boyfriend as far as I know. I don't think she had much time for a social life beyond what she had here. You'll have to ask Lennox, he was probably the closest to her of all of us.'
Ed Prince glanced impatiently at his expensive wrist- watch, no doubt anxious to get on the phone to the office and hear what they'd come up with to torpedo her.
Jenny said, 'One final thing: her computer. She'd shut down her email in February and there was no sign of her laptop at her house. Do you know what happened to it?'
Ed Prince turned to her. 'All those connected with the campaign were advised to take steps to secure their personal communications. From what I saw of Eva, she was a sensible young woman who would have taken the advice to heart.'
It was Christine Turnbull who showed Jenny to the door. Over the course of their interview, Jenny had gradually warmed to her. She had expected a beautiful woman in what she suspected was a Dior suit to be aloof and judgemental. In fact, Christine gave every impression of being eager to assist and appeared profoundly saddened by Eva's death.
As they parted at the door, Christine Turnbull spoke quietly, 'I'm sorry if we seem agitated, Mrs Cooper. We're nearing the end of a long road, and what happened to Eva . . .' She shook her head, at a loss for words. 'When you see how much good has been achieved you know evil's never going to be far away. Eva was like a light in the darkness, and even though she's not here for us, she's still shining.'
'I can see that,' Jenny said, and bid Christine Turnbull a warm goodbye.
Walking back across the lobby skirting the busy bookshop, Jenny felt the last vestiges of cynicism dissolve. The people browsing the shelves were young, keen and intelligent. They were looking for meaning beyond themselves while most of their peers, her son included, would currently be alone in front of a computer or a TV screen, part of a vast global generation too over-stimulated and self-obsessed to muster any idealism or sense of greater purpose.
She stopped to study the big plasma screen above the closed door to the auditorium. Bobby DeMont and Lennox Strong were laying hands on some teenagers who had come up onto the stage. Lennox was saying, 'In the name of Jesus, we call upon you, Lord, to fill this young man with your spirit, to guide him to do your will and to give him strength to resist temptation.' The kneeling subject rose to his feet and turned to face the audience. It was Freddy.
'Can I tell them something, Lennox?' Freddy said.
'Sure.'
Gripping his cuffs in his clenched fists and rocking up onto his toes with excitement, Freddy addressed the crowd. 'When I first came to this church I was sick. I was drinking, taking drugs, most of the time I didn't know who or where I was. The doctors said I was depressed, but there was nothing they could do to help me ... I tried to kill myself twice. I mean, really tried. All I wanted was for the pain to end. But then a friend told me about this place. No way did I want to come to a church. I thought that's somewhere for old people and weirdos -' Bobby DeMont threw back his head and laughed uproariously - 'but something said to me just try it, just once.' Freddy's face cracked into a grin so wide he could hardly force out the words. 'That day changed my life. When Lennox called for people who were ill or suffering to come to the front, it felt like a hand was guiding me. And when he prayed over me - you know the feeling when you jump off a high diving board? It was like that, only angels caught me in the air. From being in so much pain, I felt like I was flying, I was so light, so happy—'
'Here.' Lennox handed Freddy a Kleenex to wipe his streaming eyes. The young congregation cheered.
His voice cracking with emotion, Freddy continued, 'I'd never heard of the Holy Spirit. I hadn't even read the Bible. But from that moment I knew I was saved. That's the power of the spirit. It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you've done, just open your heart the tiniest crack and I promise you, it'll come rushing in. And if I