Once
inside the church, Jennifer called out with a tentative ‘hello’ to try and make
sure there wasn’t actually anyone in there. She figured she could play dumb or innocent
enough to convince them that the door was really locked. After a few seconds
she released her breath and fumbled through Audrey’s journal to re-read the
entry about this church.
“There was
information about my birth mother, Lucy, in the sacristy in the back of the
church, off to the left of the sanctuary. There was also a list of names of people
who were friends to her. A few of them were crossed out and I was able to find
in the newspaper archives some obituaries for them. ALL of the ones who were
crossed out on the list died within days or weeks of each other and under
questionable circumstances, though there was never a police investigation. Were
they murdered as I suspect? And if they were, then is that what happened to
Lucy?”
In
the sacristy, Jennifer had to rifle things around a little to find what she was
looking for and when she found a small coffer she accidentally broke the lock
with Audrey’s kit but when she did get it open she was stunned to find the
things that Audrey referenced in her journal but also pictures of Audrey and
even two of herself. One picture was from a few months ago and she was walking
into the offices for The Globe. The other was from yesterday as she was leaving
her hotel room.
Feeling
sick to her stomach, Jennifer grabbed all of the pictures of Audrey and what
seemed to be the woman named Lucy as well what appeared to be the list that
Audrey described. That was when she heard the church door at the front open up.
Her breath caught in her throat with her heart and she looked around panicked
for a door to exit the church or a hiding place. She was relieved to find a
door and after a scrambled fumbling with the dead bolt she made her escape just
as she heard a suspicious and angry sounding ‘who’s there’ was being called
out.
From the external sacristy door she made a hasty decision to run into the trees behind the church, still desperate to avoid being seen anywhere around it. She saw no one as she moved in the tree line and turned in the direction that would lead her close to the downtown area where she hoped she could re-emerge from the tree line essentially unnoticed.
Duke leaned against one of the supporting posts of the gazebo in the downtown park and nodded cordially at an older woman who came in to sit and rest. The candy shop was closed for the upcoming Founder's Day Parade and he had some time to kill.
"It's a good place to watch a parade."
He looked back to the woman and smiled.
"I guess it is."
"You're not from around here, are you?"
"No. I'm here on business and just thought I would... take in some of the sights. Pretty town."
"Yes. It is. Haven is a special place."
That seemed like an odd thing to say but he only nodded in a vague agreement, not wanting to engage in a conversation but not wanting to be notably rude either.
"What kind of business?"
He sighed inwardly. "Shipping. I own a boat."
"Oh, how lovely for you. So many opportunities for excitement when you own your own business and especially on a ship. Does that leave you any time for a special lady?" She frowned for a moment and seemed to be trying to correct herself when she amended; "or special man?"
He smiled at her attempt at social correctness and drew a breath to answer when he saw a familiar form dart out of the side door of the church, crouch close to the door and take a moment to look furtively about and then make a beeline for the trees behind the church. A quick glance revealed that the church was, indeed, the Good Shepherd and that a small group of men were entering and fanning around the church in search of an intruder.
He swore under his breath. "It would be a lady. And I need to go get her. Looks like she's lost and headed for the trees."
The woman smiled politely and nodded. "Have a lovely day and enjoy your stay in Haven." When he was gone she smiled and muttered to herself, "young man, if I was thirty or forty years younger I'd try to lure you into the woods too."
Duke kept the men surrounding the church in his side vision as he headed for the trees, trying to guess her trajectory through the woods. It wasn't difficult. She was attempting to blend in with the crowds of people milling around. Unfortunately for her, she sucked at blending in. Who the hell wore a red cap anyway?
He moved into the tree line a few paces behind her and in her agitation she didn't notice his presence. Following what would be her line of sight he realized she was intent on finding the biggest crowd of people to be near when she exited the apparent obscurity of the woods. A good plan but she wasn't accustomed to seeing and evaluating everything around her. He caught up to her easily and when he saw a lone man on a cell phone being to look angrily around in the general direction of the woods, reached out for her.
At the feel of an arm coiling around her waist and a body much bigger than her own suddenly at her back with a hand clamped over her mouth Jennifer went into full on panic mode and kicked and flailed before biting into the heel of that hand.
