“And when Mom died? Did you think of it then?”
Pain flashed in his eyes. “That’s why I need to ask your forgiveness. I was just being selfish. I didn’t want anything to come between us. But something did, only I had no idea what was bothering you—that you’d found out the truth—until today.”
“Maybe I should have come to you a long time ago.” Raven mourned the years that she’d wasted being bitter against this wonderful man who had raised her with all the love of a natural father. “And I might not have now, except that…” She gathered a deep breath. “My biological brother has contacted me.”
Mac’s gaze darted to hers, instantly alert. “Really?”
She nodded. “Apparently he did it as a surprise for Josiah.”
Again, pain flashed in his eyes. “I see. And did you meet Josiah before he died?”
“Oh, he’s not dead. What gave you that idea?”
“He’s not? Have you met him?”
“Well, not yet. Sonny wanted to meet me first and verify that I’m really biologically connected.” She couldn’t bring herself to say “Josiah’s daughter.” Not to Mac. There was no way she could bear to hurt him with those words.
“But you have met Sonny?”
Raven nodded. A sense of unease nipped at her gut. “We had dinner the other night.”
“And?”
“We look alike. He gave me a photo of Josiah.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Really? Why?”
“I have my reasons.”
Raven walked to the striped chair in the corner where she’d tossed her purse when both she and Ruth had insisted upon helping him into bed. She fished her billfold out and slipped the photo Sonny had given her out of the plastic sheath.
Mac took it, studying it close. “When was the last time you spoke to this Sonny?”
Something about the way he said this Sonny alerted her senses. Mac had on his “cop” face. That always meant lots of questions.
“A couple of nights ago. That’s when he gave me the picture.”
“Raven, I don’t know what this guy’s game is, but I saw this picture of Josiah Thatcher in the Kansas City Star a few weeks ago. I recognized the name from conversations with your mother years ago, and of course as you pointed out, you’re the spitting image of him.”
A frown creased Raven’s brow. “What was his picture doing in there?”
“Honey, it was next to his obituary.”
A burst of laughter shot from Raven’s lips as though Mac had made that up just to lighten the tension between them.
“I’m serious, Raven. Ask Ruth. She was there. I told her everything that day. If you’ve been investigating your family, why didn’t you already know this, ace?”
Raven shook her head. “It’s been a while. I just, I don’t know. I slacked off on trying to locate him. Searching article databases and archives takes time. I’ve been working fifteen-hour days to get the anchor job. I dropped the ball on this, I guess.” She frowned as a thought clung to her mind. “Besides, you have to be mistaken. Sonny is in the middle of working out the details right now for me to meet Josiah. If he were dead, Sonny surely wouldn’t be stringing me along. That would just be sick.”
“There’s one way to find out. Go through the microfiche at the library and find the obituary.”
Raven shoved herself up from the bed. “I can do better than that. I subscribe to the paper online. They archive several months back. I’m sure it will be there if you have the right guy.” She strode across the room to her desk and booted up the computer.
She turned back to Mac while she waited for the sign-on screen. “Does it bother you that I am in contact with my brother?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad bit concerned.” He sat up and stared at the computer screen.
“Dad, lie down. I’ll read off anything I find.”
“Oh, all right. But there’s nothing wrong with me other than a little too much sun.”
“Be that as it may, you need to do what the doctor ordered,” Raven said, distractedly, as she found the Website and punched in her user name and password. “Okay, there are two matches for Josiah Thatcher. One…” Her throat thickened as she pulled up the obituary column. “Survived by one sister, Meredith Graham, and one son, Sonny Thatcher, both of Kansas City, Missouri.” She turned to Mac. “It’s true. He died weeks ago.”
“I’m sorry, honey.”
“I don’t get why Sonny lied to me.”
“You don’t know him very well,” Mac reminded in his practical tone. “There really wasn’t any way of knowing whether he was on the up-and-up or not.”
“True. And there were times…”
“What?”
“I don’t know. I’m not always real comfortable around Sonny.”
“Why is that?”
“It’s nothing I can really put my finger on. Just instinct I guess.”
“Think he’s after money?”
Raven skimmed over the next article found under the search. “No. According to this, Josiah owned a couple of pretty swanky stables. He left them to Sonny. I’m a little confused about the aunt, as well. Sonny said I’m his only family now.”
“Sounds like you need to beware of this new brother. He’s not shaping up to be someone you’d want in your life.”
“You got that right.”
She jotted down her aunt’s name.
“What are you doing?” Raven recognized the stern wariness in his tone. The one he used when he was about to forbid her to do something that in all likelihood could put her in harm’s way.
“I’m going to find this Meredith Graham.”
Bending over, she brushed a kiss across his forehead. “Get some rest, Dad. I love you.”
“I love you too, Raven.” He clutched her hand. “Please be careful. You don’t know what sort of character Sonny is. Anyone who would lie about a dead father and an elderly aunt…”
“I know, and I plan to find out exactly what’s he’s up to.”
He closed his eyes and Raven left the room.
