Grits and Glory

by Ron Benrey

  Ann poked at a shrimp with her fork. Daniel’s words weren’t what she expected to hear. He clearly understood the problem and the high price she was about to pay. But should an experienced pastor give up so easily? She expected him to have a few thoughts about a solution—not that he could change her mind.

  Wasn’t it the pastor’s job to teach the elders the dangers of faultfinding and to counsel the congregation not to take sides? Why not deliver a sermon or two on what Jesus thought about hypocrites who ignored their own shortcomings and attacked others? Daniel could have built an exciting homily around a verse she’d recently memorized for a Bible study: Jesus asked, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

  Lori broke into Ann’s musings. “Have you finalized your plans for the future?”

  Ann gave an uncertain shrug. “Not really. In the short term, Mom and I will stay at my brother’s home in Asheville. We need time to consider the different choices we have.”

  “That’s right, I’d forgotten,” Daniel said. “You moved back to Glory last year to take care of your mother.” He brought his hands apart in a puzzled gesture. “Whatever you decide, I’m certain that your mother will adapt quickly to her new surroundings.”

  Ann nodded quickly. “Oh yes, Mother is very flexible.” But even as she spoke the words, she wished that Daniel had not reminded her about her mother’s increasing need for live-in support. Mom loved Glory—and her house—and would be reluctant to leave permanently. Well, that was another dilemma Ann would have to resolve in the days ahead.

  Again it was Lori who interrupted Ann’s thoughts. “Have you thought about a new job yet?”

  “No. I’m leaning toward returning to school and earning an MBA, but if I find a new full-time job, it won’t be a position that puts me in the public spotlight. I have limitations because of my past.”

  “Limitations,” Daniel echoed. “Yes, I understand the way you feel. The past can definitely be a burden on the present. And you’d be wise to avoid a job that involves significant responsibility. You never know when you might run into another Phil Meade.”

  Ann felt a new wrench of annoyance at Daniel. He didn’t have to be so willing to agree with her. Worse yet, it sounded as if he thought Phil Meade was right. Baloney! Even though she had decided not to fight with him for the good of the church, Phil was unreservedly mistaken about her past and her present.

  “I’ve been pondering, Ann,” Daniel said. “Even though Phil isn’t a member of Glory Community, I might ask him to participate on the search committee that looks for your replacement. Do you have an opinion?”

  “Don’t you dare!” Ann tried to say, but the words caught in her throat and was something between a growl and a roar.

  “I’m sorry the idea upsets you,” Daniel said, “but think it through. There’s a good reason to involve Phil. The three elders whom he swayed might be more favorably disposed to a candidate if they knew that Phil had been part the selection process.”

  Ann felt foolish for losing her cool. Daniel was right; she hadn’t thought through any of the practical aspects of her resignation, including the obvious question of who would replace her.

  “Daniel, I didn’t mean to leave you in the lurch. Would you like me to help you find a church administrator to succeed me?”

  Daniel smiled. “Thank you, Ann, but there’s no need to revise your plans this late in the day. I’ll put a help-wanted ad in the Glory Gazette on Monday. That should do the trick. After all, church administration isn’t rocket science.”

  A fresh blast of indignation made Ann sit up in her seat. “How dare you say something that insensitive to me? In fact, you’ve been spouting tactless comments all evening, Daniel. What’s gotten in to you?”

  Daniel shrugged. “I merely said the words you wanted me to say—the words you put in my mouth with your one-sided decision to leave Glory Community Church.”

  “But—”

  Daniel went on. “You never asked for my opinion. You just marched into my office and announced that you had decided to leave.”

  “But we both agreed that my staying might trigger a battle within the elder board.”

  “No ‘might’ about it. There would have been a fight. But that’s one of the reasons the congregation pays me the big bucks to be Pastor of Word and Sacrament.” He began to grin. “It’s my job to deal with people who act like people. I’d have let the upset elders fret and fume for a while, but not allowed the disagreement to spill over into the congregation. I’m convinced that there’ll come a point in God’s good time when Phil Meade and company will recognize that you had nothing to do with Richard Squires’s death.”

  Ann shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

  “For the record, it grieves me to see you give in to Phil Meade,” Daniel continued. “He’s behaved like a bully toward you, as Sean Miller aptly demonstrated at yesterday’s meeting.” Daniel’s expression brightened. “Did you notice how Sean lit up when he defended you? You must have seen the fire in his eyes—a glow fueled by his feelings for you.”

  Ann felt herself blushing. The criticism that Daniel had leveled against her could have also been voiced by Sean. She’d made her decision to leave Glory without asking his wishes. But why should Sean have a say in the matter? There was no way around the messy truth that he was based in Long Island, while she lived in North Carolina.

  Still, Ann had to admit that Sean had defended her, had taken on the role of her champion. Moreover, she’d become fond of his curious blend of confidence and insecurity, of boldness and shyness. He could make her laugh—and when he’d kissed her, she’d returned his kiss. Happily.

  Ann looked at her empty plate. “That was delicious. Can I help with the dishes?”

  Lori laughed. “Absolutely not. Daniel is in training for our busboy job. You stay put. I hope you saved room for dessert.”

