Strangers in Their Midst

by Patricia H. Rushford

  Aleeda laughed. “It’s my gift. And I’m used to it. I graduated with a degree in business management. I used to be the assistant manager at the hotel until...” She shrugged.

  Kate put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry about the job, but I’m really happy to have you here.”

  Aleeda smiled. “Unless you need me to do more, I hope to look for a job this afternoon before I pick up the boys.”

  “Of course.” Kate gave her a hug for encouragement.

  KATE STOPPED BY THE LIBRARY and found Livvy ready for a break and heading out the door.

  “I was hoping you’d come by,” Livvy said. “I called your house, and Aleeda said you’d already gone.”

  “Sorry. I should have called first.”

  “Not a problem. I’m heading to the diner for some coffee, but we could stay here too.”

  “The diner is fine. I want to hear what LuAnne and Loretta thought about the meeting Saturday night.”

  As they crossed Main Street and began their trek up Smith Street to the diner, Kate pulled her cardigan closer around her. Even though the sun was shining, the morning breeze had a chill to it.

  Livvy continued the conversation about the town meeting. “I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s a good thing the city can’t tell Faith Briar what to do. Danny said the board approved your plan.”

  Kate nodded. “Paul told me. Hopefully we won’t get a lot of flack from the members who are opposed.”

  “No one opposed it. Danny said it was unanimous.”

  “That’s what Paul said, but Saturday night I got the distinct impression that Renee wanted nothing to do with helping the homeless.”

  Livvy smirked. “Did you notice who she was sitting next to? Hearing what the others said might have changed her mind. It’s hard to imagine, what with Renee often being the first to volunteer when someone needs help.”

  “Mornin’ ladies,” LuAnne sang. “Set yourselves down and stay a spell.”

  “We plan to,” Livvy said. “I need my coffee strong and black this morning.”

  LuAnne snagged a cup and chuckled. “Is there any other way?”

  Though Kate enjoyed coffee, LuAnne’s tended to be a bit too strong for her. “I’d like some green tea.”

  “Comin’ right up.” LuAnne brought out a teapot and cup, then scooted in beside Livvy. “I was hopin’ y’all would show up today. I wanted to tell you how much Loretta and I appreciated your input at the meeting.”

  “We sure did.” Loretta stepped out of the kitchen, leaving J. B. Packer to do the cooking. Like her voice, Loretta had a ragged edge about her.

  “We’re proud of you, Kate.” Loretta’s grin revealed too many lines to count and a missing lower molar. She looked older than her years, with her gray hair tucked into a net and her wiry figure. “You had some good ideas.”

  Loretta’s words warmed Kate’s heart. “Thanks. I’m afraid not too many people thought so.”

  “More than you think. I’m ashamed of some of those folks, especially Gail and Lucy Mae. Those girls know better.”

  Kate shared what Paul had said about fear overcoming their good hearts. “I suppose they’re afraid we’ll be overrun with homeless if we help them.”

  “Hmmph.” Loretta pursed her lips. “I’m not afraid of much of anything. Besides, doesn’t the Good Book tell us that perfect love casts out fear?”

  One of the customers called for LuAnne. She slid out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I think we should all do what we can,” Loretta suggested, “and...well, yesterday while I was sitting in church, I had an idea.”

  Kate and Livvy leaned forward. “And...”

  “I’ve been watching the news where the news anchor reports about people making a difference by doing their share to help people out. So I’ve added some new items on the menu that people might better be able to afford.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Kate grinned, her initial excitement coming back again.

  “Along with that, I’ve been thinking about doing some sort of freewill offering for food. People pay what they think the meal is worth or what they can afford. Those who can pay will do so, and those who can’t, eat free.”

  “Are you sure you can afford to do all that?” Livvy asked.

  “For a while. I read about a restaurant owner who did something like that and made more money than usual ’cause her regular customers were so generous. ’Course I’m not counting on that. I just figure it’s the right thing to do.” Loretta seemed confident.