Delicious smells assailed her nose as she stepped into the living room. The sound of Ruth’s Southern voice singing old-time country gospel with the radio brought a completely unexpected rush of affection to Raven’s heart. There was no time to analyze her absence of resentment. But Raven couldn’t deny the lift it gave her to be free from the bitterness she’d lived with for so long.
She called her contact at the K.C.P.D. and thirty minutes later discovered that her aunt lived in a retirement community in one of the more upscale sections of town.
“Okay, this is it.” She grabbed a phone book from the drawer and located the number of the retirement community. A pleasant enough voice answered on the third ring.
Raven cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m looking for a Meredith Thatcher. I believe she lives in one of your assisted living apartments.”
“I’m sorry. We can’t give out information about our residents.”
“I understand completely,” she said, keeping her tone even and friendly. “But could I give you my name and number and you could give it to her for me? Then she could call if she wants to.”
“Now I never said we had a resident here by that name.”
“Okay, fair enough. How about I give you my contact information, anyway? And if she’s there and if she wants to call me, she can.”
The woman hesitated for a moment. “Okay. You can do that.”
Thirty minutes later, Raven hung up the phone after speaking with her aunt. The tearful conversation had taken Raven aback somewhat. Meredith’s brother, Raven’s biological father, had been only a day away from contacting her when he died. She seemed to want to say more, but suddenly clammed up. “I’d rather not speak about it over the phone.”
They made plans for Raven to come for a visit the next evening.
Just before the elderly lady hung up, she had said, “I wouldn’t mention this to Sonny. The boy has
never been fond of me. And my guess is he had no intention of telling you or me about the other.”
“I wish he’d given me the option at least.”
“Nevermind regrets, honey,” she’d said. “You’ve found me now, like the good reporter you are. Let’s just keep this between us and you come tomorrow around suppertime. I’ll have my girl prepare us a nice meal.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there.”
Raven took inventory of her day tomorrow. So much for Sunday being a day of rest. First, she would keep her promise to God and attend service with Matthew. After all, Anaya’s story would air tonight and then again tomorrow. Second, Keri had asked her to come down and help serve again. Most of the volunteers had been used up for the barbecue and didn’t feel compelled to help out two days in a row. Raven hadn’t had the heart to refuse. So she would spend her afternoon wearing plastic gloves and a hair net and dishing out lasagna and French bread.
By far, she looked forward to her evening with Meredith the most. Speaking with her aunt might give her the answers she needed in order to bring closure to this chapter of her life. Then maybe she would be ready to move forward…with Matthew.
Chapter Nineteen
Matthew slowly came to consciousness, awakened by raging pain behind his eyes. Fire scorched his throat and the achy feeling in his limbs, which earlier he’d suspected might be caused from adding two miles to his usual four-mile run, now caused him to thrash about trying to find a comfortable position.
With unaccustomed weakness, he sat up slowly and made his way to the bathroom medicine cabinet. He took some pain reliever, which scratched his throat as he swallowed. He walked close to the wall, then his dresser, holding tightly to whatever steady surface he could find as he made his way back to his bed. Shivering under the covers, he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. The glowing numbers read 3:18. Four hours before he needed to be up getting ready to pick Raven up for church. He closed his eyes, and even as he drifted into an uneasy sleep, he knew he’d never make it to service the next day.
When he finally awakened again, his mother stood over him, her brow creased with the worry reflected in her eyes. “You’re burning up. I’m calling Rex.”
Too weak and ill to argue, Matthew closed his eyes and listened as she dialed their long-time friend and family doctor.
He was barely conscious of his mother’s voice a moment later. “Rex is coming, darling.” Something wet and cool touched his forehead and Matthew faded once more.
“Strep throat?” Raven’s disappointment knew no bounds. How could Matt go and get strep when she needed to go to church and honor her part of the bargain with God? She couldn’t get to the church alone. Not on time anyway. She hadn’t been paying attention while driving with Matthew last Sunday morning.
“The doctor thinks that’s what it is,” Mrs. Strong replied over the phone. “But of course he won’t know for sure until the culture comes back from the lab. And he can’t even send it in until tomorrow. But he’s given Matt a shot of penicillin, and expects he’ll begin to get better in a day or so. In the meantime, it will be impossible for him to attend services this morning. He asked me to call you and let you know how sorry he is.”
“Yes, ma’am. Will you please tell Matt I’m thinking about him and I wish him a speedy recovery?”
“That’s very sweet of you. I’ll let him know.”
“Do you still plan to attend this morning, Mrs. Strong?”
Hesitation on the other end of the line brought a rush of heat to Raven’s cheeks. Talk about your brazen self-invites.
“I’m sorry, dear. I’m afraid not. I don’t want to leave Matthew while he’s so very ill.”
“Of course. I don’t blame you.” She wouldn’t mind being by his side, herself.
“What about me?” Jamie’s voice intruded upon the conversation, from another phone connected to the same line. “I want to go.”
“Jamie Strong,” Mrs. Strong said in firm admonishment. “What are you doing sneaking around and listening in on other people’s phone conversations?”
“I wanted to ask Raven to take me to church anyway, since she was planning on going. Rovercomer is visiting today.”
