Blue-Eyed Ruse

By Ginny Frings

"What a nightmare..." Jake says as one day bleeds into the next. Murders are happening all across the nation... why? Is this a series of freak isolated incidents or by design? Characters in this story cross paths... coincidence? Maybe or maybe not... that is for the reader to determine... and decide whether to answer the S.O.S call...

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491728284

Ginny Frings

Ginny Frings, Ph.D. is a published author, professional speaker, television producer, and academic researcher. She leads workshops on perseverance, seeking God's purpose for your life, and communicating effectively. She is the author of Navigate with God study on perseverance and numerous articles. Ginny enjoys gourmet cooking, exercising, and gardening. Each year, she travels with her family and integrates their destinations into her writing. Dr. Frings lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and their three children. Connect online at ginnyfrings.com or facebook.com/ginnyfrings

Book preview

BLUE-EYED RUSE

Copyright © 2014 Ginny Frings, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-2829-1 (sc)

ISBN:978-1-4917-2828-4 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 06/05/2014

Contents

From the Author…

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Reunited? Yes. Reconciled? Well, maybe…

Chapter 2

Like the saying goes… There is a time to live and a time to die…

Chapter 3

A time for renewal…

Chapter 4

Until Death Do We Part…

Chapter 5

Life’s a day at the beach… or is it…

Chapter 6

After the dark… comes the light

Chapter 7

The gifts…

Chapter 8

On island time…

Chapter 9

Lowering the boom… really?

Chapter 10

Going home…

Chapter 11

The S.O.S call…

Chapter 12

The ruse…

Chapter 13

Out with the old and in with the new…

Epilogue

From the Author…

The idea for this book came to mind while I was driving to work one evening on my way to teach a class at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. After working on this manuscript for three years, I have come to recognize the purpose for this novel series… to invite you, the reader, to discover the reality of spiritual gifts… And, to recognize that spiritual warfare happens continually all around us. The supernatural phenomena within this story as well as the sequels will cause you to think… to wonder… to seek… and to understand…

There is mystery in the message—

Ginny

Acknowledgements

Persevering to write the first book of this series has come easily on some days… while not so easily at other times. I am grateful to all of you who have helped me along the way by sharing your prayers, inspiration, wisdom, knowledge, and insights during the years of writing Blue-Eyed Ruse. Thank you for joining me on the journey:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—What can I say? You and Your gifts inspired me to share this story.

Michael, Eric, Faith, and Kristen—You have listened, encouraged, advised, and put up with me. Thank you. Mama loves you.

Sylvia Williamson—Oh. Mother, I miss you so much. Once again, your beautiful artwork graces the cover of my book. You have always been a gift in my life… even now from your new home in Heaven. I love you.

Roberta Frings—Grammie, I thank you for always sharing your passion for reading with me… the stories… I love you and miss you.

Maria Rozear—Cousin, you girl are a true inspiration in my life. Thank you for helping me edit while we were at the beach… what a great trip… writing and waves… we will definitely do that, again… how about helping me edit the sequel on the next trip?

Tony Green—You know how God brings people’s paths together for His purpose… thank you for your time and for always affirming that the Holy Spirit will meet me outside my comfort zone… I’m there, Tony!

Matt Nefzger—Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the new wine label for the book—Divine Tragedy. Perfect! And, thank you for teaching me so much about wine selections—you tell great stories! I still have so much to learn from you, Matt.

Alex Stirrat—Thank you for sharing your wine knowledge, ideas, and encouragement with me while writing this book. You and Matt have been truly inspirational!

Jack Smith—Keeper of the Positive Gate at Xavier University—Thank you for your advice, encouragement, and smiles of Sonshine… even on my cloudy days.

Janice Wenger—You know God smiles at me through you. He brought us together through our daughters’ friendship… how beautiful… You are like a sister to me. God is calling us to work together for Him… all for His glory… with many smiles along the way.