The grunt in her ear sounded like it might be familiar but it took a few seconds for the voice to register.
"Jennifer! Stop! It's me, Duke. From breakfast? I'm trying to help -- OW!"
The heel of her boot connected with his shin as her finger nails raked into the back of his hand and he released her immediately. She turned and gave him shove.
"Why do men always think that they're helping a woman by scaring her half to death!"
"I..." Duke didn't have an immediate answer for that so he went on the offense instead. "Look." He pointed over her shoulder to the man still on the cell phone, and searching -- most likely for her. "There's at least half a dozen others and I think they're looking for you."
She was scared enough that she didn't try to deny it or lie about it. She simply looked at him with those big luminous eyes full of fear and pleading.
"Give me your hat."
She looked puzzled but complied. When he threw it over his shoulder and grabbed her hand to drag her further into the woods she started to protest again.
"Hey! That's my hat!"
"Yeah, and a bunch of the Good Shepherd's flock know it. You need to ditch it. Probably your coat too." He noticed her gloves. "Were you wearing your gloves when you were doing... whatever.. in there?"
"Yes. And how did you know I was in there?"
"I saw you come out. Unfortunately for you, I wasn't the only one."
"Are you following me?" She jerked back hard and dug in her heels.
"Are you out of you mind?! Can't you hear them? Keep GOING!"
At this point, he didn't want to be caught with her.
"Tell me where you're taking me." She could have been born royalty.
"Haven't you toured Haven enough to know yet?"
"Well, not this part."
"Guess we'll both find out then. Come on." This time when he tugged at her hand she followed but immediately wrenched herself free from his grasp. He cursed under his breath but let it go, at least she was following him, and she was doing a remarkably quiet job of it.
He kept their path in the same general direction she had been headed, only deeper into the tree line and tried to keep them in the cover of low growing trees or large trunks. It wasn't very long before the trees thinned and the sounds of bagpipes from the parade and crowds of people milling around could be heard. Before leaving the cover of the trees behind, he urged Jennifer to stay in a hidden space between two huge old oaks so he could make sure it was clear. He was pleased to see that The Two Sisters' was nearby and while it was still closed; the Black House coffee shop a few doors down was open.
From the external sacristy door she made a hasty decision to run into the trees behind the church, still desperate to avoid being seen anywhere around it. She saw no one as she moved in the tree line and turned in the direction that would lead her close to the downtown area where she hoped she could re-emerge from the tree line essentially unnoticed.
Duke leaned against one of the supporting posts of the gazebo in the downtown park and nodded cordially at an older woman who came in to sit and rest. The candy shop was closed for the upcoming Founder's Day Parade and he had some time to kill.
"It's a good place to watch a parade."
He looked back to the woman and smiled.
"I guess it is."
"You're not from around here, are you?"
"No. I'm here on business and just thought I would... take in some of the sights. Pretty town."
"Yes. It is. Haven is a special place."
That seemed like an odd thing to say but he only nodded in a vague agreement, not wanting to engage in a conversation but not wanting to be notably rude either.
"What kind of business?"
He sighed inwardly. "Shipping. I own a boat."
"Oh, how lovely for you. So many opportunities for excitement when you own your own business and especially on a ship. Does that leave you any time for a special lady?" She frowned for a moment and seemed to be trying to correct herself when she amended; "or special man?"
He smiled at her attempt at social correctness and drew a breath to answer when he saw a familiar form dart out of the side door of the church, crouch close to the door and take a moment to look furtively about and then make a beeline for the trees behind the church. A quick glance revealed that the church was, indeed, the Good Shepherd and that a small group of men were entering and fanning around the church in search of an intruder.
He swore under his breath. "It would be a lady. And I need to go get her. Looks like she's lost and headed for the trees."
The woman smiled politely and nodded. "Have a lovely day and enjoy your stay in Haven." When he was gone she smiled and muttered to herself, "young man, if I was thirty or forty years younger I'd try to lure you into the woods too."
