The chairman of the elder board concluded with a prayer, and then dismissed the meeting.
Charlie Kirby started to get up from his chair and then sat down. “Wait. There’s something I need to deal with tonight, something I’m sure you’ll hear about—if you haven’t already. I don’t see any point in waiting for the executive committee to appoint someone to handle it.”
Charlie looked around the table at eleven pairs of eyes and wondered if they knew. “There’s been a development—some mean-spirited accusations—intended to pervert the nature of my business relationship with Sheila Paxton, Thompson Tire’s attorney who was killed in the freeway shooting.”
“You want to discuss this with the entire group?” Chairman Joe Kennsington said.
Charlie nodded. “I have nothing to hide. Let’s get it out in the open. As you know, the city council’s decision to bring Thompson Tire to Baxter has been divisive. I didn’t realize just how divisive until my son Kevin overheard a disgruntled merchant insinuate there was a sexual relationship between Sheila and me—and that this alleged misconduct caused me to rush the town council to vote in favor of the tire plant. That’s completely ridiculous. Clearly, this accusation was designed to smear me.”
Joe’s eyes moved around the table and then rested on Charlie. “If I’m hearing you correctly, Charlie, you’re saying you’re innocent.”
“My relationship with Sheila was confined to business meetings—period.”
“May I ask who made the accusation?”
“Avery Stedman.”
Joe gave a slight nod. “The tension between you two goes way back.”
“Some people never grow up,” Charlie said. “Avery’s resented me since high school. He’s got some fool notion that I’ve had everything handed to me and have never had to work for anything.”
“You think that’s why he made the accusation?”
“That’s probably why he reveled in it, but there’s more to it. He’s seething because the Thompson deal went through. He’s convinced the plant will change the culture of the community and run him out of business.”
Joe’s eyebrows gathered. “But sexual misconduct is a serious accusation. Have you spoken with him about this?”
“Yes, on Saturday I took Kevin with me to the general store and confronted Avery in the stockroom, in front of Lenny. It got ugly, so I sent Kevin to the car. But Avery refused to budge, even when his dad tried to get him to back off.”
“So nothing was resolved?”
Charlie heaved a sigh. “Not a thing. Avery’s convinced I’m trying to run him out of business. Says that I sit on my throne and decide what’s best for the ‘peons,’ even though I don’t have a clue, and that he’s tired of my ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude. It’s a little hard to reason with a guy like that.”
“I’m sorry this is happening,” Joe said. “Has to be embarrassing. How is Marlene handling it?”
“Not well.” Charlie felt his face turn red. “It’s partly my fault. I planned to tell her about Avery’s allegations on Saturday night after the kids went to bed, but she stayed up to do her Sunday school lesson. After that, I couldn’t seem to find the right time to broach the subject. So I decided to wait until Monday night after I got home from the funeral.
“Unfortunately, Marlie had parent-teacher conferences on Monday and was told by one of Kevin’s teachers that a classmate of his has been telling everyone he saw me kissing Sheila in the parking lot behind my office building! Of course, that’s the first Marlie had heard of it and she was completely humiliated. Kevin’s pretty upset, too.”
“Who’s the classmate?”
“Jeremy Adler. He’s the kid who got suspended for vandalizing the gym at the middle school.”
“I remember that.” Joe leaned forward, his arms folded on the table, and looked intently at Charlie. “What would possess a kid to say something like that? Seems kind of random.”
“Who knows?” Charlie said. “Maybe he overheard Avery shooting his mouth off somewhere.”
“Did you ask him?” Joe said.
“Not yet. I called his home several times today and got the machine. I left a message for his parents to call me. Regardless of what he thinks he saw, it wasn’t me in that parking lot.”
“Back to Marlene,” Joe said. “She’s pretty upset?”
“Of course, she is. Who could blame her?”
“Does she believe you?”
Charlie drew a line with his index finger in the condensation on his water glass. “She found Sheila’s room key in my sport coat. I know how it sounds, but it’s not what you think. Sheila must’ve dropped it. I found it on the floor next to the conference table, then forgot all about it. Look, I promise you, I didn’t have an affair with her. You guys know me. Do you think I would cheat on Marlie?”
“Right now, I’m more worried about what she thinks,” Joe said. “Do you know if she’s open to talking to the executive committee?”
Charlie shook his head. “I doubt it. Maybe.”
“Since you opted to bring this to the elders,” Joe said, “is it all right with you if we open this up to questions?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Joe moved his eyes around the circle. “Anyone?”
“I have a question,” Bart Thomas said. “How are you going to handle this publicly? Ellen will be fair, but KJNX could be your worst nightmare.”
“I’m still trying to decide that,” Charlie said. “I know I’ll be assaulted with questions. It seems the best approach is to be straightforward: Say that my alleged involvement with Sheila is unfounded, that perceptions can be distorted in the throes of anger, and that this is a political ploy to try to negate the Thompson deal.”
