Kate smiled and noted the name on his badge: Patrick Burns.
“Thank you, Patrick.” She hesitated, thinking it might not be a bad idea to chat with some of the nonexecutives and work her way up. She knew from experience that one could glean important details from the worker bees.
She shot him a warm smile. “Have you worked here long?”
“Since it was built.” A grin slipped out. “Before, actually. I did security on the construction site.”
“Impressive.” Here goes. Kate had no idea what kind of response she would get. She only hoped she wouldn’t get thrown out. “Then you must know Charlie Mayer.”
He sobered and stiffened. “Are you a cop or something?”
“Oh, heaven’s no. I’m Kate Hanlon. My husband is the minister at Faith Briar in Copper Mill.”
His features softened. “So why do you want to know about Charlie?”
“I’m a friend.”
“So am I.” He sighed and relaxed his stance. “And for the record, Charlie didn’t steal that money.”
“I believe you.” Kate placed a hand on his arm. “I’d like to help Charlie, and I think I can do that by interviewing people here. It’s good to know who his friends and enemies are. Maybe you can give me some names to start with.”
“Sure. Rosie, the receptionist, knows just about everything that goes on around here. I’d start with her. Of course, she didn’t steal the money...”
Kate readjusted her bag on her shoulder. “Did Charlie have any enemies?”
Patrick ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like Charlie. Everyone was totally surprised when the news broke.”
“What about Ned Castile? Do you know anything about his disappearance?”
“No. We’re not supposed to talk about this stuff.”
“Thanks so much, Patrick.” She dug into her bag for a pen and notepad, jotted her name and number on a page, and handed it to him. “Please contact me if you think of anything that might help.”
“Sure.”
Kate walked across the marble floors to the bank of elevators. Each echoing footstep raised her anxiety level. Once in the glass elevator, she took several deep breaths as the car rose and stopped on the third floor.
The receptionist was the same young woman she’d seen the other day when she’d come in to talk with Sheila.
“Hi, Rosie.”
“Mrs. Hanlon?” She shot Kate a questioning look.
“That’s right. I’m surprised you remembered.”
“Sheila isn’t in this afternoon.”
“Actually, I’m not here to see Sheila.” Kate told her what she’d shared with Patrick. “I’m hoping we can talk. I’d like to learn some things about the people Charlie worked with.”
“Sure. I’m glad you’re into helping Charlie, but why would a minister’s wife be acting like a cop?”
“Good question.” Kate thought a moment. “I’m pretty good at solving puzzles. And I’m curious.”
“I don’t see how I can help you. But maybe Mr. Woods can. He and Charlie were pretty close. Mr. Castile could too, but he’s...not here.”
“Ned Castile is still missing, then?” Kate asked.
“Um...yeah. As far as I know.”
Kate had the feeling that Rosie didn’t want to talk with her. Not to be put off, Kate pressed on. “I’d like to talk to Mr. Woods, but I’d like to ask you a few questions too.”
“I really can’t right now. I have a bunch of memos to write before we close.”
“What if I came by tomorrow? Could you meet me for lunch?”
Rosie glanced toward the offices. “I guess that would be okay.”
Kate then realized that Rosie might not want to be seen talking to her. Was she afraid of being connected to Charlie? “Does Mr. Woods have time to see me today?”
“Let me check.”
She punched in his extension, and Kate could hear the phone ring.
“He’s not answering.” She frowned. “That’s funny; I was just talking to him. He must have gone out the back way.”
Kate nodded. “I’ll try to catch him tomorrow.”
Kate left, feeling more puzzled than when she’d come in. While Patrick seemed comfortable talking about his friend, Rosie clearly didn’t want to. And what had happened to Mr. Woods? Had he somehow overheard Kate’s conversation with Rosie?
Kate had a lot of work to do in interviewing potential suspects at Valley Trust and Mortgage. Hopefully she could learn more the next day.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Since it was only five, and Kate didn’t have to worry about dinner, she decided to make one more stop. She parked in front of the Copper Mill Library and hurried inside.
