The Priest Who Ate a Poison Petit Four

by Kee Patterbee

  “Beyond these duties,” Wessel gestured toward the desk, “I’m part of the nursing staff.”

  Hym and Magdalen nodded but Hannah found herself fascinated.

  “How interesting. I wasn’t aware that you operated outside the church.”

  “Most people are unaware. I believe they still have the impression we don’t talk, and hang around the church chanting or beating ourselves.” He smiled. ““I can assure you, we live quite full lives.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  Janus cleared his throat and Wessel turned his attention to his duties.

  “I’m sorry,” Wessel said in an apologetic tone. “Let me get the Reverend for you.”

  The young brother moved to the rear door and knocked. Watching the situation, Hannah again reaffirmed her assessment that Janus was authoritative. She also noted he held a certain sense of demanded order. Impatient, was the word she applied to his growing mental file.

  Whipson opened the door and smiled. He stepped out with open arms to entice a hug. Magdalen responded first, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then Hannah gave him a hug. As he wrapped his arms around her, she noticed a second figure standing to the rear. His unexpected appearance startled her, though she sized him up all the same. Smallish. Late 70s. About the same age as Whipson. Square face. Bulbous nose. Hunched a slight bit. Grey hair. Worn, brown eyes. Glancing him over, she studied his clothing. He wore a medium blue coverall jumpsuit that was well maintained but worn. She determined him to be on the janitorial staff. Custodian. Seeing him lift a hand and gnaw at a nail, she added, nervous and mousy by nature.

  After Whipson shook Hym’s hand, he introduced them to the man.

  “This is Jackie Rhoades, an old friend.”

  Rhoades gave a nervous smile and quick head bob of acknowledgement.

  “Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he expressed in a quick manner.

  Whipson looked to Rhoades. “We’ll have to talk later. It seems I’m running behind.”

  Rhoades nodded and produced a weak smile. He then moved past everyone and exited the door. Whipson watched, and once the man was out of sight, he said, “So, what brings this unexpected pleasure? I’ve got a meeting with Father Janus here, but it shouldn’’t take long, don’t you think?” He looked to Janus.

  For a second, Janus said nothing, a slow smile forcing its way onto his face. “No, I wouldn’t think so. In fact, why don’t the four of you talk? We can reschedule for later.””

  Though he was agreeable, Hannah could tell the change in plans aggravated the priest. Controlling, she added.

  “Oh, no, it’s us,”” Hym half apologized, “we came unannounced. We shouldn’t have interrupted.”

  “No, No, that’s fine,” Janus insisted. “I have patients that I can minister too.” He looked back to Whipson. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Jonathan. I’ll call with the time.” With that, he turned and exited as did Rhoades. After he was out of sight, Whipson turned to the trio with a smile. “Now, what can I do for you?”

  Hym gave a weak smile. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  Whipson studied Hym’s face for a moment before assenting. He motioned for all to follow. He led them out the door and across the way to a small conference room. “Will this do?” he asked as they entered.

  Everyone settled into chairs around a small round table. Whipson removed his glasses and began cleaning them. He looked first to Hym, then to Magdalen and last to Hannah. “Such serious faces. Is it the case or the wedding?”

  At first, no one responded. Then Hannah spoke up. “Well, sir, we’ve been checking into things. It seems there may have been more than just the victims you found.”

  Whipson returned his glasses and adjusted them on his nose as he nodded. Hannah noticed that the news disturbed, but did not surprise the man. Almost expected, she considered.

  “I thought you might also want to know that little ties them together.” She paused to gauge his expression, which was stony. “Just one thing so far.””

  “Susan and Calvin.”

  Whipson’s sudden acknowledgement took Hannah by surprise. The response was one that had been happening with increased frequency of late. When she looked to Hym and Magdalen, their half-open mouths affirmed the same.

  “That’s why I wanted you to check into all this,” the Reverend explained. “I knew you’d find that to begin with, but it’s my hope that along the way, you’ll also find evidence that exonerates them.””