“But what about the Adler boy?” Jed Wilson said. “How do his actions tie in politically? Aren’t his folks in favor of the plant relocation?”
Charlie glanced up at Jed. “Yes, I think they are. But the boy’s past misbehavior speaks for itself. His word isn’t reliable. He’s either lying or mistaken about what he saw.”
Bart leaned forward on his elbows. “How does Kevin feel about all this?”
“He’s hurting,” Charlie said, blinking the stinging from his eyes. “It was pretty humiliating for him at school. But at least we’re talking. Kevin’s been in on this from the beginning, so it wasn’t as big a shock for him as it was for Marlie.” Charlie took a sip of water, then cupped his hands around the glass. “I should’ve never put off telling her. But I had no idea what a mess this would turn out to be. I’ve never been falsely accused of anything before.”
“Any other questions?” Joe said.
Charlie pushed his glass aside and sat with his hands folded on the table, his heart pounding, confident he had revealed exactly what he needed to. There was a long, uncomfortable pause.
“All right, then,” Joe said. “Let’s pray for Charlie and Marlene. Heavenly Father, You’ve heard what Charlie has told us here tonight. You know what he means to each man around this table, and what an example he has been to the members of this church family. We ask that You would bless his honesty and openness by bringing healing to his marriage, to his family, and to his good name.
“We pray, too, for Marlene, that You would calm her spirit, and that she would be able to believe the truth about Charlie so that the enemy would not gain a foothold in this marriage. We pray for the children, especially Kevin and Kaitlin, that they would be protected from the lies and the hurt and that their relationship with Charlie would be strengthened.
“Lord, we pray that our community would allow this matter to be handled privately between Charlie and Marlene. We pray also that our church family would not engage in gossip or speculation, but would reach out in love to Charlie and his family with our support and prayers.
“Lord, we also ask that You silence Avery Stedman, Jeremy Adler, and anyone else who would make false accusations against Charlie. Protect him, Lord, in the shadow of the cross. Keep him from evil. It’s in the name of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.”
Joe looked up at Charlie. “This isn’t going to be easy. Keep us posted on what’s happening. You know we’ll be in prayer for you. I’ll call Marlene and see if she’ll agree to meet with us.”
The group got up from the table and began to disperse, each man stopping to encourage Charlie on the way out.
Dennis Lawton lay on the couch in his in-laws’ living room, watching TV, his son Bailey asleep in his arms. He heard the front door open and looked up in time to see Jed hang his keys on the hook. “How was the elders’ meeting?”
“Good. I always love being with those guys.” Jed turned and smiled at the sight of Bailey sleeping. “How long has this little guy been out?”
“Long enough for my arm to go to sleep.”
“Where is everyone?”
“Ben’s asleep on the bed in your room. Jen and Rhonda are in the kitchen, adding to the picture albums.” Dennis laughed. “The twins are only two, and Jen’s already filled an entire closet with photographs, negatives, videotapes, and other paraphernalia.”
“If she’s anything like Rhonda, be glad you built a big house. Anything on the news?”
“Not really.” Dennis put the TV on mute. “But I heard some other ‘news’ that I find upsetting. Did you know someone is accusing Mayor Kirby of sexual misconduct with Sheila Paxton?”
“Says who?”
“Just a rumor going around. Did it come up at the meeting tonight?”
“You know I can’t discuss that. But everyone knows there are folks who’re mad about the Thompson deal. Maybe one of them mouthed off, hoping to bring Charlie down.”
“Really a cheap shot, if you ask me,” Dennis said. “Charlie’s one of the good guys—a pillar of the community and the church. The idea of him cheating on Marlene is nuts.”
Jed sat in the overstuffed chair. “Well, if this accusation gains any momentum, Charlie is going to suffer a lot of humiliation—not to mention Marlene and the kids. I don’t want to see that happen.”
“The poor dead woman can’t defend herself either. KJNX could have a real field day with this one.”
“Let’s hope not … Dennis, didn’t you say you and Jen stopped by Lenny and Emma’s over the weekend?”
“Yeah, we had lunch with them.”
“Did Lenny say anything about the Thompson deal—whether he was happy about it or not?”
“I think he’s scared,” Dennis said. “I tried to encourage him to prepare for change.”
“Was he ugly about it?”
“Not at all. Jed, what’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just concerned about Charlie, that’s all.”
Dennis turned off the TV “I wouldn’t waste too much time worrying about him. He’s squeaky clean. And a lot more shrewd than a handful of retailers who are living in the past and don’t understand the bigger economic picture.”
“They may be living in the past, but they have a lot to lose. And they’re smarter than you think.”
“Sorry, Jed. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. But sometimes people can’t see past their own backyard. The city council’s decision will prove favorable to everyone in the long run.”
“Hmm … let’s just hope that includes Charlie.”