He straightened, and upon seeing Kate, his smile vanished. He looked familiar, but Kate felt certain they’d never met. Perhaps he thought the same.
He started to say something, then turned back to the girl. “Don’t forget, Rosie. Tonight at seven thirty.”
“I won’t.”
He smiled and nodded at Kate as he walked toward the elevators and pulled off his tie.
Kate pinched her lips together in an attempt to keep her motherly advice to herself. Her resolve didn’t work. “Did that man just make a date with you?”
Rosie giggled. “Him? Nooo.” She drew out the word and rolled her eyes. “That’s my dad.”
“Oops.” Kate chuckled. “Sorry. I thought he was hitting on you, and the mother in me about had a fit.” Getting a good look at Rosie, Kate saw the resemblance to the man. The girl had the same deep tan and cocoa-brown eyes.
The girl’s smile faded under a layer of sadness. “That was nice of you, really. I...um...my mom doesn’t...” She shook her head resolutely. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking to you about that.”
“It’s okay.” Kate wanted to reach out and hug her. She also wanted to know about Rosie’s mother and why the girl had reacted so strongly.
Rosie raised her chin. “How can I help you?”
“I’d like to see Sheila Madison; I have an appointment.”
Rosie glanced at a calendar on her desk. “Sure. She mentioned she had a client. Go on back. Her office is the second on the right down that hall.”
Sheila met Kate in the hallway. “Hi, Kate. Welcome. Come in and have a seat.”
Sheila was an attractive brunette, overweight but not obese. Kate had watched Sheila grow up. Thirty-two and single, Sheila had carved out a nice career for herself as a financial adviser. To hear Mary tell it, Sheila was a financial genius making her way up through the ranks of various companies she’d worked for.
Kate sat in the cushioned chair across the desk from Sheila. “So, how are you, Sheila? It’s been a while.”
“It has, and I’m great.” She grinned. “I’ve made some significant changes in my life since I last saw you.”
“Like...?” Kate leaned forward, eager to hear about what had put the sparkle in Sheila’s eyes.
“Ohhh...” She flashed a diamond ring. “Like I’m engaged.”
“Wow. Did you find a millionaire?” The size of the rock had money written all over it.
“Not quite.” Sheila chuckled.
They talked briefly about family before Sheila brought out a folder with Kate’s name on it. “I took the liberty of setting you up in a money market. It’s one of the best-performing funds. They’ve been more stable through the financial crisis than any of the others.”
Kate nodded. “So you think this is better than a CD?”
“You have the potential to earn more in the long run.”
Kate didn’t know a lot about the market, but Paul had given her some suggestions, and Vanguard, the mutual fund Sheila had set Kate up with, was one of the funds he’d mentioned. “I’ll trust you to get me the best value with the safest group.”
Sheila filled out the forms with Kate, and within a few minutes, Kate had established her account. Sheila told Kate how to use her computer to access her account and transfer money from her checking account directly into the fund.
Kate thanked her and asked about the embezzlement investigation.
Sheila sighed. “Charlie hasn’t been caught yet. It’s such a sad story, Kate. I never dreamed he would do anything like this, but”—she shrugged—“when people get desperate for money, or they get greedy, they might resort to stealing. Thing is, with fail-safes like Valley Trust has, it’s impossible to get away with it.” She hesitated, then added, “Unless you’re a genius. And then who would be foolish enough to take the chance?”
“Apparently this Charlie guy.” Kate stood.
“Yes, but he just doesn’t seem the type.” Sheila shrugged again. “But I guess you never know.”
“It’s been so good to see you, Sheila. Congratulations on the engagement. You’ll have to bring your fiancé over to meet us sometime soon.”
“I will.”
Kate would have given her a hug, but the desk separated them, and Sheila didn’t make the effort.
Kate left the building and hurried out to the car. The afternoon had slipped away entirely too fast. Paul was home when she arrived and had moved the stained-glass window into Kate’s studio.
