Chapter Five

Kate set her concerns about the woman aside and focused on picking up the stained-glass window.

At Ashland Street, she made a right, which put her in front of St. Lucy’s Episcopal Church. A sheet of plywood already covered the opening where the window had been. Kate pocketed the truck keys and headed up the walk.

Lucas must have seen her pull up, because he met her at the door. “Kate. I’m glad you’re here.” He gave her a warm smile that reached his twinkling blue eyes. “I have a date with my plane this afternoon, but I was hoping to hand the window off to you first.”

“Just with your plane?” she teased.

Lucas rolled his eyes. “I’m afraid so. And don’t go trying to set me up with any of your friends. I have a mother who does plenty of that.”

Kate laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Where is the window?”

Lucas led her into the church and pointed to the plywood covering the window. “John, one of our parishioners, did that. He’s ordered a window for it until the stained glass can be restored.”

Kate followed Lucas up to the front of the sanctuary, around the baptismal font, and behind the altar to a small room off to the side. The window, she noted, had already been placed in a cardboard carton.

“I had John, our maintenance guy, package it up in bubble wrap and newspaper to protect it. All of the pieces are in here—or at least as much as we could salvage. If you can hold the doors, I’ll carry it out to the truck for you.”

Kate opened the doors and then followed him outside. He laid the package on the pickup bed with the care one would take with a baby. It was easy to see how much that window meant to him, and probably to the parishioners as well. She drew in a deep breath as he closed the tailgate.

Patting the old pickup, he said, “Take good care of her.”

“I will.” Her answer came out in a squeak. Though Kate felt confident working with glass, she hoped the congregation would be pleased with her efforts. Too soon to worry, though; at this point Kate wasn’t certain she could repair it.

As he turned to go, Kate stopped him. “I’ve always been curious about these windows and how they came to be at St. Lucy’s. Do you know who built the church and where the windows came from?”

He puzzled over her question for a moment. “I’m sorry, Kate, I don’t...But there might be files in the library or maybe over at the historical society. Always wondered about the history myself, but I never seem to have the time to research it. About the only thing I know is that the church was built way back when Copper Mill was first established, around the mid-1800s.”

“Okay, thanks.” Kate reached into her jacket pocket for her keys. “I’ll have to assess the damage before I can tell you how long it’ll take me—or if I think I can repair it.”

“Take your time.” Lucas waved as he headed for his SUV. “And be sure to keep track of your expenses and the time you spend on it.”

Kate waved back. “I will.”

KATE PARKED THE PICKUP in the Faith Briar Church parking lot and ran in to switch keys with Paul. The stained glass was too heavy for her to carry into the house, so she was hoping he’d be able to take a break and do that for her.

“Where are you off to?” Paul dangled the keys to the Honda in front of him, and she snatched them.

“Pine Ridge. You’ll be happy to know I’m finally going to transfer the money I’ve saved from my stained-glass projects into a CD or a money market at Valley Trust.” Paul had been encouraging her in that direction for weeks.

“Good.” Paul gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Tell Sheila I said hi.”

“I will.”

Sheila Madison was her friend Mary’s daughter who had recently moved from Texas to the area and taken a job at Valley Trust in Pine Ridge. Kate had promised Mary that she would invest her money with Sheila when she got ready to make that move.

Kate walked into the Mid-Cumberland Bank and Trust in Copper Mill, intent on withdrawing two thousand dollars from her savings account, and realized why she’d been dragging her feet on investing her money with Sheila at Valley Trust.

Guilt assaulted her, making her feel like a thief instead of the loyal customer she’d been since they’d moved to Copper Mill. Not that she was doing anything wrong. People moved funds all the time. She counted the people who worked there as friends.

Kate smiled and nodded at Matt Lawson, who served as an investment adviser at the bank. If not for Mary’s request that she use Sheila as her financial adviser, Kate would be sitting down to talk with him.

Kate averted her eyes and headed toward Evelyn and Georgia Cline. She loved the elderly blue-haired twins, who had served as tellers at the bank for as long as anyone could remember. They would want to know why she was withdrawing such a large sum of money. Kate stepped up to the counter.

