by Lynne Hinton
“I think that’s right. I think there was a lot of snow.”
“I guess I was lucky about that.”
“Yes, I guess you were.”
There was a pause.
“So then what happened?”
“Then I just went back to where his car was, drove it up the road a ways until I could hide it really well, and then I walked back to the cabin where my car was and I drove home. I took his laptop and his cell phone and those script pages and I just came home.”
“That’s some story, Betsy.”
“You really don’t think I’m a bad person for killing Mr. Cheston?”
“I do not.”
“And do you really think I could be the lead in your movie?”
“I think you have already proven that you have some undeniable skills.”
The Captain reached over and stopped the recording.
“What happens now?” Evangeline asked.
“Now, we hope that the police and the DA have already listened to their copies of this recording and that they have found Ms. Elizabeth White and taken her in for questioning. And that Mr. McDonald is standing in front of some judge explaining why all of the charges need to be dropped against his client.”
“They can’t really use this as a confession, can they?” Eve wanted to know.
“Well, not in court, but certainly to persuade Ms. White to tell the story one more time to them.”
Evangeline glanced over at Megan, who still had her head down and had not spoken a word since the recording stopped.
“You okay, Meg?”
She nodded. “Sounded like a scene out of a movie,” she said.
“It did,” Evangeline responded.
“Maybe Ron will make it and I’ll get a good part. Maybe I could play myself. Maybe I could finally win an Oscar.”
Eve watched the young woman as she tried to gather herself. She smoothed down the sides of her hair and blotted her face with the tissue. And then she took in a deep breath, dropping her hands in her lap.
“Megan, I’m sure it might be your most challenging role, but with or without awards and recognition, being true to yourself will never let you down.” Eve glanced over at the young woman, who smiled sadly, and when she turned back to the Captain, he was watching her closely.
SIXTY-SIX
“That’s it then?” Evangeline watched as the Captain walked out of the room, trying out his prosthetic once again. “This will stop his pain and get him back to normal?”
“That’s it,” Ricky replied from the floor where he still sat on his knees after adjusting the artificial limb. “I added a small strip of lamb’s wool to the top strap. That should keep it from rubbing against his leg.” He reached around and picked up the box and the bits of trash that he had left on the floor. “He and Peggy should be good to go.” He laughed. “That still cracks me up.”
“Yeah, he is one funny guy.”
“Ricky!” the Captain shouted from the kitchen. “Let’s take a walk.”
“Coming, Mr. Divine.”
“It’s Diveen.”
“What?” He had stood up and was getting ready to walk out of the room.
“The last name. It’s not Divine, it’s Diveen.”
“Are you sure?”
Evangeline just stared at the young man. “It’s my name,” she said, trying to refrain from the sarcasm.
“That’s crazy,” he replied. “I keep wanting to say Divine, like, you know, heavenly or something.”
“I know,” she said. “You’re not the only one. I’ve heard that all my life.”
“That’s so cool.” He had the box and bag of trash under his arm. “Maybe you should be a nun or something.”
“Maybe,” she said, offering no explanation. Clearly, no one had told the young man about her vocation.
“Or maybe you are a nun, but it’s a secret identity. Like one of those superheroes who look all normal during the day but at night become … secretly divine.” Ricky walked past her. He laughed.
Evangeline nodded. “Right,” she said. “Maybe that’s it.”
She glanced around the room at the Captain’s personal belongings. Except for a bit more clutter and a little more dust, the bedroom had not changed since her mother died three years before. He kept her jewelry box on the dresser, her lace doilies on the nightstand; the pictures she had selected remained on the wall. Eve knew her clothes were still folded in the drawers and hanging in the closet. It was like he was still waiting for her to come home.
She sat on the bed. Her mother died in this bedroom, arranged her good-byes, and took her final breath surrounded by all three of her family members. A couple of days before she died, she called for Eve and Dorisanne. It had been a struggle for her to talk at that point, but she had things she needed to say.
“I know you don’t always get along with your father. But he’s not what you think,” she had said. “He loves you. He doesn’t always know how to show you, but he does.”
“Mama, I don’t want to talk about him right now,” Eve had replied.
“We need to talk about this, Eve. All of us need to talk about this.”
She struggled to breathe.
“We’ve had so many good times together, the three of us. We’ve laughed so much and enjoyed so many things. He’s always felt like he was on the outside, you know. He never knew how to be with three women, and we never really made it all that easy for him. So, just try, okay?” She had reached up and taken both of her daughters by the hand. “Just try to let him in, a little, okay?”
And the two daughters had made the promise to their dying mother.
SIXTY-SEVEN
“You coming?” He was standing at the door. “Ricky and I thought you were walking with us. We’re going up the road a bit.”
Eve cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. She was sitting on his bed.
“What’s wrong with you?” He came a little closer. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I was just thinking about Mama,” she answered.
He stood beside her and then nudged her arm. She moved over and he sat down.
