by Diane Noble
KATE WAS UP AT DAWN Wednesday morning. She lit a fire in the fireplace, put on the coffee, then settled into her rocker for her morning talk with God. Since the middle of the night, something had been bothering her, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
She prayed for those on her mental prayer list, for the circumstances of the fire and its aftermath; for Paul and his ministry; for all their children; for Jed, who was getting out of jail later in the morning; and for their new congregation, as many by name as she could remember. She thought going through her list might trigger something in her mind, but it didn’t.
She stepped outside to pick up the newspaper and breathed in the clear, crisp air. All signs of Sunday’s drizzle were gone. The sun was just coming up, its slant causing the wet maple leaves to sparkle and shimmer.
It would have been more enjoyable if it hadn’t been for that bothersome pinch at the edge of her brain.
But something just wouldn’t let go of her. So she decided it was time to bake cookies.
She got out the recipes for three batches: oatmeal, dried cherries, and almonds; brown-sugar coconut bars; and pumpkin-persimmon spice with pecans, a new recipe she was trying out for the festival. She tried to keep her mind on the ingredients, but as usual, when she was puzzling something and baking cookies at the same time, the puzzling side of her brain took over.
She was in the middle of beating eggs for the brown-sugar bar cookies, trying to remember whether she had stirred in four or five, when the troublesome thought succeeded in burrowing through.
She stepped back, astounded.
At the same time, Paul came around the corner to kiss her good morning.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Something’s been bothering me since I talked to Sybil Hudson, and I just figured out what it was.”
“I thought you said she was very helpful.”
“She was. But do you remember how I said she told me about the CEO having grown up someplace around here?”
“Yes.”
“What if he still has family ties here, longtime friends of the family, or family members themselves, who are in cahoots with the people at WDR?”
He poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. “It’s possible, certainly.”
“The stolen lumber, the bulldozer being rolled off a cliff, the fire itself—all of it could have been done by someone connected to WDR.” She sat down across from Paul, leaning forward in her earnestness. “If we could make that connection, our mystery might be solved. We’d have our arsonist.”
“I thought he’d left WDR.”
“Yes, and I’m reasonably certain he wasn’t that kind of player anyway. But what if he’d remained in contact with old friends and relatives throughout the years? Maybe contacted them when he was thinking about having his company buy the old hotel. Then WDR got in touch with them and got them on their side. After he left, they were still key players here in town, maybe put on the company payroll.”
“The only thing that doesn’t make sense is why they wouldn’t remain loyal to family, to Charles.”
“Money and power corrupt. Maybe they were offered something they couldn’t refuse.”
“How do we find them?”
She smiled. “That’s what’s been bothering me since three this morning.”
Paul took a sip of coffee, his eyes crinkling as he watched her over the rim of the mug. “And you’ve just figured it out.”
“I have,” she said. “We don’t find them. We let them come to us.”
PAUL LEFT AT A QUARTER TO EIGHT to have breakfast with Eli and Sam at the diner, and Kate left for the town hall soon after.
When she arrived, she climbed the steps to the town hall, tempted to hurry to get to Jed and find out what he remembered about the fire. A few minutes later, she pushed through the entrance, crossed the large room, and burst through the deputy’s-division doors.
Skip looked up and grinned. “Hey, Missus Hanlon. You’re right on time.”
“Hey, yourself.” She fell into a chair to catch her breath and rub her knee. “Where’s Jed?”
“He’s coming. Sheriff just went down to get him.”
A half hour later, the paperwork was complete, and Jed Packer walked out of the town hall a free man. Kate was at his side.
They stood for a moment at the top of the town hall steps, and he squinted in the sunlight. “Thank you for all you did, Mrs. Hanlon. It feels good to be free, to maybe start over again.”
They walked down the stairs. “Do you need a ride anywhere? Back to the boarding house?”
“Thank you, but no.” He smiled down at her. “I feel the need to walk. I need to be outside.”
“I understand. But Paul and I want you to know that if you need anything, please just call or stop by.” She told him how to find the parsonage. “Day or night.”
“Thank you.”
She turned to head to her car, then stopped. “In the excitement of your release, I forgot to ask. What did you remember about the fire?”
“It’s about the baseball cap. The logo. It wasn’t an animal. It was a pirate—a skull-and-crossbones type. And there was lettering, but I don’t know what it was. Maybe three for four capital letters.”
“Like a company name, a school? Something like that?”
He shrugged. “Something like that.”
She blinked. Where had she seen such a cap? It seemed more familiar than ever.
KATE WAS JUST PULLING another sheet of cookies from the oven when Paul came through the door. He wasted no time getting to the kitchen. He grabbed the carton of milk, a glass, and a handful of pumpkin-persimmon spice pecan cookies, then sat down at the kitchen table. His expression said that heaven couldn’t be better than this.
Kate laughed and slipped into a chair next to him. “How did your meeting go?”
