Pages ruffled around him. Tom tried to use a pew Bible to find the location, but he was lost. Leah reached over, found the place, and handed it back to him.

  “Thank you,” he mouthed.

  She nodded and went back to scratching.

  The pastor grabbed the sides of the podium and leaned toward the crowd. “I’ve been asked many times, how can God forgive me? You have no idea the things that I’ve done in my past. When I hear this question, I refer them to this passage.

  “You see, David was man after God’s own heart. He was a young shepherd boy, and God gave him a kingdom. He allowed him to defeat Goliath with a stone and a slingshot. He allowed him to defeat vast armies. He allowed him wealth and houses and wives. Many wives.” The crowd laughed. “Yet David sees a woman bathing on a rooftop and decides what he has isn’t enough, he wants her too. So, not only does he lust after this woman, but he lies with a married woman committing adultery. After this sin, he makes it even worse. He attempts to create a situation where Bathsheba’s husband can sleep with her.

  “Bring him home from war, David tells his men. He encourages Uriah to sleep with his wife, but Uriah refuses. He doesn’t feel right about being at home in comfort while his fellow soldiers are sleeping outside. Now David has a problem. If Bathsheba has a child and Uriah wasn’t around to father it, everyone will know it is his. His sin will be found out.

  “So, he comes up with another idea. He’ll just have Uriah sent to the front line of the war. Then he’ll be killed. David and Bathsheba’s sin will be hidden, and it’ll all be good.

  “The truth is, God knew about the sin. Because sin isn’t hidden from God. But the point of this story is not the sin, but what happens when David realizes his mistake. David asks for forgiveness and God forgives him. Just like that.”

  The preacher snapped his fingers and heads nodded around the room.

  He continued, “Before I was saved, I would compare my sins to others. Well at least I didn’t do that, at least I didn’t do what he did. But it didn’t matter. I had sinned. And you know what? God was just and gracious enough to forgive. And He can forgive you as well.”

  Tom had leaned forward at some point during the sermon. He’d read about David yesterday. Everything about David had resonated with him. What the preacher said this morning resonated with him.

  Tom wasn’t a man after God’s on heart. He’d never followed God. Never really even thought about God or on God since his mother left home. But if forgiveness was available and it made a person be like Leah, then maybe he needed to reconsider.

  A tiny finger poked him in the side. Leah leaned closer and whispered. “I have to get out of here.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’ll tell you outside. Please just let me out.” It sounded as if tears were being held back.

  He moved from the end of the pew, and she followed. Outside, she raced to the car. Inside the vehicle, she drew the dress over her head and threw it in the back seat. Fortunately, she wore a slip underneath. The rest of her skin, anything the dress had touched, was beet red and swollen.

  He dove behind the wheel, turned on the engine, and drove as fast as possible to the hospital. The emergency room personnel took her directly to a room and injected a shot of steroids before even speaking to her.

  Finally, she stopped scratching and seemed to relax.

  The doctor entered. He picked up the empty chart. “I don’t even see a name here. Someone want to help me out?”

  “They rushed her back and gave her a shot.” Tom had no idea what else to say.

  The doctor walked around the edge of the bed and looked her over. “Were you wearing something else?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s in the car, should I go get it?” Tom pointed at the door.

  “Yes, please.”

  Tom hated to leave Leah alone, but she was in the hospital. Everything should be okay while he walked to his car.

  ****

  Leah had stayed still and tried to let Tom listen to the message for as long as possible. Then the itching had been too much. It hadn’t seemed like it was closing her throat, but the scratching was enough.

  The doctor sat on a stool next to her. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I found a dress shoved in the back of the closet and I put it on.”

  “A dress?”

  “Yes. It still had the tags on it.”

  “I see.” He paused to find a pen. “Have you ever had a reaction to clothing before?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Tom entered with the dress. The doctor pinched it between two fingers and pinched his nose. “Do you smell that?”

  Leah wasn’t sure. Right now, she couldn’t smell anything.

  “Formaldehyde resins are often placed on clothes, but this dress seems to have been doused in it. Much more of this and you wouldn’t just be itching.” The doctor placed it in an orange contamination bag and went to the bathroom and washed his hands.

  “I’m going to recommend an aggressive round of steroids, plus antihistamines. We’ll watch you overnight and make sure that everything goes back to normal.”

  She nodded. What else could she do?

  “Also, I want you to get in the shower and scrub yourself. I’ll send in the cleanser I want you to use.” He pointed at Tom. “You stay close by in case she collapses in the shower.”

  “Of course.”

  As soon as the doctor left, Tom went to the bathroom and scrubbed his own hands. When he returned to her room, he removed his jacket and placed it in an orange bag.

  “I’ll have it dry cleaned.”

  She had leaned against his side for a while during the service. He didn’t want her to react again, or him to react himself.

