His voice, quiet as it was, echoed through the near-empty room. Couch, battered footlocker used as a coffee table, and an empty bookshelf that had definitely seen better days—they did little to muffle the sounds. “Gotta hang a blanket or curtains or something. That’d help,” he muttered as he returned his thoughts to the book before him. “Jehoshaphat. Ah, we meet again. And here I always thought you were Gramp’s way of swearing.”
By the time he finished, his stomach protested loudly against the notion of scriptural bread over physical. The temptation to eat first always haunted him, but each time he’d yielded, Leo had found it a little too easy to let the reading slide.
“If Adric says it’ll get easier, it probably will. Still, why fifteen chapters a day, I don’t know. Psalm 119 days are killers.” Regardless of the struggle to finish, he found comfort in some verse each evening—even in strange places like the begats. The rhythm of life alone helped when his still seemed stripped from him.
As with every Thursday, his cupboard gave him the choice of almost nothing or just shy of nothing. Mac ‘n’ cheese battled for preeminence over canned hamburger soup and lost. He pried open the pull top and popped the plastic container of soup in the microwave. At least the apartment had come with the essentials of life—a clean bed, a shower, and a microwave.
While the appliance hummed the evening hymn of provision, Leo changed from his work uniform to shorts and a tank. He pulled socks and trainers from the closet and swapped out his work boots for them, tying the strings carefully. He sat on the couch, feet resting on the old footlocker, and tried not to inhale the soup. His eyes strayed to the lonely box of mac ‘n’ cheese as he polished off the last bite. If he ate more, it would delay his run that much longer. Still, later to run meant later to home and that meant fewer empty hours before he went to bed.
“A computer would at least give me easier access to news, and I could watch a show in the evening.” The moment he thought it, Leo pushed the idea out of his mind. “You’d probably have to destroy it out of self-preservation. Just learn to be still.” Leo gave himself the same pep talk every evening when the reality of his loneliness hit him.
The alarm clock glared at him. Each minute ticked by slower than the last until he thought he’d go crazy. Twenty minutes. Time. He jogged downstairs and burst into the back alley. His eyes scanned the area instinctively, but Fairbury hardly had a stray cat, much less a sinister element waiting to pounce on him.
He walked briskly, warming his muscles as he did every night. His nightly ritual of self-torture commenced. As he neared the lake, his mind warred within itself. Jog! No! Gotta do it. No! It’s just exercise! It’s stupidity.
As he picked up the pace, moving into a slight jog and eventually a steady cadence, Leo began to wonder what kinds of hobbies a guy like him could afford—safe hobbies that didn’t require punishing his body after a long day of hard work. The nightly run was madness. In summer, it would kill him. In winter, he’d freeze. Still, it does help me sleep. I’ve never slept better in my life. Even self-induced torture has its perks, I suppose.
“He used to be in one of those motorcycle gangs.”
“Like the one that was in the paper? There was that guy who turned state’s evidence for a plea bargain kind of thing…”
Curious, Allison pulled her laptop from its case and waited for the screen to flash on, asking for her password. “Do you remember if that was the Cashmere? No, that isn’t right. Ka— aaak. I can’t remember. Kasimirs. That’s it, were they the Alliance of Kasimirs?”
“I don’t know. That sounds right, but all of those groups have weird names, don’t they?”
Rod Wahl listened to the exchange between his wife and daughter. “And Adric hired this man?”
“Yep. He says that Leo is great with cars.”
“But surely, there are other men who could do the job that aren’t convicts!” Allison’s mother protested.
“Adric says that Leo became a Christian and got out of the group.”
“If Adric hired him, then I think he’s probably fine, Eva. That man is an excellent judge of character.”
Allison laughed at her father. “You just say that because he spoke well of me.”
“He could have been my son-in-law. He’s everything I hoped you’d find and more.” The wistfulness in Eva’s voice appeared as it always did when she spoke of Adric. Every time she thought about the month they’d spent with him, Allison knew her mother wondered if she hadn’t failed her daughter in some way.
