SHE INTRODUCED HERSELF as Sister Lola. A tiny woman, she wore a floral, tentlike garment that fell from her narrow shoulders to a pair of childlike feet ensconced in blue rubber sandals. Her long gray hair was plaited into two thick braids.
“Larry Carter,” Joe said, extending his hand. “I spoke with you yesterday on the phone.” Hanging from his neck on a lanyard was what he considered to be an authentic-looking press pass that he had designed, printed, and laminated the night before at an all-night copy shop. He also had designed and printed business cards that identified him as a reporter for The Religious Times, a publication that-according to the card-was published in Gayleth, New York. Of course, neither the publication nor the town actually existed, but he thought their names sounded quite legitimate.
“Yes, Mr. Carter,” Sister Lola said amicably. “You’re here in Dallas covering the Amanda Hartmann Crusade.”
Joe nodded. “I need to get some background on the Temple of Praise, and I’d like to take a tour of the facility.”
Already Joe was impressed by the church’s size, if indeed it was correct to refer to a structure that looked like a sports arena as a church. Perhaps “house of worship” might be more correct.
Sister Lola spoke to someone on the phone and shortly a young man appeared wearing a bright gold knit shirt bearing the church name and its three-cross logo over his heart. Sister Lola explained that Freddie was one of their summer interns and would be taking him around. She would be delighted to answer any questions Joe might have at the end of his tour-or if he would like-she could schedule an appointment for him with Dr. Lawrence Goodpasture, founder and senior pastor of the Temple of Praise.
As they headed toward the sanctuary, Freddie told Joe that he was a student at a Free Will Baptist college in Oklahoma and planned to dedicate his life to serving Jesus. “Dr. Goodpasture is such an inspiration to me,” Freddie said. “Have you heard him preach?”
“Oh, yes, I’ve seen his Sunday morning show on television,” Joe fibbed as they walked through a broad hallway whose walls were decorated with murals depicting scenes from the Bible. “But actually I’m in town to cover the Amanda Hartmann Crusade.”
Freddie stopped in his tracks and clasped both hands to his heart. “She is the most inspiring woman of our times,” he said. “Don’t you agree?”
“Without a doubt,” Joe said.
“Sister Lola told me that it was quite a coup that Amanda Hartmann decided to forgo one of the usual downtown venues and hold the Dallas segment of her crusade here at the temple,” Freddie continued. “I’m sure it’s because our acoustics and sound system are considered to be among the finest in the world.”
Freddie stopped in front of a pair of massive wooden doors offering Bible scenes carved in bas-relief. “Are you ready?” he asked.
Joe nodded. He was ready.
Freddie pulled open one of the doors and stepped aside, allowing Joe to enter first. The sanctuary was even larger than he had expected-a vast cavern of a room with a deep balcony on three sides and main-floor seating that sloped down to a huge stage and was divided by two wide aisles with narrower ones along each wall. The stage curtain was open, revealing tiered seating on both sides for choir members and a huge gilded pulpit under an enormous wooden crucifix that seemed to float above the stage. Freddie explained that the choir lofts, pulpit, and crucifix could all be lifted into the rafters, leaving the stage free for lavish theatrical productions-the annual Passion Play and musical and dramatic productions celebrating Christian living-for which the temple had become internationally known. The pulpit also could be projected out over the audience, and a metallic scrim curtain-the largest such curtain in the world-could be lowered in front of the choir during the preaching. Retractable flooring in front of the stage covered an orchestra pit. Under the stage was a large baptismal pool that could be raised to stage level. State-of-the-art lighting and sound systems offered a variety of special effects including sunrise, sunset, night sky, the northern lights, thunderstorm, volcanic eruption, and even Armageddon.
As Freddie explained the wonders offered by the Temple of Praise, Joe carefully limited himself to nonblasphemous expletives such as “wow” and “gee whiz.” He wanted to ask what the price tag was on a place like this and what sort of financial support was expected of church members but didn’t go there. Nor did he ask what Armageddon sounded like.