Maryanne Liscio—Alright, Glen Allen girlfriend! You are a ray of light in my life. God brought us together for a reason… His reason… looking forward to His plans for our lives… love our friendship… remember—It’s a God-thing! The chin wagging is about to happen… get ready…

Chris Foeldi—Thank you for listening… questioning… and… answering me when I would go on and on about the journey to write this book… you were right. It’s time to blow the doors off the discussion of spiritual battles… more to come…

Meghan Budd—I love working with you! Our connection has grown from being called to partner on a video project to becoming true friends… you are an inspiration to me, Meghan. Look forward to Charging ahead with you!

Monica Orban—Oh, how we have walked and talked… and walked and talked… you have inspired me in so many ways, beautiful lady! God continues to unfold the paths He wants us to walk… excited to keep journeying with you!

Christa O’Hearne—Thank you, Christa, for being my neighbor… my friend… my fellow coffee-lover… and my spiritual go-to-person while writing this novel… love you so much. Hey, come over soon… let’s sit at my gathering table in the hearth room and talk about the sequel… oh, and how about some coffee?

Mike Force—Thank you, Mike, for sharing your inspiration and back stories of the Light Bringer series. You are an inspiration.

Chris DiGiuseppi—Thank you, Chris, for giving your time to teach me about the publishing industry… it’s great to know people like you and Mike who are on a parallel journey… God bless you.

Matt Kochera—Thank you, Matt, for training me, challenging me, and keeping me accountable in pursuit of my fitness goals. Working out and talking with you has taught me that there truly is a holistic intersection when working to achieve physical, intellectual, and spiritual goals. Thank you for always telling me, Come on… you can do this! Now, Matt… let’s go workout… time to M.O.V.E. and inspire!

Albert Cloudy—Thank you, Albert, for sharing your gifts as a young poet. You have inspired me through watching you follow your dreams… btw… may I have your autograph? You are well on the path to great success, my friend. Enjoy the journey.

Regan Stevens—Thank you, beautifully talented niece, for encouraging me to answer God’s calling in my life… to persevere on projects such as this one even when the path is sometimes unclear. You have taught me that God lifts the fog and fills our lives with Sonshine if we will just let Him. You are His rainbow in so many of our lives… He has tremendous plans for you.

Karlyn Alderson—Thank you, Karlyn, for bringing your music into our lives. You are so creatively and vocally gifted… can’t wait to hear your music travel the world! Ever feel like you have known someone your whole life when it has only been a short while? Well, that’s the way it is with you and me… your music fits my novel storyline so perfectly. I am so excited to know… collaborate with… cry with… laugh with… create with… and call… you, my friend.

Josh Dreon—Thank you, Josh, for sharing your planning and production skills on the book trailer music video. Looks great! Your talents reach very far… composing… singing… producing… you will go places, Josh. Happy to be traveling that path with you and Karlyn. Get your camera ready… Take 1… or is that Take 2… how many more book trailers are in our future? Only God knows…

Kevin McGuire—Oh, Kevin, where do I begin—you have been there with a listening ear and encouraging words all through this and previous writing projects. God has most definitely been speaking through you. Thank you for sharing His words of wisdom. And, you are the most amazing Graphic Designer! Thank you for exhibiting your talents on the cover design and imaginative illustrations throughout this book. Look forward to working together on designs for the sequel.

About the Graphic Designer:

J. Kevin McGuire is a graphic designer and web developer with an appreciation for thoughtful design and a love for Ireland and her people. Kevin lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife and daughter.

jkevinmcguire.com

About the Cover Artist:

Sylvia Williamson painted the cover scene while living in La Jolla, California. A very gifted artist, her works have been exhibited in museums across the country. She was also the cover artist and accompanying workbook illustrator for Ginny’s first book on perseverance entitled Navigate with God.

About the Composer:

Karlyn Alderson is a singer/songwriter and author (living in St. Louis) who’s founded The Goddessey Project, with the vision to be a multifaceted company designed to foster an individual’s personal growth and inspired development through connectivity and self-expression. Her debut album of her own works, Emergence See, is featured in this book as a complement to the storyline.

