The Hidden Message

By Cheri Dean

The last thing Kaylie saw before passing out from the beating from her husband, Tim, were her children rushing to the door of their bedroom. Mark was wielding a baseball bat, Maddie - his twin - a kitchen knife, and little Mason a flyswatter. How had the man she married changed into a demonic stranger without her realizing it?

The downhill slide began in the small town of Prattville, Alabama where Kaylie began working as an agent with Tim's best friend, Rich Clark, who lived in Nashville on the purchase of a seven-million-dollar ranch in Wyoming. A sale, she would have caved and given to Tim under pressure if her best friend and co-worker, Molly, hadn't pushed her to stand up for herself. Who would have ever guessed much to Tim's chagrin, she would successfully negotiate a sale?

Eventually with time Kaylie began a new life in Wyoming with her children and as the wife of the seller, Tate Bradely. There, she felt she was safe from the crippled ex-husband she left almost two thousand miles behind. And she was - until she received an ominous message through the mail that was delivered in the form of a crudely hand-made puzzle made of wooden tiles. Were they going to be able to unscramble the letters to decipher the message in time? Or would the edict elude them until it was too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667848747

Cheri Dean

Cheri Dine (Thomas) Wendland writes under the pen-name of Cheri Dean. She has been a closet writer for more years than she likes to think about and only began her publishing career in December of 2021 with the release of "A Dance Farewell". Though her books lean towards the feminine gender, she is surprised at how well they have been received by her male audience. Indications are it's because her stories realistically portray life at its best and its worst. A number of her followers say Cheri's books are so visual, they are like reading a movie. Mississippi is Cheri's home state. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Charles. They are looking forward to moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, this fall in search of a warmer climate. Cheri has lived in eight states and thirty-four houses to date. Like her mother, she thinks she has wings on her feet. We happen to agree with her.

Book preview

cover.jpg

Cover design by Cierra Waide, Graphic Designer

Copyright 2022 All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-66784-873-0

eBook: 978-1-66784-874-7

Dedication

I dedicate this novel to my namesake, Cheri Michelle Ruiz, who after reading my first novel, A Dance Farewell, decided she wanted to single-handedly market it to the entire world! I love her enthusiasm. It’s contagious!

Also by Cheri Dean

A Dance Farewell

The River Cries

Chenoa’s Long Journey

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Acknowledgements

Author Biography

Chapter One

As Kaylie perused the brochure before her, the words, Field of Fire, kept echoing through her mind in a constant staccato—over and over again. The expression was spoken by Rich Clark, who had been the best man in her wedding to Tim Newman fifteen years ago. Rich had passed through their small town of Prattville, Alabama, about a year ago on his way to Key West to do a little fishing and a lot of snorkeling. The words cropped up in after dinner conversation.

Rich had been grumbling about how tired he was getting of the hustle and bustle of living in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. Entertainment was the name of the game there and country music fans swarmed the city on a year-round basis. Under normal conditions, tourist traffic was heavy. If a special event—like the Country Music Awards—was in session, you could expect to encounter one traffic snarl after another. Adding to the overall congestion of the metropolis, Rich explained, was the astounding over twenty percent growth in population the city began experiencing in 2010. It was as if once that ball started rolling, there was no way to stop the momentum. Most of the newcomers were either country music stars or musicians aspiring to become one. With growth comes opportunity and that aspect of Nashville was a magnet for college grads or young adults looking for a change in the workforce. It didn’t take long for prospects to realize the grass in Nashville was greener than most other locations.

When Kaylie suggested Rich could solve the problem by simply moving to the suburbs, he nixed the idea quickly stating that he didn’t want any part of commuting on a regular basis. He was emphatic in saying he simply didn’t have the patience to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic at a snail’s pace day in and day out. At this point in the conversation, Rich reached across and caught Kaylie’s hand.

Find me a field of fire, Kaylie. I’ll buy it and move there. And maybe if I keep trying, I’ll succeed in stealing you away from Tim one of these days and you’ll come live there with me.

Perplexed at his choice of words, she asked what he meant by field of fire. Patiently, he explained that the words stemmed from a military term defined as having an open view of an area as large as the projectiles from the weapons they were using could reach.

