Bad Faith

by Aimée; David Thurlo

  As she drove back to the monastery, she kept an eye out for the car that had followed her before, but it never appeared. Thanking God for the peaceful ride home, she wondered if the driver she’d seen had been the man who’d wanted Bobby’s motorcycle.

  When she pulled through the monastery’s gates a short time later, she was surprised to see Sister Bernarda rushing out. “We have an emergency. Sister Gertrude is very sick. I’ve called an ambulance.”

  Sister Agatha rushed inside the enclosure, fear biting at her. “What happened?”

  “The choir nuns were in the middle of chanting Divine Office when Sister doubled over and fell to her knees. Sister Eugenia helped her back inside, and they’re both in the infirmary right now. Though Sister Gertrude insists she’s fine now, she’ll need to be taken to a hospital for an examination.” Sister Bernarda looked at the motorcycle. “But, obviously, not in that. Even in the sidecar, she’ll be terrified.”

  “An ambulance will take forever. They’re never quick to respond to people outside the city. Let me call over to St. Charles Academy. Someone might still be there, and be able to give us a ride.”

  Fifteen minutes later, with Patsy Romero driving, Sister Agatha and Sister Gertrude were on their way in the assistant principal’s minivan. Sister Gertrude kept her eyes closed, praying the rosary.

  “How’s she doing?” Patsy asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

  The passing scenery was going by at a blur. Sister Agatha realized that Patsy must have been going eighty miles per hour or more down the interstate. Sister Agatha started to tell her to slow down, but after glancing at Sister Gertrude’s face, decided that speed was a good idea.

  “She’ll be fine,” Sister Agatha said calmly. “Our Lady will help her. Sister Gertrude has a great devotion to the Blessed Mother.”

  Finished with her rosary, Sister Gertrude opened her eyes. “The pain’s gone now. I’m all right. We can go back to the monastery.”

  “We have to get you checked out, Your Charity,” Sister Agatha said. “To serve God well, you need your health.” She knew from experience that it was the only argument that had even a remote chance with Sister Gertrude. “But, with luck, we’ll be back home soon.”

  As they rode on in silence, Sister Agatha prayed for her.It was very hard for cloistered nuns to leave the enclosure. The trip itself was bound to tax Sister’s heart. Sister Gertrude was a stern nun who seldom spoke to anyone except when absolutely necessary. Her motto was that one couldn’t listen to God if one’s own mouth was operating at the same time.

  “Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” she said. “You’ll be fine.”

  “I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of going to the hospital.”

  “I don’t blame you, Sister. I don’t trust any profession where people occasionally wear masks like robbers,” Sister Agatha said, teasing her.

  Sister Gertrude almost smiled, and as far as Sister Agatha was concerned, that qualified as a miracle.

  As silence stretched between them, Sister Agatha considered asking Patsy if she’d given any more thought to what she’d asked her earlier concerning Father’s possible enemies. But, as she glanced at Sister Gertrude’s drawn face, she quickly discarded the idea. Talking about something like that would only upset Sister Gertrude even more.

  When they arrived at the satellite Catholic hospital on Albuquerque’s west side, nurses came out to meet them, thanks to Sister Bernarda’s call. As they wheeled Sister Gertrude to the examining room, Sister Agatha made sure that she stayed close by. She knew that seeing an extern nearby was one of the most comforting things for a cloistered nun who’d been forced to leave her beloved monastery.

  Fortunately, there were other nuns and a priest at this hospital as well, and they would be stopping by to offer comfort and prayers, no doubt.

  After the doctor had conducted several tests, he asked Sister Agatha to meet him in his office. Leaving Sister Gertrude to rest, Sister Agatha met Dr. Cassidy, a parishioner who was on staff at the hospital and knew all the nuns. He was tall, with salt-and-pepper hair and eyeglasses that were so thick Sister Agatha often wondered how the bridge of his nose could sustain the weight.

  “I just received a very strange call from Sheriff Green in Bernalillo.”