“I could have married him, Mom. If I had agreed to Tom’s suggestion, I’m sure Adric would have too. I just didn’t want to wonder for the rest of my life, if he’d have found the perfect person if I waited a few months. I waited, and he did. It was the right decision. He and Jael are perfect for each other.”
“She’s expecting, isn’t she?”
Nodding, Allison smiled. “I suspect that’s why he hired another mechanic. He’s probably planning to do more management and fewer actual repairs.”
“Can his business support that?”
She shrugged. “I think so. It looked pretty solid when I was there, and today there were cars in all three bays, two in the parking lot, and Adric apologized for the extra time it would take due to their backlog.”
She found the article in the Rockland Chronicle and read carefully. “There it is. Leo Hasaert.”
“Read it to us.” The curious tone in her father’s voice surprised her.
“‘Last Tuesday, Leo Hasaert of Colorado Springs, former member of the outlaw biker gang, the Alliance of Kasimir, testified against three leaders of the gang on several counts of drug trafficking, one count of murder, and other crimes. In exchange for his testimony, Hasaert was sentenced to two years on parole and two thousand hours of community service.’ Wow, that’s a lot,” Allison interjected before continuing. “‘Sources say that Hasaert was nearly killed by angry members of the gang when he tried to leave after a conversion experience.’”
“Well, if he was involved in a murder…” Eva seemed stunned by the realization that the man responsible for repairing her daughter’s car had been associated with such dark, criminal activity.
“I doubt they’d have let him off on parole if he was personally involved in killing anyone. I’m guessing he had more to do with the drug side or something.” Allison sent a grateful look to her father as he spoke. “Besides, Adric wouldn’t risk our Allison’s safety for anything or anyone. He may not be our son-in-law, but he’s a good friend to her.”
As she prepared for bed that night, Allison found her thoughts back on Leo and his situation. He’d shown surprise when he heard Adric had not chosen her rather than the other way around. Flattered, she began praying for the man who had so much to overcome. Perhaps this man’s conversion would be the thing that opened her parents’ eyes to the need for Jesus.
Chapter Three
Spring had arrived in Fairbury. With the snow gone, the snowplows that cleared the town’s streets each evening had been locked away until winter. Trees budded, some already in full leaf, and the daisy cart sat out in front of The Pettler again. After a long day substituting for a fifth-grade teacher at the elementary school, Allison parked in the square and strolled into Bookends, looking for the latest Alexa Hartfield novel. Her parents planned to leave town for her mother’s birthday and now the long weekend stretched ahead of her—one of peace and solitude, perfect for a date with a mystery.
“Hey, April. I haven’t seen you in a while.” Todd waved from the cash register as she entered the store and then rang up the customer in front of him.
“Just been busy around the loop.”
“I heard your car is stuck over at Adric’s.”
Fighting back the urge to comment on Fairbury’s lack of exciting news and its proclivity for keeping track of one another’s business, Allison nodded. “Yep. Leo’s going to change out my engine.”
“I don’t know what Adric is doing letting that riffraff in his es
tablishment. I’d take my car elsewhere if there were anywhere else to go. As it is, I’ve made it quite clear that I don’t want a criminal touching my vehicle.” The woman at the register was indignant.
Allison couldn’t help herself. She tried to resist—at least, she tried to convince herself she did—but failed. “Oh, you know what, Mrs. Paulson? All this time I’ve assumed you were a Christian. I must have been so offensive with my offers to pray for your husband and trying to encourage you with scripture. I’m sorry if I offended.”
“Of course, I’m a Christian. Whatever—”
Allison’s thinly masked anger bubbled over. “I’m confused then.”
“About what?”
“How you can speak that way of a brother in Christ.”
“I— I—he’s still a criminal on parole!” Had she not been so angry, Allison might have found the combination of indignation and chagrin in the woman comical.
