The Case of the Sin City Sister (35 page)
Eve slumped a bit in her seat. She knew what he was saying was true, and she knew that if she was waiting for what the doctors were going to say about his condition to help her make her decision to stay or go back to Pecos, then she wasn’t really being fair to Jackson or to her superiors at the monastery.
“There are some mysteries we will never solve, but there are others we could find an answer to; we just sometimes don’t want to search deep enough.”
Jackson reached over and opened the car door, slid his legs out, and stood up. He leaned back in to say one last thing.
“But that kind of thing nobody can choose for you. You’ve got to choose that for yourself, even if it’s a mystery to everybody else around. You choose for yourself.”
He shut the door and coughed a few times and then slowly headed for the office.
Eve waited a second, watching him as he walked away. She glanced up at the rosary hanging from the rearview mirror of the truck, and then, somehow feeling a new resolve, she stepped out of the truck and followed after him.
J
ANUARY
3, 1891
Caleb was halfway home. He was tired and broke. The roommate had stolen everything he had, including his name. It turned out the man calling himself Red was running from a past and looking for a future. He wasn’t from Oregon like he said he was; he was from Texas, Lubbock, Texas, and he was real trouble. The young man from North Carolina didn’t realize it until it was too late: Red making debts, staking claims, and, worst of all, getting married—all under the name of Caleb Alford.
The miner walked along the wagon trail, the winter wind strong and biting. His coat was threadbare, his fingers and toes frostbitten. He knew his chances of making it all the way to North Carolina without any money and in the worst season for travel were slim, but he couldn’t stay in New Mexico. He loved his wife, missed his family, and he was a wanted man. He had killed Red and left his body in the mine where they had worked. He knew it
wouldn’t be long before the law would realize he was the killer and come find him. He had to get home, had to get as far away from Madrid as he could.
Caleb felt for the bag he had in his pocket, the small one where he kept the necklace he had made for Claire. He’d wrapped it in a handkerchief, along with a note asking that it be sent to his wife in case he was found dead somewhere along the trail. It was the only thing Red Farley hadn’t taken from him, and he could only hope that somebody would get it to Claire along with the news of his death and the news that he was trying to make his way back to her, trying to make his way home.
The young man stumbled along, knowing he couldn’t make it much farther. He stopped and sat down by the frozen river, hoping just to rest and then keep walking. He leaned against a large stone, closed his eyes, and thought of Claire. He smiled, seeing her smile, hearing her voice calling him, feeling her warm arms around him.
“I’m coming,” he said as the clouds gathered above him. “I’m coming home,” he whispered just as the snow began to fall.
1. Caleb Alford was searching for information about his great grandfather’s disappearance. As you reflect upon your own family history, are there any unsolved mysteries involving members of your family? Throughout the years, was there anyone who left home and was never heard from again?
2. In your family history, what stories interest you the most? Is there a family member from generations before who you feel connected to?
3. The book is about the relationship of biological sisters, the bond they share. Do you have a sister? What is your relationship with her like? If you don’t have a sister, did you always feel like you missed out by not having one?
4. The story primarily takes place in Las Vegas and it’s truly “a fish out of water” story for a nun from New Mexico. Have you ever visited Las Vegas? What do you remember most about the city?
5. Sister Eve still seems unsure about her vocation as a nun. What choice do you think she will ultimately make? Why?
6. Daniel assists Eve in solving the mystery of the missing sister, what is his relationship with Eve? With Dorisanne?
7. Dorisanne left a book with clues in her apartment, who do you think she expected to find it? Do you think she imagined her sister would come to Vegas to search for her?
8. What does “family” mean to Eve?
9. We never learn how the contemporary Caleb got the strand of turquoise. What do you think happened? Who sent them to him?
10. What does riding on a motorcycle mean to Sister Eve?
I am deeply grateful to the staff at HarperCollins Christian Publishing/Fiction Division. Thank you especially to Ami McConnell, Daisy Hutton, Karli Jackson, Katie Bond, and Kerri Potts. A special thanks to Deborah Wiseman, the world’s best copyeditor! It’s awesome to work with you all.
Lynne Hinton is the New York Times bestselling author of
Friendship Cake
and
The Art of Arranging Flowers
, along with sixteen other books. She holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. She has served as hospice chaplain, church pastor, and retreat leader. Lynne is a regular columnist with
The Charlotte Observer
. A native of North Carolina, she lives with her husband and dog in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit Lynne’s website at
www.lynnehinton.com
and Facebook:
Lynne-Hinton-Books
.