Strangers in Their Midst

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Kate, Paul,” Marie said. “I don’t know how we can ever thank you. I know three families who found out that they can move back into their houses and refinance. There’s much less despair, and the programs are giving people hope.” She took Sophie from Lars and nuzzled her neck, making her squeal.

  Lars smiled at them. “Are you going to tell her your news?”

  Marie’s cheeks flushed. “I know it hasn’t been nearly long enough, but Lars asked me to marry him.” She grinned. “I’m thinking about it.”

  Kate frowned. “But...your husband.”

  Marie shook her head. “Ex-husband now, or soon will be.”

  “Oh.” That was a bit of a relief.

  “I’m sorry for being so obscure the other day. I really didn’t know where he was.”

  “You do now?”

  She nodded. “I spoke to my mother yesterday. She lives in Oregon. Tom called her to let her know he was sending papers to her, hoping she could send them on to me. He’s apparently had a change of heart. He’s found a woman he wants to marry and has graciously decided to give me the house I can’t afford to make payments on.” She sighed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound bitter.” Smiling at Lars, she added, “It’ll be over soon, and I’m thankful for that.”

  Kate drew Marie toward her for a hug. “I’m so happy for you both. So what is your last name, really?”

  “Jones.” Marie smiled. “It really is.”

  Kate pursed her lips, confused. “What about that scarf you wore at the town hall meeting? It had the initials M.E.M. written on it.”

  Marie laughed. “I have no idea who the initials belong to. I liked it and bought it at the thrift shop for fifty cents.”

  Kate’s cheeks warmed. “Thanks for clearing that up.”

  SINCE THEY WERE RUNNING LATE, instead of going home, Paul and Kate headed straight for the Bristol. They had a lunch date there with Ellen and the countess. Ellen was back to worrying, and the lines on her face aged her again.

  “Have you heard anything from Charlie?” Kate unfolded the cloth napkin and placed it on her lap as the waitress filled her water goblet.

  “No. The agent said he couldn’t be in touch with us.” Ellen sipped at her ice water. “There is one thing. The pickup used to run Charlie off the road had been stolen that morning.”

  Kate sighed. “Jake was right. He said he’d be surprised if it was an accident.”

  They ordered their meals, and Paul said grace. He and Kate both tried to steer the conversation away from Charlie. Kate urged Claire to tell Paul about her home in England.

  Later that afternoon, Kate must have picked up the phone a dozen times to call Sheila’s mother, Mary. She wished she hadn’t promised to keep Sheila’s secret. The urgency Kate felt to connect with her old friend hung in the air like an impending storm.

  Paul reached up to pull her down beside him as she paced by him for the umpteenth time. “Would you like to talk about whatever’s bothering you?”

  Kate blew out a long breath and drew another in. She told him about Sheila’s engagement to her computer guy. “Something about this whole thing isn’t ringing true. Mary isn’t the type of mother who would chase away Sheila’s boyfriends. In fact, she’s always saying she’d like Sheila to find someone.”

  “And you’re worried this guy might be using Sheila?”

  “Yes. I think he may have somehow hacked into the computer system at Valley Trust. Sheila said he set up the entire program. He may have installed a device at the beginning that allows him access to everything.”

  “Maybe you’d better tell the sheriff about this.”

  “I suppose. But I can’t imagine that they haven’t looked into it.”

  “Maybe they have, but if it’s bothering you this much, you should say something.” He hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.

  “What I’d really like to do is talk to Mary.”

  Paul smiled. “Then do it. Just don’t disclose the secret you promised to keep.”

  “Good plan.” Kate hugged him and headed for the phone.

  “Kate!” Mary sounded happy to hear her voice. “I’ve been thinking of you so much lately.”

  Kate smiled. She missed her friend. “Really? I’ve been thinking about you too.”

  “To be honest, I’ve been dying to talk to you about Sheila. Have you seen her?”

  “Yes. I opened an account with her a couple weeks ago. She seemed happy.”

