Clovis gave her another nod. “I’m sure. If it’s any consolation, it’s not the first time. He followed all of the other FBI agents too.”
“Really…” Constance allowed her voice to trail off as her brow dipped and creased of its own volition. Here was yet another thing that hadn’t been mentioned in the official case file. “Were there any altercations?”
“None that I’m aware of,” she replied. “I know that he did speak to each of them, but that was about it as far as I know. From what Stella said he was quite a bit more wound up with you. Sort of pushy.”
“Just a bit…” Constance said with a nod. “Maybe he didn’t perceive me as intimidating since I’m female, so he thought he could get away with it.”
“I suppose that could be,” Clovis replied, pausing for a moment before adding, “Honestly, he’s harmless. He’s just addled in the head. Has been for years. He goes off his medication now and then, but he’s never hurt or threatened anyone.”
“I see…” Constance cocked her head to the side as she digested the new information. “So what’s the problem? Some sort of dementia?”
“Seems like it. Nobody’s really sure. One day he just snapped, more or less. He spent some time in the hospital over in Mais…” she shrugged. “Poor man. He never recovered from it. His wife couldn’t take it. She tried for a while, but she finally divorced him and moved away.”
“Does he have anyone to take care of him?”
“Us,” Clovis returned, making a small sweep with her hand. “That’s the other reason Stella called. To let us know he’s probably skipped some pills again.”
“One of the many hidden advantages of living in a small town, I suppose,” Constance mused.
“We do try to look out for one another,” Clovis agreed. “We’ll probably send Mel over to his house to check on him like usual. She seems to have a way with him when he’s off his medication.”
“That’s good… So…what else can you tell me about him? Stella said he’s not even a real minister.”
“She’s right, he’s not…” She paused and gave a halfhearted shrug. “Well, not that we know of, anyway. He’s lived here all his life and nobody in Hulis has any recollection of him even going to church, much less becoming an ordained minister of any sort.”
“Well, he’s apparently spent some time studying the Bible,” Constance offered. “He was quoting verses to me.”
Clovis nodded. “Let me guess, they all had to do with Satan.”
“Yes. They did. I suppose that’s not unique, then.”
“Not really. That’s what he does. When he’s been off his pills for a while, he gets convinced that everyone here is possessed by the devil himself.”
“Any idea why?”
“Don’t know. Like I said, he’s addled. He has been for years now.”
“Well, thanks for filling me in; I appreciate it.”
“No problem, Agent Mandalay. Thank you for being so understanding about this. I really don’t think he’ll be bothering you again.”
The wind was at Constance’s back during her return walk to the Greenleaf Motel. However, that didn’t keep it from stinging the exposed portions of her cheeks, because she couldn’t stop casting a wary eye over her shoulder.
Something about Clovis’s explanation regarding Pastor Reese wasn’t sitting well with her. She didn’t think the woman was necessarily lying about anything she had said, but something down in her gut was telling her that there was more to the story.
The truth was, it seemed like everyone in this town was hiding something. Except maybe for Merrie Callahan, but at the moment-for reasons Constance didn’t even want to imagine-she wasn’t talking either.
CHAPTER 20
10:06 A.M. – December 24, 2010
Greenleaf Motel
Hulis Township – Northern Missouri
“Mmnnmm…Yemm…Thizizstrrmmm…” The mumbled mish-mash of syllables issuing from the cell phone sounded like the owner of the voice was still firmly attached to his pillow. As it happened, there was a very good reason for that.
He was.
Constance felt a rush of envy well up in her chest as Ben’s barely intelligible greeting flowed into her ear.
She wanted sleep.
She desperately needed sleep.
But here he was getting the sleep instead of her, and illogical as she knew it was, that just made her resentment grow. The monster’s eyes turned from green to red as the jealousy began to quickly morph through dangerous phases. An instant later it had become a quick burst of anger that escaped the bonds of discretion.
“Dammit, it’s already after ten,” Constance barked into her cell phone. Playful was definitely not an accurate description of her tone. “Get your ass out of bed!”
“Whoa…” Ben grumbled in return, his voice sounding far more alert this time. “Merry fuckin’ Christmas to you too…”
Constance emptied her lungs with a violent exhale, then sat down hard on the corner of her ravaged motel bed. It didn’t give much, so she groaned as the unexpected thud sent a dull ache shooting up her spine and radiating out through the muscles of her back. Pitching slowly forward at the waist, she rested her free elbow on her knee then dropped her forehead into her palm. Taking in a deep breath, she started gently massaging her temples with her thumb and fingers.
“You okay?” Ben’s concerned voice rolled out of the cell phone speaker after a lengthy pause.
“Yeah… I’m fine,” she murmured. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
He was definitely awake now. “I forgive ya’. I’m sure I prob’ly deserved it for somethin’ else. Sure you’re okay? I was sorta expectin’ ta’ hear from ya’ last night.”
“Yeah, sorry about that too. I got a little sidetracked.”
“I can relate. Been there… So…who pissed in your cornflakes this mornin’? Besides me, I mean.”
“Actually, I had to start a list,” she replied. “Unfortunately, I also had to put myself at the top of it.”
“Ouch. Been there too. I hate when that happens.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Me too.”
“Wanna talk about it?” he asked.
“Yes… No…” she stammered. “I just don’t really know…”
“Okay… That’s a start I guess,” he said. “You sleep okay? You sound like crap on a stick.”
“Thanks.” Her reply was liberally frosted with sarcasm.
“Just bein’ honest.”
“Yeah, I know…” she said. “Truth is, not really. I got some, but not nearly enough.”
“Guess that’d explain the nasty ‘tude, huh?”
“Don’t press your luck, buddy. I’m not over being jealous that you were still in bed when I called.”
“Yeah… My bad. I shoulda known better’n ta’ sleep,” he fired back a sardonic volley of his own.
“Touche.”
“All right, so you ain’t sleepin’. Are ya’ at least eatin’ okay?”
Constance pulled the phone away from her ear and made a face at it. Then she tucked it back up beneath her hair and said, “What are you this morning? My mother?”
“Well, technically speakin’, I’m damn near old enough to be your dad.”
“Not a good visual, dear. Especially not if you ever want sex again,” she groaned.
“Noted,” he replied.
“But to answer your question, I just had pancakes and eggs.”
