Read Online Hidden Pearl by Rain Trueax - Free Book Online

comforting words and knowing they sounded hollow. “We can’t really live our life for our families. She could have contacted you also.”
    His eyes darkened, his mouth tightened. "Intellectually I know that. It’s hard not to wonder though if I could have changed things for her if I had been there. If..."
    His phone rang to interrupt whatever he had intended to say. She saw surprise flicker across his face. "Give me a couple, then send him in." He hung up the phone. "It's Peter Soul. There's a back door. I thought I'd give you time to avoid him."
    "Why did you think I would need to?" she asked surprised.
    "I remembered how you felt about your subject in Roseburg. Who else could you have been photographing?"
    "You are dangerously intuitive," she accused, considering a moment about whether she wanted to face Soul again so soon. She remembered driving her rental car up the freeway, grateful to have escaped the oppression she'd felt while in his compound. She had seriously considered discarding the film she’d exposed of the reverend, not even bothering to see how it came out. Frankly, she had a pretty good idea.
    She looked up at S.T.  The insight, that had so seldom failed her, told her to stay. She didn't know why it was important, but she never argued with her instincts, not when they felt this strong.
    She settled into one of the wooden chairs and smiled up at him. "Unless you’d prefer that I not, I’ll stay." When Soul walked into the room, she had thought he might be surprised to see her; but if he was, he hid it well.
    After introducing himself and offering a cursory handshake to S.T., he turned to her. "Fair lady." He reached out and took her hand into a firm grasp. "I told you we'd see each other soon."
    "So you did."
    Soul glanced at the photographs still on the table. "I see you've been busy." He spread the photographs. "These are very good." Soul straightened his eyes back to S.T. "Naturally I could not expect for myself such magnificent photos. Your subject here was clearly excellent, but if you do half so well by me, I'll be satisfied. You are quite the artist with a camera."
    "How can I help you?" S.T. asked. It seemed almost too coincidental to have Peter Soul show up here the same morning he'd asked his secretary to investigate him. He had thought he would be asking Soul about Shonna but seeing him, he knew he’d not get a straight answer if he did. Wasting words wasn’t his style.
    "You're a builder, an architect. I am in need of such a man for my church."
    S.T. kept his expression emotionless, while his mind raced ahead. This was about the last thing he'd expected. “I am not your man. I’ve never designed nor built a church."
    "Every building you've built has had a sacred quality to it. I'd like to see what you could do when your intent was to make a meditative, worship center."
    "There are competent contractors closer."
    Soul smiled. "How do you know that?"
    "You hired away my cement contractor. I had a mild interest in finding out where he was going."
    Soul managed a look of surprise. "I didn't realize Aaron was working for you."
    S.T. raised his eyebrows with disbelief. "The word is present tense, not past. If Schmidt heads south before he finishes the work he's contracted for up here, he'll be bankrupted."
    "I wouldn't want that. I'm sure we can work something out."
    "That will be his problem, not mine," S.T. said. "If he does otherwise, he’ll end up financing my next project."
    Soul laughed. "I think we can avoid that unpleasant eventuality. What about my offer? Are you angry with me for luring away your man or willing to consider my proposition on a serious basis?"
    S.T. studied the blond man's face a moment. He wouldn't have picked this man for a pastor. An insurance salesman, realtor maybe, but not a pastor. Even if he hadn't already been warned about him, he'd have approached any business dealings carefully. "My schedule is pretty tight," he said finally.
    "A man like you can take on