Through the Fire

by Diane Noble

  They ordered, and while they waited, Livvy and Kate discussed the details of the festival. LuAnne had met with the mayor and city council, and they had agreed to block off three blocks of Main Street for the festival.

  Booths selling everything from homemade pumpkin fudge to painted saws would line the street and spill into the park next to Main Street. One side of the park would be set up for the Little Miss Pumpkin and Little Mister Pumpkin contests.

  “I asked Eli to see if he can find bleachers somewhere,” LuAnne said when she brought their food. “Also make a podium for us.”

  “We’ll need a sound system,” Kate said.

  Livvy volunteered Danny. “I’m sure he can get something from the high school.” She looked up from taking notes. “I contacted the three churches in town, and they’ve all opened their kitchens to us.

  “There’s something else.” Livvy grinned. “We’ve got a marching band to lead the pumpkin parade. We tried to get East Tennessee State, but they couldn’t do it. Danny talked to the bandleader at his school, and they’ve agreed to open our festivities!”

  LuAnne and Kate cheered. “This is really coming together,” Kate said.

  “Darlin’s, the buzz is incredible,” LuAnne said. “All day long I hear folks chattin’ about what they’re makin’ or what they’re plannin’ to buy or sell or both. The auction is the talk of the town, and, Kate, your hubby has become quite the topic of conversation.”

  “Because of the car?”

  “You got it, darlin’. Everybody in town is plannin’ to bid on it.”

  Someone asked for a refill, so LuAnne trotted across the diner to the counter and grabbed the coffeepot to make her rounds.

  “They left,” LuAnne said when she returned. “The men from WDR. If I didn’t have to work, I’d follow them. Maybe they’d lead us to Clarence whatshisname.”

  “Brandsmyth,” Kate said.

  “They were in a big SUV. Fancy thing. One of those Hummers, I think. Or maybe it was a Cadillac.” LuAnne squinted at Kate. “Darlin’, you look a little peaked. Are you all right?”

  “It’s just that a couple of times recently, I had a strange feeling I was being followed. There was a big SUV behind me, but I couldn’t tell you what kind it was.” Kate shook her head. “It’s just me being paranoid. I’m beginning to see bogeymen behind every tree.”

  Kate checked her watch, pulled out a bill to pay for her meal, then stood to leave. “Paul’s in Chattanooga and said he’d call about now to tell me if he’s going to brave the weather. I need to be home for the call.”

  “You be careful now, darlin’,” LuAnne said, looking worried.

  Livvy nodded. “How about if I follow you in my car? Make sure you get there okay.”

  “Oh goodness, no,” Kate said. “I’ll be fine. I’m only a few blocks from home.”

  The women said their good-byes, and Kate hurried to her car, holding up the umbrella. The rain was turning to sleet in earnest now. The wipers swished in rhythm as she pulled out of the parking lot, but the icy rain made it difficult for them to clear the windows.

  She had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel all the way home, feeling the tires slide each time she made a turn. She let out a pent-up breath of relief once she pulled into the garage. She hoped Paul wouldn’t attempt coming home from Chattanooga in this, especially in the sporty Lexus, which had never been a good snow or ice car.

  The sleet hit her umbrella as she walked to the front door.

  The porch light was out, which puzzled her. She dismissed it, thinking the bulb had burned out. She found the lock and placed her key into the hole, turned it until it clicked, then pushed open the door.

  Someone had been in the house. She didn’t know how she knew it; she just did.

  Heart pounding, she flipped on the entry light and checked the living room. Ruffles, who was asleep by the fireplace, looked up and blinked.

  Now Kisses started scratching at the spare bedroom door, where Kate had left him for protection from Ruffles. The two were still getting used to each other, though there hadn’t been any major incidents yet.

  Maybe it was her imagination that someone had been here in her absence. After all, she wasn’t used to having indoor pets. Her kids had had a desert tortoise for a pet when they were little, but that was about the extent of it.

