Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 80
She stood behind me and wrapped her arm around my back, resting her head on my shoulder. “I do know, and I’m sorry. You saw someone die. But what if you can stop it? What if you can save her life?”
I leaned my head against hers. “Joe will have a conniption.”
“Like that’s ever stopped you before.”
I sighed. Neely Kate was on a roll. I took a deep breath and braced my shoulders. I’d cried enough. It was time to do something. “Okay.”
“You need to tell Mason.”
I shook my head. “You’re like a ping pong ball. Mason won’t approve of this.”
She gave me a smug smile. “Don’t be so sure of that.”
We took the elevator, and I waved goodbye when she got off on the first floor, staying on so I could go to the second.
Cecelia was at her desk when I got to Mason’s office. She took one look at me and frowned, but she quickly looked down to hide her reaction and kept typing.
I decided being extra nice was the best way to handle her. “Hi, Cecelia. Has Mason come back since I called you?”
She kept her eyes glued to her computer screen. “No.”
“Has he called you since he left?”
Her gaze lifted, and her eyes hardened. “You are not allowed to know about Mr. Deveraux’s official office business.”
“I’m not asking about that. I’m asking if he’s called you.”
She glared at me for a moment. “Yes.”
“And did you give him my message?”
“Yes.”
“And…? Did he say anything?”
She turned back to her work. “No.”
I considered asking her to give me his cell phone number so I could call him from here, but I didn’t want her to hear my conversation. And if I went into his office to make the call, I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t eavesdrop. I might be getting bolder about my visions, but I wasn’t ready to shout about them from the rooftop.
Matt waved to me when I passed through the security line. “You have a good day, Rose.”
“Thanks, Matt.” I stopped and spun back to face him. “If you see Mr. Deveraux, can you tell him I stopped by his office, and that I’m looking for him?”
“Shouldn’t you tell his secretary?”
Apparently, that was a waste of time. “Everyone knows you’re the most reliable employee in all of Fenton County.”
He waved his hand. “Aren’t you sweet? Of course I’ll tell him. Even if you’re exaggerating.”
“It’s not an exaggeration. It’s the unvarnished truth.”
My phone hadn’t charged by the time I’d got back to my truck. Since I was used to charging it at home, I hadn’t realized it wouldn’t charge when the engine was turned off. I was practically back where I’d started.
I sat behind the steering wheel of my truck, staring at the courthouse. Neely Kate had a good point. If I wanted to save that poor woman, I needed to talk to Jonah again. Whoever was killing the women in Henryetta seemed to be targeting women to whom he was connected. He was getting ready for his revival, but I was sure he’d take a few minutes to talk to me.
The church grounds were bustling with activity when I pulled into the parking lot. A giant tent had been erected, and men were in the process of setting up chairs. We’d delivered extra pots of flowers, and they’d been set around the edges of the tent. I had to admit that the place looked great. Pride warmed my chest as I considered the part we’d played in the transformation.
When I couldn’t find Jonah outside, I went into the church office. Rhonda was sitting at her desk still wearing her long sleeves despite the fact it was ninety degrees outside and the church wasn’t very cold. She grimaced when I entered the room, looking down her nose and puckering her mouth in disapproval.
Why did secretaries hate me so much?
“Rhonda, I need to talk to Jonah.”
Her face puckered even more. “That’s Reverend Pruitt to you. And he’s busy.”
“This is important.”
She picked up a stack of papers and tapped them on the desk. “Nothing is more important than the Lord’s work. He’s preparing for the service tonight.”
“If you’ll just tell him I’m here—”
“I’ll be sure to tell him you stopped by, Miss Gardner. Good day.”
Even though Jonah’s door was closed, he might be inside. I considered ignoring Rhonda and just going in. She wouldn’t reach me before I got the door open, although I wouldn’t put it past her to tackle me when she did reach me. I decided to make a round through the church to look for him, and if he still didn’t turn up, I’d come back and storm the door. The element of surprise would be on my side.
I left the office and headed for the sanctuary, thinking it might be a quiet place to sort through my thoughts and come up with a plan. Jonah must have been thinking the same thing because I found him sitting on the steps to the altar, his forehead resting in his hand. He didn’t hear me until I was several feet away.
He looked up at me with a tear-stained face. “This is all my fault, Rose. All those women are dead because of me.”
I sat on the step next to him. “It isn’t your fault, but I think you’re right. Someone is killing them because of you.”
He released a moan and leaned over his knees.
