They got dressed and left. Officer Campbell moved to the car before Astrid stopped her.
‘Has Moore spoken to anyone at Cruz’s workplace?’
‘Not that I’m aware of, but he wouldn’t be keeping me informed, anyway.’
‘Do you know which church Caitlin worked at?’
Campbell took out her phone. ‘I don’t, but I can soon find out.’
Two minutes later, they drove along Main Street to the First Church of the Baptist. They parked next to a sign proclaiming the Home of the Bakerstown Bears. They got out of the car, and Astrid stared at the grain silos and wind turbines connecting the hills to the clouds. The church was a modern building, all red brick and white trim, standing alone with fields on either side. The roof sloped from right to left, and underneath was a large cross positioned so that, when the sunlight hit it just right, like it was then, its shadow stretched over the rest of the church and out into the street. The tip of it reached Astrid’s shoes as she glanced behind her towards the much less imposing and far more weather-beaten United Methodist Church.
‘I guess we know where most of the religious donations in the town go, Officer Campbell, but isn’t there conflict from the different congregations with the two churches being so close?’
She shook her head. ‘Conflicts of any kind are few in Bakerstown. A little over five thousand people live here, and most of us get along fine, even if there are a few differences of opinion on religion or politics.’
Astrid hadn’t noticed any political sloganeering for any party during her stay, but then this was the only time she’d seen the place during the day. She stared at Campbell’s police uniform and wished they were back at the Officer’s apartment, yet it still didn’t cross her mind to ask for the other woman’s first name.
‘Are you religious, Officer Campbell?’
‘I have plenty of faith, Snow, but you’ll have to get to know me better to find out what in.’
Astrid grinned as they strode up the steps.
‘Do we knock or go straight in?’
Before Campbell could reply, the large entrance opened and a tall, imposing man greeted them.
‘Welcome to the First Church of the Baptist, ladies. We are all children under God. I’m Joe Rennie, the Minister here. How can I help you?’
Some people flash a smile when they greet you, but this bloke was the smile. Joy radiated out of every inch of him. Astrid thought the tequila and the beating were playing tricks on her until she realised the light shimmering around his frame was only the sun reflecting off the whitewashed wall behind him. He looked like a marine, and Astrid imagined him leading troops into battle.
Campbell thrust her hand towards him. ‘We’ve met before, Minister Rennie, at the police charity drive for the destitute and the homeless.’ He took her grasp. ‘I’m Officer Campbell, and this is Special Agent Astrid Snow with British Intelligence. Can we speak to you inside?’
Rennie’s eyes bulged with surprise, but Astrid guessed he was no more shocked by Campbell’s words than she was.
‘My, my; British Intelligence, you say.’ He scrutinised her like an astronomer thinking they’d discovered life on Mars. ‘That sounds very glamorous indeed. What can we do for you?’
Campbell placed one hand on her hip. ‘It would be better if we could speak inside.’
He appeared to consider her request for a second.
‘Of course, ladies, please come in, but mind the mess.’
Astrid flashed Campbell a look of What The Fuck? as they followed him into the church. The space was long and wide, with two sets of chairs in rows down either side. There were groups of fresh flowers alongside the seats, filling the air with a mixed aroma of roses and gardenias. At the bottom was what she assumed was the stage for the sermons.
She glanced over the seats and what filled them.
‘Are you collecting for something, Minister?’
Most of the chairs contained bags full of clothes and shoes. Below them stood boxes of food and bottles of water.
Rennie’s grin continued to glow.
‘We provide these things for whoever needs them. In difficult economic times, we must all do what we can for those less fortunate than us, and the church should play a leading role in that.’ His smile wavered a little, but the sparkle grew behind his eyes as he studied her. ‘You appear to be a long way from home, Agent Snow. How can the First Church of the Baptist help you?’
She decided not to tell him she was plain old Astrid Snow, thinking the misconception Campbell had created might aid her.
‘We’re here about one of your employees, Caitlin Cruz.’
