Read Online The Path of the Crooked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 1) by Ellery Adams - Free Book Online

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    “Listen, since you met Brooke, you’ll probably want to attend her funeral,” Nathan said. “We’re all going to mourn Brooke, but also to show our support for Wesley. Savannah says that he’s been allowed to attend under guard. I’m sure their son, Caleb, will be there too. Can you imagine what that poor guy is going through? He’s not a little kid or anything. He’s in grad school, but I’m sure he’s a wreck with one parent murdered and the other in jail.” Nathan sighed sympathetically. “If he sees how many people believe in his father’s innocence, it might lessen his pain by the smallest bit, you know?”
    “Does Caleb have any other family?” Cooper hated the idea of Brooke’s son facing such a momentous tragedy on his own.
    “Word has it he’s staying with his grandparents. Dozens of church members have been visiting him since his father’s arrest. And the women keep cooking for him. He certainly won’t go hungry.”
    “That’s good,” Cooper said absently. Her mind was on Brooke’s funeral. In all honesty, she didn’t want to go. She was on the periphery of both the Bible study group and the Hughes family and was bound to feel uncomfortable. And yet, Brooke had gone out of her way to show Cooper kindness, so she owed it to her to show up and pay her respects. “When is the funeral, Nathan?”
    “Saturday at Westhampton Memorial Park. Just a graveside service at ten. I guess Wesley wasn’t allowed to plan a church memorial,” he added glumly.
    “I’ll be there,” she said.
    “And the document? Can you bring it with you on Sunday?” Nathan asked. “Maybe we can make some sense out of what we can read. I’ll let Trish know you’ll be coming to lunch at her place after the worship service.” He took a breath, as though unused to speaking that many sentences in a row. “That is, if you’re free?”
    “Hmm. Let me check my calendar,” Cooper joked. “I have dinner with the governor on Tuesday, a spa treatment with Jessica Simpson on Wednesday, and Oprah and I are reviewing her latest book picks on Thursday, but Sunday’s wide open. I’d love to join you guys, thank you.” And just like that, Cooper officially became a member of the Sunrise Bible Study.
     
    • • •
     
    It was with regret that Cooper told Angela she would pass on their weekly takeout order from the Curry House. She never grew tired of chicken curry served over basmati rice with a side of warm naan. Instead, she ordered a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and extra pickles, large fries, and a Diet Coke at the McDonald’s drive-thru. She then drove to the LifeWay Christian store and parked so that she could eat and complete her bookstore errand within her lunch hour.
    After she’d wolfed down her food, Cooper wiped away a smear of ketchup from her chin and entered the store. The shelves of glitzy giftware immediately overwhelmed her. The displays included crosses on stands, plaques, candles, angels, throws woven with lines of Scripture, and spinner racks of bookmarks. Cooper cast her eyes around in search of signage. Noting that the books seemed to be in the center section of the store, she navigated through aisles of inspirational reading, self-help books, and journals until she ended up in the children’s section.
    “Can I help you find anything?” asked a young, pretty salesgirl.
    “Yes, please.” She unfolded a piece of paper from her coat pocket and handed it to the girl. “I’m looking for this workbook.”
    “Our study guides are in the back of the store,” she said cheerfully. “Follow me.”
    “Only if you promise to leave a trail of breadcrumbs,” Cooper joked. “This place isn’t big, but I’m feeling overstimulated. It’s like a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory without all the candy.”
    The salesgirl laughed. “We have candy at the register. I recommend the chocolate peanut-butter meltaways.” She led Cooper to the back of the store. “Here’s the Ephesians