by Darrell Case
Chapter 17
Sunday morning, Adam walked to the pulpit feeling charged as never before. The sermon he had prepared fell by the wayside. The words rolled off his tongue. With Robert's permission, he related the events of the early morning hours.
As before, the Inquiry Room was filled. Conway surprised Adam when he walked into the room and offered to help. Adam put him to work right away. Shane O'Malley's absence from the service was disturbing. Conway was also at a loss; he promised to talk to his father.
The answer was not long in coming. As Adam entered the parsonage, he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Coming into the room, he saw Elijah sitting at the table, his hands wrapped around a cracked, yellowed cup. James sat opposite his father. Picking up a cup identical to the one Elijah held, Adam started to pour hot coffee from the pot on the stove.
"Here sir, let me get you another cup," James said, jumping up. "That's the one we colored's drink from."
"Is it clean?" Adam asked, holding the pot in one hand and the cup in the other.
"Of course!" James said, slightly offended.
Adam filled the cup and sat down. "Why the glum faces? I think things are going very well," he said, taking a sip.
"We's fired," Elijah said, looking down at his cup.
"Who fired you?" Adam asked, knowing the answer without asking.
"Mr. O'Malley," James answered.
"I'll speak to him," Adam said, struggling to remain calm.
"Too bad that there bank go bust." Elijah said, shaking his head.
"Which bank?" Adam asked, looking from one man to the other.
"I's don't remember. Do you son?" Elijah asked, turning to James.
"The White Oaks Bank," James said.
"When did it close?" Adam asked. Deep in his heart, he knew something wasn't right.
"Jest the other day. Mr. O'Malley, he came in a while ago and he say we fired. I say that's fine, we take money we's been saving all these years. He jest laugh."
"Why?"
"He say, don't you know. The bank, it done go bust this week."
Each morning, Adam ate his breakfast as James delivered the paper to him. After he read the articles he was interested in, James stored the newspapers away in a box. When the box was full, he burned the papers in the fireplace.
"Bring me all the newspapers for this week, James."
The butler carried the box in and spread the newspapers on the table. Ten minutes later, Adam looked up from the last one. "There's nothing written about a bank folding," Adam said, "How much did you have in it?"
"I's not good with figures," Elijah said thoughtfully, tapping his gnarled fingers on the table and turning to his son.
James pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket, running his fingers down the page. "About two thousand dollars, sir."
Elijah jumped up, spilling his coffee on the papers. It went unnoticed by all three as Adam and Elijah stared at each other dumbfounded.
"You think O'Malley steals our money, does you" he asked.
Adam raised his hand, palms spread out. "Let's not jump to conclusions. Let me speak to Mr. O'Malley and Mr. Cooper first."
The two times the deacon board had met, Cooper had been absent. Last Tuesday night, Adam had called at his home.
"I'm sorry, my husband is not home," the older woman told Adam as she greeted him in the parlor, her nose in the air.
Adam suppressed a chuckle. If it rains, she'll drown, he said to himself.
"I'm known as one who speaks her mind, Reverend," Erma Cooper said.
Adam nodded, unsure of how to respond.
"As you may be aware, my husband is the church's banker." She waited to be sure he understood the importance of what she was saying.
"Yes ma'am," Adam said, shuffling his hat uncomfortably. Mrs. Cooper had yet to offer to take his coat and hat or ask him to be seated.
"I was not in favor of your being offered the position of pastor at our church," she said bluntly.
"Ma'am?"
"Oh, don't take me wrong, Reverend Wakefield. It has nothing to do with your qualifications. Anyone can preach. Frederick has stated that fact many times over the years."
Adam opened his mouth to protest, a slow flush building in his cheeks.
"Many thousands of dollars come into our church every week; that is why we
need an administrator."
"Mrs. Cooper, the office of pastor is not something I take lightly." Adam said, his knuckles turning white. "One must make sure his call is from the Lord."
"Yes, I'm sure one must but..."
"As far as the finances of the church are concerned, I believe the souls of men are more important."
Setting her jaw, Erma Cooper spat out, "You may be my husband's choice, but you are certainly not mine! Good day to you sir! Herbert!"
A dark suited man stepped out from the hallway.
"Please see Reverend Wakefield out."
"Certainly ma'am. This way sir."
Adam left the Cooper's home uncomfortable for more than just the reception he had received.
Now Adam instructed James and his father, "Don't do anything rash, I'll be right back." He set his half-empty cup on the table and rushed out.
After searching the church from one end to the other, he was almost ready to give up. If O'Malley was a thief, he covered his tracks well. Standing in front of the pulpit, his eyes swept the empty sanctuary.
"Lord, what am I going to do?"
He started to kneel when he noticed a slight discoloration in the wood on the inside of the pulpit. Inserting the blade of his penknife into the crack, he pried carefully. At first nothing happened and he thought he had made a mistake. Then slowly the panel began to move, revealing a small compartment in the sidewall of the pulpit.
Inside was a smaller version of the church ledger. The story it told was one of lies, deceit, and fraud.
Without waiting for the flustered butler to announce him, Adam barged into the Cooper's dining room. Dumbfounded, the Coopers and their guests, Shane and Mary O'Malley, stared up at him. To Adam, the heavy-laden table reminded him of pictures he had seen of Roman feasts. The aroma of the food made his stomach rumble and his mouth water.
Dripping sarcasm, Frederick Cooper asked, "Is there something I can do for you, Pastor?"
"I believe Reverend Wakefield is here to see me," O'Malley said.
"Actually I'm here to see both of you."
When they were in the privacy of the library, O'Malley turned on Adam.
"I do not appreciate your hunting me down. As for those two Negroes, I can replace them tomorrow morning."
"How will you steal from the new employees? The same way you've done James and Elijah?"
O'Malley sneered at him.
"Nobody's stealing from them. The old man gambles. Sometimes he loses his whole month's pay at one time."
Adam felt sick.
"O'Malley, you've robbed the church for years as your father did before you."
Turning to Frederick, he said, "Mr. Cooper, do the officers of your bank know you and Mr. O'Malley are the owners of White Oaks Bank?"
Frederick turned pale; he tried to b
luster his way through.
"I don't know what lunacy you are speaking of sir."
"White Oaks Bank," Adam said, removing several sheets of paper from his jacket pocket, "Is a fraudulent institution set up to bilk the church, your bank, and the employees out of thousands of dollars!"
RIVER OF FIRE