He did ask a number of questions about the choir-how large a group would perform during the Amanda Hartmann revival, where the choir members would practice, what robes they would wear. Just as Joe suspected from the research he had done online, Freddie explained that at Miss Hartmann’s request, the choir assembled for the three revival services would include choir members from evangelical Christian churches all over the metro. And yes, the visiting choir members would bring their own robes to wear. “Sister Hartmann prefers traditional Christian music,” Freddie pointed out as he showed Joe the large practice hall where both the Temple of Praise and visiting choir members would assemble. The practice hall had its own outside door and restroom facilities.
At the end of the tour, Freddie returned Joe to the amicable Sister Lola, who told Joe more than he really wanted to know about Dr. Goodpasture. Joe made a show of taking notes while the woman talked, and he asked a number of questions. When the other people in the office began pulling out sack lunches and heading for what was apparently the break room, Joe thanked Sister Lola and told her how impressed he was by everything he had seen and heard. “Would it be possible for me to attend choir practice this evening?” he asked. “And I would like to spend a half hour or so of personal meditation time in the sanctuary.”
Joe headed first for the restroom then wandered the halls for a time and revisited the choir room before making his way back to the sanctuary. He sat in the back row of the main floor and studied the room, getting things straight in his head. He even thought about saying a prayer but decided he would save his prayers for a more holy setting. Someplace where he was surrounded by nature with the sky overhead.
Marcia and her cameraman showed their ID badges to a uniformed security guard before being admitted into the suite on the top floor of the stately old hotel in downtown Dallas. The spacious suite looked as though it had been furnished with visiting royalty in mind with ornate rococo furniture, luxurious Oriental rugs spread over hardwood floors, and huge arrangements of fresh flowers on the tables and sideboards. They were greeted by a sleek gray-haired woman in a designer suit who introduced herself as the public relations director for the Alliance of Christian Voters.
“I watched your noon broadcast,” the woman told Marcia.
Marcia expected some comment to follow as to whether or not the PR director enjoyed the program. Instead the woman asked, “Can you assure me that Miss Hartmann’s interview will be aired on this evening’s news broadcast as well as on your own show tomorrow?”
“Barring a major fast-breaking news event, that is correct,” Marcia said, adding that the station’s reporters usually did not interview evangelists, but with Miss Hartmann’s Texas roots, her tremendous name recognition here in the state, and her position with the Alliance of Christian Voters, her visit to Dallas was considered newsworthy.
Marcia had anticipated resistance from the station’s news director when she pitched her idea to him, but he hadn’t given her any flack at all. “Stress the political angle,” he said, “and if your story turns out well, we’ll send it along to the network.”
Network was the magic word. Marcia had stayed late at the station viewing archived footage of Amanda Tutt Hartmann and checking old files for information about her parents and brother. She discovered that Mary Millicent Tutt’s father had been an evangelist before her and that Jason Hartmann’s father had founded the family oil company. She’d found nothing on Gus Hartmann.
The PR director asked them to have a seat. “I’ll let Miss Hartmann know that you have arrived,” she said.
Marcia sat. The cameraman prowled around the room deciding where he wanted Marcia and Amanda to sit. Then he adjusted the brocade draperies and existing lights and set up his camera and the portable lighting that he’d brought along. That done, he joined Marcia on the sofa, and they waited. For almost an hour they waited.
When Amanda Hartmann finally entered the room, Marcia’s first thought was how lovely she was. And how gracefully she walked across the room. Marcia’s irritation at having been kept waiting dissipated somewhat, and her pulse began to race just a bit in anticipation. After all, Amanda Hartmann was one of the most famous people she had ever interviewed.
Amanda was wearing a cream-colored pants suit and a matching silk blouse with a softly draped neckline. Her blond hair was in a soft upsweep, her complexion lustrous, and her makeup flawless. And beyond her looks, Amanda had a calm, regal presence about her as she extended her hand and offered a greeting. Marcia felt a bit tongue-tied as she thanked her for agreeing to the interview and showed her where to sit and attached a tiny microphone to her lapel.
Marcia took her own seat across from Amanda and explained that her lead-in would be done during the broadcast, at which time she would explain about Amanda’s Texas roots and her illustrious parents. And she would announce that Amanda was holding a revival in Dallas that would begin tomorrow evening and would run for three nights.
Then Marcia nodded at the cameraman.
“When did you first know that you would follow in your mother’s footsteps?” she asked Amanda.