Sadly, Kate didn’t even have time to unpack it as she had choir practice that evening. Normally, choir practice was held at Renee Lambert’s home on Wednesday evenings, but Renee had another commitment that night, so Sam Gorman, the choir director at Faith Briar, had changed practice to Monday night.
Even with the time constraint, Kate managed to serve a delicious dinner—baked catfish with a pecan-crunch coating, couscous, and a pear-and-Gorgonzola salad.
During the meal, Kate told Paul about her afternoon.
“You’ll be happy to know I got my money into a money market today. Sheila walked me through it.”
“How is she? We haven’t seen her for a while.”
“Engaged.” Kate grinned. “She seems very happy.”
“Did you invite her to come back to Faith Briar?”
“I didn’t think to do that, but I did invite her to visit us and bring her fiancé.”
“Good.”
“How was your day? Did you get everything taken care of?”
“All but the packing and I’ll do that tonight.”
Since she was running late, Paul offered to clean up the dinner dishes while Kate hurried off to choir practice.
“WELCOME, KATE.” Renee never ceased to entertain Kate with her antics and her style. This evening she wore a long, pink floral caftan, with her teacup Chihuahua Kisses peeking out of a large front pocket.
“Thank you.” She gave the older woman a hug. “You look lovely as usual. Pretty dress.” She bent down to give Kisses a gentle pat.
“It’s from Hawaii.”
Kate waved at Caroline, Renee’s mother, who was in the kitchen making snacks.
Sam Gorman welcomed everyone and asked them all to be seated. In addition to being the choir director and church organist, Sam also owned and operated the Mercantile in Copper Mill, where Kate did a lot of her shopping.
He put the small choir through its paces as they worked their way through some new songs Sam had prepared for them. Kate liked the selections but wondered if they’d be able to handle some of them. They weren’t exactly the St. Olaf Choir.
With a late practice, snacks afterward, and people asking Kate about St. Lucy’s window, she didn’t get home until ten thirty. Paul had already gone to bed and was reading when she came in.
Spying his packed bag in the corner, Kate remembered his retreat. “Looks like you’re ready to go.”
“In more ways than one.” His smile spread to his eyes, making him look younger than his sixty-two years. “I gotta tell you, Katie, I’m really looking forward to this time away. The spiritual part of the retreat is always great, but seeing my old friends...priceless.”
Unable to resist, she leaned down to kiss him. “I’m glad for you.” Oh how she loved this man—and had for almost thirty years. She would miss him desperately while he was gone, but on the other hand, she looked forward to the time she’d have to work on her projects.
As she changed into her pajamas, she told him about choir practice and wanting to learn more about St. Lucy’s and the stained-glass windows.
He grinned up at her. “Sounds like you’re really excited about working on that window.”
“I am. It’ll be challenging but fun.” Kate laughed.
Paul yawned and rolled over, and before long Kate could hear his soft snores.
As often happened when Kate had a lot on her mind, she couldn’t go to sleep. Closing her eyes, she thought back over her day, saying a prayer for Troy Eaton. Lord, I pray he’ll find a good job and keep
his family safe. She couldn’t help but wonder about them. Kate imagined a wife and young children. Troy had said they’d had to leave their home.
He’ll be all right for a while. She reminded herself that she and the others at the diner had given him enough money to last for several days. She’d have to trust that God would take care of them. She thought, too, about Skip’s reference to the homeless out at the campground. She wanted to find out more about that. If there were others in Troy’s situation, she and others in the community should be doing something to help them.
Oh, and Lord, thank you for the opportunity to work on the window.
Then, remembering the older woman she’d nearly run down and then lost track of, Kate prayed God’s protection over her. Kate wished now she’d spent more time with the Red Hat Lady and maybe insisted on driving her to the Bristol.
Kate Hanlon, she chided herself, you can’t possibly take care of everyone you meet.
