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Book: The Way of the Wicked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 2) by Ellery Adams
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Authors: Ellery Adams
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Cooper felt infused with warmth. “I’m going to drum up a little snack for the three of us.” Lali jerked her thumb toward Anita’s cubicle. “She’s going to need something to lift her spirits after she reviews the budget. See you in a bit.”
After collecting her toolbox, Cooper examined the HP 2100 printer. Its LED screen flashed a neon-green error code, but Cooper knew that the jam could be connected to several different parts. She checked the most obvious area—the paper roller—in hopes of finding a small scrap of paper lodged there, but there were no bits or shreds hiding in the recesses of the printer.
Retrieving her screwdriver, Cooper removed the paper roller and laser-scanning device and peered inside the printer. It quickly became obvious that the problem had occurred around the fuser rollers, the part of the printer that melted the toner and transferred ink to paper. Pieces of thick cardstock had become wedged at both ends of the fuser, keeping the paper from sliding over the rollers.
While Cooper removed the scraps using a pair of long tweezers, Anita’s phone rang.
“Anita Elmont speaking,” Cooper heard Anita say. And then, “Oh, Lord. Oh, the poor thing. How did it happen?” Her voice was shrill with worry.
Cooper dropped the last remnant of cardstock into Lali’s garbage can. She watched it flutter down into the dark receptacle like a broken butterfly falling through the night sky.
“Our volunteers found her? Oh, Lord,” she repeated with a little moan. “One of them is delivering for the first time today?” She paused. “Yes, I’ll tell Lali. We’ll call the family, too. How did she pass?” She grew quiet again. “Oh?” she whispered and then added, “Thank you for calling.”
Cooper heard footsteps heading their way.
“Campbell made pumpkin raisin bread,” Lali announced cheerfully. “It’s still warm from the oven.” Her gait slowed as she neared Anita’s desk. “What’s wrong?”
“Mrs. Davenport died,” Anita said somberly. “Brenda found her. She had a new volunteer with her today. That TV weatherman.”
Bryant! Cooper thought.
“Oh, dear.” Lali set a plate on Anita’s desk. “What happened?”
“One of the paramedics called on the way to the hospital—that same nice young man who picked up Mr. Manningham last month.”
“But Mrs. Davenport was just fine yesterday.” Lali’s voice trembled. “How can this be? I’m having déjà vu. This is just like the morning we heard about Mr. Manningham! Anita, how can they both have been in perfect health one day and be dead the next?”
Anita remained silent for several moments.
“Did the paramedic share the cause of death?” Lali asked quietly.
“He didn’t know what it was. But Lali, Mrs. Davenport was sitting upright in her chair.”
“Just like Mr. Manningham,” Lali breathed.
Cooper heard the squeak of Anita’s wheeled desk chair as she shifted her weight. “Lali, I hate to say this, but what if the deaths weren’t natural? Two folks dying upright in their chairs. Two folks who were fine and dandy the day before?” Her voice rose. “What if someone helped these two into the next world? Someone who didn’t get what they wanted from them?”
“As in our thief? You think the person that took Mr. Manningham’s coin and Mrs. Davenport’s ring crossed that line? That our clients were intentionally killed?” Fear punctuated Lali’s words.
“I am.” Anita released a heavy sigh. “Lord help us, but there’s a devil among us. A devil disguised as a saint.”
6
Bryant was unusually subdued prior to the Sunrise Bible Study Group’s discussion of their Amazing Joseph homework.
“My housekeeper’s Brazilian,” Trish explained, removing layers of plastic wrap from a plate of cookies. “I asked her to bake something for today. I can make something passable from a mix, but this woman can cook!” She spread her hand out over the food. “She made coffee cookies, a bolo cake,
After collecting her toolbox, Cooper examined the HP 2100 printer. Its LED screen flashed a neon-green error code, but Cooper knew that the jam could be connected to several different parts. She checked the most obvious area—the paper roller—in hopes of finding a small scrap of paper lodged there, but there were no bits or shreds hiding in the recesses of the printer.
Retrieving her screwdriver, Cooper removed the paper roller and laser-scanning device and peered inside the printer. It quickly became obvious that the problem had occurred around the fuser rollers, the part of the printer that melted the toner and transferred ink to paper. Pieces of thick cardstock had become wedged at both ends of the fuser, keeping the paper from sliding over the rollers.
While Cooper removed the scraps using a pair of long tweezers, Anita’s phone rang.
“Anita Elmont speaking,” Cooper heard Anita say. And then, “Oh, Lord. Oh, the poor thing. How did it happen?” Her voice was shrill with worry.
Cooper dropped the last remnant of cardstock into Lali’s garbage can. She watched it flutter down into the dark receptacle like a broken butterfly falling through the night sky.
“Our volunteers found her? Oh, Lord,” she repeated with a little moan. “One of them is delivering for the first time today?” She paused. “Yes, I’ll tell Lali. We’ll call the family, too. How did she pass?” She grew quiet again. “Oh?” she whispered and then added, “Thank you for calling.”
Cooper heard footsteps heading their way.
“Campbell made pumpkin raisin bread,” Lali announced cheerfully. “It’s still warm from the oven.” Her gait slowed as she neared Anita’s desk. “What’s wrong?”
“Mrs. Davenport died,” Anita said somberly. “Brenda found her. She had a new volunteer with her today. That TV weatherman.”
Bryant! Cooper thought.
“Oh, dear.” Lali set a plate on Anita’s desk. “What happened?”
“One of the paramedics called on the way to the hospital—that same nice young man who picked up Mr. Manningham last month.”
“But Mrs. Davenport was just fine yesterday.” Lali’s voice trembled. “How can this be? I’m having déjà vu. This is just like the morning we heard about Mr. Manningham! Anita, how can they both have been in perfect health one day and be dead the next?”
Anita remained silent for several moments.
“Did the paramedic share the cause of death?” Lali asked quietly.
“He didn’t know what it was. But Lali, Mrs. Davenport was sitting upright in her chair.”
“Just like Mr. Manningham,” Lali breathed.
Cooper heard the squeak of Anita’s wheeled desk chair as she shifted her weight. “Lali, I hate to say this, but what if the deaths weren’t natural? Two folks dying upright in their chairs. Two folks who were fine and dandy the day before?” Her voice rose. “What if someone helped these two into the next world? Someone who didn’t get what they wanted from them?”
“As in our thief? You think the person that took Mr. Manningham’s coin and Mrs. Davenport’s ring crossed that line? That our clients were intentionally killed?” Fear punctuated Lali’s words.
“I am.” Anita released a heavy sigh. “Lord help us, but there’s a devil among us. A devil disguised as a saint.”
6
Bryant was unusually subdued prior to the Sunrise Bible Study Group’s discussion of their Amazing Joseph homework.
“My housekeeper’s Brazilian,” Trish explained, removing layers of plastic wrap from a plate of cookies. “I asked her to bake something for today. I can make something passable from a mix, but this woman can cook!” She spread her hand out over the food. “She made coffee cookies, a bolo cake,
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