“Morning, Kate.” Georgia grinned.

“Good morning. I need to withdraw some funds from my savings account.”

Georgia took Kate’s withdrawal form and studied it. “Two thousand?”

“Don’t look so surprised.” Evelyn came over and peered at the form. “You know this is her stained-glass account. She’s probably placing an order for glass supplies. She’s going to need it for that big window from St. Lucy’s.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Georgia patted her perfectly coiffed blue hair.

Kate wondered how the news had spread so fast but didn’t ask. This was Copper Mill, and the twins were notorious gossips. She didn’t bother to correct them.

“Kate Hanlon. I thought I heard your voice.” Melvin McKinney came out of his office to greet her. With his bow tie and horn-rimmed glasses, he fit his role as bank manager quite well. “How are you, Kate?”

“Good.” Guilt washed over her again. Melvin never failed to make her feel at home. You are a traitor, Kate Hanlon. Kate ignored the voice in her head. A promise was a promise, and Kate intended to keep it. Besides, they were still keeping their checking and savings accounts here. Moving to a safe topic, she asked, “Are you enjoying this spring weather?”

“Lovely, isn’t it?” Melvin grinned. “Best time of year with all the leaves coming out and the flowers blooming.”

“That it is.” Kate turned to the teller’s counter and took the check Georgia handed her.

“Y’all have a wonderful day.” Kate tucked the check into her billfold and walked out of the bank.

Driving along Pine Ridge Road, Kate began having second thoughts. Though she’d been planning to invest the money with Sheila for some time, Valley Trust and Mortgage had lost some two million in embezzled funds recently. It had been all over the news. However, Sheila had assured her that Valley Trust was soluble and quite safe.

Kate had read about the theft with interest, and she was curious to know if the police had apprehended the man responsible, an assistant CEO at the bank. His name was Charles something, and he’d apparently disappeared the same day the story came out. The Valley Trust embezzlement was discovered a week ago, about the same time Ned Castile disappeared. Of course, with him being a celebrity and a local, Ned’s story overshadowed anything else that went on.

Kate pulled into a parking lot in front of the new building that housed Valley Trust. The structure was finer than anything they had in Copper Mill. The builder-developer had demolished an old run-down strip mall to create a beautiful complex housing several businesses.

Marble floors greeted her as she walked into a huge three-story atrium surrounded by glass. A security guard eyed her when she paused to examine a map and listing of the occupants.

A reconstructive surgeon had offices on the first floor, along with a laser eye clinic and a Thai restaurant. There were a dentist and a physical-therapy group on the second floor. Valley Trust occupied the third floor.

Kate waved at the guard and took the glass elevator to the top floor. She kept her back to the door and looked out over the panoramic view of Pine Ridge and the outlying hills and valleys.

The elevator stopped, and Kate turned toward the doors and stepped out. She followed a railing around from the elevators, looking down at the marble entry on the first floor. She’d rarely seen so much glass in one building and shuddered at the thought of having to clean it.

Kate had no trouble finding Valley Trust and Mortgage’s suite of offices. The marble flooring gave way to lush pale green and taupe carpet. A young woman, who looked to be all of thirteen, sat at an oversized desk talking to a tall, nice-looking man with a rich, dark tan. His clothing—a tie, dress shirt, and dark pants—suggested he might be an executive or a customer. The girl laughed at something Mr. GQ said, and Kate had to restrain herself from telling him in no uncertain terms that he had no business flirting with someone so much younger.

He straightened, and upon seeing Kate, his smile vanished. He looked familiar, but Kate felt certain they’d never met. Perhaps he thought the same.

He started to say something, then turned back to the girl. “Don’t forget, Rosie. Tonight at seven thirty.”

“I won’t.”

He smiled and nodded at Kate as he walked toward the elevators and pulled off his tie.

Kate pinched her lips together in an attempt to keep her motherly advice to herself. Her resolve didn’t work. “Did that man just make a date with you?”