He sobered and put down his cookie. “We talked about the rebuilding process, of course—the latest with the insurance, what we can expect in the payout. After that, Sam and I were ready to go, but Eli seemed to want to talk about other things.” He paused thoughtfully. “He surprised me by asking if he could join our men’s Bible study. He even asked if I’ve ever done a study on King David.” Paul frowned. “I asked why David, and he said that he thought he might relate to him, which I found interesting.”
Kate nodded thoughtfully. “David was God’s friend. God referred to him as that, even after David grieved his Creator’s heart because of his actions.”
“Maybe that’s what he’s longing for after his months away from God and from the church—to become God’s friend again.”
“Eli has more depth than what I thought when we first met him,” Kate said. “And a tender heart.”
“He did have some good news related to our lumber.”
Kate stood to get another plateful of cookies. “Another shipment?”
“A few weeks from now. And this time, twice the original order. Eli was thrilled.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“The great thing about it is that things should really be moving along by then. Eli plans to have the rest of the rubble removed and maybe even the foundation poured. We found out that the insurance payout will be enough to do that much.”
Paul took a bite of an oatmeal cookie, studying her face. “Why are you looking like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re about ready to rocket out of your chair and spin into orbit.” He squinted and leaned closer. “There’s that look in your eye I’ve seen before. You’ve got something planned. And something tells me I’m not going to like it.”
“That’s why I don’t plan to tell you until it’s ready to go.” She put her hand on his. “So please be patient.”
“You told me this morning you’re going to get the WDR folks to come to you.”
She nodded.
“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? The delivery.” Concern was etched in the lines of his
face. “You know I worry about you, Katie.”
She smiled and patted his cheek as she stood. “I’ll have a cadre of sleuths with me. The plan is to set a trap and stay out of harm’s way. The way I see it, nothing can go wrong. We won’t even be nearby when the thieves roll in to do their mischief.”
He reached for her hand. “I don’t think mischief is quite the word for it.” He sighed. “I know you want to get to the bottom of this, but this is a dangerous game you’re playing. Sybil Hudson warned you that these people can get nasty.”
She squeezed his fingers gently. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
LIVVY AND KATE MET at the diner. LuAnne spotted them from behind the counter, put the coffeepot on the burner, then headed for their booth.
“What’s up, darlin’s?” LuAnne asked as she slid into the booth next to Kate.
Renee was sitting two tables over with a group of ladies. A smattering of others sat at other booths and tables. Kate smiled at three women she recognized from her tea.
“So, what’s going on,” LuAnne said.
“I’ve got an idea I need help with. Our next shipment of lumber is being delivered three weeks from now. I want to be there when it comes. I’m hoping you two will come with me.”
“What?” LuAnne’s voice came out in a croak. “You want to do what?”
“Hold a vigil across from the church property,” Kate said. “Stay there all night if necessary so we catch the thieves red-handed.”
LuAnne let out a slow whistle. “Girlfriend, you’ve got some guts.”
Livvy was chuckling. “I like the idea. I’m in. Once in a while being a librarian can be a little, well...”
“Boring?” LuAnne finished for her.
“Actually, I was going to say tame.”
LuAnne removed the pencil from above her ear and tapped the table. “Whatever. Count me in too, Kate. What’s your plan?”
“I figure we’ll get there early, hide ourselves somehow, dress warm, then just wait for the thieves to come.”
“What do we do when the bad guys get there?” LuAnne wanted to know. “I mean, Livvy here probably weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet. As for me, I’ve got some meat on my bones, but I don’t think I could fight my way out of a paper bag.” She laughed heartily. “And Kate, darlin’, compared to me, you look like you’d blow away in a strong wind.” She leaned back in the booth, still smiling. “I can just see the three of us whoppin’ on those guys.”
“I don’t think we’ll need to whop on them,” Kate said. “I simply want to get a description of their truck and a license number.”
“That wouldn’t be any fun,” LuAnne said. “I say we make a human chain in front of the lumber. They have to run over us to get to it.”
They all laughed.
“Okay, let’s get down to business,” Kate said. “This is what we need to do.”
For the next several minutes, the women discussed the place and time and ways to disguise their hiding place. LuAnne said they could hide behind a patch of trees across from the church property, and Livvy suggested they simply park a car and stay inside with the lights out.
They were just getting into the details when Renee materialized in front of their booth. Kate wondered if the woman had rabbit ears.
“I overheard you talking about your plans to catch the perps,” she said. “I want in.”
“It’ll be very cold. I don’t think—” Kate began, then she saw the look on Renee’s face and stopped. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I told you about BOLO.”
Kate grinned. “That you did.”
“This is part of my job. I’ll be there. You just tell me where and when.”
When she had returned to her booth, LuAnne leaned forward. “Darlin’, what in the world’s a bolo?”
Kate laughed. “You don’t even want to know.”
Chapter Eighteen
At nine o’clock that night, Kate called Livvy.
One of the Jenner boys answered, then yelled for his mom. There was a scuffling in the background, a faint sound of music, and snatches of conversation and laughter interspersed with a smattering of guffaws only a teen of the male variety could make. Kate knew that firsthand. Memories flew into her heart, and she swallowed a sting at the top of her throat.
“Hi, Kate,” Livvy said a few minutes later.
