by Carol Cox
Tea and
Sympathy
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.
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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
Special thanks to my mother-in-law, Lois Cox,
for countless games of Scrabble over the years.
You’ve taught me the finer points of building
those high-scoring words . . .
and more often than not, you still beat me!
Chapter One
Kate Hanlon settled back into the pillows propped against the headboard of her bed and stared down at her lap. The tray resting on her knees contained a steaming mug of tea and a plate holding one slice of lightly buttered toast.
Kate wrinkled her nose at the sight of the toast. She supposed she ought to be hungry after missing a couple of meals, but her stomach still felt uneasy, certainly not up to handling solid food yet.
The fragrant tea, though, ought to be safe enough—she hoped. She spotted one corner of the latest issue of the Copper Mill Chronicle peeking out from under the covers and slipped it free of the blanket, smiling at Paul’s thoughtfulness. She shook the paper open to the front page and propped it against the tray. Then she picked up the mug in both hands and took a tentative sip, ready to peruse the headlines.
A moment later, Kate gasped and jerked upright. Tea sloshed over the rim of the mug, and she yelped as the hot liquid splashed onto her hand.
The bedroom door burst open, and Paul rushed in. “What’s all the commotion? Are you okay?”
Kate plunked the mug back on the tray and blew on her fingers. “I’m fine. I managed to spill tea on myself, that’s all. Paul, I—”
“Let me get you some ice.” He dashed out of the room, returning moments later carrying one of Kate’s small mixing bowls, filled with ice cubes. In two quick strides, he crossed the room and set the bowl beside her.
“Here, put your hand in this.”
“It really isn’t that bad. I only spilled a few drops. On me, at least,” she amended when she saw the mug lying on its side and the puddle of tea spreading across the tray. “I meant to set it down, not drop it. What a mess!”
“It isn’t your fault.” Paul set the tray on top of the dresser, then turned back to Kate. “I should have stayed in here to make sure you were all right.”
The woebegone look on his face tugged at Kate’s heart. “You don’t have to nurse me every second just because I’ve been under the weather.” She stretched out her arm, and Paul took her hand. Kate closed her fingers around his, grateful for his quiet strength.
He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, then released her hand and bent to drop a quick kiss on her forehead. “It looks like some of the tea got on the blanket too. Let me get something to clean it up.”
He disappeared into the master bathroom and returned carrying an old towel. He scrubbed at the drops with a fervor that made her lips twitch. “You make a good nurse, Reverend Hanlon.”
Paul turned his head and smiled at her. “Just remember that I only offer this kind of service to one special patient.” The corners of his eyes crinkled in the special way that had made Kate’s heart beat faster for nearly thirty years.
She gave a contented sigh and reached to pull the covers more closely around her. Her fingers encountered a damp mass under one of the folds.
Kate grimaced at the soggy newspaper that had somehow scooted beneath the blanket in all the uproar. “It looks like this caught more of the tea than the bedding did. And maybe that’s only fitting, since this is what made me spill the tea in the first place.”
She gripped the front section of the Chronicle between her thumb and forefinger and held it up for Paul to see.
His eyes widened. “How did that get in here?” Then his lips set in a grim line, and a furrow appeared between his eyebrows. “Renee Lambert must have sneaked it in here when I wasn’t looking. I didn’t want you to see it just yet.”
“But why—” Kate broke off abruptly as the room seemed to spin around. The newspaper slipped from her fingers. She moaned and pressed both hands against her head.
Paul leaned over and cradled her shoulders in his arms. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
Kate started to nod, then thought better of it. “I think so,” she managed to say. “Just a little woozy. Maybe I ought to lie down again.”
“Good idea.” Paul helped her ease back under the covers and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. “Is that better?”
“Much.” Kate tried to laugh off her momentary weakness. “I don’t know what came over me. For a moment there, I felt as weak as a kitten. And a pretty wimpy kitten at that.”
Paul lowered himself on the edge of bed, careful not to jostle her, and stroked her hair. “I’m not surprised you’re still shaky. I can’t remember the last time you were so sick.”
Kate closed her eyes and savored his soothing touch. Then she remembered what had startled her, and her eyes flew open. “Paul, about the newspaper...Wait a minute.” Her thoughts seemed as snarled as a tangled ball of yarn and just as difficult to unravel.
She looked up at her husband, trying to sort her way through the jumble in her mind. Two thoughts battled for her attention, and it took her a moment to decide which of them to tackle first.