Rosie giggled. “Him? Nooo.” She drew out the word and rolled her eyes. “That’s my dad.”

“Oops.” Kate chuckled. “Sorry. I thought he was hitting on you, and the mother in me about had a fit.” Getting a good look at Rosie, Kate saw the resemblance to the man. The girl had the same deep tan and cocoa-brown eyes.

The girl’s smile faded under a layer of sadness. “That was nice of you, really. I...um...my mom doesn’t...” She shook her head resolutely. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking to you about that.”

“It’s okay.” Kate wanted to reach out and hug her. She also wanted to know about Rosie’s mother and why the girl had reacted so strongly.

Rosie raised her chin. “How can I help you?”

“I’d like to see Sheila Madison; I have an appointment.”

Rosie glanced at a calendar on her desk. “Sure. She mentioned she had a client. Go on back. Her office is the second on the right down that hall.”

Sheila met Kate in the hallway. “Hi, Kate. Welcome. Come in and have a seat.”

Sheila was an attractive brunette, overweight but not obese. Kate had watched Sheila grow up. Thirty-two and single, Sheila had carved out a nice career for herself as a financial adviser. To hear Mary tell it, Sheila was a financial genius making her way up through the ranks of various companies she’d worked for.

Kate sat in the cushioned chair across the desk from Sheila. “So, how are you, Sheila? It’s been a while.”

“It has, and I’m great.” She grinned. “I’ve made some significant changes in my life since I last saw you.”

“Like...?” Kate leaned forward, eager to hear about what had put the sparkle in Sheila’s eyes.

“Ohhh...” She flashed a diamond ring. “Like I’m engaged.”

“Wow. Did you find a millionaire?” The size of the rock had money written all over it.

“Not quite.” Sheila chuckled.

They talked briefly about family before Sheila brought out a folder with Kate’s name on it. “I took the liberty of setting you up in a money market. It’s one of the best-performing funds. They’ve been more stable through the financial crisis than any of the others.”

Kate nodded. “So you think this is better than a CD?”

“You have the potential to earn more in the long run.”

Kate didn’t know a lot about the market, but Paul had given her some suggestions, and Vanguard, the mutual fund Sheila had set Kate up with, was one of the funds he’d mentioned. “I’ll trust you to get me the best value with the safest group.”

Sheila filled out the forms with Kate, and within a few minutes, Kate had established her account. Sheila told Kate how to use her computer to access her account and transfer money from her checking account directly into the fund.

Kate thanked her and asked about the embezzlement investigation.

Sheila sighed. “Charlie hasn’t been caught yet. It’s such a sad story, Kate. I never dreamed he would do anything like this, but”—she shrugged—“when people get desperate for money, or they get greedy, they might resort to stealing. Thing is, with fail-safes like Valley Trust has, it’s impossible to get away with it.” She hesitated, then added, “Unless you’re a genius. And then who would be foolish enough to take the chance?”

“Apparently this Charlie guy.” Kate stood.

“Yes, but he just doesn’t seem the type.” Sheila shrugged again. “But I guess you never know.”

“It’s been so good to see you, Sheila. Congratulations on the engagement. You’ll have to bring your fiancé over to meet us sometime soon.”

“I will.”

Kate would have given her a hug, but the desk separated them, and Sheila didn’t make the effort.

Kate left the building and hurried out to the car. The afternoon had slipped away entirely too fast. Paul was home when she arrived and had moved the stained-glass window into Kate’s studio.

Sadly, Kate didn’t even have time to unpack it as she had choir practice that evening. Normally, choir practice was held at Renee Lambert’s home on Wednesday evenings, but Renee had another commitment that night, so Sam Gorman, the choir director at Faith Briar, had changed practice to Monday night.

Even with the time constraint, Kate managed to serve a delicious dinner—baked catfish with a pecan-crunch coating, couscous, and a pear-and-Gorgonzola salad.

During the meal, Kate told Paul about her afternoon.

“You’ll be happy to know I got my money into a money market today. Sheila walked me through it.”

“How is she? We haven’t seen her for a while.”

