The Path of the Crooked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 1) (24 page)

Nathan rubbed a clean circle in the glass of the front window and peered inside. Next, he took his sunglasses from his pocket and opened the mail slot. Angling his mirrored lenses into the slot, he said, “Then where’s her mail? If she’s not collecting it, then it would be piled all over the floor.” He stood and brushed off his pants. “I’m going to check around back and then ask the next-door neighbor if Hazel’s around. Do you want to wait here?”

Cooper looked at the fern again. “No.”

The backyard yielded no further information. The little lot was enclosed by a rusty chain-link fence whose main purpose seemed to be to act as a divider between the tall grass and scraggly bushes in Hazel’s lot and the grass and shrubs growing next door. Cooper spied more potted plants on Hazel’s back stoop. Two geraniums, a marigold, and a tomato plant had succumbed to thirst. Cooper plunged her finger into the soil and absently rubbed the dry dirt between her fingertips. She noted a bottle of plant food on a junk-cluttered table by the back door.

“Hazel cared for these plants,” she said, touching the crackly, brown-spotted leaves of the geranium.

Nathan stood on his tiptoes and stared into the small window of the back door. “It’s the kitchen. No dishes in the sink. The dish towel’s folded on the counter. Two place mats on the table. Salt and pepper shakers. Napkin holder, half full.” He stepped away from the window. “Hazel lives here all right, but where is she?”

Cooper trotted to keep up with Nathan as he walked to the house to the right of Hazel’s. The house adjoining hers was slightly larger and noticeably cleaner. The porch was free of dirt and dust, and a new rubber welcome mat sat in front of the door.

Nathan pressed the doorbell, and several seconds later a hand pulled back the curtains covering the bay window and a wrinkled face appeared. Through the glass, a short elderly woman holding a crying infant shouted, “We’re not buyin’!” and released the curtain again. Without hesitation, Nathan knocked on the window and the woman’s face reappeared, frowning.

“We’re looking for Hazel Wharton,” Nathan called to her.

The woman’s frown morphed into a glower. “Why? You ain’t no friends of hers.”

“No, ma’am, but we’ve come in the name of friendship,” Nathan said hurriedly, his voice pleading. “We’re worried that she might be in danger, ma’am. Please. I just need five minutes of your time.”

The curtain fell back in place and Nathan’s shoulders sagged in defeat. But suddenly, locks clicked on the front door and the woman motioned for Nathan and Cooper to come inside. Looking up and down the street with more curiosity than alarm, the woman shifted the still-wailing infant to her other arm and closed the door.

“I can tell about folks,” she informed Nathan over the baby’s complaints. “You two ain’t up to no devilment. Here.” She pushed the child, clad only in a diaper, into Cooper’s arms. “I gotta get this chile some milk ’fore she kills me with all that carryin’ on.”

The woman left the room and Cooper stared at the baby in astonishment. She whispered, “Shush,” and tried to make comforting rocking motions, but her awkward attempts to silence the child were ineffectual. In fact, the tiny girl’s face grew crimson with rage and she redoubled the force of her howls.

“Got none of your own, I reckon,” the old woman said upon her return, amused by Cooper’s discomfort. “I watch this one for my daughter. My name’s Rose. Now, sit down and tell me why you’re frettin’ about Hazel.” Taking a seat, Rose pushed a bottle into the baby’s mouth. Mercifully, the crying ceased.

Nathan eased himself onto a side chair covered in plastic sheeting. It groaned as his body sank into the stiff material. “Hazel complained to her credit card company about her bill,” Nathan said. “And now some folks from that same company have been hurt. Hazel’s name has been connected to these people and we’re worried about her safety.”

Rose nodded, satisfied with Nathan’s explanation. “You tellin’ the truth all right. I always know.” She angled the bottle slightly higher and the infant sucked hungrily. “Look here. Hazel’s fine. It’s her sister who ain’t. Got a bad heart and had surgery. Hazel’s gone off to Danville to help out.” Rose eyed her visitors over the baby’s head. “You’re not the first to look for her, you hear? The cops were pokin’ around yesterday. They knocked, waited a bit, then left.”

“There were others looking for Hazel?” Nathan squeezed the arms of the chair and the plastic whined in protest.