“I always knew,” Amanda said, her hands resting gracefully on the arms of the wing chair. “God has been in my life ever since I can remember, but I formally gave my life to Jesus when I was four years old. We had already moved to Washington, D.C., following my father’s election to Congress, and my mother no longer conducted regular Sunday services in her Glory Temple over on Taylor Street right here in downtown Dallas. But once or twice a year, she would hold weeklong revivals there. The building was torn down to make way for the Central Expressway, but I remember how beautiful it was. My father had brought me to the services that day as a surprise for Mother. When she looked down and saw her own little daughter kneeling in front of her, she cried out and lifted me in her arms and asked if I felt the love of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ filling my heart. And I did,” Amanda said, touching her heart. “I still feel that love, and I have spent my life helping others to open their hearts to God’s love and saving grace.”
Marcia realized that this was a story Amanda had related countless times before, but she told it well. With that bit of background out of the way, Marcia moved on to her next question.
“Your mother is not only remembered as an evangelist but as the founder of a political action group, the Alliance of Christian Voters, which supports evangelical Christian candidates running for political office. And you apparently have no qualms about asking your followers to support these candidates and using the money donated to the Alliance to run political ads. How do you justify this practice in light of the constitutional dictum of separation of church and state?”
“The Alliance does not tell people whom they should vote for,” Amanda said, her voice even but firm. “We ask only that voters consider what is in a candidate’s heart before they support him or her with their prayers and their money and their votes. And if they choose to make a donation to the Alliance, we use that money to encourage voters to vote for evangelical Christians, but the Alliance does not support specific candidates.”
“But what if the most qualified candidate in a race is not an evangelical Christian?” Marcia asked.
“We believe that the nation can be best served by those who consider God’s wishes when they lead and legislate,” Amanda said.
“Many observers believe that your organization was an important factor in the election of our current president. Has he lived up to your expectations?”
Amanda looked directly at the camera and said, “He has grown in understanding as to the special role he plays in bringing goodness and hope to all Americans, and I am sure that in God’s eyes there is no one better qualified to lead our country.”
“So will he have your vote for a second term?” Marcia asked.
“Yes, he will,” Amanda said with a nod.
“I understand that you are expecting a full house at all three of your revivals here in the city, which begin tomorrow evening and will be held at the Temple of Praise.”
“Yes,” Amanda said. “The Temple of Praise is an inspiring house of worship.”
“Will you have your baby with you?”
Amanda beamed. “Definitely. I keep him with me as much as possible.”
“I understand that you consider your baby to be somewhat of a miracle.”
“Oh, yes,” Amanda said, offering a beatific smile that seemed quite genuine. “My baby is a miracle from God,” she said, lifting her hands to her chin and clasping them together. “He is a wonderful little boy who looks so much like my darling Sonny that it takes my breath away.”
“When your son, Sonny, was killed in a tragic accident more than a year and a half ago, I understand that many of your followers wondered if you would give up your ministry.”
“My grief overwhelmed me for a time,” Amanda acknowledged, “but God sent my husband, Toby, and then our beautiful baby to heal my broken heart. We have named our baby Jason, which was my father’s name. The name means ‘healer,’ and this baby was sent by God to heal me and help me rededicate my life to His service.”
“Obviously you are a very youthful woman, but weren’t you surprised to find yourself pregnant at this point in your life?” Marcia asked.
“Surprised and overjoyed,” Amanda answered, offering another radiant smile and placing her hands prayerlike under her chin.
“Did you have any problems during your pregnancy?” Marcia asked.
“It was a bit difficult at first, and my doctors insisted that I suspend my public activities during the last four months. But after a rocky beginning, I actually felt quite wonderful. And you cannot imagine the outpouring of love I experienced when Jason was born. I received cards and letters and telegrams from all over the world. And people traveled to the Alliance headquarters in Virginia to leave flowers at the gate and light hundreds of candles. Maybe thousands of candles. It was a spectacular sight. I cannot tell you how touched I was.”
Marcia asked a few questions about the remainder of Amanda’s tour then thanked her for her time and nodded at the cameraman, indicating that was a wrap. Then she chatted with Amanda for a few minutes, outlining their plan for tomorrow evening. “Since the local Christian station will be covering the event live, we would like to offer a different view-shots of backstage preparations and of you arriving at the facility with your husband and baby.”
