shirt. While Hayden spoke softly with the family, Nathan moved from the group and shook Vincent’s hand.
“Reverend, good morning. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Nathan said, and hoped that was enough. “Pastor Hayden has a lot of praise for your work here.”
Vincent smiled and nodded. “We’ve done a lot of these over the years. He’s a good man. Ready to take command?”
Nathan shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” A thought occurred to him, and after checking that Hayden wasn’t giving him signs that he was needed, added, “Listen, Vincent—do you prefer Vincent?”
“That’s my name.”
“You’ve been around for a while. Ever heard about a new men’s club in town?”
A surprised expression crossed the caretaker’s face. A moment later he masked it with a look of indifference. “I’ve heard of them.”
“What have you heard?”
Vincent stuck out his lower lip and slowly shook his head. “Not much. Why?”
“Nothing serious. Just my dad’s been spending a lot of time there lately and my Mom’s worried.” When Vincent said nothing, simply continued his faux-disinterested stare, Nathan tried another approach. “Any idea what they’re all about? If there’s a religious background? I suspect it’s mostly just a bunch of guys hanging around, something like that.”
Now, the other man looked at the minister directly, and for a moment Nathan thought he was angry. When he spoke, his voice was subdued, cautious. “I learned long ago that some things look one way to the public and another in private.”
“Meaning?”
Vincent nodded to the dispersing crowd. “I think your boss wants you.”
Hayden was looking in their direction, and when he realized he had Nathan’s attention gave a short wave, fingers wiggling in a
“Can I—” Nathan said as he turned back, but Vincent was walking toward the gravesite, casually putting on a thick pair of work gloves. He was either in a hurry to lower the casket, or running from the conversation. Nathan moved into step behind Hayden as the minister walked with Gipson’s middle-aged daughter toward the line of cars. He tried to get his bearings, keep his mind on the somber event, but he kept wondering what Tarretti’s answer meant. Probably nothing.
* * *
Vincent hovered near the gravesite, but not so close as to look impatient. He would make no move to lower the casket until the lead cars in the procession had rounded the far curve out of sight.
Waiting gave him time to calm down. He didn’t like people asking him questions about anything not related to work. Then Dinneck asked about the men’s club, of all things. The timing of the kid’s question so soon after Quinn’s visit was troubling. Still, all Dinneck wanted was information. To help his father. It bothered him. Vincent thought of his notebook. His notes were his own; they were between him and God. Let Dinneck get his answers somewhere else.
Still, last week the young preacher had reacted oddly when he saw John Solomon’s grave (
The cars moved on, rounding the corner and passing out of sight. Vincent carefully pulled away the Astroturf to reveal a small winch at one side of the hole. He offered his own prayer for Mister Gipson, then slowly lowered the coffin. He worked steadily, but was unfocused. He thought again of his notebook. He did not like it when so many entries crossed paths.
Chapter Twenty
“I still think he might not be ready.” The gray-haired woman leaned against the kitchen counter and took a long sip of tea. Ralph Hayden knew that Gabby Zawalich had more to say on the matter than that single statement. The pause was simply a way of collecting her thoughts. Gabby was one of the few parishioners who still referred to Hillcrest Baptist as “the new place.” Most younger adults in the parish were too young to remember a time when the church wasn’t here. Gabby and Hayden’s wife had been as close as friends could ever be. After Jean’s death, the woman standing in front of him had taken it upon herself to be Ralph’s self-appointed guard dog. She was also one of the church elders, the only one who continued to express reservations about their newly-appointed pastor.
Hayden waited, hands loosely clasped behind his back. The few remaining mourners sat on Karl Gipson’s living room couch, pouring over a yellowed photo album spread across the lap of his daughter. They took turns pointing to pictures and relaying stories about the man.
No sooner had Nate Dinneck excused himself and returned to the church to finish the paperwork, than Gabby ushered Ralph into the kitchen. He knew what was coming.
“It’s not that I don’t think he’s technically qualified, mind you. His grades in school were exceptional, and Reverend Burke couldn’t say enough good things about him. Emotionally, though, given his age....”
“Gabby, Sunday shook a lot of people up, but honestly I think his little ‘spell’ was an aberration. I haven’t seen anything since to worry me.”
Her teacup was a delicate china piece with intricate roses etched along the lip, now with a blotch of red lipstick. She placed it on the counter atop its saucer.
“All last week, Ralph, he seemed so, I don’t know, distracted. You must have noticed.” She cast a quick look into the living room and lowered her voice. “First Art stops coming, won’t talk to anyone about it, not even Beverly. Now Nate has that episode during the reception. I don’t want to start comparing the sins of the father to—”
“I wouldn’t call Art taking some time off for personal reflection a sin, Gabby.”
She waved her hands in front of her. “I know, sorry. If that’s what it’s about. But you’ll be leaving Monday. Do you really think Nate Dinneck is ready to run the church on his own? I’m serious,” she added when Ralph was unable to suppress a grin. “Another incident like this weekend’s and I won’t be the only one wondering if....”
She hesitated again.
Ralph’s smile faded. “Wondering what?”
“If we hadn’t made a mistake in choosing him. It’s a big move for someone so young, so much going on with his father and all.”
Ralph took Gabby’s small hands gently into his. He gave them a squeeze. “Honestly, I think he’ll do fine. I’ll stay in touch while I’m at the monastery. If I sense anything wrong, I’ll cut my visit short and move back to town a few days early. You have the number. Call me any time you want.”
She nodded.
“Then let’s keep this between us, for now at least. Give Nate a fighting chance. Don’t forget that when I came to town I wasn’t the flawless specimen of liturgical perfection standing before you now.”
She smiled. A good sign.
He said again, “Nate’ll do fine.”
He wondered, however, whether he really believed that himself. Dinneck
He squeezed Gabby’s hands again and together they returned to the living room to rescue Karl’s daughter from the photo album.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nathan stood at one end of a massive blue room. Like the walls, the ceiling and floor were also painted a bright, sky blue, with no clear delineation between them. Looking too long in one place made him dizzy. The sole object in the room anchored his vision. The door. It stood opposite him, painted black, twice as big as any door should be.
He squeezed his hands into fists and thought,
He knew this was a dream, or maybe another waking vision like he’d had on Sunday. He didn’t remember going to bed, couldn’t recall