‘We’re an equal congregation, Agent Snow. There is no hierarchy of bishops or priests exercising authority over members. The church is self-governing and self-supporting, made up of members, each with a role to play. We encourage those attending to become members through baptism, which entitles them to vote at the church meeting where all decisions occur. Final authority rests not with the Minister or Deacons, but with church members.’
It was a nice little speech, and she wondered if he was aware of Cruz’s murder and the long spiel was a delaying tactic. If Angie Delaney knew about Caitlin’s death, and it seemed the rest of those in the diner knew of the murders, too, then surely he did?
Campbell stepped forward to do her duties. ‘We have some bad news about Caitlin, Minister Rennie.’
The light disappeared from him. ‘Yes, Officer Campbell, I’m aware of what happened to Caitlin and her children.’ He twisted his head to gaze at the large painting of Jesus on the ceiling. ‘They are all with Our Lord now, in a much better place than this world.’
Astrid gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was containing his grief because he truly believed they were better off.
‘Can you tell us what work she did for the church?’
He lowered his head to stare at her, providing an expression she wasn’t unfamiliar with: that look certain people had when they believed they were not only the most important person in the room, but probably the world as well. She’d seen it from presidents and prime ministers, kings and queens, CEOs and managers, generals and majors, crime lords and drug barons, and even from serial killers, but this was the first time from a man of God.
‘Nobody should be defined by their work, Agent Snow.’ The way he emphasised her name, she wished she’d put him straight about her lowly position in the world. ‘We are a church of ordinary and imperfect humans who seek to live their lives by following Jesus and the way he lived. We’ve found he has welcomed us “home” with open arms and transformed our lives, and so we aim to be an informal, welcoming church that helps others follow Jesus, too. We desire to be a place where people, regardless of age, gender, background and ethnicity, can belong and find a sense of purpose. Everybody in the church contributes the same, irrespective of their work.’
She wondered if she’d somehow offended him and if he’d got the wrong impression of what she was looking for from the question.
Campbell spoke up before Astrid could.
‘We need to get an idea of Caitlin’s life outside of her family, Minister Rennie, so we can create a profile of her, to see who she might have come into contact with who would do such a terrible thing to her and the children.’
He placed one hand on the back of the nearest chair. ‘You believe her time here may have led Caitlin’s killer to her?’
He gazed straight through Astrid as he spoke. She said nothing, letting her new partner reply.
‘Anything we learn about her activities with the church might help in the investigation.’
The shadow of darkness that had crept over his face for the last two minutes disappeared with the return of his broad smile.
‘Please, ladies, call me Joe.’ He moved to the side and pointed towards the pulpit. ‘If you follow me, I’ll give you a tour while I explain Caitlin’s time here.’
He led them between the chairs, and then turned right before they reached the dais, taking them through a door and into another large room. There was a faint smell of chlorine in the air, and it didn’t surprise Astrid to see most of the space taken up by a small swimming pool.
‘Do you perform many baptisms, Joe?’
The glint in his eyes sparkled even more brightly with her question. ‘It depends on the time of year.’ He opened out his broad shoulders and pointed towards the water. ‘This is our baptistery. Caitlin and others helped me with the baptisms.’
‘Were there any duties or responsibilities Caitlin undertook more than others?’
They’d reached the pool, and he rested his arm on the podium. She glanced at his reflection rippling in the water, watching it twist and shiver to resemble something not quite human.
‘Even within the church, Caitlin differed from most.’ He peered towards the far window which looked upon the town. ‘At the end of a long day, many of us turn to the box or the internet to relax, but she had no interest in those things. When she wasn’t helping others, she liked nothing better than putting her head between a book’s pages. She never watched television or movies, spending most of her free time reading. Caitlin believed TV was for lazy people, whereas reading made the brain work hard to fit in all the bits the writer had left out. She was also a great believer in the written word helping those who struggle to string sentences together as they get older.’
Astrid had wondered where he was going with this information, but now she knew.
‘She went into the community to help those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, taking books to them and getting them to read?’
He nodded. ‘Caitlin did all that and more, Agent Snow. She had great success with it, visited many homes in town, and improved people’s lives. Her death is a terrible loss for all of us, and the same for her children. Cathy and Dale had many friends who will miss them.’
