A Distant Memory

by Traci DePree

  A Distant

  Memory

  Mystery

  and the Minister’s Wife

  Through the Fire

  A State of Grace

  Beauty Shop Tales

  A Test of Faith

  The Best Is Yet to Be

  Angels Undercover

  Into the Wilderness

  Where There’s a Will

  Dog Days

  The Missing Ingredient

  Open Arms

  A Token of Truth

  Who’s That Girl?

  For the Least of These

  A Matter of Trust

  Funny Money

  To Have and to Hold

  How the Heart Runs

  A Thousand Generations

  Home to Briar Mountain

  Flight of the Sparrows

  A Firm Foundation

  Off the Record

  A Distant Memory

  Tea and Sympathy

  The Master’s Hand

  Strangers in Their Midst

  Mystery and the Minister’s Wife is a registered trademark of Guideposts.

  Copyright © 2009 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to the Rights & Permissions Department, Guideposts, 110 William Street, New York, New York 10038.

  The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or occurrences is coincidental.

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

  Guideposts.org

  (800) 932-2145

  Guideposts Books & Inspirational Media

  Cover design by Dugan Design Group

  Cover illustration by Dan Brown

  Interior design by Cris Kossow

  Typeset by Nancy Tardi

  Printed in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  For Willow Grace DePree,

  my sunshine.

  Chapter One

  The sound of rushing water blended with birdcalls in the trees overhead. Copper Mill Creek was unusually high for late March, Kate Hanlon noticed as she and Livvy Jenner meandered along the nearby trails. The spring melt had doubled the creek’s size almost overnight. Dark waters roiled and bubbled along its overflowing banks.

  Kate bent to take a photo with her digital camera, zooming for a close-up of a delicate purple crocus. The flora and fauna were breathtaking here. She stood and inhaled deeply; the air was crisp and smelled of new life.

  “It’s a good thing I grabbed a jacket,” Livvy said, rubbing her upper arms.

  Kate smiled at her dearest friend, and Livvy’s hazel eyes sparkled back.

  The two had already been out for over an hour that Friday afternoon, photographing the lush spring landscape to use as inspiration for creating stained-glass sun catchers. Livvy had taken off from work for the afternoon to enjoy the time with her friend.

  “I wish I hadn’t forgotten my camera,” Livvy said with a laugh as she pushed a wayward strand of auburn hair from her face. “Seems kind of silly for me to stand and watch you take pictures. I feel like a tour guide!”

  “Well, you’ve already pointed out several shots I would’ve missed,” Kate reminded her. “These are going to be great fodder for our sun catchers.”

  Kate enjoyed making stained-glass creations, whether intricate window designs or the curved Tiffany-style lampshades that were so popular among antique lovers. Livvy, on the other hand, was new to the hobby. She had asked Kate during church the previous Sunday if she would be willing to teach her the basics, and when Renee Lambert overheard them in the pews, she had promptly jumped in on the conversation. “I have several windows in my house that I’d simply love to add stained-glass borders to,” she’d said. So now she had two apprentices.

  It would be a rare experience for Kate, teaching others the hobby she enjoyed, and she wanted to make sure it was not only educational but fun as well. Sun catchers were easily made yet pretty—a good starting place. If Livvy and Renee loved creating the pieces as much as she did, they could eventually tackle more difficult pieces.

  “And how are you doing with the arts festival?” Livvy asked. The festival was a way of highlighting and promoting the arts in the rural regions, which sometimes seemed to focus more on athletics. Along with the sale, there would be music, folk dance and other performing arts.

  “It’s coming together, although I could have strangled Paul when he told me the chamber of commerce had all but volunteered me,” Kate said, shaking her head in amusement. Her strawberry blonde waves brushed lightly against her cheeks. “They don’t need me to do much though. Just recruit other artists to sign up to sell their wares.”

  “Still,” Livvy said, “somehow you always seem to end up volunteering no matter what’s going on. Who else is participating so far?”

  Kate thought for a moment. “Several painters, a couple of weavers, and Jessie Kilgore is going to sell her pottery...I also want to call on Caitlin Evans and see if she ever sells her artwork from the children’s books she illustrates.”

  “Sounds like a good start,” Livvy said as they strolled along the path.

  Their attention quickly refocused on finding inspirational scenes. Kate had already taken several shots, but she knew that Copper Mill Creek had even more beauty to offer. The flooded, rushing stream wove in and out of view to their right. The sun was no longer quite as high in the sky, and Kate glanced at her watch, noting that it was two o’clock.

  Livvy pointed out a wild purple flower with delicate petals, but Kate was suddenly distracted: through the trees she caught sight of a man along the muddy shore of the creek. He turned slightly to tug on his fishing rod, and Kate recognized Willy Bergen, owner of Willy’s Bait and Tackle. Willy wore a red jacket and rubber boots up to the middle of his thighs. The boots looked wet, as if he’d been wading in deeper water.

  The portly man must have noticed the women at the same time because he waved as he cast out his line.

  “You catching any fish?” Kate shouted to be heard above the sound of the creek as they moved closer to him. Then, noting the muddy shore, she decided not to go any farther so her hiking shoes wouldn’t be ruined.