“My husband has pressing business in Virginia and probably won’t be coming to Dallas,” Amanda explained, glancing at her watch. “And the baby and I will be arriving separately. His nursemaid will carry him onstage during the service.”
“I see,” Marcia said. “Well, we’ll take shots of you showing him off to…” She paused, uncertain about what to call people who attend revivals. Audience seemed too secular. “To the worshippers,” she said. “And I especially want some shots of you delivering your message taken from offstage. In my research I came across an incredible picture of your mother on the cover of Life magazine that was taken from offstage, and I plan to include it in the segment and then show you from the same angle.”
“Yes, I know the picture well,” Amanda said. “That’s very creative of you.”
“Is your baby here with you?” Marcia asked. “Maybe we could get some close-ups of the two of you now.”
Amanda’s expression changed slightly. “He and his nursemaid won’t be arriving until tomorrow.”
“Well, then, we’ll see you tomorrow evening,” Marcia said.
Amanda rose and Marcia followed suit. Amanda reached for her hand and smiled warmly. “Thank you so much, Marcia, for your time and professionalism.”
“You are very beautiful,” Marcia said, surprising herself. But it was true. Amanda Hartmann was positively radiant.
“Why, thank you, my dear,” Amanda said. “The years do seem to have been kind to me. I do hope that you enjoy the service tomorrow evening and feel God’s blessing upon you.”
“I look forward to it,” Marcia said. And she did. In fact, she would have liked to stay here in this room with Amanda a while longer, listening to her speak, watching her expressions change, her hands move. Amanda Tutt Hartmann was mesmerizing.
Marcia started for the door then paused. “Does your brother attend your revivals?” she asked.
“Not usually,” Amanda responded.
Jamie showered first and nursed Billy while Joe took his turn in the bathroom.
At first she hoped that he wouldn’t want to make love. She was too tense. Too preoccupied about tomorrow.
But what if this was the last time?
When Joe crawled into the bed beside her, she reached for him. Afterward, they held each other and cried for a time. Then they once again went over their plan for tomorrow.
During the night, they had their first quarrel. Jamie wanted Joe to unhook the RV and drive them to Oklahoma City, where she would turn herself into the police. She would explain to them what had happened to her that night at Ruby Duffy’s apartment house. Why Lynette’s baby was taken. Why Jamie had fled with her own baby.
“With Amanda having a baby to which she claims to have given birth with her here in Dallas, the Hartmanns can’t say that Billy belongs to them,” Jamie pointed out. “And Billy couldn’t be her baby anyway. There are people in Oklahoma City who can testify that I was in Oklahoma City with Billy while Amanda was in Virginia supposedly having a baby.”
“There’s a warrant out for your arrest in Oklahoma City,” Joe pointed out. “On that basis alone, they would take Billy away from you and put you in a cell at least until you are arraigned.”
Joe held his thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart. “Gus Hartmann’s people have come this close to killing you twice now,” he said. “Once in Oklahoma City and again down at Neptune Beach. What makes you think they wouldn’t find a way to finish the job? Gus Hartmann has already shown that he has the power to operate outside of the law. He has the power to have your throat slit while you’re in some jail cell and then lay claim to Billy.”
Jamie broke down and wept. “We don’t have a chance against him,” she said.
“Our plan is going to work,” Joe insisted, holding her close. “When we confront Amanda Hartmann, millions of people will be watching. They will be our jury, and we have right on our side. That has to count for something.”
Her whole world was here with her on this bed, Jamie thought. She found herself wondering if this world would end tomorrow. If tomorrow would be the last day of her life. If after all this running and hiding and planning and gut-wrenching fear, Amanda would end up raising Billy after all and he would never know that there had been this other woman who had given birth to him and loved him completely. “If it looks hopeless, I don’t want you to do anything idiotic,” she told Joe. “If they kill me, just get the hell out of there. And out of the country.”
“It’s all going to be on live television,” he reminded her.
She tried to take comfort in that fact. Usually people weren’t murdered in front of television cameras. But it wasn’t unheard of. It had happened once before in this very city, when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald.