Beyond a Veil: a novella about life during death

By Ron Frazer

Beyond a Veil is the story of Max and Lori Sashinian who struggle to make ends meet in a rustbelt town. She is an attorney in a law firm with few clients while he is a novelist who has never made anyone's best seller list. Sophia, their eight-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome, is abducted and murdered as the story opens, leading to a cascade of difficulties and spiritual growth.

It sounds like a depressing tale, but the emphasis is on Lori's spiritual journey. While Lori rapidly loses everything that was once important to her, with the help of her deceased daughter and grandmother who work together as her spiritual tutors, she learns to put her physical tests into perspective and discovers what is ultimately important in this life and the next. Throughout the story, her tutors teach her about the oneness of all creation while Lori develops her psychic abilities and struggles with her increasing physical disability.

This book will change the way you look at life, death, dying and life after death experiences. As Lori adjusts to each new situation that life throws at her, you will find that you are able to take a more light-hearted approach to your own problems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crimson Woman Publishing
• Release date: Feb 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524254278

Ron Frazer

Ron Frazer's novels are written for women who have lived long enough to have a few regrets, He has studied religion and psychology for the last forty years, so his books always have an intimate, spiritual element that is always positive, often involving women taking control of their lives, even entire countries. Every book celebrates women as a positive force in their culture.Ron has traveled widely in 29 countries, lived in four of them and in several US states. He doesn't consider himself an expert on women, but, having been married three times with three adult daughters, probably has learned more about their concerns than have most men. He has been an engineer, a yoga teacher, a financial planner, a photographer, and a computer security researcher. Along the way, he accumulated four college degrees, but could never figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up.Follow Ron on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RonFrazerAuthor, or read first chapters of each novel at www.ronfrazer.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

What do you mean, 'She's not there.'? Lori Sashinian screams into her cell phone, Where the hell is she?

Jorge Albinsonia looks at Annette, his seven-year-old daughter, who is making herself a sandwich for lunch. The little girl looks up then shrugs. I'm sorry, Lori. When Annette woke up this morning, Sophia was gone. Her bed was made. We just assumed that she had gone home for some reason.

While still talking to Jorge, Lori rushes upstairs to check Sophia's room. The room is exactly as it was when Lori cleaned it yesterday.

What's going on? asks Max, Lori's husband.

Sophia's missing! … Jorge, I'm coming over. Lori dashes out the front door with her cell phone in her hand.

Max searches their house, looking in all of Sophia's favorite hiding places. He rushes from bedroom to bedroom, throwing open all the closets. He even checks under the bathroom vanity where Sophia once fell asleep on the towels, providing Max and Lori with a heart-stopping hour of searching.

As Lori races along the sidewalk toward Jorge's house, she sees Sophia's purple Dora the Explorer backpack lying on the driveway of the house next door. She picks it up, opens it, finding only what she would expect: Sophia's cell phone, a few books, a favorite doll, and Sophia's toothbrush and toothpaste. Panic-stricken, she continues to Jorge's house, three houses from her own.

Jorge is standing at the open door when she arrives. Annette and I have been talking. We can't imagine what happened, says Jorge as they walk into the living room. The girls went to bed around ten. My brother was here babysitting. This morning, Annette saw Sophia's bed was made. She heard the TV, so she came out here expecting to find Sophia watching TV with Alberto. He was by himself, stretched out on the sofa, asleep. He said he'd fallen asleep watching TV. They decided that she must have gotten up early and gone home.

Is Alberto here?

Jorge shakes his head. No. He left an hour ago.

I found this in a neighbor's driveway. Lori holds out the backpack.

She had that with her last night, says Annette.

Can I see your room? Lori asks.

Annette gives a follow me sign with her hand, then heads down the hall. Lori follows her as if in a dream, imagining her daughter walking these same steps a few hours before. She passes through the door that Annette is holding open. Her eyes sweep the typical little girl bedroom, dolls, books, clothes scattered on the floor, two twin beds, one neat, the other unmade. She kneels beside the bed in which Sophia had slept, then lays her hand on the blanket, hoping her daughter's warmth will still be there. It isn't. Feeling like she could explode any second, she closes her eyes for a moment to calm herself.