  Kate was thrilled. Apparently, so was Jennifer McCarthy, the reporter for the town paper, who was in a nearby booth. Jennifer did most of the reporting for the Copper Mill Chronicle, and true to form, she already had her camera out.

  Jennifer had that hungry reporter look about her. She had recently graduated from the University of Tennessee and took her job very seriously. Dressed in an olive green swing skirt, a baggy sweater, and a long scarf topped with a matching beret, she looked as if she could have been a college student from the sixties.

  “I was writing up an article and couldn’t help overhearing.” She pointed toward her open laptop. “Loretta, are you really planning to offer food at reduced rates to the homeless?”

  Loretta chuckled. “I am, and I suppose you want to spread the news.”

  Jennifer’s dimples deepened when she smiled. “I’d love that. Could you take a few minutes and talk to me? I want to get all the facts straight.”

  Glancing over at Kate, she added. “I’d like to interview you too, if it’s okay. To be honest, I want to do another article about the homeless situation. The meeting Saturday night seemed so negative, and I really want to write both views.”

  Livvy had to get back to the library, but Kate spent another half hour reiterating her plan for the Faith Freezer Program. “If all goes well, we’ll be bringing our first meal out to the campground on Thursday. I’d like to invite anyone who wants to help out to call the church.”

  “I’ll be sure to get contact information in the article.”

  “I’m glad you’re doing this, Jennifer.” Kate only hoped that Jennifer would bolster their cause and wouldn’t stir up more people against it.

  Jennifer nodded, dislodging a lock of dark, wavy hair from her hat. “The homeless folks and the economy are big issues right now. My articles might even get picked up by a national paper.”

  Kate checked her watch. “I need to get going, but I do want to say one more thing as a rebuttal of sorts.”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “The Bible talks a lot about helping people, but it doesn’t say anything about running those less fortunate than ourselves out of town.”

  “Are the other churches siding with you and your husband?”

  Kate hadn’t gotten around to calling the rest of the pastors yet. “You’d have to talk to their pastors.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Hanlon. I will.”

  WALKING BACK TO HER CAR, Kate felt like a load had been lifted off her shoulders. She gave Paul a quick call to tell him about Loretta’s plans and Jennifer’s proposed article.

  “I thought you were heading for Chattanooga this morning.”

  “I am. Right now.” She unlocked the car, opened the door, and tossed in her handbag. “I know it might seem crazy, and I should probably take Skip’s word for it, but I need to see for myself.”

  “It’ll be worth the drive if seeing the man will put your mind to rest. Actually, I wish I could go along, but my day is filled with appointments.”

  “I wish you could too.”

  “Drive carefully, Katie. Tell Troy, even if he actually turns out to be Charlie, that regardless of whether or not he’s guilty of anything, I’ve been praying for him.”

  “I will.” Kate scooted into her Honda. “I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Kate’s mood improved yet again as she drove out of town and plugged in a favorite CD. Singing always lifted her spirits. She was still hummi
ng “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” as she walked into the visitor’s room at the jail and sat down in front of Charlie Mayer, the embezzler.

  Her mood fizzled like a rained-out fireworks display. Charlie and Troy Eaton were one in the same. Kate had been dead wrong.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The prisoner’s blue gaze flickered over Kate’s face and then returned to his folded hands. His blond hair had dark roots, and his mustache was growing back.

  “Why did you lie to us, Troy? Or should I call you Charlie?” Kate felt like getting up and walking out. He’d betrayed her; he had betrayed all of them. “For some bizarre reason, I kept thinking you were a good guy. Even after seeing that wanted poster, I didn’t want to believe you were Charlie the embezzler. But here you are.”

  He looked up at her. “I’m sorry. Most of what I told you is true. I no longer have a job. I was about to be arrested. We’ve been in hiding—no money—no food. You may not believe me, but I’m innocent of those charges.”

  “I’d like to believe you, but how can I?” Kate folded her arms.

  “It’s true. I worked for Valley Trust and Mortgage in Pine Ridge.”

  Kate nodded. “I know. I’ve read the articles and talked with Sheila.”

  Charlie massaged his temples in frustration. “Someone set me up. Whoever stole those funds used my identity and even used my computer. Somehow they got ahold of my passwords and transferred funds into some offshore account.

  “My boss said if I admitted to the theft and paid it back, he’d have to fire me, but he’d make sure the charges were dropped. I couldn’t do that. I thought that somehow I could prove my innocence.”

  “But you couldn’t.” Kate wanted to believe him, but she wasn’t about to be taken in again, trusting blue eyes or not.

  “No.” Charlie ran a hand through his hair. “I told my boss what happened, but he didn’t believe me. They went public with accusations, and just like that, I’m guilty.”

  In light of some of the public scandals involving big corporations, Kate was almost ready to believe him. “So you ran away.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do. I was afraid that whoever stole the money would come after me and my family.” He sighed. “Castile told me I should leave. He was supposed to do some checking around, but I never heard from him after that.”

  Kate sat up straight. “Castile? Ned Castile?”

  Charlie nodded.

  “I’ve been reading about his disappearance. What’s his connection with Valley Trust?”

  “He’s a board member.”

  “Curious,” Kate mused. “Could Ned have set you up?”

  “No way. I think whoever took the money is responsible for his disappearance.”

  “Do you have any idea who might have set you up?”

  “There are several. My boss, for one. Name’s Gerald Woods. He has a lot of money, but it seems like he’s living at a higher level than he should be. I got along with everybody, so it doesn’t make sense for one of them to single me out.”

  “Anyone else?” Kate jotted the name in her notebook.

  He shrugged. “Sheila Madison. She came on when the new branch opened about a year ago. She got upset with Woods when he reneged on giving her an increase in salary she was promised when she signed on. Because of the financial losses no one got a raise. But she’s a good person. Sheila’s easygoing and she’s not the kind of person to hold a grudge. Besides, if she wanted to hurt someone, it wouldn’t be me.”

  “Sheila is a friend of mine,” Kate said. “Or rather, her mother is. She suggested you might have money problems.”

  “She’s right about that. When my grandfather died, I was supposed to get the entire estate. But it turned out he’d lost everything in some financial scam.”

  “I’m sorry, Charlie. Unfortunately that sounds like a motive.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not the only one with money problems.” He paused for a moment. “The corporate financial officer, Bill Bennett, got into some financial trouble last year. His wife has been real sick.”

  Kate jotted down the information. “Who else would have access to all the files and offices?”

  A smirk crossed his face. “The janitors.”

  “Really?” His response piqued Kate’s interest.

  Charlie shook his head. “Not really, but they do have master keys and can get into all the rooms.”

  “This is a good start.” She closed the notebook. “One more thing, Charlie. The deputy in Copper Mill says you’re responsible for breaking into the pharmacy Tuesday night.”

  Charlie shook his head. “The sheriff asked me about that. Like I told him, I was already here in Chattanooga by then. And no, I don’t have anyone who can vouch for me.” He tipped his head back and then leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Mrs. Hanlon, I don’t expect you to believe me. I bought prescriptions with the money you folks were kind enough to give me. Why would I go back later and steal them?”

  The guard came forward and motioned for Charlie to get up. “Your time is up. Sorry, but I have to take you back.”

  Kate stood as well. She had a lot more questions, but she wouldn’t be able to get them answered—at least not today. “My husband, Paul, said to tell you he’s been praying for you. I have been too.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” He gave her a wan smile. Charlie looked as though he wanted to say more but turned and allowed the guard to escort him back to his cell.

  Kate got into her car and sat there a moment, trying to assimilate Charlie’s story. Something about his mannerisms, his eyes, still compelled her to trust him. She also felt the urge to do whatever she could to find the real thief. And maybe, at the same time, she could figure out what had happened to Ned Castile.

  She decided to make another visit to Valley Trust. Maybe Charlie couldn’t prove his innocence, but by doing a little snooping, she might be able to sniff out the guilty party.

