Hidden Motive (20 page)

S
able grinned at Murph in the rearview mirror as she cautiously maneuvered Craig's Jeep onto the highway and turned toward Cassville. Murph was huddled in the back of the vehicle with Perry, who was trussed like a Christmas turkey. Audry sat in the backseat, with Craig's head on her lap. Bryce sat beside Sable in the passenger seat.

“Now, what's Otis Boswell up to this time?” Audry asked.

On the drive to Cassville, Sable filled Audry in on the details.

When they reached town, Sable took Craig, Audry and Bryce to the hospital, then drove three blocks to the police station to deliver Perry Chadwick. Sable and Murph told the police their story and promised to stay around for more questioning. The police would have to contact the Missouri Special Crimes Unit to investigate the deaths.

The FBI was already on the way to pick up Otis Boswell in Oklahoma. It looked as if Perry would be more than willing to testify against his boss to try to save himself, and the evidence Grandpa had left in the safe would be enough to incarcerate Boswell for many long years.

Sable and Murph stepped outside into the quiet, frozen night for a break.

Murph drew Sable close, and she nestled against him. The warmth of his arm chased away the cold and generated its own kind of comfort. She felt at home there, close by his side, protected and warm.

A car whispered by on the road, its headlights turning the limbs of nearby trees into prism reflections. A limb crashed somewhere in the shadows.

Sable shivered. “This is such a fragile world,” she said. “Everything is breakable—the trees, the road, the people. Especially the people. I feel as if it could all break into a thousand fragments at the slightest movement.”

“It won't.” Murph's voice was strong and substantial beside her, resonating in her heart. “God's creation is more resilient than that. People change, God doesn't.”

“It's going to take a while to learn to depend on that.”

“It'll take your whole life,” Murph said. “God works through time to make it just right.”

“I wish I had your spiritual confidence,” she whispered.

“You're kidding, right? I'm the one who keeps trying to rely on my own strength. You said it yourself. My macho side keeps trying to take over.”

She took a deep breath, watching the reflection of lights that outlined the tree limbs. “I guess we'll both learn, given more time. Meanwhile, I could sure use some encouragement.”

“In what way?”

“Oh, a strong friend nearby, who can remind me of God's faithfulness, and who can pray with me…you know…pull me out of the deep places, and help me dodge bullets…stuff like that.” She fell silent. Was she being too presumptuous?

“How about that private practice you wanted to build?” Murph asked. “Are you still interested?”

“Of course. It's been a dream of mine for years.”

“Have you considered sharing the load?”

She looked up into his eyes, and understood what he meant, and was overjoyed.

He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips. Her skin tingled at his touch. “I think if the two of us have a practice together, we won't starve.”

“That would mean you plan to get your medical license.”

He nodded. “It's time.”

“A small-town practice is not a pathway to riches.”

“My biggest concern is staying near you.” His arm tightened around her. “I'm not going anywhere,” he said, and then he kissed her.

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

In researching for this book, I experienced some of the excitement of spelunking. Imagine my dismay the day a makeshift ladder broke with me at the bottom of a cave ledge, without a flashlight. My ten-year-old hero, Jason, devised a way to pull me out, utilizing all the rescue equipment in his oversized pack.

It's amazing to experience the total darkness of a cave. Fourteen-year-old Randy convinced me to turn off our flashlights on one expedition, and I will never forget the overpowering darkness.

Have you ever found yourself in a place of such darkness—perhaps not physically, but emotionally?

There is a Hero waiting to utilize everything within His power to light your world. Like my Jason, this Hero is eager to rescue you. Unlike Jason, this Hero has more than a ten-year-old's overstuffed pack. This Hero has all the power of the universe at His command. Try it. Call out through the darkness and see if He doesn't see you through it, in His time, in His power, in His own special way.

 

Love from

1. When Sable was on the bus as it slid over the icy road, she had to decide whether or not to invite a group of strangers into her home for the duration of the storm. Other than allowing them to continue on and risk death, was there an alternative?
   
2. Have you ever been forced into a situation to which you were totally opposed? How did you respond? Would you do things differently now if you had the chance?
   
3. Though Sable worked with Paul Murphy for only six weeks, she trusted him. Are there people you have met in your life whom you automatically trusted? In the end, was that trust warranted?
   
4. Paul Murphy took a job in Freemont for the sole purpose of investigating his uncle's concerns about the company. At what point did he begin to trust Sable? What do you think convinced him?
   
5. Sable's grief intensified when she came face to face with her grandfather's past sins. Can you recall a time when a loved one let you down? How did you handle it? Has the relationship been restored?
   
6. Have failures from your past ever damaged a relationship long after the fact?
   
7. Sable and Murph both came to a point when they realized it would be possible for them to climb out of the cave to safety, but they chose not to. Why? What would you have done?
   
8. To what lengths are you willing to go to see justice done? How frustrated are you when an evil person gets away with evil actions?
   
9. Have you ever read Habakkuk in the Old Testament? Are you comforted by the reminder that God will bring vengeance on the evildoer, or do you find yourself wishing to beat God to it?
   
10. Murph and Sable both prayed for protection, and yet they knew that protection could come in unexpected ways. Have there been times in your life when you did not receive the protection for which you prayed? Have you come to terms with this?
    
11. How do you believe Murph and Sable's dilemma would have turned out if they had not depended on God?
    
12. If Sable and Murph had known the kind of person Simmons was, do you believe they'd have performed CPR when he nearly drowned? Should they have?
    
13. Was it necessary for Audry to confide in Sable about her past affair with Josiah?
    
14. Do you believe Josiah should have told his wife about the affair? Would you have done so?
    
15. Do you feel Craig's father was wrong for protecting him from the legal ramifications of his automobile accident years ago? If not, where would you draw the line?