Tides of Deception (Samantha Rite Mystery Series Book 3) Read online

  Tides of Deception

  Samantha Rite Series Book 3

  Hope Callaghan

  FIRST EDITION

  hopecallaghan.com

  Copyright © 2014

  All rights reserved

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  This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

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  Meet The Author

  Hope Callaghan is an author who loves to write Christian books, especially Christian Mystery and Cozy Mystery books. She has written more than 40 mystery books (and counting) in four series.

  Born and raised in a small town in West Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her husband.

  She is the proud mother of one daughter and a stepdaughter and stepson. When she's not doing the thing she loves best - writing books - she enjoys cooking, traveling and reading books.

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  Email: [email protected]

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  Table of Contents

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  Meet The Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  EPILOGUE

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  Chapter 1

  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:20-21. KJV

  Michel Dubois stepped out of the Kent County Jail and into the brisk fall air. He took a deep breath. It sure was good to be back on the outside. Two weeks behind bars was not his idea of a good time.

  He pulled the unmarked envelope from his pocket. Whoever just posted his bail left a note behind. He slowly opened the envelope and unfolded the single piece of paper.

  Meet me at 7:00 tonight at the red sculpture downtown.

  He swallowed nervously. So they finally tracked him down, he thought. He glanced around before pulling out his wallet. There was exactly $187 dollars inside. Not enough for a plane ticket. Probably not even enough for a bus ride out of this town. But maybe enough to buy a gun.

  Chances are, they were going to get him soon but not before he took care of a little unfinished business. First, he had to find that gun.

  He stepped out onto the sidewalk and turned right. It was as good a direction as any. The streets were the streets. Eventually, someone would come along that could steer him in the right direction.

  He walked two blocks before telltale signs of the seedy side of the city started to appear. There were two pawn shops within a block of each other. A mission for the homeless sat in between.

  Michel glanced down an alleyway that led to nowhere. He walked another block before seeing another side street. He paused for a moment. This one looked as good as any.

  The alley was narrow. Tall brick buildings ran along both sides.

  Up ahead, a big metal dumpster sat blocking the path. Michel gave it a shove as he squeezed by the stinky trash bin. The smell of rotting fish filled the air.

  At the end of the alley, he paused, no longer sure which way to turn. It was then he heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind him. He whirled around, scanning the alley he just passed through. There was no one there.

  A shiver of fear crept up his spine. He turned left and picked up the pace, walking swiftly in the direction of the main street. The eerie feeling he was being followed wouldn’t go away. If only I had that gun.

  Up ahead, he could see cars speeding by and people hustling down the sidewalk. He was almost there.

  Suddenly, a bulky figure stepped out of the shadows. It grabbed his arm, yanking him into the dark doorway. A sharp pain pierced his skull. Right before losing consciousness, he realized he’d been shot. On his way down, he got a clear look at the shooter’s familiar face.

  Sam pushed a long strand of dark hair out of her weary eyes as she bent down to tape the moving box shut. Thankfully, she was almost done and this was her last room. Even better, she was down to her last couple boxes.

  She rubbed her aching shoulder as she straightened. She looked around the compact kitchen deciding what to tackle next. This was one of her least favorite things to do in the whole world – pack. Her least favorite thing in the world was actually moving. That was definitely worse. She slowly shook her tired head. What did I get myself into?

  But Sam knew the answer. She also knew that this move would be one of the best things she’d done in years.

  Lee was worth all this misery. A smile lifted the corners of her lips. Lee would be here soon. The plan was for Lee to fly to Michigan and then drive the moving truck to Florida while she and Brianna followed behind in her car.

  She hadn’t seen him since returning to Michigan several weeks ago. They talked on the phone every single day but it wasn’t the same as being with him. Not by a long shot.

  Sam knew he missed her just as much as she missed him. She also suspected he had a motive for calling all the time. He didn’t come right out and say it, but he was making sure she stayed focused on the move and didn’t get cold feet.

  Sam prayed long and hard before making this life-changing decision, seeking God’s guidance every step of the way. And everything was moving fast. At lightning speed, actually. Her townhouse was snapped up in less than a week on the market. After she was sure her home was sold, she put in a request for a job transfer. Once again, thanks to the hand of God, approval came right away.

  Sam was surprised at how calm she had been so far. God was working it all out. That meant He found the perfect buyer for her house, approval for her job transfer and now she was moving to Florida.

