Chapter Twelve

The lunch crowd on a Thursday at Al’s Diner didn’t impress James. Months ago he’d noticed the ‘D’ on the red neon sign outside the place had gone out. And after twenty years in business the scratched plastic booth seats could use a makeover. He often wondered how the place stayed open. It had to be the die-hard loyalists keeping the place alive. Regardless, he was glad to have a place to go for last-minute meetings and at least the food quality was consistent. He’d chosen a corner booth near a window to wait for Rick. 

Would he arrive? 

He gulped from the glass of ice water in front of him. It didn’t surprise him he hadn’t seen much of his old friend in the last few days. After Lily accosted Rick with Marcia at the restaurant, James couldn’t blame him for laying low. But what exactly was he up to? Did Lily’s theory hold any water?

And what should he do about it? Arrest his friend? Call Abrams for backup? Coming out of left field, it all seemed ludicrous. He only hoped Lily was way off the mark.

Ten minutes later, Rick pushed the door open and walked toward his booth. He wore his signature leather jacket and neck chain, but his jeans seemed a bit looser. As he came closer, James saw prominent dark circles under Rick’s eyes—a symptom of sleep deprivation? Or something more serious? 

“Hey, man,” James said as Rick maneuvered into the booth. 

“I’m surprised you called.” Rick said.

“I’m surprised you came.”

Rick smiled.

“How’s it going?” James asked as the waiter, came over to take their order. “Hey, Frank, can you bring over some of those loaded nachos with hot sauce on the side?”

“That sounds good,” Rick added. 

“Not a problem. Anything to drink?” Frank asked, collecting the menus.

“I have a hankering for that peanut butter shake you guys make.”

“Another great choice,” Rick said. “Make it two.”

“Right away.” Frank walked away. 

“Peanut butter shake? Loaded nachos?” Rick grinned. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Not really but I’m more interested in what you’ve been up to. I haven’t seen you around much.”

“I’ve been meeting up with some friends who have moved upstate over the past year. Plus, Marcia’s been keeping me busy.” He seemed to be watching for James’s reaction. 

“You kind of disappeared. I thought I would check in since I’m the one who told you to come up here to do us a favor.”

“I’m happy to help. Meeting Marcia was the icing on the cake, but I sense not everyone is pleased by our relationship.”

“When you said you wanted to meet someone no one expected it to be Marcia.”

Rick put his hand on his chest. “The heart wants what it wants. And why not her? We met at your place of business. She’s an attractive girl.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “What’s the big deal?”

James watched his mannerisms. Was this all for show? He’d never known Rick to be a hopeless romantic. He’d always been more interested in his work. What changed?

The hairs on the back of James’s neck stood up. 

“I bet no one was happy when you started dating your own murder suspect right after you came to town,” Rick said. 

James’s eyebrows shot up. “Crude. But not untrue. The difference is no one suspected me, the detective, of doing anything inappropriate.”

“Touché. But I know you agree that small town gossip is a dangerous thing with little credibility.”

“I’d agree it’s a nuisance, but in this case there really is none. Tell me why Lily might be worried enough about Marcia to track you two down in a restaurant?”

“Marcia comes off as a meek person but there’s a lot more to her than people give her credit for. Maybe Lily feels like I’m taking advantage of her but it’s not true. She is a perfectly independent woman brimming with artistic and creative talent. I’m happy I met her.”

“Marcia aside, is there something about you that has perked up Lily’s ears?”

“You know me, James. As soon as someone sees a bald guy with a leather jacket and a gold chain.” Rick flicked his necklace. “Automatic trouble.”

“I don’t think that’s what she sees.”

Rick opened his hands. “So what does she see?”

“You’ll have to ask her yourself. What I do know is you have a past. Growing up around criminals will do things to a person.”

“That’s like saying no one can overcome his or her past. That means you’ll never get over Andrea’s death and you’ll always be a drug addict.”

James’s nostrils flared. “That’s a low blow and you know it.” He struggled to keep his voice down. The last thing he needed to do was pick a fight with Rick at Al’s Diner. Plus, Rick was twice his size. A night in the hospital for some unpleasant words seemed unappealing and unnecessary. 