“Hi, Sherlock,” Livvy greeted her. “You look like a woman on a mission.”
“I am. The other day I got some information on Charlie Mayer, but I need to know more about the people who worked with him.” She paused to catch her breath. “I think I better back up a little.”
Livvy chuckled. “Right. Let’s go into the break room. I was getting ready to head home, but I wouldn’t mind having a coke while you fill me in.”
“Good. I’d love some iced tea.”
Livvy pulled drinks out of the soda machine and handed a peach tea to Kate. “So tell me about your visit to the jail.”
“Disappointing. Turns out Troy Eaton really is Charlie Mayer. The authorities have charged him with embezzlement, but he claims to be innocent.” Kate sighed. “Oh, and get this, Ned Castile is a board member at Valley Trust. Charlie said that Ned was on his side and was trying to find the truth when he disappeared. Thing is, I believe him. He gave me some names to start with. I stopped by Valley Trust and managed to talk to the guard and the receptionist, but I need more information on these people.”
“I’m not sure I understand, Kate. How can you possibly believe him?”
Kate told Livvy about her talk with the detective in Chattanooga and how someone had led the police straight to Charlie. “I think someone set Charlie up, possibly someone he worked with. I need a list of all the Valley Trust board members and employees.”
Livvy leaned back in her chair and lifted her legs onto the chair beside her. “My feet are killing me,” she explained. “New shoes.”
After slipping off her shoes, she said, “I don’t know, Kate. If Ned Castile disappeared because he was trying to help Charlie, you might be getting into dangerous territory. Your association with Charlie—even visiting him in jail—could land you in trouble.”
Kate sipped at her iced tea and then pulled her notepad out of her handbag. “I suppose that’s possible. Charlie said he was forced to run and that he was afraid for himself and his family.”
Livvy ran her finger down the side of her can pushing the water droplets onto her napkin. “Okay, so someone set Charlie up. They must have followed Charlie to Chattanooga and told the police where to find him. He’s arrested, and the real embezzler goes free.”
“Charlie says he has no way to prove his innocence.” Kate opened her notebook to a fresh page and fished a pen out of her handbag. “The real crook is probably still working at Valley Trust as though nothing happened.” She tapped her pen on the table. “Or the real crook could have been a confidant and led Charlie into a trap while he slipped out of the picture.”
“As in Ned Castile?”
Kate hated to think so. “It’s possible. The FBI now thinks he may have left the area voluntarily. Though with as much money as he already has, two million would be pocket change.”
Livvy blew a stubborn strand of hair from her forehead. “Sounds like you’re looking for a needle in a haystack.”
The women went upstairs and spent the next half hour researching the Internet for additional links to Valley Trust and Mortgage. Kate printed off photos of most of the people who worked there. Rosie’s father wasn’t among them, and neither was Castile. Apparently the company didn’t feel the need to list board members o
n their Web site.
She’d have to ask Rosie about them the following day. With Livvy working beside her, they came up with home addresses and phone numbers for all the employees pictured.
In the employee photo, Woods appeared average in height and weight, with dark eyes and tanned skin. Kate tipped her head as she examined the image. “He doesn’t look like a crook.”
Livvy laughed. “Which means exactly nothing. Some of the best crooks could be our next-door neighbors.”
Kate eyed the photo again. “I haven’t seen him around here. Have you?”
“Nope.” Livvy took another sip of her cola. “Do you have reason to think he might be the thief?”
Kate filed the papers in a folder and put it in her handbag. “Not really, but who other than Charlie’s boss would have full access to the files?” Kate shrugged. “Besides, he’s as good a person to start with as any. I’ll try to talk to him and the CFO. Maybe I’ll have another chat with Sheila as well. Since she works with them, she might be able to give me some insight.”
“You’ll have to let me know how your lunch with Rosie goes.”
“I will.”
Livvy left for home and Kate headed for her Honda. Before pulling out of the parking lot, she called home to let Aleeda know she was on her way. The days simply didn’t have enough hours.
