“Why did we leave?” Shari paced beside Sister Lou across the parking lot to Sister Lou’s orange compact. “We were this close to cracking him. He may have even confessed.”
“Goodwin didn’t do it.” Sister Lou pressed the button to unlock her car.
“How do you know?” Shari took the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.
Sister Lou slipped in behind the steering wheel. “Goodwin has severe arthritis. He couldn’t have lifted his arms high enough or managed the force necessary to kill Maurice with a blow to the head.”
“How do you know he has arthritis?”
Sister Lou started the engine and looked around to reverse out of the parking space. She could feel Shari’s surprised gaze on her. “His fingers were swollen. Did you notice that he kept his hands flat on his desk?”
“Yes, I just thought that was a weird habit.” There was a shrug in Shari’s voice.
“No, he did that to keep his fingers straight.” Sister Lou put the car in gear and drove toward the parking lot exit. “He must have been in pain.”
“So Goodwin’s off the list.”
“No, he’s still on the list. He’s just not on top of it anymore. He probably didn’t kill Maurice, but he may know who did.” Sister Lou drove out of the parking lot.
“What’s our next step?”
“That’s what we need to figure out.” Sister Lou pressed down on the accelerator. “Could you look into Justin Carr the same way you researched Emmett?”
“We’re adding to the suspect list again? You know how Chris gets when you do that.”
Sister Lou smiled. “Yes, but we have to follow our leads, and this one is taking us to Doctor Carr.”
“All right.” Shari sounded dubious. “I’ll check up on Carr, but you can deal with Chris. And maybe you can ease up on the accelerator.”
“Oh.” Sister Lou relaxed her right foot. “Sorry.”
* * *
“You’ve been out of your office quite a lot this week, Louise.” Sister Marianna made the observation as she entered Sister Lou’s office. She closed the door before approaching the desk.
“Have I?” Sister Lou saved the electronic document she’d been working on since returning from her meeting with Shari and Goodwin about four hours ago.
She turned her chair away from her computer monitor and faced her uninvited guest. She wasn’t fooled for a second by Sister Marianna’s casual demeanor. The closed door was more than enough evidence that the coming conversation would not be pleasant.
Sister Marianna sat on one of the powder blue chairs in front of Sister Lou’s desk. She smoothed her lilac knee-length skirt beneath her. “How is the investigation into Maurice’s murder progressing?”
Sister Lou wasn’t going to fall for that trap. “I haven’t heard from the deputies in a few days. I’m just relieved that they’ve realized no one in our congregation is involved.”
“So am I.” There was still a hint of anger in Sister Marianna’s voice. Her flushed cheeks contrasted starkly with her snow-white blouse.
Sister Lou understood the other woman’s temper. She also was upset that everyone in the congregation had been under suspicion. The mere thought of the sisters being suspects would have horrified Maurice.
She took a deep, cleansing breath. “I pray that they find the killer soon, and that he doesn’t kill anyone else before then.”
“I agree, and I hope you leave the investigation to the sheriff’s deputies.” Sister Marianna caught Sister Lou’s eyes with a steady gaze. “A member of the congregation’s leadership cannot be involved in the investigation of murders.”
Here we go again. “Marianna, I assure you, any interviews I conduct will not interfere with my responsibilities to the congregation. I take my role very seriously.”
“Still tiptoeing around the facts, Louise?” Sister Marianna gave Sister Lou a slight smile.
“Pardon me?” Sister Lou was confused.
“I know you’ve been meeting with people about Maurice’s death.” Sister Marianna crossed her left leg above her right, readjusting her skirt to cover her knee. “I’m here to give you some friendly advice. Leave the amateur sleuthing to the television programs and pop culture novels. It’s beneath you.”
Sister Lou’s back stiffened at the accusation. “It isn’t beneath me to seek the truth.”
“No, of course not. That’s not beneath any of us.” Sister Marianna appeared flustered as she restated her case. “What I mean is that it is the responsibility of the sheriff’s deputies to uncover the truth. It wouldn’t do to antagonize them by usurping their authority.”
“That’s not my intent.”
“I’m sure it’s not, but your amateur sleuthing is undermining them nevertheless.”
“Maurice was my friend.” Sister Lou was beginning to feel like a broken record. “As long as my work isn’t suffering, and I’m not bringing discredit to the congregation, I will continue in my efforts to learn who killed him.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Sister Marianna stood, smoothing her skirt again. “Be aware that your extracurricular activities will come into play when the congregation elects its next leadership team at the end of the month.”
Sister Lou unlocked her jaw. “I appreciate your concern for me, Marianna.”
“Absolutely. I want to be perfectly certain that you understand exactly what’s at stake in our present situation.”
Sister Marianna crossed the office and opened the door. Sister Lou watched as the other woman disappeared down the hallway.
Sister Lou wasn’t willing to choose between her leadership position with the congregation and the investigation of her dear friend’s murder.
On the one hand, the congregation was important to her. They were her family. She’d entered the Order to make a difference, and they were allowing her to do that.
On the other hand, Maurice was her oldest and dearest friend. She and Maurice wouldn’t have made it through graduate school without each other. In fact, Sister Lou was certain they wouldn’t have been able to navigate life after graduate school without each other, either. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—walk away from him now, not even in death.
Was it possible the leadership team would drop her because of her commitment to the investigation? What would she do then?
* * *
“What’s bugging you?” Sister Carmen panted the question as she and Sister Lou jogged their usual path around the College of St. Hermione of Ephesus’s campus.
“Sorry. I didn’t sleep well.” Sister Lou considered the incline just a few yards ahead. Was it longer than usual, or was that her sleep deprivation? “Thanks for agreeing to an earlier start this morning so that I could go to Buffalo with Shari.”
“Why couldn’t you sleep?” Sister Carmen seemed to be speeding up as she approached the monster incline.
With a sigh, Sister Lou kept pace with her exercise partner.
It was a little past five o’clock on Friday morning. They usually ran at five-thirty. Sister Lou had been tempted to hit the snooze button when her alarm clock had shrieked earlier. But her daily jogs with Sister Carmen had become too much of a habit over the past six years. She was glad she’d resisted the temptation to go back to bed. The air was moist, the birds were chirping, and the September breeze still smelled of summer.
“I have a lot on my mind.” They’d reached the slope. Sister Lou lowered her head, shortened her stride, and muscled on. That’s what she did every time she encountered the incline. It was just a little harder today.
“Getting information from you is like pulling teeth.” Sister Carmen took a deep breath. “What’s on your mind?”
“I’m feeling overwhelmed. Between my outreach proposal and the investigation.” Sister Lou controlled her breathing, kept her legs churning and her arms pumping until she crested the hill. Hallelujah.
Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Deep breath in.
“How can I help?”
“Just
talking with you helps.” Sweat stung Sister Lou’s eyes. She swiped the moisture away.
“You don’t have to do everything on your own.” Sister Carmen was a step or two ahead. Her strides were strong as she led the way toward the student residence halls.
Sister Lou was winded. She struggled to catch her breath. “I’m not. Chris and Shari are helping with the investigation.”
“I can help with your outreach proposal.”
The residence halls came into view. Sister Lou dug deep for an extra boost of energy.
“I appreciate your offer. But I’ll manage. I don’t want to give Marianna more material to criticize me with.”
They looped the residence halls in silence. Sister Lou’s plans for her outreach program and her questions about Maurice’s murder chased each other in circles in her mind.
“Don’t get hung up on Marianna’s opinions.” Sister Carmen’s advice ended the silence.
“That’s hard to do when she’s determined to share them with me on an almost daily basis.” Sister Lou gazed around the college’s oval with its academic halls and stately trees.
The sky was lightening. A few other joggers and some walkers—mostly students, but also some faculty and staff members—tested their endurance on the pedestrian pathways that cut around and through the college’s well-manicured lawns before entering the dirt path that led into the heart of town.
“Marianna can be a pain.” Sister Carmen sounded matter-of-fact.
“She means well.” Sister Lou knew this was true. Sister Marianna was deeply committed to the congregation. That didn’t mean she was any less of a pain.
They looped the oval a third time before jogging onto the tree-lined trail. They’d only run the path’s first two miles, then return to campus.
Sister Carmen spread her hands. “Marianna’s not your boss.”
“She didn’t get that memo.” Sister Lou wiped the sweat from her upper lip with the back of her hand.
“Probably not.” Sister Carmen chuckled. “She thinks she’s everyone’s boss.”
“She does have good ideas. And would be an asset to the leadership team when Sister Gloria steps down.”
Sister Gloria Danvers had served two terms on the Congregational Leadership Team. She’d made it quite clear that she wasn’t up for a third.
Sister Carmen was only a step ahead of Sister Lou now. “It’s not reasonable to expect you to build this project from scratch by yourself.”
“My proposal includes a description of project team members.” Sister Lou smiled a greeting to a young woman—probably a student—as she ran past her and Sister Carmen on the dirt path.
“Great. I’m your first team member,” Sister Carmen announced.
Sister Lou shook her head with a chuckle. “Carm, I appreciate what you’re doing—”
“I’m not saying I’ll do your work. I’m offering to help.”
Sister Lou knew she’d need a team to launch the outreach program. Assembling the team would be her first step after vetting her proposal, and Sister Carmen would be a strong addition. Her friend also had a point: Why wait until the proposal was done? She could use the help now.
They jogged in comfortable silence until they came to the two-mile marker on the jogging trail. Together they turned to make their way back to the campus and the motherhouse.
Sister Lou looked to Sister Carmen. “Thanks, Carm. I’d appreciate your help.”
Her friend gave her a nod and a smile. “Good.”
Sister Marianna would make a beeline to her office once she found out that Sister Carmen was helping her. Sister Lou gave a mental shrug. Her door was always open.
Chapter 18
“It’s too early even for rush hour traffic. Oh, my gosh.”
Sister Lou had caught the same grousing refrain from Shari once already since they’d started their Friday morning trip to Buffalo East Christian University ten minutes ago. Shari was behind the wheel of her sage green compact. Sister Lou ignored this outburst just as she’d ignored the one before it.
She looked up from the loose printouts in the manila folder that Shari had given her. “How did you get all of this information?” It was amazing.
“Most of it’s from the Internet.” Shari merged into the fast lane on Interstate 90. “The rest is from Chris. Your nephew knows everyone.”
Sister Lou chuckled at the stunned note in Shari’s voice. Chris was personable. It was one of the qualities that made him a successful fund-raiser for the college. As much as Sister Lou had loved Chris’s mother, the good Lord knew she’d rubbed most people the wrong way. Fortunately, Chris had inherited his charm from his father, Sister Lou’s brother. That’s why Sister Lou found it so strange that Chris and Shari had started off on such a sour note.
Sister Lou looked at the folder on her lap again before closing it. “You did a great job with this report. It’s thorough. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” There was some discomfort in Shari’s voice as though she wasn’t used to praise. “Are you sure Doctor Carr will be in his office? I still can’t believe I agreed to take this trip with you at six-forty on a Friday morning. Why couldn’t we meet with him at the end of the day?”
“His schedule is more predictable in the morning. He might have meetings at the end of the day.”
The clock on Shari’s dashboard read six fifty-eight. It was ten minutes fast. Sister Lou knew this because her crimson Timex wristwatch was also ten minutes ahead, and it displayed the same time.
It was a forty-minute trip to Buffalo East Christian University, where Justin Carr taught theology. They should arrive on the university’s campus by seven-twenty AM.
“Maurice once told me the courses Doctor Carr taught. I found his class schedule on the university’s website.” When she was quiet, she could still hear her friend’s voice.
“Do you think Doctor Carr will take over Maurice’s classes? Maybe that’s one of the reasons he was stalking your friend.”
He was stalking your friend.
Sister Lou froze. Had Maurice felt as though he was being stalked? Did he think of Dr. Carr as a stalker?
She shook off the unsettled feeling and instead contemplated the scenery along the interstate. The leafy green blur outside her passenger-side window was an indication of how quickly they were moving. “Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?”
Shari gave a startled laugh. “Look who’s talking. I’m surprised you’ve never gotten one.”
“Oh, I’ve had my fair share.” More than my fair share, actually. “Do you think I drive too fast?”
Shari chuckled. “I can handle it. It’s just that . . . you’re not like I thought a nun would be.”
“I’m not a nun, dear. Nuns are cloistered. Sisters are not.” Sister Lou’s eyebrows knitted with curiosity. “How did you imagine us?”
Shari shrugged as she sped up to maneuver around yet another slower vehicle. “I don’t know. Just different.”
Sister Lou was amused. “Tell me something about yourself.”
Shari stiffened. A layer of tension slipped into the car and seemed to wrap itself around her. “What do you want to know?”
Sister Lou lightened her voice to try to put her companion at ease. “Anything you want to tell me. We’ve been working together for almost two weeks, but I don’t know anything about you.”
Shari was silent for several moments. “I think your nephew’s hot.”
Sister Lou’s lips curved into a reluctant smile. “Many women do, young and old. But if you’d rather not talk about yourself, dear, I’ll respect your privacy.”
Shari remained silent a little longer this time. “I admire the relationship you and Chris have. Even when you argue, it’s obvious you love each other very much. I’ve never seen anything like that. I’ve never experienced it, either.”
“You grew up in the foster-care system.”
Shari paused. “That’s right. My parents died in a car accident when I was three. I was their o
nly child.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s in the past.” Shari changed lanes again, working her way back toward the right side of the interstate. “I’m focused on the future. Hopefully, covering this story will help me get there.”
They spent the rest of the drive talking about the weather and their weekend plans. Shari’s offhand comments revealed that she preferred the summer, was a liberal, and spent a lot of time outdoors.
Sister Lou had visited Maurice at Buffalo East Christian University a few times before his schedule had become too hectic. She used her familiarity with the campus to direct Shari to the visitors’ parking lot and then to the theology faculty offices.
The broad oval was surrounded by academic buildings in various Federal colonial architectural styles. Tall old trees, lush, manicured lawns, and thick green hedges pruned to perfection reminded her of the College of St. Hermione of Ephesus, except the campus was about twelve times the size of their little college.
Sleepy-looking students stumbled from their dormitories to the dining hall for breakfast before their eight o’clock classes. It was coming up on seven-twenty. If Justin Carr really did pattern his work after Maurice, she and Shari would have at least half an hour to talk with him before he met his first class. Plenty of time.
They found Justin’s office quickly. Sister Lou knocked on the half-open door. A muffled “come in” prompted them to enter.
Sister Lou pushed open the door. “Doctor Carr, I’m Sister Louise LaSalle of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Hermione of Ephesus, and this is my associate, Sharelle Henson of The Briar Coast Telegraph.”
Justin looked startled and confused as he rose to his feet behind his well-organized desk. His pleasantly round features and shock of very dark, very curly hair gave him a cherubic appearance.
“How can I help you, ladies?” He gestured toward the two chairs in front of his desk.
“We’d like to talk with you about Doctor Maurice Jordan.” Shari took the chair on the left.
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