by JoAnn Durgin
Sam retrieved his glasses and studied the ledger. “About five hundred dollars. At least I don’t keep too much here in the safe on the premises. Most of it is in the temporary bank account I set up in the city.”
Lexa shook her head. “How many people know about the safe, know the combination?”
“Just myself and a couple of the guys. Unfortunately, Josh was one of the guys.”
“How long has the money been missing?”
Sam shrugged. “I’m not exactly sure. If you’re wondering if Josh could have taken it, it’s possible. But Josh isn’t dishonest. And as far as I know, he doesn’t need money. I’m the first to admit that I’m not the most meticulous person when it comes to checking and counting the money on a daily basis. At least in that area, I’m perhaps too trusting.” He glanced up at her before returning his focus to the ledger.
“Oh, Lexa.” Sam’s shoulders slumped under the weight of his burden. “What am I going to do? If I call TeamWork and tell them I’ve lost the money, they probably won’t reassign me anywhere else, at least as a director. This will only prove to them that I’m not responsible enough for a higher position.”
“Excuse me for asking, but do you have to serve as a director?”
Sam frowned. “No,” he said, drawing out his words, “I don’t have to be a director, but it’s a right I’ve earned and I enjoy it. But that’s not the point.” His voice was brusque. Lexa swallowed and lowered her gaze.
Strolling over to the tall filing cabinet, Sam stretched out his elbow and leaned back against it. “With only three days left in the camp, I’ll have to work fast to solve this mystery. As if I even have time for something like this.” Sitting behind the desk, he lowered his head onto his hands, but not before Lexa saw the bewilderment etched into his face. His shoulders sagged.
“Let me help you.” Lexa walked over to his desk and planted her palms flat, leaning closer. “I want to help,” she reiterated, willing him to look up at her. She waited until he raised his head.
“Thanks, but I don’t want to involve you in something like this. It’s my fault the money’s gone, and now I have to be the one to straighten it out.” The worry line surfaced between his brows.
“Fine,” she snapped, heading for the door. “But I don’t know why you think you can do everything yourself. It wouldn’t hurt you to let somebody else help you every now and then, you know.” She shoved open the screen door and heard something slam across Sam’s desk as she departed.
“Here,” he called when she was a few hundred yards away.
Turning back around, she managed to catch the keys Sam tossed into her hands.
“Take the car to get your supplies. Only problem is, I can’t reimburse you right away. Keep your receipts, and give them to me when you get back.”
“Aye, aye sir.” Lexa gave him a mock salute.
“I’m sorry, Lexa.” Standing just outside the office, hands in the pockets of his shorts, Sam gave her a helpless look. “I didn’t mean to bark at you, but I’ve got to think this thing through. When you get back later, come see me. I’ll try to think of some way you can help. We’ll figure out a plan. Together.” His words warmed her heart.
Lexa clasped the keys tighter in the palm of her hand and smiled. “Thanks.”
Sam stood only a foot away, great tenderness in his eyes. “Don’t tell anyone about this. It’ll be our little secret. I don’t want anyone else to know the money’s missing. Maybe the person who took it is still in the camp and will try to make another move. Maybe I can toss out subtle clues there might be some extra money hidden in the safe in the next couple of days, and see if anyone makes a move.”
“See,” Lexa told him, pride in her voice, “that brilliant mind of yours is already formulating a master plan.”
He grinned. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.” The drawl was exaggerated.
“Sam?”
“Hmm?” he asked, turning back around, returning her grin.
“Your glasses make you look . . . very distinguished and scholarly. I really like them.” And made him altogether appealing. Best not to tell him that little fact, though.
Sam laughed quietly. “Thanks. Guess I fooled you. I’ll see you when you get back. Take care of the old bomb, though, will you please?”
Lexa laughed, turning to go. “Promise.”
~~**~~
“I certainly hope one of us has a Triple A card. I don’t know about you all, and no offense, Lexa, but I’d feel a lot better if Sam had driven us himself in this old bomb,” Natalie grumbled, nonetheless climbing into the back seat of the station wagon a couple of hours later following dinner. “I’m surprised Sam even let you drive. He always insists on driving.”