  While her umbrella was still up, she retrieved the Chihuahua and took him out to the maple tree, holding the umbrella over him. The little dog did his business, shivering the whole time, then Kate took him back into the house where Ruffles sat by the door, looking hungry and irritated.

  She had just fed Kisses when the phone rang. She was closer to the bedroom phone, so she picked it up there.

  “Mrs. Hanlon?” The sound was garbled as if the caller was on a cell phone.

  “Yes.”

  Again the line was garbled and filled with static. She made out the words “your husband...injured...asked to call you...needs help. Please come...” And finally, “Rural Route 2.”

  There was more, but Kate couldn’t make it out.

  She ran to the kitchen to feed a now yowling and even more frantic Ruffles, rounded the corner by the fridge, and stopped dead in her tracks.

  There on the kitchen table was a small black box, tied with a black ribbon. It hadn’t been there when she left. And she knew Paul hadn’t been home since she left.

  Trembling, she walked over to it.

  Someone had been in her house while she was gone.

  She stared down at it for a moment, knowing she needed to get to Paul right away. But she was also curious to see what was inside.

  Her heart pounded as she lifted the lid. Something was covered with black tissue paper, as if it was a gift. A ghoulish gift.

  She frowned and pulled out the tissue. There, staring up at her was a stuffed toy Chihuahua. Its throat had been sliced, and its stuffing was falling out.

  She stared at it, almost afraid to breathe. Her knees were as weak as a newborn deer’s and threatened to fold beneath her.

  The arsonist had been here, in her home, in this very room. He had left this as a warning.

  First, the death threat. Now this.

  She clutched the table to stop her hands from shaking, gulped a deep breath, and prayed she wouldn’t throw up. She didn’t have time.

  Paul needed her.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Kate tossed a handful of dried cat food in Ruffles’ dish, ran to her car, got in, slammed the door, and backed out of the driveway with a squeal of tires.

  She raced through town, vaguely remembering where the cutoff was for Route 2. She slowed at several cross streets, straining to make out the signs in the dark, then finally found it about a mile east of Copper Mill.

  She wound along the country road, through rolling hills. She had only one goal, and that was to get to Paul.

  She was alone on the road. The rhythm of the wipers was oddly comforting, but as she climbed out of the valley, the rain began to pelt her windshield.

  She knew the sound. It meant sleet, and she prayed it didn’t also mean ice or snow at the higher elevations.

  She was still dealing with that unsettling thought when headlights appeared behind her. Approaching fast.

  At first she was glad to know she wasn’t alone on the road, then the vehicle came up behind her. The height of the headlights told her this wasn’t an ordinary car. It was much bigger. An oversized SUV or Hummer.

  “Oh, Lord,” she breathed. “Be with me. Help me.”

  The hulk of a vehicle came closer, almost touching her bumper. She increased her speed.

  So did the hulk.

  The narrow road was winding up a steep hill now, gaining elevation with each mile. Kate had to slow because of the curves and switchbacks. With each turn of the car, her headlights beamed through the now-falling snow into a dark abyss. On the opposite side, the road hugged the mountain.

  There was no place to turn around, even if she could get past the SUV.


  Her greatest hope was to get to the accident site soon, or at least to meet the emergency vehicles on their way to Copper Mill.

  The snow was falling faster now, and though Paul always kept good tires on her Honda, she could feel them skid on the corners.

  She slowed to regain control.

  That’s when the SUV hit her back bumper. She clutched the steering wheel with a death grip as the car careened wildly. She looked in her rearview mirror.

  The occupants of the SUV were hidden in the darkness and snow, and by the tinted windows.

  She clung to the steering wheel, bracing herself for the next nudge, and prayed they were just trying to frighten her, nothing more.

  Then she remembered the accident in California.

  Her heart hammered against her ribs, and she thought she might pass out. She wanted to get mad, which she thought might serve her better in a crisis. But she was too scared to muster up the smallest bit of anger.