Is there anything else you can tell me, Annette? Did you girls talk to anyone else? Could Sophia have gone to another friend's house? Was she feeling well?

We didn't talk to anyone. We had a great time—watched a Disney movie and went to bed a little after ten. Then we talked and laughed for a while until I fell asleep. When I woke up, her bed was just like that.

Jorge is standing at the bedroom door, a look of distress on his face. Lori pushes past him saying, Sorry. I've got to go. Give me Alberto's phone number.

Sure. It's 789-3011,

Thanks.

She runs back home, finding Max in the front yard, looking up and down the street. She holds out the backpack. This was on the Robertson's driveway. Annette says she was gone when she woke up this morning.

Max dials 911. The dispatcher takes the information, then says a car is on its way. They go to the kitchen to wait for the police. Lori tries to pour herself a cup of coffee, but she is shaking too much; the coffee sloshes on the counter. Max takes the cup from her, helps her to a seat at the kitchen table, refills her cup, then places it before her. She doesn't try to pick it up, choosing to rest her head in her hands, her elbows on the table. She starts to cry.

Max rubs her shoulders for a minute, then walks back and forth between Lori and the kitchen sink where he glances out the window at the street. He goes to the front door, opens it, looks outside, then leaves the door open as he walks back to the kitchen. Back at the sink, he anxiously looks through the window once more, then notices that there's one cup left in the coffee-maker. He is about to pour a cup when a police cruiser pulls up to the curb.

They're here, he says, then bounds to the front door with Lori following. They stand there fidgeting for an anxious minute before the police exit the cruiser, then walk briskly to the front door.

You called about a missing child? says the older of the two policemen. His nameplate reads, Hammersmith.

Yes, please come in, says Lori, turning to walk into the living room.

The four of them sit on two couches that face each other. Lori repeats everything that Annette and Jorge told her earlier. She shows the patrolmen the backpack found on the neighbor's driveway.

Without touching it, Sergeant Hammersmith says, Don't handle the backpack any further. We'll have our people examine it. He takes out a notepad and pen. I need to get some information about Sophia."

He asks two dozen questions about Sophia, her appearance, clothing and whatever items she might have with her. While answering, Lori goes to a sideboard in the dining room and retrieves Sophia's school photo.

How recent is this? says Hammersmith.

It was taken a few months ago, says Max.

Hammersmith studies the photo, then hands it to the other officer. Your daughter has Down Syndrome?

Lori's body stiffens. Yes. Is that an issue?

I'm just wondering how competent she is on her own.

Lori and Max look at each other. Lori says, She's quite high-functioning and very responsible for an eight-year-old.

Good. I'm sure you've already made some calls, but continue calling anyone who might know where she is—her friends, teachers, any other contacts. The most likely event is that she is with some other friend, but we will start searching immediately. A detective will contact you soon.

Besides calling her friends, what should we be doing? Max asks.

You can drive to some places that she likes to visit, but be very careful. You're very upset—that's understandable—so you're not the best drivers at the moment. If there is a friend who could drive you, that would be much safer. That will allow you to put your full attention on looking for Sophia.

Lori looks at Max for a moment, then says, We can get Jorge to drive us around. Annette can be an extra pair of eyes.

Hammersmith hands both of them a business card. When you find her, give me a call. I've got your number if we find her first.

As Max shows the police to the door, Lori is already on the phone to Jorge.

A few minutes later, they are in Jorge's SUV. Lori is in the front seat. Max and Annette are in the rear. Lori and Max are on their phones for the first half hour, talking to the parents of Sophia's friends, her teacher, and people at their church. Annette is directing her dad to the homes of friends, the park where they sometimes played, and a corner convenience store where they often bought snacks.

They drive, then drive again, along each street in the small town until dark. There is no sign of Sophia, nor is there any indication that she has been in contact with anyone within the last twenty-four hours.

As Jorge drops them off at their home, Lori's cell rings.

"Mrs. Sashinian, this is Madalyn Vickery. I'm the detective who works with Sergeant Hammersmith.