“And the Apostle Paul was guilty of the persecution and murder of Christians, if only by association and approval, yet you read and follow his, or at least some of his, admonitions to Christians all the time.” With every ounce of self-control she had, Allison forced herself to calm down and allow herself to feel compassion for a woman frightened by the unfamiliar. “I think Jesus would have sat with him, eaten with him, and maybe washed his feet. Can’t we at least be civil?”
Arlene Paulson muttered an apology, took her bag, and left the store. Todd raised one eyebrow appreciatively and went to retrieve a fax from the office. Suddenly exhausted by the emotional drain of despised confrontation, Allison sank into one of the loveseats near the window, covered her eyes with her hand, and prayed to steady herself.
“Thank you, Al—Miss Wahl. Those were probably the nicest things anyone has ever said about or done for me.”
Before Allison could raise her head, Leo pushed his way through the door. She hesitated. As much as she wanted the book, she needed to talk to Leo more. After a moment of indecision, she called out to Todd, “Hey, can you stay open just a bit longer for me? I’ll be right back!”
“Sure, I’ve got time. Maybe I’ll order me a pizza. Want a slice?”
“No thanks, I’ve been craving The Deli all day. Be right back,” she called as she followed Leo through the door and onto the street. “Wait, Leo!”
He stopped mid-stride and turned as if on a pivot. Surprise flashed over his face before he covered it in a mask of privacy. “Did you need something? I’m on my way to start pulling out your engine.”
“But it’s after six!”
“It’s saving me from another boring jog. I’m good.” Leo’s eyes seemed to pierce through her as he finally met her own gaze. “Again, thanks. I always think I’ll get used to it, but I never do. If it’s a tourist, I can’t help it; I get angry. But when it’s someone I’ve seen at church, that hurts. Sometimes it seems like the Christians at the Community Church think they were practically born saved.”
“They’ve got a couple of Calvinists over there, so maybe …”
“Calvinist? I don’t know that one.”
Allison laughed. “I won’t confuse you. Just stick to the Bible. You’ll either read it and come to their conclusion or you’ll read it and come to the opposite one. Either way, we’ll all find out one day who is right.”
“By then, do you think we’ll care?”
“I think we’ll care about knowing truth, but I doubt we’ll be in ‘neener, neener’ mode in heaven.” Allison pointed to The Deli. “I was heading over there for dinner after I buy my book.” She swallowed her nervousness and added, “Want to join me?” The hesitation in his eyes gave her a new idea. “You could get in line while I pay for my book. It would save us a long wait…”
Her idea worked. Seeing a way to repay her for her standing up for him, Leo nodded. “If I get to the counter before you get there, what do you want?”
“Hot Beef ‘n’ Swiss. They make the best, but I shouldn’t take too long. Didn’t Bookends have what you wanted?”
“I didn’t know what I wanted until that woman started talking.”
“What was that?”
He grinned. “To get out of there as fast as I could.”
“Action, thriller, horror, romance, history…”
“Romance? Since when do guys read romance?” He tried to look offended, but even she could see that Leo enjoyed their banter.
“One of the coolest guys at Community Church loves a good romance. It’s all he has on his shelf. I could get you some kind of history… Adric loves history.”
“I’d rather read about someone who doesn’t exist. At least then, I won’t get worked up when the author gets it wrong.”
She giggled. “He found another inaccuracy?”
“Last week. He’s still talking about it. I just need something to keep the weekend from refusing to go away.”
His many unserved hours of community service came to mind, but Allison kept her opinions to herself. “Do you like to read, or did you just need something to read.”
“I’ve never read much. Just in school when I had to. Now all I read is the Bible and the newspaper.”
“Got it. I know the perfect thing. I’ll meet you there.”
