"I think we ought to contact the police our ;elves," she said, "before the mass tomorrow - right away, in fact., to tell them we're of what's painted on that gate and to let them we're doing our own internal examination...”
The words she used.
'... in an effort to determine who put the star on so he or she herself can come forward and veal who they are, Sky. This way we're letting the police know we're doing thing in our power to cooperate. So they won't some kind of cabal connected with our church the sacred sign on the priest's gate and then him.”
“Unless," Laramie said.
They all turned to look at her.
"Unless that's exactly what did happen," she said.
Llewellyn Farnes was a tall, rangy white man the speech of a born and bred city-dweller, and look of a weather-hardened New England His men's clothing store was on The Stem Carson and Coles, and he had just come from lunch when the detectives walked in at o'clock that afternoon. Most of his lunch to have spilled onto his tie and his vest. guessed he was the only man outside of Homicide Division who still wore a vest. He willing to bet he also wore a fedora.
The detectives identified themselves and told l they were investigating the murder of Michael Birney. Farnes went into a long apparently heartfelt eulogy on the priest he recently challenged in his open letter, now him a dedicated man of God, a true servant Lord, a kind and gentle shepherd to the flock, and a wonderful human being whose would be sorely felt.
All this with a straight face.
"Mr. Farnes," Hawes said, "we were lo through Father Michael's correspondence, came across this letter you sent to congregation...”
"Yes," Farnes said, and smiled, and head.
"You know the letter I mean, right?”
"Yes. The one I wrote in response to his about the tithe.”
“Yes," Hawes said.
"Yes," Farnes said.
He was still smiling. But now he was Yes, his head went. Yes, I sent that letter. response to him chastening us about our obligations. Yes, I'm the one who resentment. Yes. Me. Nodding, nodding.
"What about that letter, Mr. Farnes?”
"What about it?" Farnes said.
"Well, I'd say it was a pretty angry letter, you?”
"Only pretty angry? I'd say it was monumen,:hlly “
The detectives looked at him.
"In fact, Mr. Farnes," Hawes said, "you wrote things in that letter...”
"Yes, I was furious.”
"Uh-huh.”
"Demanding money that way! As if we weren't giving our fair share! All the man had to do trust us! But, no! Runs his mouth off at the ulpit instead, week after week of -and-brimstone sermons better suited to Salem than to this parish! Never once trusting us!
me," he said, and walked immediately to a man was taking a pair of trousers from the "May I help you, sir?" he asked.
"Just looking," the man said. "Are these all the -two longs you have?”
from here to the end of the rack." -."Thank you," the man said.
"Let me know if I can be of any assistance," said, and walked back to the detectives.
g his voice, he said, "That man is a He walked out of here at Christmastime an entire suit under the suit he was already I realized it after he was gone. Forgive me him, but I'd like to catch the son of a "So would we," Carella said.
"You were saying something about trust," sai, "Yes," Farnes said, his eyes following the he moved along the rack. "In many church is a business - and I mean no bl This is why a tithe is specified in the Bible, so won't be any misunderstanding about the the church is forced to conduct. In order to do you understand? Ten percent, spelled out in t and white. Five in the basket every week, the five as gifts to worthwhile charities. Do you me so far?”
"Yes, we follow you," Carella said.
"Okay. How do you know whether you're five percent in the basket?
Instead of two three and a half percent? The answer is you You trust the congregation. By trusting them, inspire their trust in turn, and you'll find that of getting a short count every week, generating even more revenue for the c fool should...”
"Excuse me, but is this the dressing "Yes," Farnes said, "through the curtains Let me roll those trouser cuffs back for you, "That's all right, I can...”
"No problem at all, sir," Farnes said, and three pairs of trousers that were draped man's arm, and rolled back the cuffs, "There you are, sir.”
"Thank you," the man said.
"Let me know if you need any help," Farnes said, came back to the detectives. Lowering his voice he said, "He's going in there with three pairs Let's see how many he walks out with.”
"You were talking about trust," Hawes said.
"Yes," Farnes said. "I was saying that any fool know you can't get anywhere in business - if it's the business of saving souls for Jesus [st- by not trusting the people you're doing ' ss with. That's what I tried to explain to Father , may God rest his soul, in my letter.”
"It didn't sound as if your letter was about mast," said.
"It didn't? I thought it did.”
“Well, for example, Mr. Farnes," Hawes said, already gone over this with Carella and now himself an expert, "you don't think these do you, are about trust, here, this passage he said, unfolding the letter and finding what was looking for, "here, Mr. Farnes, 'and he out the coins of the money-changers and 1 their tables.' Is that about trust, Mr. "It's about not turning a place of worship into a of commerce.”
how about this," Hawes said, gathering "right here, Mr. Farnes, "Let Father Birney the offerings again and yet another time, and then let him count his blessings as well." you mean by 'let him count his blessings as "Let him realize that he is blessed with a generous congregation.”
"And this? What does this mean?"Pride before destruction, and a haughty spirit before Is that about trust?”
"It's about trusting the Lord to show the leads away from pride and haughtiness.”
"Well, you certainly have an odd w interpreting your own words," Hawes said. discuss any of this personally with Father "Yes. In fact, we had a good laugh over "A good what?”
"A good laugh. Me and Father Michael.”
"Had a laugh over this letter you wrote?”
"Oh, yes. Because I was so incensed, you "And he found that funny, did he? That incensed enough...”
"Yes.”
"... by the sermons he'd given...”
"Yes." ... "... to have written a letter you described as 'monumentally angry.' He that...”
"Yes, we both did.”
"... hilarious.”
"Well...”
"Side-splittingly funny.”
"No, but we did find it humorous. That That I'd written this righteous, indignant to the congregation when all I had to do, really, go see Father Michael personally - as I finally do - and have a pleasant chat with him, and the whole thing out.”
"So you straightened the whole thing out.”
"Yes.”
"When?”
"On Easter Sunday. I stopped by in the afternoon , went back to the rectory with him. We a good long talk.”
"How'd you finally settle it?”
"Father Michael said he would ask each member the congregation to confide in him the amount he she could comfortably afford to contribute each and then he would trust them to contribute amount faithfully. It was all a matter of trust, see. That's what I was able to explain to him we talked. That he should just have a little He glanced toward the curtains. The man gone back with the three pairs of pants was coming through into the store again. There were only two pairs of pants slung over his arm.
a minute, sir!" Farnes called.
"Ah, there you are," the man said. "I'll take the I'm wearing. Can I get them measured, .. why, yes, sir, certainly, sir," Farnes said, step right this way, the tailor's at the other of the store.”
"I left my own pants in the dressing room," man said. "Will they be safe there?”