Thirty-Nine
“HELEN, WHAT YOU’RE saying . . . it’s just incredible.”
We’re all gathered in the living room of the rectory. I’m sitting in the recliner by the fireplace. Helen is standing with her back to the room. On the couch, Nate is sitting, Gladys to his left. I hear Anna in the kitchen doing what she does best—getting food ready. Dan Conway stands, his hands on his hips, shaking his head.
Helen doesn’t respond. Instead, she grasps the mantle and rests her head.
Still looking at her, I say, “I know how it sounds, Dan. It’s unfathomable. But he’s the only suspect that fits with what we know.”
“But he’s the State Attorney!” Dan pleads. “He’s a very powerful man in this part of the state! True, he’s an asshole—”
“No cursing in the Rectory!” Anna yells from the kitchen.
“He’s a jerk
