Who’s That Girl Read online

  Who’s That

  Girl ?

  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 © 2008 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 events 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 Rose Lowry, www.illustrations.com

  Interior design by Cris Kossow

  Typeset by Nancy Tardi

  Printed in the United States of America

  To Beth Adams and Nicci Hubert,

  amazing editors and awesome encouragers.

  I appreciate you both so much!

  Chapter One

  Paul!” Kate Hanlon called from the kitchen, covering the telephone receiver with her hand. “Sam is on the phone. He wants to know if we’re going to cancel.”

  A moment later, her husband stepped through the front door, smoothing back his tousled salt-and-pepper hair.

  “Let a few clouds stop us? I don’t think so.” He grinned in the boyish way that still made Kate’s heart skip a beat, even after nearly thirty years of marriage. “Just because it rained yesterday doesn’t mean we’ll get caught in a downpour today. Where’s his spirit of adventure?”

  Kate smiled back at him and spoke into the phone. “Paul says we’re going ahead with the cleanup, Sam. We’ll meet you at the campground.”

  Placing the receiver back in its cradle, she hurried to join Paul outside, where he was piling a variety of cleaning supplies in the back of his blue Chevy pickup.

  “Are you sure we have everything?” Kate peered at the paraphernalia he’d already loaded in the truck bed.

  Paul gave her a quick inventory, pointing to the items as he listed them. “Rakes, shovels, and hoes to tidy up the paths and the parking areas. Pruning shears to cut back the kudzu and trim up some of the shrubbery. Brooms, mops, rags, and plenty of cleaning supplies for indoor use.” He turned an inquiring gaze upon Kate. “Can you think of anything else?”

  Kate thought a moment, then shook her head. “That sounds pretty thorough to me. Others will be bringing supplies of their own as well. If we’ve missed anything, surely someone else will have it covered. I think we’re ready to—”

  A shrill ringing tone sounded through the open front door. Kate laughed and headed toward the house. “Unless we spend all morning answering the phone.”

  “It’s probably Eli, or maybe Danny Jenner, wondering the same thing Sam did,” Paul said.

  Kate hurried through the front door, snagging a pair of leather work gloves she’d left on the entry table.

  Faith Briar Church had volunteered to perform a late spring cleanup at Ash Grove Campground, east of town, before the camping season began. Working outdoors at this time of year was one of Kate’s favorite things to do, and she’d been looking forward to the project with the eagerness of a child awaiting Christmas. Now if they could only get started!

  She reached the kitchen counter and snatched up the phone before the call switched over to the answering machine.

  “Hello?”

  “Mrs. Hanlon? This is Dr. McLaughlin up at Pine Ridge Hospital.”

  Kate’s throat went dry, and her fingers tightened on the phone.

  “I don’t want to alarm you—” the doctor continued.

  It’s too late for that. Kate’s mind whirled. What would have prompted the doctor at the Pine Ridge emergency room to call her?

  “—but we need your help.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kate managed to say. “What’s going on?”

  “A young woman was brought in by ambulance yesterday evening. She was incoherent when she arrived, and she’s been in and out of consciousness ever since.”

  “Goodness!” Kate gasped. “Who is it?”

  “That’s the problem. We don’t know.” The doctor let out a long sigh. “She was found east of Copper Mill on the side of Hamilton Road by a passing motorist who spotted her staggering along and called 911, but she doesn’t have any identification on her. All I can tell you is that she has long blonde hair and a tattoo with roses and a vine of some sort on her lower back. Nobody here at the hospital recognizes her, but we were hoping you might. Would you be willing to come up this morning and see if you can identify her?”

  “Me?” Kate plopped down at the oak dining table. “I’ll certainly be glad to help if I can, but why would you think I’ll know who she is?”

  “She regained consciousness a little while ago, long enough for us to ask her a few questions. When I asked if there was someone she’d like me to notify, she murmured your name, so it stands to reason that she’s someone you know. Could you come on up here and help us out?”

  Kate’s breath left her in a whoosh. “Of course! I’m on my way.” She stared at the receiver for a moment before replacing it on the cradle, then she made her way back outside, locking the front door behind her.

  Kate headed for the pickup as Paul revved the engine. When she walked up to the driver’s side of the truck instead of circling around to the passenger’s side, he rolled down the window and leaned toward her.

  “What’s wrong, honey? Who was on the phone?”

  “It was the hospital,” she said slowly, still trying to make sense of the situation. “They want me to identify a patient.” In a few words, she filled Paul in on the call.

  His forehead crinkled. “And they don’t have any idea who this girl is?”