  Mary sighed. “I’m worried about her. She hasn’t called me in weeks. I call her, but all I ever get is her voice mail. The last time we talked, she seemed...well, she didn’t sound like herself.”

  “She told me she planned to visit you soon.” Kate hoped she sounded upbeat.

  “Oh, good.”

  This was a mistake. How could she keep Sheila’s engagement a secret, especially when Sheila might be marrying a criminal? “Mary, has Sheila dated much?”

  “Now and then. She’s been more focused on her career. To be honest, I think her intelligence scares men away. Is she seeing someone?”

  Kate winced at the hope in her friend’s voice. “She did mention a guy she’d been dating.”

  “That’s good news. I’ve always felt she spends way too much time around computers and not enough time around real people. Have you met him?”

  “Not yet, but I hope to.”

  “Well, call me when you do.”

  They talked a bit more about family before promising to touch base more often and saying good-bye. Kate hung up knowing she had to visit Sheila again. First, though, she called Jake to get the name of the company that set up the computer system at Valley Trust.

  “Why do you want to know?” Jake asked.

  “I just wondered if the police had checked them out.”

  “I’m sure they did. I’ll talk to the agents just in case. It’s Conway Computer Systems. They come highly recommended. The owner has been in business for twenty years. He’s set up computer systems for people all over the world.”

  “Thanks. I just wanted to follow through on some questions I had.”

  THE NEXT MORNING, Kate decided to visit Livvy at the library and do some research. She wanted to find out what she could about Sheila’s fiancé.

  Livvy had the day off, but Morty and another volunteer were holding down the fort. Kate left the library only half an hour later with a folder of information on Conway and a lot more questions. She learned that the owner, Eric Conway, was well known and well respected in the industry. He was in his forties and had started developing systems in college. Eric was one of those boy geniuses who turned his talents into technology and made a fortune. Nowhere on Eric’s Web site, or anywhere else, did she find anything about a computer analyst named Hal.

  Of course, it didn’t follow automatically that an employee’s name would be listed on the Web site. Maybe Hal was a technician for the company. Sheila had indicated that Hal was wealthy. Were analysts that well paid? Had he lied to Sheila about his financial situation? Then again, maybe he did make good money. When she got home, Kate called Sheila and left her messages at home and at work. To the voice mail she said, “Sheila, I have some important information. I’d like to speak with you. Please call me.”

  While she waited, Kate baked a batch of cranberry pistachio refrigerator cookies and began creating a notebook to keep track of everything being done for the homeless. After several hours, Sheila still hadn’t called. Kate was tempted to track Sheila down, but realized she needed to be patient. She felt certain Sheila would get back to her soon.

  To keep from fretting, Kate went into the bedroom to get the portable phone. Kate made a pot of fresh coffee and while she waited for it to perk, she called Floyd Jenkins regarding the community garden project.

  “Kate, been meaning to call you. I’ve talked to a few of the best gardeners around and lined up a committee. Hope that’s okay.”

  “More than okay. How much will you need to get started?”

  “A couple thousand
for now.”

  Kate grinned. “That sounds doable.”

  “Good. Bethany’s offered to make up flyers asking for volunteers. We’ll distribute them around town and give them out here at the nursery. Bethany thinks we should call it Planter’s Day. Make a regular celebration out of it. What do you think?”

  She laughed at his enthusiasm. “Floyd, I think I picked the right man for the job.”

  As soon as she hung up, Kate poured a mug of coffee and took it, the phone, and a cookie into the living room and immediately placed a call to Livvy at home to let her know of Floyd’s plans.

  Livvy squealed. “That’s great news, Kate. We’ll have to get an article in the paper too.”

  “I’m thrilled with the Planter’s Day idea.”

  Livvy agreed. “Bethany does a great job with advertising for the nursery so I’m not surprised. Of course, if we want anything advertised in Copper Mill, all we have to do is tell someone like Renee or Betty, or Lucy Mae.”

  Kate chuckled and added a few more names. They chatted for several more minutes as Kate told her about Sheila’s fiancé. “I have a call in to her now. I really hope I’m wrong. I’d like to see Sheila happy and doing well.”

