by Aiken, Ginny
She would pray for Rand. And if the right time did come, she would share with him how her faith had seen her through the darkest of nights.
They returned home in strained silence. Cate got the sense Rand wanted to say something, but she also got the feeling he was holding himself under strict control again.
Did her faith threaten him that much? What had happened to him?
By five, he’d coiled all the tiny white lights around the tree. Cate had separated the ornaments by color and had decided on a classic red, green and gold scheme for this year. She had enough decorations to deck out three trees in different schemes, but rather than an icy and elegant silver and blue, or her mother’s off-beat and unique purple and gold, she’d decided comfort and tradition would suit everyone after all that had happened.
“Are you well enough to go to Marly’s funeral tomorrow?” Rand suddenly asked after he’d plugged in the lights.
“I’m fine, Rand. I plan to go to church. I couldn’t miss the funeral.”
“I can give you a ride.”
Was Rand holding out the olive branch? Or just acting as her bodyguard?
Cate bit her bottom lip. She’d thought their relationship had reached a new level after he’d saved her life. That kiss…And just a short while ago, at the tree farm they’d had so much fun together. She’d enjoyed the time they’d spent among the evergreens and she’d thought things between them were finally on the right track.
But now they seemed to have backpedaled in a hot hurry. All because Rand had a problem with faith.
She accepted his offer and they exchanged brief, ultra-polite goodbyes. She locked the door and leaned back against it, the strain draining right from her body.
The funeral would be hard enough to deal with. Rand’s grim presence at her side wasn’t going to make it any easier. She had more reasons than she cared for to dread the morning.
Cate let Rand guide her by the elbow to the sanctuary. The hushed conversations in the large church only heightened the solemnity of the moment.
She shuddered as they slipped into a pew. “It’s so sad.”
A glance showed his rock-hard jaw.
This time, she didn’t back down. “It’s so different when it’s a child. An older person has lived a full life and is ready to go home to the Lord. A teen hasn’t even started to live. And to think a bad choice, a sin—”
Anger narrowed his eyes to blue slits. “It’s a crime, Cate. She broke the law. If she’d upheld the law, she’d be alive, not heading to face your God who wasn’t there for her, who didn’t prevent her death. That same God who let Sam kill my cousin and your sister. And for what? What did their deaths accomplish for ‘His Kingdom’?”
She winced at the heat in his voice and prayed for the right words. “It’s true that God’s all powerful and He can stop anything before it happens. But He wants us to love Him enough to do what’s right because of that love, not out of duty or fear.”
“Sure, I know there’s choice, but I also have the choice to intervene—and do as often as possible. I’d rather work to catch the dealers before they get to the kids rather than preach about the love of a distant God who lets this—” he waved toward the altar “—happen.”
“No one succeeds all the time. Even law enforcement doesn’t. God could always yank strings to make us respond, but He doesn’t want puppets, Rand, dancing to His will.”
He scoffed. “And how do you make a kid ‘get’ that?”
“That’s why I took Alec up on his offer. I’m older, I’ve survived some pretty awful mistakes getting here. I think that might reach the kids. Plus, I hope they can see how I live out the freedom I find in Christ, the freedom I didn’t find by walking away from God.”
“Again, how? How do you convince anyone that rules equal freedom?”
“I’ve been where these kids are. And I know God can use the mess I made to show how not to live life.” She gave him a pointed stare. “And I’m going to find whoever’s stealing their futures.”
“More power to you.”
“God’s power, not mine—”
The organ played its first chord. Cate looked around, certain the person who’d supplied Marly was among them. The dealer had to be close to the kids. By the same token, only someone close to the kids would uncover the dealer’s identity. Was she the one who’d do it?
Cate felt certain she’d been attacked because she’d frightened the dealer. Without knowing his identity, even without knowing which, if any, kids she might keep out of his web, she knew she had to do something about all this.
She hoped to start by reaching Phil. Cate had done some research on the Web the night before and from what she’d learned, she suspected Marly had started using to compensate for her extreme shyness, when she became interested in Phil. Drugs offered a false sense of confidence.
Cate hoped she could impress the former soccer star with the urgency of the moment. They had to catch the dealer before another kid OD’d.
Twelve high school students carried the white casket to the simple wooden altar. Pastor Art Reams, his wire-frame glasses askew, eyes rimmed with dark circles, led the congregation in prayer. The choir sang much-loved hymns and the praise and worship team led in some of Marly’s favorite songs.
And then, when Pastor Art began to speak of Marly, Cate welled up with her heartache. The broken promise of a life cut short hit her hard. Her tears flowed unchecked and she didn’t try to stem her sobs.
To her surprise, a sturdy arm slid around her shoulders and a warm hand took hold of hers. She turned and through her tears, met Rand’s blue, blue gaze. She leaned against him, absorbing his strength.
They might not agree on how they viewed God—and she would hold out hope it was only a matter of time before they did see eye to eye on faith again—but they did agree on the painful reality they faced. Someone was benefiting from tragedy and loss. Someone was making money. Blood money. Killing for the sake of greed.
They were going to stop him.
Together.
