A Test of Faith

by Carol Cox

Just past a mahogany game table, a marble-topped dresser blocked her way. Kate didn’t remember seeing it before. It must have been one of the new pieces Eli mentioned.

  She started to circle around it, noting the various items laying on its shiny surface as she passed: a tortoise-shell comb and brush set, several pieces of Victorian hairwork jewelry, and a ceramic hair receiver.

  Kate smiled at the picture forming in her mind of the woman whose nightly ritual involved collecting the loose hair the brush had removed and stuffing it through the hole in the top of the hair receiver, storing it there until she had enough to braid it into a decorative brooch.

  At the other end of the dresser lay...Kate caught her breath when she recognized an old stereoscope. She squeezed past a walnut chest of drawers to reach it.

  Picking up the fragile piece with tender care, she turned it over in her hands, delighted to see that all its parts were in place. She held it up to the light and examined the design pressed into the tin hood.

  “Just like Gran’s.” She let out a happy sigh.

  At the edge of the dresser, she spied a stack of stereographs. Feeling like a little girl searching through her grandma’s treasures, Kate sorted through them.

  She found one set of pictures of a lion tamer at a Ringling Brothers Circus performance, another of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island.

  Setting those aside, she picked up a card showing the Ferris wheel at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and slipped it into the wire slots in the holder.

  Gripping the handle underneath, she held the device so the light fell squarely on the photos, then looked through the lenses and moved the holder back and forth. A tremble of excitement shivered through her when the pictures popped into focus and merged into a three-dimensional scene.

  And this is what they used for entertainment back then. Kate shook her head. What would the people of that day have thought about television, movies, and the Internet?

  “Find something you can’t live without?”

  Kate jumped when Paul’s voice boomed in her ear. She turned and held up the stereoscope for him to see.

  “You’d better be glad I had a good grip on this, or you’d be paying Eli for it right now.”

  Eli chuckled. “If you’re planning on buying that, Paul, I’d rather it was in one piece. It’s a much better buy if you’re able to get some enjoyment out of it.”

  He turned to Kate. “You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

  “More than you know.” Kate returned the stereoscope to its spot on the dresser. “It was like a little walk down memory lane. My grandmother owned one like this, and I’ve always been fascinated by the way the two pictures come together to form one with so much depth.”

  “I had a toy that worked along the same lines when I was a kid.” Eli stroked the stereoscope with his fingertips, looking for all the world like a proud father gazing down at a favorite offspring. “But nothing beats the original, in my opinion. Are you interested in buying it?”

  Kate looked at the product of nineteenth-century technology, seized by a sudden longing to return to a time when life didn’t seem so complex. But had there ever been such a time? Every generation had its own difficulties to cope with.

  She traced the pressed design, marveling at how well it had stood up over the passage of time. “I’ll have to think about it.”

  Eli nodded affably. “Just let me know. I’m always happy when a buyer knows how to appreciate a purchase.”

  Kate smiled up at the men. “Have you finished talking?”

  “We have indeed.” Paul turned to Eli and shook the younger man’s hand. “Thanks for your input. We’ll discuss it more next week.”

  He and Kate retraced their steps to the front door and said their good-byes.

  IN THE CAR, Paul filled her in on the details of their impromptu visit.

  “An idea popped into my head while you went inside the Mercantile for tortilla chips. I wanted to run it past Eli while it was still fresh in my mind.”

  He shifted in his seat so he could face her more directly. “There are still a number of people who aren’t happy with me for giving Avery the job at the church.”

  Kate gripped the steering wheel tighter. As if Paul needed to deal with something like this, on top of his injury!

  Paul held up one hand. “Don’t get upset. They have a right to their opinions. I’m their shepherd, not their dictator.”

  Kate took a calming breath and counted to ten. “Okay, so what was your idea?”

  “I haven’t given up on Avery. I’m still determined to help him, but I don’t want this whole situation to blow up out of proportion and turn into something hurtful. So here’s what came to mind: I want to keep Avery on at the church, but I’d like to have someone else supervise his work, a neutral third party who doesn’t have any preconceived notions to color his judgment.”

  Kate considered the plan, nodding as the idea took hold. “That’s brilliant. That way nobody can say you’re covering up or trying to make things easy for him.”

  “That’s exactly the way I look at it. And I thought Eli would be the ideal person to take that on. He’s had his own problems, goodness knows. After starting the fire that burned Faith Briar to the ground the day we arrived in Copper Mill, he knows what it’s like to have a black mark on his record.”

  “And to be forgiven and accepted in spite of past failures,” Kate added. “It sounds like a perfect solution. What did he say?”

  She could see Paul’s smile in the glow of the dashboard. “He told me exactly what I wanted to hear. He’s interested, but he wants to pray about it first. He’ll let me know next Sunday.”

  Kate’s eyes misted, and she blinked to clear her vision. “It’s a real joy to watch him mature spiritually. You’ve really had an impact on him, Paul.”

  “Don’t sell your own influence short. You’ve had a part in it too.” He squeezed her arm gently. “We make a good team.”

