A Firm Foundation Read online

  A Firm

  Foundation

  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

  In memory of my grandparents:

  Lloyd and Phoebe McCleaf, who gave me

  a sweet tooth and a love of music, and

  Harold and Helen Bittner, from whom I inherited

  my green thumb and, just possibly, the “bossy” gene.

  Chapter One

  The July heat enveloped the southern Appalachian region of Tennessee, pouring hot sunlight over the small town of Copper Mill.

  Kate Hanlon sat with the choir in the tiny church of Faith Briar. Although her sky-blue paisley dress was both lightweight and sleeveless, she couldn’t resist fanning herself with her bulletin.

  Many others in the congregation were doing the same thing. The church’s cooling system was no match for the sunlight streaming through the side windows, and the church felt like a sauna. Kate’s shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair was damp against her neck, and she suspected her soft curls were turning into a bird’s nest around her face. Despite the heat, Kate’s heart was filled with happiness as she listened to her husband, Paul, Faith Briar’s pastor, conclude the Sunday service.

  Oh, it was wonderful to be home!

  Kate had gone away for nearly two weeks earlier that month. First, she had visited their former home church in San Antonio. Afterward, she had flown east to see their youngest child, Rebecca, who was an actress in New York City.

  She hadn’t expected to miss Copper Mill and the unique residents of the little town so much. Kate had been born and raised in San Antonio, and after she and Paul married, they had lived there almost thirty years. So she thought she would feel a sense of homecoming when she returned for a visit.

  But she hadn’t, although she had enjoyed catching up with her extended family, as well as friends she had known through the years. Her life was here now, with her husband, her church family, and many dear friends.

  Friends. She frowned as she scanned the congregation. Where was Livvy? There was a pretty good crowd, considering it was a hot Sunday in July right in the middle of vacation season. But Livvy’s cheerful face wasn’t visible.

  Kate’s best friend in Copper Mill was Olivia Jenner, the town librarian. Livvy had been one of the first people Kate had met when she and Paul had moved to town, and the two women quickly had become close. Livvy attended church as faithfully as Kate herself.

  And yet today, she was missing. Livvy wasn’t singing with the choir. And her husband, Danny, and two teenage sons, James and Justin, were sitting in their usual pew without her. Livvy rarely missed church, particularly when the rest of her family was present, and Kate worried that her friend might be sick.

  The service ended, and the moment Kate was free, she rushed to catch Danny before he could leave.

  “Danny!” she called.

  He turned, a smile lighting his eyes. “Welcome home,” he said as he gave her a brief hug. “How was your trip?”

  “Delightful,” she said. “But it’s good to be home. I missed everyone.”

  “We missed you,” Danny responded.

  Kate smiled and said hello to James and Justin, then turned back to Danny. “Where’s Livvy? Is she ill?”

  Danny’s smile vanished. “No,” he said. “She’s at the library.”

  Kate was shocked. “At the library? But it’s Sunday morning.”

  “Yeah.” Danny exhaled heavily. “She didn’t have a very good week.”

  “Why?”

  Concern shadowed Danny’s eyes. “She hasn’t said very much, except to tell me that she can’t talk about it.”

  Can’t talk about it? That sounded odd. Kate crossed her arms, thinking. Secrecy was unlike Livvy. “Why can’t she talk about it?”

  Danny shook his head. “I wish I knew. She’s been as sad-eyed as a basset hound since Friday, and she worked late both Friday and Saturday nights. She’s there again today.”

  That was strange. Livvy loved her job at the library, but it rarely required her to work late or on weekends. What could she possibly be doing that necessitated such long hours?

  “What’s she working on?” Kate asked.

  Danny hesitated. He opened his mouth, then closed it again and sent Kate an apologetic glance. “You’ll have to speak to her. She specifically asked me not to talk about it.”

  That wasn’t like Livvy at all. What could be wrong? Kate’s level of concern soared even higher. “Maybe I’ll run down there later. Do you think she’ll be at the library all day?”

  Danny nodded. “She told us not to expect her for lunch or dinner. She left meals for us in the fridge.” His face grew even more mournful, and Kate’s heart went out to him.

  “I can try talking to her,” Kate offered. “If she can’t say much to you, I doubt she’ll talk to me. But it won’t hurt to try.”

  “Thank you.” Danny’s relief was palpable.

  On the short drive home together in Kate’s black Honda, Kate told Paul what Danny had said.

  His reaction was very like hers. “Why can’t Danny talk about it?”

  Kate shook her head. “I don’t know. Was Liv in church last Sunday?”

  “Yes,” Paul said. “And she seemed all right. I distinctly remember her laughing at one of my jokes.”