She also prayed that the police would be able to find the Valley Trust embezzler. She included Ned Castile in her prayers as she had every night since his disappearance. She wasn’t sure why she’d been following his story so closely, other than the fact that mysteries intrigued her, especially those so close to home.
Several times she’d thought about visiting his wife, Ava, but couldn’t bring herself to. The retired actress and model already had way too many people following her every move. Kate prayed for both of them and for the FBI agents assigned to the case.
When she prayed for the hunter who’d broken the church window, a compelling question hit her head-on: Why in the world had he been speeding on Ashland Street at five in the morning? That part of Ashland was primarily a residential area.
Maybe she’d ask Skip tomorrow. Or maybe not. Was it really any of her business? Kate smiled. Though she loved solving mysteries, she needed to be careful that she didn’t meddle or get involved in so many things that she lost track of what was really important.
Chapter Six
Morning came all too quickly. Kate woke up when Paul’s alarm went off at four o’clock. She got up to make him coffee for the road.
When he came out of the bedroom, he gathered her in his arms. “I didn’t expect the royal treatment so early in the morning.”
“And why not? You’re my prince charming.” She handed him his coffee mug and reached up to kiss his cheek.
“Ah, Katie, you spoil me.”
“Tell me again when you’ll be back,” Kate asked as they took their mugs to the large oak dining table.
“The retreat ends Thursday around noon, but I’ll stay over Thursday night with Nehemiah.” He frowned. “I can’t remember if I told you that or not.”
“You didn’t.”
“Sorry. I meant to.”
“It’s okay, really.” Kate smiled. “In fact, I think it’s wonderful. You two don’t get together often enough.”
Nehemiah Jacobs was one of Paul’s favorite people. The seventy-nine-year-old had been Paul’s mentor and pastor for years when Paul was growing up. Nehemiah had also been the pastor at Faith Briar Church before he retired and moved to an assisted-living facility in Chattanooga.
Paul nodded. “I should be home around dinnertime on Friday.”
Kate placed a hand on his arm and smiled. “I’ll bet Nehemiah is thrilled.”
“I’m probably more excited than he is. He’ll be at the retreat, but since it’s a silent retreat, we won’t have much time to talk until Thursday.”
Kate chuckled. “I guess not.”
He checked his watch, downed the rest of his coffee, and got to his feet. “I’ve got to run.”
Kate walked him to the door. “I’ll miss you.”
He paused to give her a hug. “I’ll miss you too. I’ll have my cell phone in case you need me.”
“Be safe,” she called, closing the door behind him.
Kate went back to bed, hoping to get in another hour of snoozing, but it was not to be. The caffeine, combined with her excitement of working on the stained-glass window, chased away any and all remnants of sleep.
Kate stretched her arms high and yawned. “Thank you, Lord, for this day and for this precious time. May I use it well, and may it please you.”
She padded out to the kitchen to pour more coffee. She adored Paul and loved being with him, but to have nearly three days to herself...What a gift! Especially when that gift included a stained-glass project.
Though Kate could hardly wait to get to her studio, she lingered over her second cup of coffee and took time for her devotions. Many times she’d read the verse in James 1:2 where it said “Count it all joy...when you meet with various trials.” But they never failed to bless her.
Not that she was always able to find joy in her troubles—at least not right away. Still, she knew in her heart that even though terrible, heartbreaking things happened, God promised to turn mourning into joy.
After praying for everyone on her list, Kate set her Bible and devotional book aside and headed back to the bedroom to make the bed and get dressed.
Jeans and a peach T-shirt made up her work uniform for the morning. She slipped on an old pair of tennis shoes to protect her feet from any stray pieces of glass.
Once settled into her studio, Kate began unpacking the antique window from St. Lucy’s. She took care in laying the damaged pieces on her cloth-covered table. She was struck by the beauty of the work of art that had been placed in her care.
