by Peterson, Tracie; Davis, Mary; Hake, Kelly Eileen; Stengl, Jill; Warren, Susan May
Tyler shuddered, but then he found the Lord leading his eyes on to verses sixteen and seventeen, and the words he read now brought him hope.
“Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.” He read the words silently, then again aloud.
A weight lifted from his shoulders, and he fell to his knees in prayer. First he offered thanksgiving for the scriptures God had led him to, and then he began to petition his Father for Amy’s safety.
When Randy arrived the next morning, the entire family gathered for Tyler to lead them in devotions and prayers. He shared the precious verses he’d read the night before. “We must put our hope in God,” he reminded them. “He is our only hope right now, but He won’t let us down. He is the only One who can reach out and help Amy. We must put her in His hands.” Tyler waited for them to absorb his words, and then he added, “We can trust Him with Amy’s life, for He loves her even more than we ever will.”
At these words, Dora seemed to sit straighter and even Angie lost her mask of fear. A light had been given them in their darkness, and they stood at a crossroads that would lead them to a wonderous peace of mind.
“You’re right, Tyler,” Charles said finally. “We’ve been fighting this thing too hard on our own. If we’re to ever get anywhere, we must let God work it out.” Angie, Dora, and Randy nodded in unison.
After breakfast the men readied their horses and prepared to leave. Dora and Angie stood by helplessly watching, until Angie could no longer stand it.
“Can’t I go along and help?” she asked her father.
“No, you’d best stay here. We still don’t know what we’re going to find out there. I’d rather you be here to care for your mother.” Charles gave Angie’s cheek a gentle stroke.
“But it’s awful just waiting here,” she protested.
Dora nodded. “Feels like we’re not doing our part.”
“Somebody should be here,” Tyler said before Charles could reply. “In case Amy makes it home on her own. If you’re both here, then Angie can ride out and let the rest of us know.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Dora put her arm around Angie. “And,” she added softly, “we can continue to pray.”
Angie saw the wisdom in their words, and though she longed to be at some other task, she agreed that they needed to stay at the house.
“We’ll be back by dark,” Charles said, mounting his horse. The cold leather creaked and groaned as he settled his body in the saddle. “Looks like it might snow again, so you’d best stay inside.”
“What about the chores, Pa?” Angie questioned.
“We took care of everything before you ladies got up. You just stick indoors and stay warm,” Charles instructed. He hated to leave them alone, but he knew he had to trust God to watch over them if he was to go look for his other daughter. He gave Dora a loving look and then turned his horse to follow Randy and Tyler across the yard.
“Kind of like leaving the ninety-nine,” he murmured aloud.
“What was that?” Tyler questioned.
Charles smiled and pulled up even with Tyler. “I was just thinking that leaving them here is like the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go look for the one.”
Tyler returned the smile with a nod. “That it is. I guess now we know just how precious that one can be.”
Chapter 13
Tyler stood in the center of Deer Ridge’s Main Street and stared down at the list. He decided to start with Miller’s Hotel, since six of the people on his list resided there. He spoke first to Mr. and Mrs. Miller and then was happily received by Marvin Williams, who was enjoying his holiday break from teaching.
Marvin, however, knew next to nothing about the entire affair, and so Tyler moved on to Nathan Gallagher’s room. He knocked, but receiving no answer from the other side of the door, he again moved on. He could pin Gallagher down at his office later, he decided.
The town barber and dentist, Newt Bramblage, was also absent from the hotel, but Mrs. Miller reminded Tyler that he’d probably be happy to answer any questions while giving Tyler a shave.
The only other resident was an elderly woman who rarely left her room. The woman had a delicate constitution, and so as not to upset her unduly, Mrs. Miller questioned her for Tyler. The woman, not surprisingly, had no knowledge of Amy Carmichael’s whereabouts; she went still further, however, and insisted that since she was not given to gossip, she would have nothing to share in the future, even in the unlikely event that she should fall privy to such knowledge.
