Path of the Wicked

by Jennifer Stanley

  “I want to do this for the right reasons,” Nathan whispered into her ear, his breath sending shivers through her body. “I don’t want to have sex with you.” He pushed a strand of hair from her face. “I mean, I do, but I want it to be . . . not sex but . . .” He sighed in frustration. “This sounds so corny, but I want us to make love. I don’t want to do this as a reaction to what we went through tonight.”

  Grasping the hand touching her hair, Cooper kissed the inside of Nathan’s palm as tears welled in her eyes. “You’re amazing,” she murmured.

  “No, you are.” Nathan reached behind his head and, grabbing a chenille throw, used it to cover their exposed upper bodies. “I would have freaked out back at Frank’s if you hadn’t been so calm. Do you want to talk about it? The message?”

  “What’s there to say?” Cooper stated wryly, her heart still thudding double-time in her chest. She gazed up at the ceiling, her hand tracing slow, lazy circles across Nathan’s chest. “The killer we’re supposed to be tracking down knows our every move. We thought we were collecting clues, but this person’s probably been one step ahead of us the whole time.” She frowned. “How can we stop someone like that?”

  Nathan sat up and gazed intently into Cooper’s eyes. “For starters, we don’t let them get to us. We’re not going to put off by some threat written in paint. I’m going to brew some coffee and then we’ll check out the diary you found. Tomorrow, you’ll turn it over to the police. Whoever wrote that message on your car will be back at Door-2-Door on Saturday . . .”

  “So we’re going to have to find a way to ask all the volunteers where they were tonight and hope we can narrow down the suspect list,” Cooper finished his thought.

  “Exactly.” Nathan collected his shirt from the floor and then handed Cooper her clothes. “As for tonight, I think you should stay here. I don’t want you to be alone after what’s happened.”

  Cooper gestured at the balled-up uniform shirt on her lap. “I’ll have to put my uniform in the dryer. It’s soaked. And I’m going to have to drive home pretty early to change or everyone’ll wonder why I’m showing up at Door-2-Door dressed for work!”

  “Why don’t you take a hot shower? I’ll make coffee, start a load of wash, and lay out a pair of my pajamas for you.” Nathan smiled. “I’ll even make you one of my famous omelets in the morning.”

  Laughing, Cooper wrapped the blanket around her chest and tossed her shirt at him. “What woman could resist that offer?” Then, more soberly, she added, “I’m so grateful you were with me tonight, Nathan. If you weren’t there, I would have been really scared. I feel . . . I feel like nothing bad can happen when you’re with me.”

  “Then I guess I’ll have to be with you a lot.” He gazed at her tenderly and then jerked his thumb toward the stairs. “Now, go up there and get naked. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  13

  And in my dismay I said,

  “All men are liars.”

  Psalm 116:11 (NIV)

  When the Sunrise group gathered in Door-2-Door’s kitchen on Saturday morning, they were all grateful to be out of the cold and damp. It had been raining since dawn and the precipitation was tinged with a winter’s chill that drove all the volunteers directly to the coffee station.

  Following Quinton’s suggestion, each of the Bible study members made plans to ride with a volunteer they hadn’t talked with much. Cooper chose Erik, the retired principal with a penchant for lake fishing and online gambling.

  “Can we take your car? I’m a bit low on gas,” Cooper told him once their coolers were packed, flushing slightly at the lie.

  “Sure thing,” Erik replied amiably. Even though Cooper was half his age, he insisted on pushing the cart bearing the coolers and Sunday food boxes down the steep loading ramp.

  Outside, the rain pecked at their exposed skin as they filled the back seat of Erik’s SUV. As Cooper opened the door to the passenger side, anticipating the dry warmth of the car’s interior, she nearly sat on a bouquet of pink carnations arranged in a cushion of purple tissue paper. Luckily, Erik snatched them out from beneath her bottom in the nick of time, laying them down on the floor of the back seat with the deliberate gentleness of a mother placing her newborn in a bassinet.

  “Those flowers are lovely,” Cooper commented, hoping to discover who they were intended for, but Erik deflected her question by complaining about the weather and the astronomical price of gas.

