Page 60 of The Secret of Emerald Cottage

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Great service, Pastor Dave.” Congregating in the vestibule of Hope Church after Sunday service with Chase and Pastor Dave, Molly smiled up at the Senior Pastor while she, Miss Lilly, and Brec chatted with them both. Although she’d attended her parents’ church an hour north of Savannah all her life, switching to Chase’s church had been a given when she’d moved back from Charleston, much to her parent’s dismay. Not only because Chase had been one of her best friends in the Navy, but because it was Miss Lilly’s church too. A twinge of guilt niggled.

And not her parents’.

“But, Mom, it’s almost a two-and-a half-hour drive to go to church with you and Dad,” Molly had explained with a hug the day she’d left to move into Emerald Cottage. “As Miss Lilly’s caretaker, it only makes sense to go to her church with her, which is just a mere twenty minutes away.” Her mom had finally relented when Molly had promised to call weekly and come for dinner at least once a month. And she had. Not only dodging countless questions, but umpteen warnings about Miss Lilly’s nephew.

Her lips squirmed. Fully heeded.

“You know, Pastor Dave,” Molly continued with a tip of her head, “I never thought of that Scripture as having a dual meaning before, but it makes so much sense. ‘You shall know the truth, and it will set you free.’ Like you said, ‘Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,’ so not only does the lower case truth set a person free, but Jesus does as well.”

Pastor Dave nodded. “As an avid student of literature, that’s one of the things I love best about Scripture too, Molly. How God utilizes things like repetition, sequence, or double entendre to underscore His message. Such as when He told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees”—he smiled as he shook his head—“and they missed the symbolism of leaven as corrupt teaching because they deferred to the ordinary meaning of leaven in bread. Or even Biblical parallelism—components in a sentence that are similar in construction, sound, meaning or meter, such as ‘“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.’” He drew in a brisk breath of autumn air. “Jesus had so many wonderful ways to convey truth.”

“And the truth is, Pastor, you certainly convey them well,” Miss Lilly said with a pat of his arm, looking especially pretty in the dusty-rose Castleberry sweater set Molly had given her for her birthday.

Chase glanced at his watch. “Speaking of truth, guys, if I’m not at the nursery in two minutes to help Cat with the twins, nobody will be able to set me free from the wrath of my wife after teaching the preschoolers in Sunday school.” Scanning the almost-empty foyer, he shot Miss Lilly a wink. “Which is why I bribed her with Coldstone after to put her in a good mood no matter how rambunctious Asher Winkler was today. I know Dave already has plans, but is anyone else game?”

Miss Lilly rubbed her palms together with a definite twinkle in her eyes. “Well, since we’re talking truth here, I’ve been dreaming of an Oreo sundae ever since you brought me that Oreo cake for my birthday dinner, Pastor Griffin, so count me in.”

“Great!” Chase backed toward the hallway. “Molly, Brec? Any other takers?”

“I wish we could,” Molly said, “but we have reservations at Quick Sure Shot Shooting Range at 2:00 p.m., so we need to hustle.” She wiggled her brows. “Loser cleans the house this week, so it’s pretty critical.”

“Take him down, Molly,” Chase called with a grin as he continued back-walking toward the nursery, “and Miss Lilly, we’ll take you home after, so come on back when you’re ready.”

“Oh, I’m ready,” she said with a husky chuckle, waving her goodbyes as she hurried after him.

Hooking Molly’s arm, Brec attempted to draw her toward the door. “Gotta run, Princess, if we’re going to go home and change for the shooting range before grabbing a bite.”

“Wait, just a few more minutes, Brec?” Molly tugged free from Brec’s hold with a pleading smile. “I’d like to talk to Pastor Dave a bit if you don’t mind?”

His gaze flicked from her to Pastor Dave and back before he offered a nod and a tight-lipped smile, stepping back like a bodyguard, arms in a fold. “Sure, a few minutes won’t hurt, I guess.”

Turning back to Pastor Dave with a somber smile, Molly’s tone veered sympathetic. “I just wanted to say how sorry I am, Pastor, about Greg Schulte. It had to be a shock, I know.”