  “Well—”

  “Did someone mention dessert? Here it is!”

  Ann’s heart began to thump when she recognized Sean Miller’s voice. She swiveled in her chair and saw Sean holding a half-gallon tub of Rocky Road ice cream.

  It seems I’m the victim of a conspiracy.

  Sean realized that he’d started grinning the moment he saw the astonished look on Ann’s face. But amusement was not the emotion he wanted to convey to her right now.

  “I brought your favorite,” he said. “It won’t solve any of your underlying problems, but it will make you feel better, maybe even make you think that you’re in control of your life.”

  Ann recoiled as if she’d been slapped. “If you’re going to deliver another pompous lecture,” she said, “wait until we’re alone.”

  “An excellent point,” Lori said to Daniel. “Two’s company, four is…”

  “Way too many.” Daniel cleared away the dirty dishes.

  Lori carried the bowl of cheesy shrimp and grits to the kitchen. She poked her head around the kitchen door and winked. “Let the pompous lecture begin.”

  Ann held up her hands. “You don’t have to tell me that neither you nor Daniel wants me to leave Glory. I’ve figured that out for myself.”

  Sean shook his head. “I stood in the kitchen while you and Daniel were talking. Everything you said to him proves that you don’t want to leave Glory. You just need someone to talk you out of quitting your job. That’s my responsibility tonight. I’m here to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  Ann peered at him quizzically. “And that would be?”

  Sean reached into a pocket and retrieved a rolled-up piece of parchment paper—tied with a loop of black ribbon—that he’d carefully fashioned to resemble a scroll. He presented it to Ann. She undid the ribbon, flattened the scroll on the dining room table and began to laugh when she read:

  Dear Ann,

  I’ll be handling your problems from now on. I won’t need your help—so have a great life in Glory. By the way, I love you…and so does Sean M
iller!

  Love,

  God

  “Okay,” she said, poking the scroll with a finger. “You’ve got me convinced that I need to ‘let go, let God.’ I made my decision to leave Glory on my own. It was a mistake and I’ve learned my lesson. But I’m confused. What’s the offer I can’t refuse?”

  “Me. The man who brings you Rocky Road.” Sean reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. “I’m also the man who’s fallen in love with you.”

  Ann withdrew her hand and placed it in her lap, out of his reach. “Sean, you just talked me into staying in Glory, but you live and work on Long Island. I have my mother to take care of and you have your student loans to pay back. Those are genuine issues we can’t ignore. What are we going to do about them?”

  Sean stood and moved close to Ann. She didn’t resist as he urged her to her feet and put his arms around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he could feel her start to tremble.

  “We’re not going to do anything about them,” he said, as he hugged her tightly. “Heavenly Father,” he said, “thank You for bringing Ann into my life. I love her very much and I hope that she loves me in return. That, of course, is in Your hands. We give our future to You—in full confidence that the God who created the Universe can solve the relatively minor problem of where we’ll live and work. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

  “Amen and amen.” Ann began to chuckle. “Now I feel like a complete idiot.”

  “For?”

  “For not trusting God, for refusing to admit to myself that I do love you and for acting the way I did about Carlo Vaughn.”

  “Now there’s a problem we can solve by ourselves. If we ever have a home with cable TV, I intend to block the Storm Channel.”

  She giggled. He tilted her head so that he could see her face.

  “Are you happy?” Sean asked.

  “Of course. I’m also excited. I can’t wait to find out how God will sort out our lives for us.”

  “Did I say that I love you, dear?” He clapped his hand over his mouth. “Oops. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Said what—said that you love me?”

  “No. You don’t like being called ‘dear.’”

  “I will make an exception for you, because I love you, too, Sean.”

  Sean lowered his face toward Ann’s and kissed her. She returned his kiss, putting her arms around him. He drew her closer, knowing that his life was changing. For the better. He had found his soul mate at last. Thank you, Gilda.

  Sean sensed motion behind him. “Don’t let me interrupt you,” Daniel said. “I’ve just come back for my ice cream.”

  Ann began to laugh. All Sean could do was join in.

  FOURTEEN

  Ann lifted an overflowing cardboard carton out of her sedan’s backseat and struggled toward Glory Community Church’s side door. Halfway there, she remembered that the key was in her handbag, which hung from her right shoulder. She balanced the awkward load on her left hip and delved for her key with her right hand.

  All at once, the carton began to slip. She tried to grab hold of it but felt the box slide away from her body, out from under her arm.

  Instead of the crash she expected to hear, Sean said, “I thought you might need a hand.”

  She twirled around. “Are you following me?” she said with a smile.

  “Actually, I’ve started to understand how you think.” He propped the carton on his shoulder and broke into a self-satisfied grin. “I reckoned that you’d want to restore your office first thing this morning.”

  As he leaned toward her, she slipped away. “No kissing in the church parking lot.”

  “Sheesh! Glory Community has too many rules.”

  “That’s my rule. As you wisely concluded, my top priority this morning is to put all my stuff back in my office.” She touched the tip of his nose. “Talk to me about kissing when we’re finished.”

  “In that case, unlock the door. This box is getting heavy.”

