Chapters (62)
- Cover
- A PENNY
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- A Sample Chapter of Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels
- About the Author
- Other Books by Mindy Starns Clark
- About the Publisher
“So why are you here, Callie?” she asked, a hint of the abrupt Judith sounding in her voice. “Come to gloat over the way you managed to solve your little case? Tie up all the loose ends, as it were? I’ll give you this, you surprised me. I didn’t think you’d be able to do it.”
“If you didn’t think I could do it,” I replied, “then why did you bother searching my room?”
She shrugged.
“Same reason I went through your briefcase. To keep tabs on you. To make sure you weren’t finding out anything you shouldn’t.”
Our eyes met, former enemies surveying the remains on the field from opposite sides of the battle.
“There’s just one loose end I’m worried about,” I said. “It’s from our conversation on Monday when we first met.”
“In Daddy’s office? What, you want to know what I was looking for in there? Take a guess. I wanted to make sure Daddy didn’t have any information about the account transfers from Feed the Need. I’d had a feeling he had figured out what was going on. I just wanted to make sure the cops didn’t run across anything incriminating. Not that it made any difference in the end.”
“That’s not why I’m here,” I said, “but thanks for clearing that up.”
“What then?”
“I’m talking about the part where you told me that you didn’t believe in God. That Christianity wasn’t for you.”
“Ah,” she said slowly, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. “First my missionary brother and now you. Why, today, is the whole world suddenly so concerned about my soul?”
Much to my amazement, I thought I could see a hint of a tear glistening in the corner of her eye. I took a deep breath, praying that God had used this difficult time to prepare her heart.
“Because we know that deep inside you’re searching for something. Something we’ve already found.”
“I’ve heard this sermon all my life. Why should I choose to listen to it now?”
“What’s wrong with now?” I replied. “Jesus is right where He’s always been, Judith. Standing at the door, knocking. Waiting for you to let Him in.”
Our eyes met and held. Watching her, I could see that years of angry defiance were melting away from her face. She was a strong person, full of resolve, finally brought to her knees by her own misdeeds. Perhaps she was ready to take that next step.
“How could you not want what God has to offer you, Judith? Peace. Forgiveness. Love.”
“Peace? I don’t know what that is.”