Strangers in Their Midst

by Patricia H. Rushford

  The privately owned campground brought in tourists all summer, which was great for the local economy. Kate enjoyed the campground more during the off-seasons, when she and Paul occasionally packed a picnic lunch and drove out just to enjoy the peace and quiet of the woods and the hiking trails.

  A few minutes later, Kate drove under the familiar arch that read: Ash Grove Campground. Peace to all who enter here.

  How much peace, she wondered, do the homeless who are staying here feel? Scripture reminded believers not to be anxious for anything. Lord, how could they not be anxious when they don’t know where their next meal is coming from or whether they’ll have a place to sleep at night?

  Kate tried to imagine what it would be like if she and Paul found themselves with nothing, but she couldn’t. She’d always had enough—often more than enough.

  The parking lot was empty except for an older Jeep, which Kate knew belonged to the caretaker, Lars Thompson. Apparently, Sheriff Roberts and Skip had come and gone. The brick office and caretaker’s house had been built during the 1930s as part of the government work program.

  Bang!

  Kate jumped. Her first reaction was to take cover, but then she realized it was just the screen door. Lars waved and ambled toward her. She extricated herself from the car and reached out to take his proffered hand.

  “Kate Hanlon.” He grinned down at her, his aquamarine eyes crinkling at the corners, and his tan attesting to his outdoor job. Lars was ruggedly lean and blond and looked every bit like the Swede he was. “The sheriff said you might be coming out this way.” Even after living in the United States for some twenty years, Lars still had an accent.

  “He did?” Kate laughed. “He knows me too well.”

  Lars nodded. “Funny thing, though; I was thinking about calling you.” His smile faded.

  “You were?”

  “Yah. You’ve probably heard about the homeless people staying out here. Since it’s still off-season, I’ve been pretty lax on the camping fees. The owner gave me the go-ahead on it, but he’s not going to be so gracious come the end of May when our paying customers start coming in. We’re already booked for Memorial Day.”

  Kate frowned. “Which means you’ll have to kick the homeless people out?”

  “Looks that way.” Deep lines etched his forehead. “I’ve seen nothing like this before, Kate.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not unusual to get a few homeless characters camping in the woods on occasion. Especially the long-term indigents; you know, the ones who have no plans to change. Some of them ride the rails and jump off near here. But we have families staying out here now. I guess I worry most about the kids.”

  Even though Troy Eaton had denied living at the camp, Kate had to ask. “Have you met anyone named Troy Eaton? I met him at the Country Diner Monday morning. He was going to Chattanooga to look for work.” She went on to describe Troy.

  Lars shook his head. “Sorry. A number of folks go out during the day to find work. Some stay away for several days.” He sighed. “I try to keep an eye on their families, but it’s hard.”

  Kate sympathized with him. “Fred Cowan’s pharmacy was broken into last night, but I suppose the sheriff already told you that. He thinks it might have been a homeless person who just needed medicine.”

  “Yaaah.” Lars dragged out the word. “There have been a number of thefts in Pine Ridge too. I don’t know what to think. Most of the folks here are decent, upstanding citizens. Under ordinary circumstances, they wouldn’t think of stealing.”

  “But there’s nothing ordinary about losing everything.” Kate finished the thought, and he agreed.

  “People get desperate, and there’s no telling what they might do.” He leaned against the side of Kate’s car and folded his arms. “I hate to say it, but I think the sheriff is right. Why else would people steal food and medical supplies if they weren’t in need of them?”

  His words squeezed her heart. “Maybe there’s something we can do to help,” Kate said. “I can’t promise anything until I’ve had a chance to talk to the church board, but we may be able to provide some of the essentials. Faith Briar has a food program, and we’re already supplying meals to shut-ins and people who are sick. I’m sure we could do more.”

  Lars’ eyes brightened. “I’d heard about that. In fact, that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

  Kate smiled. “That must mean I’m on the right track. I’d like to go through the campground and meet some of the people here.”

