Rhoda's Revelation

By Susan Seelinger

Do you know someone who is hard to please? Rhodas mother is never satisfied with her young daughters decisions. Finding a job in Chicago after Rhoda graduated was one of those decisions. When Rhoda was lured into locating a missing friend, she was forced to make consequential decisions that turned up conflicting evidence and trusting relationships. Will she be able to unravel the clues in time or admit she is not able to live in the fast-paced life disavowed by her mother?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496931009

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© 2014 Susan Seelinger. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/04/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-3102-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-3100-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014913655

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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.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About the Author

T his book is dedicated to all of the students I have had the privilege of teaching for the last twenty years. Special thanks to my fourth grade class of 2008 at Crest Ridge Elementary, who encouraged me to write more, and to all the students who made suggestions and helped me include meaningful details. Deep gratitude goes to Shelby, my husband, who patiently waited for me to finish writing this story, instead of going on vacation, and to my grandchildren who struggled understanding why Grandma was too busy to play. And last, but not least, special thanks to Dr. Buchanan-Butterfield who assigned me a daily morning journal entry that led to the writing of this novel. She also graciously agreed to edit my novel. She taught me to write deeper with more meaning, and to appreciate the diverse cultures we find in our classrooms.

Chapter 1

T he sound of heavy rain upon her window was not welcoming. She wanted to stay right where she was, so she snuggled down deeper into her nest. She felt safe and secure here. She did not have to face the world. She flipped off the alarm as it began to go off and decided to rely on her incremental alarms she had previously set up on her phone. Perhaps the next time it rang for her she would be ready to spring forth from the warmth the quilts provided. The rain began beating so hard on the windows, the walls, and the roof that she realized her nest was not soundproof and the drone was turning into a buzzing in her head.

Fine, I’ll get up, she said to no one in particular. Her voice sounded groggy and she knew a transformation would have to occur for her to bring herself completely out of her restful state. Choosing her outfit for the day would definitely be influenced by the weather outside. She pulled on her dark dress slacks and slipped a comfy sweater over her head after a quick shower. No sense in feeling a chill all day.

Rhoda decided a cup of tea would warm her up and calm her rising nerves. Should she walk to the station today or take a cab? Her bicycle was definitely out of the question. She would be drenched before she even made it one block. She grabbed her umbrella and headed out the door after some hot toast and tea. She had also packed an on-the-go lunch. She was trying to save money; at least that was her intent. Her mother had no confidence in her decision to live so far away in a big city.

You will be back before you know it, begging me to take you in, she had boasted. Why didn’t she think Rhoda had what it took to make it on her own? She had not relied on her for everything. Rhoda wasn’t rebellious by nature, she just wanted to be independent and away from her mother. She had always ruled her life and the resentment began to rise in her belly.

No time for feeling sentimental, get on with making a decision, she told herself. She decided to go the train route. She would have more control over where she would sit and how long it would take to get to her destination. She found the ticket vending machine and plopped in the correct coins it required.

See, mother, I had the exact change. I am prepared. And I know how to use the machine. The voice in her head was on loudspeaker. She was so absorbed in her transaction she didn’t see the stranger approach her from behind.

Chapter 2

"E xcuse me, the stranger said. Do you know Pamela Planter?"

I work with her. Rhoda felt an ominous feeling sweep over her. This stranger had followed her here and his purpose was still not clear.

"Could you keep this for