  After hearing Charlie’s story, Kate wondered how the police were able to connect Troy Eaton with Charlie. Charlie had shaved off his mustache and lightened his hair to become Troy. He hadn’t looked much like Charles Mayer on the wanted poster or on the Internet photos. She had her suspicions but decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

  Kate went into the police precinct and asked the receptionist if she could speak to the person who had arrested Charles Mayer.

  Within a few minutes, a woman in a blue top and black slacks came out and reached for Kate’s hand. “Mrs. Hanlon, I’m Detective Jonas. You can call me Anna.” She had a nice smile and a pleasant demeanor. Kate guessed her to be in her midthirties. “I understand you wanted to ask me some questions about Charles Mayer?”

  “I do.”

  “Are you a reporter?”

  Kate smiled. “Actually, I’m a minister’s wife. Kate Hanlon.”

  “Okay.” Anna gave her an odd look and then invited her back to her office. “Have a seat and tell me what you want to know.”

  Kate told her about how she’d met Troy Eaton, aka Charlie Mayer, and about her interest in the young man. “I’m wondering how you managed to recognize Troy as Charlie.”

  Anna smiled. “I didn’t. We got a tip that Charles was at a local coffee shop filling out a job application. Someone text-messaged us and showed us a picture. They gave us a name and said he was wanted. I happened to be in the area, so I took the call.”

  “You don’t happen to know who called, do you?”

  “I think I know where you’re going with this.” She leaned back in her chair. “It felt like a setup to me, but it turned out he really was wanted, so I arrested him.”

  “Did you try to find out who’d called you?”

  “We did. It was one of those untraceable phones. The 911 operator said the voice sounded exaggerated and low. She guessed it was a male.” Anna rubbed a knuckle across her chin.

  “Are you still investigating?”

  “Unfortunately, no. The Pine Ridge DA feels they have enough on Charles to prosecute. I’ve
had to move on to other cases.”

  “Do you think Charlie is guilty?” Kate asked.

  “My gut feeling? No. He seems like a nice kid, but you can’t argue with the evidence.”

  Kate thanked her and left. She believed Charlie had been set up. Proving that might be way beyond her sleuthing abilities. Still, she had to try.

  INSTEAD OF DRIVING straight home from Chattanooga, Kate headed to Pine Ridge and parked in the lot outside the Valley Trust and Mortgage building. It was getting late, 4:30 to be exact. Still, Kate felt an urgency to obtain as much information as possible.

  She eyed the shiny black Cadillac Escalade parked a couple of spaces away. She’d seen it before, or one like it. A picture of a man in a cowboy hat darted through her mind, as did Joe Brainerd and his gun. Was this the same SUV she’d almost collided with as she was leaving the Brainerds’ place?

  Did Joe know someone who worked here?

  Kate tucked those thoughts into a cubby in the back of her mind to mull over later. Right now she needed to focus on why she’d come.

  She shielded her eyes as sun glinted off the windows of the three-story building. In San Antonio, she’d have thought nothing of a building this size. Maybe her worldview changed a bit since meeting the homeless. Though there was certainly nothing wrong with riches, Kate couldn’t help but compare the opulence here to the trailer Marie lived in, and Aleeda’s car. Kate closed her eyes for a moment, willing her mind to avoid comparisons and seeming injustice and focus on what she needed to do to help Charlie.

  Someone who worked here had stolen millions and implicated Charlie. One of the executives seeking to pad their pockets? Or someone like the janitor? The guard held open the door for her.

  Kate smiled at him and stepped into the marble lobby. She must have paused a little too long because the guard, a tall young man, probably no older than Skip, came up to her.

  “Can I help you?” His solemn features told her he took his job seriously. He stood straight like a soldier, clean shaven and square jawed.

  “I’m here to see Mr. Woods.”

  “He’s on the third floor.” The guard nodded and pointed to the right. “You’ll find the elevators right over there.”