Strangers in
Their Midst
Mystery
and the Minister’s Wife
Through the Fire
A State of Grace
Beauty Shop Tales
A Test of Faith
The Best Is Yet to Be
Angels Undercover
Into the Wilderness
Where There’s a Will
Dog Days
The Missing Ingredient
Open Arms
A Token of Truth
Who’s That Girl?
For the Least of These
A Matter of Trust
Funny Money
To Have and to Hold
How the Heart Runs
A Thousand Generations
Home to Briar Mountain
Flight of the Sparrows
A Firm Foundation
Off the Record
A Distant Memory
Tea and Sympathy
The Master’s Hand
Strangers in Their Midst
Mystery and the Minister’s Wife is a registered trademark of Guideposts.
Copyright © 2010 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to the Rights & Permissions Department, Guideposts, 110 William Street, New York, New York 10038.
The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or occurrences is coincidental.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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Cover design by Dugan Design Group
Cover illustration by Dan Brown
Interior design by Cris Kossow
Typeset by Nancy Tardi
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my mother, Dagny Anderson,
who has always been my biggest fan.
Chapter One
It’s about time y’all got here.” LuAnne Matthews, longtime waitress at Copper Mill’s Country Diner, beckoned Paul and Kate Hanlon inside.
Kate grinned and gave her a wave. Stepping into the diner, which she did on an almost daily basis, was like going back to the early fifties. LuAnne’s friendly smile, her horned-rimmed glasses, freckles, and coppery red hair added to the ambiance.
There was a familiarity about the diner and most of Copper Mill that gave Kate a sense of well-being.
But today she had a sense of something else too—a foreboding of sorts that perhaps not everything in Copper Mill was as it should be. She suspected this might have something to do with Ned Castile, the local billionaire who’d gone missing a week ago. Kate had been following the news, praying with the rest of Tennessee and the country that he would be found alive.
Kate nudged her concerns for Ned to the back of her mind and focused on their friends.
“Morning, Paul, Kate.” Lucas Gregory, rector of St. Lucy’s Episcopal Church, scooted over in the corner booth, where he and two other Copper Mill pastors sat. They greeted her as well.
The four pastors met regularly, and this morning was one of those times.
Kate, on the other hand, was meeting her best friend Livvy Jenner and, after returning their greeting, went past the men to sit with her friend in a nearby booth.
“Have a seat, Paul,” Lucas offered.
With his winning smile and sparkling blue eyes, Lucas was probably Copper Mill’s most handsome bachelor. He was almost as attractive as Paul. Kate glanced at her husband and smiled. Then she turned back toward Livvy. “Hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
“Nope. Just a few minutes.”
Kate’s best friend had on a floral V-necked blouse that seemed to shout, “I’m celebrating spring!” Kate had dressed for spring as well, in robin-egg blue slacks and a crisp white blouse.
LuAnne had already poured Livvy’s coffee and brought Kate hot water for tea. One of the perks of living in a small town—or maybe one of the downfalls—was that people not only knew your name but your habits as well.
Kate watched as LuAnne headed over to the pastors. “What can I get y’all?” LuAnne fixed her gaze on Paul, pencil poised over her pad.
Kate tore open her tea-bag wrapper, and from her seat, she saw Paul’s face light up.
“Biscuits and gravy for me,” he declared.
Kate raised an eyebrow at him, but he ignored her.
She and Paul had already eaten breakfast, a low-cholesterol one, but her Tennessee-born husband found it almost impossible to pass up Loretta Sweet’s biscuits and gravy.
Livvy chuckled at the look Kate had given Paul. “Still trying to win the cholesterol battle?”
Kate grinned at her friend. “I try. He does pretty well at home, so I’m not too worried.”
“Before I forget, I found another article on Ned Castile’s disappearance. I photocopied it for you.” Livvy slid the pages across the table.
“Thanks. I’m collecting quite a folder.” Kate glanced at the headline and then folded the papers and tucked the article into her handbag to peruse later. Ned’s disappearance had really intrigued Kate, and she was reading everything she could about the case. Not that she expected to solve it; she just wanted to know that their local celebrity was safe.
Kate glanced up at an attractive young man who’d taken a seat at the counter near where they were seated. He looked around and, catching Kate’s gaze, smiled and nodded.
Kate smiled back. Did she know him? She didn’t think so, but he did resemble their son, Andrew. He had sky blue eyes and a slender build and looked to be about six feet tall in his late twenties. He had on a slightly wrinkled casual shirt and khaki slacks that looked high end. But more than all that, something in his eyes pulled at Kate’s heart. Dread? Or maybe fear. Both, Kate thought, plus an incredible sadness.
LuAnne approached the stranger, holding a glass of water. “What’ll you have?” she asked, plunking it down in front of him.
“Um...” He ducked his head and glanced around. “Actually, what I really need is a job. Do you have anything available?”
“I’m sorry,” LuAnne’s green eyes shone with sympathy. “Wish I could help.”