Rovercomer? Was that more churchese she’d forgotten?
“Please, Grams? If it’s okay with Dad?”
An exasperated huff from Mrs. Strong pretty much answered the question.
“Do you still plan to attend, Raven?”
“Honestly, I don’t see how I could pick up Jamie and get there on time.”
“No, you’d have to attend the second service.”
“Oh, that’s right. There are two?” Raven’s heart lifted at her second chance to honor her word.
“What time does the second one start?”
“Ten-forty-five, so you have plenty of time if you intend to go.”
“Of course. That’s wonderful, if I could just get some help in locating the church.”
“I’ll draw you a map. That is…unless you prefer not to take Jamie?”
“No, of course I don’t mind, if Matt okays it.”
An hour and a half later, the little girl was buckled up in the front passenger seat of Raven’s SUV. She wore a pair of navy-blue dress slacks with a matching jacket. Cute.
“Hey, you look like a businesswoman in that suit. You making any career plans?”
“I’m going to be a missionary when I grow up. And anyone can wear suits. You don’t have to be a businesswoman. You don’t have to have a job, even, otherwise, they wouldn’t make them in my size.”
“So true,” Raven drawled, taken in by the girl’s spunk once more. “So what’s Rovercomer?”
She shrugged. “A guy dressed in a big dog suit.” She grinned and a sparkle lit her eyes. “He’s really funny. He sings ‘Let God arise and His enemies be splattered.’ Get it? Splattered instead of scattered.”
Nope. She didn’t have a clue what was funny about it. “Oh, yeah.”
“Anyway, he always gets songs messed up. But he doesn’t get discouraged and always tries to do better because he’s Rovercomer. Like overcomer only with an r.”
“Ah, I get it.” Sort of.
“So, I guess you know Dad’s real sick.”
“Yeah. We’ll have to bring him some egg drop soup to make him feel better.”
“Yeah. He loves that.”
“Yeah.”
Just when Raven thought they might have an entire conversation based on non sequiturs and repeated words, the pillared front of the brick church came into view.
When they entered the church, Raven stopped in the foyer before heading for the sanctuary. She turned to Jamie. “Okay, listen, meet me right here after church, okay?”
She rolled her eyes. “You have to sign me in and out or I can’t go. Why do you think my dad let me come with you?”
Embarrassment shot through her. “Oh. Well, then, lead the way.”
“Are you going to remember me when church is over? I don’t want to be left here all alone.”
“Of course I’m not going to forget about you, Jamie. I promise.”
The second service couldn’t have been more different from the more traditional service she’d attended the week before. Raven connected with the upbeat music, a less crowded sanctuary and a contemporary message given by the youth pastor. Her heart lifted and for the first time since her mother’s death, she felt ready to trust in God again. There were no tears, no public confessions of rededication, only a simple knowing in her heart that she was forgiven and accepted back. Like the prodigal son. By the time the service ended, Raven wondered if she looked as different on the outside as she felt on the inside. She couldn’t keep a cheesy grin from her face as she slid out of the pew and into the middle aisle.
“Excuse me.” Raven felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find a thirty-something woman smiling, her plump cheeks pushed upward and her blue eyes shining with excitement.
“Can I help you?”
“Aren’t
you Raven Mahoney from Channel 23?”
Ha! Take that Ken! Someone finally recognized her.
“That’s me.” She returned the woman’s smile.
“Wow. I was just wondering if anyone called about Anaya.”
“Not yet. But we’re still hoping.”
“My children have been following the story and pray for her every night.”
Raven grasped the woman’s hand, fighting a sudden rush of tears. “Tell your children thank you and please to keep praying. I know for a fact that God is listening on this one.”
Before she made it five more feet, someone else stopped her. And another person and another. People had seen her, not only on Channel 23, but the network story had run the night before and everyone wanted to know about little Anaya.
Jamie’s scowling face greeted her when she arrived, breathless from rushing, at the Kids’ Church entrance. “I’m the last one,” Jamie groused. She crossed her arms over her chest while Raven signed her out. “I knew you’d forget all about me.”
Jamie walked a good three feet ahead of her and kept up a quick pace, obviously trying to keep Raven from catching up. “Jamie, stop a second,” she said when they got outside.
The little girl halted, but didn’t turn around. With a sigh, Raven stepped in front of her, face-to-face. “No, I didn’t forget you, Jamie. I kept getting stopped by people who saw the broadcast about Anaya. People are praying. Lots and lots of people.” Unable to contain this newfound joy, she grabbed the little girl and hugged her tightly. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Jamie wriggled free, her face still as stone. “Yeah, that’s great. Can we go now?”
“Okay, sure.” Raven received the rejection with as much understanding as she could find in her heart. After all, the little girl had never indicated that she’d like to be hugged by Raven. She’d never even expressed the merest liking for her.
“Hey, Jamie?” She buckled up, and cranked the engine.
“What?”
“I’m really sorry I grabbed you and hugged you like that. I was invading your personal space. I won’t do it again without your permission.”
Jamie gave her trademark shrug. “It’s okay. But I have a mother, you know.”
Betrayal of Trust Page 16
