"What about the Stark case?" Nick asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Noah.
"I’ll bet you were surprised when you opened your newspaper a couple of days later and read that human interest story about you saving that kid. Didn’t you think it was damn odd that the reporter wrote all that stuff about you, your family, and your best friend, Tom?"
"You’re saying that Wesson leaked the story?" Nick asked. He was getting mad just thinking about the possibility.
"Hell, yes, I’m saying it," he replied. "You did notice Wesson’s name was splattered all over that article, didn’t you? If I could get that reporter alone in a room for a couple of minutes, I could prove it too."
"Why would Wesson do it?" Laurant asked. "What does he have to gain?"
"He’s got a grudge. Plus, he wants to run the Apostles," Noah said. "That’s always been his goal, and I think he figures the more publicity he can get for himself, the better his chances will be. I’m telling you, Nick, as soon as Morganstern retires or accepts a promotion, Wesson’s going to move in. When that day comes, you’d be smart to get out."
Nick pulled the car into the parking lot behind the abbey and stopped.
"Let’s just concentrate on our jobs for now. Get some rest, Tommy You look worn-out."
"See you tomorrow at the picnic," Tommy said. He reached over the seat and squeezed Laurant’s shoulder. "You still doing okay?"
"I’m fine. Good night, Tommy."
Noah climbed over the seat and got out on Tommy’s side. Leaning back in, he said, "Nighty-night, Icy"
Chapter 23
The picnic was in full swing by the time Nick and Laurant arrived.
He could hear the band playing as he took Laurant’s hand and I walked across the dirt road toward the crowd gathered around the bandstand and the picnic tables. The hill beyond the flat area was littered with colorful blankets, and from the distance it looked like a patchwork quilt. Children were running wild, ducking in and out between couples dancing to the music of The Hilltops. The aroma of smoking barbecue hung heavily in the air.
Tommy and Noah were busy turning hamburgers on the grill, but Tommy spotted them and waved hello. Laurant carried a blanket over her arm. She found a vacant spot under a gnarled tree and spread the blanket out there.
Nick didn’t like the size of the crowd. It appeared that most of the town had turned out for the affair. It was twilight now, and someone plugged in the Christmas lights that had been strung from tree to tree around the wooden bandstand.
"Isn’t the band great?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he said as he continued to look over the crowd.
"Herman and Harley Winston started the group," she explained. "Herman’s the one playing the sax, and Harley’s on the remodeling on my store. They’re so sweet. You should meet them."
Nick looked at the bandstand and smiled. There were six members in the band, and all of them appeared to be in their seventies. The twins were identical and dressed alike in red checkered shirts and white pants.
"They’re old men," he remarked.
"They’re young at heart," she corrected. "And master craftsmen. In Holy Oaks, we don’t put the elderly out to pasture. The contribution they make to this town is very important. When you see my store and my loft, you’ll understand how talented these men are."
"Hey, I wasn’t criticizing," he said. "I just noticed, that’s all."
The bandleader, a bald-headed gentleman with a toothy smile, sparkling eyes, and terribly stooped shoulders, thumped on the microphone to get everyone’s attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, this here picnic is the abbot’s way of saying thank you to all of you folks out there who have worked so darn hard to get the church finished in time for the anniversary. The abbot expects you to have a fine time tonight," he added. "Now as you know, me and the boys in the band only play the oldies, because those are the only songs we know how to play. We just love to take requests, so if you got a special gal you want to impress, come on up and write the name of the song on a piece of paper and stick it in that hat over there on that card table. We got plenty of pencils and paper. We’ll be drawing the requests out of that hat till we have to shut down. Now the first song is going out to Cindy Mitchell and her husband, Dan. This is Cindy’s first outing since she had that gallbladder taken out, and it’s real good to see her up and about. Come on, Dan, bring her on out to the dance floor. This song is one of my favorites," he added as he stepped back and lifted his hands like a symphony conductor. Tapping his foot, he counted, "One, two, three. Hit it, boys."
Silence followed the command. The bandleader turned around to find out what was wrong, then chuckled. Speaking into the microphone, he sheepishly explained, "I guess I ought to tell the boys the name of the song we’re playing. It’s ‘Misty.’ Now let’s try it again."
Nick didn’t like the idea of Laurant being in such a large crowd He knew the picnic was a good place for them to be seen together and for him to observe the people around her, but he was still having trouble with it. The crowd could swallow her up, and he didn’t want her out of his sight, not for one second.
Her friends made his job difficult. As soon as they spotted her they wanted to pull her away from him. They were, of course, very curious about him. Several men came up to shake his hand and introduce themselves. They were open and friendly, and they tried to draw him into their group of friends around the beer kegs while Laurant was being tugged in the opposite direction. To keep her close, Nick anchored his arm around her waist and held tight. He wouldn’t let her budge.
She didn’t put up with his behavior for long. Leaning up on tiptoes, she whispered into his ear, "You’re going to have to let me talk to my friends and neighbors."
"Don’t disappear on me," he whispered back, and then, because he knew they were being watched, he kissed her softly on her lips. "Try to stay between Noah and me."
"I will," she promised, and then she kissed him. "Now please smile, Nick. This is a party, not a funeral."
Someone called her name, and Nick reluctantly let go of her. She hadn’t taken five steps away from him before she was surrounded by women. They were all talking at the same time, and he was pretty sure he was the topic, because they kept glancing at him. He put his hands in his pockets and kept his gaze locked on Laurant. She had the most incredible smile.
One of the women screamed, and Nick took a quick step forward, but then he saw that Laurant was showing off the ring, and that was what had excited the young woman. He backed off and once again looked over the crowd. When he turned back to Laurant, she was slowly threading her way toward the bandstand. As Nick watched her mingle with the young and the old, he realized how vital she was to their community. She was also loved. The townspeople could obviously see what a gentle and caring woman she was. They responded to her the same way he did, by wanting to get closer to her. He could tell that she was genuinely interested in what they were saying. She made people feel good, and what a hell of a gift that was.
Nick was smiling as he watched her, but the smile vanished when she was stopped yet again by two men about her age. From the way they were drooling, he knew neither one was put off by her reputation. He felt a surprising burst of jealousy. Then one of the men put his hand on her arm, and Nick wanted to punch him. He knew his response was totally inappropriate. It wasn’t like him to be so possessive.
He couldn’t figure out what was the matter with him. A relationship with her was impossible. He knew that, and he accepted it.