  Kate glanced at her husband, a smile on her face. Paul sometimes injected humor into his sermons, although the congregation didn’t always find it as amusing as Paul did. “You remember her reaction to a joke?”

  Paul chuckled. “It was a pretty feeble joke. She was the only one who laughed.”

  Kate smiled and then continued the conversation. “Danny said she was fine until Friday,
so whatever happened must have occurred that day. And it must be related to her work. Why else would she be at the library on a Sunday morning?”

  Paul shook his head. “I can’t imagine, but you’re right. It sounds as if something must have happened on Friday.”

  Kate made cucumber-and-tomato sandwiches for lunch, served with a cantaloupe that one of the church members had given Paul. While they ate, she recounted to Paul more details from her trip, but in the back of her mind, she kept hearing Danny’s words regarding Livvy. She didn’t have a very good week.

  As they finished their meal, Paul said, “You’re worrying about Livvy, aren’t you?”

  Kate nodded, thanking God for this wonderful man who understood her so well. “I need to go down to the library.”

  “Go ahead,” Paul told her. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

  As she grabbed her handbag and keys, he called after her, “Keep an eye on the sky, honey. We’ve had severe thunderstorm warnings every day this week, and we’ve already had two wicked storms.”

  Kate nodded. “Thanks. I will.”

  IT TOOK KATE ONLY MINUTES to make the short drive into Copper Mill.

  There were lights on inside the library as she approached. As she pulled open one of the heavy glass doors, Kate was surprised to find that the doors were unlocked. She noticed a large hand-lettered sign taped to the interior side of the glass: Closed Until Further Notice.

  Closed until further notice?

  A bolt of shock ran through Kate, stopping her momentarily. The library was closed—and not just for a day or two, but for quite a while, perhaps? It didn’t say anything about when the library would reopen, a fact Kate found quite odd for a public facility. Something was very, very wrong.

  Kate spotted Livvy the moment she entered the building. There was a great deal of activity around the librarian but no buzz of excitement. Instead, barely anyone spoke. Despite the bright sunlight visible through the large windows, it felt like a funeral parlor without the music.

  A woman Kate recognized as one of the Friends of the Library officers was using packing tape to reinforce sturdy, medium-sized moving boxes, which another woman was distributing. Several other people, some of whom Kate knew to be regular library volunteers, were removing books from the shelves and stacking them in the boxes.

  Livvy wore a sleeveless blue-gingham blouse over a pair of white walking shorts. The shorts had been an unfortunate choice, since they were covered with dark streaks of dust and other unidentifiable stains. Livvy’s reading glasses were shoved atop her head, pushing her tousled mop of auburn hair back from her face. She looked hot, harassed, and unhappy as she gestured with a clipboard and spoke to Morty Robertson, a retiree who often helped out at the library.

  “Livvy?” Kate started forward.

  “Kate!” Livvy’s expression lightened momentarily, and she rushed forward. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re back.”

  Kate caught her friend in a tight hug. “I’m glad to be back.” She drew back and cupped Livvy’s shoulders in her hands. “What on earth is going on here?”

  Livvy’s face crumpled. For a moment, Kate was sure her friend was going to break down. But after a tense moment while she fought for composure, Livvy said, “Exactly what it looks like. We’re packing up the building.”

  “The whole building?”

  Livvy nodded.

  “Is the library moving?” Kate asked.

  A flash of pain twisted Livvy’s pretty features for a moment. “I don’t have time to discuss it,” she finally said.

  Kate stared at her. “Why not?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Livvy pushed back a straggling lock of hair with the back of her wrist. Misery and apology were in her eyes. “I’m really sorry, Kate.”

  “It does matter,” Kate said gently. “This is a community institution, Livvy. I can’t be the only person who’s upset about the library closing, temporary or not.”

  “I don’t think a lot of people know about it yet,” Livvy said. “I asked these folks”—she indicated the people working around her—“not to talk about it. But now that the weekend is passing, I’m sure word is getting around. I suspect there will be plenty of upset people in Copper Mill tomorrow.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get back to work.”

  “Livvy,” Kate said quietly, “what’s going on here? It’s obvious you’re not happy about it. How can I help?”

  “You can’t,” Livvy told her. “There are things you don’t understand, Kate. Things that I...that I can’t share with you, as much as I’d like to. Please don’t ask me any more questions.”

  “All right,” said Kate. She suppressed a dozen more questions trembling on the tip of her tongue.

  Livvy looked as if she was on the verge of tears, and Kate didn’t want to distress her friend any further. She reached out to place a comforting hand on Livvy’s arm.