Natalie was right. Not since Shelby had he allowed anyone else to drive. “Relax. The old bomb will get us there and back.” She grinned at Winnie as she slid into the passenger seat. For good measure, Lexa patted the dashboard as she’d seen Sam do.
“You sound awfully confident,” Winnie commented.
“You have to be,” Lexa muttered under her breath, inserting the key into the ignition with a silent prayer. The car’s engine started with a roar. After a minimum of sputtering, it was ready to roll. The three girls chatted about the plans for the farewell party as Lexa drove them in the direction of a party store on the outskirts of the city.
“We need a gift for Sam,” Natalie spoke up from the back a few miles down the road. “Any suggestions?”
“Hmm,” Lexa mused. “Let me think about that one unless Winnie has any suggestions.”
“Are we talking gag gift or serious?” Winnie twisted around in the passenger seat.
In the rearview mirror, Lexa saw Natalie shrug. “Whichever. I just need some ideas. We can get something tonight or else come back into town before the party.”
“How about one of those Indiana Jones-type hats?” Lexa suggested after a few moments of silence passed. “Since he’s going to work full-time for TeamWork.” She was safe suggesting it since Sam announced his plans a few days ago to the group-at-large. “You know how he likes to wear his cowboy hat, so it’s not like he hates hats or anything.”
On her way out of the dorm, Lexa had tucked her credit card into her wallet. It might come in handy in case she happened to find just the right hat for Sam. Whether or not anyone else contributed to the cost, she’d just tell Sam the gift came from the entire crew.
“He’d look really good in one of those.” Natalie sounded pleased with the suggestion.
“I think you’re right. They can get rather expensive if we get the real thing, but if everyone pitches in, we should have more than enough for a really good one,” Winnie agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Sam certainly deserves something really terrific. Great idea, Lexa. Let’s keep our eyes peeled. I know I’ve seen lots of hats in some of the area shops, so it shouldn’t be too hard. The only challenge might be finding a store that’s still open.”
Winnie glanced down at her watch, triggering another idea in Lexa’s mind. Sam needed a new watch. Maybe that was something she could get. Was it appropriate for her to give Sam such a personal gift? Considering the uncertain state of her relationship with Sam at the moment, she wasn’t sure. Still, the man needed one for his overseas mission.
Two hours later, the three girls pulled back into the camp to find a flurry of excitement and activity. The bonfire devotions had just ended, and groups of young people stood clustered, animated, talking amongst themselves.
“What’s going on?” Lexa asked the first group of volunteers she approached. She carried Sam’s hat and new watch in a bag under her arm.
“Someone’s missing. One of the volunteers,” a girl standing on the edge of the circle told her.
“Really? Who is it?” Lexa shifted the bag and glanced over at Winnie to see if she’d also heard.
“Some girl. Sheila something.”
Chapter 37
“Oh, no. Where’s Sam?” Lexa put a quick h
and on the girl’s arm to grab her attention.
“I’m not sure,” came the vague reply.
Hurrying over to the dorm, Lexa stuffed the bag beneath her bed, shoving it way under. She prayed the same thief who’d taken the money from the safe in Sam’s office wasn’t watching her now. Darting a furtive glance around the dorm, Lexa wiped her dusty hands on a nearby towel.
Oh Sheila, where are you? Her bed was as neat as ever. Sheila was always so quiet and blended into the background. That’s the way she liked things, not wanting to make waves or cause problems. Except the day Lexa walked in to find Sheila’s husband fleeing the dorm. Howard had made her uneasy. If it was true that Sheila was missing, Lexa suspected the burly man no doubt had everything to do with her quiet roommate’s disappearance.
Her heart pounding, Lexa walked outside, her eyes scanning the gathered crowd for any sign of Sam. In the background, she heard small group leaders making plans to break apart and canvas the area. In Search of Sheila. It sounded like the name of a book or a spy novel. Missing money and now a missing person . . . were they connected? If they were, it might eliminate Josh as a suspect regarding the missing money. That thought brought a small measure of relief. Lexa didn’t want to think Josh was a thief, too. He had enough problems.