  Kate shook her head. “Apparently not. Dr. McLaughlin said that no one at the hospital recognizes her, but it must be someone we know, since she asked for me. I’m not even sure what’s wrong with her, only that she was found by someone driving east of town along Hamilton Road, and she’s been unconscious a good deal of the time.” She clutched at his sleeve. “The doctor said she was young. What if it’s one of the girls from our youth group?”

  Paul covered her hand with his and squeezed her fingers. “Do you want me to go with you? I’ll call Sam and ask him to head things up until I get there.”

  Kate considered a moment, then shook her head. “
No, that’s okay. You go ahead. I’ll take my car and meet you at the campground when I’m finished at the hospital.”

  Paul tightened his grip on her fingers. “Are you sure?”

  “I’ll be fine. Really.” Kate smiled up at him, drawing comfort from his concern. “I have my cell phone, and I’ll call if I need you. There is one thing you can do for me though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You can have everyone at the campground pray for this girl. We may not know who she is yet, but God does, and she’s in need of his help right now.”

  Paul reached out the window and stroked Kate’s cheek. “I’ll do that. Just promise me you’ll keep your mind on driving. I don’t want to get another call from the hospital telling me you’re in the ER as a patient.”

  Kate leaned over to give Paul a quick kiss. “I promise. I’ll meet you at the campground as quickly as I can.”

  Paul waited until she backed her black Honda Accord out of the garage, then he drove ahead of her down Smoky Mountain Road. When they reached Mountain Laurel Road, he continued straight ahead while Kate turned right and headed toward the winding highway that led north to Pine Ridge.

  She rolled down her window a few inches and let the fresh spring air flow into the car, hoping it would help clear her head. Instead, questions raced through her mind like a hamster scampering on an exercise wheel.

  Who could the girl be? Kate ran through a mental list of every girl in the Faith Briar youth group, but she couldn’t think of any blonde girls with a rose tattoo. Plus, the tattoo made it sound more like she was college age or older rather than a high-school girl.

  Kate’s hand flew to her mouth.

  Could it be someone from their church in San Antonio? She had been close to several of the young women in the college group there. It was possible that one of them might have taken a notion to come for a surprise visit. And that would explain why no one at the hospital remembered seeing her before.

  At least Kate didn’t have to worry about it being either of their daughters. Rebecca’s hair color and age fit the general description of the girl at the hospital, but Kate had talked to her daughter on the phone the night before and knew that she was safe at home in New York. Otherwise, Kate might have been in a panic by now.

  She sent up a quick prayer of thanksgiving and immediately felt guilty. This girl—whoever she was—was someone’s daughter, and the fact that she wasn’t Kate’s didn’t make the situation any less serious.

  It had to be someone they knew fairly well. Kate’s stomach churned at the thought that she and Paul would have to notify the girl’s family.

  With a renewed sense of urgency, she guided her Honda along the winding highway. Dr. McLaughlin hadn’t specified whether an injury or some sort of illness had caused the girl to lose consciousness. Either way, the situation didn’t sound good.

  Kate reached Pine Ridge and threaded her way through the streets to the hospital, grateful for the light Saturday morning traffic. She found a parking spot in front of the squat one-story brick building, locked her car, and hurried to the emergency-room entrance.

  Once inside, Kate strode briskly to the desk and gave her name to the receptionist.

  The woman’s round face broke into a smile. “Oh yes. We’ve been expecting you.” She turned to an aide behind her and said, “Go let Dr. McLaughlin know that Mrs. Hanlon is here.”

  Moments later, the wide double doors to the ER swung open, and the lanky doctor Kate had met on several previous occasions beckoned her into the corridor beyond. To Kate’s surprise, Deputy Skip Spencer stood a little farther down the hallway.

  Her stomach tightened, and she looked up at the doctor. “What’s going on?”

  “To be honest,” the doctor began, “we aren’t sure.” He ushered Kate into a little alcove at one side of the hallway. Skip joined them.

  “Thanks for coming, Missus Hanlon.” The young deputy’s face looked tight and drawn. “Hearing her say your name was the first clue we’ve had, and that didn’t tell us much.”

  “I hope I can help.” Kate peered down the hallway. “Is Sheriff Roberts here?”

  Skip drew himself up, and a faint flush tinted his cheeks. His chest puffed out a bit as he said, “No, he’s working on a big case on the other side of the county, so he asked me to take care of this.”

  Kate laced her fingers together and tried to appear calmer than she felt. “Then tell me as much as you can. What happened to her?”

  “We don’t know that either.” Skip raked his fingers through his red hair. “A motorist spotted her stumbling along the side of Hamilton Road, about two miles from the Ash Grove Campground, a little before sunset yesterday evening. She collapsed just before she reached them, so they pulled over and called for an ambulance.”

