Betrayal of Trust (15 page)

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there.”

Raven took inventory of her day tomorrow. So much for Sunday being a day of rest. First, she would keep her promise to God and attend service with Matthew. After all, Anaya’s story would air tonight and then again tomorrow. Second, Keri had asked her to come down and help serve again. Most of the volunteers had been used up for the barbecue and didn’t feel compelled to help out two days in a row. Raven hadn’t had the heart to refuse. So she would spend her afternoon wearing plastic gloves and a hair net and dishing out lasagna and French bread.

By far, she looked forward to her evening with Meredith the most. Speaking with her aunt might give her the answers she needed in order to bring closure to this chapter of her life. Then maybe she would be ready to move forward…with Matthew.

M
atthew slowly came to consciousness, awakened by raging pain behind his eyes. Fire scorched his throat and the achy feeling in his limbs, which earlier he’d suspected might be caused from adding two miles to his usual four-mile run, now caused him to thrash about trying to find a comfortable position.

With unaccustomed weakness, he sat up slowly and made his way to the bathroom medicine cabinet. He took some pain reliever, which scratched his throat as he swallowed. He walked close to the wall, then his dresser, holding tightly to whatever steady surface he could find as he made his way back to his bed. Shivering under the covers, he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. The glowing numbers read 3:18. Four hours before he needed to be up getting ready to pick Raven up for church. He closed his eyes, and even as he drifted into an uneasy sleep, he knew he’d never make it to service the next day.

When he finally awakened again, his mother stood over him, her brow creased with the worry reflected in her eyes. “You’re burning up. I’m calling Rex.”

Too weak and ill to argue, Matthew closed his eyes
and listened as she dialed their long-time friend and family doctor.

He was barely conscious of his mother’s voice a moment later. “Rex is coming, darling.” Something wet and cool touched his forehead and Matthew faded once more.

“Strep throat?” Raven’s disappointment knew no bounds. How could Matt go and get strep when she needed to go to church and honor her part of the bargain with God? She couldn’t get to the church alone. Not on time anyway. She hadn’t been paying attention while driving with Matthew last Sunday morning.

“The doctor thinks that’s what it is,” Mrs. Strong replied over the phone. “But of course he won’t know for sure until the culture comes back from the lab. And he can’t even send it in until tomorrow. But he’s given Matt a shot of penicillin, and expects he’ll begin to get better in a day or so. In the meantime, it will be impossible for him to attend services this morning. He asked me to call you and let you know how sorry he is.”

“Yes, ma’am. Will you please tell Matt I’m thinking about him and I wish him a speedy recovery?”

“That’s very sweet of you. I’ll let him know.”

“Do you still plan to attend this morning, Mrs. Strong?”

Hesitation on the other end of the line brought a rush of heat to Raven’s cheeks. Talk about your brazen self-invites.

“I’m sorry, dear. I’m afraid not. I don’t want to leave Matthew while he’s so very ill.”

“Of course. I don’t blame you.” She wouldn’t mind being by his side, herself.

“What about me?” Jamie’s voice intruded upon the conversation, from another phone connected to the same line. “I want to go.”

“Jamie Strong,” Mrs. Strong said in firm admonishment. “What are you doing sneaking around and listening in on other people’s phone conversations?”

“I wanted to ask Raven to take me to church anyway, since she was planning on going. Rovercomer is visiting today.”

Rovercomer? Was that more churchese she’d forgotten?

“Please, Grams? If it’s okay with Dad?”

An exasperated huff from Mrs. Strong pretty much answered the question.

“Do you still plan to attend, Raven?”

“Honestly, I don’t see how I could pick up Jamie and get there on time.”

“No, you’d have to attend the second service.”

“Oh, that’s right. There are two?” Raven’s heart lifted at her second chance to honor her word.

“What time does the second one start?”

“Ten-forty-five, so you have plenty of time if you intend to go.”

“Of course. That’s wonderful, if I could just get some help in locating the church.”

“I’ll draw you a map. That is…unless you prefer not to take Jamie?”

“No, of course I don’t mind, if Matt okays it.”

An hour and a half later, the little girl was buckled up in the front passenger seat of Raven’s SUV. She wore a pair of navy-blue dress slacks with a matching jacket. Cute.

“Hey, you look like a businesswoman in that suit. You making any career plans?”