  Livvy backed away.

  Kate froze. Livvy was her dearest friend in Copper Mill. What could be so wrong that Livvy would refuse Kate’s comfort?

  “I have to get back to work.” Livvy broke the awkward silence between them. As she reached up to push her glasses higher on her head, Kate could see that her hand was shaking noticeably. “I’m sorry, I’m just really busy, and I don’t have time to talk.”

  She sounded terribly upset, and Kate was positive she heard a note of fear in Livvy’s voice.

  Fear? What on earth could her friend be afraid of? The hurt Kate had felt a moment earlier when Livvy had retreated from her faded.

  “What are you afraid of, Livvy?” Kate asked, but her friend shook her head.

  “Nothing.” Livvy gave a sunny, artificial smile. “Really, Kate. You see mysteries in every little thing that happens.”

  Little thing? Kate didn’t consider the library closing a little thing in any way. “But—”

  “Stop,” Livvy begged in an undertone. Her expression looked frantic as she glanced around, then whispered, “I can’t talk to you about this. I could lose my job.”

  “If the library’s closing, haven’t you already lost your job?” Kate asked.

  Livvy shook her head. “No, I—Kate! I said I can’t talk about this.” And she turned away.

  Chapter Two

  There was little else Kate could do. It was clear that her presence was only upsetting her friend. It was equally clear that something terrible was happening at the library.

  Slowly, she turned and headed back to her car.

  Before she left the building, movement in the fiction stacks nearest to the door caught her eye, and Kate peeped around the corner. Morty Robertson was removing books from the tall shelves, wiping them off, and placing them in a box. Not far from him, a woman Kate didn’t recognize was working at the same task.

  “Hi, Morty,” Kate said.

  The older man straightened, and his gaze met Kate’s. “Hi, Kate,” he said without a trace of his usual lighthearted manner.

  The other volunteer stood as well, rubbing her back. Morty tossed a hand in her general direction and said, “Kate, this is Louisa Pellman. Louisa, Kate Hanlon.”

  “Hello,” said the woman. She had dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes that might have been pretty if not for the dark circles beneath them. In fact, for a woman who probably wasn’t much more than thirty, she looked drawn and tired and older than her years.

  Kate nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Louisa.” Distracted by the strange goings-on, she turned back to Morty, who said, “Back from your trip, huh?”

  She nodded. “It’s good to be home. Except for this. Morty, what’s going on?”

  He shook his head. “Haven’t got a clue. All I can tell you is Livvy’s either getting ready to cry, crying or has just finished crying every time I set eyes on her.”

  “When did the trouble begin?” Kate asked.

  “Friday morning,” he said promptly. “Tosten Glass, that self-important windbag who’s the president of the town council, came rushing in here right after we opened. He and L
ivvy went into her office, and when they came out again, she had less color than a faded bedsheet in the sun. And then she gathered all of us, employees and volunteers alike, and told us we had to begin packing everything.”

  “Tosten Glass.” Kate had never met the man, although she had seen his picture in the Copper Mill Chronicle. Glass and the town council were the real power behind the more visible and ceremonial office of the mayor.

  “Yeah. He bustled in here Saturday and again today and fusses at everybody to move faster.” Morty snorted. “Like I’m going to take orders from him. Livvy’s the only one he can boss around.”

  Kate lowered her voice. “And has he?”

  Morty nodded. “They went into her office yesterday for a big, secret closed-door meeting, and when they came out, she looked even more upset than she already was.”

  “And you haven’t heard why you’re packing all these books?”

  He shook his head. “Not a whisper.”

  The young woman Morty had just introduced her to drifted closer. “Are you talking about the library closing?” Her expression looked as dismayed as Kate felt.

  Kate nodded. “Yes. I can’t imagine how this could happen so quickly without anyone in town hearing about it.”

  Louisa clasped her hands tightly together. “It did seem to happen suddenly.”

  “So I see.” Kate’s mind was whirling, her thoughts touching on one possibility after another. “I think I’m going to ask a few questions,” she told Morty and Louisa. “Maybe the mayor knows the reason behind this.”

  Louisa grimaced. “The mayor just got back from a month of service work in Mexico. I’ll be surprised if he knows anything.”

  FEELING THAT SHE should be doing something but not knowing what that something might be, Kate went home.

  Paul had left her a note on the counter telling her that he had things to do that afternoon and would be back by four. Glancing at the clock, she saw that the afternoon was passing quickly, and she had things to do too. Her flight had gotten in late the previous evening, and by the time Paul had driven her home from the airport in Chattanooga, she had been too tired to do more than fall into bed.