Baptist DISTINCTIVE: An Adam Mykonos Mystery (The Adam Myknonos Mystries) (21 page)

Luke let the invitation go on for a moment
more, then when Peter and the cameraman had moved over to pew, and Pete had
taken out his Bible and begun to speak to the man Luke looked out across the
crowd and said.

“One has come forward, and still there is
room for more. Heavenly Father, I thank you for my brother’s life I thank you
for the testimony in Christ that he leaves. I rejoice that today he is with you
and receiving the crowns due to him as a soul winning Christian, I rejoice that
he in turn will cast those crowns at the feet of Your Son Our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. I ask you today Lord to protect his family, to be with his son
Joshua as he deals with the loss of his parent, I ask you to bless Miriam and
assist her in the long days ahead. Lord I ask your blessing on all those who
loved Joshua and who await the day when we can join with him again and sing
your praise forever. Lord bless us as we go forth from this place in Jesus’
Holy name Amen.”

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Rita and I collapsed into exhaustion moments
after we got home. Sunday morning ten am found us where we were supposed to be
worshiping the Lord with our church family at Guiding Light.
 
Noon found us at the Lighthouse diner for
brunch. Millicent has decided to head back to the house, catching a ride with
the Grants, so my wife and I were on our own for a meal. But one of the things
I know for sure is that you are never alone when you are at the Lighthouse.
Especially if you are the owner.
 

Yasser Muhammad a friend of mine from prison
runs the place for us on Sundays, a devote Muslim he prays for my soul as reverently
as I pray for his, of course my prayers are heard but that is neither political
correct, which I care less about, or polite, which I sometimes care about, to
say to a friend, who I do care about. Yasser drives a cab in Frederick, Monday through
Thursday, takes off for his holy day on Friday, lounges around on Saturday and
operates Lighthouse for Rita on Sunday. While the place is only open from eleven
A.M. two P.M. or so, there is a large, and I am happy to say growing larger,
group of pastors who come by in the early morning hours for free coffee and egg-n-cheese
on a roll. Yasser has a pleasant disposition and makes each one of them feel
special. It also gives each of them a chance to broaden their minds where Muslims
are concerned. If we are to convert those who do not agree with us we need to
expand what we think of them, and a good working knowledge of the Qur’an will
go further to bring a Muslim to Christ then all the stereotypes you can muster.

Yasser looked uncommonly frazzled as we
entered.

“Assalamu Alaykum” I said as Rita and I
grabbed two empties at the counter.

“Wa alaikum assalam” Yasser said with the
biggest smile he could muster.

There are a number of Christians who refuse
to use the traditional Arabic greeting of Assalamu Alaykum thinking it is somehow
offensive to the Lord. I have a hard time figuring God to be offended when I
offer someone peace.

“You ok?” asked Rita.

He smiled a big toothy grin. “I’s always
okay Mistress Rita, I’s one happy Negro.”

I slide my hand palm down across my face.
“Oh boy.”

“Who you calling boy?” Replied Yasser
attempting and failing to look offended.

We all laughed.

“Someone give you a hard time?”

“Pudgy guy over at table twenty, not happy
with anything.”

I spun the stool around and was not the
least bit surprised to see Doug Hallman.

Rita touched my arm as I got up and
whispered “It’s Sunday.”

I nodded and said “And I just want to greet
him and wish him a blessed Lord’s Day.”

I sauntered over to where Hallman was sitting,
carrying my coffee mug with me.

“Morning Doug.” I said smiling

He didn’t offer to let me sit which hurt me
to no end.

“What do you want?”

I shrugged. “Just curious I thought you
would have left town by now.”

“I have business here.”

I cocked an eye brow. “And what would that
be. Miriam is with her Aunt and Uncle and the Radio Station is …well…status quo
for now till Longstreet and his Deacons Board get re-grouped.”

“There is Mac’s Funeral tomorrow.” He said
softly

“In Pennsylvania almost two hours from
here.”

“I don’t like changing hotels if you must
know. “

“Ryder still in town?”

Hallman shook his head. “Yes.”
“I‘ll have to give him a call. Hey by the way my step-daughter mentioned that
you’ve been here every day for breakfast since you got to town.”

Before I could finish he cut me off.
“That’s not the case. She does not know what she is talking about.”

“I was just going to say thank you Doug.
But whatever.” I waited he didn’t say anything so I went on. “Ivy’s lawyer, Ms.
Denmark is going to file a motion to dismiss tomorrow morning.”

“She’ll never get it; there is no proof
that Tim Lafayette or anyone else had anything to do with Mac’s death.”

“And Josh’s.”

He shrugged. “Hard to give a fig about
him.”

“Not for a lot of people, including his
daughter.”

“What’s the kid got to do with this, she
don’t know nothing.”

“She knows her father is dead, that her
mother is in jail for the crime. Her whole life has been turned upside
down.
 
I actually kind of think that may
be why Ryder is still in town, he said he and his wife were close with her.”

“Good, kid probably needs help with a
father like that.”

This was getting me nowhere but annoyed and
as my wife had pointed out it was Sunday.

“Doug you enjoy your meal. And whether you
have been here every day or not we appreciate the business, but please be a
littler kinder to our staff. Thanks”

I walked away before he could answer.

Sitting at the counter next to my wife I
caught the look in her eyes and chuckles. “What?” I said beginning to laugh.

“Can you maybe, just maybe someday go a
whole day without getting some one mad at you?”

“That’s cute, Dorin Prihor told me the same
thing.”

“Great minds.”

“Huh Huh.”