The man sighed. “Seems to be the story all over the place.” Looking over at Kate and Livvy and the pastors, he added, “I don’t suppose any of you know where I could get work? I’ll do just about anything.”
Kate glanced around and saw several people shake their heads.
“Have you tried Pine Ridge?” Bobby Evans, pastor of First Baptist, asked. “It’s just about five miles north.”
“I have.” The young man hesitated, then added, “Well, thanks anyway.”
“Don’t be in such a rush.” LuAnne grinned. “Why don’t you stay a bit and have a cup of coffee?”
“Ah, no. I can’t.” His embarrassed look returned.
“On the house.” LuAnne whipped out a cup and started pouring.
The man shook his head, uncertain. “I appreciate your generosity, but you don’t need to do that.”
“Of course I do, sugar. A cup of coffee can help make everything better.” She set the carafe back on the burner.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” Kate asked. Maybe it was her motherly instinct kicking in, but she had the strongest urge to take him home and
bake him some cookies.
Kate reminded herself that he was a stranger, and they knew nothing about him except that he was looking for a job. But strangers didn’t have to stay strangers, now did they?
She smiled warmly and gave a little wave from her seat. “I’m Kate Hanlon. Welcome to Copper Mill.”
The young man paused before answering. “Uh...I’m Troy...Troy Eaton.”
Kate introduced the pastors and Livvy. He seemed to relax and settle in as he lifted the cup to his lips.
“You might be able to find something in Chattanooga,” Pete MacKenzie, pastor of Copper Mill Presbyterian, suggested.
“I was hoping to get there, but I don’t have money for gas. I can’t even buy food or medications for my family.” He hesitated and stared into his cup before he took another sip of coffee. He sighed. “I don’t want to sound like I’m looking for a handout. I’m not. It’s just that I lost my job, and we had to leave our home. I’m willing to work, but I’m running out of options.”
Kate’s heart ached for him. She chewed on her lower lip. Lord, what shall I do? Feeling compelled to help, Kate removed twenty-four dollars from her wallet and scooted out of the booth. “I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time.” She pressed the money into his hand. “It’s not much but...”
He protested and tried to hand it back. “I can’t...I didn’t mean for y’all to...”
“Please. Take it.”
Reluctantly he accepted the money. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
Paul also got up, then handed him several bills, as did Bobby, Lucas, and Pete. LuAnne kicked in a five, and Loretta plucked a twenty out of the register.
The diner’s part-time cook, J. B. Packer, who’d apparently been listening, stepped out of the kitchen and handed the man a ten. “I’ve been there, buddy. Good luck.”
Several of the other customers, who’d also been listening in, added to the kitty.
“I don’t know what to say.” Troy’s grin said it all. “Thank you.”
Skip Spencer, the town’s deputy, walked into the diner yawning and looking as if he’d pulled an all-nighter. He nodded toward their booths. “Mornin’, folks.”
Troy stiffened. He turned back to his coffee, almost as though he didn’t want the deputy to notice him. Now why would that be? Kate wondered. Her curiosity kicked in. Was Troy afraid of something or someone? Had he broken some law?
On the other hand, he could be afraid that Skip would arrest him for panhandling—which he wasn’t doing. They’d given him money to help him out. He hadn’t even asked and, in fact, had tried to turn it down.
“Hey, Skip.” LuAnne grinned. “You’re just in time. We’re gettin’ some money together for Troy, here. He needs to get to Chattanooga to look for work, and we’re hopin’ to give him enough to help him with gas and food for him and his family.”
Skip acknowledged Troy with a nod. “Sure.” He reached into the pocket of his uniform and extracted a ten from his wallet.
After handing it to Troy, he slid into the booth behind the pastors. “Good luck with that job.” He tipped his head to the side and added, “You look familiar. Are you by any chance with the homeless folks stayin’ out at Ash Grove Campground?”
“N-No.” Troy hesitated. “Sorry. Um...listen; I can’t thank you kind folks enough. But I should get going.”
Troy seemed nervous about Skip’s question, and Kate couldn’t help but wonder why. Did he have something to hide?
Rather than ask him about it, she simply said, “You’re welcome.” Kate was especially proud of her friends. Copper Mill’s residents could almost always be counted on to do the right thing.
Relief relaxed the worry lines in Troy’s face, making him look younger. “Thanks so much. I owe you. And I’ll pay y’all back as soon as I can.”
“Consider it a gift,” Paul said. Everyone echoed the same sentiment.
Kate watched as he walked out the door and then got into a dark green Audi Sports Coupe. The fairly new car gave Kate pause. If his family is hungry and they have no money, why is he driving a car like that?
Maybe it wasn’t so strange after all. The unemployment rate was at an all-time high. A lot of people like Troy had lost their jobs and left their homes. She offered up a prayer for him and his family, then turned back to her friend.
Chapter Two
LuAnne refilled their drinks and brought out Paul’s biscuits and gravy, then took Skip’s order.