Campbell stepped closer to him. ‘Did you ever see anyone suspicious-looking hanging around the church?’
Rennie furrowed his eyebrows. ‘What do you mean by suspicious-looking?’ He peered at Astrid. ‘Are you talking about foreigners?’
The policewoman shook her head. ‘Anybody who might have seemed out of place or up to no good.’
‘I can’t say I did.’ He reached down into a podium door and removed a sash which he placed around his neck. ‘Do you think Caitlin met her killer in the church? I find that hard to believe.’
A group of people entered the room, marching around the pool’s far side and taking seats opposite Astrid and Campbell. It was a mixture of men and women of varying ages, but she recognised one of them: the diner’s white-hatted cowboy. He tilted his hat at her as she refocused on the Minister.
Astrid didn’t pull any punches. ‘Bad people are found in every walk of society, Joe; even churches.’
He glanced across at his flock. ‘I know that only too well, Agent Snow. I moved to Bakerstown twenty years ago after leaving the place of my birth, believing everywhere on this planet was nothing but a sewer of sin and deceit. I left convinced that towns like my own were cesspits of intolerance and meanness, hiding behind a disguise of folksiness. Fortunately, I found the Lord during my travels, and now I understand there’s a positive reaction to counter every sinful action. And Caitlin performed enough positive actions to balance out the negative in this town for a long time.’
She didn’t have the heart to question his belief and ask him how the murder of an innocent woman and two children could ever find a counterweight in this world. So she asked him something else instead.
‘Do you have a list of those Caitlin visited when working in the community?’
She expected him to refuse and was surprised when he didn’t.
‘If you tell me your cell number, I’ll text the file to you.’
‘I lost my phone last night.’ She glanced at her partner. ‘Officer Campbell will give you hers.’
Which she did. ‘You store church data on your cell, Joe?’
He took a phone from his pocket. ‘Caitlin was the one who convinced me we should keep a record of all our activities, and there should be digital copies stored securely online on my cell and the church’s computer network.’ Astrid was admiring the efficiency of it when Campbell’s phone pinged with an incoming message. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I have today’s baptisms to complete.’
He left them to go to the group waiting by the pool as Campbell stared at the file on her cell.
‘Is there anything useful in what he sent?’ Astrid said.
Campbell handed her the phone. ‘There are a dozen names here, most of which I recognise, but nothing jumps out at me as suspicious.’
Astrid read through them and thought the same until she came to the last one. She returned the phone to Campbell. ‘Do you know the woman at the end of the list?’
Campbell stared at it. ‘I do; we were at school together. Why?’
Astrid watched as Minister Joe Rennie went about his work, climbing into the pool and beckoning the first of his flock to follow him.
‘Because I think I might have had lunch with Maggie Delaney’s daughter a few hours ago.’ She returned Campbell’s phone to her.
‘Angie? You were in the diner with Angie Delaney?’ Astrid nodded. Campbell’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why?’
‘She was fighting in the street with another girl when I left the police station. When they stopped tearing seven bells out of each other, the kid looked so malnourished, I thought she needed a decent meal.’
Campbell sucked in her lips and eyed Astrid suspiciously. ‘Really?’
‘Why not? I’m a stranger in town, and kids are always helpful to strangers.’
‘Are you kidding me?’
‘Nope. Why would I do that?’
‘Okay, I’ll believe you for now. But what has you eating with Angie Delaney and her mother’s name being on this list got to do with the Cruz murders?’
‘I don’t know, maybe nothing. I just think it’s curious. Angie said she wasn’t going to school, but wouldn’t tell me why when I asked. Perhaps it’s because she’s staying home as her mother has dementia.’
She watched the exasperation move across Campbell’s face.
‘I don’t understand what that’s got to do with trying to find who killed Caitlin Cruz and her children.’
‘Let’s just call it a hunch.’ Astrid flashed her partner the widest of grins. ‘Do you know where the Delaneys live?’
Campbell’s eyebrows reached for the sky as her lips stretched wide. ‘You want to visit them now?’
Astrid shook her head. ‘We’ll talk to Moore about some numbers first.’