“So amazing,” she whispered. Kate let her gaze roam over the glorious reds in Peter’s flowing robe, the blues and grays in the stormy sea, and the intricacy of the carved gold cross. Much of the glass was still usable, but at least a third to one-half would need to be replaced. “I only hope I can do it justice,” she said to herself.
Someone who knew the art of stained glass well had crafted this window. Curious about who the master artist had been, Kate reaffirmed her intention to find out more about the church and the artwork.
Once she had laid out all the pieces, Kate began the tedious task of removing the broken glass fragments still attached and then cleaning the window frame. Good thing she liked puzzles, because sorting out which pieces went where would be quite a task.
She’d been working for about two hours when she thought she saw a flash of purple at the studio window. What in the world was that? Startled, Kate set down the glass shard she’d been examining.
At first she thought it might have been a bird, but the color didn’t match any bird she’d ever seen. When she heard what sounded like a moan, Kate went to the window to investigate.
“Ahhch.” The sound out of Kate’s mouth was like that of a disgruntled crow. There at the window on her hands and knees looking up at her, was the Red Hat Lady.
Chapter Seven
The woman straightened her hat, smiled, and wiggled her bony fingers in a wave. She was still wearing the expensive-looking rings.
Splotches of dirt and mud streaked the woman’s hands, face, and clothing. She’d apparently fallen into Kate’s newly planted flower bed.
Kate turned from the window and hurried outside. “Are you okay?” she asked when she reached the woman’s side.
“Yes, I believe I am. I was out walking and...well, it seems I’ve taken a tumble.” She frowned. “And look what I’ve done to your flower bed.”
Several of the primroses and daffodils lay bent and bruised.
“Don’t worry about them. I can replant.” Kate wanted to ask her why she was walking around in her backyard, but she refrained. She could get to that later.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” Her clear blue gaze met Kate’s. “Hello, dear. I’m quite ready for that tea now.”
“Tea?”
Here we go again. Kate reached down and picked up the cane. The woodwork was lovely—a variegated red and brown. Again the woman wore pumps—red this time to match her shift.
“It was so nice of you to invite me. We haven’t lived here long, and I love meeting new people.”
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Kate decided to play along. “I do too. I’m glad you could come.” Kate took her arm and led her into the house via the glass doors on the patio.
“I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. I’m Kate Hanlon. My husband is the minister at Faith Briar Church.”
“Oh, a minister’s wife. How delightful. This must be the vicarage.”
Kate held back a chuckle. “And you are?”
The woman turned back and gave Kate an odd look. “Why, the countess,” she said as if Kate should already know. “My given name is Claire.”
Once in the kitchen, Kate took Claire’s cape and hung it over a kitchen chair. It was damp and had several splotches of mud on the front. Hopefully when the fur dried, Claire could brush off the dirt.
Kate led Claire into the bedroom and took out a top and pant outfit that had gotten a bit too snug for her. She suggested Claire shower and change into the clothes Kate handed her. “When you get freshened up, we’ll have our tea.”
Claire agreed. “I’m a mess. It serves me right for falling into flower beds.”
They both laughed. Kate handed her a towel and washcloth. “Can you shower and change by yourself?”
“Of course, I’ll be fine.”
Though Claire seemed lucid enough at the moment, Kate stayed within hearing distance. Claire seemed more confused than the previous day, or perhaps Kate was thinking more clearly. How had Claire ended up in this same rural area two days in a row? Had she really been out walking again? And what was the deal with the tea?
Questions continued to confront Kate regarding the mystery woman using their bathroom. Could Claire be an Alzheimer’s patient? Maybe she was a resident at one of the nursing homes or assisted-living places in Pine Ridge. But if that was so, how could she have gotten to Copper Mill? Kate picked up the phone from the bedside table and, after looking up the number, called the nursing home in Pine Ridge. She explained about Claire.
Strangers in Their Midst Page 3
