He opened the door and got out. Cadi walked around the front of her minivan to meet him.
“Got a minute?”
“Sure.” She noted his somewhat gruff demeanor. “Anything wrong?”
“Can we talk inside?”
“Sure, but I don’t have a lot of time.” Cadi led him back into Riverview’s large facility. “Did you get my phone message?”
“No, I haven’t had a chance to check messages.”
Judging by his tone, Cadi knew she hadn’t imagined his brusqueness. “Bad day?”
“Sort of.” He released a weary-sounding sigh. “I’m exhausted.”
“I can tell.” She unlocked her office door and let him inside. “Want some coffee? It’s a couple of hours old, but it’s in a thermal pot.”
“No, thanks. Cadi, look, I’m here on business, and I’m afraid it’s not pleasant.”
“What’s going on?”
He pulled a piece of white paper out of his back pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to her. “Take a look at that.”
Cadi took the proffered document and noticed the obvious. She held a copy of a canceled check made out to Bettyanne Binder for a large sum of money. She remembered helping the elderly woman fill out the insurance claim form.
“Mrs. Binder must be pleased.”
“She would be—if she had been the one to cash the check.”
“What?” Cadi felt a puzzled frown dip her brows.
“See the signature on the back of the check? Mrs. Binder insists it’s not hers.”
Cadi looked at the back side of the copy before glancing up at Frank again. “I don’t understand.”
He sat down on the corner of her desk, one leg dangling over the side. “Mrs. Binder believes someone managed to steal her check, forge a semblance of her signature, and get the cash.” He paused, and Cadi saw his gaze flick over her. “She’s sure that ‘someone’ is you, and she wants to press charges.”
“What? But that’s ridiculous.”
“I know.”
Cadi didn’t think he sounded convinced, and a sickening dread fell over her. “You think I stole it, too?” The words came forth with significant effort.
“I don’t think you stole it, but—”
“But?” She shook her head, remembering how he’d falsely accused her when they first met. It pained her to think he still didn’t trust her.
“Cadi, look—”
“Oh, don’t waste your breath. I can see the guilty verdict written all over your face.”
“Bear with me, okay?” A muscle worked in his jaw, and Cadi wondered if he was about to lose his patience. “Since Mrs. Binder named you, specifically, I wanted to bring this to you myself. I didn’t want one of the other officers to come to you with her complaint.”
“Well, I don’t know who cashed this thing.” She gave back the copy of the check. “It certainly wasn’t me.”
Frank folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket again. “So, you never did tell me—how were you able to purchase your aunt’s new car?”
“How was I. . . ?” She blinked. “You never asked until now. What a coincidence.” She stepped closer to him. “You think I stole that lady’s money, don’t you?”
“No, I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m inquiring.”
Cadi shook her head to the contrary. “You’re investigating. There’s a major difference.” She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her gaze. How could she love a man who seemed so ready to convict her of a crime?
“Investigating is my job. Just for the sake of discussion, would you mind answering my question?”
“Yeah, I do mind—but I’ll answer it because I have nothing to hide.”
A stony expression, but one that seemed mixed with regret, settled over his features.
“I received a settlement from my car accident. You’re brilliant enough to figure out the rest.”
“Can you prove it?”
“Do I have to?”
He appeared to weigh his reply, but before he could actually answer, Cadi backed down. She didn’t have time for this. She made her way to the file cabinet and opened the drawer in which she kept personal documents because she had nowhere to lock them up in her bedroom at home. She pulled out a folder containing the legal documents in question. Then she strode back to Frank, and it was all she could do to keep from flinging it at him.
He leafed through the file then handed it back.
“Satisfied?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
He stood to leave, and as he opened the door, Cadi’s heart twisted. How could he accuse her and walk away? Just like that?
“Frank. . .”
He paused, glanced over his shoulder, then turned his body toward her.
“I can’t fathom how you could even imagine that I’d steal something like another person’s insurance check and forge their signature. It was one thing to be suspicious of me before we knew each other, but you and I. . .” She couldn’t finish for fear she’d choke on the rest of her sentence.
His features softened. “Cadi, I had to ask—”
“But you should have known.”
He shook his head. “I was acting on Mrs. Binder’s accusations.”
“Which are nonsense.” Cadi fought back her tears. “You believed her, not me. You suspected the worst of me. How could you?”
“How?” He took a step forward. “Because I’m good at my job. I know anyone at anytime is capable of anything, given the right circumstances. If you don’t believe me, read the Bible. King David comes to mind. He was an anointed man of God, yet he committed adultery and murder.”
“That much is true, but you missed the point. I’m talking about a fundamental premise here. Trust. All good relationships are based on trust. Even the foundation of our faith is based on trust; we trust Jesus Christ and His work on the cross for our eternal salvation. We trust God with our present. Our future.” She raised her arms, palms up, in an emphatic shrug. “If you don’t trust me, what kind of relationship can we ever hope to have? Nothing. We have nothing.”