  The SUV lagged back, and she breathed a little easier. Then, horrified, she watched it speed toward her and hit her bumper with even greater force.

  This time the Honda spun wildly out of control. No matter how she turned the wheel, it was as if the car had taken on a life of its own. She bounced against the side of the mountain, scraping against rocks, only to skid back across the highway, hit a guardrail, and bounce back again.

  The car finally spun to a stop, crisscrossing the road.

  All was quiet.

  Kate prayed harder than she had ever prayed before. She didn’t pray for herself but for Paul, who needed her. She wasn’t going to make it to him.

  She heard the SUV rev its engine. She braced herself, certain it was going to finish the deed, just as the WDR thugs had done to Charles Brandsmyth III.

  She sat up and fumbled for the door handle. If the hulk pushed her car over the side, she wasn’t going to go with it.

  She opened the door to get out. The SUV was backing up, probably to get up speed. She leaped from the car, sprinted to the far side of the highway, and crouched behind a boulder.

  Kate held her breath. One flash of the headlights in her direction, and they would spot her hiding place.

  Her heart beat so hard she could hear it in her ears.

  The SUV revved its engine, the accelerator floorboarded.

  Kate squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the crash of metal and glass as her Honda was pushed over the side.

  But all was still.

  The SUV had stopped. How close she didn’t know. She was afraid to look.

  Then she heard the engine backing away from her.

  She forced her eyes open and peered out from behind the boulder. The SUV was out of sight, probably on the other side of the curve. Still waiting. Still planning to come in for the kill.

  She shivered.

  A flash of headlights in the distance caught her attention. A car coming from the opposite direction.

  For one wild moment, she considered that the SUV had found a shortcut and doubled back to hit her from the other side.

  No. The occupants of the SUV had probably seen the headlights and hightailed it out of there.

  The snow was falling steadily. And so were Kate’s tears. She stumbled back to the car, fell into the seat, started the engine, but was shaking too hard to press the accelerator. She turned off the ignition.

  Then she bowed her head over the steering wheel.

  The car she had seen earlier was closer now. She could hear the low hum of the engine, and from time to time, the flash of headlights shone through the trees.

  She thought about waving down whoever it was for help. But she was certain that if she tried to exit the car again, her knees would buckle.

  The vehicle stopped, and she heard the door open, then close. Footsteps approached.

  She held her breath.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The crunch of footsteps moved closer. Kate squeezed her eyes closed and tried to breathe.

  “Katie, is that you?” called a familiar voice.

  Her eyes flew open. Paul was running toward her. He was fine. His Lexus was fine. Whatever car trouble he’d had must have been fixed.

  Or she had been tricked.

  “What happened? Why are you out here?”

  She fell into his arms. “Oh, Paul,” she said, and wept. He held her tight against his warm parka until she could speak. “Just another one of those ordinary days in the life of a minister’s wife,” she hiccuped and then told him what happened.

  The Honda had suffered dents and scrapes, but no engine damage. The passenger side, where Kate had been forced against the protruding rocks, bore the brunt of the damage.

  Paul assured her that there had been no accident and that the thugs from WDR had likely staged the whole thing. He turned the Honda around, then they drove down the mountain in tandem, Kate following Paul’s Lexus.

  He insisted they go home rather than to the sheriff’s office. She didn’t argue. All she could think of was a hot bath and a cup of hot chocolate by the fire.

  Paul drew her bubble bath, then while she soaked, he made the call to the sheriff in Pine Ridge. He gave the sheriff the license number that Kate had had the presence of mind to write down after Paul’s arrival. And he told him about the ghoulish gift left for Kate earlier that evening. Sheriff Roberts assured him they would do a thorough investigation, though he said it was almost a certainty that the same thugs that tried to run Kate off the road probably left the stuffed Chihuahua.

  It wasn’t until the house was quiet and Paul was in bed that she sat down by the fire and let the full impact of the experience sink in.

