The Ruth Valley Missing (6 page)

“Thank you. Sister
Marjorie did seem a little intense, and I have to admit, that volunteer
application is pretty involved.”

“You are still
planning on volunteering?”

“Definitely. I’m going
to bring the application by later this week.”

“Great.” Mike sipped
his coffee then nodded towards my camera. “That’s a nice piece of equipment.”

I patted my camera
like a treasured pet. “It was a special treat for myself.”

“Well, there are
plenty of beautiful spots around here to put that to use. I’ll have to see
about getting you a tour of the church.”

“I’d love that
actually.”

Mike looked at the
camera as he finished his coffee, staring. “I can’t stay but I’m glad I caught
you. Feel free to come to me anytime if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” I lowered my
voice and added with a smile, “Mike.”

He smiled as he slid
out of the booth. “Thanks, Jameson.”

He waved goodbye to
Emma and a few other patrons before exiting. Emma sidled up to my table,
setting my bill down and said, “Isn’t he just the nicest man ever?” Emma
giggled and leaned closer, lowering her voice. “It’s a shame he decided to be a
priest.”
 

I had to laugh seeing
the look on her face, as if she was shocked at her own words, a look she
followed with more giggles and a quick exit to the kitchen.
 

I understood what she
meant. Mike was tall, unkempt hair, with an almost rakish quality, not at all
what you’d expect for a priest. He had a friendly smile and an easy way about
him that was very attractive. But he was Father Mike, so thinking about him in
those terms seemed wrong.

I shook my head and
focused on a more acceptable indulgence sitting on the plate in front of me.

“I come bearing
paperwork and baked goods.”

I stood in the rear
doorway of Jack’s house, leasing papers in one hand, a plate of brownies in the
other.

“Well, that wasn’t
necessary. But most definitely welcome. Come on in.”

Jack pushed the screen
door open eyeing the brownies while I walked in and set them on the countertop.
“Was just about to make myself some tea. Would you like a cup?”

I nodded.

“Go have a seat in the
living room. I’ll be there in just a sec.”

I walked ahead into a
spacious yet cozy room with a large stone fireplace. There were brown leather
couches, weathered looking and inviting, and throw pillows in rich jewel tones;
purple, green and amber. Against one wall stood a darkly stained armoire, the
door slightly ajar, so I snuck a peek at the contents. What I mistook for an
armoire appeared to be a gun cabinet.

“Sugar and milk?”

I jumped and
stammered, attempting to hide what was surely a guilty look. “That’s fine.”

“I figured as much.”

Jack walked over and
set the two mugs he had managed in one hand down on the table, then the plate
of brownies from the other.

I settled into one of the
couches, as Jack settled into the large arm chair. He grabbed his tea and took
a sip before speaking. “Didn’t mean to startle you just then. Though I can see
how it would be easy to startle when you are busy snooping.”

“Sorry,” I felt the
heat of embarrassment rush into my face. “The door was open.”

“Just giving you a
hard time. It’s mostly hunting rifles. Some of them I still use, others are
practically antiques, passed down through the family.” I nodded, having nothing
to add since my knowledge of guns didn’t extend past what I saw on TV and in
the movies. “You settling in okay?”

“Yes. I really like it
actually. The place is cozy, and it’s so peaceful here. I can’t believe the
place was empty.”

“Yeah, you got lucky.
Had a gal living there for a bit, but she up and left all of the sudden.”

“She didn’t even give
you notice?”

“Nope. Nothin’. But it
worked out for the best I guess. She wasn’t too social. Didn’t fit in so well
around here. Speaking of which, how are you getting on with folks in town? Made
any friends?”

“I haven’t met too
many people yet. Emma from the diner is really sweet. I like chatting with her.
I was thinking of inviting her to go take photos with me one afternoon.”

“Well, that’s awfully
nice. Her mom hasn’t had the best of health and her dad skipped out on them
some time ago. Be nice to have someone new looking out for her.”

I smiled. It was nice
to be considered thoughtful, even if I was just happy to make a new friend.

“Other than her, I
haven’t really had a chance to get to know very many people.”

“People around here
tend to socialize around food and church.”

“Yeah, well, I was
kinda horrified last Sunday, so I didn’t stick around to meet anyone.”

“We’ll fix that.
There’s a big barbecue and rummage sale this weekend, on Saturday. Most
everyone in town will be in and out. It’s a bit more relaxed so you might find
it easier to meet some folks.”

I was never big on
crowded affairs, but in my brief time in the town, I knew that being considered
part of the community was important. This did sound like a good opportunity to
make up for my previous first impression. Plus, a rummage sale promised
interesting photographic opportunities, and maybe even a new lamp.

“That sounds fun. I’ll
definitely be there.”

“You can ride with me
if you like. It’s a nice stroll during the day, but the evenings are getting a
bit cold for it.”

“Thanks.” I felt a
moment of awkwardness, wondering if I had simply accepted a ride or a date.
Since asking for clarification would have been more awkward, I ignored it. “So,
you’ve been the sheriff here for very long?”

“Seven years.”

“You know, the lack of
crime is one of the reasons I wanted to move here. Do I have you to thank for
that?”

“Nah. Well, maybe a
little. The town, as you may have noticed, is very close knit. Everyone looks
out for each other. I’m just here for the occasional moments when the rules
need extra enforcing, like someone hunting without a permit. Or a cat gets
stuck in a tree.”