  As soon as the friends hung up, Kate checked to see if she’d had any incoming calls while she’d been on the phone. She hadn’t. Kate couldn’t help but worry. She set the phone on the coffee table and went into the kitchen to get a refill and a couple more cookies. Who was this Hal character? She wished Sheila had given her a last name. Kate sifted through the papers for Conway Computer Systems and found a phone number for the company. She called and asked for Hal.

  The receptionist was brisk. “I’m sorry. Hal is away from the office. Can I help you?”

  “Yes,” Kate said. “I wanted to congratulate him on his engagement.”

  The woman didn’t say anything for a long while.

  “Hello?” Kate wondered if she’d been cut off.

  Confusion laced the woman’s voice. “I’m sorry. I think you must have the wrong Hal. Mr. Evans is married.”

  “Oh. You’re right.” Kate backpedaled. “I’m sorry.”

  Kate ended the call and set the phone on the table. “What is going on?” All kinds of scenarios spun through Kate’s mind.

  Was Sheila’s fiancé an impostor? A computer hacker? A fraud? Was Hal using Sheila as a shield to get out of the country? Was he planning to get rid of her after she’d served his purpose? Would he throw her overboard and disappear with his two million? Had he done this before?

  Kate put the brakes on her runaway imagination. Sheila might be in danger. Or she could be in on the fraud. Somehow Kate couldn’t get her mind around that one. Still, she’d probably lied about her mother chasing away her many boyfriends. That was something.

  Kate called Paul and left a message on his phone. She also left a message for Paul and Aleeda on the kitchen counter, saying she was driving to Pine Ridge to see Sheila. She had to talk to her.

  Aleeda came in just as Kate was leaving. “Hola, Kate, I’m so glad I caught you. I got the job! I will be working for Mrs. Richardson as her personal assistant. The boys and I can move in anytime.”

  “I’m so happy for you.” In truth, Kate felt like crying.

  Aleeda must have picked up on that. “Don’t be sad, my friend. She is happy to have me volunteer for the Faith Freezer Program, so we will see each other often.”

  Kate said they would celebrate soon, but right now she needed to find Sheila. “Pray for her, Aleeda. I’ll explain later.”

  SHEILA’S RED CONVERTIBLE wasn’t in the driveway. Still, Kate went up the walk and rang the doorbell. No answer. She went around back, but no luck there either.

  She tried the back door and found it unlocked. Kate hoped Sheila wouldn’t mind if she waited inside. She called Sheila on her cell phone and left a message saying she was at the house and would wait there for a while. She hoped Sheila would get the message soon.

  The house had been emptied of just about everything. Only one chair and a coffee table remained in the living room. She found a mattress in a bedroom and a few items scattered about. Men’s clothes, she realized. Hal must be staying there. Something about the scene felt wrong.

  It was a small two-bedroom, one-bath house, built, Kate thought, in the fifties. The kitchen hadn’t been cleared out yet, and there was food in the refrigerator. Kate surmised that Sheila and Hal had been moving out and hoped Sheila would be back soon.

  Kate heard a scraping noise and a thump below. She reached for a knob that led to the basement and stopped. It was probably an animal. Maybe a pet, maybe not.

  When she heard a car door slam, Kate went to the window. Sheila was coming up the walk and looked none too happy.

  Kate opened the front door and stepped out. “I’m sorry. The back door was unlocked so...”

  “It’s not a problem. It’s just that the house is such a mess.” Sheila’s smile didn’t meet her eyes. “Did you need something? Your message said it was important.”

  “Sheila, I’m worried about you. I called Conway Computer Systems, and the only Hal they have working for them is married. I think your fiancé might be a fraud.”

  Sheila laughed. “Mrs. Hanlon, Hal doesn’t work for Conway. He has his own company. He’s not a fraud. Trust me, I know how to check people out. He’s a wonderful man, and I’m lucky to be marrying him.”

  Kate still wondered if Sheila was being used. “Are you sure?”

