Stranger in the Night by Catherine Palmer

Mary is missing!”
     
    Police cars lined the street outside Haven as Liz pulled into a parking space opposite the building. A curl of warning slid into her stomach. All morning she had fretted about her agreement to let Shauntay braid her hair. It would be so easy to claim she was too busy to meet the Saturday commitment. Unlike Molly, she had brought home a tote bag full of files bearing forms that would take most of the weekend to complete and organize.
    Besides, Liz had seen Shauntay run away the other night, and she knew it would be difficult for the girl to return to Haven.Shauntay had done more than lure the door guard away from his duties. Her behavior had opened the way for the Hypes to steal Duke, a misdeed that ended with conflict, knives, the police. And the possible death of the dog.
    Shauntay would not be at Haven, and Liz certainly shouldn’t be there.
    Now that she’d seen the squad cars, Liz had every excuse to head home. But the scene troubled her. What if something serious had happened? An attack? An injury?
    Liz couldn’t hold back the memory of Joshua Duff’s face as he had ushered her into her car. The clash with gang members had catapulted him into some sort of flashback, and his fear for her safety was visibly etched in his eyes.
    Despite the warning flags in her heart, Liz knew she had to see him again.
    After scanning the street, she pushed open her car door and stepped out. Hoping to appear detached, even unconcerned about the other night’s incident, she had dressed as if she had other plans—running shoes, nylon shorts, a light T-shirt. She had just dropped by, she would say. This was true, of course. She was just checking in. On her way to the gym.
    Her thoughts caught up in the plan, Liz was surprised to spot Mary Rudi hurrying down the sidewalk toward Haven. Head bent, the frail Pagandan woman focused on the ground as she beat a path toward the front door.
    “Mrs. Rudi?” Liz reached out a hand to stop her.
    “Eh?” Mary lifted her head, her spectacles catching the midday sun. “Excuse me, please. Please, please!”
    Before Liz could stop her, Mary had brushed past and stepped through the door. Surprised at the woman’s unwillingness to engage in a traditional African greeting ritual, Liz glanced down the street.
    A group of young men clustered near a streetlamp. Liz recognized three of them. Chilled at the sight, she entered the building after Mary.
    “Hold on! Hold on!” Raydell’s long arm blocked her at the inner doorway. “Nobody else gets in now. Stand right there. Don’t move.”
    Stepping out in front of her, he lifted his fingers to his lips and sounded a deafening whistle. “Uncle Sam, T-Rex! Yo, Sarge, she just walked in. The missing lady. Look—right there!”
    Liz backed up against the cool wall and took in the scene. Two police officers sprinted across the basketball court after Mary Rudi. Stephen Rudi let out a whoop of joy, throwing up his hands and running to his wife. Sam Hawke and Terell Roberts headed for Mary, as well.
    “You saw her come in?”
    The voice at Liz’s ear made her gasp. She turned to find Joshua standing at her elbow.
    “You scared me to death.” She gave him a gentle push. He didn’t budge. “How did you get over here?”
    “I’ve been waiting for you. As I recall, you’ve got an appointment for a goddess braid.”
    “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” She threaded her fingers back through her hair. “This place makes me nervous. I didn’t want to come here to begin with. Then I saw the police cars. Now you.”
    “The best part of the package.” A small grin softened his features. “You’re trembling.”
    He took her hand. Tucking it into the crook of his elbow, he leaned against the wall beside her. “So you saw Mary Rudi come in?”
    “I was right behind her.”
    “Where had she been?”
    “Out on the sidewalk like me and everyone else. What’s going on?”
    “She went missing a few minutes ago. Pastor Stephen