“I miss her,” Eve said, the words choking in her throat.
“Yeah, me too,” he agreed. “I’m not much good without her,” he confessed. “She always was the best thing I had going for me.”
Eve nodded again. She was finding it difficult to talk.
“She loved you girls, that’s for sure.” He reached over and patted her on the leg. “And both of you look like her.” He shook his head. “Dorisanne with her dancer’s body, you with her dark eyes, dark brown hair. Sometimes it’s hard for me to even look at the two of you because all I see is her.”
Eve laughed a bit.
“Oh, Sam Hill, I guess that didn’t come out right.” He moved his hand over and rubbed the top of his thigh. “I do that a lot with the two of you for some reason. It’s like I don’t know how to talk to either one of you. Like I never really learned how because she always did it for me.”
“You do okay,” Eve finally responded.
He nodded, receiving the affirmation. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you and the convent. I figure you’re old enough to know what you want, but …” He paused.
She turned to face him, uncertain of what he was trying to say. “But what?”
“But I just need to tell you that if you want to stay here a little longer, I’m happy to ask your boss to give you a few more weeks. I don’t mind telling him I need your help around here. I don’t mind telling him that at all.”
Eve smiled. She took him by the hand. “No, I’ve done that long enough.” She took in a breath. “I’m sorry I used what was going on with you to run from the truth. I need to talk to my superiors about what has happened. I need to tell the truth. I’m going to talk to them about everything.”
He nodded and was about to stand up.
“But I need to tell you something else.”
He sat back down.
“These three months that we have been together have been important to me, really, the best three months I’ve had in a long time.”
He smiled. “You’re a fine investigator, Evangeline. I always knew you would be.”
“You did, didn’t you?”
He reached across her and gave her a squeeze. “But you’re a fine nun, too, and I’m sure your superior will tell you the same thing. So, I guess you’re going to have to make up your mind about what you want to do. You have to figure out what’s going to make you happy. And I’ll support you in whatever you want to do.”
She nodded, her eyes filling up again.
“Yo, Mr. Divine, you coming or what? I need to see if Peggy’s going to hold.” Ricky was calling from somewhere in the front of the house.
“I keep telling him it’s Diveen,” she said. “He doesn’t seem to listen.”
“Aw, he’s just a kid,” he replied. “He can’t shake the idea of wanting to be close to something great, that he’s searching for anything better or more than what he knows he’ll find in this world.” He yanked at his pants legs, pulling them down. “Shoot, saying it that way, I guess we’re all hoping for the divine.”
Eve smiled. “Yeah, Dad, I guess that’s true.”
The two stood together and headed up the hallway. She stopped as they got to the front door.
He turned to her. “You coming?”
She shook her head. “No, I have to make a call,” she answered. “You go ahead. We’ll walk again later.”
He nodded, opened the door, and walked outside. Eve headed over to the phone in the kitchen. It was time she said the things that needed to be said.
EPILOGUE
Evangeline sat in the dark theater as the credits rolled. There it was: Charles Cheston’s name. Following the list of songs available on the sound track, a full-screen acknowledgment read “In memory of Charles Cheston. Thank you for finding the best stories and the most wonderful locations.”
Evangeline thought it was tasteful and not too over the top, simple and honest. She had never met the famed director but figured he would have wanted more.
The Way of Broken Trails turned out to be only a moderate success as far as big-budget films went, but for all the people of Madrid the movie and its production were a win. The entire project was shot on location, and for months the Madrid businesses flourished as they never had before. Megan Flint, the female lead of the science-fiction, Western movie, bought the property where she and Cheston had stayed on their prior visits. Ross Biltmore became the credited scriptwriter, and Polland turned in a very surprising and well-received performance as the movie’s director and producer.
The leading man was some big name that Eve didn’t recognize but one that Dorisanne and Daniel thought had been perfect in the role. They both knew everything there was to know about the star, including his bio and favorite meal, the steak and green chile breakfast burrito at Twila’s. Dorisanne had come back to Madrid for a few weeks to watch the filming, and Daniel had been in charge of security on the set.
The four of them, along with Jackson’s prosthetist, Ricky, traveled together by limousine to the all-star premiere that was held at the Lensic, Santa Fe’s most renowned theater. Eve and the Captain were reunited with Megan for the first time since the case had been closed and she had left New Mexico to head back to California. Before the movie began, the young star asked for the microphone and tearfully introduced both father and daughter as her private detective team. She credited the two with saving her life and pointing her in the right direction, and she happily announced that her next project was the film based on her breakout memoir, The Best Role I’ll Ever Play.
The evening had been a lovely occasion for the Divine family and their friends, and afterward everyone gathered at the Mineshaft in Madrid for a party. There was live music from Bill and Bonnie Hearne, favorite local musicians, green chile stew, freshly made tamales, posole, and more than a few kegs of beer. Later, it would go down as the liveliest and longest town celebration ever, since singing was still emanating from the bar when Eve walked past the Mineshaft on her way to the office the following day. She had taken the long hike from her father’s house into town.