  Kisses jumped up on her lap and settled down to get warm in her robe. Ruffles wandered in from the kitchen, where he’d no doubt been roaming around on the counter.

  He jumped up to take his place on Kate’s lap, saw the dog, and put his ears back.

  Kisses whimpered, probably missing Renee, and Kate moved him to the crook of her arm to make room for Ruffles. The animals eyed each other warily, then slowly relaxed.

  They both settled down, one purring, one snoring. And Kate’s heart finally started to beat at a normal rhythm.

  THE NEXT TWO WEEKS raced by in a blur. Just four days after the incident on the mountain, the two men in the SUV were caught, charged with harassment and attempted murder, then extradited to California where other charges were brought against them for the death of Charles Brandsmyth III. They were on the payroll of Worldwide Destination Resorts and worked in the computer-resources division, which made sense, Kate thought, because of the e-mail death threat. Though, as Skip explained, the computer-resources title was more a cover-up for their extracurricular activities than a nine-to-five job.

  The Chronicle published several stories about the apprehension, complete with Kate’s photograph and mention of her brave “confrontation” of the thugs when they tried to run her off the mountain road.

  She told everyone who mentioned the article that there had been no confrontation. Quite the opposite; she was so scared, a pack of wolves running after her would have been a relief in comparison.

  It didn’t matter. She’d had her fifteen minutes of fame and had now become something of a local celebrity.

  Renee called the day the first article was released to make sure Kate hadn’t had Kisses with her on that wild mountain ride. Lester and LeRoy did the same, though why they would think she’d take a cat with her on a mountain drive was beyond her comprehension.

  Just when things were getting back to normal, and the townspeople had moved on to other local news, a special edition was published in which it was reported that the two men, now in California, had agreed to name names at WDR in a plea bargain.

  Charley and Clarence Brandsmyth, the lumber thieves, were apprehended in a Kentucky saloon after they bragged about the “caper” they’d been in on—stealing lumber from a church—and how a little old lady had tried to stop them single-handedly, coming at them wielding a flashlight.


  Kate was sure that Renee would be insulted if she knew about the “little old lady” part in the police report. It was a blessing that the Chronicle didn’t print the direct quote and only said it was due to her quick thinking that the criminals were apprehended.

  But though WDR wanted the land, the company vehemently denied having anything to do with the church fire.

  Which left a single clue: the baseball cap.

  THE DAY BEFORE the pumpkin festival, Paul went fishing with Eli and Sam. Kate took Kisses by Renee’s for a visit on her way to the deputy’s office. The little dog was beside himself with joy as Renee scooped him into her arms.

  Renee’s eyes filled with tears, which she quickly brushed away.

  Her mother was watching, and Kate thought she saw a softening in her expression. But she said, “Little umpkins schmumpkins, hmmph.”

  Renee walked Kate to the car. “It won’t be long,” she said. “Mama’s rather stubborn, but she’s not heartless. I think she’ll be okay with Kisses here eventually.”

  “What about the asthma?”

  “Oh, that. She doesn’t have asthma. It’s congestive heart failure, but the first time the doctor mentioned it, she panicked. So now we’re just calling it asthma.”

  “If there’s any time I could just come by and take care of her, I’d be happy to. Give you some time away.”

  Renee started to come back with a snappy reply but thought better of it—Kate could see it in her eyes—and said, “Thank you.” Then she added, “Tomorrow, if there was a way...”

  “I’ll make sure there is. You can’t miss the festival.” Kate smiled. “Especially that pie-baking contest.”

  AS USUAL, Skip was at the front desk at the office. It appeared that no matter how hard he tried, because of the mistakes he had made at the fire, the sheriff was reluctant to assign him to fieldwork again. The only positive outcome was that Skip was available, and willing, to discuss the case with Kate. They were forging a partnership of sorts, which was beneficial to them both.

  “So far, the WDR investigation hasn’t made any connection with the fire,” he said.