lunch then do some Christmas shopping. He told the same story.”
Adelaide eyed her son for a moment. “Maybe it’s the truth, Daniel.”
“We left Underwood numerous voice mail messages on his cell phone, Mother.”
“And?”
“He claims his battery was dead.”
“What about Fran?”
“I got her cell number from Brenda when we couldn’t reach anyone at the parsonage and the reverend couldn’t be reached. I left her one message. She says she had her cell turned off because the battery was running low. She even showed Judy receipts from that shopping excursion, all neatly date and time stamped.”
“In spite of that, you’re obviously not convinced.”
“Not by a long shot. All those sales slips prove is that someone purchased the items. I’m going to have an officer go to those stores and see if there’s any proof Douglas Underwood was with his wife.”
“It’s a long shot, Daniel, unless you can see surveillance footage. It’s the Christmas shopping season and I doubt if the sales clerks will remember one particular customer.”
“It’s called good old-fashioned police work, Mother. Pounding the pavement, as they used to say,” he replied with a grin. “Also, Judy says Fran Underwood was as jumpy as a cat with a hot foot. Larry told me the preacher was calm, but didn’t make eye contact.”
“Why would Fran lie?” Adelaide brought two steaming mugs of hot chocolate to the table and slid one in front of Daniel. She sat down opposite him and took a sip from her own mug.
“Judy thinks she was frightened of something.”
Adelaide had never been able to get close to Fran Underwood. Truthfully, no one had. She was a strange woman who seemed content to just float on the fringes of her husband’s ministry rather than take an active part in it. “I’d say she’s afraid of losing her husband.”
“I can see why,” Daniel said rather sharply.
“Don’t be unkind, Daniel.” Adelaide didn’t think it was fair to demean the woman just because she wasn’t very attractive.
“I’m not referring to her looks. I’m talking about the preacher’s roving eye. We did some checking into the Underwoods’ pasts today. She came from wealth. Lots of it. Her father paid Underwood’s way through his last two years of college, then through seminary. Her old man is very influential in a United Methodist Church in Columbus. He maneuvered a full pastorate there for his son-in-law at one of the larger churches. Rumors of affairs surfaced almost as soon as Underwood took the pulpit.”
Adelaide felt her stomach sink. “How did you find out about all of this?”
Daniel smiled at her. “Judy’s cousin is a member there. She had plenty to say about the good reverend. She’s known Fran since childhood. Anyhow, it seems that Douglas was born poor but oozed charisma. He had ambition, too. On the other side of the fence was Fran, the plain homely daughter of one of the richest men in the city. She fell for the handsome Douglas. Daddy saw that his daughter got what she wanted.”
“You make it sound like he bought Fran a husband.”
“It is what it is, Mother.” Daniel sipped his hot chocolate.
“What about the murder weapon?”
“Well, if we could find that, it would help, of course. We’re looking, believe me. Problem is, I don’t have enough yet to get search warrants.”
He stared into his mug of hot chocolate.
Adelaide’s mind was whirling. “Have you heard anything from the medical examiner?”
Daniel shook his head. “He promised a report by noon tomorrow.”
“On Sunday?”
Daniel sighed. “Death and the investigation thereof take no holiday.”
Adelaide drank the last of her hot chocolate. “Listen, Daniel, don’t you think it strange that Jerry was killed in the middle of the bazaar? The church was full of shoppers, all of them possible witnesses. The killer certainly took a big chance. Why not wait until a more opportune time?”
“When you look at it logically it was an
Adelaide eyed her son for a moment. “Maybe it’s the truth, Daniel.”
“We left Underwood numerous voice mail messages on his cell phone, Mother.”
“And?”
“He claims his battery was dead.”
“What about Fran?”
“I got her cell number from Brenda when we couldn’t reach anyone at the parsonage and the reverend couldn’t be reached. I left her one message. She says she had her cell turned off because the battery was running low. She even showed Judy receipts from that shopping excursion, all neatly date and time stamped.”
“In spite of that, you’re obviously not convinced.”
“Not by a long shot. All those sales slips prove is that someone purchased the items. I’m going to have an officer go to those stores and see if there’s any proof Douglas Underwood was with his wife.”
“It’s a long shot, Daniel, unless you can see surveillance footage. It’s the Christmas shopping season and I doubt if the sales clerks will remember one particular customer.”
“It’s called good old-fashioned police work, Mother. Pounding the pavement, as they used to say,” he replied with a grin. “Also, Judy says Fran Underwood was as jumpy as a cat with a hot foot. Larry told me the preacher was calm, but didn’t make eye contact.”
“Why would Fran lie?” Adelaide brought two steaming mugs of hot chocolate to the table and slid one in front of Daniel. She sat down opposite him and took a sip from her own mug.
“Judy thinks she was frightened of something.”
Adelaide had never been able to get close to Fran Underwood. Truthfully, no one had. She was a strange woman who seemed content to just float on the fringes of her husband’s ministry rather than take an active part in it. “I’d say she’s afraid of losing her husband.”
“I can see why,” Daniel said rather sharply.
“Don’t be unkind, Daniel.” Adelaide didn’t think it was fair to demean the woman just because she wasn’t very attractive.
“I’m not referring to her looks. I’m talking about the preacher’s roving eye. We did some checking into the Underwoods’ pasts today. She came from wealth. Lots of it. Her father paid Underwood’s way through his last two years of college, then through seminary. Her old man is very influential in a United Methodist Church in Columbus. He maneuvered a full pastorate there for his son-in-law at one of the larger churches. Rumors of affairs surfaced almost as soon as Underwood took the pulpit.”
Adelaide felt her stomach sink. “How did you find out about all of this?”
Daniel smiled at her. “Judy’s cousin is a member there. She had plenty to say about the good reverend. She’s known Fran since childhood. Anyhow, it seems that Douglas was born poor but oozed charisma. He had ambition, too. On the other side of the fence was Fran, the plain homely daughter of one of the richest men in the city. She fell for the handsome Douglas. Daddy saw that his daughter got what she wanted.”
“You make it sound like he bought Fran a husband.”
“It is what it is, Mother.” Daniel sipped his hot chocolate.
“What about the murder weapon?”
“Well, if we could find that, it would help, of course. We’re looking, believe me. Problem is, I don’t have enough yet to get search warrants.”
He stared into his mug of hot chocolate.
Adelaide’s mind was whirling. “Have you heard anything from the medical examiner?”
Daniel shook his head. “He promised a report by noon tomorrow.”
“On Sunday?”
Daniel sighed. “Death and the investigation thereof take no holiday.”
Adelaide drank the last of her hot chocolate. “Listen, Daniel, don’t you think it strange that Jerry was killed in the middle of the bazaar? The church was full of shoppers, all of them possible witnesses. The killer certainly took a big chance. Why not wait until a more opportune time?”
“When you look at it logically it was an
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