“What’s happened to Gerald?” she asked.
“He was admitted to a hospital there early this morning with stab wounds to both the throat and abdomen.”
“Oh no!”
“Apparently they’ve got their best doctors working on him, but it’s touch and go right now. They’ve got a police guard on him, and they’ll let us know the moment anything changes.”
“Did he say anything?” Jeremiah asked.
“No, he was found and brought in unconscious.” Mark hesitated and then reached out and touched Cindy’s arm. “He’s not expected to make it.”
17
Jeremiah felt terrible for Cindy, even worse than he felt for Geanie and Joseph. Geanie and Joseph had each other to cling to. To make things even worse, Cindy felt responsible for what had happened to Gerald. He wished there was some way he could comfort her, but just like her, just like everyone else in the mansion, he was stuck waiting.
“It’s like some old Agatha Christie novel,” Veronica commented Tuesday evening.
“If it was, one of us would be the killer,” Traci said.
They were all in the dining room playing board games. They had made it through the rest of Sunday and all of Monday without any incidents. Instead of making everyone relax, though, it seemed to just be building the sense of anticipation. It reminded Jeremiah of the paranoia that could sometimes settle over those with dangerous jobs as they were nearing retirement. There was a sense that there might not be any getting out of this alive and so the more time passed, the greater the odds something was going to happen.
Lyle, the final member of the wedding party, was scheduled to arrive that evening, and at least that would be a welcome distraction. Joseph had called him a couple of days before and explained the situation, telling him he was free to back out with no hard feelings. Lyle had insisted on coming anyway. Given Jeremiah’s mood he vacillated between thinking Lyle was loyal and Lyle was stupid.
“The only killer here is Jeremiah,” Joseph said.
Jeremiah looked up sharply.
“No matter what game we play he slaughters the rest of us.”
Jeremiah mentally chided himself. He shouldn’t be playing so competitively. It was not smart.
“You say that, but watch, I’m sure I’ll lose now for the rest of the night,” he said with a smile.
“You honestly think your winning streak is over?” Jordan asked. Jordan was the ministry leader for the singles ministry at First Shepherd. Apparently he and Joseph had been friends since they were kids. “Just like that?” Jordan said with a snap.
Jeremiah shrugged.
He knew it was over. He would be throwing every game the rest of the night, but subtly so no one would realize that’s what he was doing.
It had been difficult, living with people for so many days. He lived alone and at home he could relax, let his guard down, and be himself. Here, though, he had to be constantly on alert. He couldn’t even relax when he was alone in his room. And with no ability to retreat, to go somewhere else, anywhere else for even just an hour or two it was getting really difficult.
What made it even harder was the fact that some of these people knew him fairly well. At least, they thought they did, and he was used to being slightly more relaxed around them. The same was not true for everyone, though, so he found himself caught between levels of familiarity.
There was a face he showed to the world. Then there was the face he reserved for people who were more like friends like Geanie and Joseph. Then there was the face that he had shown Mark, allowing the detective to see more than most. Finally there was the face that he let Cindy see. It was the best of him, and, occasionally, also parts of the worst of him. But only parts.
He knew he was confusing Cindy, Geanie, and Joseph because he had the walls firmly up. He couldn’t help it, though. There were too many strangers and casual acquaintances around. They hadn’t earned his trust, nor the right to see anything but the carefully cultivated persona he had crafted for himself when he came to Pine Springs.
He knew that while other people would say that they had friends they could let their hair down and be themselves around, that their social role-playing was as nothing compared to his. Regular people were who they were. They might be more uninhibited at some times than others, but usually what you saw was what you got. His outer image and his inner self hadn’t matched in a long, long time.
“Jeremiah, it’s your turn,” Traci prodded.
“Sorry,” he said, studying the game board.
Around him people were laughing, trying to make the best of a bad situation. The forced intimacy of all having to be together all the time had broken down barriers for the rest of them. Teasing and fake insults were flying around the table.
“I’m still sorry we couldn’t all go to The Zone yesterday,” Joseph said.
“It’s not your fault,” Traci said.
“I know, but I still wanted to see Wildman barf after going on The Atomic Coaster.”
“Oh no, there’s no way I’ll ever go on that thing again,” Dave said, rolling his eyes.
“How many kids was it that you threw up on during that one church trip?” Cindy asked.
“None,” Dave said, trying his best to have a poker face.
“I heard it was ten,” Geanie said.
“It was only four,” Dave said, turning red in the face.
“Only four?” Dorothy said with a laugh.
“You threw up on four kids at the same time?” Veronica asked.
“It was epic,” Jordan said. “I was there. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”
Jeremiah played his turn and sat back. He did have to admit that the thought of Dave throwing up on the kids was hilarious. Usually it was kids who managed to throw up on adults. “I would have paid to see that,” he said, forcing a smile.
Smile, joke. That’s what a normal person would do. Why was it the longer he was stuck in this cage the harder it was to act normal?
