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Back A Flicker of Light
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

Her words came slow and thick. The shifter between the two front seats poked into Bea’s side, and her injured knee protested as she twisted and reached over to pull the socks and shoes from Grandma’s feet. She tossed them on the back seat, then grasped Grandma’s hands between her own, rubbing them briskly.

“What happened to him?” she asked.

“The people of Moose Creek told him of an enormous diamond hidden away on the mountain.” Grandma sounded far away. “The Big Sky Diamond. He stocked up on supplies . . . and strapped on his headlamp . . .”

Her voice trailed off, and Bea’s chest tightened. “And then what happened, Grandma? Tell me the story.”

Grandma leaned her head back against the seat.

“Please, Grandma.” Bea’s voice was small and thin. “Tell me the story.”

TWENTY-SIX

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Mitch cupped his cold hands in front of his mouth and blew on them. The temperature had continued to drop. He hurried into the house to find his dad. There was nowhere else his mother could be. They’d checked every possible hiding place outside once and every inch of the house twice. What had possessed her to leave? What had she been thinking?

His father hung up the landline phone with a fearful look in his eye. “That was the last of ’em, and they ain’t seen her neither. Said they’d call if she shows up.”

Mitch nodded slowly. That was that, then. Only one thing left to do.

He checked his phone. No service, but he’d spent enough time in this house to know where the sweet spots were. He moved to the back of the kitchen and leaned close to the window. Aha. Two bars. He quickly punched some buttons and held the phone to his ear.

It rang once. Twice.

“I’m still at the church, locking up,” Frank said. “Is Bea all right?”

Mitch’s blood froze. “What do you mean?”

Had Frank heard something about Bea? If anything happened to her, he would have only himself to blame.

“She wasn’t at the service this morning.”

“Oh, right. No, it’s my mother.”

“What happened?”

Mitch moved away from his father and lowered his voice. “She ran off. We can’t find her.”

“Oh my. Lord, protect her. Did you contact the sheriff?”

“Not yet. The department’s probably all tied up down at the interstate. I thought . . .”

His stomach clenched. Did he really want to do this? It was the stupid prayer chain that had first strained his relationship with Frank, back when Caroline got diagnosed. Frank had put the message out about Caroline’s sickness before Mitch could agree. Before Mitch was ready for the onslaught of people saying, “We’re praying for you,” and, “We’re so sorry to hear that.”