"I hope I'm not coming at a bad time." Seth held up two paper sacks. "It's almost noon, and I wondered if you were ready for lunch."

  "Well..." Dinah's nose twitched at the appetizing smells coming from the bags. "I was supposed to cover the office while Millie went out."

  "And have me be the cause of you missing out on a picnic? Never!" Millie flapped her hands in the direction of the door. "Go on, get out of here."

  Dinah grinned her thanks and walked with Seth to the door.

  Out on the Grand Plaza, Seth led her toward the left, not stopping until they reached the bridge at the far end of the Mining and Electricity buildings. "I thought we could go out on the Wooded Island. We ought to find plenty of shade there."

  "Shade sounds wonderful," Dinah agreed. She followed his lead along the main pathway, then down to a bench near the shore of the lagoon under the draping branches of a willow tree. Through the slender limbs she could see the clean, sweeping lines of the Japanese Building only a short distance away. There, clusters of people moved to and fro, chattering like magpies. But here in their little alcove, they existed in a world apart.

  Seth dusted the bench free of willow leaves, then opened the bags and pulled out sandwiches and containers of lemonade. He handed one of the sandwiches to Dinah. "Here you are. It's chicken. I hope that's all right." His light tone contrasted with the grave look in his eyes.

  Dinah unwrapped her sandwich, then set it on her lap. "Something tells me you didn't just invite me out here for a picnic."

  Seth set his drink down on the grass and turned to her. "You're right. We need to talk."

  Dinah sat in stunned silence while Seth outlined what he heard from Mac and his informant the night before, her heart sinking with every word. When he finished, she clutched his arm. "Then Gladys really is in danger! Seth, we have to get her out of there whether she wants to come or not."

  She jumped up, tumbling the untouched sandwich to the ground. "Why did you wait this long to tell me? We need to do something now!"

  "Hold on a minute." Seth drew her back down on the bench beside him. "Think it through. Alan won't harm her until he has the inheritance."

  Dinah leaned against him and buried her face in her hands. "Gladys and that stupid inheritance! Look where her exaggerating landed her this time." She looked up at Seth. "We have to take this to the police."

  "And tell them what? We found your missing cousin, but now we think her husband may try to kill her?" Seth shook his head. "We have no proof, nothing solid anyway. At this point, it's all hearsay."

  "But this Johnny person—"

  "Would not be considered the most reliable source of information as far as the police are concerned."

  "Then that means..."

  Seth nodded, his face somber. "It's up to us."

  A numb feeling started in her heart and spread to her fingertips. She watched while a plump duck waddled up onto the bank and pecked at her sandwich. Waving the chunk of bread back and forth like a victorious hero, it carried the morsel back to the lagoon.

  Dinah blinked and looked up at Seth. "So what do we do?"

  "We'll pay them another visit tonight. I don't have a definite plan. It's hard to know what to expect when you don't know what you're up against. We'll have to take it as it comes. If Alan is gone when we get there, we'll bring Gladys with us if I have to carry her out kicking and screaming."

  "And if he is there?"

  Seth drew a long, slow breath. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't want you—or Gladys—getting hurt. Let's hope for the best. If we can get her out without Alan knowing, so much the better. Let's go about the same time we did before and hope going out in the evening is part of his regular routine."

  * * *

  Dinah and Seth huddled once again in the shelter of the lilac bush. Tonight the curtains of the little white house were open, and a lamp burned brightly inside. They watched Alan Saunders walk across the living room to a room beyond their view for a moment, then reappear.

  Dinah never loosened her grip on Seth's sleeve. "We've been watching for nearly half an hour, and there's no sign of Gladys." She dug her fingers into his arm. "Do you think we're too late? Has he already—"

  "Don't jump to conclusions. We can only see the one room from here. She could be cleaning up the kitchen for all we know."

  "How do we find out?"

  Seth tugged at her hand and started off down the street, staying away from the circle of light cast by the streetlamps. "First off, we pray this neighborhood doesn't have a Mrs. Boggs."