Without another word, she strolled back into the store and went to the Christian section first. She knew exactly what book she wanted him to read and prayed Todd would have one in stock. As she pulled the familiar paperback off the shelf, Allison stifled the urge to squeal. She grabbed one of the stacked copies of Dread from the table by the counter and slid them across for Todd. “Are those autographed?”
“Yep. She stopped in last week and signed a dozen. Those are the last four.”
“Man, I bet she keeps you in business all by herself.”
“Gotta love gawky tourists.” He slid her card, the receipt, and a pen back across the counter and slipped the books into a kraft paper shopping bag. “That was a nice thing you did for Leo. He’s a good guy. I always cringe when he walks in, but only because I know it makes people nervous. Nervous people don’t shop well.”
“Well, I think people forget that not everyone can get baptized today and step into church tomorrow looking like they’d never been touched by the world.”
“He could cut his hair and brush it down,” Todd suggested quietly.
“But why should he?”
“Dunno, just seems like he should do something to make him stand out less.”
Taking the bag, Allison walked to the door with Todd. “Thanks for staying open. I know it messes you up if someone else gets in, but I appreciate it.”
The evening air was growing cool as Allison walked along the sidewalk, crossed the street, and waved at Chad on the beat. “Quiet night, Chad?”
“So far, so good, so don’t start any riots.”
“Oh, all right. Sheesh, you’re no fun.”
She approached with a confidence he hadn’t felt in months. Was it the clothing? Her clothes looked like she’d stepped out of one of those expensive catalogs. That purse—three figures and designer; of that, he had no doubt. Her dark hair bounced freely around her shoulders, almost as if it had been confined and finally released. Leo smiled at the thought. It was probably true. She’d probably had it put up all day until the last kid left the classroom and then let it down, rubbing her scalp to ease the tension of a long day in a room full of kids who were likely eager for their spring break. The mental picture brought a lump to his throat that he swallowed down quickly. He had no business imagining anything like that.
She hadn’t turned Adric down. That astounded him. Jael was a wonderful woman; Leo knew that, but how had he resisted someone like Allison once he’d met her? The idea of Adric continuing to look after he’d “found” Allison seemed absurd.
Leo waved as she approached the window. The meal would take a chunk out of his paycheck, but then what else would he spend it on? His last paycheck had covered rent and the one before that, insurance. He just needed gas and food for the next week. He
’d be fine.
“Hey, thanks. What do I owe you?” Allison sounded a little out of breath as she slid into the seat across from him.
“I didn’t ask.”
“Well I have to pay for my food. I can’t ask you to do me a favor and then expect you to pay for the privilege of doing it!” There was something in her tone. He recognized it but couldn’t place it. After several seconds ticked past, he grinned and said, “Your teacher voice.”
“What?”
“Adric said you’re a teacher. I’ve heard that tone before. It’s the ‘I need to drill a lesson into you without letting you know that I’m doing it’ tone.”
“You were a student who was bored in class—just a bit rebellious.”
“That’s an understatement. Teachers just prayed I wouldn’t burn down the room on their watch.”
She watched as he bit into his sandwich, curious. “What did your mother think of that?”
“That I would come to no good. She was right too.”
“I bet she’s proud of you now.”
Leo shook his head, trying not to let the pain her words caused show. “I doubt it, considering she’s still not speaking to me.”
“Seriously?”
“When I joined the Kasimirs, she told me to bug off, and if I showed my face again, she’d have me arrested for trespassing.”
He waited for the pity, but it didn’t come. Somehow, this woman knew the difference between pity and compassion and chose the right one. “Once you left though… Once you became a Christian…”
“That’s a bigger insult. She’s very into the New Age thing.”
“And your father?”
“I never knew him,” Leo admitted. “Adric and I have the whole ‘no dad growing up’ thing in common.”
She closed her eyes as she bit into her sandwich. A few people passed their table, staring at them with incredulity. He understood it, though; they almost looked like an urban depiction of beauty and the beast.
“Leo?”
“I’m sorry, did you say something?”
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