“Nothing, huh?” His expression hardened. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
He wheeled around and left the office, pulling the door closed with a finality that shattered Cadi’s heart.
Nineteen
Frank fumed all the way back to Wind Lake.
Nothing. She said we have nothing. I suppose she thinks the last couple of months have been a waste of time, too.
Frank refused to admit Cadi’s reaction might have been legitimate. He’d had to ask her about the insurance check. He’d merely been doing his job.
Hadn’t he?
He shook off any doubts. He was in the right to question her, especially after Mrs. Binder went so far as to name Cadi as the one who stole her insurance check.
Except, in his heart, he’d known Cadi was innocent all along.
His grip tightened on the steering wheel of the squad car. Perhaps he should have told her from the start that he’d defended her to Mrs. Binder. Maybe it would have prevented those angry sparks he’d seen in her blue eyes. Sure, he had questions. But she’d answered them—right before she said they had “nothing.”
Does she really feel that way?
Frank stopped at the office, dropped off the squad car, then drove home in his own vehicle. Knowing his kids were with Lois today, he walked into the adjacent townhouse to say hello. The noise level in the finished basement rec room was off the charts because rain had forced Lois to move the day-care center indoors. But Dustin and Emmie were having fun, and since Lois didn’t mind, he decided he’d leave them there so he could get a few hours of sleep. His limbs felt weighted from exhaustion.
“Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll be sure to wake you up wh
en it’s time to go to Cadi’s house.”
Frank refrained from growling at his son. Hadn’t this been exactly what he’d feared? Cadi’s calling it quits and his kids getting hurt?
He made his way next door. His brain felt muddled from lack of sleep.
Did she really say to call it quits?
Fatigue clouded his ability to reason, although one thing he knew for sure: His life would never be the same without Cadi.
❧
“The Des Moines River continues to rise. Experts say it will crest four feet above flood stage. Many roads have already become impassable, so motorists are advised to take precautions.”
Cadi turned up the radio in the minivan.
“In low-lying areas, floodwaters have submerged street signs and carried away everything from ice machines to netted soccer goals. It’s reported that as many as twenty thousand people are without power.”
“Great,” she muttered. “Just great.”
“We’re going to live up to our name this weekend,” Will quipped from where he sat in the passenger seat. “Disaster Busters.”
“Do you want me to drive, Cadi?” Jeff called to her from the backseat.
“No, I’m okay.”
“Well, at this speed, we’ll never get there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drive so slow.”
She wrestled with the idea of giving up control of her vehicle, but in the end she knew Jeff was right. In this instance, her anxiety made her overly cautious, and she sensed her team’s growing impatience.
Pulling over onto the shoulder, Cadi allowed her friend to take the wheel. She crawled into the bucket seat across from Bailey, secured her seat belt and shoulder strap, then forced her taut nerves to relax. Will tuned the radio in to a Christian station, and Cadi forced herself not to think about what lie ahead or dwell on the heated verbal exchange she’d had with Frank. But it was no use. She couldn’t shake either subject from her thoughts.
“You’re so quiet, Cadi,” Meg said. “Aren’t you feeling well?”
“I’m fine. I—I just have a lot on my mind right now.”
“Did Frank pop the question?”
“Oh, he ‘popped’ several, but none was the question you’re referring to—that’s for sure.” Cadi turned in her seat and regarded her best friend. She noted the teasing gleam in Meg’s hazel eyes, but Cadi wasn’t up to the goading. Or the banter. “Seriously, I’d rather not talk about it.”
Meg searched her face then nodded. “Okay.”
With the subject of Frank now dropped, Cadi tried again to push aside her tumultuous emotions. She focused on prayer in preparation for the flooding situation that she and the rest of the team would soon encounter.
An hour later, Jeff pulled the van into the parking lot of the New Elk Lodge, a huge facility and part of a campground. It had opened its doors to rescue personnel and those seeking immediate shelter. After checking in, they were directed farther down the highway. They walked the rest of the way beneath a gloomy sky.
“At least the rain stopped,” Meg said, sounding cheery.
“For now,” Will added. “More is on the way.”
Cadi suppressed a groan.
When they arrived on the scene, they were met with controlled chaos. Many residents had been able to evacuate while some refused to leave their homes. Others, however, were trapped.
After speaking with the fire chief, one of the men heading up the rescue efforts, Will approached Cadi and the rest of the Disaster Busters team. “Okay, here’s the scoop. We’re going to help get folks out of their houses. We’ll cover this cul-de-sac.” He gave a nod, indicating to the area just over his shoulder. “It’s about a quarter of a mile long, and as you all can see, it goes downhill and curves to the left. We’re standing on the high end.” He looked at Cadi. “Since the water is overflow from the river and not due to a flash flood, most rescuers are wading in. Every boat, other than those privately owned, is being used to evacuate elderly and handicapped residents.”
“We can walk. Let’s go,” Jeff said eagerly.
