Read Online The Root of All Evil (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 4) by Ellery Adams, Elizabeth Lockard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ellery Adams, Elizabeth Lockard
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really surprising?”
“That Edward can be a jerk? I guess not.”
“Not that. Is it surprising he doesn’t like Ms. Donna? She came in—a nice motherly woman—and started talking about her daughter and grandkids. When you met Edward, it was because you were investigating his father’s murder, and Edward never had a great relationship with his dad.”
A wave of guilt washed over Cooper. She could feel her neck and face flush red with shame. She thought of Mr. Crosby—Edward’s father—whom she’d met shortly before his death the year before. Edward was in prison then, and that was how Cooper met him—trying to find information to track down his father’s killer. Edward had been a different man then, imprisoned for selling drugs. Even now, though Edward was changing, his heart was still hardened toward his deceased father, a man he’d never been able to depend on, a man who’d never treated him with fatherly affection.
“Of course,” Cooper sighed, slapping her palm against her forehead. “Ms. Donna reminds Edward of his father . . . probably of his mother, too. She’s the model parent and grandparent, whereas Edward has no parents, no grandparents and no fond memories. Of course he dislikes her. How could I have missed that?”
“It’s probably because you have such a good relationship with your parents,” Nathan replied, sliding his arm around Cooper’s waist. “You don’t think of someone else being haunted by a bad relationship.”
“I should apologize to him.”
Nathan shook his head. “Whatever you said, he’s already forgotten it.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s a guy. And he’s Edward.”
Cooper smiled. “It’s that simple, huh?”
“Yep. That simple.”
Arm in arm, they moseyed to the chapel and sat in the back beside Savannah and Ms. Donna. The worship team—led by Quinton’s girlfriend, Gloria—performed a song. Cooper shot a glance over at Ms. Donna, who smiled and clapped her hands along with the song, and thought about Nathan’s explanation for Edward’s cold shoulder. His past had to be the reason for it. Why else would Edward act that way toward a kind woman, and a stranger at that?
• • •
Monday and Tuesday passed uneventfully. Cooper went to see Ashley Monday evening and spent Tuesday late in the office, catching up on paperwork. While Cooper brushed her hair before work Wednesday morning, her cell phone rang.
Yawning, she answered.
“Cooper? I’m so glad I caught you.” It was Savannah, her speech rapid and tone troubled. “I need you to come to the church.”
Cooper looked at her watch. “I’m about to walk out the door for work. What’s going on?”
Savannah took a deep breath. “I’d rather tell you in person. Please come to the church. Now.”
Cooper recognized the sound of panic and her chest tightened with anxiety. “What’s wrong, Savannah? Are you okay? Is it someone from Bible study? Are they hurt?”
“No, Cooper, but . . . There’s been an incident at the school here. Pastor Matthews needs some friends here, and, well, I think Inspector McNamara will want to speak with you, personally.”
Cooper froze. Inspector McNamara worked homicide. “Savannah, just tell me . . .”
Savannah paused. “There’s a body.”
5
The drive from the Lee house to Hope Street Church was a blur. Questions streamed through Cooper’s mind. Whose body was it? And what happened? Was it someone from church? A stranger? Was Pastor Matthews involved? Why did the inspector want to talk to Cooper?
She pulled into a parking lot full of police cars and flashing lights. The scene was chaotic, frightening. Every expression said the same thing: something horrible had happened here.
Cooper scanned the area. Inspector McNamara stood just off the parking lot, deep in discussion with a uniformed officer. Beside them, three officers had their notebooks open, exchanging observations and information. The police crime scene truck was backed
“That Edward can be a jerk? I guess not.”
“Not that. Is it surprising he doesn’t like Ms. Donna? She came in—a nice motherly woman—and started talking about her daughter and grandkids. When you met Edward, it was because you were investigating his father’s murder, and Edward never had a great relationship with his dad.”
A wave of guilt washed over Cooper. She could feel her neck and face flush red with shame. She thought of Mr. Crosby—Edward’s father—whom she’d met shortly before his death the year before. Edward was in prison then, and that was how Cooper met him—trying to find information to track down his father’s killer. Edward had been a different man then, imprisoned for selling drugs. Even now, though Edward was changing, his heart was still hardened toward his deceased father, a man he’d never been able to depend on, a man who’d never treated him with fatherly affection.
“Of course,” Cooper sighed, slapping her palm against her forehead. “Ms. Donna reminds Edward of his father . . . probably of his mother, too. She’s the model parent and grandparent, whereas Edward has no parents, no grandparents and no fond memories. Of course he dislikes her. How could I have missed that?”
“It’s probably because you have such a good relationship with your parents,” Nathan replied, sliding his arm around Cooper’s waist. “You don’t think of someone else being haunted by a bad relationship.”
“I should apologize to him.”
Nathan shook his head. “Whatever you said, he’s already forgotten it.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s a guy. And he’s Edward.”
Cooper smiled. “It’s that simple, huh?”
“Yep. That simple.”
Arm in arm, they moseyed to the chapel and sat in the back beside Savannah and Ms. Donna. The worship team—led by Quinton’s girlfriend, Gloria—performed a song. Cooper shot a glance over at Ms. Donna, who smiled and clapped her hands along with the song, and thought about Nathan’s explanation for Edward’s cold shoulder. His past had to be the reason for it. Why else would Edward act that way toward a kind woman, and a stranger at that?
• • •
Monday and Tuesday passed uneventfully. Cooper went to see Ashley Monday evening and spent Tuesday late in the office, catching up on paperwork. While Cooper brushed her hair before work Wednesday morning, her cell phone rang.
Yawning, she answered.
“Cooper? I’m so glad I caught you.” It was Savannah, her speech rapid and tone troubled. “I need you to come to the church.”
Cooper looked at her watch. “I’m about to walk out the door for work. What’s going on?”
Savannah took a deep breath. “I’d rather tell you in person. Please come to the church. Now.”
Cooper recognized the sound of panic and her chest tightened with anxiety. “What’s wrong, Savannah? Are you okay? Is it someone from Bible study? Are they hurt?”
“No, Cooper, but . . . There’s been an incident at the school here. Pastor Matthews needs some friends here, and, well, I think Inspector McNamara will want to speak with you, personally.”
Cooper froze. Inspector McNamara worked homicide. “Savannah, just tell me . . .”
Savannah paused. “There’s a body.”
5
The drive from the Lee house to Hope Street Church was a blur. Questions streamed through Cooper’s mind. Whose body was it? And what happened? Was it someone from church? A stranger? Was Pastor Matthews involved? Why did the inspector want to talk to Cooper?
She pulled into a parking lot full of police cars and flashing lights. The scene was chaotic, frightening. Every expression said the same thing: something horrible had happened here.
Cooper scanned the area. Inspector McNamara stood just off the parking lot, deep in discussion with a uniformed officer. Beside them, three officers had their notebooks open, exchanging observations and information. The police crime scene truck was backed
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