“You know I’m right.” Rick raised his voice. “I said that to get my point across and I don’t like that you’ve been digging into my background. I have the utmost respect for you but whose side are you on anyway?”

“The side of the law.”

“And dating Marcia is certainly not illegal. You know you found nothing on my record.”

“I know, but it’s also kind of random and Marcia is definitely not your type. You always go for the life of the party. She doesn’t fit with what I know about you.”

Before Rick could respond, Frank came back with a tray of food. He set down the shakes first and then the large plate of nachos. “Loaded nachos. Just what the doctor ordered. Enjoy.”

“Thanks, Frank. Looks good.” James said, as he went for his shake. 

Rick stared down at the heaping pile of tortilla chips with salsa, refried beans, guacamole and sour cream. “Listen, people change, and paranoia has gotten the best of you. Maybe I want someone to settle down with? Did you ever consider that?” His jaw clenched. “If punching you right now wouldn’t hurt my case even more, I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute.”

“I bet. Look man, you come into town. You find the girl you’re least likely to end up with and then you disappear. It’s just weird.” James popped a chip with fixings dripping off of it into his mouth. The crunch sound filled his ears. 

“Well, if being weird is a crime, lock me up. Maybe I'm in love and she’s taking up all my time. Don’t be jealous.” Rick picked off a few chips in rapid-fire bites. 

James smiled. “I’m not jealous. But remember, you’re here because I invited you.”

“All right, I get it. You need more attention. Let me see what I can do to pencil you into my busy schedule.” Rick took a long sip of his shake. “Man, that’s good.”

James felt a headache coming on. He was torn between an old friend and his wife—not a good position. He thought for sure coming here would help clear up any doubts he had or maybe Rick might confess something, but he felt exactly the same as when he walked in, confused.

“I think it would look better if you didn’t hide from us. It makes you look more suspicious. And I can’t promise Lily won’t get off your case.”

“Maybe you could put in a good word for me.”

“I don’t know if that’s even possible.”

Rick sighed. “You might think she has better instincts than anyone but she’s human and is definitely wrong here.”

“Unlikely. But I’ll tell you what, if you stopped dating Marcia, I bet Lily would ease up.”

“No chance. Marcia is integral to…my life.”

James looked at him like he had three heads. “You just met her. How is that possible?”

Rick shifted in his seat, and then sucked down more of his shake. “Our relationship moved fast, what can I say?” He set down his glass with a loud clunk. “Look man, you invited me to Manorview to help you out, now you’re accusing me of taking advantage of a woman who happens to work for your wife. What is all this about anyway?”

James breathed in. He’d wanted to feel Rick out, but he hadn’t expected to feel so unsettled. “I don’t know what this is about. I’m as unsure as you are.”

“Whatever it is, I think we should put it to rest. Lily’s upset I made moves on her employee. That’s all. Am I going to stop seeing Marcia? No. I don’t think anyone should stand in our way. If you could smooth it over with the missus, I would be forever grateful.”

Rick stood. “Thanks for the grub. I’m meeting up with some friends tonight and I need to get cleaned up. Let’s do this again soon but remember I’m not the enemy.” He walked out of the diner, confidence in his features as well as body language.

After Rick left, James let out the breath he’d been holding. The meeting hadn’t gone the way he’d planned. He didn’t know what Rick was up to and he had no evidence of any wrongdoing, but James recognized the familiar feeling creeping up from the depths of his bones.

The feeling was doubt.

****

Later that night, James realized from the meeting he’d had with Rick that he knew exactly where he should go next, Saint Nicholas Church. Even though James had previously spent a few hours outside the church looking for the recruiter with nothing to show for it, he realized he needed to put more of an effort.

Located in the center of town, the stone church stood on an entire block of land surrounded by maple trees covered in red and yellow leaves, succumbing to the fall season. James parked in the small lot behind the church. Evening mass was about to begin, and James wanted to know if Sam—if that was his real name—had come out to recruit for the rituals. 