And so the rest of our day went. We
returned for evening service at Guiding Light and despite, or perhaps because of
the trails of the previous week we enjoyed the company and fellowship of those
around us. As we were heading home Argon reminded me to drop by his office the
next day, he would have the computer animation that I had requested ready
before noon.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

The next morning found me first dropping by
the shop to check in and then once I knew that Greg was settled heading out and
over to Port City Java on Longmeadow.

Longstreet had left a message on my cell
the night before informing me that the Widow Lafayette would be ‘delighted’ to
speak to me over coffee and Port City Java at 9:30AM the next morning. I did
not make it a habit to frequent the coffee shops in town, as much as I drank
coffee I was still too cheap to pay for it when I could grab a cup for free at
Lighthouse. I did admit to the guilty pleasure of a Gingerbread Latte or two
during the holidays at Starbucks, but I could count on one hand with fingers
left over the number of times I had been to Port City. Not that the place was
not cool. I actually had enjoyed it the few times I had been there and was
happy to meet Tim Lafayette’s widow Dusty there.

She was sitting towards the back of the
shop when I came in. She wore a wide brim sun hat and dark glasses, a flower print
dress off set by white shoes. She was older than me, perhaps even older than
Tim, but still in good shape with a pleasant face and a nice figure.

She greeted me with a hello as I entered
and added “I took the liberty of ordering you a vanilla latte.” She pointed to
cup across from her own on the table.

I cringed. I drink coffee. No Sugar, usually
Black, when I want to be fancy I put in Milk. A Vanilla Latte was not a cup of
coffee. I slide into the chair across from her “Thank you.” I said without, I
hoped showing my distain.
 

I paused a moment “I am sorry about Tim.”

She smiled wanly. “And a little guilty?”

I thought about lying but decided against
it “Yes.”

“Me to.”

I took a sip of the coffee, it was all
right.
 
“Why would you feel that way?”

“You know I left him a few weeks ago.”

“I didn’t know it was that long ago but
yes, I knew you left.”

“Did Pastor Longstreet tell you why?”

“Not a hint.”

“He was having an affair.”

I nodded and refrained from asking what
girl would want him. “Good reason to leave.”

“Is it?” She twirled the stirrer around in
her cup. “Is it, when I had mine he stayed.”

I was learning far too much about people I
cared far too little about.

“I didn’t…err…I” I hate it when I am at a
loss for words. It was made worse when she chuckled.

“Sorry didn’t mean to shock you. About fifteen
years ago I had an affair, a business associate of Tim’s, I won’t say who, you
know him, and it would be awkward.”

“Ok.” I said praying I would never have
occasion to find out who it was.

“Pastor Longstreet helped us mend our
marriage. Tim was amazing.”

“And you feel guilty now because when he
slipped you weren’t?”

“The man I had an affair with, and mind it was
wrong, but he was a friend of sought, a man I knew a man….our age.”

“And the woman in Tim’s case?”

“Twenty-five years younger.”

I didn’t want to ask. The fact that I
didn’t want to ask reminded me that selling comic books was my line of work, I
was never made for this life. I hated myself.

“Does she have a name?”

She laughed and then did her best Ertha
Kitt impersonation, she was awful at it. My wife on the other hand would make
you think Catwoman was in the room.

“Katherine Prihor…darling, little Miss
Kitty Cat.”

And just like that the world changed
.

Coda Eight

I have spoken a lot in this letter about the faults
in our movement. I have taken you on a tour of what we have done wrong and the
sins that we have committed in the name of Independence, in the name of Baptist
and in the name of Our Lord. Reading this you may think that I have little use
for our movement or its teaching. Brother Adam nothing could be further from
fact. I point out these flaws because it is important to understand that all
the men who have had a hand in our movement have been human. If King David can
be an adultery and murderer, if Moses can kill a man in anger, if Solomon could
give into his own lusts and yet all of them could be of service to the Lord,
then how can I fault the men of our movement? Has there been racism, yes there
has, but Jonah was a racist, and the Lord used him. Have men manipulated and
controlled situations, yes they have but so did Jacob over Esau. I have told
you these things so that you can have insight into what human beings can do in
the name of God’s work.

But let me tell you something else now, something
you must hold tightly as you go forward: Billy Sunday led people to Christ.
Souls were saved and people spared from eternal damnation. Bob Jones led people
to Christ. Souls were saved and people spared from eternal hell. John R Rice
led people to Jesus and souls were saved and people spared from eternal
damnation. I led people to Christ. Beau Longstreet led people to Christ. People
got saved.

In the long run Brother Adam that is all that
matters. People getting saved.

I suspect that by the time this is done you will
have a rather jaded view of our movement. Don’t. Think of the souls. Think of
the last time you saw a good Baptist preacher lead a man or woman to the Lord.
And remember it is all worth it for that one single solitary movement when
there is a new name ‘written down in glory’.

Chapter Twenty-Four

After I had made a polite good bye to
Dusty, the first call I made was to Drake Prihor. That took a minute, I did not
have his cell and it was a chore to track down.

“Mister Prihor.”
“Drake, Mr. Prihor is my father.” He said with a laugh.

I felt bad having to ignore his good mood.
“Drake, is your sister-in-law Kitty at your house?”

“Yes.”

“Good keep her there. I am on my way.”
I hung up before he could ask why.

I swerved my car onto Jefferson and shot
towards the Prihor’s as I did I called Jake Welter. I got my old friend Ray, I
gave him the briefest of explanations just enough so that I knew he would get
Welter and hopefully Shank as well.

Ten minutes later having broken several
dozen Washington County Speed regulations, I zipped into the Prihor Driveway.
Pony Tail and Buzz Cut were waiting for me.