Deadly Decision (21 page)

Dark circles hung under his eyes like black moons, and he smelled of cigarette smoke and body odor. Ten years had crept on him since Sandra's party.

“Lisa would have been lost without all your help,” he added, struggling with his seat belt. “Picking her husband up from jail was more than she could handle.”

“That's what friends are for.”

“I hope I still have friends.” He glanced my way.

I focused on the road, an ugly mood accompanying me. What did I know about the pastor? There had been too many surprises lately; I didn't need to be naïvely pulled into a relationship with a guilty man. He seemed nice enough but he could hide his true nature behind the pulpit. It had been done before. And Jimmy would have trusted him.

The road in front of me was the same route I had driven on my way to Trina's the first time. Was it only a month ago? Now the posters of Jimmy, which I had not noticed on that first trip, lunged off the poles and screamed for my attention.
Murder—murder—murder.
The pictures of a gentle Jimmy morphed into something ugly and dark. The demon. I blinked my eyes, hoping to lose the vision. It had to be my imagination; lack of sleep causing my mind to make up what wasn't there.

Pastor Steve's voice broke my almost trance-like state. “How many people know?”

“By now, the whole town.”

Pastor Steve shrunk into his seat. “How are the church members taking it?”

“There's been a group praying all night. I have to be honest with you though; there are some who want you gone.” I still wasn't sure where my loyalties would land.

“They haven't even heard my side.”

“Sometimes they don't need to.”

“Satan caused this,” Steve said.

I jerked my head in his direction.
Satan?

 



 

That evening at the pastor's house Trina made chicken and noodles that no one ate. Soon after, Ted left for the church. Now Steve and Lisa, along with Sandra, Trina and I, were crowded into Pastor Steve and Lisa's tiny living room. Still unsure of the pastor's innocence or guilt, I contributed very little to the conversation.

Although discussions had been taking place all day at the church in preparation for the final meeting with the elders, not being a member, I didn't think it right for me to attend. Ted kept us informed as he moved between the meetings and the pastor's home.

There was another reason I hung behind. Leaving the women alone with the pastor was dangerous. Not that I thought the pastor would hurt them, but I envisioned what someone else might decide to do, knowing an accused child killer was at home, with only women for protection. A rock could suddenly come hurtling through the front window, or flames could eat through the wood siding and begin licking at the contents of the house.

Darlington was divided on Pastor Steve's guilt. While picking up chicken for Trina at the grocery store, I heard one woman telling another how one can never trust a minister. And yet, Lisa's phone rang non-stop all afternoon with people sending words of encouragement. Steve had been notified that the area preachers were meeting for prayer, and they would continue through the evening.

Once the congregation made their decision, I hoped the turmoil would settle into a simmer. I wanted the person responsible for Jimmy's death punished, but knew if things got out of hand, a lot of innocent people could get hurt. And Trina and Sandra believed Steve was innocent, which made them targets.

My senses were on high alert. The cellphone in my pocket was charged and ready. I had planned three potential escape routes from the house. The evening's goal—get the women away from the pastor's house and home as quickly as I could. But against my advice, they had settled in for the long haul.

While they talked quietly, I had a job to do. Even though it pushed paranoia, the house felt strange, like eyes were watching me. Could someone be hiding inside, waiting to catch one of us alone? And which one was the intruder after? I assumed it was Steve, and part of me willed the attacker to go at it. But the women didn't need to be involved in violence. Whoever had somehow slipped unseen in the house needed escorted out.

“Dad, sit down. You've been prancing around since we got here.”

I looked at Trina, and tried to glance behind the couch without being obvious.

“I appreciate your concern, Bill,” Steve said. “There's nothing more you can do right now.”

If he only knew; there was a lot that needed done. “I need a glass of water.” I headed to the kitchen, ran the tap, and looked in the pantry. No other place to hide. Turning off the water, I walked through the corner of the living room to the narrow hall.

There, darting into the end bedroom!
I sped to the door, knowing I had trapped whoever was in there. I quietly closed the door behind me, blocking his escape.

“I saw you come in here,” I hissed. “I don't want a fight. I just need you to leave.”

Was that a rustle under the bed? I focused on the narrow space between the floor and bed frame. “I'm only concerned about the women. They don't need to be a part of whatever you're up to. Do it later.”

Frustration pumped through me. What was with this guy? Didn't he know an offer when he heard it? If this became much harder, I may have to throw a few punches while dragging him out.

I figured the guy could see my shoes from under the bed, so surprise was gone. I fell to the floor and shoved up the cover, hands ready to grab.

Nothing.

He must have slipped out the other side of the bed. I jumped up, jerked my head around, arms taught. Seeing no one, I threw open the closet doors. The scent of perfume greeted me, feeding my anger. How dare someone threaten a woman? I shoved the hanging items from side to side, looking for the intruder.

I scanned the room. Where else? Blood pounded in my ears. On the far left was a door, probably a bathroom. A sense of satisfaction filled me as I knew I had him. There was no other place to hide.

The door to the hall opened. Trina stood clutching the handle.

I glanced between her and the bathroom. “Get out of here,” I grunted, rushing into the bathroom and managing to slam the door behind me. Two steps took me to the shower, which was empty. I was alone in the bathroom.

Remembering Trina, I flushed the toilet before returning to the bedroom. She stood at the bedroom door, her eyes expressing confusion.

“Had to go to the bathroom. Didn't want the smell… you know.” I pushed her out of the room and closed the door behind us before she could figure out there was no telltale bathroom after-effects.

I knew what I had seen. Someone had gone into the bedroom. Either the pastor had an escape hatch hidden in his room, or what had entered was not human. Had the demon left Trina's house and attached itself to Pastor Steve? Or was it a different demon? Impossible to sort it out, I stood in the hallway, hoping my bulk would block anything from coming into the living room.

