AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bridger caught Tai’s attention over Jane’s head. Another nod. All truthful, so far.
The pastor ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “You can confirm my story. I’ll give you access to whatever you need.”
“You bet we will,” Bridger said. “And you best pray that everything you’ve just told us is the truth.”
The man nodded, eagerly now. “Yes, sir.”
Jane relaxed, which made Bridger’s stomach hurt. She thought the pastor had told them everything.
Far from it.
The man was trying hard to appear relieved, like someone who’d just unburdened himself, but the glistening sweat at his hairline told a different story. So did the tapping foot.
“Go for it,” Tai mouthed the words.
He would, but with Jane watching, he wouldn’t enjoy dismantling the pastor’s story.
“There’s more,” he insisted.
The pastor tried to hide his surprise, but no one could control all their tells. And the preacher wasn’t that good.
Bridger pulled out Jason’s journal. “Jay asked us to finish something he’s been working on. Turns out, he wants us to help you. He wrote down every detail of your case.”
The pastor squirmed like a kid caught snitching candy bars. He sighed again. The breath made his barrel chest round. “You’re right. There’s more. What I told you is true. It’s just not everything.”
Bridger waited, letting the guy stew.
The pastor nodded to himself. “The blackmailer’s threatening my wife. I’ve been paying, believe me, but now it’s not enough. He said if I don’t come up with a hundred thousand dollars, he’ll kill her.”
Jane gasped. Her knee hit the table, rattling the mugs. “That’s why you sent her away.”
The guy nodded. “It was your brother’s idea. I sent her three weeks before he disappeared.”
“So her sister’s not having a baby?” she asked, her voice strained.
“She is,” the man insisted. “But Evangeline’s not with her. I couldn’t bring that kind of danger down on an innocent family. I sent her somewhere else. Somewhere no one can find her.”
Bridger let his disgust show. “I’m sure the folks here in Redemption Creek are generous, but pastors don’t make a lot of money.”
“And you just admitted you wouldn’t stash her with friends or family,” Tai added, helping Bridger close in for the kill.
Jane eyed them warily.
The pastor just looked confused. “What’s your point?”
Tai gestured at Bridger. “Bring it home, Captain.”
Bridger leaned closer, putting himself square in the center of the man’s visual field. “Motel bills add up. How are you paying for this?”
The pastor paled. “It’s not that expensive. I sold—”
Bridger shot up a hand, cutting off the coming lie. “Either someone’s helping you, or you’re stealing again.”
The look of outrage seemed genuine. “I’m not stealing.”
Jane’s expression hardened. Bridger could see hopeful innocence fading. “Then how are you paying for this?” she asked.
“It’s one of my parishioners,” the preacher mumbled. “He could see that I was troubled, and he offered to help me send Evangeline away. He has no idea why. I swear. I didn’t want to put him in danger. I think he believes Evangeline has a substance abuse problem. He offered to pay her way for a few months.”