Duke kept the men surrounding the church in his side vision as he headed for the trees, trying to guess her trajectory through the woods. It wasn't difficult. She was attempting to blend in with the crowds of people milling around. Unfortunately for her, she sucked at blending in. Who the hell wore a red cap anyway?
He moved into the tree line a few paces behind her and in her agitation she didn't notice his presence. Following what would be her line of sight he realized she was intent on finding the biggest crowd of people to be near when she exited the apparent obscurity of the woods. A good plan but she wasn't accustomed to seeing and evaluating everything around her. He caught up to her easily and when he saw a lone man on a cell phone being to look angrily around in the general direction of the woods, reached out for her.
At the feel of an arm coiling around her waist and a body much bigger than her own suddenly at her back with a hand clamped over her mouth Jennifer went into full on panic mode and kicked and flailed before biting into the heel of that hand.
The grunt in her ear sounded like it might be familiar but it took a few seconds for the voice to register.
"Jennifer! Stop! It's me, Duke. From breakfast? I'm trying to help -- OW!"
The heel of her boot connected with his shin as her finger nails raked into the back of his hand and he released her immediately. She turned and gave him shove.
"Why do men always think that they're helping a woman by scaring her half to death!"
"I..." Duke didn't have an immediate answer for that so he went on the offense instead. "Look." He pointed over her shoulder to the man still on the cell phone, and searching -- most likely for her. "There's at least half a dozen others and I think they're looking for you."
She was scared enough that she didn't try to deny it or lie about it. She simply looked at him with those big luminous eyes full of fear and pleading.
"Give me your hat."
She looked puzzled but complied. When he threw it over his shoulder and grabbed her hand to drag her further into the woods she started to protest again.
"Hey! That's my hat!"
"Yeah, and a bunch of the Good Shepherd's flock know it. You need to ditch it. Probably your coat too." He noticed her gloves. "Were you wearing your gloves when you were doing... whatever.. in there?"
"Yes. And how did you know I was in there?"
"I saw you come out. Unfortunately for you, I wasn't the only one."
"Are you following me?" She jerked back hard and dug in her heels.
"Are you out of you mind?! Can't you hear them? Keep GOING!"
At this point, he didn't want to be caught with her.
"Tell me where you're taking me." She could have been born royalty.
"Haven't you toured Haven enough to know yet?"
"Well, not this part."
"Guess we'll both find out then. Come on." This time when he tugged at her hand she followed but immediately wrenched herself free from his grasp. He cursed under his breath but let it go, at least she was following him, and she was doing a remarkably quiet job of it.
He kept their path in the same general direction she had been headed, only deeper into the tree line and tried to keep them in the cover of low growing trees or large trunks. It wasn't very long before the trees thinned and the sounds of bagpipes from the parade and crowds of people milling around could be heard. Before leaving the cover of the trees behind, he urged Jennifer to stay in a hidden space between two huge old oaks so he could make sure it was clear. He was pleased to see that The Two Sisters' was nearby and while it was still closed; the Black House coffee shop a few doors down was open.
Jennifer brushed some leafy debris from his shoulder and smiled at him.
"Thanks for what you did back there. I'm sorry about..." She blushed and didn't finish. "Let me buy you some coffee to make it up to you?"
He grinned down at her and relieved a long standing urge to touch her hair by pulling a bit of bark out of her hair. "You mean for when you scratched, bit and kicked me? You really think coffee is going to be enough to make it up to me?"
"Well, if you prefer, when the candy shop opens I'll get you some."
There was so much sass in the woman. "Coffee and candy. That's a good start." He scanned the crowd briefly. "You need to take off your coat. It makes you recognizable."
She turned to make her own scan. "Do you think we should trade coats?"
He looked down at her and shook his head. "You're still pretty freaked out, aren't you?"
"You think? But it's still too cold for me to go without a coat."
He nodded in agreement and pushed from his mind the image of all he could do to keep her warm.
"You know, I bet you'd be okay in the coffee shop."
"Right." She handed him the bag and he took it without thinking about it as she took off the coat. Draping the coat over her arm she took the bag back from him and shouldered it again. That was when he took note of the weight of it.
"What all do you have in there, anyway?" He asked as they turned to go inside.