“I need to get some fresh air,” Mark said at the conclusion of the game. “I’ll be back in a couple.”
“I think I’ll go with you,” Jeremiah said, hastily getting to his feet.
“Alright, fifteen minute break to take care of...whatever,” Dave said. “Be back here then. We’re teaming up for Trivial Pursuit.”
Once outside they walked away from the house, past the first officer on guard.
“Is it just me or is the tension ratcheted up so high I think there’s going to be some kind of explosion?” Mark asked.
“It’s not just you.”
“Oh good. I thought I was going crazy by myself. Nice to see I have company.”
“I think all of us could probably use some downtime. Certainly some alone time.”
“I hear you, but I can’t make that happen.”
Jeremiah refrained from pointing out that Mark could, in fact, make it happen, he just didn’t want to.
“So, what do you know about this Lyle guy who should be here soon?” Mark asked.
“Not much. He and Joseph were friends in college. I know they hang out every time they’re in the same city.”
“Friendship,” Mark grunted. “It’s a weird thing. See, by that description I would never guess Lyle would be willing to risk his neck to be here during all this madness.”
“I know.”
“You never can tell, though. Sometimes you think you have a best friend and they turn their back on you when you need them. Other times the person you just thought of as a casual friend goes through hell for you without you even asking.”
“Who are we talking about now?” Jeremiah asked.
Mark threw back his head and stared up at the moon. “You know, I never had a lot of friends. Not naturally the trusting type I guess.”
“It comes with the badge I’d guess.”
“I was this way even as a kid. Then again, even when I was a kid I knew I wanted to be a cop when I grew up. I was always interrogating everyone I could g
et my hands on. If there was a mystery to solve I was right in the middle of it.”
“Must have been fun for your parents.”
Mark shook his head. “What I’m trying to say is that two years ago if someone had told me my best friends were going to be a rabbi and a church secretary, I would have laughed in their face.”
“Because we’re religious or we’re not cops?”
“Because I never thought I’d really have best friends.”
Jeremiah didn’t know what to say.
“You know what the craziest part about it is?” Mark asked.
“What?”
“You’re my best friends and yet the thought of hanging out with you socially makes me twitch.”
Jeremiah chuckled. “Whenever you do spend time with us it’s always been because bad things are happening, and if not they will shortly. Subconsciously you equate seeing us with-”
“Death and destruction?” Mark interrupted.
“Something like that,” Jeremiah said.
“Well, that makes sense I guess. So, the solution would be, what? Squeeze in friend time with everything else.”
“I don’t have the answers.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I do have one question, though.”
Jeremiah tensed. “What is it?” The contents of the note Mark had received flashed through his mind. Ask him what his name is.
“Why are you religious?”
“What?” Jeremiah asked, taken completely off guard.
“A man finds out he’s going to be a father, he starts to ask himself the big questions.”
“Ah, like ‘Is there a G-d’.”
“Exactly. So, I want to know why you believe what you do.”
“I was raised in a religious home. My family believed very strongly. It made sense to me, it helped explain so much of the world around me, especially given all the uncertainty and strife. I always believed and I studied the Torah as much as I could.”
“Just like I knew I wanted to be a cop you knew you wanted to be a rabbi.”
Jeremiah smiled. “Perhaps, but, being a rabbi did not enter my mind when I was young. I was thirsty for knowledge, of G-d and his creation. Then, when I grew up, and joined the army for my requisite service, I found I needed G-d more than ever.”
Mark nodded. “My parents didn’t believe in anything they couldn’t see or touch. Religion was right out for them. My dad always drilled into me that everything is logical; that everything has a rational explanation.”
“And you believed him.”
“I did for a long time.”
“What changed that?” Jeremiah asked.
“One day I was called out to a murder scene. Sixteen-year-old boy had been killed, run over. I thought it was a hit-and-run or possibly something gang related. Then I caught the kid who did it. He ran him over on purpose, but he didn’t even know him. I asked him why he did it. I mean, all the murders I worked there was always a reason, money, jealousy, something. This kid just laughed and said he did it because he could. That was the day I stopped believing that everything had a logical explanation, that the world made sense.”
“I can see why. Pure evil for evil’s sake is a hard thing for most people to grasp.”
“Yeah, well, what can you do,” Mark said.
Jeremiah could tell that the conversation was over. He didn’t know if Mark had been satisfied with the answer he’d given him, but it was the only one he had.
Mark’s phone rang and he answered it. “You got him? Good. Okay. Thanks.”
“An officer is driving Lyle here. So, shall we get back inside and see who’s going to clean the floor with who during Trivial Pursuit?”
“You’ve got it,” Jeremiah said with a smile.
Cindy was relieved when Thursday rolled around. It felt like they were finally in the home stretch and soon everything would be over. It also meant she and the other bridesmaids got to decorate the formal living room and dining room for the bachelorette party while Geanie spent some time with her parents.