  “Over three bucks a gallon!” He shook his head in disgust. “Drives up the price of everything else, too. Food. Services. Our heating bills are going to shoot through the roof over the next couple of months.” He waved at a driver looking to change lanes. “I remember when my cost of living was half what it is now and I had a salary back then. Now, I’ve just got my pension.”

  “Is that enough to live on these days?” Cooper asked as casually as possible.

  Erik shrugged. “I do okay. My house is paid off, so I don’t have to worry about a mortgage anymore. I’m pretty handy and that keeps me from having to write checks to the repair man.” He sighed. “I don’t spend a lot on my hobbies, either, but I’ll be buying gas for my boat even if it goes to five bucks a gallon.”

  “I can guess what one of your hobbies is.” Cooper gestured out the water-splattered windshield at the fishing pole holders strapped to the front of Erik’s SUV. “What are the others? I could use some cheap hobbies. I’ve gotten totally addicted to pedicures.”

  “Well, I can’t say that’s one of mine.” Erik laughed. “I like to play poker on the Internet. It’s free and I wouldn’t waste good money on a card game where I can’t see the other players’ faces, in any case.” Erik parked at their first delivery stop. “And I guess Door-2-Door is a hobby. I’ve been doing this since I retired. Only costs some gas and time, but I’ve worked for my community my whole life, so it wouldn’t feel right to sit around and only see to my own needs now.”

  “And you seem to really like this route, too,” Cooper stated, watching Erik carefully for his reaction. Although he quickly got out of the truck in order to retrieve one of the coolers, he couldn’t disguise the rush of blood tingeing his cheeks red.

  “Nice folks on this route,” he murmured cryptically.

  They delivered a meal to a Mrs. Lockhart, who lived in a tidy, one-bedroom apartment off Broad Street. Mrs. Lockhart was in high sprits and informed Erik and Cooper that her son and daughter-in-law were relocating to Richmond and had invited her to live with them.

  “I won’t be needing Door-2-Door much longer,” she told them proudly and then reached out to Erik. “But I’ll miss seein’ you. You’ve always been so kind to me. I wish we had gotten to know one another better.”

  Erik squeezed the old woman’s hand and smiled at her tenderly. “I’m glad to lose you to your family. We’ve got to move on now, ma’am. You take care of yourself, you hear?”

  At least that’ll be one less client for the Door-2-Door killer to prey on, Cooper thought with relief, hoping that Mrs. Lockhart’s son would relocate his mother with alacrity.

  During the next three stops, Erik conducted his deliveries with polite efficiency and Cooper realized that even though he had stuck with the same route for over a year, he wasn’t exactly on intimate terms with the clients.

  I don’t think he’s the one, she thought. The murderer has to get to know these folks well enough to learn about their valuables. Erik isn’t big on small talk.

  Cooper was a bit surprised by the route Erik chose in order to reach their final stop. Though she wasn’t overly familiar with Richmond’s East Side, her sense of direction was keen enough to recognize that Erik had doubled back, practically passing right by their second stop, in order to pull into the gravel driveway of a light blue ranch.

  The house looked very well-kept in comparison to most of the other clients’ residences. The lawn was meticulously trimmed and free of weeds, the bushes lining the front path were neatly pruned, and it looked as though someone had recently
replaced the mounted mailbox and polished the brass knocker and kick plate on the front door until they shone.

  Tucking the remaining food box under his arm, Erik asked Cooper to carry the cooler. He then removed the bouquet from his back seat and cradled the flowers carefully in his free hand. Whistling as he walked up the front path, Erik gave a proprietary glance around the yard. He knocked jauntily three times on the front door and then let himself in without waiting for an invitation.

  “Is that our knight in shining armor?” a woman’s voice called from within.

  Erik was smiling widely. “Yes, milady. ’Tis me!”

  “We’re on the sun porch, watching the rain fall,” a second female voice said.

  Beckoning Cooper to follow, Erik set the food down in the kitchen and then, hiding the flowers behind his back, hustled through the living room to the narrow sun porch where the two women, who were clearly sisters, awaited him.

  Though both females were slight of figure and had thick, bobbed white hair, there was an obvious age difference between the two. They produced identical smiles when Erik entered the room and there was no way to miss the brightness illuminating his features.