Tyler thanked the Millers and moved on down the street to where Doc Taggert was shoveling snow in front of his building. “Doc,” Tyler called and climbed down from his horse. He tied the reins and offered to take over the shoveling if Doc would speak to him about Amy. He finished the remaining work quickly, and Doc invited him inside for coffee and biscuits.
“My wife, Gretta, always worries that I’ll starve before I come home for lunch.” Doc smiled. “Then she wonders why I don’t have much of an appetite at supper.”
Tyler laughed and helped himself to the offered refreshment. “I’ll happily share your misery.” He bit into a fluffy biscuit.
“I don’t know what I can do to help you.” Doc took a seat behind his desk. “I don’t believe I saw Amy at all the day she disappeared.”
“Did you work in your office that day?”
“Sure did,” Doc replied. “I was here pert near all day. I’d just gotten in a shipment of medicine and had to inventory it before I could close up and go home. I was just leaving when—say, wait a minute.”
Tyler leaned forward. “What is it, Doc?”
“I didn’t see Amy that day,” Doc said thoughtfully, “but I did see Angie.”
“Oh.” Tyler sat back hard against the wooden chair. The disappointment was clear on his face.
“Yes,” Doc remembered. “She was just crossing the street and heading into Nathan Gallagher’s office when I was locking my front door.”
Tyler leaned forward again. “You saw Angie going into Nathan’s office?”
“That’s right.”
“How did you know it was Angie? I’d think from a distance it would be pretty hard to tell the twins apart. I’m not sure even I could do it. What made you so sure it was Angie and not Amy?”
Doc shrugged and scratched his jaw. “I guess I just assumed it was Angie. After all, Amy wouldn’t have any reason to visit Gallagher. He’s not at all her type. Besides, everybody knows Angie considers him one of her more serious gentlemen callers.”
“But—” Tyler opened his mouth, then closed it again. His eyes narrowed, and he took a deep breath. “You’re sure it was the same day that Amy disappeared?”
“Positive.”
Tyler grabbed his hat. “Thanks, Doc. I think you’ve helped me a great deal.”
Without another word, Tyler hurried from Doc’s office. He left his horse behind and walked to Nathan’s office. Nathan had insisted that he’d not seen Angie or Amy on the day Amy disappeared—and now Tyler had proof that he’d lied.
“Gallagher!” Tyler slammed the office door behind him.
Nathan came from the inner office with the same look of surprise that he’d worn the visit before. “What in the world is going on, Preacher?”
“Doc Taggert says he saw Angie come here to visit you the day Amy disappeared.” Tyler’s voice was flat.
Nathan’s mouth hardened. “He’s mistaken, Andrews. I told you that I didn’t see Angie that day.”
Tyler stepped forward, barely able to control his temper. “Doc was sure about what he’d seen.”
“Doc is an old man.” Nathan laughed. “He simply has his days mixed up. Angie never came to see me that day.” Nathan’s voice was confident. The more time that passed, the closer he was to a
ccomplishing his goal of robbing the town on Christmas. Without a clue to Amy’s whereabouts, Andrews was simply grasping at straws.
“I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” Tyler’s tone left Nathan little doubt that he would do just that.
“Well, you aren’t going to get to the bottom of it here,” Nathan replied.
Tyler backed away, fearful that if he remained within punching distance of Nathan, he’d lose control and flatten the man. “I’ll be back.” He looked at Nathan for another moment, his eyes dark with anger.
“You do that, Preach.” Nathan crossed his arms across his chest and smiled. “I’ll be here—and I won’t have any more information for you then than I do now.”
Tyler stalked out of the office and climbed into his saddle with a growl that made his horse’s eyes roll. Tyler knew that Gallagher was keeping something from him, but he had no proof. His only recourse was to head back to the farm and question Angie. Perhaps she’d lied about seeing Gallagher for fear her folks wouldn’t like her forward actions. Maybe she had seen him and covering that up made her feel even guiltier about Amy. Tyler shook his head and urged his mount forward. He would have to question Angie in private and promise to keep her secret.