  They crept along the street, melting into the shadows, careful not to make a sound. Slipping across the front yard, they eased up to the right side of the house and pressed flat against the wall. On Seth's signal, they raised their heads cautiously and looked in the side window, where a view of the living room from a different angle verified that Gladys wasn't there.

  Seth pointed toward the rear of the house, and Dinah nodded. The windows back there were likewise free of curtains. They peered into a neat little kitchen. Contrary to Dinah's fervent hopes, they saw neither Gladys nor any sign to indicate she had been there.

  Fear clutched at Dinah's throat.

  Side by side, they slid along the rear wall, past the back door to the far end. "This house isn't very big," Dinah said. "We're running out of places to look."

  Seth stopped before she spoke the last word. In the window in front of him, the curtains were closed, but the window itself stood open a few inches at the bottom.

  Seth pressed his finger to his lips, then slipped his hand through the narrow gap and eased the curtains apart. No lamps illuminated the small room, but light seeped in from the living room, enough to show them the still form of a woman lying on the bed.

  Dinah sucked in her breath. "Gladys!"

  She studied her cousin but saw no sign of movement. "She's so still. Is she..." She couldn't bring herself to voice the word aloud.

  "No." Seth whispered. "I can see her breathing.

  "How do we get her out? We can't leave her, but we can't get to her with him in there."

  Seth rubbed his hands together. "This is where we get creative. I've never been much for breaking and entering. It doesn't normally fall under a pastor's job description. But under the circumstances..." He placed his hands under the sash and tugged. "It's stuck."

  "Can't you get it open?" Dinah put her hands alongside his and pulled with all her might.

  "Not without making too much noise," Seth replied. "We need to find some way to distract him." He looked around. "Why don't I go around to the front and knock on the door? You can raise the window and get to Gladys."

  Dinah shook her head. "I'll never get it open on my own. I'm the one who should go." Before he could protest, she darted around the corner and ran to the front of the house.

  When she reached the porch, her feet refused to carry her one step farther. What was she doing? The last thing in the world that she wanted was to face Alan Saunders alone. But with Gladys's life at stake, she had no choice. She forced her feet to climb the steps and rapped sharply on the door before she could change her mind.

  She didn't have to go inside. All she needed to do was keep him occupied long enough for Seth to gain entrance to the back bedroom, rouse Gladys, and get her outside.

  There was no answer from within. Where could he be? And what would she do if he decided to answer? The flaws in her impulsive decision grew more evident with each passing moment. It wasn't a fully formed plan by any means, but as Seth said, they had to improvise, and this was the best she could come up with. The most important thing was getting Gladys out, willingly or not.

  As Dinah lifted her hand to knock again, the door opened. Alan's eyes widened at the sight of her, and his face grew very still.

  Dinah smiled and prayed for inspiration. "Good evening. Is Gladys home?"

  A ripple of irritation disturbed his studied calm, then disappeared as quickly as it had come. I'm afraid she has already retired for the night. She had a headache and decided to go to bed early." He put his hand on the door as if to close it.

  Dinah strained for any hint of sound coming from the back room. What was Seth doing now? It hadn't been nearly long enough for him to accomplish his mission. She had to give him more time.

  Pushing down her revulsion, she slipped inside the room before Alan could swing the door shut. "Oh, what a shame. I was hoping I could see her and apologize for our intrusion the other night."

  Alan stepped to one side, blocking Dinah from further entry. "I'll let her know you stopped by."

  Dinah stiffened at the sound of a muffled creak. "I need to apologize to you, as well. I'm afraid we never got off on the right foot." Hurry, Seth! "After all, you're family now, and we must do our best to get along. Perhaps we can start fresh and put the past behind us."

  His Adam's apple slid up and down his throat. "What a good idea. Consider your apology accepted." He reached out and took her by the elbow. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was just preparing to turn in myself." He steered her toward the door.

  The high-pitched, scraping sound of wood rubbing against wood came from the direction of the back room, followed by a light thud. Alan whirled around, white-faced, and charged toward the rear of the house.