“Can you think of anyone who has a grudge against you? Either here or back in Homer?”
I leaned my head against hers. “Joe will have a conniption.”
“Like that’s ever stopped you before.”
I sighed. Neely Kate was on a roll. I took a deep breath and braced my shoulders. I’d cried enough. It was time to do something. “Okay.”
“You need to tell Mason.”
I shook my head. “You’re like a ping pong ball. Mason won’t approve of this.”
She gave me a smug smile. “Don’t be so sure of that.”
We took the elevator, and I waved goodbye when she got off on the first floor, staying on so I could go to the second.
Cecelia was at her desk when I got to Mason’s office. She took one look at me and frowned, but she quickly looked down to hide her reaction and kept typing.
I decided being extra nice was the best way to handle her. “Hi, Cecelia. Has Mason come back since I called you?”
She kept her eyes glued to her computer screen. “No.”
“Has he called you since he left?”
Her gaze lifted, and her eyes hardened. “You are not allowed to know about Mr. Deveraux’s official office business.”
“I’m not asking about that. I’m asking if he’s called you.”
She glared at me for a moment. “Yes.”
“And did you give him my message?”
“Yes.”
“And…? Did he say anything?”
She turned back to her work. “No.”
I considered asking her to give me his cell phone number so I could call him from here, but I didn’t want her to hear my conversation. And if I went into his office to make the call, I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t eavesdrop. I might be getting bolder about my visions, but I wasn’t ready to shout about them from the rooftop.
Matt waved to me when I passed through the security line. “You have a good day, Rose.”
“Thanks, Matt.” I stopped and spun back to face him. “If you see Mr. Deveraux, can you tell him I stopped by his office, and that I’m looking for him?”
“Shouldn’t you tell his secretary?”
Apparently, that was a waste of time. “Everyone knows you’re the most reliable employee in all of Fenton County.”
He waved his hand. “Aren’t you sweet? Of course I’ll tell him. Even if you’re exaggerating.”
“It’s not an exaggeration. It’s the unvarnished truth.”
My phone hadn’t charged by the time I’d got back to my truck. Since I was used to charging it at home, I hadn’t realized it wouldn’t charge when the engine was turned off. I was practically back where I’d started.
I sat behind the steering wheel of my truck, staring at the courthouse. Neely Kate had a good point. If I wanted to save that poor woman, I needed to talk to Jonah again. Whoever was killing the women in Henryetta seemed to be targeting women to whom he was connected. He was getting ready for his revival, but I was sure he’d take a few minutes to talk to me.
The church grounds were bustling with activity when I pulled into the parking lot. A giant tent had been erected, and men were in the process of setting up chairs. We’d delivered extra pots of flowers, and they’d been set around the edges of the tent. I had to admit that the place looked great. Pride warmed my chest as I considered the part we’d played in the transformation.
When I couldn’t find Jonah outside, I went into the church office. Rhonda was sitting at her desk still wearing her long sleeves despite the fact it was ninety degrees outside and the church wasn’t very cold. She grimaced when I entered the room, looking down her nose and puckering her mouth in disapproval.
Why did secretaries hate me so much?
“Rhonda, I need to talk to Jonah.”
Her face puckered even more. “That’s Reverend Pruitt to you. And he’s busy.”
“This is important.”
She picked up a stack of papers and tapped them on the desk. “Nothing is more important than the Lord’s work. He’s preparing for the service tonight.”
“If you’ll just tell him I’m here—”
“I’ll be sure to tell him you stopped by, Miss Gardner. Good day.”
Even though Jonah’s door was closed, he might be inside. I considered ignoring Rhonda and just going in. She wouldn’t reach me before I got the door open, although I wouldn’t put it past her to tackle me when she did reach me. I decided to make a round through the church to look for him, and if he still didn’t turn up, I’d come back and storm the door. The element of surprise would be on my side.
I left the office and headed for the sanctuary, thinking it might be a quiet place to sort through my thoughts and come up with a plan. Jonah must have been thinking the same thing because I found him sitting on the steps to the altar, his forehead resting in his hand. He didn’t hear me until I was several feet away.
He looked up at me with a tear-stained face. “This is all my fault, Rose. All those women are dead because of me.”
I sat on the step next to him. “It isn’t your fault, but I think you’re right. Someone is killing them because of you.”
He released a moan and leaned over his knees.
“Can you think of anyone who has a grudge against you? Either here or back in Homer?”