“Hey, Watson,” Kate said. “I’ve got a job for you. I got so caught up in the vigil plans, I forgot to ask.”
“What’s that?”
Kate told her about the baseball cap with the pirate logo. “Does that sound like anything you’ve seen?”
“No, it doesn’t,” Livvy said. “But it might be a school logo. Maybe a high school. I’ll do a search tomorrow and let you know if anything comes up.”
“Thanks, Liv.”
“Anytime, Sherlock.”
Kate hesitated before saying good-bye. “I probably don’t need to say this, but enjoy every minute your kids are home. Time passes too quickly. And before you know it, the ruckus turns to silence.”
“I know what you mean, but some days I can’t wait.” She laughed. “I know it’ll hit me when they’re finally gone, but I can’t help singing ‘Bye Bye, Birdie’ from time to time in anticipation.”
The decibel level rose in the background, and Livvy said she had to go.
Kate hung up the phone and thought about Andrew, Rebecca, and Melissa. It seemed like just yesterday that her home was filled with laughter, music, and teenage tempers.
“I miss our kids,” she said to Paul a few minutes later.
He was in bed, reading, and looked up when she spoke. “I do too.”
She sat down on the edge of the bed to brush her hair. “Life changes can be difficult.”
“And you’ve had a lot recently.”
She smiled. “And you haven’t?”
He laughed lightly. “I didn’t mean that I haven’t. But the empty-nest syndrome is real, and so is homesickness when you’ve been uprooted from the only town you’ve ever known. So is coming into a new situation where you’ve got to work to be accepted, to make new friends. So is not having a career outside the home for the first time in years. I’d say on the scale of life changes, you’re off the charts.”
She laughed. “Actually, I was only thinking about the empty nest, but now that you mention all the rest...” She paused. “I just talked to Livvy, heard her kids in the background, and suddenly missed ours more than I can say.”
“You could call them.”
She checked the clock. “It’s too late. I’ll call in the morning.”
“I know this is hard for you, Kate.”
“It’s getting easier,” she said, hoping to relieve his worries. “Every day, a little easier.”
She crawled into bed, wishing it were true.
ON SATURDAY, Kate decided it would be a good time to take down the wood paneling in the living room. The idea had come to her as she was finishing her Bible reading. The psalm for the day was the twenty-third, which brought to mind the sheep on the slider, which brought to mind the redecorating she wanted to do before Christmas. Though she had to admit she was starting to like the little flock of sheep. If she ever did decide to replace the sliders with French doors, she would miss them.
By the time Paul left to meet Pastor Bobby of the First Baptist Church, Father Lucas of St. Lucy’s, and Pastor Pete of Copper Creek Presbyterian for their coffee get-together, Kate had already finished one wall.
Kate climbed up and down the ladder with her crowbar in hand, surprised at how fast the process was going. Each piece of four-by-eight-foot paneling was too big to handle by herself, so she let it drop to the floor for Paul to help her take out to the garage later.
The bare walls were worse than she had expected. Big splotches of black mastic had been smeared here and there, apparently as an adhesive. It had crystallized over the years and now was as hard as obsidian. She had hoped to start painting the walls in the afternoon, bu
t the mastic would need sanding down first.
What she thought was a one- or two-day job was turning into something that would take a week to complete, probably with Paul working alongside her.
She was at the top of the ladder when the phone rang. For an instant she remained poised, midair, before deciding to run for the phone.
She got to the kitchen by the fourth ring and snatched up the receiver before it went to the answering machine.
“Kate?” said the voice.
She frowned, trying to place it.
“I was wondering if you could babysit today. Plus, I have some things I need to talk to you about.”
Renee. She looked around in dismay. The little dog could get hurt with all the splintered wood and exposed nails.
“I need a massage,” Renee said. “And little snookims can’t go, bless his heart.”
“I’ve got quite a mess around here,” Kate said. “I’m taking down the paneling and...”
“Oh, that’s quite all right,” Renee said. “Kisses won’t mind at all.”
Kate sighed. “Okay. Bring him by.”
Renee rang the doorbell five minutes later, Kisses in her arms. Renee was dressed in her usual designer warm-up suit and gold lamé tennis shoes. Not a bleached-blond hair was out of place.
At first glance, she looked the picture of health, but beneath the makeup—heavy foundation and bright blush—she looked tired. And no amount of concealer could hide the dark circles under her eyes.
“Would you like to come in for a few minutes?”
“Well, yes, I was expecting to.”
“How about some tea? I just bought some fresh loose-leaf Earl Grey. Imported from England.”
Renee put Kisses down. “Oh, I never drink Earl Grey loose. It leaves sediment in the cup. I must use a tea bag. Silk, if possible. And—”
“Three lumps of natural sugar. I remember. And half-and-half.”
Without waiting for an invitation, Renee barged into the living room. “Oh dear. I see what you mean. You are in a bit of a mess.”
Kate went into the kitchen to put the teakettle on. She fished around in the cupboard until she found the familiar red and yellow box of tea bags, pulled one out, and dropped it into a cup.