandated by gentlemanly manners, he didn’t even touch her.
Of course, their shared social life wouldn’t last forever. Luke was a charming man with exemplary values. Tall and extremely well-built, with thick, brown hair and a perpetual five o’clock shadow his mother disliked, he was very attractive. The man would have no difficulty finding a girlfriend. She figured if a woman he wanted to date ever came along, he'd let Holly know. The same went for her meeting somebody. Until then, they'd just keep things the way they were. It worked.
She about jumped out of her skin when her phone screamed again. That thing was going to be the death of her yet. She reached across the sofa and picked up the annoying piece of technology.
"Hello."
Her voice was met with silence.
"Hello." Great. Yet another dropped call. Why had she shelled out big bucks for a new smartphone, when she’d apparently be better off with tin cans and kite string?
Then she heard a whisper, so quiet she had to be imagining it—“My Holly.” Soft, male laughter filled her ear before the line went dead.
The phone landed on the sofa and bounced between cushions. This couldn't be happening. Please, God, not again.
She took a deep breath. Tears welled in her eyes for a moment before she resolutely blinked them away. Okay. That wasn’t a dropped call. The laughter was real. The words—she could explain the words. Her imagination formed them from meaningless sounds.
The stack of hand towels joined the washcloths on the floor as she abruptly stood. It was a prank call. That's all.
Holly paced her living room floor and grasped hold of the idea. That’s exactly what it was—a prank. Summer break began in eight weeks, and the students were amped. Since she was responsible for quite a bit of discipline, it made sense they would choose her to torment.
She knelt and resolutely gathered the dropped laundry. Now, she was thinking clearly. This was not her apartment in Tullen, Massachusetts. She was safe and sound in her hometown of Shadow, Illinois.
The pieces of terry cloth landed right back on the floor when her phone emitted yet another agonizing howl. All right. This was ridiculous. It was time to show her students another side of Miss Morris.
"Listen, young man, you are breaking the law. I have caller ID, and after I speak to your father, I may very well contact the sheriff.” It was too bad she hadn’t gotten around to following the one hundred-step directions to activate the application; she would really know who this was.
"You must not have checked it this time, because it's me." A rightfully puzzled Tessa Lincoln was on the phone.
The wind went right out of Holly’s sails. Here, she used her “mean” voice and everything. "Oh. I thought you were a student playing a prank."
"Which one? I’ll fix him." Tessa had been Holly’s defender since their teenage years.
"I don't know." She could compile a list of possibilities, but it would probably end up being a copy of the school roster. No halo-wearing teenagers attended Shadow High School.
"But you said you had him on caller ID."
"I know, but I don’t have it set up on this new phone." She picked up a handful of linen and slammed it on the sofa. "I thought maybe he’d mess up and give himself away.”
"Wait a minute." Tessa's voice was filled with suspicion. "You had a supposed prank call? It's not—"
"No." She kicked the half-empty basket with uncalled for vehemence, turning it on its side. "There's no way. I'm sure it was just some kids."
"But Holly, if it is, you need to—"
"It's not." Her voice came out harsher than she intended. As she finally picked up the basket and dumped its remaining contents on the floor, she managed to calm down. "It just can't be." If only she felt the conviction as strongly as it sounded in her voice.
“Holly—”
"It was just one call." Holly’s determination grew.
"The whole mess started with just one call.” As Holly's college roommate, Tessa shared every moment of the nightmarish experience. "I went along with you
when you asked me not to tell anybody, but I won’t help you pretend it didn’t happen at all."
Holly swept folded towels and washcloths off the sofa and dropped to her knees, the lone survivor of a towel-filled tornado. "I'm not pretending anything, Tess. I just refuse to let myself be afraid of something as ridiculous as a prank call."
It was probably just as well that Holly couldn’t understand what the other woman mumbled before Tessa spoke again. "Okay. Will you promise me one thing, though?"
"If I can." She knew her friend too well to blindly agree.
"Promise me if you get even one more ‘prank call,' you'll talk to Mitch. Tell him everything."
Talk to the Shadow County sheriff. Holly stifled a snort. Law enforcement was so helpful before. I’m sorry, Miss Morris, but we simply don’t have enough information to take any further action. However, should physical contact be made or a confrontation occur, you give us a call, and we’ll be there. Right. And Holly would sit up in her coffin and thank them profusely.
Tessa must have read her mind. “It won’t be like Tullen, Holly. We’re talking about Mitch, and you know he’ll help. You can trust him.”
There was probably nothing to worry about, anyway. “Okay.”
"Good." Tessa's voice was filled with relief.
"So, what did you call about, Tess?" Her friend wasn't one to make unnecessary calls. She’d be right beside Holly in the “Bring the Telegraph Back” march.
"Oh." Tessa must have needed to shift gears in her thinking. "Have you seen your mail yet?"
"It’s too early.” She glanced at a clock and was surprised to see it was nearly eleven. “Will doesn’t deliver here until around eleven-thirty on Saturdays. Why?”
"I'm sure you'll get the same thing I did." Tessa started speaking faster, a sure indication she was excited. "Jennifer Ewing and Rob Sanders are hosting a ten-year class reunion right here in town, at the high school.” The sound of papers shuffling brought a smile to Holly’s face. Her friend was the math teacher at Shadow High and had to be the most disorganized person on the planet. "It got me thinking about our classmates. You know, I always thought Sarah Hart would move back and take over her parents' furniture store. And I can't believe Clay Richmond isn't here. He'd have his choice of running an insurance agency or working in real estate."