Amy forced herself to wake up, but the effort cost her every ounce of determination she had. She was weak from lack of food and numb from the growing cold. She had no idea how much time had passed, and so she tried to concentrate on the present moment only. She could not anticipate the future, and remembering the past now only made the present seem worse. She was no longer living even one day at a time; instead, she knew if she was to survive she must live moment by moment.
She wasn’t worrying anymore about whether Nathan would steal the harvest money. Now she thought only of whether or not he would free her before she succumbed to cold and thirst.
Each minute seemed as long as an hour. She still had a little water left, but she was afraid her thirst would drive her to swallow the remaining drops in one gulp. Again and again she reached out to take the jar in her hand, but each time she forced herself to put it back on the table. She had to make the water last. Without water, she would surely die.
With each passing moment, the room seemed smaller, as though the walls were closing in on her. She tried the door over and over, and shouted until her voice was hoarse. The longer she considered her plight, the more certain she felt that Nathan intended to leave her to die. Finally, her desperation drove her to action.
“My only hope of getting out of here is through the roof,” she said aloud. She took the lamp and water from the table and put them on the floor. Next, she looked around the room, trying to figure out where the roof might be the weakest and easiest to penetrate. She moved the table to one side and gingerly tested it to see if it would hold her.
The table wobbled, but it held as Amy put her full weight on it. Weakly, she climbed to her feet on the tabletop and then had to duck down to keep from hitting the ceiling overhead. She pulled at the cold, packed dirt with her hands until she cried out from the pain. The dirt was frozen by the winter’s cold, and Amy’s numb fingers were no match for it.
Glancing around the room, Amy looked for some tool to make her job easier. She found nothing that looked promising, though, and so she continued to labor with her hands. God would give her strength, she reminded herself. “God is my strength,” she whispered again and again while she scrabbled with her numb hands at the frozen ceiling. “God is my strength.”
Tyler pushed his overworked gelding to gallop across the prairie until they reached the Carmichael farm. Tyler dismounted quickly and left his mount in the barn. He knew he should care for the horse, but the snow was coming down heavier than before and time was of the essence. He patted the patient animal apologetically and turned toward the house.
Before he could reach the door, Angie burst through it. “What is it? Did you find her?” she cried. “Mother is sleeping, but I can wake her.”
“No, Angie.” Tyler pulled her into the house with him. “I have to talk to you alone. It’s very important.”
Angie’s brow wrinkled. “Me? Why me?”
“Sit here with me.” Tyler pulled one of the kitchen chairs out for Angie.
Angie did as he asked, but her apprehension mounted with each silent moment that passed. Finally, Tyler found the right words to begin.
“Angie, I know this might be a delicate matter to broach, but if it weren’t so important, I assure you I would never question what you told me before.” Tyler took a deep breath. “Doc Taggert and I talked this morning. It seems he remembers you going to Nathan’s office the afternoon Amy disappeared.”
Angie shook her head. “I already told you that I didn’t see Nathan that day. I spent my time with Mrs. Miller. I let Amy think I was going to go calling on some of my beaus—but that was just so she wouldn’t suspect the Christmas present for her I was planning with Mrs. Miller. Mrs. Miller can tell you I was with her the whole afternoon.”
“Yes, she did say that.” Tyler sighed. “Look, Angie, I’m not calling you a liar—I’m just desperate to know the truth. If you went to Nathan’s and felt ashamed—or if you were concerned about your folks—or one of your other beaus—catching wind of it, I promise to keep it to myself. It’s just that when I questioned Gallagher about it, he swore to me that he’d not seen you either. And yet he acts suspicious about the whole thing. I need proof that he’s lying to me.”
“You think he’s hiding something?” Angie asked in surprise.
“Could be. Is he hiding your visit?” Tyler’s tone was gentle. “Is he protecting you, Angie?”
