possible.”
“True, true.” Nguyen was also serene, his eyes still closed, his head still reclined behind him. But as he had an overall stillness of body, he seemed as though he was meditating, rather than resting.
“What do you want to do about it? It’s not like anyone has ever been able to tell Christiana how to do anything. Except Josiah, of course.” Evelyn dabbed at her nose with a tissue.
“I want to give her a rest. At least until after the funeral. Or maybe even after the investigation is over.” Lucas began to pace the room, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.
“You want to cancel the camp revival? That’s an awful idea,” Evelyn said. “My brother wouldn’t have liked that at all.”
“No, I don’t want to cancel it.” Lucas paused beside Evelyn’s chair and rested his hand on her arm. “I just want to let her rest and be blessed during it, rather than preach.”
“And who do you suggest preach instead?” Evelyn asked.
“Lucas.” Nguyen opened his eyes. “It should be Lucas. Josiah prepare him for this day. Always teaching. Always working with Lucas.” He smiled.
“Oh!” Tiffany said. “Would you be willing, Lucas? It would be so wonderful if you would step up, take on Josiah’s mantle. Lead the work.” She sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. “Just for the time, until Christiana has recovered.”
“If Lucas is willing to do it, I don’t see why Christiana should say no. It’s not like she’s after the spotlight.” Evelyn erupted in a fit of coughing that had her bent over.
After she had caught her breath, Lucas knelt down beside her. “Have you had enough of this misery yet?” he asked with a laugh.
“Most definitely.” Evelyn had a sparkle in her eye and chuckled too.
“Then let’s pray.” He placed his hand on her back.
Nguyen rose and joined Lucas, laying a hand on Evelyn’s shoulder.
Tiffany folded her hands where she was.
Jane closed her eyes and prayed her own prayer, for Evelyn’s health, and for wisdom and discernment as she tried to untangle the case.
It was hard to spot the murderer in a group of people that seemed so genuinely nice.
Chapter Fourteen
The small group had broken up after they had prayed over Evelyn. As far as Jane could see, nothing had been resolved, but Christiana’s son Theo had wandered into the living room. He sat in the middle of the couch and spread his arms across the back of it.
“Isn’t this a regular meeting of the minds?” He sneered in a practiced way.
“Mornin’, Theo.” Tiffany offered him a smile that illuminated her face with dimpled beauty. For a moment, Jane couldn’t take her eyes off of her.
“Tiff.” Theo nodded at the woman. “Scheming to take over the world, are we?”
“Just scheming to give your mom a break.” Lucas took a seat on the floor next to Evelyn, putting Theo in a symbolic place of power over him.
Jane wondered if it had been a calculated move.
The smug look Theo gave Lucas made her think it was more the natural undercurrent of the group.
“If you can make that happen, you will have earned your keep for once.” Theo tilted his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. “When do we get to leave this godforsaken city?”
“I guess that’s for the police to say.” Evelyn used motherly tones with her stepnephew, despite the racking cough that split her sentence in half.
“Are you here to spread the plague or be healed?” Theo asked.
“Neither. I want to help your mom, just like everyone else. When do you think she’s coming home?”
“Late.”
Evelyn blew her nose. “Then I’m going back to my hotel to sit in the jetted bathtub and steam away my misery. You all can call me when Christiana has submitted to good sense.” She rose with effort and trudged out of the room.
“One down.” Theo didn’t open his eyes.
“I go too, Teo.” Nguyen stood. “You call when need, yes?”
“Of course, brother. Can you make sure Evelyn makes it home
“True, true.” Nguyen was also serene, his eyes still closed, his head still reclined behind him. But as he had an overall stillness of body, he seemed as though he was meditating, rather than resting.
“What do you want to do about it? It’s not like anyone has ever been able to tell Christiana how to do anything. Except Josiah, of course.” Evelyn dabbed at her nose with a tissue.
“I want to give her a rest. At least until after the funeral. Or maybe even after the investigation is over.” Lucas began to pace the room, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.
“You want to cancel the camp revival? That’s an awful idea,” Evelyn said. “My brother wouldn’t have liked that at all.”
“No, I don’t want to cancel it.” Lucas paused beside Evelyn’s chair and rested his hand on her arm. “I just want to let her rest and be blessed during it, rather than preach.”
“And who do you suggest preach instead?” Evelyn asked.
“Lucas.” Nguyen opened his eyes. “It should be Lucas. Josiah prepare him for this day. Always teaching. Always working with Lucas.” He smiled.
“Oh!” Tiffany said. “Would you be willing, Lucas? It would be so wonderful if you would step up, take on Josiah’s mantle. Lead the work.” She sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. “Just for the time, until Christiana has recovered.”
“If Lucas is willing to do it, I don’t see why Christiana should say no. It’s not like she’s after the spotlight.” Evelyn erupted in a fit of coughing that had her bent over.
After she had caught her breath, Lucas knelt down beside her. “Have you had enough of this misery yet?” he asked with a laugh.
“Most definitely.” Evelyn had a sparkle in her eye and chuckled too.
“Then let’s pray.” He placed his hand on her back.
Nguyen rose and joined Lucas, laying a hand on Evelyn’s shoulder.
Tiffany folded her hands where she was.
Jane closed her eyes and prayed her own prayer, for Evelyn’s health, and for wisdom and discernment as she tried to untangle the case.
It was hard to spot the murderer in a group of people that seemed so genuinely nice.
Chapter Fourteen
The small group had broken up after they had prayed over Evelyn. As far as Jane could see, nothing had been resolved, but Christiana’s son Theo had wandered into the living room. He sat in the middle of the couch and spread his arms across the back of it.
“Isn’t this a regular meeting of the minds?” He sneered in a practiced way.
“Mornin’, Theo.” Tiffany offered him a smile that illuminated her face with dimpled beauty. For a moment, Jane couldn’t take her eyes off of her.
“Tiff.” Theo nodded at the woman. “Scheming to take over the world, are we?”
“Just scheming to give your mom a break.” Lucas took a seat on the floor next to Evelyn, putting Theo in a symbolic place of power over him.
Jane wondered if it had been a calculated move.
The smug look Theo gave Lucas made her think it was more the natural undercurrent of the group.
“If you can make that happen, you will have earned your keep for once.” Theo tilted his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. “When do we get to leave this godforsaken city?”
“I guess that’s for the police to say.” Evelyn used motherly tones with her stepnephew, despite the racking cough that split her sentence in half.
“Are you here to spread the plague or be healed?” Theo asked.
“Neither. I want to help your mom, just like everyone else. When do you think she’s coming home?”
“Late.”
Evelyn blew her nose. “Then I’m going back to my hotel to sit in the jetted bathtub and steam away my misery. You all can call me when Christiana has submitted to good sense.” She rose with effort and trudged out of the room.
“One down.” Theo didn’t open his eyes.
“I go too, Teo.” Nguyen stood. “You call when need, yes?”
“Of course, brother. Can you make sure Evelyn makes it home
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