by Diane Noble
By the time the teakettle whistled, Renee had marched into the kitchen and taken a place at the table. Kate poured them each a cup of tea and set them on the table with the sugar bowl.
Renee stirred in her three lumps. “I have some ideas for the vigil and thought you should know about them.”
“As I mentioned before, it’s going to be a long, cold night. And possibly dangerous.”
Renee pulled a pink calendar book from her handbag, flipped the pages to the current date, then pulled out a matching pen. “We’ll need food,” she said. “Something warm, like soup in thermoses. I’ll be in charge of that.”
Kate nodded, smiling. “That would be very nice.”
“And sandwiches. Can you make those?”
“I’d be happy to.”
“I’ll contact the others about what they can bring.”
Alarmed, Kate sat forward. “What others?”
“I have a list of phone numbers. People who will be glad to help us out. Safety in numbers, I always say.”
“Have you called anyone?”
She smiled. “I thought we would divide the list so one person doesn’t have to do it all.”
It was sounding more like a church picnic than a vigil.
“Renee, this is dangerous, too dangerous to invite anyone else. We’re going to do this alone.” She paused, sorry for the disappointment on Renee’s face. “The other thing is that we don’t want the thieves to know what we’re doing.”
Renee nodded. “I just thought we’d maybe need some backup when we confront the perps.”
“We’re not going to confront them—just find out who they are so we can call the authorities.”
She brightened. “I happen to know I’m the only one with a cell phone. You need me! In fact, you can’t do this without me.” Her tone was triumphant. “And I’ll bring my camera. We’ll catch them red-handed.”
“It’s got a flash?”
She nodded.
“Then we can’t use it.”
Renee seemed to study the situation for a moment. She took a sip of tea, shuddered, and said, “I think we’re good enough friends that I can tell you this is the worst cup of tea I’ve ever had.”
PAUL CAME IN THE DOOR just as Kate pulled off another sheet of paneling. Kisses woke from where he was sleeping by the fireplace and growled as Paul walked into the room.
He grinned. “I see we’re babysitting little umpkins again.”
Kate climbed back down the ladder. “It’s my destiny. How was the coffee hour?”
“The guys are great. We discussed everything from politics to theology, the NFL to deep-sea fishing.” He chuckled. “We certainly don’t agree on everything, but our discussion was spirited and accepting of the other points of view.”
They went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. “You won’t believe what they’ve got planned for the pumpkin festival. They’ve asked their congregations to donate items or services for our auction.”
“Oh, Paul. That’s wonderful.”
“There’s more. They wanted to give their congregations examples of creative thinking.
“Father Lucas, the Episcopalian priest, is a private pilot and has his own plane. He’s donating free plane rides for the auction, as many as we want. And Pastor Pete, the Presbyterian minister, says he knows where all the best fishing holes are in the area. People have been after him for years to reveal where they are. His auction contribution is to sell his top-ten secret spots. Not only that, he’s also donating his time as a guide for the winner.
“And listen to this one: Pastor Bobby of the Baptist church told us his wife writes and illustrates children’s picture books. She’s working on her second book right now. She came up with a brilliant idea—auctioning off the chance to pick a pet, and its name, as a sidekick for her main character. Dog, cat, pot-bellied pig, or hamster—he said it doesn’t matter. She’ll work it into the story.”
“I’m overwhelmed,” Kate said. “Not just their creativity, which is incredible. But love in action...”
“Preach Christ, and if you must, use words,” he quoted. He hesitated for a moment as if mulling something over, then he said, “There’s still more.”
“I can’t imagine it getting any better than this.”
“I made a decision as I was driving home.”
“It sounds momentous.”
“It is. I’ve decided to donate the Lexus to the auction.”
Kate’s eyes filled with tears, and she reached for his hand.