“You said Renee must have put the paper in here for me to see. Why on earth would Renee be coming into our bedroom while I was sleeping? That doesn’t make sense.”
“She’s been helping me take care of you.” Paul trailed his thumb down the side of her face and cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. “I tried to tell her I could handle things on my own, but you know what Renee’s like when she has her mind set on something.”
Kate’s li
ps twisted up in a wry smile when she thought of Copper Mill’s resident busybody and drama queen. “I do indeed. But goodness, a little thing like a stomach bug shouldn’t be enough to call for a backup nurse.”
She expected Paul to smile at her little joke, but a shadow crossed his face.
“It wasn’t exactly a little thing. Whatever that bug was that you caught, it must have been a doozy.” He picked up the sodden newspaper and started to rise. “Let me put this away. You can look at it when you’re feeling better. Besides, it’s pretty soggy now.”
“No, wait.” Kate caught one corner of the Chronicle between her fingers and clung to it. “There was something on the front page I wanted to see.”
“You’d better rest.” Paul tugged gently at the paper. “You can take a look at this later.”
Kate tightened her grip. “Why all the secrecy? I only want to check the headline. I think my eyes must have been playing tricks on me. Surely it couldn’t have said what I thought it did.”
Paul opened his mouth as if to argue, then he shook his head and relinquished the newspaper to Kate. Moisture from the spilled tea had turned the newsprint a dingy gray, but the headline showed up clearly enough.
Kate stared at the bold print and felt her jaw sag. She read the words again, then looked up at Paul. “Tell me I’m seeing things.”
His somber gaze answered her even before he spoke. “I’m afraid not, Katie girl.”
Kate rubbed her eyes and examined the headline again, but nothing had changed. The startling words splashed across the top of the front page: MAYOR LAWTON BRIDDLE ACCUSED OF FRAUD.
Clenching the newspaper in one hand, Kate shoved the covers to one side and pushed herself to a sitting position. She scooted back so her shoulders would be supported by the headboard, hoping the maneuver would prevent a recurrence of her dizziness. “I feel like I’ve just stepped into the twilight zone.”
Paul’s face wore a grim expression. “I told Renee it would only upset you. Here, let me take it away. We can talk about it later, when you’re feeling stronger.”
“No. I need to see this.” Kate held the pages tight while she scanned the article. “I don’t believe it,” she told Paul while she read. “I know the chamber of commerce discovered that someone set up a bogus account and did some unauthorized fund-raising in the chamber’s name, but Lawton isn’t the one responsible. I’m sure of it!”
“From everything this article says, it sounds like they’re pretty certain he’s the culprit.” Paul rubbed his temple as though trying to chase away a headache. “I’m going to have to put my foot down, Kate. I know you feel responsible for solving all the mysteries in Copper Mill, but this excitement isn’t good for you. You really need to rest.”
This time she let him pull the newspaper from her fingers. As the Chronicle slid out of her grasp, the date at the top of the page caught her attention.
“Wait a minute. What does that say?” Ignoring Paul’s impatient sigh, she tugged at the paper again. Kate gasped and sank back down upon the bed, raising her eyes to meet Paul’s. “This is the latest issue, right? But the Chronicle comes out on Thursdays.”
“That’s right. It’s hot off the presses.”
“But didn’t I get sick on Sunday? That means...”
Paul nodded wearily. “You’ve been in bed ever since.”
“That’s crazy! How could I have lost four whole days?”
Kate stared at Paul, noting for the first time the lines of exhaustion etched in his face.
“You’ve been one sick woman, hon. It’s the worst bout of stomach flu I’ve seen in a long time.”
Kate closed her eyes, trying to recall the events since she became ill. She could remember fragments—dizziness and nausea, an overwhelming sense of misery—but not enough to add up to a stretch of days like that.
“I felt awful, but I had no idea it was that bad. How did you manage? It must have been quite a juggling act, having to take care of me and see to things at church at the same time.”
“That’s where Renee came in handy.” Paul laughed when Kate lifted her eyebrows skeptically. “No, really. I think she was truly worried about you, and she’s been a tremendous help around the house. She was great about keeping an eye on you when I had to go to work. Don’t you remember her being here?”
Kate shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t. I must really have been out of it.” The thought that days had been erased from her memory was unsettling. She strained for some lucid recollection, but the last thing she could remember with any degree of clarity was having lunch with Paul at the Country Diner on Sunday.
How could she have lost four whole days and not remember anything about them?