The kitchen door to the outside rattled. Trina stopped talking in the middle of a word and stared at me with round-eyed fear. I quickly fingered the cellphone in my pocket. I swallowed my fear and threw my cellphone to Trina.

“Just in case,” I mouthed.

Steve started to walk toward the kitchen but I motioned him to sit. I was better equipped to fight than he was.

Before I left the living room, I heard footsteps on the kitchen linoleum.
Why didn't I check that door to make sure it was locked?

Counting on my size as a weapon, I rushed around the corner between the kitchen and the living room and plowed into Ted, sending him skidding across the floor.

He looked up at me in surprise.

“Shouldn't come sneaking in.” I held out a hand to help him up. “We're in the living room,” I grunted, adrenalin still pumping into my bloodstream.

“Everything quiet over here?” Ted asked.

“Trying to be careful.”

Ted made a wide loop around me and sat on the floor at Trina's feet.

After locking the kitchen door, I paced between the kitchen and the living room, feeling too high-strung to sit.

“The elders are meeting now,” Ted said, sending a confused glance in my direction. “Ed Brown will be over when they're done.”

“We should leave,” Sandra said.

Yes! Finally, I could get the women home to safety.

“Don't go,” Steve pleaded. “Stay until Ed comes.”

“You'll want some privacy,” I interjected. The climate outside the house was set for violence. Pockets of people, three or four in each spot, dotted the area around the church. It would only take one crazy act to start a town riot. We needed to be home.

“What privacy? There aren't any secrets between friends,” Steve said. “Besides, it feels good to have someone in my corner.”

Sandra smiled at him. “We know the outcome already, Steven. The church members will support you. And you know we're your friends.”

“I hope so,” Steve said, glancing at Sandra, “but I was worried most about your friendship.”

“Mine?”

“I was afraid you would grab at anything to solve Jimmy's disappearance.”

“I have known you almost all your life, Steven Morgan.” Tears ran down Sandra's face. “You wouldn't harm Jimmy.”

Steve leaned forward in his seat, and shoved his hands between his knees. “You hear stories of neighbors who end up being serial killers. Some are even faithful church men. I was afraid…”

“I don't want to hear another word about this.” Pulling a tissue from her pocket, Sandra wiped her nose. “You're innocent, and we'll prove it. The fibers from that blanket won't match Ted's. I know it.”

If Satan was orchestrating this, like Pastor Steve thought, would he be able to somehow make the fibers match? I had never thought about the extent of Satan's power. The pit in my stomach grew. By now that pit should be a tree, sending limbs out my mouth.

The question had been a monster in the room all day, and finally I unveiled it. “How
did
you end up with that blanket?”

“I had never seen the thing until the police showed up at my office with a search warrant.” Steve leaned back into the couch cushion. “I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a joke.”

“I didn't laugh when you called and told me they were taking you to jail.” Lisa looked up at her husband. “What's going to happen to us?”

Steve wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close. “Nothing is going to happen to us,” he murmured into her hair. “God is in control. We have to remember that. God has a plan.”

Ted rubbed his jaw. “Could someone have planted the blanket in the church?”

“Sure. The church is locked most of the time, but about a dozen people have keys. I suppose it wouldn't be hard to get hold of one.”

“Sometimes it's unlocked and empty,” Lisa added. “You go over about an hour before services and unlock. Someone could slip in then.”

“It seems strange,” Trina murmured, “that the police knew where to look.”

“They didn't. They told me I had been seen entering the church with something rolled in a green blanket. The caller hadn't thought anything about it until that article came out about finding the threads in your attic.”

“What took him so long?” I asked. “That was over a month ago.”

“I don't know. Maybe he was afraid.” Pastor Steve turned to Sandra. “I'm so sorry about all of this.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” She pinched her eyes closed, but the tears squeezed through and ran down her cheeks. “It makes me ache to think of what Jimmy must have gone through.” When she opened her eyes, a look of resolution transformed her face. “Now I'm getting mad. Whoever took Jimmy is still out there, somewhere, and I want him punished!”

A knock sounded on the door. I opened it just enough to see out, keeping my foot tight against its base, then opened the door to Ed and Helen Brown. I tried to predict what they would tell us, but their faces were blank, especially Helen's. After securing the door, I resumed my post between the living room and kitchen.

“I'll get right to it, Steve. Most of the church members support you and believe you're innocent. They're willing to go along as usual until the fiber tests on the blanket found in the church are back.”

So that was it. I moved into the room, ready to suggest we head home.
Thank you, Ed, for getting to the point.

“But…” Steve stated. “There must be more.”

Ed's ruddy face morphed into a scowl.

“I have to tell you, Helen and I are not happy with how this all came down.”

Steve's voice remained calm. “You have been a Christian brother to both Lisa and me. The decision is out of your control.”

“Quiet,” I hissed. Faces turned toward me as I moved quickly to the window.

Voices were arguing but I couldn't catch the words. “Do you recognize any of them?”

“I can't be sure,” whispered Steve, “but I don't think they're from the congregation.”

A car door slammed and tires squealed on the pavement. A few seconds later, an engine started and the second car sped off.

“So what's the news that has everyone so upset?” Steve asked.

Ed Brown cleared his throat. “The good news is, you're not fired. The bad news is, I have to ask for your keys to the church building until you've been cleared of Jimmy's abduction and probable death.”

The room was silent.

More cars drove by; I tensed, but none stopped. I wondered about moving the couch away from the window. Anything thrown through the glass would most likely hit the pastor or Lisa on the head.

As I hesitated, the shrill resonance of a police siren came closer, momentarily filled the room, and then moved on.

“What about Sunday?” Steve finally asked. “Do we have to meet on the lawn?”