  “Cooper, this is Velma Crick.” Erik gestured at the older sister, who was probably in her early eighties. “And this is Violet,” he spoke the other woman’s name with tender affection. Cooper noted that Violet was at least a decade younger than Velma.

  “Ooooh! Someone’s brought a surprise!” Velma cooed.

  Erik produced the carnations with a flourish and handed them to Violet. “To the most beautiful flower in Richmond.”

  Violet giggled and thanked Erik effusively. After offering the volunteers tea, which they accepted, Violet, Velma, and Erik settled in for a good, long chat.

  Watching Erik intently as he complimented the sisters on their tea, the china cups, and the shade of their sweater sets, Cooper felt like an intruder. After several moments of ordinary conversation, Velma insinuated that the sink in their bathroom seemed to be leaking from the faucet base and Erik leapt up to examine the problem.

  “I’d better show you,” Violet said with a mischievous smile and she and Erik sneaked from the room like lustful teenagers.

  “That man is right smitten!” Velma cackled. “Our house has never been in such good shape.”

  That explained Erik’s bizarre route. He saved this house for last in order to spend the most time here. There was no doubt he was on intimate terms with both occupants, but Cooper believed that he had absolutely no intention of hurting these women. Erik was obviously in love with Violet and didn’t pretend to conceal his interest in her.

  “How long has he felt this way?” Cooper asked.

  “Ever since he stepped foot inside this house over a year ago. Our middle sister, Vera, still lived here then, but she’s had to go into a home. We couldn’t take care of her anymore.” Velma’s face creased in sorrow as she gestured at a collection of framed photographs clustered on a nearby table. “Doesn’t even know us most days. It’s a right shame.” She leaned forward and stared at Cooper’s face. “You’ve got some interestin’ eyes, missy. Like you’re part husky and part jaguar. Lovely.”

  “Thank you.” Cooper moved to the table and examined the photographs. Mostly black and white, the photos depicted three lovely young woman in a variety of hometown settings. The sisters posed in cheerleader outfits in what was likely their high school gym, showed off ice-cream sundaes at an old-fashioned soda fountain, and posed gracefully at skating rinks, bowling alleys, and from the leather seat of a Mustang convertible. Cooper’s favorite shot was of the sisters dressed in their holiday finest, planting kisses on the cheeks of a delighted Santa Claus. None of the photographs showed the sisters in their old age—it was as if their youth together was all that mattered. At least, until Erik appeared on the scene.

  The sound of muted laughter came echoing down the hall from Violet’s bathroom. “They’re so sweet,” Cooper whispered to Velma.

  “I told her to go on and marry the man, but she won’t leave me.” Velma clucked her tongue. “He’s even bought her a ring. Showed it to me once. It’s a single amethyst. Not very fancy, but lovely. It’d suit my sister just right and so would he.”

  “Couldn’t he . . .” Cooper hesitated to interfere.

  “Erik move in with us?” Velma completed Cooper’s thought. “I’ve suggested that, too, trust me, missy. We all get along like a gaggle of geese and I’m too old to be envyin’ Violet’s happiness, so why not?” She pointed down the hall. “He’s already doin’ most of the chores ’round here and he could use a woman to keep his clothes tidy and his belly full. We pay for our Door-2-Door meals,” Velma added proudly. “But if we had a man to run to the store for us, Violet would start cookin’ again and her food is miles better that what y’all bring. No offense intended.”

  “None taken.” Cooper gave Velma a quick bow. “What’s your sister’s objection to his moving in?”

  Velma stirred her tepid tea. “She’s afraid it’s not proper. That she’d be breakin’ her weddin’ vows, but her man’s been under the ground for two years and he never treated her like he should have, anyhow, so I don’t know why she’s letting him hold her back. Now Erik, he’s a good man.”

  At that moment, Erik and Violet reentered the room. Violet declared that the sink was fixed and that once again, she and her sister were in his debt.

  “I’d do anything to make sure your days were filled with ease,” Erik whispered to Violet. They exchanged flirtatious grins, and then Erik bent over and kissed her hand. After giving Velma a chaste peck on her wrinkled cheek, he and Cooper bid the ladies farewell.