“Kate,” Aleeda said, “I’m glad you called. A woman from the Women’s Fellowship at the Baptist church called to ask if you needed anything. I told her I’d have you call if you did.”
“Oh, no! That’s tonight?”
“That’s what she said—that she’d see you tonight.”
Kate groaned. “I’ll have to eat fast. The meeting starts at seven.”
“I’ll have your plate ready.”
How could she have forgotten about something so important? Kate kept her appointments written down on a calendar, which she checked almost daily. She didn’t remember seeing it and wondered if she’d forgotten to transfer it from her notes to the calendar. By the time Kate got home, Paul had already eaten supper and gone. He had an urgent counseling session with a couple who were having marital problems, as well as a church board meeting.
While Kate ate the lasagna and salad Aleeda had made, her panic subsided. Fortunately, the talk was one she’d done many times to various groups about growing in the faith.
The house was dark when she came home from the meeting, except for a night-light in the kitchen. A quick check in the bedroom told her Paul was sound asleep.
All had gone well and Kate had come away with a number of new friends. Speaking extracted a lot of energy, but it also left her keyed up. Not wanting to wake anyone, and too wired to sleep, Kate made a cup of chamomile tea and settled into a chair at the oak dining table so she wouldn’t wake the boys. There she said her evening prayers—for Claire and Ellen, for Ned and Ava Castile, for Marie and Sophie, and for Charlie Mayer.
She wondered again about his family. Where were they, and did they even know about his arrest? Could her earlier thought about Marie and Sophie being Charlie’s wife and daughter be accurate? Kate thought back to the night of the town hall meeting and seeing Marie’s initials on her scarf. M.E.M. Marie E. Mayer?
Kate tipped her head back. She felt the octopus again, with its arms going every which way and vying for the upper hand.
Lord, I know you want me to help Charlie, and Aleeda, Marie, and the other homeless people, as well as Claire and Ellen. But why do I feel so frazzled? It’s not like me.
Normally, Kate was quite organized, a list maker, a coordinator. She smiled. Part of the problem might be that with Aleeda taking over the kitchen, Kate hadn’t been doing much baking. Maybe I just need to sit down with my to-do list and bake some cookies. That should set me on the right track. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for help.
Kate had accomplished a great deal, but she could get a lot more done if she asked for help. Normally, she liked taking care of things herself. But sometimes even she needed assistance. Kate rinsed her cup and set it in the sink, then moved to her bedroom to begin her nighttime routine. As she took off her earrings in the dark room lit only by a night-light, with Paul sleeping soundly in bed, her gaze drifted to the street and landed on a black SUV. The quarter moon provided little light, and the SUV was parked just outside the streetlamp between her house and the Faith Freezer house.
An eerie sensation traveled up Kate’s spine and formed a lump in her stomach. Was it her imagination or could it be the same Cadillac Escalade she’d seen in the parking lot at Valley Trust, and out at Joe Brainerd’s place?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kate backed away from the window and turned off the night-light. Should she alert Paul? She couldn’t see if there was anyone in the vehicle.
Kate offered up a prayer for safety. Why would anyone be parked there this time of night? Was someone watching their house? She looked out again. The driver backed the vehicle into the driveway at Faith Freezer house, turned around, and left.
She released a pent-up sigh. Maybe the driver had turned down the wrong street.
Paul woke up when she came to bed. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “You’re a hard one to keep track of. Where were you tonight? I was hoping to hear about Charlie.”
“I’m sorry. I had that talk at the Baptist women’s group. I’m embarrassed that I had forgotten about it until Aleeda told me someone had called.” She told him about her visit with Charlie and her brief talks with Patrick and Rosie at Valley Trust. “When I got into town, I stopped at the library to do some online research into the people who work at Valley Trust.”
“My day was as busy as yours,” he murmured. “I don’t like going all day without connecting. Phone calls are good, but...”
“I don’t either.” Kate leaned over, gave him a good-night kiss, and lay back on her pillow.