When the congregation began to thin, Cate marched up to Alec and pointed a finger at him. “You were wrong and I was right. We can’t afford to trust one single program, no matter how good or comprehensive it might be.”
Alec grabbed her finger. “We aren’t just trusting one program. Parents are involved and the church gives the kids an outlet here. That’s part of keeping them from bad influences.”
“It’s not working.” She looked at J.J., who stood at Alec’s side. “First, your three soccer players ruined their future with drugs.” She turned to her fellow youth group leader again. “Now Marly has no future. She’s dead, Alec. Dead.”
He dropped his gaze. “I know. It’s tragic, but I can’t change that fact—”
“That’s a cop-out and you know it.” She cast a quick glance at Rand. His supportive nod gave her the courage to continue. “We have to act. Not just start a drug awareness and prevention program here for the kids, but also do something to wake up the parents. We have to give them the tools they need to fight this.”
J.J.’s eyes were red from the service. “I’m with you,” he said in a husky voice.
Alec raised both hands in surrender. “Adults aren’t my field. You’ll have to talk to Pastor Art.”
“Great idea. I’ll do that.”
“I’m on board with Cate,” Rand said. “And we can do a lot of good with the parents. But we need your help, Alec.”
Cate caught her breath. Rand had just thrown down a challenge. Would Alec come through for the kids?
To be honest, Alec had disappointed her with his insistence on school-administered programs. The reality was, the church had to act. Even the man who’d turned his back on God had recognized the need to fight from more than one angle.
“Will you join us?” Rand asked. “I’ve come to work with the kids and I’ll do whatever I can to give the parents the tools to help us fight. You can put your money where your guidance counselor mouth is and try t
o keep kids alive.”
Alec’s lips thinned. “Fine. I’ll work with you. But I’m not sure overload is the way to go.” With that, he walked away.
Cate, Rand and J.J. headed toward the door. “You guys can count on me,” the coach said. “I’ll do anything you need. It doesn’t hurt to try.”
Cate gave him a quick hug. “All that matters is that we not lose another kid.”
When Cate and Rand reached the silver SUV, she turned to the silent man at her side. “So, Mr. Investigator. What’s next?”
A smile tipped up the corner of his mouth. “You tell me, Tiger. You’ve been running this show all day long. I’m just glad I’m not Alec Hollinger.”
She blushed. “You’re the investigator—”
“Arson investigator, I’ll remind you. Doesn’t look like it was arson.”
Cate thought for a second. “I’m ready to corner Phil, before he gets his defenses back in place.”
Rand nodded. “You’re right. I’ve suspected Phil knows more than he has said from the start. Phil it is.”
She studied Rand for a silent moment, wondering if he were mocking her. Despite the levity of his response, she saw only sincere determination in his gaze. And something more. Something private and special—and theirs.
She smiled. “Phil it is.”
In the church parking lot after the funeral, Cate and Rand waited for the congregants who’d returned from the cemetery to head toward the youth ministries building. A number of church families had set out a reception for Marly’s family and friends.
As they waited, Rand’s cell phone rang. He turned away to answer, but Cate could see how his features tightened as he listened to the caller. His side of the conversation consisted of nods, headshakes and a handful of monosyllabic responses.
When he turned back to her, a hint of red darkened his cheekbones and his jaw looked chiseled out of rough granite. “You’ll be interested in this,” he said, slipping his phone back in his pocket.
Cate drew a deep breath to brace herself, but Rand’s expression told her nothing was likely to help. “Go on.”
“The PD just got preliminary autopsy results on Marly. The coroner found trace amounts of rat poison. It doesn’t look like any kind of accident.”
Cate’s world tilted off its axis. She felt sucker punched and if Rand hadn’t reached out to bolster her, she probably would have fallen. When she could manage to spit out a question, she said, “Murder?”
“Looks like someone wanted our witness out of the way.”
The implications were huge. “Then Sam…he was killed, too?”
“Possibly. Probably.”
The car that followed her to Marly’s house…the face at her kitchen window…the person who’d attacked her in the hospital. “Their killer is probably the same person who’s after me.”
Rand looked down at the ground for a moment, then lifted his gaze and met hers with those blue eyes. The intensity in their depths made Cate feel warm and protected.
“Maybe,” he said. “But he’s not going to get to you. We’re going to get him first.”
As Cate processed the latest information, she thought about Lindsay and the twins. Thank goodness she had someone like Zoe to look after them, someone she trusted completely.
She met Rand’s gaze, where she saw understanding and a promise. “I think you’re right.” She glanced around the parking lot and saw groups of kids piling out of vehicles and heading toward the reception. “Let’s go talk to Phil.”
Moments later, the boy stiffened when Cate called out his name. His face revealed emotional ravages and when he realized she wanted to speak to him, he seemed much younger than his eighteen years of age. He said something to his companions, then jogged over to Rand and Cate.
“Hi, Miss Cate.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m doing rotten.”
“Sorry. I realize this is a tough time for you. But you do matter.”
“It feels as though everyone thinks I’m the worst piece of scum in the universe.”
He fell silent and Cate waited him out. Rand had the sense to keep his peace as well.
