Jake snorted, earning himself a heap more censure in the form of sniffs and glares.
“I’m sad and disappointed to announce I’ve had to take an unusual step today.” He paused again for dramatic effect. “I’m sure many of you witnessed the terrible episode before the lunch hour.” The tone of his voice changed to one of distinct disapproval. “This…transgression goes against everything Children of Nature stands for. Everything. Of course, I investigated, and this afternoon, I officially expelled the culprit from the compound.”
Foreboding filled Jake. He straightened abruptly, steeling himself for the rest of Brother Rick’s announcement.
“Sister Bitter is no longer a member of Children of Nature.”
A hum of chatter sprang up in the dining hall, echoing the buzz in Jake’s head. Brother Jake had forced Sorrel to leave the compound, like a damn chick pushed from the nest by a bigger and meaner cuckoo.
“Where has she gone?”
“Did she apologize?”
“Will she be back?”
“Who is going to supply the shop with products?”
The questions fired at Brother Rick in staccato beats, one after the other. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Brother Rick smiled and held up his hands in a gesture for quiet.
“Sister Bitter will not be back. She is shunned.”
Silence greeted his announcement then everyone burst into more excited chatter.
“Shunning doesn’t happen very often,” a sister said.
“Condoms.” A brother shuddered. “It’s against God’s will. We are put on this earth to beget children.”
Jake scowled. The man would beget his fist if he didn’t shut his mouth. Jake jumped to his feet, unwilling to listen to another word. Shunned? How the fuck could Brother Rick live with himself?
“Brother Jake, are you going somewhere?” Brother Rick called.
“Call of nature,” Jake gritted out. God, he had to get out of here before he blew his cover. Now, more than ever, he needed to keep to character. He exaggerated his gait, listing from left to right like a drunken sailor.
“You should go to the clinic,” Brother Rick called. “It sounds as if you have a bladder problem.”
“I’ll be back shortly.” Jake burst through the dining room doors, the breeze outside flapping his robe around his bare legs. He needed to find somewhere private so he could ring Luke. He scratched at his chin. Damn beard itched all the time. The day he could shave it off would be a celebration.
He glanced over his shoulder and couldn’t make anyone following him. In the ablution block, he checked the stalls and cursed under his breath. The last one was occupied.
After using the facilities, he headed back to the dining room. Sorrel was smart. She was resourceful. She’d find shelter, somewhere to stay until she managed to sort herself out.
“Ah, there you are,” Brother Felix said when Jake entered the dining room. “Brother Rick wants to see you in his office.”
Jake nodded and continued farther into the dining room.
“Now,” Brother Felix said.
“I haven’t finished my dinner.”
“I’ll get the sisters in the kitchen to box it up for you to have later.”
Jake turned slowly, scanned the man. He had a hell of a poker face. Jake nodded. “Sure. I’ll come now.”
Outside the dining room Brothers John and Tyrone fell into step with Jake, flanking him.
“You attending the meeting too?” Jake asked.
“We’re witnesses,” Brother Tyrone said.
“I see.” It was shakedown time. Hell, maybe he could help Luke get the bastard for blackmail and extortion as well as cattle rustling. The thought made his mood perk right up.
Outside the closed office door, the trio paused and Brother John knocked on the door.
A snort escaped Jake unbidden. “Why do I feel like I’m back at school, visiting the principal?”
“Quiet,” Brother Felix barked, coming up behind them. “Have a little respect.”
Respect had to be earned. Wisely Jake kept his mouth shut.
“Come in,” Brother Rick called.
Jake stepped inside, hesitating at the lack of chairs. Better and better. Brother Rick intended to treat him as a lackey.
Yes, sir. No, sir.
A snort of derision pressured his chest, but he didn’t allow himself the luxury of releasing his emotions. Better men than Brother Rick had interrogated him and failed. Let him do his worst.
“Thank you for helping today,” Brother Rick started. “I understand you’ve decided to stay with us.”
“That’s right.”
“Then I won’t need to use any…persuasion to ensure your loyalty.”
“Of course not,” Jake said. “I enjoy it here. I feel right at home, even though I haven’t been here long.”
“Good. Good.” Brother Rick clasped his hands behind his head, leaning back in his chair. “Do you have any idea about what tasks you want to perform around here?”
“I don’t mind. I’m happy to work in any area I’m required. I enjoy variety.” Somehow he managed to get the words out without choking.
Brother Felix eyed his legs. “Is your limp still improving or is that as good as it will get?”
“The doctor I saw indicated it will never be a hundred percent again.” The truth, even though it pained him to voice the fact.
“Pity,” Brother Rick said. “That might make you a liability in some situations.”
Jake shrugged. What the hell did they expect him to say? “Did you need me for anything else tonight?” He wanted to get Luke to find Sorrel, to make sure she was in a safe place.
“There is the contribution of your assets to Children of Nature.”
“Of course,” Jake said. “I’ll need to go into town tomorrow morning to withdraw my funds. I can let you have them tomorrow. Is that all right?”
“You could transfer your funds via the Internet.”
“You have Internet access here?” Jake didn’t try to hide his surprise.