About the Video Producer:

Josh Dreon is an accomplished musician, vocalist, composer, and founder of JadeRed Productions. He and Karlyn Alderson produced the book trailer for Blue-Eyed Ruse. Josh, Karlyn, and The Goddessey Project team composes and produces music to inspire and revolutionize . . . this author is blessed to know them.

Dedication

To Michael, Eric, Faith, and Kristen… my four blue-eyed inspirations…

ruse—/ro͞oz/ noun. An action intended to deceive someone; a trick. Synonyms: trick, wile, artifice, stratagem, guile, dodge.

Prologue

Scene: Beachfront condominium along Boardwalk on Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Suddenly, Jake sits up in bed. Somebody’s gonna die, he yells into the dark. A deathly cold chill runs through his whole body. He rubs his eyes and tries to figure out where he is. Is he in his own bed? he wonders. He looks over the side of the bed to find a night stand with a clock. The time is now 2:00 a.m. Then, he realizes that it is his clock in his own bedroom. He forgot to pull down the shades, so the lights from the boardwalk are shining through the windows in his bedroom. As he looks to his right, he notices there is someone in bed with him. He waits for his eyes to adjust slightly in the partial darkness. It is a female. She appears to be seemingly tall, with her long blond hair reaching across the pillows on the bed. Then, he begins to remember some of the details of the previous evening. He and some buddies were cruising the coastal strip, hitting the nightclubs and a few back room poker games along the way—drinking—betting—winning some—losing some—and ultimately arriving (although he does not remember how) back at his place, obviously in the company of this woman who is now in his bed. Jake sits on the side of the bed for a few moments to try to clear his head and collect his thoughts. Then, he stands up and uses his hands to feel his way to the bathroom in the darkened room. He flips the light switch and walks over to the sink. Looking in the mirror, he sees the rugged, bronzed complexion of a forty-two-year-old charter boat captain who looks older than his years. What a night, he says quietly. With an affinity for living in the fast lane Jake has had a life filled with a breadth of experiences, but not a depth of relationships. Lately, he has been pondering the idea of settling down, but last night was definitely not a step in that direction. He opens the bathroom mirrored cabinet and pulls out a small glass tray and a vile of white powder. His usual cure for a hangover is two lines of cocaine followed by a tall glass of grapefruit juice over ice. He does the coke and then after inspecting the contents of his refrigerator, realizes that he is out of grapefruit juice. He sighs with disgust and then throws on a pair of khaki shorts he finds laying on the floor and an old Cozumel Billfishing Tournament t-shirt. He slides on a pair of boat shoes and grabs a hoodie pull-over as he heads out the door for a predawn walk to the all-night market. As he casually walks along the nearly deserted boardwalk, amid the splitting headache and nausea from his hangover, he ponders what he can remember from the previous night. Not much. Then, his mind flashes to the dream he was having when he had mysteriously awakened in his own bedroom—still not knowing how he got there or the identity of the peacefully sleeping and somewhat beautiful woman who is currently in his bed. As he walks, with each step, the dream becomes clearer and clearer. And then a startling realization hits him. Someone died in his dream . . . or was it now a nightmare . . .

Chapter 1

Reunited? Yes.

Reconciled? Well, maybe…

Scene: The following weekend at the new Platinum Phoenix Casino in Atlantic City…

Keep ’em rolling! Keep ’em rolling! yell Jake’s friends and onlookers at the new casino. Come on lucky sevens, says Jake emphatically under his breath as he rolls the dice. The dice show two sevens topside. The crowd cheers and Jake smiles. He bows graciously and motions to the Craps stickman to push the dice over to him. He knows he is on a roll tonight . . . just how long his luck will continue . . . he is unsure.

Jake is from a long line of gamblers spanning many generations, tracing all the way back to passengers of the Mayflower with the legend being that his ancestors were running dice games during the voyage to pass time, and relieve the betters of a few British pounds. His father currently manages a horse race track in Kentucky, and his grandfather was quite the pool shark. So, speculative risk-seeking behaviors have been handed down through the generations. Jake’s youngest brother, Mark, is a gambler of sorts. Upon graduating from college, Mark began investing in dot coms and eventually built a hedge fund for developing companies. His revenue stream has had its peaks and valleys, but so far the returns have outweighed the invested capital. Mark and his wife, Diane, have three beautiful children and reside in Portland, Maine. Between chartering fishing expeditions, Jake occasionally gets the opportunity to vacation with them each summer at Mark’s villa in Spain.

