A Friend in Need: A Sheridan Mystery Book One

By Laura Nalls

Sheridan Nalls is a twelve year old girl who always seems to find herself in the middle of a mystery.
Enlisting the help of her friends, Sheridan is ready and willing to dive in and find the answers to whatever mysterious secrets may be affecting the lives of those she loves. However, Sheridan has no idea that the pets she and her friends love, along with each child's God appointed guardian angel, are working in the background to guide them and keep them safe through every dangerous twist and turn of the many mysteries life throws their way.
A Friend In Need is the first adventure in "Sheridan's Mysteries".
Join Sheridan and Tristan as they begin their first case by helping a very young friend in need.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Oct 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781489725295

Laura Nalls

Laura Nalls resides in East Texas with her husband of forty-six years, Ron Nalls. Laura and Ron have three children and six grandchildren. Laura is a born storyteller and has entertained her children and grandchildren for years with stories staring, of course, her children. With only a few minutes of thought Laura can create a mystery, fantasy or scary story to enthrall her young listeners. At a very young age Laura discovered the wonder of books and eagerly entered the world of authors imaginations. Looking back on her childhood Laura realized that much of the woman she had become was credited to the authors she loved. Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Jane Austen and many others. Books written in a time where honor and honesty were still valued. Where God was a given and not a maybe. A time where becoming a person of good character was a goal worth achieving. Believing the Holy Spirit used these books to reinforce these attributes in her own life, Laura has a desire to provide todays youth with stories that tell of God and the wonderful ways He watches over us, guides and protects us. Stories of the spirit world and the battle between good and evil that surrounds us. Reasons why we need to live in obedience to our creator and have a good time learning. Come join Laura as she weaves her mysteries through the good and evil of the world around us and teaches our children about our creator.

Book preview

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my granddaughter, Sheridan Nalls. Memories of a long drive with nothing to do but create a story. Imagine a variety of pets, angels and fun characters and of course, a mystery. Your request was Grandma, can you write it all down?

Sheridan you were so young then but had such a heart for God. A memory shared resulted in this, my first published book. Characters we created together on that long-ago car trip.

Now you are grown with a husband and a beautiful daughter. You have become a strong Christian woman that we, your family, love and admire.

Thank you for your encouragement and input as I put our story on paper.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Not Very Funny Joke

Chapter 2 God, Are There Ghosts?

Chapter 3 A Bump in the Dark

Chapter 4 A Friend in Need

Chapter 5 A Race through the Woods

Chapter 6 A Damsel in Distress

Chapter 7 Patty Takes Charge

Chapter 8 Lies Revealed

Chapter 9 God Help Us Now

Chapter 10 Dads to the Rescue

Chapter 11 Homecoming

Copyright © 2019 Laura Nalls.

Email: [e-mail]

Facebook: Pockets of Faith @llnalls

Instagram: llnalls

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 author 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.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

LifeRich Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.liferichpublishing.com

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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.

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

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Interior Image Credit: Laura Nalls

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

ISBN: 978-1-4897-2528-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-2529-5 (e)

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 10/11/2019

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CHAPTER ONE

The Not Very Funny Joke

S heridan gently brushed her new stuffed Husky, given to her just yesterday by her older sister Cheyenne for her twelfth birthday. After smoothing his soft white and grey fur and gently brushing it out of his sapphire blue eyes, she stretched high on her tip toes and carefully placed him on the shelf her father had built for her collection. The shelf continued around three walls of her second story bedroom while the fourth contained two large windows that overlooked the back yard with a comfortable window seat beneath them. I bet I can still fit ten or fifteen more huskies on the shelf before it’s completely full, she spoke softly to her stuffed pets. Turning from her collection of huskies, she looked at the clutter on her bed. Camp clothes completely covered her brightly colored comforter. Picking up a new t-shirt, she smiled at the blue-eyed husky painted on the front. Like her room her shirts were covered with pictures of animals of all shapes and sizes, from dogs to horses to cats. Smiling she looked around her room admiring all the animals she had collected–some stuffed, some plastic, some ceramic. There were; pictures and calendars and books, she especially loved the books, and the pictures of Lamb, her Maltese puppy. Cheyenne, her older sister, planned to become a photographer and took pictures of everything; her favorite subject being Lamb, so Sheridan had a whole shelf full of Lamb pictures.

Sheridan, her Mother, Stephanie, called from downstairs, are you packed yet? Not yet Mom, but I’m working on it, she replied as she began to drag her big suit case over to the bed so she could begin filling it; as she pulled on the suit case she noticed that it had been sitting on her younger brother Dakotas’ new iPad. How did that get there? Sheridan asked herself. I thought I took it back to his room. I guess I shouldn’t have yelled at him to get out when he came looking for it. I forgot to tell him I was sorry for yelling; now I really do need to apologize to him.