  “That’s our intention,” Hym interjected.

  Whipson took hold of Hym’s hand. “I know. You’ve always been a good friend to them.” He looked over to Magdalen. “You too,” he said with smile. He then scrutinized Hannah. “But you, young lady. You are the one I am counting on. These two are like my own children in many ways, but their eyes are a little rose colored as are my own. Yours aren’t. You’re open to all possibilities. Good or bad.” He scanned around the room at all three. ““I know they have nothing to do with what’s going on, but someone does. I need to know why it’s happening around them.”

  A spasm of coughs overtook the clergyman. Magdalen sent Hym for some water. By the time he got back with a small cup from a hallway dispenser, the Reverend had settled down. He drank the glass down and waited. Hannah, as usual, broke the silence.

  “A friend of mine has been checking into the backgrounds of everyone. All the victims. Susan and Calvin… You.”

  Whipson’s eyes widened for a second before they returned to normal in short order. “Well, that must have been interesting,” he offered with a grin. ““I suppose my egregious past had to climb to the surface sometime.”

  Chapter Seven

  “You were young,” Hym assured, “a different person.”

  “I was, but that’s just an excuse. I did what I did and much more than I paid for, but that’s neither here nor there. In the end, I found the light and changed my ways. Tried to do more good than bad. Raised a good family. Touched the lives of others.” He smiled again at Hym and Magdalen. “Looking at you two, I like to think I had a hand in leaving better than I gave.”

  For the first time in their relationship, Hannah saw Hym’s eyes well up. She saw him clap his hands around Whipson’s and squeeze. His admiration of the man overwhelmed any doubts he may have harbored. Unlike her brother, Magdalen could not contain her tears. She pinched the corners of her eyes to clear them. Hannah let them have their moment.

  Whipson looked to the sleuth. “Now, I suppose there are questions that come with that.”

  Hannah affirmed and apologized. “It’s going to get personal, so…You said you did a lot more than you paid for. Was it just the cars? Or was there more?””

  Whipson let out a slow breath as his eyes wandered to the table before he brought them back to meet with Hannah. “Back in the day, I was different. I wasn’t angry or abused or poor. My parents made plenty of money. In fact, they were rich. They left it all for me. As a child, I didn’’t want for anything I needed and most often didn’t want for what I wanted. In a word, I was a privileged and spoiled brat. More so, life bored me. I started stealing things with two other boys. Little things at first. Candy bars and comic books. Kid stuff. Just for kicks. However, like a drug habit, it grew and grew. By the time I was nineteen, we were into high-end vehicles. There was this one car. A Jaguar. White and beautiful. I set my eyes on it. One night, we go to a rich man’s house. We watched him leave, and then we made our move. We went in through a back window of the house. I was the last to enter. Just when we found the door leading to the garage, I heard something. I turn around and there’’s this lady. Pale. Trembling. A maid. I didn’t know what to say.”

  Whipson’s lips pulled into his mouth as he grimaced.

  Remorseful. Full of regret. A painful memory, Hannah thought, filing it alongside all she had done before about the man. She glanced over to Hym and Magdalen, each wearing strained expressions as they hung on the man’s every word. She wondered if his unfinished confession
would alter their opinion of the clergyman. Not my intent, she added, before deciding to address that with both later. Turning back to Whipson, she encouraged him to go on.

  Whipson motioned to his face in a near trancelike state as he continued. “She got this… horrified, painful look on her face, gasped and fell to the ground.” When he looked up, twin sets of insistent tears were rolling down his cheeks. “By the time I got to her, she was gone.”

  Hannah noticed the silence of Hym but could not draw herself to look in his direction. Instead, she pushed forward. “What happened after that?”

  “I called for an ambulance. The other two had long since left. I waited for a minute, looking at her before I left too. When the police arrived, I was across the street, watching. I found out later that she had a heart attack.” Whipson stiffened and leaned back. Then he shook his head. ““I killed that woman, and I never had the decency to pay for it.” Coughing, he cleared his throat. “A few nights later, I got caught with the other two taking an old Buick. Funny thing is, it wasn’’t worth anything. I had no reason to do it. I should have been able to boost that car and been gone by the time anyone caught up to us.”

