Colt Crawford - Chapter 9 (Monday)

The Monday morning fog rolled over the sand and across the street enveloping the Oceana Hotel.  Colt pulled back the thick drape anticipating a spectacular morning view and was disappointed to see the coast blanketed by the low lying clouds. 

His agenda for the day was twofold:  catch a cold-hearted criminal and find out how Samantha was dealing with the ordeal.  Since it was becoming clear that he would be spending a few more days in Santa Barbara, Colt tidied up the room and headed downstairs to make arrangements for extending his stay.  After finding the continental breakfast bar, the investigator tucked himself  into a private corner of the hotel dining room.  Nibbling a piece of toast, he mindlessly stirred his spoon through a watered down bowl of oatmeal releasing a steady flow of steam.  Though it clouded his vision, it sharpened his focus on the task at hand. 

Years of investigative experience had taught Colt that the best way to solve a problem was to rehash every detail over a bowl of oatmeal until something new became evident.  As the steam began to dissipate Colt grew increasingly frustrated by his inability to move forward with this case.  There was something different holding him back and the only thing he could do to move forward was go to Samantha and find out the answer to his lingering question.

Colt made his way down the long hospital corridor and gently knocked on Samantha’s door with a quiet “Good morning.” Samantha was awake and watching a morning talk show on TV. “Sorry to bother you again.”

“Come on in,” Samantha beckoned. “It gets lonely here, so any kind of company is appreciated.” She had been mostly alone for two days and needed to talk to someone about anything. The words began to flow effortlessly the minute Colt sat down. A thin smile spread across Samantha’s face when she told him that the doctor was planning to release her in a day or two.

“That’s great!” Colt said sharing her excitement. After several minutes of reviewing her health status, he decided to get to the point of his visit. “What I really came here for doesn’t have much to do with solving a crime, but there is something I need to know.” He paused and Samantha glanced upward, encouraging him with her eyes to continue. “I had lunch with your parents the other day and as they were recapping your never-ending list of accomplishments, they mentioned that you taught a Sunday School class to kids.”

Samantha’s eyes rolled. “My parents have a tendency to exaggerate my accomplishments, but I do teach the kindergarten class at my church.”

“Do you really believe what the Bible says? I mean, if you teach kids about the Bible, I would think you have to believe it.”

“What I believe is that the Bible is God’s word,” she said.

“What about in the book of James where it says to ‘Consider it pure joy when you face trials?’”

Samantha could see where he was going and she felt her stomach tighten. “I believe that, with God’s help, it is possible to have joy in the midst of a trial.”

“Do you have joy now?”

It was time for Samantha to be honest with herself and this was a conversation she knew she needed to have.