  Willy bent to hold up a line of trout and offered a grin that showed his slightly crooked teeth. “Enough for a good fish fry!” he bragged, laughing heartily. “You ladies should toss out a line or two. Makes for good eatin’.”

  Kate looked at Livvy, who raised an eyebrow.

  “I think we’re going to take a rain check on that,” Kate said with a chuckle.

  “You’re missin’ out!” He let out another deep, rumbling laugh.

  Then Willy jerked up quickly on his rod as another fish took hold. He turned to reel it in. “Oh, it’s a big ’un!” he shouted, immediately shifting his attention back to the water.

  “You keep catching fish like that, and we’ll be expecting an invitation for supper,” Kate teased, then she and Livvy waved good-bye and moved back along the trail.

  “He’s something else, isn’t he?” Livvy commented, shaking her head.

  They paused several more times, capturing images of cardinals and blue jays, as well as leaves and flowers under dappled sunlight. After a good half hour, they turned around and headed back the way they’d come.

  As they retraced their steps, Kate heard sounds in the distance—a woman and a man shouting?—and she slowed her pace. T
he tone seemed frantic, though Kate couldn’t make out the words. She thought she heard the word liar followed shortly by “Help!”

  “Did you hear that?” she paused to listen. “I thought I heard people yelling.”

  Livvy stopped, tilting her head. “I don’t hear anything.”

  “It sounded like an argument,” Kate insisted, still straining to hear as a thump of anticipation built in her chest. Is someone in danger?

  Livvy shrugged. “All I can hear is the stream and that bird.” She pointed to a robin that flitted to another branch.

  Kate studied the trail ahead in hopes of spotting what had caused the disturbance, but she saw nothing except the forest and the creek. Finally she shook her head and dismissed the sounds as her imagination.

  “Maybe it was an animal,” she said, then let out a small laugh. “Or maybe I’m dehydrated.”

  “You never know,” Livvy said, reaching into her backpack for a water bottle. She handed it to Kate, who took a swig, and then they resumed their pace.

  After a few minutes, Livvy pointed to a pine branch that hung low, a thick pinecone dangling from the end. “How about that?”

  “That’s pretty,” Kate agreed as she concentrated on focusing the camera. She snapped the shot from several angles.

  They moved forward, passing the spot where Willy was still fishing. Now his back was turned to them as he waited for another bite. Kate paused, wanting to talk to him about the shouting she thought she’d heard. Had he heard it too? He was in essentially the same stance he’d been in when they’d seen him before, though mud and leaves now clung to his boots.

  He didn’t turn to acknowledge them, so Kate shrugged off her concern again, and they continued to the gravel lot where Kate’s Honda was parked.

  As she got into her car, Kate scanned the forest one more time. Why would someone scream “Liar!” and call for help? Nothing had seemed amiss. Yet the sense that something was wrong wouldn’t go away. Someone was in danger; she felt sure of it.

  Chapter Two

  Renee and Livvy joined Kate in her stained-glass studio that evening and gathered around her large worktable. Renee’s Chihuahua, Kisses, was tucked in a designer bag at the older woman’s side. He sniffed the air and let out a high-pitched whine. Kate lifted a brow and chuckled to herself. Only Renee would bring a small dog to something like this.

  Renee, clad entirely in pink velour, petted his shivering head through the open bag. Kate noticed that Renee’s French-manicured nails looked especially long against the Chihuahua’s thin coat.

  “I told you, Umpkins, you can’t get out; there’s glass all over the place in here. You’ll get cut.” Renee picked up the bag and held it close to her heavily made-up face.

  “I got you each your own cutters.” Kate handed out the tools and eight-inch squares of clear glass. “We’re going to spend quite a bit of time on this tonight,” she added. “Learning to cut well on the first pass is key to making a good piece. It’ll save you frustration and time later.”

  Kate pressed her glass cutter against the clear pane in front of her and ran the small metal tool in a straight line across its surface. It made a zipping sound and left a thin white mark on the glass. It looked more like a pencil etching than a cut. Kate lifted the piece and snapped it in two with a flick of her wrists.

  “You expect me to cut the glass?” Renee said, placing her hands on her hips.

  “It’s kind of foundational,” Kate said, then added, “You’ll get the hang of it.”

  “And if I cut myself instead?” Renee raised an eyebrow.

  “I have bandages,” Kate said, indicating a tan Band-Aid on her right index finger. “Cuts come with the territory, I’m afraid.”

  Livvy and Renee each bent to do as Kate had done, but Livvy’s glass refused to snap.

  “Press harder,” Kate instructed. “And if you’re afraid it won’t break evenly, you can do this.” She zipped another line across the glass surface, then showed them how to tap along the back of the cut line with the knobby end of the cutter and broke off another perfectly executed section.

  Renee harrumphed, drawing Kate’s attention. “Umpkins is a bit unsettled. He’d probably like to rest with Paul,” she added, motioning to Kisses.

  “I’m sure Paul would love the company,” Kate said with a wink at Livvy.