“Isn’t that the fire
department’s job?” I joked.

“We have a volunteer
fire department, so they aren’t exactly on duty much of the time. I don’t mind,
though.”

“Sounds like you like
it.”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“What do you do when
you aren’t being the town enforcer?”

“Oh, you know, the usual
out here. Hunt, fish, read. Speaking of which, have you seen the bookstore in
town? Great little place.” He paused and leaned forward, “As a matter of fact,
they are looking for someone to help out there, if you are looking for work.”

I hadn’t given much
thought to work yet. I knew that I would be fine without work for a while, but
not working at all might draw more questions about my finances than I wanted,
so a part time job might be just the thing. Plus, I couldn’t imagine a book
store in this town keeping me super busy.

“I’ll have to go check
it out.”

“Just tell them I sent
you.”

I finished sipping my
tea, when the grandfather clock began to chime. Jack stood up, so I followed
his lead.

“Well, I hate to be rude,
but you better be going. People around this town will talk if they hear you
were up at my place past nine.”

I couldn’t imagine how
anyone would know that I was here, as set back as the house was from the road,
but I didn’t want to offend, and the thought of curling up with a book before
bed did sound nice.

“Oh, right. Thanks for
the tea and everything.”

“Of course, James.
What are neighbors for?”

In my apartment in the
city, they were for ignoring as much as possible, or for yelling at through a paper
thin wall. I liked the idea of them being good for tea and conversation.

I walked into the
quiet church, the late afternoon sun casting light through the stained glass
onto the pews below. It was a gothic style cathedral, reminding me of St.
Patrick’s in New York, only smaller and, I would imagine, not nearly as old. I
was hoping someone would be around to give my application to, but brought my
camera in hopes of exploring a bit.

“Hello?” I called, but
found only silence.
 

No sense in wasting
great light, I thought, as I pulled my camera out of its bag. I wandered
around, snapping photos of the windows, and spots in the church where the
colored light danced on wooden pews. As I snapped my way to the front, I
noticed an archway with steps leading down. I followed them slowly, as the
lights in the stairway weren’t the brightest. At the bottom of the stairs in
the darkness was a door. I peeked through a small window to see a hallway on
the other side.
 

“Jameson?”

I whipped around to
see Father Mike standing behind me. Why did everyone in this town have to sneak
up behind me?

“You scared the...” I
paused, taking in my surroundings before continuing, “life out of me.”

“We definitely don’t
want that.”

I felt a shiver as he
reached for my shoulder, turning me away from the door.
 

Just a draft, I
thought.

“Does that hallway
lead somewhere?”

He nodded. “Come with
me. I’ll show you.”

He started back up the
stairs, with me following. He led me through a side entrance, to the outside,
and along a path leading behind the church. The grounds were well kept, and
although it was fall, you could see where the various trees and bushes would
flower and fill the garden in the spring. We walked a bit further and Father
Mike pointed to a long stone building, some yards ahead.

“The church was built
with an underground hall leading from the convent to the cathedral. If you
followed that hallway, you’d end up in the Sisters’ living quarters.”

“Oh. Then why didn’t
you just walk me through the hallway?”

“The Sisters’ are very
private about their living space. They reflect in silence and don’t like to be
disturbed. I didn’t want you inadvertently upsetting them.”

“Thanks for that. They
probably already think I’m awful for the whole cell phone thing.”

Father Mike stifled a
smile. “Yes, well, I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t come up.”

“Well, maybe this will
put me in their good graces.” I took the folded envelope out of the back pocket
of my jeans and handed it to him. “My volunteer application.”

“Ah, yes. This will
help. You said you volunteered at the hospital in the city before moving here?”

“Yes. I did a lot of
different things. Mostly counseling with trauma patients, things like that.”

“Really? Well, I don’t
know that you’ll find our town very stimulating then.”

“I’m okay with that. I
moved here to get away from all the stimulation.”

Father Mike nodded
with a smile. “I understand. Sometimes it’s nice to get away.”

I smiled back, tipping
my head to one side. “You aren’t from here, are you?”

“What makes you say
that?”

“Your accent. It’s a
bit...off.”

“Observant.” He looked
around at the quickly disappearing sun, not offering any explanation, and
nodded to the church. “We should head in. Once the sun drops this time of year,
it gets surprisingly cold.”

He wasn’t wrong. I was
already resisting the urge to dance around in one spot to keep warm. We quickly
made our way inside.

“I should probably
head home, then.”

“Of course. I’m sure
you’ll get along fine here. Just give the town a little time to get to know you
and they’ll warm up quickly enough.”

“Thanks for looking
out for me Father...I mean, Mike. Sorry, it’s the collar. Throws me off.”

He smiled. “I know. I
appreciate the effort, though.”

“I’ll take you up on
that tour sometime soon, if the offer still stands.”

“Of course. Will you
be at the barbecue and rummage sale tomorrow?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Good, that will help
your reputation with the sisters as well.”

“Thanks, I need all
the help I can get I guess.”

I headed for the door
and down the steps, grateful that the heavy camera equipment convinced me to
drive and not walk.

“Hey, Jameson!”

Father Mike stood at
the top of the steps as I was about to get in my car.

“Yeah?”

“Maybe leave the phone
home tomorrow, yeah?”

He smiled before
walking back inside the church, the big wooden door slowly closing behind him.