president stepped up to the dais. Tom Jeffrey is a math professor at Emerald College, middle-aged, nondescript, and a voice of logic and reason. He lit our chalice—symbolizing the light of truth. Then Ed stepped down and came to the front. The church is small enough that he doesn’t need a microphone. Ed likes intimacy when he has a particularly important message to deliver.
“Before I begin, I want to address the events of yesterday.” He swept the room with his gaze, as if trying to pull all of us together. “As many of you know, a woman was found dead on the porch of our parsonage. She was not a member of this church, and to my knowledge, she has never attended a service here. But she did come to my office several times to ask for guidance.”
He folded his hands at his waist. “I didn’t know Jennifer Marina well, and I certainly don’t know why anyone would want her dead. I do know she was very much alone in Emerald Springs, and because she was, I ask you to be her family today. Please offer what prayers you feel comfortable with during our prayer and meditation moments before the offertory. And please pray with me now.”
I closed my eyes, glad to have a chance, even briefly, to mourn the loss of the mysterious young woman. But the last thing I saw before I lowered my lashes was Gelsey staring furiously at my husband.
“I don’t know why Gelsey dislikes Ed so much,” May Frankel told me after the service. The Frankel girls, Hillary, six, and Maddie, eleven, had run ahead with my daughters to make sandwiches in the parsonage kitchen. May and I were walking slower, catching up on conversation.
I probed a little. “Sally says she’s been a help to your other ministers.”
May walks a perfect line between nurturing and confrontational. She’s a petite, sweet-faced blonde who settles for attractive. May is the friend I consult when I need a sounding board on church matters.
“Sally isn’t the best judge,” May said. “She’s intensely loyal. Gelsey tolerated our last minister, but only because he followed her orders.”
Tri-C’s last minister, a man at the tail end of a long, distinguished career, had warned Ed about Gelsey. He hoped, for Ed’s sake, that Gelsey decided to take over a charity or serve on the local hospital board. The more she did outside the church, the easier Ed’s job would be.
Unfortunately, Gelsey is very much at loose ends.
I decided not to pussyfoot around. “So Gelsey has a history of making trouble for the ministers?”
“She’s one of the major reasons we’ve had four over a fifteen-year time span.”
“It’s a small church. Most ministers want to move on to bigger and better things.”
“Particularly after a few years of going head-to-head with Gelsey.”
I didn’t smile, but in a crisis it’s always nice to know the misery has been shared.
We paused at the backdoor. Inside I heard the sound of dishes clanking and Teddy exhorting the others to better behavior. “The thing is, May, Ed doesn’t want to move up. He had a chance to do that, and he turned it down. He wants to do research. He wants to write.”
“And we’re lucky to have him. We know it. After training new seminary graduates or watching ministers serve out their final years, someone with Ed’s energy and experience is a real breath of fresh air.”
“Too bad Gelsey doesn’t think so.”
May took and squeezed my hand. “She has influence, but she can’t dictate. I hope it won’t come to a fight, but if it does, Ed will have support.”
I tried to put my uneasiness into words. “The thing is, it may come to a head sooner than you think. The death of that poor woman seems to have increased her anger. I have a feeling that for some reason, she blames Ed. As if he had any control over where the corpse was disposed of.”
“He did a lot today to diffuse gossip. Don’t borrow trouble. You’re bound to be upset about things right now. That’s natural. Try not to let your
“Before I begin, I want to address the events of yesterday.” He swept the room with his gaze, as if trying to pull all of us together. “As many of you know, a woman was found dead on the porch of our parsonage. She was not a member of this church, and to my knowledge, she has never attended a service here. But she did come to my office several times to ask for guidance.”
He folded his hands at his waist. “I didn’t know Jennifer Marina well, and I certainly don’t know why anyone would want her dead. I do know she was very much alone in Emerald Springs, and because she was, I ask you to be her family today. Please offer what prayers you feel comfortable with during our prayer and meditation moments before the offertory. And please pray with me now.”
I closed my eyes, glad to have a chance, even briefly, to mourn the loss of the mysterious young woman. But the last thing I saw before I lowered my lashes was Gelsey staring furiously at my husband.
“I don’t know why Gelsey dislikes Ed so much,” May Frankel told me after the service. The Frankel girls, Hillary, six, and Maddie, eleven, had run ahead with my daughters to make sandwiches in the parsonage kitchen. May and I were walking slower, catching up on conversation.
I probed a little. “Sally says she’s been a help to your other ministers.”
May walks a perfect line between nurturing and confrontational. She’s a petite, sweet-faced blonde who settles for attractive. May is the friend I consult when I need a sounding board on church matters.
“Sally isn’t the best judge,” May said. “She’s intensely loyal. Gelsey tolerated our last minister, but only because he followed her orders.”
Tri-C’s last minister, a man at the tail end of a long, distinguished career, had warned Ed about Gelsey. He hoped, for Ed’s sake, that Gelsey decided to take over a charity or serve on the local hospital board. The more she did outside the church, the easier Ed’s job would be.
Unfortunately, Gelsey is very much at loose ends.
I decided not to pussyfoot around. “So Gelsey has a history of making trouble for the ministers?”
“She’s one of the major reasons we’ve had four over a fifteen-year time span.”
“It’s a small church. Most ministers want to move on to bigger and better things.”
“Particularly after a few years of going head-to-head with Gelsey.”
I didn’t smile, but in a crisis it’s always nice to know the misery has been shared.
We paused at the backdoor. Inside I heard the sound of dishes clanking and Teddy exhorting the others to better behavior. “The thing is, May, Ed doesn’t want to move up. He had a chance to do that, and he turned it down. He wants to do research. He wants to write.”
“And we’re lucky to have him. We know it. After training new seminary graduates or watching ministers serve out their final years, someone with Ed’s energy and experience is a real breath of fresh air.”
“Too bad Gelsey doesn’t think so.”
May took and squeezed my hand. “She has influence, but she can’t dictate. I hope it won’t come to a fight, but if it does, Ed will have support.”
I tried to put my uneasiness into words. “The thing is, it may come to a head sooner than you think. The death of that poor woman seems to have increased her anger. I have a feeling that for some reason, she blames Ed. As if he had any control over where the corpse was disposed of.”
“He did a lot today to diffuse gossip. Don’t borrow trouble. You’re bound to be upset about things right now. That’s natural. Try not to let your
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