After hosting a party at her home while her parents are away, Kerry is found dead in the family pool. Two suspects quickly emerge, but the detective in charge—and Kerry’s sister Aline—aren’t convinced by the obvious leads. This was my first time reading a short story by Clark, and I found it pleasantly readable and entertaining, even if the culprit was a bit easy to guess. An enjoyable way to pass a quiet Saturday afternoon.
“The best answer I’ve heard came in a sermon given by an elderly priest many years ago. He was traveling in the Middle East and was overwhelmed by the majesty of the Persian rugs he saw. Those gorgeous creations so skillfully woven into such beautiful designs. One day, he was in a shop where those rugs were on display. He walked behind one that was hanging on hooks from the ceiling. Looking at it from behind, he was shocked to behold a confusing array of threads that led nowhere. Such beauty on one side, total disharmony on the other, but both part of the same plan. It was then that the message became clear to him. In this life we see only the back side of the rug. We don’t know how or why our unspeakable hardships are part of a beautiful design. That is why having faith is so important.”