Jake’s sister, Stella, works with the CIA in the area of artificial intelligence where she specializes in the art of prognostication. She is an expert in the game of poker—through which she financed her college education with her winnings. Stella has homes in D.C., and in La Jolla, California, where she goes to surf whenever she can.

This evening at the casino, Jake’s take has now accumulated to a net half million. At this point, he decidedly calls it a night and goes to the bar for a nightcap. His buddies ask him why he stopped rolling so suddenly. He responds laughingly with, I have to let some other high rollers win tonight—don’t want to break the arcade’s piggy bank! Jake refers to casinos as arcades for big people . . . although the antes are higher and the paybacks—and losses—are greater. In his mind, he is asking himself the same question: Why did he decide to stop betting so soon? He is not going to admit to his friends that he just had a feeling he should quit for the evening. They would call him a wimp and drag him back over to the tables. Later, while walking past the Craps table, he notices that another player is using the same pair of green dice that he had been using, but there is one difference: this player is on a losing streak and just keeps on rolling. Out of curiosity, Jake asks the Craps table dealer, How’s the luck going, Arnie, since I left the table an hour ago? Arnie turns and replies with disappointment, High turnover in rollers tonight, Jake—all three since you were here have bet big and lost . . . all three of them . . . strange especially after your big win! Here, he starts to hand Jake the dice, roll the dice and reverse this hex! No, thanks, he says, I am calling it a night.

*     *     *

The next day… at the Waterman Estate in Cincinnati, Ohio…

The air in the bedroom feels too still. Brenda brushes her long auburn hair as she glances over at the bed across the room. Just yesterday, she purchased a new designer spread for it. Looks nice, but she can’t help thinking about how each night she has slept alone . . . almost every night for ten years. Brenda is anxious about seeing Brad, again. He is her husband, but it has been way too long since she has seen him. Why do we live this way? Does he even love me anymore? she wonders.

She brushes those thoughts away for now. Naomi, are you there? Brenda calls out while she touches up her eye shadow. She pauses to wait for a reply. She goes on—I think I should leave in about thirty minutes. Can you finish the flower arrangement for the dining room? Naomi walks into Brenda’s dressing room. Sure. No problem, she says. I was just upstairs in the atrium setting out the new pillows you bought for the pappasan chairs. They look great. You have a good eye for color, Brenda. You could be a decorator! Oh, coulda, shoulda, woulda, replies Brenda. I am still trying to get people to listen to my songs . . . Maybe a singing decorator . . . How about that for an idea? They both laugh. It’s good to hear her laugh, again, Naomi is thinking. Brenda has been showing some signs of anxiety over what is about to happen within the next two hours: the homecoming of her husband, Brad, after being apart from each other for much of the past ten years. He has been on the road so much that they rarely see each other, and when they do, it is only for a few days at a time, usually in another city at one of Brad’s business functions. Brenda is tired. She has been raising their four children here in Cincinnati . . . trying to be available for them and care for them while working full time as a vocal instructor at Xavier University. She has also been trying to write and record her own songs. She does not feel successful at anything in her life.

She thinks back to earlier in their marriage when they decided that Brad should pursue his dream of becoming a murder mystery author. They agreed to sacrifice time together as a family while he traveled the globe meeting with distributors and promoting his books. It was not all for naught. Brad is a four-time New York Times Best Sellers List author all within the past ten years. Their children are now in college and graduate school. Brad has decided that it is time to come home to stay. Brenda wonders if they can pick up the pieces and be a family, again. She hopes so. A lot has happened since he left. Brenda has written new songs—many lyrics stemming from the challenges she faces as a wife . . . mother . . . artist . . . woman . . . and unrequited love since Brad left. She has remained faithful to Brad because they said their wedding vows twenty nine years ago in a little church in Islamorada, Florida, her hometown, to always be faithful to each other. She believes that Brad has been faithful to her and their marriage . . . she hopes so anyway. She has been trying to record a CD of her songs. So far, the biggest challenge has been finding interested musicians for the band. Her passion for the project is not shared by her colleagues at the university. Recently, one of her former voice students has taken an interest in working on the production for some of her songs. He is very young, handsome, talented, and eager to learn more about the music industry. Maybe they will be able to work together on this project.