  "Seth, look out!" Dinah screamed. Bolting forward, she grabbed Alan's arm with both hands and tried to drag him to a stop. Through the doorway, she could see Seth shaking Gladys.

  He looked up and took a step toward Alan. "She won't wake up. What did you do to her?"

  The muscles in Alan's arm bunched under Dinah's fingers. In one fluid motion, he swung his arm forward like someone cracking a whip. Dinah sailed across the room and landed in a heap atop Gladys's inert form. Her cousin let out a soft grunt but didn't stir.

  Dinah lifted herself up in time to see Seth leap toward Alan. Their bodies made a hollow thud when they collided, and the two men tumbled out into the living room.

  She pushed herself off the bed and ran to the doorway, where she saw them locked in a desperate struggle on the floor. Seth's face wore a fierce expression she had never seen before, and Alan's lips curled back in a wolflike snarl.

  Rolling back and forth, they crashed into a small table and knocked it to the ground. A vase tumbled unbroken onto the rug. Alan pinned Seth to the ground with one arm and fumbled for the vase with the other, stretching his fingers to their limit. With a look of triumph, he grasped the glass container and held it aloft, ready to bring it down on Seth's skull.

  Dinah let out a shriek and dove for his upraised hand. The vase slipped from his grasp and rolled across the rug. Dinah scrambled after it and scooped it up. Holding it tightly in both hands, she whirled to see Alan already on his feet and Seth scrambling to get up. Before she could swing the vase, Alan grabbed her outstretched arm and shoved her into Seth. They landed on the floor in a heap.

  Seth pushed himself free of the tangle and sprang to his feet, hands clenched. Dinah struggled to her knees and looked around the room. The front door stood open to the evening breeze, and Alan was nowhere to be seen.

  Dinah gasped when Seth started toward the door. "You're not going after him, are you?"

  "No, I'm just not in the mood for any more surprises." He closed the door and turned the lock, then leaned against it, heaving in great gulps of air. "Let's go see about Gladys."

  Dinah rushed to the small back bedroom and shook her cousin repeatedly. "Gladys? Gladys, wake up!" She looked up at Seth. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

  Seth's expression was grim. "Do you see how shallow her breathing is? I think he may have drugged her."

  "How are we going to wake her up?"

  "Get some damp cloths, and see if you can bring her around. I'm going to find a cab. We need to get her to a hospital." He brushed her lips with a quick kiss. "Put a chair under the doorknob. I'll be back as quickly as I can."

  25

  "How are you doing this morning? You had a long night."

  Dinah leaned back against Seth's shoulder, drinking in the sight from the pier. "Yours wasn't a bit shorter than mine." She stared out at the lake, envying the gulls that bobbed placidly on the blue-gray waves. Learning Gladys hadn't ingested enough laudanum to do any permanent damage had been a profound relief, but the long night's vigil at the hospital had left her unutterably weary.

  "The doctor wants to keep an eye on her, but he says he'll release her in a day or two." She smiled when she felt Seth slip his arm about her waist. "I wired Aunt Dora early this morning. She's going to come in on the train and take Gladys back home as soon as she's ready to be discharged. She said the news buoyed Uncle Everett up so much, she felt she could leave him long enough to make a quick trip here and back."

  She closed her eyes and drew in a breath of the damp air. "It's all so sad. What a horrible way to find out what stretching the truth can lead to. I keep wondering what Gladys is going to do now."

  "She'll need prayer, and a lot of it. It's been a hard way for her to learn that lesson."

  "I never liked her exaggerations, but I never wanted to see her life ruined like this."

  Seth's arm tightened about her, an anchor in the storm her life had become of late. "God can take that rubble and use it to build something new and beautiful if Gladys will let Him. He's willing to give her a second chance and let her start over."

  "That's nice to know. I guess we all need a second chance from time to time."

  A deep whistle sounded, alerting them to the arrival of one of the steamships that carried visitors from the city to the fairgrounds. Seth sighed. "We might as well go back. We'll be overrun in a few minutes."