  “You didn’t get away…,” Hym said, ““because you wanted to get caught; on the inside at least.”

  Whipson agreed. “I’ve thought about that woman every day since then. The look on her face. What might have been? Every night in prison for six years, I told myself I belonged there. Not for the cars they linked us too, but because of her. Tina Beaumont.”” He shuddered as he again coughed. “Then one day, another prisoner told me that you can’t live in regret. You have to take responsibility and do the most good to repair all the bad. I went from a killing thief, to a religious family man; from wolf to lamb.”

  For a moment, no one stirred. Then, with a sudden motion, Magdalen reached out and hugged the clergyman.

  “You didn’t kill her.”

  “I did her no physical harm,” Whipson corrected, “but I am responsible for her death.”

  “What would that have to do with this?” Hym inquired as he peered over to Hannah.

  Hannah shrugged. “I would imagine nothing, but then again, the old saying is true. Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

  “Are you kidding me? You think someone waited sixty years to take revenge for an accidental crime that was never investigated?” Magdalen interceded. “That’’s crazy.”

  Hym gave a disbelieving chuckle. “No offense, Sherlock, but I have to agree. That’s kind of out there.”

  “I didn’t say that. I just asked a question, which leads to another. That’s how this all works,” Hannah responded in an irritated tone. “Who all have you told about this over the years?”

  “Up until today, the only two were Adam and Jackie.”

  Hym stiffened and crossed his arms as Magdalen pushed back in her seat. They glowered at the minister. Hym gestured toward the door. “Wait, the custodian? That guy? He was one of your partners?”

  Whipson confirmed.

  “This Adam, he was your other partner?”

  “Adam Cook. He died several years ago.” Whipson twisted in his seat. “I regret to say, he left with bad blood between us.”” The clergyman sighed. “I may serve the Lord, but I sin all the same,” he added.

  “Could you explain?”

  “When we got caught, Adam flipped on us. He got out after twelve months, but Jackie stuck with me, never turned. He even took the brunt of the investigation into the thefts, even though I was top dog. I got out after six years. Jackie…” he shook his head before continuing, ““he always found trouble. On the inside that comes at a price. Between fights and escape attempts, his sentence expanded from ten, like mine started off as, to most of his adulthood. Over the years, he’s spent more time in than out. For a while, I thought civilian life almost seemed foreign to him, but I owe the man. I always kept in touch. He got out the last time twelve years ago. That’s when I found him a job and watched after him. When I came here, he followed, doing the one thing he was always good at. Cleaning up after others.” He paused and scanned all three. ““But if you think he had anything to do with this, you’re mistaken. He was a thief, not a murderer. Jackie had his problems over the years, but he was never violent. All the fights he ever got into in Draper was to protect me, himself, or someone else. He never started them.”

  Hannah took in Whipson’s words and considered each one. Loyal. Protective. Sees Rhoades as a little brother.

  “Would he be willing to talk to us?”

  Whipson nodded. “If I asked him too. When?”

  “We’ll let you know. We’re headed to Zebulon for now.”

  “Hannah,” Whipson said as he coughed once more, “have you seen any rhyme or reason to all this? Is anyone else in danger?”” He reached out for the sleuth to take his hand. She indulged him.

  Taking the Reverend’s hand, Hannah gave him a serious look. “I can’t say. I wish I could, but I can’t, not with any certainty. We are talking serial killer at this point. Some are unpredictable, but most have a pattern. Sometimes even a schedule. I’m checking into the medical records of each patient. Magdalen, here, has agreed to read them for me. Maybe then, we can establish a pattern. If so, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.” She smiled and gestured with her head toward Hym. “Then I’m going to sic Hym on them.””

  “And I’m now armed with a cane,” Hym added.

  Whipson patted the back of Hannah’s hand. “Then you do that, dear. You do just that.”

