'I just thought that the FBI probably had the resourc to deal with all of this.'
'Yeah, but it's too close to tabloid territory. I dot think they want that sort of publicity. Not in these budg crisis times. They'd rather have us solve it and not had' to explain why they were spending time and resourc looking for a... vampire.' ...... 'That's what a lot of people are talking about, know.'
Robert looked at his brother, thought for a moment then shrugged.
'Maybe it is a vampire.'
''Knock off the crap.'
'Maybe it's crap, and maybe it isn't. We both know that the supernatural exists--'
Rich shook his head. 'Wait a minute here. How did the conversation get around to this?'
''Why?'
'Because we thought we saw a ghost in grade school 'Because of The Laughing Man.'
Rich was silent.
'There are things We don't understand.'
'All I'm saying is I'm keeping my eyes open.'
'Weren't you going to get Anna another glass water?'
Robert sighed. ''I didn't come here to right
'Me either.'
'Fine. Let's drop it.'' He glanced toward the re gist 'Did you already order?'
Rich nodded. 'A small cheese pizza for Anna. A larI pepperoni for us.'
'Five minutes or so.' Robert tore a strip from his napkin, rolled it into a ball on the tabletop 'Donna Sandoval said she saw Caldwell
Burke with Manuel Torres before he was killed.' 'I thought we were going to drop it? i 'Fine.'
They sat for a moment in silence, Rich looking down at the table tracing water rings with his finger, Robert chewing on his ice.
Robert glanced out the window, then back at his brother. 'So Wheeler's claiming he saw Jesus, huh?' Rich looked up sharply. 'What?'
'You didn't hear? I thought Corrie was working for him.'
'She is. But she never said anything about that.' 'Apparently he's telling his flock that Jesus spoke to him in a dream, and then in person, and told him to rebuild his dhurchm'
'Where did you hear this?' : 'One of my men goes to his church.'
Rich glanced toward Anna, who was watching another girl work the joystick of the video game. 'How come Cortie didn't say anything about this?'
'She probably knew you'd react this way.'
'Well, how would you react?'
'The same.' Robert tore another strip from his napkin. 'I thought maybe you hadn't heard. That's why I told you.' He sighed. 'I don't like Wheeler. If I thought he was just an opportunist, I'd hate him and be disgusted by him, but I think he's a true believer, and that scares me. He probably really does think he's seen Jesus. We have enough problems around here right now without someone like that working people into a witch-hunting frenzy.' 'Is that what he's doing?'
'It's only a matter of time. Murder victims drained of blood? Grave desecration? You think he's not going to bring God and Satan into this? My job's hard enough wit out having to deal with that shit.'
Rich took a deep breath. 'The thing that concerns n is that she takes Anna with her to his church.'
'Corrie? That doesn't sound like her.'
'She's been behaving differently lately.'
Robert looked over at Anna. 'I'd put my foot down that if I were you.'
Anna?'
'I wouldn't want her hearing that stuff.'
'She's not going to that church anymore.' Rich stared at his daughter.
'But what exactly is Wheeler telling them?
That Jesus told him to remodel his church and that it? Or that this is supposed to be the Second Coming?
'I could find out.'
'That's okay. I'll look into it. I'll talk to Corrie.'
'What about Anna? What are you going to say to her'. I don't know.'
The waitress arrived with the pizzas and plates. Robe went to the fountain to get drinks, and Rich walked ov to the video game to get Anna. He tried to pretend like nothing was wrong, but he watched her carefully as that. ate, listened to her, and worried.
By the time they arrived home, Corrie was back. S! was angry, sitting in the living room with the TV off a only the table lamp on, but she did a good job of hidi, her anger as she took Anna to bed, helped her daught change into her PJs, and tucked her in.
Her demeanor changed completely when she returm to the living room.
'where the hell were you?'
'You know where we were. I left a message on the machine and I heard Anna tell you just a minute ago.'
'why did you go out for pizza when we had plenty
,: . food in the refrigerator? It's a school night.' didn't feel like cooking. Now the question is, weren't you here?' ,
'I told you. I had to work late.' 'Yeah, I guess the Second Coming does involve a lot of preparations.'
She'd been moving toward him, but she stopped, the words she'd been about to speak dying in her throat.
'Yes, I know about it.' He stood, approached her. 'You thought I wouldn't find out?'
'I didn't think you needed to know.'
'Oh. Your boss is telling ever) one that Jesus has been resurrected and has dropped by Rio Verde for a visit, and I didn't need to know?'
'I knew how you'd react.'
'Really? And how's that?'
'The way you're acting right now.'
'You don't think I might be a little concerned because you're working for a man who claims he's engineering the Second Coming? You don't think I might be worried because you're taking our daughter to church and exposing her to this?'
'Did Anna tell you?' ;. Why? Did you tell her not to? Did you bribe her?' He glared at Corrie. 'Or did you threaten her?'
She stared at him, then pushed past him and stormed out of the living room into the kitchen. He followed her, watched her take a can of Diet Dr. Pepper out of the refrigerator and slam the door. She whirled on him. Her eyes were red and wide, her mouth a small thin trembling line. 'How dare you say something like that!'
He held up his hands. 'Okay. I'm sorry. I was angrym'
Corrie glared at him. 'When I went for that mammogram two years ago, I had to drive myselfl'
He frowned. 'What does that have to do with anything?'
'It has to do with our relationship and the way you treat me['
'What?' :: : :: ': ::
'I didn't tell you about Jesus because I knew youo wouldn't understand.
You never understands, anything 'How can you say that? You know Ira' ii 'Yeah, like the mammogram?'
'I don't know why we're even arguing about this. You know I offered to drive you're'
'Offered, not insisted.' :,=' :
'The paper was coming out the next day. You told me to finish it up, you'd go to the doctor by yourself, you'd be fine.'
'I didn't think you'd actually listen to me! I expected you to argue, to insist that you drive me. I wanted some support. But you were only too happy to worm out of your responsibility and hide at the paper and leave me to face it all alone. I thought I had cancerl I thought I was going to die, and you weren't even there!'