She laughed when she heard Marcie trying to run out the final stragglers. “Go home, you two!” she heard the owner shout. “I got to clean this place up so I can open in an hour. I got a lunch shift, you know, and those tourists need their burgers and beer!”
Evangeline walked past the bar and stood at the door to her father’s office. The sign that read “Divine Private Detective Agency” had started to lean a little to the left. She walked over and straightened it, dusted it off, and then stepped back to admire her work.
“That was quite a party.”
She turned around. Dorisanne was wearing running shoes and a sweat suit. Eve figured her sister must have left the house not too long after she had.
“I’m surprised you’re up,” Eve replied.
“I heard you leave,” Dorisanne said. “I thought you were just going out for the paper. When you didn’t come back right away, I got dressed and tried to catch up with you, but you had already gotten past the hill.”
Eve smiled at her sister. They’d been enjoying their time together. She had promised to drive her to the airport later for her flight back to Las Vegas. Dorisanne was excited because she had an audition later that week for a new show being produced by one of Polland’s good friends. She was a shoo-in for a part as a dancer.
“You working here now?”
Evangeline turned again and faced the door of their father’s business. She shrugged. “I’ve been back at the monastery for almost nine months now.”
“I know,” Dorisanne replied. “I was here when you finished your leave and went back, remember?”
Eve turned around. “Mr. Salazar hired Daddy to find some gold he thinks is buried on his property.”
“Hmm.”
“Twila wants him to find her sister.”
Dorisanne raised her eyebrows. “Twila has a lost sister?”
Eve nodded. “Guess so.”
They both turned to watch a car pulling into the parking lot beside the Mineshaft. A family of four exited the vehicle, talking and laughing.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I took another leave of absence,” Eve finally responded. “For myself this time, for me to try and figure things out. So, yes, while I’m here, I’m going to help out in the office.”
Daisy rounded the corner and Eve bent down to give the animal a good scratch.
“They still making the nuns move out of the monastery, separate the men from the women?”
Eve nodded. “Most of the other sisters are staying, a couple have left.”
“Are they going to build a kennel?”
Eve shook her head. She had told her sister about the building project and her hopes of getting the plans changed to include a small kennel for the stray animals she kept housing. She stood up.
“You can build one back here,” Dorisanne suggested.
Eve glanced around the office, down the street at Firehouse Lane. She had never actually thought about that possibility. It could happen, she thought.
There was a pause.
“I guess he’s glad you’re hanging around.”
She nodded. “Seems to be.”
Dorisanne glanced over in the direction of the sign her sister had just straightened. She acted as if she were studying it. “Maybe you should change the name,” she said.
Eve looked at the office sign and guessed that Dorisanne was referring to the common mispronunciation of their last name. She figured her sister was talking about the plan they had made when they were young, to change the spelling from Divine to Diveen.
“Private Detectives,” Dorisanne said, not intending a change to the last name at all. “Just get rid of the word ‘agency’ and call it Divine Private Detectives. Make it plural.”
“Oh.” Eve smiled. “That
.” She shrugged. “Well, I’m not quite sure it’s time to make that kind of a change. My leave is only for a few weeks.”
“Okay,” Dorisanne said. “It’s your life.”
“Yes,” she answered. “As unsure as I am about what to do with it, that much is true.” And she opened the door and stood aside, inviting her sister in.
READING GROUP GUIDE
1. Sister Evangeline struggles between her vocation as a nun and her passion for solving mysteries. What do you think were her reasons for becoming a nun? What are her reasons for considering leaving the order?
2. What gifts does Evangeline have that make her a good detective?
3. Megan strikes a chord in Eve, draws her to the case. What about Megan pulls Eve into the work of being a detective?
4. What role does Mother Madeline play in Evangeline’s life?
5. How does the father-daughter relationship of the Captain and Eve evolve in this story? Is it better in the end that it was in the beginning?
6. Divine is pronounced Diveen; Madrid is not pronounced like the city in Spain—what else is not what it appears in this story?
7. How does visiting her mother’s grave help Eve know how to best support the Captain? What is the memory that gives her answers?
8. Why do both daughters seem to have such difficulty with their father?
9. What has Evangeline missed in the life of her family by being in the convent?
10. Do you think Evangeline will go back to the convent at the end of the leave of absence?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to the kind folks at HCCP, especially publisher, Daisy Hutton, my lovely and sharp-eyed editor, Ami McConnell, and the other members of that talented staff, including Ansley Boatman, Karli Cajka, Amanda Bostic, and Deborah Wiseman. Also thanks to the hardworking women who handled all of the marketing and publicity: Kerri Potts and Laura Dickerson. I am honored to be a part of such a strong and devoted team as the fiction division at the HarperCollins Christian Publishing Group. Thank you for your many kindnesses extended to me and for embracing the stories of Sister Eve!