Spotting Rebekah, Lexa hurried over to the tall blonde. “Beck, what’s going on?” She caught up and walked alongside her. “I hear Sheila’s missing. Please tell me it’s not true.”
Turning to face her, Rebekah stopped, her expression grim. “Afraid so. One of the men saw her with some big guy a couple of hours ago. You and I both know it was Howard. He thinks Howard may have been forcibly making Sheila leave the campsite against her will. He feels horrible and wishes he’d done something more to help her.” Her eyes traveled to Lexa. “But he didn’t.” She shook her head. “So much for our watch plan.”
Lexa frowned. “Any idea where Sam is?” She hastened to keep up with Rebekah’s much longer stride.
“I’m hoping he’s in his office.” A minute later, they stood outside the office. Knocking a few times with no response, Rebekah bit her lower lip and shrugged. “Seems he’s missing, too, at least for the moment.”
Lexa frowned. “You don’t think Sam’s gone to search for Sheila all by himself, do you?”
Rebekah shook her head. “I doubt it, but who knows? I suppose anything’s possible at this point.”
“Maybe he’s gone to the police,” Lexa suggested. “Although I don’t know what good that would do. The police couldn’t do anything, anyway, unless Sheila’s been missing longer than twenty-four hours.” The two stood talking in low tones outside of Sam’s office.
As if on cue, Sam hurried around the corner of the office. His eyes lit when he spied them, and he nodded. “Evening.” He unlocked the door and stood aside. “Come in and have a seat.” He sat down behind his desk, linking his hands behind his head, leaning back.
“This is a familiar scene. I don’t know about you, but I’m just about ready for this particular camp to be over.” His voice dripped sarcasm, and he shook his head. “Since it’s the two of you, I don’t mind admitting I’m not sure how much more I can take.”
Lexa’s heart swelled, and she gave Sam a reassuring smile. “Can you tell us what’s happening now?”
He blew out a breath and sat up straight, clasping his hands together on top of the desk. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, Sheila’s missing. I’m convinced Howard Morris has taken her somewhere against her will. I seriously doubt she’d go anywhere willingly with him.” His words were clipped and concise. “Howard’s not after Sheila. He’s after their daughter.”
“So, it’s a girl.” Lexa hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud, and she glanced at Rebekah, noting her curious look. “I knew she had a child, but didn’t know if it was a girl or a boy. Do you have any idea where they might be?”
Sam shook his head. “I wish I knew. I feel responsible for Sheila since she’s part of my team. I’ll tell you one thing. I’m not about to lose another TeamWork volunteer on my watch.” He shot a meaningful look at Lexa and Rebekah as if to say, This is all I need right now.
“We’ll find her, Sam.” Lexa forced a confidence into her voice from somewhere deep inside. She had to be calm now, for Sheila, for Sam, for Rebekah, for all of them. Having seen the man, she was afraid of what he might do. If Sheila was Howard’s way of finding his daughter, then he might very well have kidnapped her to lead him to their daughter. “How can we help?”
“Go back to the dorm. I give you permission to go through Sheila’s things, anything you can find. See if she has a list of phone numbers, addresses, anything that might give us a clue who to call or where to start looking. I’ll check her TeamWork paperwork, but I suspect she put down bogus information.” He caught Lexa’s look. “It was a self-protective measure as much as anything else.”
The words were barely out of his mouth before both Rebekah and Lexa sprinted to their feet, headed out the door in only a few seconds. “Come to me first if you find anything!” he called to them. “I don’t want anyone else to turn up missing.”
“Right, Sam!” Rebekah called, throwing one arm in the air, signaling they’d heard. “Our fearless leader has spoken.” She gave Lexa a half-grin as they hurried to Building Seven.
“I hope we can figure out where she is.” Lexa pushed open the screen door of their dorm and hurried over to Sheila’s bed. “You check the locker, and I’ll check around her bed,” she suggested, making quick work of stripping back the sheets. Rebekah opened the locker and started rifling through the bag inside. It was a good thing none of them used locks since they were among friends and saw no need.