  They started back along the pier, and Seth laced his fingers through hers. Dinah clasped them tight, wishing she could keep them in her grip always. Better yet, that she could hold on to his heart forever.

  Behind them, people walked down the ship's gangplank and swarmed toward them in a mass. Their time of solitude was over.

  Stepping off the pier, Seth and Dinah strolled through the dappled shade under the columns of the Peristyle until the Grand Basin came into view. At the end nearest them, the golden Statue of the Republic lifted her arms to the sky. The sun caught the wings of the eagle she held in one upraised hand. At other end of the Grand Basin, the dome of the Administration Building glinted in response.

  "Quite a sight, isn't it?" Seth's voice held the same sense of wonder Dinah felt.

  "You'd think I would have my fill of it after walking around the grounds every day, but it keeps drawing me back." Dinah laughed. "Most people wouldn't dream of going back to their workplace on a day off. I'm just grateful I didn't have to work today. I don't think I could begin to cope after everything that has happened. But I can't think of a better place to let my nerves unwind than out there on the pier. That was a wonderful idea you had. There's something so soothing about watching the water."

  Seth angled north toward the Manufactures Building. "Now that you don't have to worry about Gladys any more, maybe we'll have time to concentrate on more pleasant things."

  A delicious shiver of anticipation ran through her. "What did you have—"

  She broke off when she saw a tall man waving at her and heading their way. "Oh no."

  Seth came alert. "What's wrong?"

  "It's my father."

  "Good morning!" Her father exuded a jovial air of goodwill. "Lovely day, isn't it? I'm so glad I ran into you like this."

  Dinah's thoughts turned to running of a different kind—in the opposite direction. Since that was out of the question, she forced a stiff smile. "I'd like you to meet someone. Papa, this is Pastor Seth Howell. Seth, this my father, Ernie Mayhew."

  "Good to meet you." Her father tossed off the obligatory salutation and turned back to Dinah. "Look, honey, we really need to get this meeting with Abby underway. I can't keep waiting for you to give me an answer. She's getting nervous, and she doesn't understand why you don't want to talk with her."

  "I don't have anything against Abby. It's just that—"

  "My chance for happiness is slipping away. You don't want that on your conscience, do you?"

  Dinah pressed her lips together and counted to ten. "All right. I'll meet you for dinner as long as Seth can come."

  "That's fine. I don't care who else joins us, just as long as you're there. Let's make it the Café de Marine again. Tonight at eight, all right?"

  "Tonight?" She looked at Seth, and he nodded. Might as well get it over with. "All right, we'll see you tonight."

  Seth took her arm. "I need to walk Dinah home now, sir. I hope you'll excuse us."

  "Of course, of course." Her father practically glowed. "We'll be looking forward to it."

  * * *

  "Well, at least it started out to be a lovely day." Dinah walked beside Seth up the porch steps.

  "And it's going to get better. As soon as my meeting with the church board is finished, I'll come by and pick you up. I should be free by early afternoon. That will give us some time together, just the two of us, before we have to meet your father."

  Dinah paused with her hand on the doorknob. "Would you like to come in for a few minutes?"

  "I wish I could." The look in his eyes filled her with a melting warmth. "But if I'm going to make it to that meeting on time, I need to go now. I'll be cutting it close as it is." He dropped a light kiss on her lips, sending a bloom of liquid fire clear down to her toes.

  "I'll see you then." Dinah closed the door behind her, knowing she would be counting the minutes until he returned. She pressed her fingers to her lips and her heart quickened. Seth hadn't come right out and declared himself, but that kiss seemed to hold a promise.

  Nearly giddy with anticipation, she hung her hat on the hall tree. What should she wear for their afternoon together? She wanted to look her best. Her mind whirled through the possibilities until she settled on her heliotrope skirt and the matching jacket with leg-of-mutton sleeves.

  Dinah grinned and started upstairs to her room. Her pleated cotton blouse with the large bow at the neck would be the perfect accompaniment, and the outfit would serve for their meeting with her father and Abby, as well. All she had to do was press it before Seth came.

 

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