Angie shook her head vigorously. “No! I did not go to see Nathan Gallagher that day. I would have if I’d had time after I finished with Mrs. Miller, but I lost track of the time. By the time I returned to the store, Amy was already gone. I figured she’d be back soon, and so I finished my shopping. When she still hadn’t come back, I decided to find her. I stepped outside the store and saw that her horse was still there, so I knew she was nearby. That’s when I went to talk to Ed—”
“Wait a minute, Angie,” Tyler interrupted. “You just said that when you came out of the store, Amy’s horse was still there.”
Angie looked at him in astonishment. “Yes! Yes, it was there! That’s why I went to ask Ed if he’d seen her. He was outside locking up and—oh Tyler, what does it mean?”
Tyler got to his feet. “I don’t know yet. What I do know is that Doc is confident that he saw you entering Nathan’s office.”
“But I didn’t,” Amy insisted.
“If you didn’t,”—Tyler took a deep breath—“then it had to have been Amy that Doc saw!”
“Of course.” Angie’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “And if Amy went to Nathan’s to find me, and Nathan swears he didn’t see either of us, then he’s lying. And that means he probably has done something with Amy.”
“That’s just about the way I figure it,” Tyler muttered. “Tell me, Angie, has Nathan said anything to you about leaving town?”
Angie started to shake her head and then stopped abruptly. “He did say he wouldn’t be here at Christmas. I remember, because I asked him to accompany me to your service and the festivities afterward and he told me he couldn’t.”
“Did he say where he was headed?” Tyler moved closer to Angie and put his hands on her shoulders. “Think hard, Angie. Did he give you any idea at all?”
Angie thought for moment and then shook her head. “No. He just told me he couldn’t escort me and left it at that. I wish I could be more help.” She sniffed back tears. “That lying, no-good skunk. He better not have hurt my sister. I just wish there was something I could do to help her.”
Tyler put his arm around her and patted her shoulder. “It’s all right, Angie. You’ve given me more to go on than anyone else. You’ve at least pointed the way. Now listen to me carefully. I want you to wake your mother and tell her what we know. Then I want you to ride out and find your father. It’s
snowing again, so dress warm and ride quickly.”
“What do you want me to tell him?”
“Tell him to find Randy and meet me in town. Since Nathan’s still in town and Christmas is tomorrow, he must be planning to make his break tonight. We’ll have to be there to follow him and hope that he’ll lead us to Amy.”
Angie dried her tears and agreed to Tyler’s plan. “I’ll send them, don’t worry about a thing. Just please, please find Amy.”
“I’ll do my best,” Tyler promised, heading for the door. “You just do what I’ve told you and keep praying.”
Chapter 14
Tyler went straight to Nathan’s office, but he found it dark and the door locked. He glanced down the darkening street to the boardinghouse, wondering if Nathan had taken refuge in his room, or if he had fled town altogether. Tyler could only pray that he’d not find the latter to be the case.
“Pastor Andrews,” a voice called from behind him, and Tyler turned to find Jeremy Smith.
“Evening.” Tyler’s manner was preoccupied.
“Gallagher’s gone home for the night,” Jeremy said, gesturing toward the locked office. “I saw him leave not ten minutes ago for the boardinghouse.”
Tyler let out all his breath at once. “I guess I’ll talk to him later,” he said and started for his horse.
“Pastor,” Jeremy called out, “you will be giving us a service tomorrow, won’t you?”
Tyler turned and saw that several other people had joined Jeremy. “Yeah, Pastor,” another man added, “the family’s sure been looking forward to Christmas morning service.”
Tyler had nearly forgotten his promise to preach. His worry for Amy was shutting out all other thought. “I’ll be there,” he replied, knowing that his voice lacked its normal enthusiasm.
“Good, good,” Jeremy said, satisfied that the matter was settled. “The kids are going to put on a play for us, and I’ve got sacks of candy to give them after you preach. It’s going to be a lot of fun for them. I know you’re mighty worried about Amy, but I wouldn’t want to spoil things for the young ’uns.”