Goosebumps dotted his arms as he approached the massive building. In the darkness, the gothic spires and opened-mouth gargoyles gave him the creeps. Lights on the inside of the sanctuary illuminated a religious scene portrayed in a stained-glass window. James had never been much of a religious man. His parents hadn’t pushed him one way or another, so he chose to take the middle road. Did he believe there could be a higher power? Maybe. But this experience sure didn’t help. 

He slowly walked past a few well-dressed churchgoers and watched as a white-haired couple made it through the doors without being solicited by anyone with flyers. James melted into the shadows as more cars pulled into the lot. He figured a recruiter would want to target people before they went in and not after mass when they might likely feel more connected to their religion church. In the short time he’d lived in Manorview he’d learned most locals preferred going to this particular church, which meant a lot of them would be exposed to Sam the recruiter.

That made him wonder who Zeus’s followers were. Any one of these people walking in could become a follower of the cult. He wanted to help them if he could. Catching Sam would lead him in the right direction. Heck, maybe Sam knew a lot more than James realized. Maybe he could get the exact location of the rituals out of him or even the truth behind its leader.

Patiently, he watched as several other couples walked in without issue. Had he been too optimistic? Had his growing suspicions of Rick steered him in the wrong direction? His phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing at it, he saw Lily was calling but since he wasn’t ready to admit his slight change of heart in this case, he didn’t pick up. She’ll be wondering where he was, so he’d have to decide sooner rather than later if he wanted to continue this charade. He looked at his watch, three minutes until the mass started and most of the attendees had already gone into the church. And then he saw a figure emerge from the corner of the entrance. 

The person was lean and tall in a denim jacket and black boots. He was clearly masculine. This was it. Sam, the recruiter, stood only a few feet away. James watched as an elderly woman walked toward the door alone. Sam startled her at first but then she seemed pacified when he showed her a document he’d pulled out of his pocket. She took it in her hand. A few more words were exchanged that James couldn’t hear and then she went inside. Sam had clearly handed her the Zeus flyer. This was his chance. 

James began walking swiftly toward Sam. Once recognition appeared on Sam’s face, he turned around in a full sprint. 

“Stop! Police!” James yelled as he ran at full tilt.

But Sam kept running, crossing the street and onto the sidewalk up a steep hill. James’s lungs burned as he pushed his legs even harder. Jumping over flower gardens and swiping tree branches away, James closed the gap between them. Taking a bold step, he launched himself at Sam, hoping to take him down to the ground in one leap.

“I didn’t do anything,” Sam cried out, struggling under James’s body. 

Putting his entire weight on Sam’s back, James clasped the man’s wrists in one hand while searching his pockets for weapons and more of the brochures. “I’ve got you now. You’re not going to recruit anyone else to that sick cult.”

“What? What sick cult?” Sam called out. “Man, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

James showed him the document he’d pulled out of his denim jacket pocket. “This is what I’m talking about. How can you be part of something so disgusting?” 

“Disgusting? It’s just bingo night at the high school. I’m not recruiting anyone to a cult. I swear. You’ve got the wrong guy.”

James's stomach dropped. He looked at the document. 

Join Us for an Evening of Fun and Games: Bingo Night at Manorview High School

Even though the paper had been about the same size as the Zeus brochure, James had obviously been wrong. He cleared his throat and released the man’s arms. This was not Sam. 

“I was looking for someone in particular. A man who hands out flyers to try and recruit people into a cult. Know anyone who hangs out near the church by the name of Sam?” 

The man stood and shook dirt from his jacket and pants. “No, never heard of him,” he replied in a clipped tone. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Can I go now?” 

“Yeah.” James waved the man away. Then he stared at the bingo advertisement as the man jogged away in the other direction. Nausea roiled in his stomach as embarrassment set in.

The small shred of doubt Rick had left him with made him take chances he normally wouldn’t take on a whim. And he’d been so frustrated with the holes in this case he’d clearly miscalculated.

But his boss, Abrams, did not need to know about this incident and neither did Lily. In fact, James would tell no one.