  *****

  Leaving Happiness behind, Hannah, Hym and Magdalen made their way toward Zebulon. As the car travelled down a long narrow backstretch, Hannah stared out at the passing farmland. She liked how it interspersed with small patches of wooded areas. She found herself considering all that Whipson had revealed about himself. Two knew, one dead, she mulled over. That he knows about, she added to herself. Catching sight of something on the side of the road, she sat up straight. “Stop!” she exclaimed.

  Hym slowed the car in rapid order. Magdalen sat up from the backseat, wide eyed. Both she and her brother cried out. “What?”

  “Pull over,” Hannah demanded, “I saw something.”

  Hym did as instructed before backing up the road a short ways. Doing so, he asked what she saw.

  “I’m not sure, but it was moving.”

  “Like an animal or something?” Magdalen inquired.

  “Maybe, but I just want to make sure, so stop here.”

  Hym brought the car to a halt and Hannah exited with haste. Hym and Magdalen followed after.

  Hannah pointed to the edge of the tree line. “There.” Lying down in the grass was a ball of brown fur covered in what appeared to be mud. Two dark eyes peered forward but did not move. As she motioned for the others to slow behind her, she held out her hand.

  “What is it?” Magdalen asked in a cautious voice. “A raccoon?”

  “I don’t think so,” Hym informed. “I think it’’s a…”

  “Puppy,” Hannah interrupted as she pressed her hand forward. “Here baby, come on. No one’s going to hurt you.”

  Two ears half raised but fell back down as the creature’s head moved just a bit to one side. The sleuth moved further forward, hand outstretched, and assuming a crouched position.

  “Careful, Sherlock,” Hym warned.

  “It’s alright. Come on, now.”

  Hannah took her time and made a careful approach. At a moment’s notice, she readied herself to snatch her hand away. Reaching the animal, she held it just before the creature’s nose. For the first time, the dog raised its head enough to sniff, and then it licked her hand. Hannah took the opportunity to give a gentle stroke down the pooch’s body. Doing so, she checked for any obvious injuries but found none. She removed the lightweight jacket she wore and wrapped it around the creature. “She’s thin. I think she just hasn’t had enough to eat.” With care, she lifted the small creature into her arms and rose. She turned to face Hym and Mag
dalen.

  “Think Will would mind an extra guest?”

  Hym sighed and let out a breath. “I suppose not. Is it hurt?”

  Hannah shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “She seems weak. Do you still have some of that sandwich left, Tubbs?”

  “Yup,” Hym turned toward the car, “but not for long I imagine,” he mumbled half under his breath.

  *****

  After arriving, the three went to stay at the home of William “Will” Hooligan, Hym’s best friend. A restaurateur by trade, he owned Hoolie’’s Burgers, Fries, & All That. Hannah admired his work, so much so that it was he that she asked to cater the wedding. He also agreed to be one of Hym’s two groomsmen. When Hannah showed the unexpected guest, asking if he minded her keeping the canine until they figured out what to do with her, Will acquiesced without hesitation. He gave his usual big smile that could light the world. As he scratched the dog’s head, he looked the creature over.

  “Although, it seems to me that if she’s going to stay, you might want to give her a good scrub. Bathroom is down the hall and on the left. I’ll bring some towels to dry her up.””

  A half hour later, Hannah and Magdalen sat in the living room drying the canine. With the dirt removed, the dog presented itself in a different light. Will inferred that it was young.

  “I’d guess between six to eight weeks.”

  The fur underneath the mud was short, white, and wiry. There was one tan spot on her back. Another colored patch circled around both the hound’s eyes and extended to mid-muzzle along the side. The tail appeared bobbed, but more so than traditional length. Examining it, Magdalen frowned.

  “I don’t think a vet did this.” The nurse lifted the appendage with a finger. “Looks like it was bitten off.”

  Hannah lifted the animal’s face up and looked into its eyes. “Oh, how did such a sweet girl get out on the side of the road?”

  “No houses in that area, so someone might have abandoned her,” Will suggested.