“One last thing.” A serious expression spread across Will’s face. “We’ve only got a few hours until dark, and more rain is on the way. The water level on the street is expected to rise.”
Cadi looked down the flooded, tree-lined neighborhood and squelched her fears before they could resurface. I can do this, Lord. With Your help, I can do anything.
“Are you going to be all right, Cadi?”
She turned and found Bailey regarding her with a concerned expression. “I’ll be fine,” she said with more confidence than she felt. “This is nothing like the horrible rushing water that my family and I were caught in when I was a kid.” She glanced at the gray sky. “I just hope the rain holds off.”
“We’ve got to be done by the time it’s dark,” Will repeated. “There’s no power in this area. We’ll need to take flashlights.”
Jeff clapped his hands then rubbed his palms together. “Let’s get our gear and go.”
After pulling on protective waders and collecting their flashlights, the Disaster Busters team made its way into the deluge. Cadi’s pulse raced with each step she took, but she kept reminding herself that people needed her help and that an almighty God walked right along with her.
❧
After four hours of sleep and two cups of strong coffee, Frank felt like a new man. While the kids ate supper at their grandparents’ next door, he opened his Bible and read several chapters. He was amazed at the way his skewed world righted itself once he allowed God’s Word to steer his thought processes.
He phoned Cadi, intending to begin with an apology, but only reached her voice mail. Either she was really angry, Frank reasoned, or she couldn’t hear her cell phone. Knowing Cadi, he figured it was more the latter since she was forgiving to a fault. But would she agree to continue their relationship, or had he finally crossed the line with the way he’d handled the Binder insurance check situation?
Lord, I hope I didn’t do permanent damage here.
He mulled things over and remembered Cadi saying this morning that she’d left a message for him. Locating his cell phone, Frank accessed his messages. He listened to her lengthy recording in which she canceled their plans this weekend because of the flood situation across the state. He heard the apprehension in her voice, and his chest constricted at the thought that he’d let her down. Instead of encouragement, he had most likely added to her stress. He wondered what he could do to make it up to her.
He paced the living room floor and shot up an arrow of a prayer for wisdom. Flowers and candy wouldn’t do the trick, because Cadi was out of town. She couldn’t be reached by phone.
I’ll just have to find her and tell her in person.
Tell her what?
Frank stopped and placed his hands on his hips. He figured he’d start off by apologizing for his boorish behavior this morning. He’d let Cadi know he was wrong for questioning her integrity and that he—well, he just couldn’t imagine his life without her.
His home phone jangled, and he answered it at once, hoping it might be Cadi. Instead, it was another sheriff’s deputy.
“Hey, listen, I know you’re off duty,” the officer began, “but I’ve got this lady here—Mrs. Binder.”
“She’s there? At the office?” Frank felt a heavy frown settle on his brows. “What’s going on?”
“She says it’s urgent that she speak with you. She says you know the situation.”
“Yeah, okay. Put her on.” Frank drew in a deep breath and lowered himself onto the couch. Moments later, he heard Mrs. Binder’s gentle but determined voice.
“Deputy Parker, I won’t need to press charges. I have my money.”
Surprised by the turn of events, Frank sat forward and prompted her to continue.
“Well, you see, on the day my check arrived, I had a hair appointment. The post office closed at noon, seeing it was a Saturday, so my, um, gentleman friend,” she said, sounding suddenly bashful, “offered to pick up my mail. When he saw that my check had come, he walked over to the beauty parlor and had me sign it. Then he dashed to the bank to cash it because the bank also closes earlier on Saturday. Well, I suppose you know that. Anyway, he gave me the money, but I scarcely recall him doing so because I was engrossed in a very important conversation with Lorna Flores. She heads up the committee for our quilting club.”
Frank couldn’t help a small grin.
“Needless to say, that explains my chicken scratch of a signature. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. Later on, after I arrived home, I changed purses, although I never did see the envelope with the money that I had zipped into the side pocket for safekeeping.”
He cringed, imagining the scenario. “Just a word of warning for the future, Mrs. Binder: You should never carry such a large sum in your purse or keep it in your home.”
“Yes, I know. You’re absolutely right. The bank is the safest place. But, you see, my account isn’t with the bank in Wind Lake. My gentleman friend does his financial business there and the girls all know him. They call him Grampa Grapes.” She laughed. “His last name is Grapenwald.”
Frank recognized the name immediately. “Are you referring to Harold Grapenwald? He worked as a janitor and general handyman at the high school until he retired. He’s known around town as a guy who’ll help anybody and who can fix almost anything.”
“That’s Harold.” Mrs. Binder sounded both pleased and proud. “Anyway,” she said, her voice growing solemn once more, “the long and short of it is, he thought he was doing me a favor even though I could have just as easily taken the check to my own bank that following Monday.”
“I see.” Frank saw no reason not to believe her, as careless and ridiculous as it might seem to him. After all, he’d heard stranger explanations in his line of work. He’d learned truth was definitely weirder than fiction.
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