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beamed with pride. "Isn't that great? All bases covered." His smile faltered and his Adam's apple made a single convulsive bob. "Mel would be so proud."
It was great. Brilliant, in fact. But Jack saw a way to improve it.
"I'm sure she would. And I'm impressed too. But let's ratchet it up one more notch. Let's say that I heard from Melanie Tuesday."
"Tuesday? But that was after ... "
"Right. She called me after she was abducted." If she was abducted, he mentally added. "That ought to shake up the guilty party and bring them sniffing around, don't you think?"
"I guess it would."
"And as for youplay it straight."
"What do you mean?"
"I want you to pretty much tell it like it is: Melanie took off Sunday on some last minute research and you haven't seen her since. Despite the fact that she told you she'd be gone for a while, you're worried about heryou even suspect foul play. The only thing you hold back on is who I really am and the, er, TV message you got from her Monday night. Got that?"
"Yeah, sure. I guess so. But what?"
"Lew?" said a woman's voice.
Jack turned and saw a matronly woman, maybe fifty or so, approaching them from the hotel entrance.
"Oh, hi, Olive," Lew called, then spoke hurriedly in a low voice from the corner of his mouth. "Olive Farina, one of the cornerstones of SESOUP. A born-again everything."
"Lew, it's so good to see you again!" she said, smiling warmly and opening her arms.
Lew stooped for a brief embrace. "Good to see you too, Olive." He turned to Jack. "I'd like you to meet ... "
Jack saw Lew's face go blank, no doubt mirroring his mind. They hadn't settled on a name.
"Jack Shelby," Jack said, extending his hand. "Lew and I met only Tuesday. Nice to meet you."
Olive Farina had a sweet face and short graying hair. She wore a white turtleneck with flower-embroidered collar, a brocade vest that looked like it had been cut from a wall hanging, maroon polyester slacks and matching stockings with flat black shoes. Jack figured this was how nuns must dress when they resign from their convent. Her jewelry reinforced the ex-nun image: silver crosses as earrings, a gold crucifix as a ring, and a big silver crucifix suspended on a long chain necklace.
"Bless you, and nice to meet you as well." She turned to Lew. "Where's Melanie? I'm so anxious to speak to her." She grinned and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I'm hoping she'll give me a preview of her address on Sunday."
"I'm sorry, Olive," Lew said, "but Mel's not here. Frankly, I don't know where she is, and I'm getting worried."
He launched into his story, then worked Jack's "experience" into it. Jack watched Olive's expression carefully during the whole exchange, but saw nothing suspicious.
"I'm sure Mel's just fine," Olive said. "You know how she is. She's like a bird dog once she gets on the trail of something. She's probably lost all track of time. Don't worry, Lew. Melanie will be here as scheduled on Sunday to tell us what she's discovered, and I know in my heart she'll prove that Satan is the master manipulator. He has to bethe devil is the source of all evil. Why just last night as I was praying I"
Her voice cut off as two long-haired heavy metal types strolled by on the sidewalk. Her head almost managed an Exorcist swivel as she fixed on the one with the Black Sabbath T-shirt. Her expression grew furious.
"Excuse me," she said and hurried after them.
Jack watched as she grabbed the Black Sabbath guy by the arm and got into his face.
"Are you a Satanist?"
"Sod off," the guy said in a British accent and kept walking.
"Even if you're not a follower, you're doing the devil's work!" she said, following him. "You're spreading the Evil One's message with that shirt!"
The voices faded as the trio moved off:
"As you can see, Olive is a bit, um, intense," Lew said. "She represents the thinking of a fairly large segment of the membershipfundamentalist Christian types who believe the End Days are near and that
It was great. Brilliant, in fact. But Jack saw a way to improve it.
"I'm sure she would. And I'm impressed too. But let's ratchet it up one more notch. Let's say that I heard from Melanie Tuesday."
"Tuesday? But that was after ... "
"Right. She called me after she was abducted." If she was abducted, he mentally added. "That ought to shake up the guilty party and bring them sniffing around, don't you think?"
"I guess it would."
"And as for youplay it straight."
"What do you mean?"
"I want you to pretty much tell it like it is: Melanie took off Sunday on some last minute research and you haven't seen her since. Despite the fact that she told you she'd be gone for a while, you're worried about heryou even suspect foul play. The only thing you hold back on is who I really am and the, er, TV message you got from her Monday night. Got that?"
"Yeah, sure. I guess so. But what?"
"Lew?" said a woman's voice.
Jack turned and saw a matronly woman, maybe fifty or so, approaching them from the hotel entrance.
"Oh, hi, Olive," Lew called, then spoke hurriedly in a low voice from the corner of his mouth. "Olive Farina, one of the cornerstones of SESOUP. A born-again everything."
"Lew, it's so good to see you again!" she said, smiling warmly and opening her arms.
Lew stooped for a brief embrace. "Good to see you too, Olive." He turned to Jack. "I'd like you to meet ... "
Jack saw Lew's face go blank, no doubt mirroring his mind. They hadn't settled on a name.
"Jack Shelby," Jack said, extending his hand. "Lew and I met only Tuesday. Nice to meet you."
Olive Farina had a sweet face and short graying hair. She wore a white turtleneck with flower-embroidered collar, a brocade vest that looked like it had been cut from a wall hanging, maroon polyester slacks and matching stockings with flat black shoes. Jack figured this was how nuns must dress when they resign from their convent. Her jewelry reinforced the ex-nun image: silver crosses as earrings, a gold crucifix as a ring, and a big silver crucifix suspended on a long chain necklace.
"Bless you, and nice to meet you as well." She turned to Lew. "Where's Melanie? I'm so anxious to speak to her." She grinned and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I'm hoping she'll give me a preview of her address on Sunday."
"I'm sorry, Olive," Lew said, "but Mel's not here. Frankly, I don't know where she is, and I'm getting worried."
He launched into his story, then worked Jack's "experience" into it. Jack watched Olive's expression carefully during the whole exchange, but saw nothing suspicious.
"I'm sure Mel's just fine," Olive said. "You know how she is. She's like a bird dog once she gets on the trail of something. She's probably lost all track of time. Don't worry, Lew. Melanie will be here as scheduled on Sunday to tell us what she's discovered, and I know in my heart she'll prove that Satan is the master manipulator. He has to bethe devil is the source of all evil. Why just last night as I was praying I"
Her voice cut off as two long-haired heavy metal types strolled by on the sidewalk. Her head almost managed an Exorcist swivel as she fixed on the one with the Black Sabbath T-shirt. Her expression grew furious.
"Excuse me," she said and hurried after them.
Jack watched as she grabbed the Black Sabbath guy by the arm and got into his face.
"Are you a Satanist?"
"Sod off," the guy said in a British accent and kept walking.
"Even if you're not a follower, you're doing the devil's work!" she said, following him. "You're spreading the Evil One's message with that shirt!"
The voices faded as the trio moved off:
"As you can see, Olive is a bit, um, intense," Lew said. "She represents the thinking of a fairly large segment of the membershipfundamentalist Christian types who believe the End Days are near and that
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