The only other person Cindy had originally invited to the bachelorette party was Sylvia from work who fortunately already understood the nature of what they were all going through. It was agreed that just to be on the safe side she wouldn’t come. However, Mark was nice enough to swing by the church and pick up the present she had been planning on bringing.
When it was finally time Cindy went and got Geanie. She led the other woman over to the other wing of the house and then slowly pushed open the door to the formal living room.
“Welcome,” Cindy said, “to the point of no return.”
Geanie squealed with delight and clapped her hands.
Phantom of the Opera music was playing and Cindy and the others had decorated the room with white and black streamers and balloons. Red roses were scattered throughout the area. They’d even managed to scare up a fog machine so that they had to walk through the fog into the room just as if they were descending into the Phantom’s lair.
“You guys are just the best,” Geanie said when they were seated in the formal living room.”
“Oh sure, you say that now, but let’s see what you’re saying when the night’s over,” Traci said with a laugh.
“I’m sure I’ll love you all even more!”
“Ooh, she’s a brave one,” Veronica said.
“You know what they say, marriage is not for the faint of heart,” Traci deadpanned.
The evening went beautifully. The games were fun and there was tons of screaming and teasing. It turned out everyone had bought Geanie lingerie. Quite by coincidence she actually opened the presents in order from least raciest to most. Traci’s gift was last and was tiny and completely see-through.
“I couldn’t possibly wear this?” Geanie said, blushing.
“Give it two weeks,” Traci said with a laugh.
Mark was nearing the end of the line. He was beyond exhausted and running out of ideas. He had to do a lot of last minute rearranging and with difficulty he managed to beg off the bachelor party. He planned to spend the time working out more details for the next two days but instead he fell asleep.
When he woke in the morning he at least felt a bit better. He was the only one who didn’t yawn all the way through breakfast.
“Given that I know there was no liquor at either party, I must say you people know how to party like madmen,” he finally commented.
“Arrive first, leave last,” Geanie said.
“What did I miss?” he teased.
“Pool championship,” Jeremiah said.
“Epic pillow fight,” Cindy answered.
“Okay, the girls definitely had the better party,” he said with a grin.
Evening had rolled around and they were all dressed nicely for the rehearsal and the dinner. Everyone was standing in the entryway while Mark presided in front of the doors like a general.
“So, here’s the plan. We have the limo we’ll be using tomorrow. It’s going to stay with us, and tonight we’ll use it as well. The driver is one of our officers,” Mark said.
“They really aren’t taking any chances,” Jeremiah whispered to Cindy.
They all walked outside and piled into the car. Cindy found herself squished up next to Jeremiah and she felt herself flush.
“It’s going to be a bit tight in here. We had originally planned for two cars and no police escort,” Joseph said apologetically.
“We can all squeeze,” Geanie said. “It will be good practice for tomorrow when my dress will need lots of room.”
Everyone laughed and squished together more. Jeremiah put his arm on the back of the seat behind Cindy to give her more room and the feel of his arm against her shoulders just made her blush harder.
The ceremony was going to be happening at First Shepherd. The reception was at a huge banquet hall ten minutes away. They were supposed to have spent the morning decorating the banquet hall with all the favors and everything else. Officers had been sweeping the hall all day, though, l
ooking for anything suspicious. They weren’t going to be able to get in there until the morning when it was going to be all hands on deck to get everything done on time.
The ride to the church was over too quickly for Cindy. They all piled into the church and were met by the minister who was officiating.
For a miracle the rehearsal went smoothly. When it was over they were driven to Rue de Main where Joseph had proposed to Geanie. The French restaurant was beautiful, and it had been booked out just for them.
Cindy sat next to Geanie while Jeremiah sat on the other side of Joseph at a round table that could seat six. Geanie’s parents took the other two places.
The food was amazing and the atmosphere completely romantic. The restaurant had Phantom of the Opera music playing softly in the background.
Despite the elegance of the setting Cindy struggled with an almost overwhelming desire to throw a bit of her bread at Jeremiah. She didn’t know why, maybe just to get his attention, maybe just to do something to cut the tension that was still building.
She looked around the room and she could tell everyone else was feeling it. Behind the laughter and the smiles there were eyes with dark circles under them and strained looks whenever the laughter ceased for even a moment. Another twenty-four hours and it would all be over, one way or another. She just prayed that everyone would be safe and nothing would ruin the wedding.
Dinner progressed, and she felt herself slowly starting to relax. It was good to be away from the mansion. It was lovely, but a week stuck inside with all the pressure they were under was beginning to cause its own issues.
Cindy glanced up from her meal and froze. There, staring in through the restaurant window was the same man who had been staring into the bridal shop window hours before it blew up.
18
“That’s him!” Cindy shrieked, lunging out of her chair and pointing out the window. “I saw him outside the bridal shop watching us the day it blew up!”
Jeremiah leaped to his feet, catching a glimpse of the man’s face before it disappeared. He raced toward the entrance and a moment later he was out on the street, twisting his head right and left and searching for the man. He finally spotted him ducking down a side street.