Sister Eve and the Blue Nun (14 page)

“Are you calling about the recent findings?”

“The recent findings?” Eve repeated.

“Yeah, the writings from the nun in Spain.”

“Sister Maria de Jesus de Agreda?”

“Yeah, that's the one,” the young woman responded.

“Has there been something new discovered?” Eve asked, wondering how many people actually knew about these supposedly secret pages.

“Oh, yeah,” came the reply. “Dr. Taylor went to New Mexico to find out about it, some convent near Santa Fe. You from the
Journal
?”

“The
Journal
?”

“Yeah, she said someone from the
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religions
might be calling. That's why I'm in her office, taking her calls. She didn't want to miss any.”

“Oh, okay,” Eve replied. “Um, no, I'm not from the
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religions
. I'm from the
Journal of Native American Anthropology
,” she added, making up the name of a magazine. “We've spoken before.”

There was a pause.

“I hadn't heard of that one,” came the response.

“Right, well . . .” Eve was backpedaling. “We're a small journal focusing on . . .” She stopped.

“Native American anthropology.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Uh-huh.”

“When did Dr. Pierce leave for New Mexico?” Eve asked, changing the subject.

“
Dr. Taylor
left this morning,” the young assistant answered, emphasizing the professor's maiden name. “And I wouldn't call her that if you want an interview,” she added.

“Pierce?” Eve asked.

“Yep. If you knew her, you'd know she doesn't want his name connected to hers. It's been awhile since she did that.”

“Oh?”

“You know, I'm at the computer and I'm searching for the
Journal of Native American Anthropology
, and there's not one coming up.” The tone of her voice hinted at suspicion.

“Yes, well, that's because we're very new, haven't even put up the website yet. But we're working on that, and we'll show up on Google's list very soon. Just tell Dr. Pierce, I mean Dr. Taylor, that I'll be calling again to set up an appointment for an interview when she gets back.”

“You want me to tell her your name?”

Eve thought for a second. “Daisy,” she answered, looking over at her pet. “Daisy Cat.” And she hung up, glad to be done with that call.

TWENTY

Eve decided that after her shower she should extend that special brand of Benedictine hospitality by finding the two college professors and introducing herself, thereby getting a better read on them. She hurried through the shower, dressed, and towel-dried her hair. After placing the towel back on the rack, Eve took a long look at herself in the mirror. She suddenly noticed the wrinkles around her eyes and the gray strands in her hair. She leaned in, getting a closer look, and shook her head. Studying herself this way seemed like a new experience, and she wondered why she was even doing it. She certainly didn't plan to change anything regarding her appearance. She wasn't about to start wearing lipstick or eyeliner like Dorisanne. She wasn't planning to get a color and cut for her mousy brown hair.

“I am what I am,” she said out loud to herself and then grabbed a comb off the small shelf and ran it through her hair once, put it back on the shelf, and looked again.

As she examined herself, she realized that one of the things she had always loved about being a nun was the lack of emphasis on appearance. It was such a different way to be a woman, she thought, remembering the way she strived for inner beauty, the ways she saw it in the other nuns. None of them ever struggled with whether they looked pale or were in need of shades of pink on their lips or cheeks. They didn't just take up new values of living lives of faith and seeking to be of service; they also gave up values of Western society that demanded makeup and fashion from women. And even though Eve could never remember having been as concerned about those things as her sister, there was a time when she paid attention to how she looked, worried that she didn't quite fit in. But once she took her vows, she'd never struggled with those issues again. In fact, there was a time she took down the mirrors in her room because she wanted to completely rid herself of the temptation of vanity. She wanted to spend her time and energy focusing on the contents of her heart and not on what was lacking in her physical appearance. She stared at herself in the mirror a few moments more and then shook her head. Eve turned away, leaving the bathroom and the mirror, and walked into the other room and searched for her rosary and phone that she remembered had been on the desk. As she grabbed those two things she noticed once again the small piece of blue cloth she had taken from the crime scene. She placed it in the narrow desk drawer and stuck the other two items in her pocket. She gave Daisy a quick scratch under the chin, promising to return soon, and she left the room, heading down the hallway to the front offices.

She rounded the corner and suddenly found herself squarely
in the middle of what appeared to be a press conference. Father Oliver's back was to her, and standing next to him were the two investigating officers, Detective Bootskievely and Detective Lujan. All eyes that had been on the three of them immediately turned to her. Eve stopped and then started to back up. Daniel was standing behind the small but lively group of reporters and camera operators and he smiled when he saw Eve, waving her over. She changed direction once more and quickly moved behind the three men being questioned and headed toward her friend.

“You sure know how to make an entrance,” he said in a whisper, elbowing her as she made her way to stand beside him.

“Why didn't you tell me there was a media event scheduled for this morning?” she asked, glancing around at the group of people standing in the entranceway.

