The date had been a big success. Although she had been more than slightly uncomfortable in the beginning, Rita had found herself warming up to Jack more than she expected and by the end of the evening they were laughing and talking as though they were sitting alone. Kelly and Matthew had also hit it off with each other, flirting and touching arms and hands by the end of the evening. They had known each other for years but this was the first opportunity the four friends had found to see if their relationships might go somewhere further. After the last bottle of wine had been drained Matthew and Kelly said goodnight and left Rita and Jack at the table, arms linked, waving as they walked past the restaurants large windows. Rita couldn’t help but feel a little of the good hearted nature of the evening suffusing her body. It felt good to forget for a moment that all of the world's ugliness was occurring right outside. Jack was charming and handsome, she had to admit the attraction, but when Kelly and Matthew left, she suddenly felt the urge to get back to work. She turned to her date who had been watching her face slide slowly into concentration.
“Where did you go stranger?” Jack asked her, pushing one of her loose hairs back into line with its partners.
“Oh I’m sorry. This has been such a lovely evening but with the newspaper headlines yesterday and the kids that were found I’ve been so distracted.
Jack’s face immediately creased into a deep frown. “I know. I’m sure as a mom you feel it a little bit more, but I know everyone is so affected by what is happening. Parents have been calling all week to ask what measures the school is taking to make sure no children go missing during school hours”
Rita felt tears threatening her eyes and gazed down at her empty wineglass to refocus. Feeling Jack’s presence she wanted more than anything to share her conclusions from her talk with Father Phillips. “Can I tell you something? I just need to share it with someone else.”
Jack drained the last of his glass and met her gaze without flinching. “Of course. What do you need to tell me?”
Rita told him the events of the day before, of her research in the library, of talking to Chief Merrels and Father Phillips and of the conclusion she had reached with the help of the Aztec engraving. Jack listened without interruption and when she finished she realized his hand had been twined with hers the entire time. She glanced down at it and back at Jack but didn’t remove her fingers from where they were entwined. Right as he went to respond Deputy Patrick burst into the restaurant and spoke to the host. He was animated and his voice quickly rose before he burst back out the door. The restaurant manager looked incredibly pale and motioned for the patrons to all be silent. The sizzling of the pans in the back room was all that could be heard.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. You are about to hear this news anyways so I would rather tell you now. Father Phillips was found murdered in the confessional this afternoon. The coroner’s office has just confirmed he was stabbed. There’s a fingerprint but we don’t know anything else.”
The restaurant burst into pandemonium as everyone at once grabbed cell phones, asked for bills, and discussed what had just been shared. A priest murdered! Children found in caverns. This had gone much farther than accidents and child abductions. Jack turned to look at Rita whose face had paled to a deathly shade. “Rita. Rita!” He shouted to her, grabbing her shoulder to yank her out of the shocked stupor she had slid into. “Jack. If someone was there…” she started but didn’t need to finish. Jack threw a handful of money on the table to cover their bill, grabbed her with one hand, and their jackets with another and they were out the door heading to her house as fast as the accelerator would allow. “Judy and Brian.” Rita thought. “Judy and Brian.”
RICHARDSON, Ruddy
THE INNOCENCE (A Thriller)