Hidden in the Wall. Valerie Hansen

probably why my parents refuse to use it,” she said over her shoulder. “Just one more reason to scold me.”

      “I gathered J.T. was reading you the riot act about hiring me.”

      “Hey, if it wasn’t that, it would be something else. I never have been able to please Dad. That’s just how it is. Unfortunately, I’m not perfect.”

      “You don’t have to be perfect, Steff. Not for your friends.” He closed the distance between them as they entered the break room. “And especially not for God. If He required that His children be perfect to be acceptable to Him, none of us would make it. Which reminds me.”

      “Uh-oh. You sound serious. Should I run?”

      Trevor laughed. “No. I just remembered that Alicia needs help several evenings next week for VBS. Maybe you could volunteer.”

      “For what?”

      “Vacation Bible School. She made the mistake of offering her services and they put her in charge of snacks.”

      “I never bake cookies,” Steff replied.

      “You wouldn’t have to. All you’d have to do is pour punch and hand out the cookies. You can handle that, can’t you?” He grinned. “It would really help Alicia. I know she needs more willing workers.”

      “Willing? Well, that lets me out,” Steff quipped. She raised her eyebrows and looked at him askance. “Are you going to be there, too?”

      “Yes, but only as a temporary teacher. They roped me into taking the class of six-year-olds because I’m used to watching my sister’s kids. I’ll be lucky if I survive.”

      His candor made her laugh lightly. “I’ll think about it, okay? I’m not much for churchgoing.”

      “Why not?”

      She shrugged, feeling a little ill at ease. “I don’t know. Probably because I never saw the need. My parents went to church regularly, though. Dad spent his time looking for business prospects and Mom went to show off her jewelry and fancy clothes. As soon as I was brave enough to speak for myself, I stopped going with them.”

      “That’s not what it’s all about,” Trevor said. There was a warmth, a gentleness, in his gaze that made her tremble.

      All she added before purposely changing the subject was “If you say so.”

      Steff was glad for the diversion of the monthly potluck supper she and some of her college friends had started again after the reunion. Although she was so emotionally frazzled from being near Trevor and from all the strange goings-on at work, she wished it wasn’t her turn to host it.

      Looking around her pristine condo, she was thankful the cleaning staff had done such a good job, not that her home was ever messy. Unlike the grandeur and almost-Victorian decor of her parents’ mansion, her condo was simply furnished in mostly off-white and pale shades of mauve, and displayed the reserved elegance she preferred.

      If Trevor ever saw the place he’d probably tell her it was too neat, she mused, although Alicia hadn’t said anything derogatory when she’d stopped by a week or so ago.

      The doorbell chimed. Steff smoothed her bejeweled T-shirt over the hips of her designer jeans and went to answer.

      “Cassie! Jennifer!” she said with a grin. “Come in, come in. You’re the first ones here.”

      Cassie headed straight for the kitchen. “I made a soufflé but it fell, so I stopped to get a pizza. Hope you don’t mind?”

      “Not at all,” Steff said. “Actually, I picked up a quiche from the Mossy Oak Inn on my way home.”

      “That’s our Steff,” Jennifer teased. “Always first-class. You’ll have us spoiled yet.”

      “Yeah,” Cassie added with a giggle.

      Steff made a silly face. “Knock it off, you two. I only went to the inn because it’s so close to my office.”

      “All I brought was a salad, and it’s a good thing,” Jennifer said. “I had car trouble and Cassie had to give me a ride over. Is Kate coming?”

      “Far as I know. I invited Alicia, too. I hope y’all don’t mind.”

      “Not us,” Cassie said with a sly smile. “You have to keep Trevor’s baby sister happy, right?”

      Steff took a playful swipe at her outspoken friend. “I asked Alicia because she’s been too busy to connect very well since she moved back to Magnolia Falls.”

      “Right. And her handsome brother has nothing to do with it.”

      “That’s right.” Steff did her best to stifle a silly grin that kept trying to lift the corners of her mouth. “Besides, I see plenty of Trevor at work. I told you I’d hired him to remodel my office, didn’t I?”

      “You certainly did. Several times,” Cassie teased. “How’s that going, anyway?”

      “Just fine.” Remembering the initial and dabs of what had looked like blood that she and Trevor had found hidden in the office wall, Steff grew solemn and added, “For the most part.”

      “Uh-oh.”

      She waved her hands in dismissal. “No, no. It was nothing, really. We just…” She hesitated. “Never mind.”

      Both her friends leaned closer, eager to hear more. “No way,” Jennifer said. “You can’t start a story and stop in the middle like that. What happened? Did he make a pass at you or something?”

      “Of course not! We found a funny thing inside the wall, that’s all.”

      “Like what?”

      “Yeah, like what?”

      Steff took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “It was an initial. Somebody drew the letter P or R on the inside of the wallboard. It looked as if it was written by a finger dipped in something. And there were drops of what looked like blood splattered around near the outer edge of the piece, too.”

      “Eeew.” Cassie made a face. “As my students would say, that’s totally gross.”

      “I agree. But Trevor wasn’t at all concerned, so we threw it away. I really wish we hadn’t.”

      “What? You didn’t give it to the police? Why not?”

      “It’s a long story.”

      The doorbell sounded again before Steff could elaborate and she hurried to answer. “Alicia! Come in. I was just telling Cassie and Jennifer that I’d invited you.” Steff guided her through the living room to the kitchen. “You can put your casserole on top of the stove. I want to give Kate a few more minutes to get here before we eat.”

      “Fine.” Alicia smiled at the others. “So, what’s new with y’all?”

      Cassie answered. “Actually, Steff was just telling us about something weird she found in her office wall.”

      “You mean, the initial?”