  “I’m sorry I interrupted the service.” Tears were forming in her eyes. She’d wanted him to have a chance to hear more about God. While she knew she couldn’t stop God’s working in someone’s heart by dragging them from a service, she’d wanted him to be able to listen.

  He clasped her hand. “Let’s just get through this and don’t worry about that right now. Deal?”

  She nodded.

  Once the orderly arrived with the soap, she rose from the bed and went to the bathroom. The door was cracked, and Tom stood outside with his back to it. She practiced yelling to see if he could hear her with the water running, and he gave a thumbs up.

  The water against her skin stung where she’d scratched. She washed quickly then turned off the water, stepped out and toweled dry, then pulled on a gown, reaching around and tying it in the back.

  She got the waist, but the neck was impossible.

  “Need help?”

  Tom had been the perfect gentleman and hadn’t turned around once.

  “Please.”

  He turned and entered the steamy bathroom. He took the string at her neck and tied it to secure the gown. Then he placed his hand under her elbow and led her to the bed.

  “Thank you.”

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “I’d like to know who put that dress in the closet.”

  “You’re saying someone put it in there?”

  “Yes. I didn’t bring it from home. All my dresses, except one, have conveniently disappeared. Even some of my pajamas are gone.”

  “That’s why you wore the mismatched ones.”

  “I thought maybe I misplaced them, or that they had been taken by a maid for laundry or something. But if you’re saying that you told them not to come in my room…” She shrugged.

  “Farrah…” The word came from him in almost a terrified whisper.

  “Do you think she got in the house?”

  “That room you’re in hasn’t been used in years. In fact, I don’t think anyone ever really used it. That hall was for guests. There would be no reason for a new dress to be in the closet. Especially one covered in extra formaldehyde resin.”

  “Maybe you should call Red.”

  “I think I will.”

  He stepped into the hallway, and Leah leaned her head against the pillow and drew in a couple of deep breaths. Farrah had broken into the house and taken enough of her clothes to force her to wear that dress. Had she wanted her to die or had she wanted her to be put in the hospital?

  If she wanted her in the hospital, then Farrah’s wish had just been granted. Everyone who came into the room would now be suspect in Leah’s mind. She wasn’t taking any kind of medicine until it was triple checked.

  She swallowed.

  The shot…

  The shot they had given her before she was even checked.

  “Tom!”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hours passed as Tom and the security personnel searched out the nurses who treated Leah upon entry. The needle used was pulled from the needle box. The contents that lined the needle were looked at and confirmed that it was indeed a steroid. Standard protocol had been followed.

  Tom’s fears were only slightly relieved.

  Red had arrived with a video from his house showing that a loop had been created so that no one would notice the house intrusion. One camera had been missed, because no one knew about it.

  It was a camera in the hallway that faced Leah’s door. There was a clear image of Farrah walking in the room and practically skipping out with a large arm full of clothes. In fact, she stopped in the hallway, drew off her mental hospital gown, and drew on one of Leah’s dresses.

  She’d known the camera was there. She’d done it on purpose.

  Tom looked in the window of Leah’s room and studied her asleep in the bed. Round the clock security was outside her door. Investigators were working on where the dress came from and how the extra chemical was applied. If they could find who made the resin, they might be able to discover how Farrah purchased it and from where.

  The fact was, she was in town and she was messing with them. She had an ultimate plan. Get Leah away from Tom.

  Tom could just let her go. He could send her away. Then Farrah would come after him and he could have her arrested and put in jail where she belonged. It might be the only way.

  Why didn’t he want to do that though? He didn’t want Leah away from him. In fact, he wanted her closer.

  But if letting her go could save her…

  Dad came through the double doors. He held two large cups of coffee. He handed one to Tom.

  “Any more information?”

  “Not really. Leah is doing better. However, the redness hasn’t completely gone away and with the house being searched, I asked if she could stay an extra night and they agreed.”

  “Good. We’ve donated enough money to his hospital that she should be able to stay no questions asked.”

  Tom had never shared anything personal with his father, but he was about to do it now. He needed advice and answers, and something was telling him that Dad knew the answers he needed.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  He swallowed and licked his lips. “If you knew the only way to protect Mom was to let her go, would you have done it?”

  “What?” Dad tensed beside him.

  “I mean, Farrah wants me. She doesn’t really care about Leah. If I just send Leah away, then she’ll be safe.”

  “Oh.”

  “I don’t know what to do. My initial desire is to hold her closer. I-I don’t want to lose her.”

  Dad patted his knee then quickly removed his hand and put them both on his coffee cup. “You want my advice, do whatever you have to do to keep her close. Don’t let her go.” Dad rose from his seat and went to the window. His shoulders had drooped. Sadness seemed to overwhelm his entire being.

  “Dad?”

  His shoulders shook as if he was crying. Tom drew closer.

  Dad laughed under his breath in a way he would do when he tried to throw off the topic of conversation.

  “Dad, tell me. Please talk to me.”

