Castleman. They married when he graduated, and she helped support them while he attended seminary.
Sure, they’d moved around the country some, and she’d had to pinch pennies in the beginning, like most young wives. Then they had agreed on Florida as a permanent home, and her mother had settled into a contented world. Her father’s congregation loved him, and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Beth and Grant’s marriage was as solid as bedrock. Yet, through the process, Beth seemed determined to make everything perfect for everyone. Christy shook her head. One person couldn’t make the world perfect.
Christy tightened her grip on the pen and studied the column before her. “Praise Report.”
Dan!
Christy’s heart lifted as she wrote about the wonderful evening she and Dan had shared. Despite their past conflicts, they had been relaxed with one another, talked easily, and had fun being together.
The kitchen phone rang, and Christy laid down her pen and answered. The voice on the other end was shrill and tense.
“Christy, this is Roseann Cole. I’m awfully sorry to bother you, but I don’t know who else to call. I thought about calling your aunt, but I don’t know how to reach her.”
Christy frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Eddie’s missing.”
His angry face lurched into Christy’s memory. “What happened after you two left last night?”
“We stopped at a bar, and he started tossing down rum andCokes. After a while, I finally persuaded him to go back to the motel. When we got back, he sat down in a chair and started working his way through the minibar, and I went to take a shower. When I came out, he was gone.”
She paused for a moment. Christy waited.
“I watched a TV program for an hour, then called the Blues Club. I spoke with Donna, and she said Eddie hadn’t come back, but if he did, she’d call me. She took my number down, but I never heard from her.
“Then around two this morning, I called the jail to see if he had been arrested. And I’ve just called the hospital. He’s not either place.” Her voice broke, and she began to sob. “I don’t know anyone here, and I don’t have a car…”
Christy felt sorry for her but didn’t know how to respond. “My aunt is here at my house. If you’ll hold on, I’ll go ask if she’s seen him.”
“Thank you.”
Clutching the cordless phone, Christy hurried to the backyard. Bobbie was singing in a low voice as she worked the sandpaper up and down the old wooden post.
“Bobbie, Roseann Cole is on the phone—”
“Who?” Bobbie looked up in confusion.
“Eddie’s girlfriend.” Christy repeated the telephone conversation, and Bobbie frowned and stood up, dusting off her jeans.
“He never came back to the club, and he wasn’t hanging around the parking lot when Jack and I left. We were both looking too.” She shrugged. “I have no idea. If I had to make a guess,I’d say he went to a bar and got himself in a card game. Probably hates to go back and tell her he lost all his money.”
Christy nodded and repeated the conversation into the phone as she walked back to the house.
“I don’t know,” Roseann said, now in control of her voice. “I reckon that’s possible. I just wish he’d come back, even if he did lose his money.”
Christy tried to think of something to say but failed.
“Sorry to bother you,” Roseann added.
“No bother. Give me your phone number, and if I hear anything, I’ll call.”
“We’re staying at the Starlight Motel. And here’s my cell.” Roseann recited the number. “That’s another thing,” she said. “He hasn’t called me.”
Christy took down the cell phone number, then had another thought. “Does Eddie have a cell phone?”
“He lost it.”
Christy rolled her eyes, feeling even sorrier for this poor woman who seemed too naive to deal with a man like Eddie. “He’ll probably return soon,” she said, trying to offer some encouragement, and hung up.
She had a bad
Sure, they’d moved around the country some, and she’d had to pinch pennies in the beginning, like most young wives. Then they had agreed on Florida as a permanent home, and her mother had settled into a contented world. Her father’s congregation loved him, and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Beth and Grant’s marriage was as solid as bedrock. Yet, through the process, Beth seemed determined to make everything perfect for everyone. Christy shook her head. One person couldn’t make the world perfect.
Christy tightened her grip on the pen and studied the column before her. “Praise Report.”
Dan!
Christy’s heart lifted as she wrote about the wonderful evening she and Dan had shared. Despite their past conflicts, they had been relaxed with one another, talked easily, and had fun being together.
The kitchen phone rang, and Christy laid down her pen and answered. The voice on the other end was shrill and tense.
“Christy, this is Roseann Cole. I’m awfully sorry to bother you, but I don’t know who else to call. I thought about calling your aunt, but I don’t know how to reach her.”
Christy frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Eddie’s missing.”
His angry face lurched into Christy’s memory. “What happened after you two left last night?”
“We stopped at a bar, and he started tossing down rum andCokes. After a while, I finally persuaded him to go back to the motel. When we got back, he sat down in a chair and started working his way through the minibar, and I went to take a shower. When I came out, he was gone.”
She paused for a moment. Christy waited.
“I watched a TV program for an hour, then called the Blues Club. I spoke with Donna, and she said Eddie hadn’t come back, but if he did, she’d call me. She took my number down, but I never heard from her.
“Then around two this morning, I called the jail to see if he had been arrested. And I’ve just called the hospital. He’s not either place.” Her voice broke, and she began to sob. “I don’t know anyone here, and I don’t have a car…”
Christy felt sorry for her but didn’t know how to respond. “My aunt is here at my house. If you’ll hold on, I’ll go ask if she’s seen him.”
“Thank you.”
Clutching the cordless phone, Christy hurried to the backyard. Bobbie was singing in a low voice as she worked the sandpaper up and down the old wooden post.
“Bobbie, Roseann Cole is on the phone—”
“Who?” Bobbie looked up in confusion.
“Eddie’s girlfriend.” Christy repeated the telephone conversation, and Bobbie frowned and stood up, dusting off her jeans.
“He never came back to the club, and he wasn’t hanging around the parking lot when Jack and I left. We were both looking too.” She shrugged. “I have no idea. If I had to make a guess,I’d say he went to a bar and got himself in a card game. Probably hates to go back and tell her he lost all his money.”
Christy nodded and repeated the conversation into the phone as she walked back to the house.
“I don’t know,” Roseann said, now in control of her voice. “I reckon that’s possible. I just wish he’d come back, even if he did lose his money.”
Christy tried to think of something to say but failed.
“Sorry to bother you,” Roseann added.
“No bother. Give me your phone number, and if I hear anything, I’ll call.”
“We’re staying at the Starlight Motel. And here’s my cell.” Roseann recited the number. “That’s another thing,” she said. “He hasn’t called me.”
Christy took down the cell phone number, then had another thought. “Does Eddie have a cell phone?”
“He lost it.”
Christy rolled her eyes, feeling even sorrier for this poor woman who seemed too naive to deal with a man like Eddie. “He’ll probably return soon,” she said, trying to offer some encouragement, and hung up.
She had a bad
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