“Them first folks was bad.” Rose gazed tenderly at the baby in her arms. “It was dark, so I didn’t see them good. Two of them knocked on Hazel’s door. Next they went round back and I didn’t see ’em again for a while. When they headed back to their big black car, they were hissing at each other. Reminded me of a pair of snakes.”

Cooper stared at the child, who had reached up to touch her grandmother’s face. “Do you know if these ‘visitors’ were men or women?” she asked Rose.

“Naw. They both walked like folks who are up to no good. Kind of slinkin’. Like they was more serpent than regular folk.” She stared at Cooper, studying the blue eye first and then, for a bit longer, the green one. The baby finished drinking and drifted quickly to sleep. Cooper squirmed beneath Rose’s scrutiny. Finally, the old woman pointed at a brass cross hanging on the wall behind her. “The Lord gave you two ways of seein’, girl,” she said to Cooper. “The way things is and the way they could be. I hope you don’t waste His gifts.”

As Cooper tried to fathom the meaning of Rose’s odd comment, the older woman shifted the baby to her shoulder and began to pat her firmly on the back. “Them folks came at night—they meant Hazel harm, I just knows it. But Hazel was two days gone already. She left the day after Easter. Hasn’t been back since.”

“Are you collecting her mail?” Nathan asked.

Rose nodded. “Got it all in a grocery bag. Them bills’ll wait. I think Hazel’s gonna move down to Danville anyhow. Her sister’s got a nice place and Hazel ain’t got anyone left here since her man died a year back.”

Nathan drew a business card from his wallet. “Ma’am, could you give this to Hazel when she comes back? Will you tell her to call me and warn her that she’s in danger?”

Rose snorted. “Look around, boy. There’s plenty of danger in this place.” She gazed at Cooper again and then smiled. “But I’ll tell her. She can even stay with me if she wants. Lord knows I could use some help with this chile. Some company too.”

Cooper tried to imagine what it was like for Rose to raise an infant at her age and with so few resources. “Do you like cookies?” she asked Rose.

Rose displayed a nearly toothless grin. “Sure enough. Where you think all my teeth got to?”

“My mama makes really good ones. I’ll bring you some.”

“Bless you, chile. I sure would like a treat.” Rose reached over and clasped Nathan’s hand. “You a good man. You try to make wrong things right. I can see that. I’ll watch out for Hazel.” She stood. “Now, you’d best get goin’. Your car ain’t new, but plenty of folks round here would like to help themselves to those rims and maybe your radio too.”

Nathan’s face was mournful as he squeezed Rose’s hand. She patted his cheek with a weathered palm and said, “Aw, there’s plenty of good folks here as well, boy. Don’t look so down. One day, I’m gonna take my place in the kingdom of heaven, but until that glorious moment, my girls and my faith keep me goin’.”

Back in the car, Cooper rubbed her butterfly pin for comfort. “Remember the day in Bible study when Bryant said that he believed angels were already living all around us?”

Nathan looked at her. “I remember. And I think he’s on to something.” He smiled. “I’m glad we came here. Now we know that Hazel’s okay and can tell the cops how to reach her. I feel like the dark clouds are finally beginning to part.” Reaching for Cooper’s hand, he said, “Thanks for having my back today.”

“Anytime,” Cooper replied and silently wondered if their future dates would be as exciting as this one.

15

Cooper stood before her open closet, comparing the charming hue and feminine cut of the sundress she had worn on her date with Nathan with the rest of her rather tomboyish wardrobe. Cooper wanted to look especially pretty today, for Nathan to look at her the way he had last night on his front porch, when he put his arms around her and kissed her.

It wasn’t a long kiss, because Nathan’s neighbors had returned home from an evening out and their energetic pooch had sprung from their car and headed straight for Nathan. Still, it was enough to make Cooper’s legs feel boneless. She’d leaned into his embrace, enjoying the scent of his Irish Spring soap and a hint of earthy aftershave, while her mind emptied of all thoughts but the feel of his lips. “I like you, Cooper Lee,” Nathan had whispered, and Cooper had pressed her head against his chest and listened to the steady drumming of his heart, feeling she could linger there for the rest of the night.

But Cooper had eventually driven home. Once there, she’d been too restless to sleep and had meandered around the backyard, stroking the three-legged dog and spinning around in a patch of moonlit grass like a little girl trying out a new party dress.

