Frame-Up. Jill Elizabeth Nelson

going to. How about this one?” He began “Morning Has Broken.” A few chords into the song a clear, strong voice took up the words. A heartbeat later, a more youthful voice joined Laurel’s.

      “You two can sing.” David smiled big. “This is going to be fun.”

      Time drifted as they moved from one familiar favorite to the next—a few pop songs to please the teenager, but mostly praise choruses or old-fashioned hymns. At last, David pulled his hands from the keyboard and let out a slow breath. His guests echoed the soft sigh. Calm and peace enveloped the room. Rare commodities, especially under current circumstances.

      “I think,” Laurel said quietly, “this would be a good note on which to say good-night.” She nudged her daughter. “Good night, David. And thank you.”

      The gentle light in Laurel’s eyes played a tune on David’s insides.

      “Thanks, Mr. Greene,” Caroline said as she allowed herself to be guided away.

      The mild flurry of them changing the bedding and him lending them T-shirts and drawstring bottoms for sleepwear did little to disrupt the precious serenity.

      “Your peace in the midst of trouble is such a gift, God,” David said as he pulled the covers over himself in the cook’s bed.

      The mattress was harder than he liked and the pillow too thin, but he wasn’t about to complain. To God or to himself. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift.

      He’d come up to the mountains to be alone and seek the truth. That plan had taken a major detour. Now, he might believe the disruption was a blessing in disguise—except murder had once again invaded his life.

      No, he didn’t want to go there. He needed to hang on for dear life to the evening’s calm. But his thoughts had a mind of their own.

      A stark vision formed in his head. Pale hair cascaded across shiny black luggage. Blue eyes and red lips frozen open. The blouse twisted away from one shoulder. An etched mark beneath the bare collarbone. A tattoo!

      David lunged upright in bed, heart catching in his throat. The whole tattoo hadn’t been visible—maybe half. The rest remained covered by the blouse. He’d only idly noticed it, as he’d been absorbed with the shock of the discovery and the futile search for a pulse. His hand had nearly brushed the telltale mark.

      No wonder he’d had this feeling he needed to take another look at the body. His subconscious had registered what his consciousness had overlooked. He’d known one other woman with a similar tattoo in an identical spot. That woman was also dead, and he was suspected of killing her.

      THREE

      Lying flat in the cushy bed, Laurel stared into the dark. The wind wailed around the corner of the cabin, raging against denied entrance. No wonder people’s minds could slip when trapped in a storm. The constant drone tweaked every nerve.

      If she could relax, maybe she could sleep. Laurel rolled over onto her side. She’d dozed off for a while after they’d first turned in, but the reprieve from consciousness had been short-lived. No way would she get another wink tonight, despite the luxury of silken sheets and a down-filled pillow.

      That poor woman—murdered! What of Ms. Eldon’s family—her parents? As a mother, Laurel could imagine the pain of learning about the loss of a daughter to foul play. How awful for them! What would she do if she lost Caroline?

      Caroline.

      The name sighed through Laurel’s thoughts. The friction between them continued and had perhaps escalated. Why had Caroline never told her that she craved home-cooked meals—or that anything her mother made might be better off in the trash?

      So cooking wasn’t Laurel’s strong suit. She’d be the first to admit it, and the shortcoming hadn’t bothered her much. Until now. Caroline’s casual remark, comparing her abilities to those of a total stranger, had cut to the quick. Why had Caroline bonded with this suspected murderer with such ease when she could hardly offer her mother a civil word?

      Laurel could resent David for his charming ways that seemed to have mesmerized her daughter, but surely she wasn’t that petty. The pleasant atmosphere he’d gone out of his way to provide deserved high marks. His efforts went beyond simply being charming. Given his apparent prayer before the meal and his song repertoire, he might even be a fellow believer in Christ. Why did that idea dismay her rather than comfort her? Maybe because Christ-follower and murderer were two roles that didn’t reconcile.

      What was she to believe about this man? Perhaps the best she could do was to strive to withhold judgment. His guilt or innocence wasn’t her concern, after all. She had more pressing worries.

      When the sheriff arrived, what was going to happen to Caroline and her? How could she protect her daughter?

      God, have mercy!

      If that was the best prayer she could offer, she was a pitiful specimen. She couldn’t seem to muster so much as a mustard seed of faith to mix with pleas for help and guidance. How long had she been so dry spiritually?

      Too long. The answer echoed in her mind.

      From the tossing and turning on the other side of the bed, apparently Caroline wasn’t sleeping either. In fact, the girl seemed to be doing her best to maintain the greatest distance possible from her mother. Not a difficult task in this king-size bed.

      “Do you believe I might have done it?”

      The whispered question electrified the darkness.

      “Done what?”

      “You know.”

      Laurel’s heart wept. “Why would you ask such a thing, honey?”

      “You answered my question with a question. I guess that gives me my answer.”

      “No, sweetheart. I never suspected you for a minute.”

      Caroline snorted. “Yeah, but I’ll bet you had to analyze the situation for at least fifty-nine seconds before you made up your mind what you were going to believe. You never accept anyone or anything at face value.”

      Laurel caught her breath. Was this how Caroline viewed her mother’s carefully cultivated caution and prudence? How could Laurel correct that perception? The solution to that problem would have to wait. Caroline needed reassurance right now.

      “I know you, baby girl. There’s nothing in you capable of doing...whatever was done to Ms. Eldon.”

      Her daughter sighed. “But you think I’m manifesting deep-seated abandonment issues.” Caroline bracketed the last half of her sentence in a tone that mimicked Laurel’s dictation voice following a professional counseling session.

      The accusing words jabbed at Laurel, but she firmed her insides. “We had this discussion in the car. Are you saying there’s no possibility that Emily’s leaving hasn’t opened up some emotional scar tissue that you didn’t realize was there?”

      “I don’t know, Mom.” The words emerged as a miserable whine. “I’m going to try to get some sleep.” The girl rolled over, presenting her back to her mother.

      Laurel swallowed a foul lump in her throat. What fine-sounding psychobabble had she spouted? Such statements sounded wise and understanding during her public talks, but in the wee hours of the morning in this demented situation, they fell flat. Had her mission and ministry amounted to no more than empty air?

      A noise grabbed Laurel’s attention. Was that the front door closing? She hadn’t heard their host leave his bedroom up the hall from theirs. The barest waft of chilly air moved through the room, and the hairs on her arms stood to attention.

      David or an intruder? How would the latter be possible in the middle of the night in this storm? Laurel sat up.

      “Do you hear someone in the living room?”

      Caroline yawned but didn’t stir. “Must be