  Dr. McLaughlin picked up the tale. “She’s pretty banged up. A number of cuts and lots of bruises on her head and torso. Her injuries are consistent with what she might have gotten from being in an auto accident.”

  “Might have gotten?” Kate asked. “Was she in a wreck or not?”

  The doctor shrugged. “As crazy as it sounds, we aren’t sure. The motorist who stopped to help her didn’t see a vehicle. Neither did the ambulance crew.”

  “It was dark by the time I was called in on it,” Skip added. “I couldn’t see much of anything last night, so I went back out again this morning. There isn’t a car anywhere around there.”

  “Then what happened to this poor girl?”

  The two men exchanged glances. “I don’t think I ought to speculate on that without knowing the facts,” Dr. McLaughlin said in a somber tone. “When she regains consciousness, I’m sure she’ll be able to fill in the details.”

  Kate’s stomach knotted as she stared at Skip and the doctor. Each man seemed so calm, but then they were trained to deal with situations like this. She pressed her lips together and drew in a deep breath. If they could manage to control their feelings, so could she.

  Dr. McLaughlin turned a compassionate gaze on Kate. “It won’t be a pretty sight. Are you prepared to do this?”

  Kate swallowed her discomfort and nodded. “I’m ready. Take me to her, please.”

  She followed the doctor and Skip down the short hallway to a series of curtained exam areas and steeled herself for what she was about to see.

  Dr. McLaughlin pulled back a curtain to reveal a girl in her late teens or early twenties lying on the bed with IV tubes attached to both arms. In the background, a monitor beeped quietly at intervals.

  Steeling herself, Kate moved closer and looked down at the fragile figure. Scrapes and deep scratches ran along both arms, and dark purple bruises marred one side of her pale face. Kate’s maternal instincts kicked into high gear at the pitiful sight. Her heart ached, and she felt the sting of tears.

  She reached out to smooth a tangled lock of the girl’s blonde hair. “Oh, sweetie,” she whispered, her throat thick with emotion. “What happened to you?”

  Skip stepped forward expectantly, pulling a small notebook and pen from his shirt pocket. “Well?”

  Kate pulled her gaze away from the unconscious girl and looked at the deputy. She shook her head slowly. “I have no idea who she is. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”

  Chapter Two

  Skip’s jaw sagged. “But...but...” He looked toward Dr. McLaughlin as if expecting him to offer some explanation.

  “Are you certain, Mrs. Hanlon?” The doctor looked as dumbfounded as Skip did. “Take another look. All that bruising and swelling might make it hard for you to recognize her.”

  Kate turned her gaze back to the injured girl. Her heart swelled with compassion, but that didn’t alter the fact that the young woman was a complete stranger. “I’m sorry.”

  Dr. McLaughlin’s eyebrows drew together. “We were both here when she said your name. She asked for you specifically.”

  They stepped outside the exam area and moved down the hallway so they could talk more freely. Kate knew that ev
en though the girl was unconscious, she still might be able to hear.

  Kate rubbed the back of her neck to ease her tension. “Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand? Maybe it was a name that only sounded like mine.”

  Both men shook their heads.

  “I know what I heard,” the doctor said in a tone that left no room for argument. “When I asked her name, she didn’t respond. But when I asked if there was someone I should contact, I could see her trying to focus her attention. She looked right at me and murmured, ‘Kate Hanlon. Call Kate Hanlon.’”

  Skip nodded agreement. “That’s what she said, all right. I was standing right there, and I heard every word. Think hard, Missus Hanlon. You must know her from somewhere.”

  “I wish I could say that I did, but I don’t.” Kate raised her hands, then let them drop to her sides. “How could a total stranger pull my name out of thin air? This doesn’t make a bit of sense. Didn’t she have any sort of identification with her?”

  “Nope.” Skip shrugged. “No purse, no driver’s license. Nothing in her pockets to tell us who she is.”

  Kate closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her temples. “I don’t understand. I have no idea who that poor girl is, but she asked for me by name. How could that be?”

  She opened her eyes and stared up at Skip and the doctor, but they looked every bit as bewildered as she felt. Kate shook her head. “I’m really sorry. I just wish there was something I could do.”

  “At least you tried.” Dr. McLaughlin’s lips parted in a weary smile. “I appreciate you coming, even though it turned out to be a dead end.”

  Kate turned toward the exit but found herself reluctant to leave. She pivoted back around to face the doctor. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to come back and visit her. Whoever she is, she needs to know someone cares.”

  The corners of the doctor’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea. Patients heal much better when they know someone is there for them. We’ll probably move her to a regular room before long, once we get her stabilized.”