  Kate threw him a smile as she turned into their driveway and pushed the button on the remote to open the garage door. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  She pulled into the garage and turned off the ignition. Paul stepped out of the Honda with more dexterity than he had shown in days. The sight warmed Kate. He really was on the mend.

  As if to prove her point, he rounded the front of the car and moved ahead of her to open the door to the house.

  “Let’s see what the backyard looks like. I keep thinking how nice it’s going to be to look out the window and not see those limbs lying every which way.”

  They walked straight through the foyer to the living room, turned on the outside porch light, and stepped through the sliding-glass doors. A relieved sigh escaped Kate’s lips at the sight of the backyard looking neat and trim once more.

  The limbs had been removed from the trees with a fair amount of skill, and the pile that formerly littered the yard had been carted off, presumably to the spot behind the fence.

  Paul gave an approving nod. “He did a good job.”

  “Didn’t he? It looks like he even raked up the loose twigs.”

  “You were right, Katie. He seems like a fine young man, although you can tell he has something pretty heavy weighing on his mind.”

  “I’ve felt that from the very beginning.” Kate looked up and grinned. “You aren’t the only one who came up with a plan tonight.”

  She filled him in on her intention to invite Cody over to their house for cookies.

  “I thought it might be a way to make him feel safer around us and give the two of you a chance to get better acquainted.” She nudged Paul with her elbow. “And you know what they say about the way to a man’s heart.”

  “It’s always worked for me.” He pulled Kate close and rubbed his cheek against her hair. “That’s a great idea, hon. I hope we’ll be able to find a way to help him. And you know I’m always open to an excuse to indulge in your cookies.”

  His voice took on a hopeful note. “I do
n’t suppose your plan includes a batch of lemon squares?”

  Kate laughed and tousled his hair with her fingers. “I might be persuaded to add them to the list.”

  “That’s my girl.” He reached to open the slider again, then snapped his fingers. “I meant to check and see if he left the key on the workbench.”

  Kate moved past him. “I’ll go look.”

  She returned to the living room a few moments later. “Paul, you’ll never guess...”

  “Don’t tell me. He didn’t leave the key where I told him to.”

  “Oh, he left it all right. Your saw and ladder are back in place too, but he left something besides the key. Look what I found with it on the workbench.” She held out her hand to show him a folded ten-dollar bill.

  Paul reached out and took it from her. He unfolded the crisp paper and smoothed out the creases. “Do you think he just forgot it?”

  Kate shook her head. “It wasn’t just tossed down by accident. The key was set right on top of it. Why didn’t he take it? He was adamant about not taking charity, but this was honest payment for honest work. He obviously needed the money, so why would he leave it behind?”

  “Maybe he felt your buying the snack for him was payment enough. Evidently, someone has instilled a sense of integrity in that boy.”

  “I can’t get past the feeling that he needs our help in some way.” Kate raised her hands, then dropped them to her sides. “But how are we supposed to help if we can’t get close enough to him to find out what’s wrong?”

  Paul pulled the curtains closed across the slider. “We’ll have to approach this like so many other things in life: one step at a time.”

  “You’re right, I know. I just have this feeling that something needs to be done now.” Kate let her breath out in a long sigh. “I’d better fix us something to eat. What sounds good to you?”

  Paul glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly ten o’clock, way too late for you to be fixing a full meal. I’m not very hungry anyway. I think I’ll just grab a sandwich and read in bed for a while. Is that okay with you?”

  Kate gave him a quick hug and chuckled. “As long as you don’t get crumbs on the sheets. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll eat out here. I’d like to sit up for a while.”

  She fixed sandwiches and cocoa for both of them, then carried Paul’s plate and mug to the bedroom. Kate settled down at the kitchen table with her light meal, free at last to focus her attention on the Mustang mystery.

  Where to start? Kate smiled. At the beginning, just as Livvy said. She would approach this the same way she would assemble a jigsaw puzzle: group the similar pieces, then fit them together one by one until a picture emerged.

  She retrieved the list of points she’d made after the accident along with her sketch of the crime scene and stared at them as if they held the answers. She had most of the pieces she needed, she felt sure of that. All she had to do at this point was to see which pieces fit together and keep moving them around until they formed a picture that made sense.

  But after only a few sips of cocoa, she found herself propping her chin up on one hand, trying to stay awake, while thoughts of the Mustang, her wallet, Roland Myers, Avery, Cody, and the ten-dollar bill whirled through her mind.

  Her head drooped lower, and her eyelids grew heavy.

  Kate startled awake and blinked, trying to remember where she was. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. It was no use trying to force logical thought from a sleep-fogged brain. With a sigh of resignation, she gathered up her dishes and set them in the sink.

  She would go back to work on the puzzle the following morning when her mind was fresh.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The bell jingled merrily over the door of Smith Street Gifts. Steve Smith looked up and waved from the back of the store.

  “Hey, Kate! How’s that fanlight coming?”

  “I’m making good progress.” Finally, she added to herself. Each passing day found Paul able to get around better on his own, leaving her with more time to devote to working in her studio.

  She set a cardboard tube down on the counter next to the register and pulled the cap off one end. “I thought you might like to see this.”