  Air rushed between his slightly parted lips. “Your mother didn’t leave.”

  “She didn’t?” His heart was hammering loudly in his ears.

  “No, I-I sent her away.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Sure, we argued. Yes, she wanted more of my time. I should have given her that and more. But that wasn’t the reason she left. She left because they came for her.”

  “Who?”

  “She was from North Korea, but her family had defected to South Korea. When we met, she came to America with me, but her family was still in South Korea. They were doing well until her brother went across the border to rescue a friend. Then they found out where she was. They were coming for her. They knew how to find her because of my successful career. All the houses, the cars, the land, it brought them straight to our door. I wanted to protect her. I tried, I really did. But they kept coming. I moved her to a cabin in the woods. They found her. I moved her to another country, but I couldn’t go without seeing her, so they found her.” He ran his hands through his graying hair. “So, I let her go. I put her somewhere and I never contacted her again. It was the only way I could see to keep her safe.”

  “What did they want with her?”

  “They were going to take her back to North Korea and use all their powers of persuasion to find her father. He’d been high in government and knew some secrets that they didn’t want shared.”

  “Hadn’t he already shared them?”

  “According to him, no. He was keeping them until they were needed. But honestly, I don’t know.”

  “Wait, that means you know where Mom is.” Tom’s heart was pumping so hard he almost couldn’t breathe. Since he was ten years old, he’d wondered about his mother, and his dad had known the entire time and said nothing.

  “I do. She used to ask about you. Leaving you was her worst regret. But after I quit communicating with her…”

  “I know you’re still watching her.”

  Dad gave a sad smile. “I have been. But not often.”

  “Please, I need to see her. I-I want to see her.”

  Dad sighed. “I know, but we need to make sure that it is safe first. You understand, right?”

  Tom nodded. He might actually get to see his mother. She’d left for all their safety. Dad had given her up for her safety. Now he was in the same situation. Yet, Dad had said not to let Leah go.

  Dad had lived without the love of his life because of the threat. He didn’t want Tom to do the same. That left only one alternative.

  They had to find Farrah.

  ****

  Farrah had dyed her blond hair black. She almost looked exactly like Leah. She was wearing Leah’s clothes, and now she had her hair. This would ensure that Tom fell for her. But first she had other things to accomplish.

  The resin on the clothes had worked better than she’d expected. Landing Leah in the hospital so quickly had worked out even better than she could have planned.

  Wesley was set to go in and make her the offer at any moment. Farrah trained the camera on Wesley’s badge toward the bed. She turned up the sound.

  “How are we today, Miss Armstrong?”

  “Better.” Leah sat up in the bed. She tugged the covers up and asked to see the badge.

  Farrah held her breath. She should have put the camera somewhere else. Maybe on Wesley’s lapel. Or on a button.

  Leah handed it back and Farrah released her pent up breath.

  “Thank you.”

  “Of course.” Wesley took a seat and began to flip through the chart pretending that he knew what he was looking at.

  “Offer her the job, stupid. Just offer her the job.” Farrah’s voice echoed in the empty room.

  Wesley lowered the chart to his lap. “I read your proposal to the hospital.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was you in my E.D.”

  Red flushed her cheeks. Embarrassed by praise. Leave it to little Miss Leah to look even more beautiful because of her innocence.

  “I know that you’ve probably talked to other hospitals about your idea, but I’d like to hire you to work at the hospital in Spokane.”

  “In Washington state?”

  “Oh, yes. They could use a program like yours. Of course, you would need to go there for a while and set it up.”

  “Oh.”

  “And we have a more than decent pay package. Here’s the figure.” He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

  Farrah held her breath. Here it was. She was going to take the position and move away. Wesley was a great actor. She would need to hire him again in the future.

  Of course, the job was real, sort of. Leah would arrive in Spokane and all the details would be hashed out. Farrah had been assured of that. If not, then she would start spilling secrets.

  “That is a big number.”

  “I know. So, what do you think?”

  Leah shook her head. “Sorry, I really want to stay in this area.”

  “But the money…” Wesley looked shocked.

  Leah’s smile was small, but it was there. “Money isn’t everything.”

  Farrah lifted a book and threw it against the wall. She’d said no! How could she have said no! It made no sense!

  Wesley sat there saying nothing. His improv skills were just gone. It was as if he didn’t know what else to say.

  Farrah talked in his ear. “Tell her something. Why don’t you think about it? Anything. Then get out of there.”

  Another doctor was walking along the hallway. Wesley blurted something out and stumbled from the room.

  Leah leaned her head back against the pillow and mouthed the amount. She had been tempted, but Tom’s pull was too much.

  Farrah was out of ideas. The nuclear option might be all that was left.

  Death was so final…

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Leah had been offered the chance of a lifetime. The only problem was Tom wouldn’t be there to enjoy it with her. No matter what she said about helping others and making money it would mean nothing if Tom wasn’t there with her.