“Let’s make it a point to talk to each other at least twice a day.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
DAWN CAME INTO ITS OWN Tuesday morning while Kate brewed her coffee. Pinks, purples, oranges, and reds blended into a fascinating work of sky art.
“God’s watercolor,” she whispered. From her dining area window, she looked to the East, simply standing there as the colors shifted, allowing the sun to emerge above the trees. Her gaze drifted over to where she’d seen the car the night before, parked near the Faith Freezer house.
She puzzled again over the black SUV. Had it been the one she’d seen out at Joe’s place and at Valley Trust? Could there be a connection?
Probably not. There must be more than one black Escalade in the area. Yet how many people did she know who could afford an expensive vehicle like that? Not a lot, but Tennessee did have its share of wealthy people.
Of course, there was always the possibility the SUV had been parked there for entirely innocent reasons that had nothing to do with her.
Kate poured herself a mug of coffee and went into the living room, where she settled into her favorite chair. Since the boys seemed able to sleep through anything, Kate no longer worried that her presence would bother them. She read her Bible verses and devotion for the day and prayed for the people on her list, thinking to include Claire and Ellen, whom she hadn’t seen for a few days. She hoped they were safe and well.
She had far too many things scheduled for the day. Regardless, she’d make time to go out to the campground to speak with Marie. Kate intended to ask her about her husband and just what the initials M.E.M. stood for.
Kate had concluded her devotional reading for the day when Aleeda ventured out of the guest room.
Kate smiled. “Buenos días.”
“Buenos días.” Aleeda headed for the kitchen. “I hope I am not interrupting your studies.”
“I was just finishing up. Did you sleep well?”
“Sí.” She laughed. “And you?”
“Not bad once I got to sleep.” Kate told her about the SUV that had been parked nearby. “I don’t know if ther
e was any real danger, but it was scary just the same.”
Aleeda leaned against the counter. “Perhaps they were casing out the place. You do live on the outskirts of town.”
“That’s always a possibility.” Though Kate doubted anyone driving an Escalade would want to steal from them. “We’ll need to be careful to keep the house locked up.” Kate took her mug to the kitchen for a refill, then took down a mug for Aleeda as well.
“I will make sure to do that.” Aleeda grinned. “I have good news. But first let me wake up the boys so they can start getting dressed.”
Kate took both coffees to the living room and after setting Aleeda’s on the coffee table eased back into her rocker. She watched as Aleeda gave each of the boys a kiss and ruffled their hair. “Time to get up sleepyheads.”
Once the boys roused, Aleeda sat on the end of the sofa. “I have two possibilities for a job.”
“Really? Tell me.”
“I spoke with Eli Weston at the antique store, and he said he might be able to hire me as a manager. I used to manage a gift store, so this would be perfect.”
“Great!” Eli was a good friend, but Kate didn’t know he was looking for help. “You said you had two possibilities...”
“Yes. I spoke to a woman at the Hamilton Springs Hotel who is looking for a personal manager.”
“Who?” Kate could think of only a couple of people who might need a manager for their personal affairs.
“Amy Richardson. She is from Pine Ridge and was having lunch at the Bristol. My boss told her about me.” Aleeda’s eyes shone. “She is very rich and needs someone to handle her affairs. We would live in her home and sometimes travel with her.”
“Wow. That sounds appealing.”
“Yes, I believe so.” Aleeda sipped at her coffee. “Is there anything special you want me to do today? I have some chores, but they won’t take long.”
“As a matter of fact, there is.” Kate picked up a folder she’d set in the magazine rack beside the rocker. She’d planned to go through the call list herself, but enlisting Aleeda’s help seemed the perfect way to free up her schedule.
“Here is a list of regular volunteers with the Faith Freezer Program and a list of people who might be able to help. We need to get food prepared for the kickoff dinner out at the campground. I’m thinking we can do this by Thursday. From that point on, we should be able to provide meals on a regular basis.”
Strangers in Their Midst Page 14
