the cops, there was no chance of being paid a dime. What I figured was that I’d find the reverend and see what was what.”
Vincent held out his hands in a show of helplessness. “I haven’t heard from Sister Love in more than two months, and I don’t know anything about any money. All I do is God’s work. I spread His word.”
Like a boxer getting on his bicycle and putting out the jab, that was Vincent. I had staggered him with my information, and all he could fall back on was his everyday con.
“Well, if you can’t help me…” I stood up.
“But I could ask Brother Grove,” Vincent offered.
“Maybe I should ask him.”
“Maybe,” the canny man of God replied. “If you got here five minutes earlier, you would’a seen him. But he’s gone now, won’t be back for a few weeks.”
“Where’d he go?”
“Church business, in Tulsa.”
“Oh. Well I guess that’s that.”
“But he’s gonna call me. When he gets there he said he’d call. I could ask him then.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should just go to the police.”
“Better no,” he said.
“Why?”
“Let me ask William first. Maybe he could shed some light on it. I’ll tell you what, you go home and get some sleep, and when I talk to William sometime tomorrow night, next mornin’ at the latest, I’ll call you.”
I thought about sleeping in that lilac-scented, apricot-colored room. It sounded pretty good. I mused on that for a few seconds, pretending that I was thinking about Vincent’s selfless offer.
“Call you by ten day after tomorrow,” he added.
“All right,” I said, nodding. “All right. But I’ll have to call the cops if you don’t call me by then. You know it’s a crime not to report a crime.”
Vincent was scanning the tabletop until he located a short pencil and a paper matchbook. He took the nub and said, “Tell me your number.”
I gave him the Tannenbaum phone number.
“What’s the address?”
“Why you need my address?”
“Well, uh, we might have to run over there or somethin’.”
“No, uh-uh. You just call me. Call me by ten day after tomorrow.” I stood up.
“We could use the address too,” he said with no apology or excuse.
“I’ll give you what you need after I talk to Grove.”
I had a question in mind, and it must’ve shown on my face.
“Something else?” he asked.
“Why did you pull up your red skirts and run from the old church so fast?”
Father Vincent blinked twice but said nothing.
“I mean,” I continued, “you ran outta there in the middle’a the night. The landlord came around askin’ everybody if they knew where you’d gone.”
“A misunderstanding about the rent,” the elder Holy Roller said. “Anderson made some promises about work that he was gonna do to the buildin’. After a year we told him that we wouldn’t pay, you know, the rent until, uh, he did what he said he would.”
“Hmm.” I pondered his lie. “Only time I ever seen people pull up stakes that fast they were either runnin’ from the law or from a loaded gun.”
“Nuthin’ like that,” Vincent assured me. “Just a misunderstanding is all.”
“All right,” I said, still leery. “You call me when you’ve talked to Grove.”
I turned and walked out of there, feeling in charge for the first time since Elana Love walked in the door. I didn’t look back at Father Vincent. I was sure that he’d be on the phone to Grove as soon as I was gone. But that was okay. I wanted them upset. I wanted them to feel like I felt.
JOHN-JOHN’S ALL-NIGHT