“Looks to be just dirty clothes.” Rebekah reached deep into the bottom of the canvas bag in her hands. “Find anything?” She glanced over at where Lexa sat reading. “Is that Sheila’s diary?” Dropping down beside Lexa on Sheila’s bed, she leaned over her shoulder.
“Yes. She’s always got her head stuck either in here or her Bible, so I thought maybe it would give us a clue.”
Rebekah nudged Lexa. “Don’t you sort of feel like Nancy Drew right about now? I’ll be George, and you’re Nancy.”
Lexa allowed herself to smile, lessening the tension. “Let’s just pray we can solve this mystery in Nancy Drew fashion.” Her expression dissolved into a frown. “Where did Winnie and Natalie go?” They’d disappeared after their return from the trip into town. “And Amy and the other girls?”
“I’m sure they’re in the search parties.” Rebekah walked over to the window. “I only see a few people milling around now, so I’m assuming most of them are out looking for Sheila. Not that there’s really anywhere to go, and I’m sure Howard had a car.” She ran a hand through her hair, mussing it. “It’s so confusing.” Her green eyes grew wide and she crossed the room, dropping to her knees. “Wait! Here’s another case of some sort,” she called, lying prone on the floor beside Sheila’s bed.
Dragging a small black case across the cement floor, Rebekah glanced up at Lexa. Unzipping it, she withdrew a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and then let her hand drop. “These seem awfully small,” she mused, fingering the shirt. “Sheila’s petite, but I seriously doubt she’s this small.” She looked up at Lexa. “Are you thinking the same thing I am?”
Lexa nodded, her heart pounding again. “Yes! These clothes belong to Sheila’s daughter which means the girl must be somewhere nearby. Howard must know it, and that’s why he’s taken her. I’m going to read her diary some more. I feel guilty doing it, but what choice do we have if we want to help her?” Lexa shot a helpless look at Rebekah.
The other girl nodded, tossing her hair behind one shoulder as she sat down beside Lexa on Sheila’s bed. “Go ahead. I think Sheila would understand since we’re trying to find her. Read it out loud. Maybe together we can come up with something.” Rebekah leaned one elbow on her knee and gnawed on a fingernail.
“It’s worth a shot, anyway.” Lexa flipped throug
h the pages of the diary to find the last entries from the previous few days. It was perhaps the best place to start.
“This is Tuesday’s entry. Today was very unsettling. H. is here. I can feel his presence. It’s like he’s lurking on the outskirts of the camp, staring at me with those black eyes of his, seeing what I don’t want him to see. I think he knows that A.’s here somewhere. I might have to leave before everyone else does. I have a feeling H. is going to make his move very soon. I’m scared. I pray every night that God will help me. I don’t know how H. found me here. Still, I can’t help thinking that if he could find me here, he can probably find me anywhere.
“Wow.” Rebekah stretched out on her back across the width of the bed, her long legs dangling over the edge. “Poor kid. Who’s A., do you think?”
“Must be the first initial of her daughter’s name.” Lexa turned to the next page, eager to read another passage. “Let me skip to Wednesday. I don’t know what to do. I thought I saw H. standing behind the tree on the side of the camp watching me. I tried to blend in with a group of the women so that he couldn’t catch me alone. I want to tell someone. Maybe Sam. I’m afraid. I don’t want to drag anybody else into this nasty mess. I can’t take that chance. If anyone’s going to be hurt, it has to be me. I have to make sure that A.’s safe. I don’t know how, but she’s got to stay safe. Hopefully, God will watch over both of us now.”
“Oh,” Rebekah said, rising to a sitting position again.
“What?” Lexa closed the small book with a frown.
“I have this awful feeling,” Rebekah said, shaking her head. “If she saw him, then she’s probably right. He must have made a move of some kind. I don’t like this, Lexa. I don’t like this at all.”
“Neither do I, Beck,” Lexa answered, her voice firm. “But we have to do something. We can’t let Sheila suffer at the hands of this guy. We can’t give up.”
“Of course not. All I’m saying is, I’m more than a little petrified at the thought of coming face-to-face with Howard.”