  So Tom had heard already… not that she should have been surprised. “Let me guess. He wanted to know if Sister Gertrude had been poisoned?”

  “Correct.”

  “She wasn’t, was she?”

  “We’ve ordered tests that will answer that question. But I suspect that she had a mild heart attack. You heard her tell me that she’s been having chest pains for months now.”

  “She’d never mentioned that before now to anyone that I know of,” Sister Agatha said. “But we’ve all been under a lot of stress lately.”

  “I’d like to keep Sister here overnight for observation and run a few more tests this evening, but unless she has another episode, you’ll be able to take her home tomorrow. For now, I’ve arranged for her to be placed in a private room and I’ve notified our chaplain so he can pay her a visit.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate it.”

  Sister Agatha knew it would be a long night. As long as Sister Gertrude was here, she would remain with her. As she left Dr. Cassidy’s office to go tell Sister the news, she saw Sheriff Green striding down the hall toward her.

  “How’s Sister Gertrude doing?”

  “Better, thanks.”

  “From what I’ve been able to gather so far, it doesn’t look like she was poisoned. But if the tests come back with suspicious results, I’m going to get a search warrant and look through that entire monastery with a fine-tooth comb.”

  “It’s not poisoning, based upon what the doctor just told me.” She paused, gathering her thoughts. “I know you’ve been given permission to enter the cloister, but unless you absolutely have to, I sure wish you wouldn’t. The nuns are having a really hard time with all this. To see you coming into the cloister, searching for a killer…” She paused, then added, “The nuns really need you to give them a break.”

  “You should look at it another way. If I went into the enclosure and found the evidence I need, only one person would lose—the murderer.”

  “You’re wrong. All the nuns have already lost. When you or your deputies come to the monastery, it feels like our enclosure—our way of life—is under siege.”

  “The killer is responsible for disrupting your lives, not the police. We’re just part of the cleanup.”

  She watched Tom walk away, wishing there was something more she could have said to make him understand. Yet she knew duty had locked him on his course. But she had her own responsibilities—to the nuns and the monastery. She’d help him find the killer, but not at the expense of the innocent.

  8

  Sister Agatha woke up to the sound of the morning-shift nurse coming in to check on Sister Gertrude. As she straightened out in her chair, the muscles in her back screamed in pain.

  “I bet you’re regretting not sleeping in the bed down the hall now,” the nurse said sympathetically, taking Sister Gertrude’s vital signs with brisk efficiency, and writing down the results on a clipboard.

  “We each have our duties,” Sister Agatha said, wishing she had half a dozen aspirins. She hadn’t taken any of her arthritis medication and her joints were all stiff and sore.

  The nurse smiled, wished them both a good morning, and quickly disappeared. Five minutes later a perky brunette in her twenties, whose name tag read Maria Leahy, brought a breakfast tray for Sister Gertrude that included a dish of yogurt. “Now that you’re away from the monastery, you should take advantage and indulge yourself a bit!” she said cheerfully.

  Sister Gertrude looked at the young woman as if she’d suddenly grown two heads.

  Sister Agatha glanced at Sister Gertrude, smiled and shrugged wordlessly. For some odd reason, people always assumed that leaving the monastery was like a vacatio
n for a nun. They just didn’t understand that the cloister was the world they loved. Everything in there spelled order, stability, and security to the nuns. It was the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Out here in mainstream society there were too few people who considered their life’s work a source of happiness and satisfaction, and even fewer who’d given their hearts to the professions they’d chosen. They existed from day to day, marking time without a goal that would give their lives meaning and carry them beyond their time of death. And yet they felt sorry for the nuns!

  As the doctor came in to further examine Sister Gertrude, Sister Agatha stepped out into the hall, giving Sister Gertrude her privacy. Doctors, like priests, were in positions of trust. Rosary in hand, she waited in the corridor until the doctor finally emerged.

  “How is she doing, Doctor? Will she be released today?”