I want a place, Kaylie, where I can sit on my front porch and see almost forever. You know, like the top of a mountain. But it doesn’t have to be on a mountain, just the same type of view. And though I want trees, I also want clear vision beneath them too. I want to be able to see anything within rifle range that moves as much as an inch. Do you understand what I’m talking about?

Kaylie distinctly remembered she thought she had. And unless she was sadly mistaken, the description and photos in the brochure of the property she was looking at fit the bill in every aspect. It had the acreage Rich wanted, about fifteen sections totaling around nine thousand acres. Adding appeal was a couple of streams that wound around the property always seeking lesser routes of resistance. There was also a seventeen-acre natural lake on the premises, plus a number of man-made smaller ponds. Most were stocked with a variety of fish including bass and crappie. These features provided the perfect habitat for the wildlife Rich deemed a necessary part of his field of fire. The brochure stated there was a variety of deer species on the property including elk, white tails, pronghorns, and mule deer as well a number of flocks of wild turkey and more than a spattering of black bears. An abundance of waterfowl rounded out the wildlife scenario. Most of the wildlife could often be seen from the parameters of a fairly new home on the property as well as the original homestead. The more Kaylie read, the more convinced she became that the property was exactly what Rich wanted.

She remembered as the evening passed, how she kept thinking about the field of fire Rich described. And how, when the two of them were left on their own while Tim took a business call, she had asked Rich if he really was serious about leaving Nashville for a quieter life. He did not hesitate telling her he was dead serious and had teasingly told her, since real estate was her profession, she should spend a little time finding a place for him. Laughingly, she had told him to consider it done!

Of course, she had been joking! Working real estate in the small-town atmosphere of Prattville, Alabama, population of 36,000, hardly put one in a position to work multi-million-dollar properties and the local area definitely was not the type that would interest Rich. His requirement of four seasons with moderate summer temps and low humidity definitely ruled out Prattville and surrounding areas as well. Temperatures for July and August tended to hang above ninety degrees. September was better. Temps dropped to around eighty-eight to eighty-nine! His request for a place with low humidity didn’t just rule out Prattville; it ruled out anywhere in the deep south.

The information Kaylie was looking at in the brochure before her was located halfway across the United States in the state of Wyoming. It was one of many states she had never even driven through. For that reason, about the only details she knew about it were that it was home to Yellowstone National Park where geysers were located, and the city of Jackson Hole where rich and swanky celebrities visited. All of that amounted to diddly squat! She tossed the brochure aside. She couldn’t help but wonder why the listing agent had taken the time to send the information to literally dozens of real estate firms located so far away. Oh, well, she thought to herself, if I were trying to push a seven-million-dollar property, I would probably send the information to every real estate office I could find an address for.

As the afternoon progressed, time and again, Kaylie’s mind floated back to the brochure. A number of times when questions regarding it came to mind, she plundered back through the information looking for the answers. Three or four times, the listing agent referred to the property as a gentleman’s ranch. In essence, a big boy’s toy. It was a ranch where the present owner dabbled in a number of ventures. Obviously, it wouldn’t be a ranch without cattle with the major focus on the beef industry. There was a smaller operation of raising dairy cows for sale, but no dairy operation. From what Kaylie deduced, it appeared The University of Wyoming partnered with the owner in a number of studies associated with cattle and farming as well. Evidently, much of the ranch was for the pure enjoyment of wide-open spaces and lush forests filled with an abundance of wildlife. Part of the property was considered a wildlife preserve whereas much of the balance was hunted on a regular basis depending on what season was open. Seemingly, it truly was a hunter’s paradise which was a high priority for Rich.

By the end of the day, Kaylie was more than put out with herself. Why in the world, she wondered, did she keep picking up the brochure and going over it again and again? Finally, out of aggravation, she tossed the entire contents of the packet into the trash can determined to put it out of sight and out of mind. To a certain extent, it worked. But not for long.

Later that evening after dinner, Kaylie helped Mason, her youngest child, prepare for a spelling exam the next day. She worked with him the same way her mother worked with her years ago. She had him write each word twenty-five times while silently sounding each letter in it and ending with slowly pronouncing the word after the last letter. The next step entailed looking up the definition and using the word in a sentence. It worked for her, and apparently was working with Mason. More often than not, he aced his spelling exams beginning with the first grade through the third, which was ending in a matter of weeks.