  Sheila waved one hand flippantly. “Yes. Now stop worrying.”

  Kate heard the thump again, but this time it was accompanied by what sounded like a groan. “What is that? I heard it earlier.”

  Sheila ran a hand through her brown hair. “That’s just my dog. I had to put him down in the basement so he wouldn’t keep unpacking everything I packed. He’s probably getting hungry.”

  Kate nodded. “So am I. I’ll be going, but think about what I said. I mean...how well do you know this guy?”

  “Very well. He’s my dream man, Kate. Just wish me happiness.” Sheila met Kate’s eyes. “Please.”

  “I will. I do.” Kate started to go, then turned back. “So, what’s your dream man’s last name? I’d like to send a card and a gift.”

  “That’s sweet, Kate. His name is Harold Olsen. You can send it to my mom.”

  KATE HEADED FOR THE LIBRARY in Pine Ridge and did a search on Harold Olsen. She found no one by that name living in Pine Ridge. There were way too many hits on Google to follow up on. She tried his name with computer analyst and realized she would never find his company without more information.

  Kate gathered her research and headed for home. As she drove through town, she spotted a woman walking her dog on the sidewalk. Ordinarily it would have meant nothing, but seeing the dog set off an alarm in Kate’s head. Sheila said she had a dog, but there wasn’t any sign of one anywhere in the small house. No dog dishes, no bags of dog food, and no smell.

  Then Kate remembered something from when Sheila was a kid: Sheila was allergic to animals.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Why had Sheila lied? Had Hal brought her in as an accomplice? And who—or what—had been in the basement?

  Kate couldn’t read minds, but she was pretty good at reading people. It would take only minutes to find out if Sheila had a dog. And if she didn’t? All that would prove is that Sheila had lied. It certainly didn’t make her a criminal.

  Kate went back to Sheila’s house. The car was gone, and no one answered the door. She went around to the back and found the door still unlocked. Kate slipped inside and looked around again. Still no sign of a dog. A scratching sound came from the basement, and this time Kate had to investigate. She flipped on the light switch and descended the stairs. The only sound she heard now was the creaking of stairs as she put her weight on one, then the next. A dog would have barked.

  Okay, so no dog, but something was down there. She reached the basement floor and heard another creak. This time it wasn’t h
er. The sound seemed to come from the other side of the wall. Kate spotted a door with a bolt. She reached for it when the light went out and the door at the top of the stairs slammed shut. Darkness sank into the room. Sheila must have come back, or worse, Hal.

  Maybe whoever it was didn’t know she was down there. After all, she’d parked across the street. She thought about climbing the stairs and banging on the door but hung back.

  Kate leaned against the wall, trying to come up with a plan. Something creaked again, and once more came the groan. Not animal, Kate sensed...but human. Her first thought was of Ned Castile. But that couldn’t be—unless Hal or Sheila had something to do with his disappearance. Had Ned discovered Hal’s duplicity? Or Sheila’s? Oh, Sheila, what’s going on?

  A faint light crept in through a narrow dirt-caked window offering Kate enough light to get her bearings. She turned to face the wall, moving her hand back and forth until her fingers connected with the bolt. She gripped it and slid it back. The door opened with such force, it knocked Kate back. Something heavy fell against her. She connected with the concrete floor.

  In the moments it took Kate to catch her breath, she realized the pressure on her chest and lungs was a man. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him to the side.

  “S-sorry.” He grabbed for her. “Help me.” His voice was soft and raspy.

  “Ned? Ned Castile?”

  He grunted an affirmation. Kate rooted around in her bag for her cell phone and flipped it open illuminating the numbers. She dialed 911. Kate tried to explain where she was, but the operator didn’t seem to understand. She ended the call and searched in her bag for Jake’s card and once she found it punched in Jake’s number. His voice cut in and out as well. “We’re in Sheila’s basement. Ned and I. Send help.”

  The door to the basement opened. “Kate?” It was Sheila’s voice. “Are you down there?”

  Kate released the breath she’d been holding and offered up a tentative “Yes...”