The Sins of the Father

Tangled Web of Truths

"Yes, how be it an awkward understanding. How may I be of service to you Detective Mahogany? It seems, you have my balls right in the palm of those calloused hands of yours. Again." The perfect, etched smile loses its radiance as our gazes lock. The emerald green irises are like hard chips of flint

Looking past my shoulder, he gestures his head in the direction behind me.

A blonde hair parishioner has entered the sanctuary. Her arm draped over the peaking of a red clutch purse. She makes a brief show of recognition, unbelief flickers between the father and I. He gives a wilted smile and cups my elbow." Shall we take this to my office, god? I wouldn't want the cat to be let out the bag quite yet."

The contact, though fleeting and separated by material, gives an unwelcoming response in the pit of my stomach. An uncomfortable emotion that laid dormant, begins to resurrect itself by his presence.

"I'm not a child who needs to be lead by hand." Irritated that he dares to allow familiarity to overcrowd my being the law. My anger, slow and steady simmers.

"No...You're not." He peruses my open coat covered figure. Emeralds hesitating at the badge secure at my pants belt loop. Back up they scan, lingering a little too long on my sweater covered breast. "No...Nothing child like about you at all," he comments more to himself.

Removing my elbow from his now slack grasp, he began to lead to a side door. I follow him mindlessly. The immediate halt, causes a near massive collision, involving my face and his black cloth covered back. A click and then the crack of darkness is consumed in an instant, by the flicking of a switch. I follow close behind. Making sure to keep one eye on him as he sat behind his desk, the high back chair squeaks as he leaned his weight into it.

"So." His hands behind his head, facial features in utter relaxation. I would have been thrown off had the flash of worry not painted his eyes with concern. "About me being a suspect, in I'm assuming, the "Vanishing Sleeping Beauty "case. I can tell you now," he sat forward craning his neck up in my direction." He gave an exasperated sigh then, "Detective, my neck can only hold this position before I get a crick in it. Please have a seat, there isn't much bodily harm to your being that I could do to you as of right now. Even though you are encroaching on my private time.'

"Well, father Morgan,"I took a seat in front of his cherry wood desk. Noting the bareness of all except for a bible that had been strategically placed in his upper right hand corner.

Hmm. He's left handed.

" One of your parishioners, came into the precinct for an interview. Lo and behold, this church and your name came up. Along with your less than noble attributes. Upon further questioning, it was revealed that your advances were rejected by the notorious-"

A snort broke my rundown, followed by a full blown laugh. The bastard was laughing. "I'm sorry, its just all this is incredulous." His hands spread wide to demonstrate what all this was."Yes, I did fancy her, I mean she showed up to mass dressed like such a...lady. I could not, in all good conscious, allow her to leave without some form of my blessing. So yes l, propositioned her, and she also agreed. I'm pretty sure the brunette, who accompanied her, failed to reveal that little tidbit didn't she?"

"Brunette?"

"Candy probably didn't tell you, that she, herself was one of my former lambs either, did she? These days, Candy is more like a recruiter. She finds the weak, exploits them to a so called better life. Before they know it, they are too gone in that lifestyle to ever see the light of day again. Hmm, I may not know a lot about detective work, Tor...Detective Mahogany but aren't you suppose to be writing this down?"

Stunned wasn't the word here. I was rendered speechless at this new found information. Flashes of Candy crying and sniveling, her willingness to cooperate with the investigation.

Was it all just a ploy to keep her out of the limelight? It was now obvious that she knew more than what she let on. Maybe her actions were out of guilt more so than grief? I numbly reached into my coat pocket and felt for my mini pad of paper and pencil.

"I'll tell you what, come back here tomorrow around eleven and I'll fill your ears with so much information they will disintegrate. I have an itch that I'm pretty sure you are unwilling to scratch." Unless of course, I am wrong and you do wish to sub for blondie?"

"How dare you, you arrogant piece of s**t. There will be no need for a revisit. You've told me more than enough information. I'm pretty sure Candy will do anything to keep her ass clean, once I inform her of the tidbits you released from that smart mouth of yours."

I stood up, planning to make a grand exit. My hand caressed the doorknob, halted its turning as I heard his chair moan. Out of my peripheral I could see him walking from around his desk. He leaned against the front edge of the furniture and crossed his arms in smugness.

"You forget Torrey, my sheep always return and remain faithful to their master. Though you wear a badge, you are by no means an a exception to that rule. Besides I would hate for anyone to believe you had a recent affair with a suspect to a, supposed, high profile kidnapping and or murder. A priest of all people."

I snapped turning my head, the simmers erupting into a full blown volcano. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Obviously." His assured smile spread east to west revealing a dimple cheek.

"No one in their right mind would believe that fabrication!"

"What a priest,"he draped a hand over his heart in a dramatic manner, "who has taken a vow of celibacy, sleeping with a detective. The same detective, I might add, who believes him to be the number one suspect in a high profile case. The same priest and detective," he spoke while taking languid steps toward my now alerted frame. " Who just so happened to have exchanged more than sloppy wet kisses."

He lifted his arm to survey his clock."Thirty minutes now, enough time for an illicit affair to have taken place."

"So, I advise you, Torrey to be here at Eleven. News travel fast in a small town like Oasis. You, of all people should know that, with having a torrid past such as yours."

He smiled. A challenge had issued out of those beautiful formed lips. Returning the smile with less than friendliness behind its mocking appearance.

"Know this Roderick skeletons aren't the only things that fall out of closets. Don't think for one second I wont hesitate to put your lifeless ass in one. Tread carefully, I'm not a victim anymore. I am the law. You do well to remember that."

An evil, that I only experienced once before had begun to emerge from its tomb.