While Kaylie worked with Mason, the twins—Maddi and Mark—were helping each other with math homework. Mark was taking the lead. When the subject was English, Maddi became the patient tutor. As much as they relied on each other, rarely did they need Kaylie’s help, which was a good thing. The new math wasn’t much fun for Kaylie. She habitually stumbled through it, and regardless of how hard she tried, she never gained confidence with her efforts. With only one more year of middle school for the twins before high school, she knew helping them with their math homework was going to get tougher. It would be nice, she thought dismally, since math was Tim’s strong suit, if he would step up to the plate; but she knew he wouldn’t. It would be asking entirely too much of him to do so. He wouldn’t have the time to help them with homework any more than he had since the first day they began kindergarten.

After settling Mason in bed for the night, Kaylie moved to the family room where Tim was engrossed in reading a new book. It was on how to succeed in business or something along those lines. More often than not, Tim conveyed an impression of being hell-bent on growing the business bigger with emphasis always on maxing out profits in the process. It seemed to Kaylie the firm was just adjusting to one procedure before Tim implemented a new one. She didn’t view most of the changes in a positive light. She felt constant modifications were making it difficult for their agents to come across to clients as having a high level of self-confidence in their work. The negative aspects of constantly learning new procedures had a way of stealing their poise. It was hard enough for experienced agents to adapt to the changes, but the constant learning curve was a beast for rookies. Whenever Kaylie disagreed with Tim’s opinions, he always shot her down saying if they weren’t smart enough to accept new ideas that would make them more productive, they should find another firm to work for. A number of agents did just that, and not all of them were rookies. More often than not, Kaylie felt the departures were their loss and a competitor’s gain.

Tim, she began hesitantly. Did you get a brochure advertising a multi-million-dollar property for sale in Wyoming today?

Tim lowered his book. A flicker of irritation at the interruption moved across his face marring his patrician looks. He glanced at Kaylie over the top of his reading glasses that were sitting way down on the long bridge of what Kaylie frequently referred to as his aristocratic nose. Yeah. What about it?

Well, what did you think of it?

I thought it was a damn nice piece of property. Based on the asking price, I believe the owner thinks so too. Can’t for the life of me understand why the listing agent sent a brochure to us. I doubt if there’s a dozen people in the entire state of Alabama who would have any interest in a property like it. He picked his book back up and began reading again.

When you looked over the information, Tim, did it ring any bells for you?

This time, when Tim put his book back down, it was quite evident he wasn’t appreciating her interruptions. What do you mean by bells, Kaylie? You’re going to have to spell things out a little better because I don’t have the foggiest idea as to what in the hell you’re trying to get at.

Kaylie did her best to let the harsh words roll off her and persisted with her line of thought. I just thought when I read it that it sounded like it was exactly what Rich was looking for. You know, that field of fire thing he was talking about on his last visit through here.

Tim burst out laughing. You’ve got to be joking, Kaylie! Don’t tell me you thought Rich was serious! He shook his head indicating how naïve he thought she was.

I think he was, Tim, Kaylie began hesitantly. We talked about it a little later while you were on the phone. Based on that conversation, I honestly think he’s as serious as a heartbeat about moving from Nashville. Maybe he’s not actively looking for a place, she hedged, but I think the idea hovers in the back of his mind. I believe if someone put a piece of property like this before him, his interest would skyrocket.

Tim stared at Kaylie. Disbelief filled his face. He really has you snowed, doesn’t he? The snide delivery didn’t escape Kaylie. She did her best to overlook it as he continued speaking. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong in your thinking. Rich won’t ever leave the bright lights of a big city. He thrives on that type of lifestyle. Furthermore, what makes you think Rich has the kind of money it takes to buy a place like this ranch in Wyoming? I can assure you he doesn’t, and if he did, he wouldn’t part from it for a place like the one in that brochure. If you were talking about an island in the Caribbean at a million or two, it might be a different story. But, this? No way!

Well, Kaylie speculated. I don’t know if Rich was talking about a place as high dollar as this property in Wyoming is, but I happen to believe he’s ready to give up city life for the peace and quiet of rural living. And, when I asked him specifically how much he was willing to pay for what he wanted, he didn’t hesitate in telling me he would pay whatever it took. That statement leads me to believe his recording business has been a whole lot more successful than we thought. Why don’t you call him and tell him about this ranch? You might be surprised at his reaction.