  “She seems fine. You can take her home. To be perfectly honest, I think she’ll rest easier at the monastery. And there’s been a newspaper reporter nosing around. I think she wants to do a story about the cloistered nuns at the monastery and link them to Father Anselm’s death.”

  “There is no link,” she said coldly. “But if the reporter insists on pursuing this, she must talk to Reverend Mother first. I won’t have anyone bothering a sister who’s here because she had a problem with her heart.”

  “Agreed. I just hope she doesn’t try to slip past the desk and find Sister’s room.”

  “Trust me, Doc, even if she got past the desk, she’d still have to go through me, and I’d make that attempt an experience she’d never forget.”

  He laughed. “I believe that, Sister. You and Sister Bernarda are very protective of the cloistered nuns.”

  “They’re family.”

  He nodded slowly. “Once she’s back in the monastery, make sure she gets lots of rest and that she eats a balanced diet and drinks plenty of liquids. No fasting.”

  “It’s Ordinary Time now, not like during Lent. None of us is fasting.”

  “All right. I’ll order the discharge paperwork.”

  “Before you go, can you tell me if the blood tests came back?”

  He nodded. “It wasn’t poisoning.”

  Sister Agatha went to the desk and asked where she could make a private call. She didn’t want to use the phone in Sister Gertrude’s room in case Sister Bernarda had any news or questions about the investigation that required a response from her. She wouldn’t take a chance of upsetting Sister Gertrude right now.

  The nurse looked both ways, said something about “not supposed to do this,” then handed her a phone and pushed the number nine. Sister Agatha thanked the nurse and dialed. Sister Bernarda answered after the second ring.

  “Sister Gertrude can come home this morning, so we’ll be ready to head back as soon as we can find transportation. Will you tell Reverend Mother?”

  “Of course.” There was a pause. “Sister Mary Lazarus was sleepwalking again last night. I found her in the kitchen and led her back to her cell.”

  “That’s usually all it requires,” Sister Agatha answered.

  “And believe it or not, I left Pax in your cell, but when I led Sister back to her cell I saw the dog was wandering around outside. I didn’t call him back inside. I was too tired. Yet he was back in your cell this morning again like it had never happened.”

  “We never fixed that screen in the hall.”

  “It wasn’t dislodged, but the screen itself is so torn … I don’t know, maybe that is his doggie door.” She paused. “By the way, Frank Walters is here again, fixing two of the computers. He says we need to upgrade soon.”

  Sister Agatha sighed. “Maybe we can get someone to donate what’s needed.”

  “Well, I can certainly put prayer power to work on that.”

  “Who’s in the scriptorium now with Mr. Walters?”

  “No one, but Sister Mary Lazarus is sitting in the hall just outside the scriptorium. She’s been told she’s not to talk to Mr. Walters. If he needs something, or if he’s ready to be escorted back out, she’ll come get me. If Sister Mary Lazarus is seriously considering being an extern nun, she might as well get used to the extra duties.”

  Sister Agatha paused. “I’m sorry, Your Charity. I haven’t been much help to you lately, have I?”

  “You’re doing what we need you to do—for all of us.”

  “Agreed.” Seeing a nurse stop at the counter and look in her direction, she made a hand gesture telling her she wouldn’t be long. “I think they want me to get off this phone. Can you find someone with a car to give us a ride?” Sister Agatha asked. “Patsy won’t mind, if she’s free.”

  “I’ll take care of it. Don’t you give it another thought.”

  It was over an hour before their ride arrived. It was Sister Bernarda driving—of all things—the Antichrysler. It was still burning oil and sputtering, but it ran.

  “Mr. Gonzales heard about Sister Gertrude yesterday, and he stuffed on a muffler and fixed the car as best he could with salvaged parts,” Sister Bernarda explained. “It’ll still need a complete overhaul, but because of everything that’s happened, he’s offered to come to the monastery when he can and work on it there. That way we’ll have it available in case of a similar emergency.”

  As they passed through the monastery gate, she saw Sheriff Green’s car in the compound. He was walking along the wall beside the gate and feeling the adobe with his hand, as if he were hoping to find a hidden opening.