  His negative response surprised her. “Not a good idea, Kate, at least not tonight. It’s getting dark, and you shouldn’t be wandering around back there on your own. I’d take you, but I need to head into Pine Ridge for an appointment in a few minutes.” He pushed away from the car. “Better wait until daylight and come out here tomorrow. You might want to bring someone with you.”

  “You’re probably right.” Kate opened her car door and slipped inside. “Thanks, Lars. Let’s pray we can do something to help these people.”

  “Yah, and pray they find work and a place to live before Memorial Day.”

  Darkness settled in as she left the campground. After driving under the arch, she began to accelerate. Kate spotted a flash of brown and heard a thud. She braked hard, already knowing it was too late.

  Kate sat for a moment in stunned silence, gathering her wits. She’d hit something. Maybe a deer. No, whatever she’d seen had been smaller than that. An opossum or a raccoon? What if it was a person? Lars had mentioned children. Kate scrambled out of the car and hurried around to the front.

  At first she saw nothing; then she noticed a small dent in the front bumper. “What in the world?” She knelt down to look under the car and spotted a football-sized rock near the tire on the passenger’s side. But how had it gotten there? Kate reached under the car to move it, then stopped.

  Hairs rose on the back of her neck. Something about this seemed terribly wrong. She remembered seeing something or someone move in her peripheral vision just before hearing the thud. Someone must have thrown the rock at her.

  As Kate rose, she felt a presence behind her.

  Before she could turn around, a hand closed over her mouth. Something sharp poked her ribs.

  “Make a sound, and you’ll regret it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kate sank to her knees simply because they refused to hold her up. The gravelly voiced threat still echoed in her head. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him; actually, she hadn’t seen him at all.

  He’d made her open the passenger-side door to get her handbag and then left her there, facing away from him the entire time, while he’d disappeared into the woods behind her.

  Holding on to the car door, she managed to get to her feet and then fold herself into the passenger’s seat. But that was about as much as she could manage.

  She needed to call the sheriff. Unfortunately, her cell phone was still in her bag. Okay, Kate, think. Just turn the car around and go back to the campground. You can use the phone there.

  But that would mean getting out and walking around to the driver’s side or scooting over, neither of which she could do at the moment. Still, she had to do something. She reached over for the keys, but they weren’t in the ignition. She realized she must have taken them out when she got out of the car. Please tell me I didn’t put the keys in my bag.

  With shaky hands, she reached into her jacket pocket.

  “Thank you.” She breathed a prayer of relief. Keys in hand, Kate moved over into the driver’s seat.

  She jammed the keys into the ignition, then stopped as headlights appeared behind her.

  What now? She was tempted to put the Honda in drive and tear out. In the rearview mirror, she saw Lars step out of his Jeep and come toward her.

  “His appointment.” She released the breath she’d been holding. “Thank God.” Kate rolled down the window.

  “Are you having car trouble?” Lars rested his hands on the window l
edge.

  “N-no.” She told him about the man who’d robbed her. “I probably should have kept going, but I felt sure I’d hit something, or someone. I had to make sure.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kate. Hold on a sec; I’ll put in a call to Sheriff Roberts.” Lars unclipped his cell phone from his belt.

  She could hear Lars putting in the 911 call. In the side mirror, she watched him walk back to his Jeep and pull something out of the back. She was shaking now and felt light-headed. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.

  Lars opened her door and held open a blanket, which he tucked around her. “You look like you might be going into shock.” He adjusted the seat back down as far as it would go.

  “I’m okay.” Her teeth began chattering. “J-just a little c-cold. T-thank you.”

  “The sheriff is on his way.”

  Kate just nodded.

  “Do you want me to call Paul?” Lars asked.

  Yes. “Uh, no. He’s out of t-town on a retreat. No n-need to bother him. I’ll be all r-right.”

  AN HOUR LATER Kate sat in front of her stone fireplace in her warm and comfortable home, holding a mug of hot chocolate. She had finally stopped shaking, but her hands were still cold.