  Steve joined her, watching as she slipped a roll of paper from the tube and spread it out across the glass-topped display case. He whistled as he examined the color sketch from several angles.

  “This is the design you’ve come up with for the fanlight?”

  Kate nodded, encouraged by the appreciative light in his eyes.

  “It’s nice. Really impressive.” He looked down at the sketch again, then back up at Kate. “When do you think it’ll be ready?”

  “Why don’t you give me another week or so, just to be on the safe side? I shouldn’t have any problem delivering it to you by then.”

  “That’ll be great. I expect Mr. Michaels to be coming through town around that time. I’ll call and let him know he can pick it up then. He’s going to be one happy customer.”

  Steve leaned back and braced his elbows against the counter. “How’s Paul doing?”

  “He’s coming along well. His ankle seems to be healing nicely.” Kate rolled up the sketch and replaced it in the cardboard tube.

  “Since he broke his right ankle, I’m still doing all the driving. But he’s walking without using his crutches now, and it looks like he’s well on his way to recovery. The doctor says he’ll be good as new in a few weeks, if he behaves himself,” she added with a chuckle.

  “Getting a little impatient, is he?” Laugh lines crinkled at the corners of Steve’s eyes. “I guess you just can’t keep a good man down.”

  The bell jangled again, and Emma Blount, the owner of Emma’s Ice Cream, burst through the door.

  “Has anyone seen Jennifer McCarthy? I didn’t get any answer when I called the Chronicle office.”

  Steve glanced at Kate, who shook her head.

  “Sorry,” he said. “What’s up?”

  Emma pressed her hand against her chest and gasped for breath. “She needs to bring her camera and get herself down the street right quick so she can get some good photos before it’s all over.”

  Steve’s forehead crinkled. “Before what’s all over? What’s gotten into you, Emma?”

  “The protest!” She waved her arms wildly. “We’re having one of those demonstrations like you see on TV, right here in Copper Mill!”

  She rushed back outside before Steve or Kate could pose another question.

  The door hissed shut. Before it closed completely, the sound of a boisterous crowd of people filtered inside the shop.

  Kate stared at Steve. “A demonstration? What on earth is she talking about?”

  Steve shook his head emphatically. “Something’s wrong. That just can’t be right. Things like that don’t happen in Copper Mill.” He strode toward the door, with Kate at his heels.

  The volume of the voices increased the moment he opened the door. Kate slipped past him and peered down the street in the direction Emma had headed. The sight that met her eyes reminded her of a scene from the sixties.

  A throng of people spilled off the sidewalk onto Smith Street up near the corner of Hamilton Road. A number of them carried homemade picket signs. Kate could hear them chanting as they walked in a slow circle in front of the Country Diner.

  Kate took a second look. What appeared to be a sizable crowd at first probably didn’t add up to more than twenty or twenty-five people. A minuscule gathering by big-city standards, but enough to look like a threatening mob in this small-town setting.

  Protesters in Copper Mill? What on earth? Kate tried to pick out what the marchers were saying but couldn’t catch more than a few stray syllables.

  Overwhelmed by curiosity, she joined the others who flocked toward the scene. Eli’s truck pulled up just ahead of her and stopped long enough to let Paul step out of the passenger side.

  With a surge of relief, Kate rushed over to him. “What’s going on?”

  P
aul’s mouth set in a firm line. “That’s a good question. Loretta called me and said a whole mob was marching on the diner. I couldn’t reach you on your cell phone, so I called Eli and asked him to bring me down here to find out what was happening. He’s gone to park around back and make sure everything in his store is secure.”

  He rubbed his hand across the top of his head. “I thought she was overreacting, but this...” He gestured toward the marchers and shook his head.

  “Come on.” Kate tugged at his arm. “Let’s go find out what’s happening.”

  Paul pulled her back. “There’s no telling what we’d be getting into. I think you’d better stay here until we know what this is all about.”

  “And miss all the excitement? I don’t think so.” She raised her chin. “We’re a team, remember?”

  Paul looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. Together, they approached the diner. They paused at the edge of the crowd, and Kate nudged him, grinning. “I don’t think we’re looking at an unruly mob here. Do you see those signs?”

  Paul stopped short as they stared at the unlikely scene playing out in front of them.

  It looked like the protesters had bought out every sheet of fluorescent poster board the SuperMart in Pine Ridge had in stock. Heavy block letters printed with black felt markers proclaimed the protesters’ sentiments:

  Bring Back Our Sweet-Potato Fries!

  We Love You, Loretta!

  Don’t Sell Out!!!

  Grits, yes! Quiche, non!

  “Oh my!” Kate pressed her hand against her lips, not certain whether she should laugh or cry.

  Paul moved ahead with as much grace as a man wearing a moon boot could muster. Kate recovered her composure enough to follow.

  He stopped directly in front of the diner and raised his hands. “Hey, folks, does anybody want to tell me what’s going on here? You’ve got Loretta scared to death.”

  Bit by bit, the rumble of the crowd faded to silence.

  Kate heard a rustling sound behind him, and Loretta’s head poked out between the heavy tarps that draped the front of the building.