Elias and I hurried through the front wrought-iron gate and toward the church’s entrance. We slowed as we opened the wide double doors, and I looked toward the cemetery, green and peaceful with rows of a variety of old gravestones, but no ghosts to be seen.
The church building was used for more than just religious services, so there were no pews. Instead, purple-cushioned folding chairs had been set up in even rows, leaving an aisle down the middle. Massive organ pipes had been attached to the wall above the doors, and were vibrating with a quiet but not overly melancholy tune.
The light streaming in from the stained-glass windows above the sanctuary gave the space a warm glow without casting shadows or giving off glare. Tall archways ran along the length of the building and a magnificent redwood ceiling made the acoustics perfect for today, or for the occasional loud concert.
“Do ye ken that the town council once used this place for gunpowder storage?” Elias whispered as we stalled inside the doors.
“I did not know that.”
“Aye.” He shrugged. “Of course, the inevitable happened and the place blew, but it was nicely rebuilt.”
“I agree.”
“Should we sit?”
“Sure.”
From the rear of the church it was difficult to recognize anyone, so I just picked a side and led Elias to some back-row seats. Once there, I noticed who was at the pulpit. Dr. Eban. If the police suspected him of anything, they hadn’t arrested him yet.
“It is with honor and deep gratitude that we bid farewell tae those who have helped us learn their most hidden mysteries. They have served their country and their countrymen, and that cannot be minimalized. Thank you tae them and tae their families. We honor them today.”
“We havenae missed much,” Elias said.
“No.”
Dr. Eban continued to speak as I looked around. It didn’t take me long to spot Rena and Sophie. They were two of the more emotional attendees, dabbing at their eyes and noses with tissues.
I also spotted Dr. Carson, front and center, her straight back and regal gray hairstyle giving me the impression that she was at full attention as she listened to her husband.
Though most attendees were dressed in nice clothes, I spotted only a few here and there dressed in black.
“And, if you’ll all indulge me, I’d like tae take one extra moment. The medical school experienced a terrible tragedy earlier this week.” Dr. Eban paused and cleared his throat. I zeroed in on him and studied his body language. “Mallory Clacher, a fine student, was brutally murdered.” He paused again as sniffles moved through the church, the acoustics giving them an eerie tone. Dr. Eban’s emotion sounded genuine. He looked truly upset by the murder; I didn’t think he was faking it. In fact, as I looked closer, I saw that he was shaken much more deeply than I would have guessed he’d have been. I wished he’d quit doing things that made me like him. “We would be remiss if we didn’t take this moment tae bid her goodbye as well.”
I pulled my gaze off him as he paused to gather his emotions, and I leaned forward to better see Rena and Sophie. They were both still dabbing and sniffing, but now with deeper emotion. Their pain was unquestionably genuine. I felt like I was intruding, so I sat back again and looked at Dr. Carson. Her back was still stick-straight, but her attention was no longer focused forward, toward her husband. Instead, she looked down and to the side, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him as he spoke. I couldn’t tell if she was crying, but I watched as her shoulders shook twice before she steeled her posture again.
I did a quick estimation and thought there were at least a hundred people in attendance. Many of them weren’t emotional, but stoic. I saw a few sad smiles when Dr. Eban read through the names of those who were being laid to rest.
“Leuks like he’s wrapping up,” Elias said when the list was finished. “Do ye want tae talk tae anyone or get out before they see ye?”
“Perhaps just to give condolences. I’d actually like to talk to them about other things, but I think the timing is bad.”
“I’ve got yer back.”
“Thanks.”
We stalled by the doors as people filed out. Dr. Carson was one of the first toward the door. She stopped when she saw me.
“I know who you are,” she said.
I opened my mouth to say something, though I wasn’t sure what, but she continued before I could speak.
“There’s no need tae have lied. I know you met Bryon at the pub the night Mallory was killed. Why didn’t you just say that?”
I couldn’t immediately figure out why that was an important thing to know.
“I wasn’t trying to lie,” I said. “I was treading lightly. I shouldn’t have bothered you at all that day, but my boss really was curious about the books. I apologize if I offended or bothered you in any way.”
She scowled so fiercely at me that I thought Elias might become protective and defensive. She moved along, though, before he could say something volatile, or make fists and show her his muscles.
“She’s a peach,” he said after she was out of the building.
“I did have bad timing that day,” I said.
Elias grumbled.
I’d just witnessed the “fierce” I’d heard about, and I was again convinced she’d changed over the years. In the pictures I’d seen of her from ten or fifteen years earlier, she looked jovial and happy. What had happened? Dr. Glenn’s murders? Dr. Eban’s wandering eye? I felt sorry for her.
When the dispersing crowd started to dwindle, I thought I might have missed Sophie and Rena’s exit, but I saw them when I looked back toward the pulpit again.
They were