Brenda is nervous as she gets ready to go pick up Brad at the airport. She wonders why she feels this way . . . almost like a first date feeling. She has been trying on different outfits for the past half hour. It is almost time to go. Finally, she decides on skinny jeans with grey boots, cream sweater, and tailored leather jacket. She opens her jewelry box to find the necklace that Brad gave her last time they were together . . . that was nearly a month ago, at yet another one of Brad’s book signing venues. OK, she thinks to herself. Here I go.

She calls out to Naomi, I’m leaving now. See you later. Bye, Brenda. Have fun! Naomi replies.

Fun? Brenda says quietly as she walks down to the garage. Naomi must be the most positive person on earth. Brenda feels blessed to have her as a personal assistant and estate manager. As she enters the garage, she decides to drive the blue Bugatti to the airport. As she drives down the private drive past the tennis court and stable, she pops in a CD of her favorite Christmas songs and begins to think about her life and the choices she has made. As she remembers, words for a new song begin to play in her head. She stops the car on Columbia Parkway beside the Ohio River to jot down some lyrics and a few lines of melody. She turns down the volume on the stereo and tries to hum the new melody. After a few moments, she starts the engine and carefully merges back into traffic headed toward I 275 and the airport. The song continues to develop in her head. Brenda is a gifted musician. It is just that she has never had a mentor to help her become the star she has always dreamed of becoming. She loves being a mom and teaching students at the university to help them achieve their dreams . . . but what about her dreams.

Brenda pulls up to the airport. It is early December and the airport is buzzing with college students and family members greeting each other at the terminal. They are smiling as they load suitcases into car trunks. Brenda notices that one SUV has a Christmas tree tied on top. She imagines the family decorating the tree when they get home. Fall semester has ended and students are coming home for the Christmas holiday. Lots of hugs . . . Brenda notices. What will it feel like to hug Brad, again, she wonders. She checks her hair and makeup in the rearview mirror. Though all her friends see beauty in her, she does not see beauty in herself.

She parks the car in short-term parking and enters the airport beside the baggage claim area. She has arrived twenty minutes ahead of Brad’s plane’s expected arrival time. She walks over to the seats near the top of the escalator to wait for Brad. While she waits, the lyrics for the new song continue to play in her head. She pulls out her iPhone® to record the words so she can remember them for later. She softly hums some potential melody lines into the microphone on her phone. Then, she looks at the time and decides to wait at the top of the escalator to look for Brad.

She sees Brad and the other passengers walking toward the escalator to ride up to baggage claim. He looks good. She thinks to herself. He looks like he has lost a few pounds since I last saw him. He is wearing the leather flight jacket that she loves on him. He sees her and flashes a big smile. His white teeth shine next to his new tan from his book interview in St. Thomas, V.I., last week. When he gets to the top of the escalator, he hugs Brenda and suddenly picks her up and spins her around. Brenda is saying, Oh, Brad, people are watching . . . all the while she is smiling.

She notices that he only has his carryon and computer bags with him. Where are your things? she asks with hesitation. I thought you were coming home to stay. The smile has disappeared from her face. Brenda, wait a minute. I am. I have arranged to have the rest of my things shipped to Cincinnati after I get here. They should arrive at the house tomorrow. Please believe me.

The following evening at the Waterman Estate in Cincinnati, Ohio . . .

Brad hears the garage door open on the west side of the house and says to himself, Must be Brenda getting home from the university. He glances at the clock. It is 9:00 p.m. on a Friday. He says, It has been a long day. I am sure she will be tired. Brad spends most of his time traveling, so he is not typically around when