“Didn't know about it,” he replied. “It was sort of an impromptu thing,” he added. “The reporter from Channel 7 found out the reporter from Channel 13 was here and she called the gal at Channel 4. I think they're all on each other's speed dials.”

Eve watched as the cameras rolled and the young reporters took notes. She noticed a number of folks standing behind the media representatives and tried to see if Dr. Pierce and Dr. Taylor were in the crowd. She thought she would be able to recognize them from the photos she had seen when she researched them on the computer earlier. She searched the group, going from face to face, but didn't see anyone resembling either of them. She did recognize many of the visitors from the meals they'd shared earlier in the week. It seemed like some of the guests who had planned to attend the conference had stayed after all. Some of them met her
eyes and nodded or shook their heads as they were hearing what had happened the night before.

“The Captain leave?” he asked.

She nodded. “He said he was going back to Madrid; he's got some other case he's working on,” she responded, recalling a few details her father had mentioned. “Somebody thinks there's a ghost at the fire station,” she added. “They're paying him to find out for sure.”

Daniel nodded.

She turned back to the abbot as he was finishing up his statement. “What's he been saying?” she asked.

“Oh, just that there has been a tragedy at the monastery and that they're asking for prayers during this difficult time, and to give the brothers some privacy.” He looked at Eve. “And that people need to let the police officers do their jobs and not get in the way.”

She rolled her eyes at him and watched as Father Oliver appeared to turn things over to the two investigating officers. Detective Boots stepped up as Father Oliver moved away from the small podium filled with microphones.

“We don't have any further statements to make at this time,” he announced, holding up both hands. “This is an ongoing investigation, and we will let you know when we have anything to reveal to the community. We need to contact family members of the deceased before announcing anyone's name. I hope you will honor that request, as I'm sure you all understand what a tragic event this is.”

One of the reporters raised her hand and stepped forward. “Caren Cox, Action 7 News,” she said as way of introduction. “I heard the victim was going to deliver a speech at the conference scheduled at the monastery for today through this weekend.”

The detective shook his head. “We cannot verify any such statement.”

Another reporter, obviously seeing what was happening and wanting to get in on the questions, moved to stand beside her colleague. “Cathy Niroo, Channel 4, Award-Winning News. Is it true this is being investigated as a homicide?”

The detective shook his head and held up his hands again as if to say he would not comment.

“Officer, at least give us that much. Is it a homicide?” Another reporter had pushed her way from the middle of the group to the front. “Barbara Trembley from the
Journal
.”

“We are calling this a suspicious death at this time. We have not ruled out any possibilities.”

“I heard she was poisoned,” came a voice from the crowd. “And that her brother, a monk here, is missing.”

Eve turned to the area where the voice had come from and noticed a man she hadn't seen before. He was of medium height and wearing a black leather vest, jeans, and a long-sleeved striped shirt. He had his arms crossed over his chest, wore black plastic glasses, and had long red hair pulled back into a ponytail, a full red beard covering his face. At first Eve thought she recognized him, but as she tried to focus on him more clearly, people kept moving into her line of vision.

She realized he hadn't made the comment, however; that had come from a young man standing beside him. But at first glance, the red-haired man appeared to be very interested in the remarks and in the response. He was watching the detective closely. She was staring, still trying to place him, when he suddenly turned and looked in her direction. She immediately glanced away.

“We do not have any information about other family members present at the monastery,” Detective Jared Bootskievely replied. “And there has been no cause of death given at this time,” he added. “We thank you for coming out here, and when we know something more, we will have a statement to deliver. If you'll excuse us, we have a lot of work to do.” He backed away from the podium, and Detective Lujan and Father Oliver joined him as he headed in the direction of the abbot's office down the hallway behind them.

“Well, that will not give them the headlines they were hoping for,” Daniel stated. “Who are you looking at?” he asked, following Eve's eyes as she scanned the crowd.

“A blast from the past,” she answered, unable to spot the man again. “And not the good kind.”

TWENTY-ONE

“I'm just going to walk over there and say my prayers,” Eve said when Daniel questioned her about heading down to the guest quarters. Not coming up with a connection between the man with the red hair and the murder, she still hoped to find the professors.

“That's all you're doing?” he wanted to know.

“Well, if I happen to run into somebody who was close to Kelly, a colleague, let's say from Texas, I might want to welcome them here and ask if I can assist them in any way.”

“If my facts are straight, you don't live or work here anymore,” Daniel noted.

Eve smiled. “A sister in Christ is willing to help wherever she happens to be.”

“A sister in Christ needs to stay out of trouble,” he replied.

“Which is why I must go and say my prayers,” she explained, turning to walk out the main entrance.

“If I recall correctly, there is no outdoor chapel in the vicinity of the guest quarters,” Daniel responded.

“The last I heard, a person doesn't have to be in a church to pray,” she replied, standing at the door.