"Something in the air, I guess." She indicated the pizza and bottle of soda he was carrying. "What's the occasion?"
"Dinner."
"Why?" she asked as he put the food down on her counter.
He turned and looked at her and a shiver crept up her spine."Because I think we have to stop waiting to have a reason to spend time together. I'm not going to wait until the next body shows up in Pine Springs before talking to you again."
He took her hand in his and her skin tingled and her breath caught in her throat.
"We're friends, right?"
"Yes," she said.
"Then I want us to start acting like it. No more ignoring each other, no more drifting apart. I want to spend time with you when the world isn't falling to pieces, not just when it is."
"I want that, too," she whispered.
"Good," he said, smiling into her eyes.
Mark answered his phone in surprise when he realized it was the coroner calling. "You know I'm suspended, right?"
The other man paused. "Things have been said."
"Do I want to know?"
"Probably not."
"I'm suspended for at least another three-and-a-half weeks and I'm under investigation. You shouldn't be calling me.Jackson is handling my active cases."
"I know, but I'm not calling about those."
"What is it?" Mark asked.
He glanced across the room to where Traci was curled up on the couch reading a mystery. He owed her everything. She had saved him. She was the reason he was going to survive whatever came.
"You know, word on the street is that you're going to be back on active duty next month."
"That would be nice," Mark said. "Seriously, though, why did you call?"
"We've finished identifying about half of the bodies that were buried underneath that cabin up at Green Pastures," he said.
"And?" Mark asked.
"They are several members of the cult that followed that Matthew guy about twenty years ago. Men, women, children.It looks like a mass suicide."
"Great," Mark muttered.
"One of the kids that we have a positive identification on was a ten-year-old boy. We ran the DNA several times and matched it to a kidnapping from back then. Police suspected that the cult was behind that and several other kidnappings, but could never prove it. It's official; the missing boy was one of the bodies."
"Who is the boy?"
"Paul Dryer, Junior, son of Ruth and Paul Senior."
"That's impossible," Mark whispered. "You knew Paul. He was killed last week."
"That's why I wanted to call you, so you heard it from me first. I'm sorry about your partner. But whoever he was, he wasn't Paul Dryer."
Discussion Questions
Everyone deals with death in different ways, finds different ways of healing. How do you lean on God when you experience times of mourning and do you allow those around you to help you during these times?
Cindy does something incredibly dangerous when she goes to rescue Jeremiah and the kids. Have you ever risked your life to save someone else? How did it make you feel?
The Bible says that no greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for a friend. How far have you gone to help a friend? Is there anyone you would lay down your life for?
At the end of this book Cindy comes to have some sense of perspective about the death of her sister, which helps her to deal with her own life and circumstances.Is there anything you need to gain perspective on in your life?
At the end of this book Cindy calls her brother, Kyle, to thank him for helping her even though he didn't know it. Is there anyone you should thank who might not realize how they have helped you?
Is there someone you've been meaning to spend more time with but you just haven't gotten around to it, a family member, friend, or even God? What can you do this week to strengthen that relationship?
Zac, one of the campers, tries to run away from home.Every year many kids attempt to run away from home.Do you know any kids who might need someone to talk to?
Volunteer opportunities abound at churches. Is there anything you can do to help out? Have you ever volunteered to work at a camp or help out with teens in some other capacity?
Mark goes too far and does something terrible in order to try and save people. Have you ever done the wrong thing for the right reason? How did you make amends?
Several of the characters in this story feel or are trapped.Have you ever felt that you were backed into a corner with no way out? What did you do? How did God help you in this situation?
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