“I’m going to be a missionary when I grow up. And anyone can wear suits. You don’t have to be a businesswoman. You don’t have to have a job, even, otherwise, they wouldn’t make them in my size.”

“So true,” Raven drawled, taken in by the girl’s spunk once more. “So what’s Rovercomer?”

She shrugged. “A guy dressed in a big dog suit.” She grinned and a sparkle lit her eyes. “He’s really funny. He sings ‘Let God arise and His enemies be splattered.’ Get it? Splattered instead of scattered.”

Nope. She didn’t have a clue what was funny about it. “Oh, yeah.”

“Anyway, he always gets songs messed up. But he doesn’t get discouraged and always tries to do better because he’s Rovercomer. Like overcomer only with an
r.”

“Ah, I get it.” Sort of.

“So, I guess you know Dad’s real sick.”

“Yeah. We’ll have to bring him some egg drop soup to make him feel better.”

“Yeah. He loves that.”

“Yeah.”

Just when Raven thought they might have an entire conversation based on non sequiturs and repeated words, the pillared front of the brick church came into view.

When they entered the church, Raven stopped in the foyer before heading for the sanctuary. She turned to Jamie. “Okay, listen, meet me right here after church, okay?”

She rolled her eyes. “You have to sign me in and out or I can’t go. Why do you think my dad let me come with you?”

Embarrassment shot through her. “Oh. Well, then, lead the way.”

“Are you going to remember me when church is over? I don’t want to be left here all alone.”

“Of course I’m not going to forget about you, Jamie. I promise.”

The second service couldn’t have been more differ
ent from the more traditional service she’d attended the week before. Raven connected with the upbeat music, a less crowded sanctuary and a contemporary message given by the youth pastor. Her heart lifted and for the first time since her mother’s death, she felt ready to trust in God again. There were no tears, no public confessions of rededication, only a simple knowing in her heart that she was forgiven and accepted back. Like the prodigal son. By the time the service ended, Raven wondered if she looked as different on the outside as she felt on the inside. She couldn’t keep a cheesy grin from her face as she slid out of the pew and into the middle aisle.

“Excuse me.” Raven felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find a thirty-something woman smiling, her plump cheeks pushed upward and her blue eyes shining with excitement.

“Can I help you?”

“Aren’t you Raven Mahoney from Channel 23?”

Ha! Take that Ken!
Someone finally recognized her.

“That’s me.” She returned the woman’s smile.

“Wow. I was just wondering if anyone called about Anaya.”

“Not yet. But we’re still hoping.”

“My children have been following the story and pray for her every night.”

Raven grasped the woman’s hand, fighting a sudden rush of tears. “Tell your children thank you and please to keep praying. I know for a fact that God is listening on this one.”

Before she made it five more feet, someone else stopped her. And another person and another. People had seen her, not only on Channel 23, but the network story had run the night before and everyone wanted to know about little Anaya.

Jamie’s scowling face greeted her when she arrived, breathless from rushing, at the Kids’ Church entrance. “I’m the last one,” Jamie groused. She crossed her arms over her chest while Raven signed her out. “I knew you’d forget all about me.”

Jamie walked a good three feet ahead of her and kept up a quick pace, obviously trying to keep Raven from catching up. “Jamie, stop a second,” she said when they got outside.

The little girl halted, but didn’t turn around. With a sigh, Raven stepped in front of her, face-to-face. “No, I didn’t forget you, Jamie. I kept getting stopped by people who saw the broadcast about Anaya. People are praying. Lots and lots of people.” Unable to contain this newfound joy, she grabbed the little girl and hugged her tightly. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

Jamie wriggled free, her face still as stone. “Yeah, that’s great. Can we go now?”

“Okay, sure.” Raven received the rejection with as much understanding as she could find in her heart. After all, the little girl had never indicated that she’d like to be hugged by Raven. She’d never even expressed the merest liking for her.

“Hey, Jamie?” She buckled up, and cranked the engine.

“What?”

“I’m really sorry I grabbed you and hugged you like that. I was invading your personal space. I won’t do it again without your permission.”

Jamie gave her trademark shrug. “It’s okay. But I have a mother, you know.”

Ah, that explained it. “Yes, I do know. I met Casey years ago.”

“When you and Dad were engaged?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think you’re going to marry him?”

“I don’t know, Jamie.”

“If you did marry him, I probably wouldn’t call you Mom.”