Chapter Two
Let me see the Chronicle again. Please,” she added when Paul appeared ready to protest. “I need to fill in the gaps in my memory of what’s been happening. If I don’t, I think I’ll go crazy.”
Paul handed the paper back to her with a show of reluctance and waited while Kate read the lead article again.
A few weeks ago, the Chronicle reported on fraudulent fund-raising activity, purportedly on behalf of the Copper Mill Chamber of Commerce.
She lowered the paper and let out a long sigh. “It’s hard to believe. Can it really be that Copper Mill is seeing political corruption on this scale?”
“That’s what everyone is asking,” Paul said. “I think the whole town is in a state of shock.”
Kate read the next paragraph out loud:
Despite Mayor Lawton Briddle’s demands that local law enforcement act swiftly to track down the criminal, charges have been pressed against the mayor, alleging that he is the unseen hand behind the recent misconduct.
“Oh, Paul, this doesn’t look good at all.”
“I know. It’s going to be hard for Copper Mill to recover from a scandal like this.”
Kate paused, allowing her muddled brain to catch up. “But isn’t the case still under investigation? It seems awfully fast for them to have reached the point of charging Lawton just in the few days I’ve been under the weather.”
“Calm down,” Paul said in a soothing tone. “I knew you’d be upset when you learned things didn’t go the way you had expected. That’s why I didn’t want Renee—or anyone else—to spring the news on you just yet. In fact, it’s probably best if you just settle back and relax instead of getting all stirred up about it.”
“No, I’m fine.” When Paul raised one eyebrow, Kate continued, “Okay, I’m not ready to jump up and start sleuthing, but talking doesn’t bother me a bit, as long as I’m lying down. It’s only when I sit up that I start to feel dizzy.”
Paul reached down to smooth the blanket. “We can talk, if you feel up to it, but you don’t need to be thinking about doing any more sleuthing on this one. The authorities have done a lot of legwork, and it looks like they’ve found their man, no matter how much we’d like to believe it isn’t true.”
“But this can’t be right. Lawton Briddle isn’t guilty, Paul. I’m sure of it.”
“I know you’re determined to prove otherwise, Katie girl”—Paul clasped her hands in his—“but...well, you read the article. Apparently there’s enough evidence to bring him up on charges. You know Sheriff Roberts doesn’t jump to unfounded conclusions. He must have good reason to be so sure that Lawton is the one responsible.”
Kate drummed her fingertips on the blanket. “Or maybe he’s had to act more quickly than he ought because of all the pressure from the public to bring someone to justice.”
Paul nodded slowly. “You may have a point there. There’s been plenty of pressure, all right. A scandal like this is terrible for Copper Mill’s image. It’s understandable that the civic leaders would want to move quickly to bring some closure to this and counteract the negative publicity.”
“If it’s honest closure, yes. But not if it’s based on circumstantial evidence. When people are upset, they look for someone to blame...and it doesn’t always matter to them whether tha
t person is truly guilty.”
Paul frowned. “And that’s what you think is happening here?”
Kate paused for a long moment, then said, “I hate to admit it, but I can’t be positive. Eating with you at the diner on Sunday is clear in my mind, but the things I was doing before that are still hazy.”
She twined her forefinger around a strand of her hair and tried to think. “There’s something niggling at the back of my mind, though. Something that makes me believe he’s innocent.” She rubbed her forehead. “Has Lawton confessed to anything?”
Paul shook his head. “Far from it. He’s protesting his innocence loudly and clearly to anyone who’ll listen.” His face sobered. “But not too many people are listening with any degree of willingness to believe what he says.”
“And yet they’re more than willing to believe the worst of him.” Kate put her hand on Paul’s arm. “We have to do something. We can’t just sit around and let him be railroaded.
“I was trying to find out who was really behind the fraud,” she went on. The room spun again. Kate closed her eyes and gripped the blanket until things settled down. “At least I think I was,” she added weakly.
Paul nodded. “I’d been so involved in preparations for last week’s ministerial conference in Chattanooga that I hadn’t been able to focus on what you were doing. But from the way you talked, you’d made a lot of progress before you came down with this bug.”
Kate pressed her hand against her forehead and gave a low moan. Sickness didn’t strike her very often, and when it did, she usually managed to regain her usual level of energy in short order. But this illness had left her feeling more drained than she ever would have thought possible.
Paul was right. Much as she hated to give in to weakness, she probably ought to close her eyes and rest and give her body a chance to recover. But his last comment wouldn’t let her relax.