  Thanks to Sheriff Roberts, Livvy was at the house when they’d arrived. She’d already started a fire and made the hot chocolate.

  The sheriff had driven Kate home in his SUV, while Lars followed in her Honda.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Sheriff Roberts asked.

  “Yes. I just wish I could remember more about the guy.” She’d gone over and over the attack in her mind. Kate had told the sheriff all she could remember—the gravelly voice that sounded almost fake. Though she hadn’t seen him, she guessed the thief to be close to her height, around five feet six. She surprised herself by remembering the smell of his breath. It was an odd sweet-and-spicy scent, like gum or candy.

  Sheriff Roberts stood at the door with Lars. “You actually did quite well. You might remember more when you’ve had a chance to rest. Just call me or Skip if you think of anything else.” He glanced at the floor, then back at her. “You were lucky tonight, Kate. Might want to think twice before going out there again—especially at night.”

  Kate nodded. “I will. Thank you both.”

  She sighed as the door closed behind the men. Turning to Livvy, she said, “I suppose I should cancel my credit cards and get a new driver’s license.” She started to get up, then sank back down. “That is if I can get up.”

  “I can help you with that.” Livvy took her hand and pulled Kate to her feet.

  “Thanks a bunch.” With an exaggerated sigh, Kate went into the office, found the credit-card statements, and made the calls from the kitchen phone.

  Livvy took their empty mugs to the sink and rinsed them out. “Sheriff Roberts is right, you know. What were you thinking, going out there alone after dark?”

  “It wasn’t dark when I left Copper Mill. To be honest, I really wasn’t thinking.” She bit her lower lip. “Besides, I was never in any real danger.”

  “Kate, a thief threatened your life.”

  “I don’t think he meant to hurt me. He probably just needed money to buy food. At least, that’s what I’d like to think.” Kate shivered.

  “More likely drugs or booze.” Livvy shook her head. “Why did you go out there anyway?”

  “I wanted to see the homeless camp for myself.” Kate’s original excitement about helping the homeless rose inside her. “I worked at the Faith Freezer Program all afternoon, and the more I thought about those people out there, the more I felt compelled to do something for them. Lars says there are a lot of families. He thought maybe the Faith Freezer Program could provide food part of the time.”

  “Ah . . . I might have known.” Livvy smiled. “As much as I want to hear all about your ideas, I think we should table it until you’ve had a hot bath first and gotten into your pajamas.”

  “Mmm.” Kate sighed. “A bath sounds wonderful. I’m still feeling a bit chilled.” And scared.

  “While you’re doing that, I’ll boil water for some tea, unless you’d rather have coffee or some more hot chocolate.”

  “Tea would be great.” Kate tossed the blanket Lars had given her aside and headed for the bathroom. Tomorrow she’d return the blanket and maybe bring him some cookies.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to call Paul?” Livvy asked. “He’ll want to know.”

  “No, let’s not interrupt his retreat. He’s been looking forward to it for weeks. I’ll give him a call later, just to say good night.”

  “Okay.”

  Kate shut the bathroom door behind her and sprinkled in lavender bath salts and bubble bath, then eased into the warm, healing waters. While she soaked, she thanked the Lord for keeping her safe that evening and asked for guidance in helping the homeless who were camped in the town’s own backyard.

  Warm and drowsy from her bath, Kate put on her pajamas and wrapped herself in her favorite robe. Livvy had the tea and a plate of cookies ready for her.

  Livvy looked up when Kate came into the living room. “Feel better?”

  “Much.” Kate settled into her rocking chair and took a shortbread cookie from the plate. For several minutes the women enjoyed their tea and each other’s presence.

  “How are you coming with the stained-glass window?” Livvy asked.

  “I have it laid out and have most of the glass cleaned, but that’s about it. Would you like to see it?” Kate set her cup down and started to get up.

  “Actually, I peeked in your studio while you were taking your bath. Looks like a lot of work.”