A flicker of grief crossed his face as he gave a slow nod. “It was devastating news to say the least and something I never expected in a million years.”

Molly’s heart squeezed for this gentle man whose close relationships with Chase and Miss Lilly made him seem more like family. “I can only imagine because Miss Lilly said you and Greg were pretty close.”

“We were.” Gaze flicking to Brec and back, he exhaled a cumbersome breath that seemed to sag his shoulders. “Not as close as Brec’s father and I were, of course, but close enough.”

“Do you”—Molly paused, almost afraid to voice the question, but the detective in her forced it out—“have any idea who might have … done it?”

He shook his head, staring at the floor as if he were miles away in the past. “I can barely talk about it,” he whispered, “although I suspect Detective Kennedy is right. It seems like it would almost have to be someone familiar with the lake community since it’s not open to the general public. I know Detective Kennedy has to cover his bases, as he said when he interviewed me this week, but I can’t even think about any of the Lads being involved.”

He glanced up, and she ached at the tragedy in his eyes. “I suppose Greg could have brought an outsider in to fish or gig like we used to at night. I remember how worried Blaine and I were when he started hanging out with a rough crowd in college.”

“Miss Lilly said you were all pretty close—the Lake Loon Lads—'thick as thieves’ as she likes to say.”

His faint smile bore no joy at all. “We were. Like brothers, really, although some of us were closer than others as I mentioned.” Clearing his throat, he looked up, his face suddenly haggard. “If you don’t mind, Molly, it’s not easy to talk about.”

She took a step back, palms up. “I apologize for probing, Pastor, I really do. I was an evidence tech in my last job, so occupational hazard, I guess. Mr. Benson felt the same way when I talked to him about it, so I totally understand.”

“You talked to Pete?” Pastor Dave’s brows lifted.

Molly nodded. “I like to jog the lake as often as I can, mostly with Cat, of course, but we seldom see Mr. Benson outside. So, yesterday when I was jogging by his house—”

“Wait.” Brec touched her arm. “Yesterday? Chase told me he and Cat had a family function to attend.”

“Yes, I know,” she said with a crimp of brows, aware he didn’t like her jogging by herself, which is why she usually didn’t. But this couldn’t be helped. “You were at soccer practice, Brec, and Miss Lilly asked me to drive her to Mable’s, so I took a quick jog on my own when I got back. No biggie.”

“I guess not,” Brec muttered, hands in his pockets as he eased toward the door. “I’ll wait in the car. So long, Pastor Dave.”

“See you, Brec.” Offering a lackluster wave, Pastor Dave returned his attention to Molly. “How was Pete anyway?”

“Very pale,” Molly said, thinking a good dose of sunshine Vitamin C was what the man needed, “so I was thrilled to see him outside working in his yard. I stopped to chat, of course, because I wanted to offer my condolences to him too.”

“That’s good to hear he’s up and about.” Pastor Dave said with a rub of his neck. “I’ve been worried about him. He’s not been well since Roy’s death, you know, because they were pretty tight. I’ve visited him a number of times, and I can’t help but think he’s depressed. But if he’s out in the garden, he must be feeling better, so that’s good news. Was he talkative, I hope?”

Molly thought about it. “As a matter of fact, yes. I think he’s lonely, so I used to stop and talk on my jogs every now and then when I first moved in with Miss Lilly.” She grinned. “He likes to show me his garden. But when I started asking questions about Greg yesterday, I will admit he clammed up tighter than Chase when I beat him at Scrabble.”

When Pastor Dave barely smiled, Molly chewed on her lip, sensing their conversation was over. Offering a wave, she backed toward the door. “Well, Brec won’t be talking to me either if I don’t get out there, so thanks again, Pastor Dave, for a great sermon.”

“It’s what I’m here for Molly,” he said with a strained smile as he turned to head into the church with a wave, “so you’re always more than welcome.”

And yet, as she watched him disappear through the double doors, somehow she didn’t think that she was.