Again, Tim emitted a nasty little laugh. "I see where you’re going with this. You want me to be the one to make a fool of myself, don’t you? Well, it’s not going to happen, sweetheart. The way Tim put emphasis on the word sweetheart definitely wasn’t a term of endearment. If you’re so sure this is what Rich wants, why don’t you call him? I can almost hear him laughing at you now." He picked his book back up indicating he was through with the conversation .

As Tim continued reading, Kaylie’s thoughts remained on the conversation. She bit her bottom lip as she let his criticism wash over her. He was probably right. He was most of the time, and when he wasn’t, he still thought he was! She didn’t care what Tim thought. The more she mulled over the conversation she and Rich had, the more she was convinced Rich was a serious buyer for the right piece of property. Without a doubt, chances were slim to none this would be the right one. But, by damn, you wouldn’t know if you didn’t ask!

Chapter Two

The next morning when Kaylie walked into her office, she marched straight to the trash can beside her desk and fished out every piece of paper that came with the brochure of the property in Wyoming. She put the papers in a neat stack and shoved it to one side of her desk. She managed to last until a little after eleven o’clock before pulling it towards her to begin perusing it again. She was about halfway through it when Molly, a sales associate, came into her office and plopped down in the chair in front of her desk.

Molly, though much younger than her thirty-five years, not only happened to be an associate of the firm, she was her best friend. Kaylie loved her vibrant personality and spirit. She had a knack of never letting anything get her down. Kaylie had been instrumental in launching Molly’s real estate career—which was outlandishly successful—and Molly never let her forget it. She was devoted to her and friends didn’t come any more loyal than Molly.

Kaylie met Molly for the first time when she was conducting interviews for a receptionist for the new real estate office that she and Tim opened on a small scale a number of years ago. After six years in the Air Force flying the big fortress surveillance planes, Tim opted to get out and was hired into the more lucrative profession of an airline pilot. However, after a few years, rumors of serious cutbacks in the airline industry began to fill the air. The tittle-tattle threw Tim into pure panic. He began wondering what he could transition into that would allow them to maintain the standard of living they were accustomed to enjoying. No, they weren’t living high on the hog as southerners would say, but the income was enough to allow Kaylie to be a stay-at-home mom and for Tim to reap a better income than most men in the area.

Flying is all I know, Kaylie, he whined. Nobody in their right minds will hire me for anything else.

Eventually, he came up with the idea of opening his own real estate business. We have the contacts. You have lived here most of your life. You know darn near everybody for miles around. And if you don’t, somebody in your family knows them. Another plus is the years I spent in the Air Force. That little fact should give me an edge with people associated with Maxwell Air Force Base. It’s practically located on our doorstep and we need to capitalize on that fact. We should get our real estate licenses, Kaylie, and as soon as we get our feet wet, we need to think outside of the box and open our own firm.

And that was exactly what they had done. Kaylie breezed through the classroom requirements for a salesman’s license and passed the state exam on her first try. Due to so much travel with the airlines conflicting with the required classroom hours, it took Tim much longer. As soon as Kaylie had her license in hand, she hired on with a local firm. Tim demanded that she immediately begin working towards a broker’s license. One of them would need it in order to open their own shop and she was moving at a much faster pace in the endeavor than Tim was able to accomplish. Opening their own office occurred six months from the day Kaylie got her salesman’s license and only three since she passed the requirements to conduct business as a broker.

She felt Tim rushed things, especially her. She would have been more comfortable if she could have had more time to learn the ins and outs of the real estate business before striking out on her own. However, he insisted they make the move just as soon as she got her feet wet. She felt as if the only thing she had gotten wet was her big toe!

Tim did have a valid point with insisting they move as fast as they could. In January, the laws were changing. A person would have to work as a sales agent for a year before applying for a broker’s license, and an individual would have to have a broker’s license for two years before becoming the managing broker for a firm. If they didn’t hurry, it could be years before they could have a business of their own up and running.

Of course, Tim didn’t see any issues with the situation. He was still with the airlines! Kaylie was left to fend for herself. In looking back, she always felt she couldn’t have done it without the support and help of Molly Horton. She had been Kaylie’s rock since the first day she opened the new office.

The day Molly walked through the door to interview for the receptionist position, she