Something in the way she said
probably
gave her away. But Raven refused to call her on this one. Jamie was effectively letting her know it was okay with her if Matthew married her. That was huge. And Raven didn’t take it lightly.

“I tell you what. Let’s wait and see what happens before we decide what you’re going to call me, okay?”

Another shrug.

Raven put the SUV in gear and headed out of the parking lot toward the freeway. Just as she pulled onto the ramp, her phone chirped from her purse.

“Hand me that, will you, James?”

“Raven, it’s Keri. Where are you? I could use your help, pronto.”

“I went to the late service. I’m on my way to drop off Jamie at home, then I’m headed right over.”

“Okay, hurry.”

Raven flipped the phone closed with one hand while keeping her focus on the emerging traffic as she passed an off ramp going sixty-five.

“Can I go with you today?” Jamie asked, taking the phone and slipping it once more into Raven’s bag.

“After yesterday, I doubt your dad would let you. I noticed they used every single shot of you. By the way, did anyone mention it at Kids’ Church?”

She rolled her eyes. “Just about everyone. Even Rovercomer.”

Raven chuckled.

“So? Can I?”

“I don’t know. We could call and ask. Use my phone.”

“Thanks!”

Jamie dialed. “Grams? Raven says it’s okay with her if it’s okay with you if I go to the mission and help pass out food again. So can I?”

Silence invaded the vehicle while Jamie listened. “Please, Grams? I promise Raven’ll take good care of me.” She gave a huff. “Miss Mahoney, then.”

Raven’s lips twitched.

Silence. And more silence.

“Did she hang up on you?” Raven finally asked.

“She’s going to ask my dad if I can go.”

She perked up again. “Thanks, Grams.” She handed Raven the phone. “Grams says I can go, but she wants to talk to you.”

Mindful of the traffic on either side of her, Raven took the phone in her left hand so she could maneuver with her right. “Yes, Mrs. Strong?”

“Matthew has agreed to allow Jamie to help out, but he asked me to ask you to make sure you don’t let her out of your sight unless she’s with someone you trust implicitly.”

“I promise.”

“Fine. And when will you have her home?”

“Probably around four-thirty. Is that all right?”

“Yes, I suppose so. Just, please take good care of her.”

Raven’s heart went out to the woman. She’d essentially lost her daughter, and couldn’t bear the thought of losing her granddaughter as well. “I will look after her as if she were my own.”

“Thank you.”

“How’s Matt feeling?”

“Still very badly. The doctor said it would take at least twenty-four hours for him to feel any better. I haven’t seen him this miserable since he had a bad case
of the chicken pox in seventh grade. They never get too old that you don’t worry about them when they’re ill.”

“I can imagine.”

“You’ll find out some day when you have children of your own.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll let you go. You shouldn’t be driving and talking anyway. That’s much too dangerous.”

“I agree. I’ll have your girl back in a few hours. And thanks again for letting her come.”

Jamie settled back in the seat, a smile plastered on her pretty, freckled face. “It’s good to help people, isn’t it?”

“I think it is.”

“Gramps used to say, ‘Let’s roll up our sleeves and do some good in this world.’ That’s what I liked best about him. He was always helping people.”

“He was a great man.”

“Yeah…”

A natural silence hung over the SUV. She understood how Jamie felt. She’d sensed that Jamie was unique in some way, but she’d had no idea just how remarkable the little girl really was. Matthew had to be so proud. And she, if given the chance to mother this little girl, would have to pray hard so she didn’t mess her up.

From the recesses of the fever-induced fog, Matthew heard the chirping of his cell phone. He waited, expecting his mother to come answer it. The chirping stopped and he relaxed again. But only for a minute as the caller persisted.

Pain sliced his eyes as he lifted his head from the pillow and reached toward his nightstand where his cell phone rested in its charger. “Yes?” He whispered to save his throat the additional pain of vibrating vocal cords.

“Matthew Strong?”

“Yes.”

“Are you okay, man? You sound hoarse or something.”

“I’m a little sick. What can I do for you?”

“Raven Mahoney left this number as a contact in case I couldn’t reach her.”

“In reference to what?”

“I’m Tony from the Kansas City P.D. I was running an e-mail address for her.”

“Oh, yes. What did you find out.”

“Well, this guy was good. I have to say that much. He routed that one message through six different e-mail addresses, each with a different user name. Similar to the way spammers do it.”

Matthew’s head spun and he lay back with a groan. “Long and short of it, pal. I’m half-dead, here.”