  “It will be, but you know how much I enjoy it.”

  Livvy nodded. “When do you plan to work on it?”

  “Good question. I’m overextending myself again, aren’t I?”

  Livvy winked at her. “Only the way you always do when you get your nose in a mystery or a project.”

  Kate chuckled. “I can’t help myself. Troy Eaton—the guy from the diner the other day—got me interested in doing something for the homeless. Then I met Claire and Ellen, who pose a mystery of their own. Then we had the pharmacy break-in.” Kate paused. “About that, Fred thinks someone from the homeless camp might be responsible.”

  Livvy nodded slowly. “Was that another reason you went out there? Besides seeing how many people needed help? You went to the campground to snoop around?”

  “I admit the pharmacy break-in was on my mind, but I really did want to check things out, see what tangible things can be done for these people.”

  “Hmm. Do you think the guy who took your purse broke into the pharmacy too?”

  “It’s possible, but from what Fred told me, the drugs taken were regular prescriptions. Doesn’t really fit.”

  “You’re going to try to find the thief, aren’t you?” Livvy pulled her legs up under her.

  “I don’t know.” Kate frowned. “Like Lars said, most of the folks out there are honest people. They may have lost their homes, but they’re not criminals. And if one of them is responsible for the theft, it may well be because he felt he had no other choice. Anyway, I am not going to let one negative incident, no matter how scary, interfere.”

  “I agree.” Livvy leaned forward to grab her handbag from beside the coffee table. “Speaking of mysteries, I brought you the latest article about Ned Castile.”

  Kate took the article from her. “I should probably stop obsessing over this. I can’t do anything, especially if he’s not really missing.”

  Livvy smiled. “Maybe...But you have to admit it’s intriguing. Personally, I think we should stay on the case.”

  Kate laughed. “Right, Sherlock and Watson solve the case of the missing billionaire by reading about it.”

  “Hey, stranger things have happened.”

  “You’re right about that.” Kate tipped her head back until it came in contact with the back cushion. “I doubt I’ll have much time for detecting. I�
�d like to focus my attention on the homeless for now.”

  “I hear you. It’s certainly a pressing matter.”

  “With the Faith Freezer Program, we’re capable of feeding a lot more people than we do now. Of course, we can’t do anything unless the board approves it.”

  “Why just Faith Briar?” Livvy asked. “We could bring in all the churches.”

  “I was thinking the entire community. It would be great if we could get everyone on board. Maybe we could have a town meeting.”

  “Good thinking! I’ll run the idea of expanding the Faith Freezer Program by Danny. He can approach the other board members.”

  “And I’ll talk to Sam Gorman and see if he’ll get the mayor and the town council to join us.” Even though Sam wasn’t on the town council, he had a lot of clout. Kate pulled a pad and pen out of the drawer in the end table and began listing needs like food, clothing, shelter, medication, and personal items. “Something we’ll need to address right away is finding places for them to stay.”

  “Maybe some of them can go back to their homes,” Livvy said. “I’ve heard cases where people walked away, thinking things were hopeless, but now there are options in place to help people stay in their homes.”

  “Lars says they have to be out of the campground by Memorial Day weekend. That’s only a few weeks away.” Kate tapped the pen against the pad. “Maybe some of our residents will open their homes. Or maybe we can find another place for them to camp.”

  “There’s a lot of room out by the old mines.”

  “Right.” Kate jotted the idea down. “I thought about that possibility.”

  Kate and Livvy brainstormed for another half hour. By ten thirty, both women were ready for bed. Livvy offered to stay overnight, but Kate insisted she was fine. “Your family needs you more than I do.”

  LATER THAT NIGHT, Kate wished she’d taken Livvy up on her offer to stay. She was exhausted, but her mind kept going over and over the events of the past few days and over the list they’d made of things that needed to be done. Plus, she couldn’t stop thinking about the thief. She’d tried to take the incident in stride, but now, alone in her bedroom, the terror she’d felt came back in waves.