Read Online The Root of All Evil (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 4) by Ellery Adams, Elizabeth Lockard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ellery Adams, Elizabeth Lockard
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Academy.”
“It’s a wonderful setup,” Ms. Donna observed. “All this space to work with.”
Savannah laughed. “For us, it’s a great space. For the school, it became almost too much. Children would go hide in the chapel instead of going to class, so the school had to install a set of double doors that remains locked except on Sundays and during school functions and extracurricular activities. While we have Bible study in a classroom—and other groups meet in other rooms—the worship band practices before the service.”
“Well, I’m glad to have found you!” Ms. Donna beamed. “Now then, what are you studying?”
They dove right into Bible study, picking up where they’d left off the week before. Today, Savannah led the group in discussing how people in a church are supposed to support and encourage one another. Both Ms. Donna and Edward remained silent throughout, and when the first notes of music signaled the end of study time and Savannah prayed, Edward was out the door like a shot. Before he disappeared, he turned back to Ms. Donna, his eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare.
Cooper hurried out after him, pulling him aside and waiting until the others passed. She whispered, “What was that about?”
Edward looked her straight in the eye, his jaw set stubbornly. “What was what about?”
“That!” she said, motioning toward the room. “You looked at Ms. Donna like you wanted to punch her in the face! And I never took you for the sort that would assault a woman.”
Edward glanced both directions. They were alone. “I don’t trust her.”
“Why not?”
“I just . . . I just don’t trust her.”
Cooper responded with an exasperated sigh, to which Edward shrugged.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked.
“Something rational.”
With that, he spun on his heels while shaking his head and disappeared around the corner. Cooper was about to walk after him, when she heard his voice again. He was talking to someone else. Then, she heard Pastor Matthews’s voice.
“If anyone can get through that thick skull,” Cooper muttered, heading back into the classroom, “Pastor Matthews has my vote.”
She was expecting the science room to be empty, but she entered to find Nathan still sitting in his seat.
“You left your stuff,” he said. “I figured I’d wait for you. Is everything okay?”
Cooper forced a smile.
“You still look upset.”
“It’s just that Edward somehow gets under my skin, and even though I shouldn’t, I let him irritate me.”
Nathan laughed, pulled her into an embrace and kissed her gently on top of her head. “Just relax,” he said softly. Cooper let herself do just that in his warm, strong arms. Nathan continued. “He wants to get under your skin. It’s what he does. It’s his area of expertise.”
“That’s for certain.” Cooper forced herself to separate from Nathan, and she scooped up her belongings. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite so aggravating.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
For a moment, Cooper thought this might be the perfect time to talk about something else—about them and their relationship. He seemed so warm and loving this morning. Maybe he was in a better mood today than last week. But she quickly decided against it; that was a conversation better had in the privacy of a home, when they could really open up, cry and yell if they needed to, without anyone overhearing.
She cleared her throat. “Did you notice how he acted today?”
“He seemed to be himself.”
“Humph,” Cooper snorted. “I guess that’s true. He’s never been the most friendly person. When I first met him, he yelled at the top of his lungs because I called him Edward instead of ‘the Colonel.’ Just when I think he’s changed, he gets weird again. Like today, he sure gave Ms. Donna the cold shoulder.”
Nathan pursed his lips pensively, as if he struggled to find the words he wanted.
“What?”
“It’s just that . . . is it
“It’s a wonderful setup,” Ms. Donna observed. “All this space to work with.”
Savannah laughed. “For us, it’s a great space. For the school, it became almost too much. Children would go hide in the chapel instead of going to class, so the school had to install a set of double doors that remains locked except on Sundays and during school functions and extracurricular activities. While we have Bible study in a classroom—and other groups meet in other rooms—the worship band practices before the service.”
“Well, I’m glad to have found you!” Ms. Donna beamed. “Now then, what are you studying?”
They dove right into Bible study, picking up where they’d left off the week before. Today, Savannah led the group in discussing how people in a church are supposed to support and encourage one another. Both Ms. Donna and Edward remained silent throughout, and when the first notes of music signaled the end of study time and Savannah prayed, Edward was out the door like a shot. Before he disappeared, he turned back to Ms. Donna, his eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare.
Cooper hurried out after him, pulling him aside and waiting until the others passed. She whispered, “What was that about?”
Edward looked her straight in the eye, his jaw set stubbornly. “What was what about?”
“That!” she said, motioning toward the room. “You looked at Ms. Donna like you wanted to punch her in the face! And I never took you for the sort that would assault a woman.”
Edward glanced both directions. They were alone. “I don’t trust her.”
“Why not?”
“I just . . . I just don’t trust her.”
Cooper responded with an exasperated sigh, to which Edward shrugged.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked.
“Something rational.”
With that, he spun on his heels while shaking his head and disappeared around the corner. Cooper was about to walk after him, when she heard his voice again. He was talking to someone else. Then, she heard Pastor Matthews’s voice.
“If anyone can get through that thick skull,” Cooper muttered, heading back into the classroom, “Pastor Matthews has my vote.”
She was expecting the science room to be empty, but she entered to find Nathan still sitting in his seat.
“You left your stuff,” he said. “I figured I’d wait for you. Is everything okay?”
Cooper forced a smile.
“You still look upset.”
“It’s just that Edward somehow gets under my skin, and even though I shouldn’t, I let him irritate me.”
Nathan laughed, pulled her into an embrace and kissed her gently on top of her head. “Just relax,” he said softly. Cooper let herself do just that in his warm, strong arms. Nathan continued. “He wants to get under your skin. It’s what he does. It’s his area of expertise.”
“That’s for certain.” Cooper forced herself to separate from Nathan, and she scooped up her belongings. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite so aggravating.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
For a moment, Cooper thought this might be the perfect time to talk about something else—about them and their relationship. He seemed so warm and loving this morning. Maybe he was in a better mood today than last week. But she quickly decided against it; that was a conversation better had in the privacy of a home, when they could really open up, cry and yell if they needed to, without anyone overhearing.
She cleared her throat. “Did you notice how he acted today?”
“He seemed to be himself.”
“Humph,” Cooper snorted. “I guess that’s true. He’s never been the most friendly person. When I first met him, he yelled at the top of his lungs because I called him Edward instead of ‘the Colonel.’ Just when I think he’s changed, he gets weird again. Like today, he sure gave Ms. Donna the cold shoulder.”
Nathan pursed his lips pensively, as if he struggled to find the words he wanted.
“What?”
“It’s just that . . . is it
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