With a sigh, Sheridan picked up the iPad and headed for Dakotas’ room just down the hall from hers. I guess I’ve messed up again, she thought to herself. I really shouldn’t get mad so much but sometimes everyone just gets on my nerves. Mom says it hurts Jesus when we kids yell at each other, but they yell at me too and it’s hard not to yell back.

Dakota, guess what, she said as she entered his room holding the iPad out for him to see. What in the world? she thought to herself, forgetting all about her apology when she saw him standing in front of his window. What are you doing with the screen off your window? You know what Dad said, we have to leave the screens on because it’s not safe with them off. You’re going to get into trouble if you don’t put it back on.

And I suppose you’re going to run and tell him, Dakota replied looking over his shoulder with a grin. Or maybe you won’t, just like you wouldn’t give me my iPad back when I asked for it. Tell you what, you don’t tell Dad and give me my iPad back and I won’t drop Lamb. Laughing he raised his arms just enough for Sheridan to see a glimpse of soft white fur, Dakota laughed again as he turned back towards the open window.

Dakota, don’t! Sheridan yelled dropping the iPad and running towards the window.

Oops! Too late, Dakota laughed as he let go of the soft furry body and turned to face his sister.

Shocked Sheridan stood for just a second unable to move, then with a scream she turned and ran down the hall towards the stairs screaming for her Mother.

Mom, Mom, come quick! she yelled as she headed for the stairs.

Sheridan, how many times have I told you not to yell for me? I if you want something, come downstairs and ask me, but DON’T yell, Stephanie said wiping her hands on a towel as she came out of the kitchen.

But Mom, its Lamb, Sheridan screamed again as she reached the stairway and fell headfirst down the steep flight of stairs. Bumping and banging all the way down and landing at her Mother’s feet in a crumpled heap, her right ankle caught in the last bar of the stair rail.

Sheridan! Baby, are you ok? Oh, please God let her be alright, Stephanie prayed as she carefully felt over her daughter’s body, looking for any injuries and carefully lifting her ankle out from between the rails.

Lamb, Sheridan cried. Mom, please go get him. He might be dead.

Mom, is she alright? Dakota asked from the top of the stairs, fear clouding his expression. It was a joke; I didn’t drop Lamb. I didn’t mean for her to get hurt.

Suddenly Lamb appeared and began washing Sheridan’s face attempting to remove the tears as they fell.

Oh Lamb, you’re ok, Sheridan cried, her relief easing her greatest fear as the pain in her ankle began to make itself felt. Mom, it hurts really bad.

I know baby and it’s beginning to swell. Are you hurting anywhere else, Stephanie asked as she continued to check her head for lumps or cuts?

My forehead hurts, and my elbow is scratched, but nothing hurts as bad as my ankle.

Yes, you have a bump on your forehead, but I believe you ankle is the worst and I fear it may be broken.

I’m sorry, Sheridan, Dakota hurried down the stairs and kneeled on her other side. It was just a joke, I’ll go get some band aides for your elbow, he said as he got up and headed for the bathroom.

We’ll talk about this joke later, Mom spoke sternly to his retreating form. Right now, we need to get Sheridan to the emergency room.

What’s going on here, a deep voice asked.

Looking up Sheridan saw her Dad and her big sister Cheyenne coming in the front door.

Yea, and what was my stuffed dog doing in the bushes, Cheyenne asked, holding up the white stuffed dog she kept on her bed. And why is Sheridan laying on the floor? Sheridan are you alright, you’re white as a ghost.

You’re stuffed dog, Sheridan grimaced. I fell down the stairs for a stuffed dog.

Fell down the stairs? Dad exclaimed. Look at that ankle, he said as he kneeled beside Stephanie. Is everything else alright, he asked nervously checking the growing lump on Sheridan’s forehead. Do you think it’s alright to move her or should we call 911? he asked Stephanie, attempting to keep his voice calm.

I think her ankle is the main thing, no sign of a concussion and she didn’t lose consciousness. However, we do need to get her to the emergency room right away.

I’ll hold the door, Dakota said as his father Brent carefully lifted Sheridan up into his strong arms. I have the band aids and I brought the first aide cream too.

I’m sure they have all that stuff at the hospital, silly, Cheyenne told Dakota as they all headed for the car.

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Cheyenne sat next to Dakota in the crowded hospital waiting room while Dakota fidgeted with a loose button on his jacket.

Really Dakota, Cheyenne said. Throwing a dog out of a second story window.

"I didn’t throw a real dog and you know I would never do