"Um, research stuff."
"Research? Is that part of being a tourist?" He couldn't help but gloat a little at her discomfort in being called out in her lie.
"Sometimes."
"What about breaking into churches?"
"Maybe that was more of a dare."
"Weird dare."
She shrugged and laid her coat on a chair as a way to mark a table for them before going to order.
"I'd like a sixteen-ounce-raspberry-mocha-latte-with-almond-milk-and-whipped-cream-and-cinnamon-sprinkles-on-top, and a..." She looked at Duke questioningly.
"Just, whatever you have as a medium sized Americano."
She paid the barrista and moved down to the end of the counter where they would be able to get their drinks.
"Why don't you go ahead and sit down," he offered. "I'll bring the coffee and whatever it was that you ordered."
She only smiled as she went to sit down. Her back to the door. Duke smiled at the rookie mistake. Whatever cloak and dagger game she had got herself involved in, she had little to no experience in it. When he was able to collect the drinks he brought them over and positioned himself with his back to the wall as was possible while keeping the shop and its patrons in view.
"Sorry if I made you miss the parade."
"Doubt it's much of a parade so probably no big loss." He glanced around to make sure no one was paying any attention to them. They weren't. The patrons in here were mostly focused on the activities outside. He leaned close to her. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about what you're really doing here?"
Her expression turned fretful and wary. "Why?" She whispered.
He raised his eyebrows and very deliberately reached to pull a small burr that had embedded itself on the collar of his vest away and showed it to her.
She had the grace to blush again and seemed to consider it as a reason to see him as already involved.
He grinned down at her and relieved a long standing urge to touch her hair by pulling a bit of bark out of her hair. "You mean for when you scratched, bit and kicked me? You really think coffee is going to be enough to make it up to me?"
"Well, if you prefer, when the candy shop opens I'll get you some."
There was so much sass in the woman. "Coffee and candy. That's a good start." He scanned the crowd briefly. "You need to take off your coat. It makes you recognizable."
She turned to make her own scan. "Do you think we should trade coats?"
He looked down at her and shook his head. "You're still pretty freaked out, aren't you?"
"You think? But it's still too cold for me to go without a coat."
He nodded in agreement and pushed from his mind the image of all he could do to keep her warm.
"You know, I bet you'd be okay in the coffee shop."
"Right." She handed him the bag and he took it without thinking about it as she took off the coat. Draping the coat over her arm she took the bag back from him and shouldered it again. That was when he took note of the weight of it.
"What all do you have in there, anyway?" He asked as they turned to go inside.
"Um, research stuff."
"Research? Is that part of being a tourist?" He couldn't help but gloat a little at her discomfort in being called out in her lie.
"Sometimes."
"What about breaking into churches?"
"Maybe that was more of a dare."
"Weird dare."
She shrugged and laid her coat on a chair as a way to mark a table for them before going to order.
"I'd like a sixteen-ounce-raspberry-mocha-latte-with-almond-milk-and-whipped-cream-and-cinnamon-sprinkles-on-top, and a..." She looked at Duke questioningly.
"Just, whatever you have as a medium sized Americano."
She paid the barrista and moved down to the end of the counter where they would be able to get their drinks.
"Why don't you go ahead and sit down," he offered. "I'll bring the coffee and whatever it was that you ordered."
She only smiled as she went to sit down. Her back to the door. Duke smiled at the rookie mistake. Whatever cloak and dagger game she had got herself involved in, she had little to no experience in it. When he was able to collect the drinks he brought them over and positioned himself with his back to the wall as was possible while keeping the shop and its patrons in view.
"Sorry if I made you miss the parade."
"Doubt it's much of a parade so probably no big loss." He glanced around to make sure no one was paying any attention to them. They weren't. The patrons in here were mostly focused on the activities outside. He leaned close to her. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about what you're really doing here?"
Her expression turned fretful and wary. "Why?" She whispered.
He raised his eyebrows and very deliberately reached to pull a small burr that had embedded itself on the collar of his vest away and showed it to her.
She had the grace to blush again and seemed to consider it as a reason to see him as already involved.
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