  Her phone began vibrating and Sam’s thoughts were interrupted. It was her daughter, Brianna.

  Sam quickly answered, thankful for a small reprieve from the endless packing. “Hey there.”

  A bubbly young voice answered back. “Hi Mom. What’re you doing?”

  Sam let out a long sigh as she looked around the room. “What I’ve been doing every day for the last week! Packing!”

&n
bsp; “Wow! You should almost be done by now. You don’t have that much stuff!”

  Sam snorted. “You’d be surprised!”

  Brianna grinned into the phone. She knew how much her mom hated packing and moving. There was a reason for her call. She hesitated for a moment, still undecided on whether or not she should mention this to her mom. Before she could change her mind, she took a deep breath and blurted out, “Dad called.”

  Sam stopped what she was doing, all ears to what her daughter just said. “Oh really…”

  “He wants to take me to dinner tonight,” Bri quickly added. She held her breath, waiting for her mom’s reaction.

  There was a long silence as Sam let the news sink in. Well, well, well. So he’s finally coming around. It would serve him right if Brianna told him to get lost!

  As much as Sam would love for her daughter to tell him to go fly a kite, she knew deep down it would be so wrong. Live by example, Sam. What are you teaching your daughter if you remain bitter and unforgiving?

  There were so many Bible verses that came to mind about forgiving others but one in particular popped into her head:

  “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 ESV

  Sam took a deep breath. “I think that’s a great idea … and you should go,” she slowly answered.

  Brianna was a little surprised. Her mom and dad had a less-than-amicable divorce. Not that she faulted her mom. Her dad had an affair with someone from his office. The whole town knew about it before Sam. By the time her mom found out, there was no chance in saving the marriage. Her dad married the “other woman” shortly after the divorce.

  Brianna’s father, Anthony, rarely contacted his daughter these days so the call surprised Sam. Deep down, she loved her dad but was having a hard time forgiving him for cheating on her mom and hurting them both.

  “You do?” Bri asked doubtfully.

  The more Sam thought about it, the more she decided it was a good idea. After all, they would soon be living hundreds of miles away. Any chance for father and daughter to repair the relationship needed to be worked on now.

  “Yes. Absolutely,” Sam firmly replied. What was done - was done. It was time to move on. God would not want Brianna – or Sam – to hold a grudge and not forgive him.

  “He’s your father. He loves you and you need that relationship with him. God would want us to make amends and forgive him.”

  Bri knew deep down her mom was right. She was proud of her for being the bigger person.

  With that, Sam made her promise to call after the dinner date was over. When she hung up, Sam bowed her head and prayed a silent prayer for restoration for her daughter’s relationship with her earthly father.

  She was determined not to dwell on it, knowing she’d done the right thing. With that, she turned her attention back to the miserable task at hand as she grabbed another box off the counter.

  The last few dishes waiting to be packed needed to be handled carefully. They were her grandmother’s delicate tea set. It was one of the few priceless treasures she inherited from her beloved “Gram.”

  Sam gently set the dishes on the counter and grabbed a newspaper from the top of the pile. She placed the dish in the center of the paper and began to fold the edges over. As she finished folding the last corner around the fragile china, something in the paper caught her eye.

  It was a picture. The face looked familiar. Hmmm. Sam unfolded the newspaper and set the cup back on the counter a safe distance from the edge. She spread the newspaper out and leaned in to get a closer look.

  Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open as she recognized the person in the picture. She grabbed her reading glasses as she bent down to read the small print:

  “Man’s Body Found Floating in the Grand River.”

  Sam’s pulse started to race as she quickly read the story underneath:

  “A man’s body was found floating in the Grand River yesterday morning by a local fisherman. Police suspect foul play. An autopsy will need to be performed but it appears the man was shot at close range and his body dumped in the river. There was no identification found on the body but police have positively identified him. The man had been released from Kent County jail late last night after posting bond. Our office was able to obtain a copy of the original arrest record. It appears he was being held on kidnapping charges and assault on a police officer. His name is being withheld pending notification of immediate family.”

  The article continued. “The Grand Rapids Police Department is looking for help from the public. If you have any information about the unidentified man or were near the Grand River earlier this morning and witnessed any unusual activity, the police are asking you contact them.”

  Sam’s mind was reeling. She plopped down in the chair with a loud thud. Michel was dead. Someone had murdered Michel!