“Engaged.” Kate grinned. “She seems very happy.”

“Did you invite her to come back to Faith Briar?”

“I didn’t think to do that, but I did invite her to visit us and bring her fiancé.”

“Good.”

“How was your day? Did you get everything taken care of?”

“All but the packing and I’ll do that tonight.”

Since she was running late, Paul offered to clean up the dinner dishes while Kate hurried off to choir practice.

“WELCOME, KATE.” Renee never ceased to entertain Kate with her antics and her style. This evening she wore a long, pink floral caftan, with her teacup Chihuahua Kisses peeking out of a large front pocket.

“Thank you.” She gave the older woman a hug. “You look lovely as usual. Pretty dress.” She bent down to give Kisses a gentle pat.

“It’s from Hawaii.”

Kate waved at Caroline, Renee’s mother, who was in the kitchen making snacks.

Sam Gorman welcomed everyone and asked them all to be seated. In addition to being the choir director and church organist, Sam also owned and operated the Mercantile in Copper Mill, where Kate did a lot of her shopping.

He put the small choir through its paces as they worked their way through some new songs Sam had prepared for them. Kate liked the selections but wondered if they’d be able to handle some of them. They weren’t exactly the St. Olaf Choir.

With a late practice, snacks afterward, and people asking Kate about St. Lucy’s window, she didn’t get home until ten thirty. Paul had already gone to bed and was reading when she came in.

Spying his packed bag in the corner, Kate remembered his retreat. “Looks like you’re ready to go.”

“In more ways than one.” His smile spread to his eyes, making him look younger than his sixty-two years. “I gotta tell you, Katie, I’m really looking forward to this time away. The spiritual part of the retreat is always great, but seeing my old friends...priceless.”

Unable to resist, she leaned down to kiss him. “I’m glad for you.” Oh how she loved this man—and had for almost thirty years. She would miss him desperately while he was gone, but on the other hand, she looked forward to the time she’d have to work on her projects.

As she changed into her pajamas, she told him about choir practice and wanting to learn more about St. Lucy’s and the stained-glass windows.

He grinned up at her. “Sounds like you’re really excited about working on that window.”

“I am. It’ll be challenging but fun.” Kate laughed.

Paul yawned and rolled over, and before long Kate could hear his soft snores.

As often happened when Kate had a lot on her mind, she couldn’t go to sleep. Closing her eyes, she thought back over her day, saying a prayer for Troy Eaton. Lord, I pray he’ll find a good job and keep his family safe. She couldn’t help but wonder about them. Kate imagined a wife and young children. Troy had said they’d had to leave their home.

He’ll be all right for a while. She reminded herself that she and the others at the diner had given him enough money to last for several days. She’d have to trust that God would take care of them. She thought, too, about Skip’s reference to the homeless out at the campground. She wanted to find out more about that. If there were others in Troy’s situation, she and others in the community should be doing something to help them.

Oh, and Lord, thank you for the opportunity to work on the window.

Then, remembering the older woman she’d nearly run down and then lost track of, Kate prayed God’s protection over her. Kate wished now she’d spent more time with the Red Hat Lady and maybe insisted on driving her to the Bristol.

Kate Hanlon, she chided herself, you can’t possibly take care of everyone you meet.

She also prayed that the police would be able to find the Valley Trust embezzler. She included Ned Castile in her prayers as she had every night since his disappearance. She wasn’t sure why she’d been following his story so closely, other than the fact that mysteries intrigued her, especially those so close to home.

Several times she’d thought about visiting his wife, Ava, but couldn’t bring herself to. The retired actress and model already had way too many people following her every move. Kate prayed for both of them and for the FBI agents assigned to the case.

When she prayed for the hunter who’d broken the church window, a compelling question hit her head-on: Why in the world had he been speeding on Ashland Street at five in the morning? That part of Ashland was primarily a residential area.

Maybe she’d ask Skip tomorrow. Or maybe not. Was it really any of her business? Kate smiled. Though she loved solving mysteries, she needed to be careful that she didn’t meddle or get involved in so many things that she lost track of what was really important.