threes.
“Maybe this isn’t such a great idea,” Ariel says.
“Oh no you don’t. Too late to back out now.”
Kelvin’s sermon has pissed me off. I have a few things to say to him. And I want him to see Ariel. Here. In his kingdom, in front of God and everybody, and to realize exactly what she represents. I want to watch his face when it all sinks in.
“We’re going straight to hell,” Ariel murmurs, but follows along when I start walking. Shadow skulks along behind her, looking like the perfect target for an exorcism.
Keeping my head bowed and my face composed in what I hope looks more like penitence than vengeance, I shuffle behind an elderly man. Maybe Ariel is right and I’m headed straight for hell, but I have set my hand to the plow and will not turn back. It’s too late, anyway. The press of people hems us in, and it would create a huge disruption to break away.
Kelvin touches the old man in the middle of the forehead with his right hand, the diamond on his finger flashing blue fire. I’m close enough now to see the foundation smoothing his skin, the touch of blush on his cheekbones. His eyes are tired. He doesn’t bother to look at my face as he reaches out to put a holy hand on my shoulder.
“Kelvin. It’s been a long time.”
He blinks. His eyes come into focus. The hand hovers just above my shoulder, arrested in its descent.
I smile sweetly, drawing Ariel up beside me. “This is Callie’s daughter, Ariel. We were in the neighborhood, so we thought we’d drop in for a little spiritual counseling.”
Kelvin has forgotten to breathe. His face turns a dark reddish purple, and I think for a minute that the prayer warriors are going to have a real emergency on their hands.
“I can’t talk right now,” he says, finding his voice. His eyes skitter away from Ariel to the crowd building behind us and then back again. “We’re in the middle of service.”
“This will only take a minute,” Ariel says. “Could you just swab the inside of your cheek for me?” She’s got the Identi-Match swab in her hands, which are no longer shaking.
“I don’t understand.” He looks from Ariel to the swab, eyebrows raised in a question.
“DNA,” Ariel says. “To see whether you’re my father or not.”
His shoulders stiffen, and his voice drops into that mellifluous preacher range. “I can’t imagine where you got your information, child, but you’re far from the right track if you think that I—”
“Callie kept a diary. Rather detailed notes, as it turns out.” My voice cuts across his. Several people nearby turn to look. “Not hard to believe, given your way with the girls.”
He swallows, hard, his eyes darting to the camera and back again. “Please. Not here. Not now.”
“Where then? When?” Ariel demands.
Kelvin reaches into a pocket for a handkerchief and blots his forehead. “I’m asking you politely to leave.”
“And if I don’t?”
He leans down closer, keeping his voice low enough that nobody else will hear it over the music.
“I won’t let you do this. I’ve worked too hard—”
“I could come by your house.” Ariel smiles at him. “Maybe I can meet your wife. And your kids. Do I have brothers or sisters?”
“Do you really want to destroy the faith of thousands of people?”
“Oh, please. Like it’s built on anything real.”
Kelvin turns to me, blind panic and fury contorting his features. “Lise, make her stop.”
I laugh at him. “Give me one good reason why I would want to do anything for you.”
Shadow grabs Ariel’s hand and tugs. “Come on, Ari. You’re holding up the line.”
Two big guys are working their way through the crowd in our direction, both wearing dark suits. Holy bouncers, I figure. Our time is limited.
I put my hand on his arm. “You’re a goddamn hypocrite, Kelvin. All you had to do was talk to her for a few minutes, show a little kindness. But that’s not your way, is it? You haven’t changed a bit.”
He’s a
“Maybe this isn’t such a great idea,” Ariel says.
“Oh no you don’t. Too late to back out now.”
Kelvin’s sermon has pissed me off. I have a few things to say to him. And I want him to see Ariel. Here. In his kingdom, in front of God and everybody, and to realize exactly what she represents. I want to watch his face when it all sinks in.
“We’re going straight to hell,” Ariel murmurs, but follows along when I start walking. Shadow skulks along behind her, looking like the perfect target for an exorcism.
Keeping my head bowed and my face composed in what I hope looks more like penitence than vengeance, I shuffle behind an elderly man. Maybe Ariel is right and I’m headed straight for hell, but I have set my hand to the plow and will not turn back. It’s too late, anyway. The press of people hems us in, and it would create a huge disruption to break away.
Kelvin touches the old man in the middle of the forehead with his right hand, the diamond on his finger flashing blue fire. I’m close enough now to see the foundation smoothing his skin, the touch of blush on his cheekbones. His eyes are tired. He doesn’t bother to look at my face as he reaches out to put a holy hand on my shoulder.
“Kelvin. It’s been a long time.”
He blinks. His eyes come into focus. The hand hovers just above my shoulder, arrested in its descent.
I smile sweetly, drawing Ariel up beside me. “This is Callie’s daughter, Ariel. We were in the neighborhood, so we thought we’d drop in for a little spiritual counseling.”
Kelvin has forgotten to breathe. His face turns a dark reddish purple, and I think for a minute that the prayer warriors are going to have a real emergency on their hands.
“I can’t talk right now,” he says, finding his voice. His eyes skitter away from Ariel to the crowd building behind us and then back again. “We’re in the middle of service.”
“This will only take a minute,” Ariel says. “Could you just swab the inside of your cheek for me?” She’s got the Identi-Match swab in her hands, which are no longer shaking.
“I don’t understand.” He looks from Ariel to the swab, eyebrows raised in a question.
“DNA,” Ariel says. “To see whether you’re my father or not.”
His shoulders stiffen, and his voice drops into that mellifluous preacher range. “I can’t imagine where you got your information, child, but you’re far from the right track if you think that I—”
“Callie kept a diary. Rather detailed notes, as it turns out.” My voice cuts across his. Several people nearby turn to look. “Not hard to believe, given your way with the girls.”
He swallows, hard, his eyes darting to the camera and back again. “Please. Not here. Not now.”
“Where then? When?” Ariel demands.
Kelvin reaches into a pocket for a handkerchief and blots his forehead. “I’m asking you politely to leave.”
“And if I don’t?”
He leans down closer, keeping his voice low enough that nobody else will hear it over the music.
“I won’t let you do this. I’ve worked too hard—”
“I could come by your house.” Ariel smiles at him. “Maybe I can meet your wife. And your kids. Do I have brothers or sisters?”
“Do you really want to destroy the faith of thousands of people?”
“Oh, please. Like it’s built on anything real.”
Kelvin turns to me, blind panic and fury contorting his features. “Lise, make her stop.”
I laugh at him. “Give me one good reason why I would want to do anything for you.”
Shadow grabs Ariel’s hand and tugs. “Come on, Ari. You’re holding up the line.”
Two big guys are working their way through the crowd in our direction, both wearing dark suits. Holy bouncers, I figure. Our time is limited.
I put my hand on his arm. “You’re a goddamn hypocrite, Kelvin. All you had to do was talk to her for a few minutes, show a little kindness. But that’s not your way, is it? You haven’t changed a bit.”
He’s a
Similar Books