A minute later, Phil ran a hand through his mop of curly brown hair. “Yeah, well. Everyone figures because I was partying and Marly died from an overdose, that I stuffed her with drugs and killed her. Well, I didn’t. I didn’t give her anything. Okay?”
He stared at Cate and Rand, seeking agreement. His voice thrummed with intensity and Cate believed him.
Phil went on. “I quit using the night of the bonfire. I’m not stupid. I messed my life up bad enough. I didn’t want to get stuck in jail on top of everything else.” Pain radiated from his posture, his expression. “And I didn’t know Marly was using or trust me, I woulda said something to her.”
Cate offered a silent prayer for wisdom and the right words. “That’s got to be tough. And you say you didn’t share your drugs with Marly?”
His jaw jutted. “It wasn’t like drugs, Miss Cate. I just did Smurfs a couple of times, for fun. Not like doing drugs ’cause I’m a junkie or anything. And I never, never partied that way with Marly. Whatever she took, she took on her own.”
Cate pounced on the opening he gave her. “So if you didn’t give her whatever she took, then where would she have gotten it? Maybe the same place you got the…Smurfs?”
His expression changed as though a wall had dropped between them. “I don’t know where she got…whatever.”
Cate didn’t miss what he hadn’t said. “How about you? Where did you and your teammates buy the Smurfs?”
A flash of fear crossed his face. “I gotta go.”
Phil turned and was about to follow the other kids to the youth ministries building when Rand caught hold of him. “That’s not going to work, Phil. You ruined your chances for a spot on a college team and an athletic scholarship, but that’s nothing compared to Marly losing her life.”
The teen yanked his arm from Rand’s clasp. “You think I don’t know that?” he yelled. “I really liked her. She was my girlfriend.” Tears filled his brown eyes. “Now she’s gone!”
Rand crossed his arms. “She’s gone and someone sold her the junk that took her life. Help us find that someone before anyone else dies.”
Phil blanched. “I can’t help you.”
“Can’t?” Rand asked. “Or won’t?”
With a shake of his head, Phil took off.
Cate groaned. “That didn’t go so well.”
Rand spun and shoved both hands through his hair. “It was a disaster.”
“But…we know he didn’t give Marly drugs. He would never have poisoned her either. I think he was telling the truth.”
“I do, too, but we still have no clue where he got the Smurfs or where Marly got whatever she took.”
“Did you think he was being loyal, or was he scared?”
“Scared.”
“That’s what I got, too.” They headed toward the reception. “I think they’re buying from an adult.”
Rand opened the door for her and they walked into the gym side by side. “Someone with enough power to scare them. The question is who?”
She chuckled without humor. “That’s the million dollar question.”
TWELVE
In the gym, Rand and Cate went from group to group, expressing their condolences, listening to stories of Marly as a child, and as a gifted singer. Each time they came near, Phil shifted, heading for another group of kids who offered cover. His clumsy avoidance tactics, however, weren’t going to get him off the hook.
“Are you hungry?” Rand asked Cate after a while.
“Not really. But I am thirsty.”
“Let’s go hit the punch table.”
J.J. and Abby stood behind the cranberry-punch bowl, while Zoe and Alec manned the citrus and ginger ale drink.
“What a couple of weeks,” Zoe said, draining a paper cup of her own. “How’re you holding up, Cate?”
/> “Okay. I think.” She scanned the room, caught sight of Phil staring at them, then took a sip from her drink. “Could be doing better.”
“I’m going to miss her,” Abby said. “In her own, quiet way Marly was a leader.”
Cate turned to Zoe. “You’d better go relieve Miss Tabitha of my monsters. She’s such a dear, but I don’t want us to take advantage of her.”
Zoe laughed and waved Cate’s concern aside. “She and Mr. Graver were prepping for one of their cooking classes tonight. When I dropped them off, the twins had put on aprons and were all psyched to be the official taste testers. And Lindsay ran off to play with Miss Tabitha’s cats the minute we got there.”
Cate picked up another cup of punch. “Still, I can take the three munchkins off their hands for a while. I miss them. You’ll be home so I can drop them off at your place later on.”
“Of course. The kids and I are doing just fine, but for your sake, I wish this was all over and you guys could get back to normal.”
“I hear you. At least, Dad is getting better. He’s begun some rehab, even though his last skin graft was only days ago.”
Zoe crossed her arms. “Until this creep is caught, nothing’s going to be normal again.”
“I beg to differ,” Alec said. “One person’s arrest isn’t going to make a difference. So, normal? This is as normal as it gets.”
Rand placed his fists on the white paper-covered table. “Are you suggesting we should do nothing?”
Alec took a step back. “No. No, of course, not. But one guy’s arrest won’t be the end of the situation.”
The muscle in Rand’s cheek twitched. “We do it one dealer at a time.” He spun on his heel and started toward the doors. Then he cast a glance at Cate. “I’m heading out. You coming?”
She took her time to study the four behind the table, noticing Alec’s reddened cheeks, Zoe’s disbelief, Abby’s frown, J.J.’s look of concern. She then put down her empty cup, and waved at the four behind the table. “I’m on my way.”