  Renee took the pooch to the living room, where Paul was watching TV. Soon she returned, closing the door behind her.

  “He’s such a precious baby,” she said. “I was going to let him stay with Mother, but she had bridge club. Some of those women can be so particular.”

  Kate heard Kisses scratching on the door and bit her lip as she envisioned the marks the little animal was making on her woodwork.

  The two novices returned to making basic cuts for a while before Kate showed them the simple stencil she’d drawn up for them.

  “I’ll cut this pattern out,” she said, “while you watch; then you can do your own.”

  “Hmm,” Renee said. “Doing this reminds me of an old boyfriend I had when I was young. He used to be a stained-glass artist and a musician. There’s just something about an artist...” She sighed wistfully. “Did I ever mention him?”

  “I don’t think so,” Kate said.

  “How I ever let him get away...” She shook her head, then looked Kate in the eye. “But he was bound to hurt me. Musicians have that reputation, you know.”

  “I dated a musician too,” Livvy said. “Though I’m afraid I was the heartbreaker.”

  “Oh?” Renee lifted an interested brow.

  Kate couldn’t help but do the same. She knew pretty much everything about her best friend, but she’d never heard this story before.

  Livvy smiled. “His name was Bill Johnson.”

  Kate felt her neck begin to crane forward. “And...?”

  “Yes, do tell us about it, dear,” Renee said, drumming her long nails on the tabletop.

  Livvy paused, then said, “I’d been dating Bill for about two years when Danny transferred to our college in Pine Ridge. I knew Danny because we both grew up here in Copper Mill, so of course we were already friends. He and Bill became roommates right around the time Bill proposed.”

  “You were engaged?” Kate said, shocked.

  “Yes, for six months. But when Danny confessed that he was in love with me, I realized that I had feelings for him too. We were so natural together. We didn’t argue like Bill and I did. So I broke up with Bill and started going out with Danny.” She shrugged as Renee and Kate gasped.

  “We weren’t married yet...” Livvy defended. “And I knew it was the right thing to do. But Bill was so upset that he dropped out of school a few weeks later. He didn’t even say good-bye to me or Danny.” She shook her head. “I felt awful. But I knew Danny was the right guy for me. Bill and I...we would’ve struggled.”

  “Do you know what happened to Bill?” Kate asked.

  Livvy shook her head. “He didn’t communicate with us at all after that. Sometimes I wonder about him. I always wished I could apologize for hurting him, though I’m sure it would seem silly now that Danny and I have been married so long and have kids.”

  “You said he was a musician?” Kate asked.

  Livvy nodded. “He played every instrument you can imagine. Wanted to be a conductor. I have no doubt he succeeded.”

  “I bet you could find him on the Internet,” Renee suggested.

  “I’d feel awkward about that,” Livvy admitted. “Danny and I did look for him for a while. I wrote to his parents, but they never replied. Finally my letters came back unopened...They’d either moved or didn’t want to talk to me. I don’t know which. Once Danny and I got married, it seemed only right to let it go.”

  “Ah, another unsolved mystery,” Renee said.

  “It’s life, unfortunately,” Livvy replied. “Sometimes people just disappear.”

  Kate wanted to ask her friend more about that time in her life, but the conversation stopped as Paul open
ed the studio door and Kisses scurried through the doorway. Renee bent to scoop the little dog into her arms.

  “Um, Livvy...” Paul’s voice sounded tense. “There’s a phone call for you,” he said as he held the cordless phone out to her.

  Kate saw the troubled lines creasing Paul’s brow and knew immediately that something was wrong.

  Chapter Three

  Livvy gave Paul a puzzled look and took the phone. “Hello?” Kate heard her say as she went into the living room.

  “Who is it?” Kate asked Paul in a low voice.

  “The police,” he said, crossing his arms in front of him. “Sonja Weaver is missing.”

  “Missing?” Kate repeated as a spike of alarm coursed through her. “For how long?”

  Sonja and her husband, Brad, were new to Faith Briar Church, where Paul was pastor. Kate had enjoyed getting to know Sonja, as they were both involved in the choir and volunteered with the Faith Freezer Program, a ministry that provided hot meals to those in need.

  “What do you mean?” Renee quickly asked before Paul had a chance to answer, her plucked eyebrows furrowing. Paul ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and looked from Renee to Kate. “Brad said that she left sometime during the day today and never came home. The dog, Buster, is gone too.”

  “Did she leave a note or tell someone where she was going?” Kate asked, her mind racing. “And why would the police be searching for her already? Don’t they usually wait twenty-four hours before they’d do that, in case it’s a miscommunication or something?”

  “I’m not sure.” Paul shook his head. “I did talk to Brad before the sheriff came on the line. He wanted to know if we could come over to pray with him and the kids, get it mentioned on the prayer chain. He sounded worried.”

  Kate reached for Paul’s hand.

  Kisses whined as Renee placed him in his designer bag. “This is upsetting my Little Umpkins,” she said. She leaned down, and the tiny dog licked her face. “We went for several walks with Sonja and Buster, didn’t we, baby?”