“I’ll have the steak and eggs—and lots of coffee.” Skip yawned again and ran a hand through his scruffy red hair.
“Looks like you had a rough night,” LuAnne said.
“Rough morning. Been workin’ since five.”
“Five, huh?” She chuckled. “You poor thing.” She didn’t have to add that she was on duty by that time on a daily basis—and had been for thirty-some years.
Skip ignored her teasing and shifted his gaze to the pastors. “So, how are you holdin’ up, Father Gregory? It’s been a tough morning for you too.”
Lucas nodded. “Good, considering. I’m just thankful no one was in the church when it happened.”
Kate and Livvy sent each other questioning looks. “What’s going on?” they asked in unison. “What happened?”
“I was going to tell you earlier, but Troy came in, and we got sidetracked. Anyway, a little after five this morning, I got this call from Skip telling me there’d been an accident, and I’d better get down to the church right away. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
Kate pictured an accident scene with flashing lights and wondered why she hadn’t heard the sirens.
Lucas paused to take a sip of coffee. “When I got there, Sheriff Roberts and Skip were talking to a guy in a beat-up old pickup. Guess he’d come barreling through town at around five this morning. You remember that big rut on Ashland in front of the church?”
“Boy, do I,” Paul said. “Had to take my pickup in to have it realigned the first time I went that way.”
“Yeah, well, this guy didn’t see it either,” Skip said, jumping in. “He must have been going fifty when he hit it. We couldn’t get him to admit to that, but he did tell us about the window. In fact, he called us.”
“So what happened?” Kate asked, urging Lucas to go on.
“Apparently he didn’t have his rifle hooked in his gun rack. According to him, the rifle bounced off the rack onto the seat and discharged out the open window. Sprayed a load of buckshot clean through one of our stained-glass windows.”
Kate gasped. “Oh no!” She loved the stained-glass windows at St. Lucy’s. “Which one broke?”
“The one of Peter walking on the water and holding the cross.”
Kate groaned. One of her favorites. “How badly was it damaged?”
Lucas shrugged. “Parts of it are okay. Actually, Kate...I was thinking maybe you could take a look. See if there’s any way you can fix it.”
“Me?” She gasped. “Wow, I don’t know.” Kate enjoyed working on stained-glass projects in the spare bedroom she’d converted into a studio. She’d created some fairly complex pieces, including Tiffany lamps and windows. And had, of course, done numerous gift pieces for Smith Street Gifts. But she’d never tackled a project quite like what Lucas was suggesting.
Lucas smiled. “From what I’ve seen of your work, I’m sure you’d do a great job. The stained-glass window you did for Faith Briar is beautiful.”
“I agree,” Paul winked at her. “She’s the best.”
The other pastors, Livvy, and LuAnne all agreed as well.
Kate smiled at her friends. “Thanks for the votes of confidence. I’d be honored to take a look at it.”
“That’s all I ask.” Lucas leaned back in the booth. “If you decide you really can’t do it, maybe you could find someone for me.”
“Sounds like a good plan. In fact, maybe I could pick it up this afternoon. I’ll need to lay it out in my studio to assess the damage and see what needs to be done.”
&nb
sp; “Great. I’ll have it ready for you.”
Turning back to Livvy, Kate said, “Can you believe that?”
Livvy tucked an errant strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. “Which part, the one about the crazy hunter or the fact that you get to play with stained glass?”
Kate chuckled. “Both, I guess.”
They turned their attention back to the conversation still going on at the pastors’ table.
“So what happened to the guy?” Paul asked.
“He was pretty shook up,” Lucas told them. “In fact, if I’m not mistaken, he was so penitent and thankful to be alive, I think we might have us a convert.”
Skip nodded. “Well, he can pray all he wants, but it won’t get him off the hook with the department. Sheriff Roberts cited him for reckless driving and reckless endangerment. He’ll have to pay a hefty fine and restitution.”
“That won’t come cheap,” Paul said. “I imagine that window’s worth quite a bit.”
Lucas shrugged. “I have a board member looking into it. I do know we’re insured.”
Though Kate wanted to know more, she didn’t want to seem nosy. She settled back in her seat, determined to hold her curiosity at bay. She’d have time to chat with Lucas later.
All too soon, Livvy announced that she had to get to work, and her departure prompted the others as well. Minutes later Kate and Paul headed for home.
After turning onto Smoky Mountain Road, Paul glanced at her. “What’s bothering you, Katie? You look worried.”
“Hmm. Not worried, just curious.” She flipped up the visor since the sun was no longer in her eyes. “Did you see what Troy was driving?”
Paul shook his head. “I didn’t notice.”
“A newish Audi Sports Coupe. He was wearing nice clothes too.”
“So?”
“I’m thinking he had a pretty good job. He might even have owned his own company. He seemed almost desperate when he talked about his family.” Kate chewed on her lip. “Skip thought he’d seen him before at a homeless camp.”
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