“I intend to take Children of Nature into the future.”
“I see.”
Brother Rick’s gaze was piercing, but he couldn’t hide the faint tinge of greediness in his expression. “Which bank are you with?”
“I’m sorry, but it will have to wait.” Jake pulled out a suitable expression of regret. “I haven’t registered for Internet banking. Computers give me headaches. I’ll get you cash as soon as the bank opens tomorrow.”
Brother Rick gave a curt nod. “Excellent. That’s all for tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jake accepted his dismissal with good grace. He exited the office and by habit, he limped over to Sorrel’s workshop. It was as good a place for privacy as anywhere.
In the workshop, Jake switched on one lamp and checked the place, making sure there was no one present to eavesdrop on him.
Once assured he was alone, Jake pulled out the cell phone Luke had given him. He pushed speed dial and waited anxiously for someone to pick up.
“Luke?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you seen Sorrel? They kicked her out of the cult while I was away. Have you seen her?” The words wouldn’t stop spouting out of his mouth. His hand trembled, and he clenched it harder around the phone. “Luke?”
“She’s spending the night in our spare room.”
Jake slumped against the wall, relief buckling his knees. “Is she okay?”
Luke chuckled, and Jake heard the rustle of paper. “Sorrel marched into the police station this afternoon and dropped a bombshell. Have you got anything for me?”
“What bombshell?”
“According to Sorrel, Brother Rick might be responsible for the death of the original cult leader.”
“Does she have proof?” And more to the point, why the hell hadn’t she told him when they’d discussed the matter earlier? Or was she merely making trouble for Brother Rick?
“Only her intuiti
on. She wants us to search Brother Rick’s office.”
“Maybe this is a way for her to regain her personal property.” The realization sent a sliver of pain darting straight to his chest. She hadn’t trusted him to keep his promise. “I’ve got info for you.” Jake rattled off the details of his day and directions to where they’d left the beast in the chiller. “There’s something else. They took photos of me, photos to make it look as if I was responsible for killing and butchering the animal. Tonight they were ready to blackmail me into joining the cult. When I informed them I’d decided to join the group, they wanted me to transfer my money to their account right away. I got the impression they’re desperate for money.”
“Good.”
“What is Sorrel going to do? Can I talk to her?”
“She’s taking a shower,” Luke said. “Can you get into town tomorrow some time?”
“Yeah, they want me to get my money for them tomorrow. But they seemed so desperate. It wouldn’t surprise me if they offered to drive me down and waited for the cash.”
“Could you put them off for a day?”
“Why? What are you thinking?” Jake hated to stay on the compound for longer than necessary.
“If I could get a search warrant, we could serve it while they’re away in town. That way I could take Sorrel with me. She’s knows the place and would be helpful.”
“I don’t want Sorrel getting mixed up in this.”
Luke sucked in a quick breath. “Holy hell.”
“What?” Jake said. “What’s wrong?”
“Sorrel just walked into the room. She…she…” Luke trailed off with a soft whistle.
“You’re married,” Jake snapped. “Keep your damn eyes off.”
A long pause. “Ah, so that’s the way of it. I wondered.”
“Don’t. Have you got the tests back on those pills?”
“Not yet,” Luke said. “I should have them next week.”
The creak of one of the steps outside made Jake mutter a curse. “Gotta go. I’ll try to see you tomorrow.” He clicked the phone shut and tucked it out of sight under his robe. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head, muttering random things out loud.
“Please I seek guidance on this matter,” he murmured. Meantime every one of his senses scrambled to let him know how many people loitered outside the door.
At the last moment, instinct propelled him to remove the cell phone from his person and tuck it out of sight.
“I need to know how I should act, what I should do.” Memories of Greg flooded him, the wounds of loss painful and tender.
The door behind him flew open without warning. Brother Felix and Brother Tyrone stood in the doorway.
Jake gave an obvious start and hoped he hadn’t overdone it. He cowered a fraction before straightening.
“What are you doing?” Brother Felix demanded. “Who were you talking to?”
“I was praying.” Jake remained on his knees, despite the silent urge propelling him to stand to gain even footing with the two men towering over him.
“Why are you doing it here?” Brother Felix remained suspicious.
“Habit.” Jake kept his voice low and timid. “I knew I’d be alone down here.”
“Search the building,” Brother Felix snapped.
Jake forced himself not to react. He climbed laboriously to his feet, grunting for effect. “I may have overdone things today.”
“You were talking to someone,” Brother Felix said. “Who?”
“I was talking to God.” As much as it galled Jake to buckle under anyone’s gaze, he forced himself to do it this time. He stared at his sandals in the same manner Sorrel employed.
“Put your hands in the air.”
“Why?” Jake kept his focus on Brother Felix, sensing he was the more dangerous of the two. Brother Tyrone was busy searching the workshop, but not in a systematic manner. Jake was pretty confident he wouldn’t find the phone.
“I want to search your person.”
Damn, he’d find the knife. Too bad. While he preferred a weapon of some sort, there was more than one way to kill a man. “W-why?” Fuck, he hated acting the ninny. Luke was gonna buy him a beer or two after this stint. At least Sorrel was safe, out of their clutches. Just a bit longer, he told himself as he raised his hands in the air.