Now, Cooper’s butterfly pin glinted gaily on her blue blouse. She’d washed and polished her treasure before attaching it to her lapel. Ever since Grammy had given her the pin, Cooper had worn it every day, even to work. The one day she forgot to put it on, her fingers keep reaching for it, only to meet with the fabric of her uniform shirt. She felt as though something were missing and wondered if the sensation was similar to what married people felt when they left the house without their wedding ring.

Pulling into the church parking lot, Cooper shook off the fantasy of having a ring on her own finger one day. After all, she and Nathan had just had their first official date, and she wasn’t ready to think of him as more than someone she was just getting to know. Cooper suddenly faced the unpleasant realization that he might still be searching for the perfect woman on RichmondMatchmaker.com. She decided that the next time they were alone together, she would muster the courage to find out whether theirs was an exclusive relationship or not.

Outside the classroom where the Sunrise members gathered, she paused.

Maybe I should wait until he makes it clear what he’s looking for,
she thought.
What does a kiss mean these days? I thought I knew where I stood with Drew and look what happened. Maybe I shouldn’t even like another guy until I can think about Drew without getting heartburn.

Lost in these confusing thoughts, Cooper didn’t hear Jake strutting down the hall.

“Mornin’, Cooper. Mind gettin’ that for me?” He gestured with his chin at the door, his arms filled with a box from the liquor store. “It’s my turn to bring in food but I didn’t remember until it was too late to get anything decent.”

“So we’re having Wild Turkey for breakfast?” she teased.

Jake grinned. “Hey, I can only kick one habit at a time, lady.”

The rest of the group clapped as Jake set down his burden and pulled out two boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. “They’re still warm,” he announced. He then produced a 107-ounce can of Del Monte tropical fruit salad and waved a can opener in the air. “I know it’s not fancy, but I’m a bachelor with no skill in the kitchen—unless you need me to fix your sink.”

“What are we supposed to use for bowls?” Trish asked.

“Cool your jets, lady.” Jake elbowed Trish playfully. “I brought Dixie cups and helped myself to a few plastic forks from the 7-Eleven while I was getting gas. See? You won’t have to get fruit juice on your fingers.”

“You’re quite chipper today,” Savannah said to Jake as she accepted a cup of fruit from him. Cooper noticed that Jake had picked out several cherries and piled them into Savannah’s cup. It was the kind of overture a grade-school boy might make to express a crush on a classmate.

Jake then placed a box of doughnuts under Savannah’s nose. “Chocolate glazed. Take a whiff.” As Savannah inhaled blissfully, he laid a paper towel on her desk. “I’m chipper because I haven’t had a cigarette in almost a month, so I’m feeling like I really might’ve quit for good this time.”

After receiving words of praise from the other group members, Jake opened his study workbook and folded his hands together. “Cooper’s doing great too, and she doesn’t even use the patches.”

“I told you,” Cooper argued good-naturedly, “that I’ve been eating cookies to numb the cravings.”

Jake gave her a sideways smile and continued, “But I need to make a confession. I almost had a smoke after that Little League game last week and again after finding out about Reed getting pushed off a bridge. I mean, it’s all I could think about. I was even going to mooch one off the mailman. I was
that
freaked out.”

“I know what you mean,” Bryant said. “I had a few more glasses of merlot that night than usual. The image of someone falling through the air toward the dark water . . .” He trailed off.

“And we’ve just got to sit back and hope things work out for the best,” Quinton muttered, as he neatly broke up a glazed doughnut into bite-sized pieces.

“Today’s lesson topic makes it seem even harder to give up our cause,” Nathan added. “In Ephesians Six, Paul says that we are going to have to deal with spiritual struggles. Well, I have to admit, my spiritual struggle is that I don’t want to simply
believe
that good will triumph over evil, I want to
act!”

Savannah gestured at her Bible. “We have our weapons, friends. They’re all in here.”

“That’s true, Savannah, but I also understand how Nathan feels,” Trish countered softly. “I think I’ve been seeing our involvement in Brooke’s murder as some kind of test.” She thumped her workbook. “I felt energized knowing we were fighting for good—that we’d tried to bring a murderer to justice, but now I feel a little lost.”

Bryant sloshed some fruit salad around in his Dixie cup. “When I read this lesson about spiritual weapons, I thought about how this killer, this person who has brought darkness into the lives of the Hugheses, the Newcombes, Hazel, and who knows who else, has
got
to be stopped!”