Chapter Nineteen
At the same time Kate began painting the living room, work began in earnest on the church property. Eli had arranged for six heavy-duty trucks to haul away debris, and an earthmover to come in once the ground was cleared to level the soil. Two weeks later, the foundation was poured, and framing was ready to begin.
Kate was pleased with the transformation of the room. She had painted the newly smooth walls a soft ivory, and new drapes hung over the huge sliders. Paul had removed the fluorescent lighting and acoustic pebbling on the ceiling, and she had added torch floor lamps for soft, indirect lighting. She also put ivory and light tan slip covers on the sofa, love seat, and overstuffed chairs. A scattering of throw pillows in primary hues added a splash of color.
She arranged the sitting area around the fireplace, separate from the rest of the large room, which she needed to keep clear of furniture for Sunday services. The spinet piano and Paul’s bookcases lined the walls, though she had left plenty of space for artwork.
Above the piano, she hung a framed calligraphy print of the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi—“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace...” Three other large framed prints were of a Southwest design and had hung in their San Antonio home. They were paintings of two missions in California—the Carmel and the San Juan Capistrano—and one in New Mexico.
The moss green shag carpet still covered the floor. She and Paul had paid for the new paint and drapes out of their own pocket, but they didn’t feel now was the time to go to any added expense for the church, or themselves. Too many other needs took precedence.
Kate’s favorite new addition, though, was the church bell that graced the tiny backyard. Though Paul and Kate had scrubbed and polished the bell, the damage from the fire was still evident. But that didn’t seem to matter when the morning sun hit it and turned it back into the beautiful bronze bell it once was.
THE MORNING THE LUMBER DELIVERY was due to arrive dawned gray and dreary with the promise of coming rain. Kate was sitting at the kitchen table reading the morning Chronicle. She groaned as she read the weather report. “Oh no, not today.” She pictured the vigil in pouring rain and sighed.
The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was LuAnne asking if Kate had seen the weather report. The next call was from Livvy asking the same thing. The third call was from Lester Philpott, a member of Faith Briar whom Kate had met once before.
“I understand you do pet sitting,” he said.
For a moment, Kate was too stunned to answer.
“Um...Renee Lambert gave me your name and number.”
“I do watch her Chihuahua from time to time...”
“You see, this is sort of an emergency. My mother Enid—I don’t think you’ve met her—has this cat named Ruffles. Ruffles doesn’t get along with Maximillian, the rottweiler me and my brother LeRoy have. In fact, he attacks Maximillian every chance he gets.”
“You and LeRoy live with your mother?” She blurted out before she could stop herself.
“Oh yes.” He chuckled. “For some reason we just never left home.”
One thing worse than an empty nest would be two middle-aged chicks still in it, Kate thought. Talk about singing “Bye Bye, Birdie”...
“Anyway,” Lester went on, “we had to take Mother to the hospital last night. Emergency gall-bladder surgery. Maximillian was with us, but the minute we opened the door, Ruffles attacked him. You see, Mother is the referee. She’s the only one Ruffles will min
d. Maximillian might be ten times bigger, but this cat is a bully.”
“How’s your mother?”
“I spoke with the doctor on the phone a few minutes ago. She’s resting well. But she’ll be in the hospital at least three days.”
Kate took a deep breath. “Then, of course, bring Ruffles over. I’ll take care of him.”
Lester arrived with a yowling cat in a carrier a half hour later. He returned to the car and came back with a litter box and a sack of sensitive-stomach cat food.
“I can’t thank you enough,” he said, then trotted back down the sidewalk.
Kate came back in the house to find the big long-haired tabby sitting on the kitchen counter eyeing the big Crock-Pot of chicken soup she had made for dinner. “Don’t even think about it!” She wagged her finger at him.
The gleam in his big green eyes said he was indeed thinking about it, and what’s more, he would politely wait until her back was turned to do a taste test.
He took his time getting off the counter, then turned his back to Kate and groomed his whiskers.