  The seventh and last carton they moved into Ann’s office contained a potpourri of her belongings, from a coffeemaker to an assortment of decorative objects.

  “Wow!” Sean said, “I haven’t seen one of those in decades. My great-grandmother had some hanging in her house. I even forget what they’re called.”

  “An embroidered sampler.”

  “I didn’t know that people made them anymore.”

  “My mother still makes them—”

  “Oops.”

  “—as gifts for friends and family. She gave me this one when I finished college. She embroidered her favorite Bible verse, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.’”

  “That’s close to what James Defoe said yesterday,” Sean said. “Richard thought of Squires’ Place as his calling—the way he honored God.”

  “Everyone should feel that way about his or her job.”

  Ann looked at Sean, expecting a reply. But his gaze had fixed on the sampler and he seemed lost in thought.

  “I began thinking about this yesterday,” he finally said. “A man like Richard would never sell his means to honor God. No matter what.”

  Ann remembered what Sean had told her the day before, although she’d all but ignored his comment at the time. “What James Defoe said changes everything. I’ve been looking for a murder motive in the wrong place,” Sean had said.

  Everything seemed to fall into place in her mind. In a single exuberant beat of her heart, she understood what Sean had tried to tell her.

  “The two of them—Hayden and Sheila—are working together. They killed Richard Squires,” Ann said, her eyes wide.

  “Without doubt. We should have realized they were capable of committing murder the first time we spoke to them.”

  “I didn’t like him when we talked. Or her.”

  “Me neither. Doing business during a funeral should have been our initial clue about Hayden.”

  “It’s so transparent,” Ann said. “You were right, Sean. Someone did have a reason to kill Richard.”

  “Avarice is one of the oldest motives for murder in the book.”

  “The signs were there all the time, but we just didn’t see them.”

  “I don’t feel so foolish that we ignored the obvious,” Sean said with a chuckle. “So did Rafe.”

  “Speaking of Rafe, shouldn’t we tell him what we’ve figured out?”

  “At once, if not sooner.” He read his watch. “It’s nine-twenty. At this time of morning, unless an unexpected crime wave hit Glory, he’ll be at police headquarters or the Scottish Captain.”

  “Shall we walk or drive?”

  “Drive of course. I’m bushed from all the heavy lifting you required me to perform this morning.”

  “Poor baby.” Ann gave Sean a peck on his cheek.

  “Aha!” he said. “Kissing is allowed in the church administrator’s office.”

  “You call that a kiss?”

  “Now that you mention it…” He stretched to grasp her hand.

  Ann sprang out his reach. “Rafe awaits.”

  Sean followed her out of the church. “So do I.”

  They were both laughing when they got into Ann’s car. Consequently, neither Ann nor Sean noticed Miles Hayden scrunched down in the backseat until he sat up and pointed a small black pistol at the back of Sean’s head.

  “Start the engine,” Miles said to Ann. “Drive slowly and carefully to the alley behind Squires’ Place.” He added, “Be sure to fasten your seat belts. After all, we don’t want to do anything that might attract the police.”

  Ann felt her heart thumping. She glanced at Sean. He looked as fearful as she felt. And why not? As Rafe Neilson had so sagely observed, the person who killed Richard Squires wouldn’t hesitate to kill again.

  “Don’t keep me waiting, Ann,” Miles said. “Patience is not one of my virtues.”

  She turned the key, praying that this one time the engine would fail to
start. Unfortunately, it growled to life.

  She shifted into Drive and headed for Oliver Street. The journey to Squires’ Place seemed to take no time at all. She pulled into the alley and parked near the middle.

  “I’ll get out of the car first,” Miles said. “Then you two walk to the door. Resist the temptation to be a hero. Shooting you will be an inconvenience, but if it becomes necessary, I will do it.”

  Ann watched Miles move to the front of the car, where he had a good view of both her and Sean. Nothing that Ann could see tempted her toward heroism. Not yet, anyway.

  Ann walked toward the steel door; she knew that Sean was close behind. His presence comforted her even though they were equally helpless against Miles’s gun.

  “Ring the bell,” Miles said, “then move away from the door.”

  Sean pressed the button and stepped backward. The heavy door swung open without delay.

  “Clasp your hands behind your back and walk inside slowly. Don’t touch the door. If either of you even brush against it, I’ll start shooting.”

  Ann waited inside the shadowy corridor, a few feet away from Sean. She flinched at the bang as Miles slammed the steel door shut.

  Lord, I’m new at turning my problems over to You, but Sean and I are trapped in this building with a madman who’s threatening us with a gun. We definitely need Your help.

  Ann’s eyes adjusted to the dim light. Sheila must have opened the door, but she was nowhere to be seen. Miles ordered them down the corridor and into Squires’ Place dining room. Only a few overhead lights were on, throwing the perimeter of the large room in darkness. He pointed to an open area in the center of the floor, with two wooden chairs, roughly five feet apart. Ann took the chair on the right, Sean the chair on the left. Miles sat in a third chair about ten feet distant—far enough away to make “heroics” impossible, and close enough to insure an easy shot. He didn’t even bother to issue another warning.