to accompany you through another study. You enrich my life with each meeting.”
“And I know you’ve fed me strength through your prayers and your love,” Trish whispered weakly.
Several of the Sunrise members blinked away tears. They joined hands as Savannah led them in a closing prayer, and then exhaled in unison as they raised their heads and opened their eyes.
“Guess what? Gloria will be joining us for our next study!” Quinton proclaimed happily as though he couldn’t refrain from sharing the news another second. Turning to Bryant, he said, “Why don’t you invite Jane?”
Bryant blanched. “Um, I’m not sure about that. This is kind of my safe place. I totally let my guard down with this group. That would be a pretty big step—to have her here.”
Trish jabbed his forearm with her pencil. “Haven’t you learned anything, you big oaf? Bring that woman to this circle and show her who you really are! You’re ready, Bryant. Take the plunge! At the very least she’ll find out that you’re not the type to go hanging around Corinth-like places like Club Satin.” She winked at Cooper. “Now tell me everything that happened last night. You’ve got this glow about you today. I’ve seen you like this before, but only after we’d had some big breakthrough in one of our investigations.”
“It’s that superhero, good-triumphs-over-evil kind of glow,” Quinton added.
“Well, I did look at the face of a devil and he was dressed in white,” Cooper began. “And I hope I never have to do that again.” While refilling her coffee cup, she began to tell those members who hadn’t been present at Club Satin what had happened. As she spoke, she encouraged Nathan and Jake to fill in details and it wasn’t long before her friends knew the full story.
“But how will we know if the police can pin Miguel’s murder on this guy?” Quinton asked, troubled. “He seems to pull himself out of hot water all the time.”
“We’ll have to settle for reading about the case in the newspaper,” Bryant answered. “Frankly, I’m relieved that we’re not going to be involved. This Albion sounds like a dangerous character.”
“He is,” Cooper assured them. “Fortunately, none of us will have to lay eyes on him again.”
She’d used her arms to emphasize her point, but her left hand knocked into the ceramic coffee cup perched on the edge of Bryant’s desk. It fell to the floor and smashed into pieces, startling everyone.
Cooper looked down at the jagged fragments and the rivulet of steaming brown liquid that seemed to slide, snakelike, along the tiled floor. Swallowing, she felt a prick of dread.
Perhaps she had spoken too soon.
Later that evening, Cooper had completely forgotten about the broken mug. While mouthwatering scents emanated from her parent’s kitchen, Cooper helped her father insert a leaf into the dining room table. Nathan, Ashley, and Lincoln would be joining them for Sunday supper, so Maggie decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day for the second day in a row. She’d even made place cards out of red paper hearts and hung up paper streamers. Tiny red, pink, and silver cupids hung from each streamer.
“I don’t think we’ve used this table for a meal since Grammy invited all the church ladies over for a luncheon about ten years back.” Earl chuckled. “She crammed them in this room and then paraded in all her orphaned animals.”
“That must have been quite a sight,” Cooper remarked with a smile.
Earl picked up the folded tablecloth and held it to his chest, lost in the memory. “You shoulda seen those women. They thought Grammy was servin’ them real turtle soup and was tryin’ to show ’em just how fresh it was by bringing in a live turtle. Your mama advised her to start off by bringin’ in a dog or cat first, but Grammy wouldn’t listen!” Earl rubbed the polished oak leaf. “You could hear a pin drop when Grammy carried that thing in here. I never heard twenty-five women go so quiet in all my life.”
Cooper laughed, picturing the group of women dressed in their church finery expecting to share in a pleasant meal, and perhaps some harmless gossip. Instead, Grammy had thrust skittish bunnies, mangy cats, and flea-ridden puppies into their white-gloved hands. Looking around the room, Cooper could almost hear the women’s shrieks of surprise and dismay.
“You two speakin’ ill of the nearly departed?” Grammy asked crossly from the next room.
“Your hearin’ seems to be just fine now!” Earl responded with a smirk. Lowering his voice,