AT 5:30 THAT NIGHT, Livvy swung by to pick up Kate in the Jenner SUV. LuAnne was already with her, grinning as if this was the grandest outing ever.
Five minutes later, Renee Lambert had plopped into the backseat, and they were heading toward a patch of trees across from the church property.
The sun had set, and the coming twilight would help their cover. Livvy parked behind a dense thicket of trees, and the four women clambered out of the car. It was already cold, and Kate shivered, holding her down parka close.
The rain never materialized, but in its place a bone-chilling wind had kicked up.
LuAnne blew on her hands and stomped her feet. “Whoa, baby. It’s chilly out here.”
“Are you sure we can’t have a campfire?” Renee wanted to know.
“I’m sure,” Kate said, though the idea appealed to her. She pulled her gloves out of her parka pocket and yanked them over her fingers, already stiff with cold.
Livvy pulled folding lawn chairs out of the back of the SUV. Each of the women took one, lined it up with the others on one side of the trees, and sat down. They could clearly see the new pile of lumber, stacked higher than before. They each had binoculars strung around their necks. Kisses was curled in Renee’s lap, snoring like a chain saw, which worried Kate. She could have kicked herself for not telling Renee to leave him home.
“Once it gets dark, we won’t be able to see a thing,” LuAnne whispered.
“I hope they leave the headlights on when they pick up the lumber,” Livvy said.
“We’ll need to move behind the trees if they do,” Kate said. “If they back the truck in, the headlights will beam right where we’re sitting.”
“I bet that would surprise ’em,” LuAnne said. “Can you imagine, darlin’s, thinkin’ you’re all alone, then lookin’ across the street where four women with binoculars are sittin’ there starin’ back at you?” She laughed. “Don’t you love it?”
An hour later, the hum of a vehicle caught their attention. The chatting stopped as headlights approached, but the car drove on without stopping. “You don’t suppose we’re too obvious, do you?” LuAnne wanted to know a half hour later. “Maybe they’ve somehow spotted us.”
“I’m hungry,” Renee said. “Let’s get out the soup.”
Out came the sandwiches and soup—served in double-thick paper cups—coffee, tea, and hot cider. Kate opened a container of chocolate-chip cookies and passed them around.
They talked about the pumpkin festival, sharing recipes and ideas for crafts to sell. Renee told them about a secret pumpkin-pie recipe that had been in her family for decades. “I’m sure I’ll win,” she said, and no one argued. Renee might miss the mark on her social skills, but no one could argue that she wasn’t one of the best cooks in town.
It was almost midnight when the low rumble of a big truck slowly approached. The group fell silent.
Kate’s heart missed a beat or two, and she held her breath.
The truck stopped in front of the church property, and two men crawled out of the cab. They had high-beam flashlights and shone them around as they walked toward the lumber. After a few minutes, the driver got back in the truck and swung around to back into the driveway.
Briefly the monster headlights swung across the row of vigilantes. There was a collective gasp.
“Oh no!” LuAnne breathed.
But the driver obviously didn’t notice he was being watched. He jumped out of the cab again and opened the back of the truck with a clatter and a bang.
“I want to go get them now,” LuAnne said. “I’m steamed. They’re takin’ what doesn’t belong to them.”
Renee stood up and handed kisses to Kate. “I’m ready. I’ll go with you.”
“No, please,” Kate said. “They’ve got to be caught with the lumber in the truck. Do you have your cell phone ready, Renee?”
“Sure do.” Renee nodded, then reached into her purse for the portable phone. She was the only one of the four who owned one, and they planned to call the police with it as soon as the truck was loaded. “Oh no.” Renee shook her head and pushed a few buttons on the phone.
“What’s wrong?” Livvy asked.
“It’s dead,” Renee sighed. “I always forget to charge it.”
Kate began a silent count to ten.
“What are we going to do without a phone?” LuAnne asked. “How are we going to stop them?”