  Sam forced herself to remain calm. I need to call Lee! With trembling hands, she dialed his cell phone. He picked up on the second ring.

  She got right to the point. “Michel is dead.”

  There was momentary silence on the other end before Lee replied. “Are you sure?”

  Sam nodded, as if he could see her. “It’s on the front page of today’s newspaper. There’s even a picture of his mug shot.” She quickly read the article to him.

  Lee didn’t sound as shocked as Sam. “So they got him. I’m not surprised.”

  Sam swallowed hard, a sliver of fear crept into her voice. “Do you think I’m in danger again?”

  Lee paused thoughtfully. He needed to be careful not to scare her out of her mind. But on the other hand, he also didn’t want her dismissing it as nothing.

  “Well, we don’t know for certain but I doubt it. The killers were never after you. They obviously know by now you don’t have the map.”

  He went on. “Today’s your last day in the house, right?”

  Sam nodded again. “Yeah, I’ll be staying with my sister until you get here next week.”

  “That’s probably a good idea.” Lee paused. “If they were after you, they would’ve gone straight from Michel to you. Sounds like they were just settling the score.”

  Sam interrupted. “But what about you? You’re looking for their treasure. Won’t you be a target now?”

  Lee couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah, there’s a good chance they’ll be after us. We’ll have to be extra cautious.”

  Sam was really worried now – not for her own safety but for Lee’s. “When’s the next time you and Donovan are going back out to search for the treasure?”

  “We can’t go until Monday. They put both of us on a small case down here. Nothing big. Just tracking down a ring of drug smugglers off the Gulf Coast.”

  She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Well that didn’t make me feel any better!”

  Lee laughed as he thought about what he’d just said. “Yeah, it probably didn’t,” he admitted. “We’ll be fine. We have plenty of back up on this one.”

  He changed the subject. “Have you talked to Gabby lately?”

  “No. I need to give her a call. She’s been so nice to me. I feel guilty.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Sam. You just have to take Gabby in small doses – unless of course you’re moving in with her…”

  Sam and Bri would be staying with her friend, Gabby. Sam had met her on a cruise earlier in the year. Gabby was also dating Lee’s best friend, Donovan.

  To describe Gabby as annoying was an understatement, but she had a heart of gold. Just the fact that she offered to let them stay with her while they looked for a place to live was amazing. After all, she didn’t know her that well and it wasn’t like they were best friends.

  Sam was grateful for the gesture. She was also working on cutting Gabby some slack.

  Lee shook his head in wonderment. “Boy, Donovan sure is taken with her. It’s hard to believe, but I think those two might be getting
serious.”

  All along Sam thought they might be a good match but she never could’ve predicted this. He was a confirmed 40-something bachelor. Donovan getting serious – especially with someone like Gabby - was nothing short of a miracle.

  But there was no way she would ever admit that to Lee. “See? I told you those two were perfect for each other!”

  “I’ll give her a call after we hang up,” she promised. “Just to check in.”

  She went on. “So we should be down there on Wednesday? I want to let her know when to expect us.”

  Lee confirmed and after a few more minutes said he had to get back to work.

  As Sam hung up the phone, she closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for his protection.

  Talking to Gabby was never a quick five minute conversation so Sam finished packing up her last couple boxes, grabbed a cup of tea and headed out to the back patio to take a much-needed break. The fall air was cool and crisp. Sam caught a slight whiff of burning leaves. Never a fan of the pungent smell, she wrinkled her nose in dismay.

  She inwardly sighed as she dialed Gabby’s number. Gabby picked up on the first ring. “Hey ya’ Sam! How’s it goin’?”

  “Just finished packing, Gabby. I hope you’re ready for us next Wednesday!”

  “Oh yeah! Yeah! No problem, Sam! I can’t wait for the company. You know, I was just tellin’ Donovan how much I was lookin’ forward to havin’ someone to talk to.”

  “You know, girl talk and stuff!”

  Sam wanted to check one last time. “Gabby, are you sure this won’t be a problem – Brianna and I coming to stay with you while we look for a place of our own?”

  Gabby was adamant. “Heck no! I think it’ll be GREAT! I can’t wait to see you.”

  For good measure, she added, “You can stay as long as you want. No worries!”

  Sam felt guilty again. Gabby’s generosity made her feel petty sometimes. Just because she was a little louder and brasher than Sam…