Charlene stepped in. “We do use Human Services. The county’s been very helpful, but BoomBoom, a lot of our information is word of mouth through the church or friends.”
“Well, can’t we figure out a way to sweep up information from a variety of sources?” BoomBoom persisted.
Alicia, a good long-range thinker, had heard all about this before from BoomBoom, who’d taken the bit between her teeth. She wanted to support her partner without appearing to disagree with others. BoomBoom could sometimes forget to smooth feathers.
“First, we have to identify the sources.” Alicia quietly put forward the obvious. “It may be as easy as setting up a website or using email or whatever comes next. We can’t have meeting after meeting. Technology can speed the process.”
“BoomBoom has come up with an idea that will help us more accurately predict need so we can go back to our churches and ask for specific items apart from food.” Harry liked the idea. “I don’t see why email won’t work with one person in charge.”
“We need to get this idea out to the other churches. We don’t want to look as though we’re running the show,” Arden sensibly suggested.
“The only woman who could take on this job if anyone wanted it would be someone who is retired,” Jan said. “Once you get into this, it will take a lot of time. Email is one thing. You need to talk to people face-to-face. I’d add to BoomBoom’s idea that it wouldn’t be amiss to sometimes visit the people throughout the year. The other thought I had is talk to the doctors in your congregations. As you know, Frank, my husband, is a doctor. He often knows who is in financial distress as well as physical. People can’t pay their bills.”
“Good idea.” Susan nodded.
Jessica had brought a detailed county map, which she flattened out on the long mahogany table. “If you look at where we made deliveries, the areas of greatest need jumps out at you.”
Susan spoke up. “Who is behind on their property taxes is another clue. Kind of the same thing as Jan’s suggestion about medical bills.”
“I’d never thought of that,” Harry exclaimed.
“It’s often the first sign that there’s trouble. So many people are sliding downhill.” Susan peered at the large map.
Also studying the detailed map, Harry noticed the fire road on the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the switchbacks down those slopes. Lumber and farm roads were not marked, but even without them she could see how easy it had been for someone to hide a body up above her house. Her mind kept wandering to the skeleton in the tree roots. A long time ago or at least however long it took to turn a corpse into bleached bone, someone had carried a body along that ridge, then dropped down to bury it. Getting on that line was easier than she thought. Curious as she was about the deaths and severing of Pete and Lou’s fingers, she’d seen that skeleton dangling. The smile of the skeleton haunted her.
Leaning over to Cooper, she whispered, “After the meeting, look at this map with me.”
The lively meeting moved along, thanks to Susan. All agreed BoomBoom had a solid idea, and Susan volunteered, with Jessica, to contact the other drive chairs at the various churches.
“I move we adjourn the meeting,” Alicia said.
“I second the motion.” Cooper smiled.
“All agreed say aye.” Susan could do Robert’s Rules of Order in her sleep.
The ayes were unanimous.
“Jessica, may we borrow that map for a moment?” Cooper asked.
“Of course.” Jessica rose, heading to the already crowded bar.
Harry and Cooper bent over the folded-out paper, Harry tracing the route with her forefinger.
“Whoever carried that body brought it down the mountain. It would be too, too hard to carry it up.”
“Harry, why couldn’t someone drive up like we did?”
“Because they’d have to drive past my barn.”
Cooper smiled. “Yes, but those bones might be fifty years old, older. You weren’t always at the barn.”
“Yes, but”—Harry took a deep breath—“you can find out the approximate age of bones. I know, I know—this isn’t on the front burner. You certainly have more pressing cases, but still, I found a skeleton, which is now missing. That’s pretty curious, wouldn’t you say?”
“I would.” Cooper nodded. “Okay. So what if you’re right? The body was carried down or even slid down, like on a canvas. Doesn’t prove who did it.”
“But it might prove useful information sometime.”
“Right.” Cooper looked over to the bar. “Come on. A cup of cheer will do us good.”
Harry folded up the map and joined the ladies at the bar. Handing the map to Charlene, she said, “Thanks.”
Emotions unrestrained, Arden blabbed about the torn check at St. Cyril’s, even though Jessica had advised against it.
Jessica winced but did not admonish her, instead saying, “I spoke to Brian about that. Arden said she’d call Cooper. Who knows who put the torn check in that little drawer? Best we don’t jump to conclusions.”
Everyone started talking at once.
Finally, Charlene said, “Shouldn’t someone tell Father O’Connor?”
“No,” Alicia forcefully replied, surprising everyone.
“Why not?” Arden’s voice rose.
“It’s better to find out if he knew,” Alicia evenly answered.
“Really?” Arden knocked back another glass of white wine.
Jessica knew she’d better stop her from guzzling a third.
Alicia continued on. “Best not to stir things up. This is a job for the sheriff’s department. We will only muddy the water.”
BoomBoom was instantly alert. “What are you saying?”
“What if it’s an inside job? It certainly looks like one.” Alicia leaned against the bar.
“But the checks haven’t been cashed.” Arden really shouldn’t have spilled the beans. Too much wine. Too much emotion.
“How awful,” Arden said.
“Theft is a loaded issue, especially with two leaders of Silver Linings recently dead,” Harry calmly spoke.
Jessica looked into her glass, set it on the bar counter. “Since no monies are missing, it’s possible this is a bad prank. Brian operates on the assumption that boys will be boys.”
“I guess it’s not the boys we’re worried about.” Harry crumpled her cocktail napkin. “First, this distracts attention from the loss of two powerhouses in our community. Secondly, who is to say the checks won’t be cashed at a later date? Leaving one behind is a surefire way to confuse people. We just might be dealing with someone smarter than we think.”
“Oh, I hope not.” Arden burst into tears.
The women comforted her. The discussion stopped while Harry’s mind roared forward, not to good places. For the second time, the first being when she saw the skeleton, Harry felt the chill of fear.
“Father, I appreciate the time you have given me.” Cooper smiled as she spoke, although Father O’Connor knew the police officer was in his office for a reason.
Flummoxed for a moment, the priest queried, “You’re here about the torn check, I assume.”
“With any luck, Father, we might lift a print when the check is reconstructed. I mean, other than Arden’s or Jessica’s.”
“Yes. Yes. We can hope.” His eyebrows knitted together.
“If there is one, our team will find it, but real police work isn’t necessarily like TV. Rarely do we get an instant answer or shall I say person of interest in a case like this. This will take time, and much of it painstaking,” she honestly reported. “Let me ask you, have you ever noticed special friendships between the boys or certain adults and boys?”
He rubbed his temples. “Deputy Cooper, that’s difficult to answer. Naturally, there is affection. Building relationships and providing possible role models is rather the point of Silver Linings. Some boys like some adults better than others. I believe the adults try not to show favoritism. I have never worried. It seems natural to me.”