Kate reached eight and a half, decided she was calm enough to speak, and said, “We may not be able to get the cops to catch them red-handed, but maybe we can pick up a clue about where they’re headed.”
“Hmmph,” Renee said.
An hour crawled by. Then another half hour. The men weren’t in any hurry. They laughed and joked while they worked, stopped every few minutes for a cigarette or a beer, then went back to their loading.
Kate was shivering now, and her feet were numb. A light mist had started to fall. Renee sneezed, which made Kate worry about her health. What if it started to rain? They would have no choice but to leave, and their cover would be blown.
At one thirty, Renee stood up and said she’d had enough; she wanted to go home.
The others looked at each other in dismay. They were so close. Only a few boards were scattered on the ground.
“Furthermore,” she said. “I intend to walk over there and give them a piece of my mind.”
“The truck’s almost loaded,” Livvy said. “Can’t you wait just a little while longer? We’ll get the information we need and go home.”
“No. I’ve made up my mind. These perps are about to get a free trip to the slammer. They’re about to get popped.” She paused, wagging her finger at the others. “And don’t try to stop me. I’ve got a plan, but it’ll only work if the perps think I’m alone. Give me five minutes. If I need you, I’ll holler.”
She handed the Chihuahua to Kate again and—before the others could utter a cautionary word—she put her shoulders back and took off for the building site, waving her flashlight at the ground as she picked her way around shrubs and clumps of autumn-dry grass.
“Popped?” LuAnne whispered.
“And sent to the hoosegow,” Livvy said, grinning.
The three gave each other worried looks and stood, their attention riveted to the building site.
“Excuse me, sirs?” They heard Renee’s voice carry from across the street. “Helloooo?”
Some sharp expletives rose from behind the truck, then the men came around from where they had been working.
“What th—” the driver said. “Who’re you?”
“My car broke down a ways down the road. I’m wondering if you all could give me a ride. Looks like you’re about through here. Where are you headed?”
“Look, little lady,” the second man said, “we’re not in the taxicab business, so I suggest you git on down the road you came from.”
The driver added. “We’re on a job, other
wise we’d try to do something. We’ll call the sheriff once we’re outta here, though. Tell him about you being stranded and all.”
“Yeah, right. We’ll do just that.”
“Which way are you going?” Renee said. “Just so I know if it’s out of your way or not. What would it hurt? My car’s not very far...”
“It is out of our way,” the driver said. “You’ll have to make do on your own.”
“And we ain’t callin’ no sheriff,” the second man said. “I’m in charge, and I’m saying we ain’t callin’ no cops.”
Kate watched Renee bravely continue to try to wheedle information out of the men. The woman was shivering in the cold; Kate could see it even from a distance.
She couldn’t stand it any longer. LuAnne and Livvy obviously felt the same way. They all stood at once and started walking across the road, flashlights in hand.
The men looked up, fear in their eyes, faces pale, mouths gaping. Kate realized with a nervous giggle, which she quickly swallowed, that the truckers couldn’t see who was behind the beams of light. The vigilantes of Copper Mill probably looked threatening.
The men scrambled into the truck cab, revved the engine, scraped the gears, and pulled out of the church parking lot.
Everyone started talking at once as they gathered around Renee to see if she was okay. She shrugged off the attention, and with a sniff, pulled her pink-covered planner out of her coat pocket. She fished around for her pen, then wrote something on the page under the day’s date.
She held it up for everyone to see. Three flashlight beams hit the pad at once, turning it, appropriately, a lustrous white.
“The license plate number, ladies. I think we got our perps. And believe you me, they’re not going to beat this rap.”
Chapter Twenty
Kate’s routine changed the minute Ruffles pranced through their house, tail swishing like a flag. Every time Kate sat down, the cat hopped onto her lap, curled three times before getting comfortable, purred for a few minutes, then slept. She suspected the cat weighed at least twenty pounds, though he looked like he could be closer to thirty because of his thick, long hair.