  “Velma approves of your marrying her sister,” Cooper stated simply as they headed back to Door-2-Door. “She says there’s plenty of room for you in their house.”

  Taken aback, Erik blinked at her in surprise. Then he frowned. “Velma’s not the problem. It’s Violet I’ve got to convince. I know she loves me, but she feels guilty about marrying again. She said she made a vow and has never broken a promise in her life.”

  Cooper mulled this hurdle over. “Is Violet a religious woman?”

  “Well, she goes to church every Sunday and she and Velma read the Bible to each other every night. Why?”

  “I think Savannah might be able to give you some advice on how to show Violet that she’s not doing anything wrong by remarrying,” Cooper thought out loud. “She leads our Bible study and always seems to know the answers to life’s most difficult puzzles.”

  Beaming, Erik parked his truck, turned off the ignition, and grabbed Cooper by the hand. “I’m not getting any younger, so if you can offer me some hope, I’d be really grateful. Can we ask her right away?”

  Hurrying inside, Cooper found Savannah in conversation with Leo. She had just finished eliciting directions to his apartment as the truculent young man muttered that she’d be wasting his valuable free time. Unperturbed by his hostility, Savannah smiled at him and said that she was looking forward to their visit and promised to arrive with a homemade maple-apple cream pie as well as other surprises.

  Once Leo had stalked off, Cooper propelled Erik into the seat next to Savannah’s and explained the older man’s dilemma.

  “I believe God approves of widows remarrying,” Savannah stated carefully. “If you love one another, you should celebrate that love through the bond of marriage.”

  “But what about Violet’s former marriage vows? Would she be betraying them?” Erik wrung his hands together.

  “Romans chapter seven, verse three states that if a woman’s husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.” Savannah touched Erik on the arm. “Perhaps you can share that passage with your Violet. If she still has doubts, I’d be available to talk with her. I also run a couples discussion group at Hope Street Church on Wednesday nights, should you two care to join.”

  Erik leapt from his seat. “Thank you! Romans seven, verse
three. Romans seven, verse three. Got it!” He smiled like a schoolboy. “I’m heading back to her house right now! I’m going to read her that verse and then hand her the ring. I bought her a violet gem, because I can’t see the color purple without thinking of her. I’d give anything to slip that ring on her finger this very day!” And off he raced, his truck wheels screeching as he tore from the parking lot.

  “I don’t think he’s our killer,” Cooper spoke into Savannah’s ear.

  “It certainly seems like he’s focused on something other than money,” Savannah agreed quietly. “I rode along with Brenda today. The woman is devoted to these clients and to her son. I doubt she’d risk having him placed in foster care while she was sent to jail for murder.” She sighed. “The brutal death of Darik’s father seems to have made her repulsed by violence, not attracted to it.” Savannah placed her cane on the floor and stood up. “I hope our friends have discovered a deep, dark secret about one of their partners because you and I certainly haven’t.”

  Thinking of Erik’s hope-filled face, Cooper smiled. “You know, it was kind of nice to be in on a romantic adventure instead. I hope Violet says ‘yes.’ ”

  After leading Savannah out to the Mr. Faucet van, Cooper cornered Nathan in the walk-in fridge and invited him to join her for lunch followed by an afternoon reading through Frank Crosby’s Civil War diary. Nathan had stayed behind to help Campbell in the kitchen, but the biker had been too preoccupied with work to exchange more than a few polite sentences.

  “A chance to check out the treasure we stole? Of course I’m in,” Nathan whispered as Quinton and Bryant walked past. “But I’m not looking forward to making a confession during Bible study tomorrow about our activities Friday night.”

  “At least I have faith that our friends will forgive us,” Cooper frowned. “I’m not so certain the cops will be as merciful.”

  Cooper entered the classroom where the Sunrise Bible study met and inhaled an enticing aroma. Quinton had baked pecan cinnamon coffee cake muffins and had kept them warm using the oven in the teacher’s lounge while Nathan had provided a healthy side dish of a bowl of sliced red Anjou pears mixed with golden raisins and Trish had supplied them with fresh-ground Kona coffee.