Brother Felix patted him down. His eyes narrowed on discovering Jake’s knife. “What’s this?”
“A knife,” Jake said.
“Why do you have a knife?”
“Habit. It comes in handy for all sorts of things.”
Brother Tyrone concluded his half-hearted search and rejoined them. He laughed now in disbelief. “What sort of things?”
“Well.” Jake paused, flicking through his mind for suitable reasons. “While I’ve been helping Sister Bitter I’ve used it to cut sprigs of herbs and leaves. I’ve cut rope, strips of cloth to bind wounds. I’ve used it to quarter apples and cut meat.” Surely that was enough bullshit to bury them?
“We don’t condone weapons on this compound,” Brother Felix snapped.
“But it’s not a weapon.” Jake’s gaze shot to his sandals again. They were dusty and still bore dirt from this afternoon. Maybe he should clean them tomorrow.
“Give it to me,” Brother Felix said.
“I…okay.” Jake slipped his hand under his robe and removed both knife and sheath. That sucker was sharp and he wouldn’t want anyone to hurt themselves.
“I will be informing Brother Rick of this.”
“Of course. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was breaking the rules. The last thing I want to do is upset anyone.”
“You should leave the workshop. This place is out of bounds until Brother Rick decides what is to be done with it.”
Surprise hit Jake at the decision. “I thought the shop earned Children of Nature a tidy income.”
“You thought wrong. The place doesn’t break even.”
Because for some reason Brother Rick had told the shop staff to practically give away Sorrel’s products.
“Of course. I’m a newcomer here. I believed what I was told.”
Brother Felix snorted. “Sister Bitter lives in a fantasy world. I hate to say it, but she’s as crazy as her mother.”
It was the first Jake had heard this particular accusation. Brother Rick and his cohorts went out of their way to belittle Sorrel at every opportunity, and he still had no idea why. If he added murder into the mix, perhaps he could make better sense of matters.
“She did say a few weird things,” he allowed.
“Like what?”
“I hate to repeat gossip.”
“Right,” Brother Felix said. “You’re coming with me. You can tell Brother Rick what Sister Bitter told you.”
Hell, he didn’t want another interrogation tonight. “Nothing that I believed. Could it wait until morning? I’m very tired. Sometimes my leg pains me, and I have trouble sleeping.”
“Very well,” Brother Felix said. “We’ll speak with you in the morning. Brother Tyrone will escort you to the men’s quarters.”
Well hell. That put paid to his explorations tonight. He needed to get into Brother Rick’s office to get a look at their financial records, and now he should look for proof to implicate Brother Rick in a murder as well.
“Of course. I would welcome the company.”
“Don’t come here again,” Brother Felix said. “If you wish to pray, you can use the spiritual room.”
“Oh? Where is that?” He turned to Brother Tyrone. “Is it near the men’s quarters?”
“It’s near the office. If you’re up to walking that far, I can show you tonight.”
“My leg is tired,” Jake said. “But I do need to pray. I find my faith very comforting.”
Brother Felix turned for the door, and Jake hobbled after him, exaggerating his limp. He lurched to one side, fell to the floor, snatched up his phone and thrust it into his pocket in one smooth move. “Oh dear. Perhaps I should retire for the e
vening. Yes, I fear I have overdone things today.”
He needed to get into the office, and preferably tonight. Something was up, and he intended to get to the bottom of the conspiracy.
Chapter Eleven
For the first time in her life, Sorrel slept in a bed in a bedroom by herself. A soft snore interrupted her thoughts. Okay, she had a small spotted dog for company. The creature seemed to have taken a liking to her and had followed her around all evening. Another first in a multitude of others.
Luke and Janaya had been kind to her, instantly offering her a room for as long as she needed. The loss of her few possessions—well, they could be replaced eventually. All she wanted was her mother’s recipe book from the workshop and her mother’s other books, and she now knew where to find them.
“Stupid,” she muttered.
The dog stirred, its eyes flickering open. It gave a soft whine.
“It’s all right.” Sorrel smoothed her hand over the dog’s silky head.
She set down the novel Janaya had given her to read and switched off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness. She closed her eyes, physically tired, although her mind darted in a hundred directions at once.
The compound. Brother Rick. Jake.
Ah, yes. The big one.
Jake.
Worry gnawed her, contributing to her wakeful state. Was Jake all right? She didn’t trust Brother Rick. He’d been a sneaky child and hadn’t changed during the intervening years. She’d told Luke her suspicions regarding Rick murdering Brother Samuel, and Luke had told her since the coroner had already ruled an accidental death it was unlikely they’d manage to charge Brother Rick with the crime.
But evidently Brother Rick was up to his ears in bad things. Luke hadn’t given her full details, but Sorrel knew enough from Jake to make educated guesses.
Restless, she turned over, wriggling to get comfortable. She missed Jake’s body warmth, his arm around her waist as they cuddled. How was that possible? She hadn’t known him for long.
She must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing she knew there was a light tap, and Janaya popped her head around the bedroom door.
“Are you awake?”
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