  “Let me out here,” she asked, then looked at Sister Gertrude. “Sister Bernarda will help you inside, Your Charity.”

  “Stop treating me like an invalid. I’m fine.”

  “Yes, Your Charity.” Sister Agatha glanced at Sister Bernarda. “How long has the sheriff been here?”

  “Since eight o’clock, but before I left, I warned him that the parlor doors would be locked until I got back. He said he’d wait for you if he needed to go inside, but I think he’s really hoping it won’t be necessary.”

  “I’ll try to find out what’s going on.”

  “Hopefully he’ll be gone soon. Our new chaplain, Father Mahoney, is arriving in about an hour. He’ll be doing the rededication and reconsecration ceremony for the chapel. The archbishop had wanted to do this himself and kept hoping that his doctor would say that he was finally well enough to travel, but the doctor’s holding firm.”

  “Is Frank Walters still here?”

  “No, he left just before I did. He reminded us to back up our work on floppies every time we finish a file. He’s still not sure what’s making the computers crash so frequently.”

  “Will you greet Father Mahoney when he arrives and make sure the vestments he needs are ready? Father Anselm’s alb was taken by the police, so we need to get another one out from the storage closet. As sacristan, I should do that, but I have to speak to Sheriff Green, so I can’t be sure I’ll get to it in time.”

  Sister Bernarda agreed and Sister Agatha went to join the sheriff. She hoped she’d be able to help him and, at the same time, hurry him along. She really wanted to attend the rededication ceremony, but Reverend Mother had asked her to give this case priority. If she needed to escort the sheriff inside, or if he needed to ask her any questions, she’d have to remain at his disposal. As it had been so often in the past, the vow of obedience was the one she found hardest to honor.

  “Hello, Tom. Have you found anything interesting?” Sister Agatha asked, joining him. She noted a bruise on his face below his eye, but didn’t mention it, choosing to wait and see if he said anything.

  He shook his head. “This place looks to be as secure as Fort Knox.”

  “Yet Pax goes in and out as if we had a revolving door.” She told him what Sister Bernarda had said.

  “I don’t get it. He not only gets into the grounds but he now has his own doggie door somewhere to let him in and out of the monastery building itself. It’s too bad I can’t blame the turn,” he added half jokingly. “But he’d never be able to open it
.”

  “Or fit in it,” Sister Agatha said, laughing.

  She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I’ve been thinking a lot about this, Tom, and I’ve got a new theory.”

  “Let’s hear it.”

  “I’m not thrilled about this, but here it is. I think one of the sisters, hoping to make you focus on the possibility of an intruder, is letting the dog in and out. The keys to the front door are left on a hook in the parlor at night.” She leaned against the wall, feeling its solidity against her back, and absently fingered her rosary beads, noting again the mark on the sheriff’s face. “It may not be right, but I’m sure whoever is doing it is simply trying to protect the others.”

  “In a warped way, that makes sense,” he conceded. He lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

  She knew he was weighing the other possibility—that one of the nuns was inviting an intruder in, but he didn’t say anything and she was grateful for that. It would have been awkward, to say the least, to discuss that possibility with him.

  “Tell me something. How long is the alb stored in that drawer generally? I’m sure it has to be laundered and pressed at times.”

  Noting the abrupt change in subject, she wondered where this was heading. “I usually take it to Sister Clothilde to wash and press every Sunday after Mass. We have two sets, so another is put in its place in the drawer you saw and they’re rotated that way.”

  “Then, since Father said his last Mass on Monday, the alb he used had only been there overnight?”

  “Yes, but what are you getting at?”

  “The toxicology reports were faxed to me this morning— which, by the way, should tell you how important this case has become. These things can take weeks, but in this case, it’s taken only five days.”

  “What did you find out?” she asked, her heart hammering inside her chest.

  “Father Anselm didn’t ingest the poison. He absorbed it through his skin. A test of fibers from the alb’s collar show that the garment had been contaminated with a concentrated extract made from monkshood.”