The Edenbury Chronicles - Vol 2 - Chapter 14

Under Sheriff Stephanie’s supervision, former Mayor Bruce Davies was able to attend church on Sunday morning. It didn’t seem to matter that church was never part of his pre-prison routine. 

Bruce rode in the front seat of the squad car, and they arrived early to see a number of cars already parked in front of the church.

Inside, an article in the Sunday edition of The Edenbury Chronicle was being talked about by several groups of parishioners. The subject was Eric’s new best friend, Rascal Rock. The article was titled Mysterious Stone Here to Stay.

“That was the most thoughtful piece I’ve ever read in our paper,” Stephanie heard one person remark. Another was touched by the subtitle; He Chose Me.

Mr. Davies sat reading the article in the front row. Stephanie took the end of the aisle.

“This is incredible,” he said. “Eric tripped over the rock, and his papers flew everywhere? How did the boulder get there to begin with?”

“The same way the boulders in the park got there, I suppose,” she replied. It was then that Stephanie remembered the role Mr. Davies played in having the rocks destroyed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” she said.

“If I weren’t on house arrest, I would probably need to steer clear of this Rascal Rock character,” continued Mr. Davies. “The entire Chronicle office, probably.” 

The two had a good laugh while Zeke, Lucy, Olivia, and Loretta began filling the remainder of the pew. After some introductions, the conversation turned back to the paper.

“We were just talking about Eric’s excellent article,” said Stephanie. 

“Was there any sarcasm?” asked Olivia.

Mr. Davies handed her the paper. “Quite the opposite,” he replied.

Olivia fell silent as the tone of the article caught her off guard. She laughed, then cried. Stephanie could see she was deeply touched by the mysterious story.

Eric wrote this?” asked Olivia, embarrassed by her tears. “Did he have help?”

“There’s that sarcasm we love,” replied Zeke. “Eric had a little help, but don’t we all need some?”

A few moments later, another group filled the pew behind them—the Davies family—a wife, two children, four grandchildren, and son-in-law Angus.  

Greetings and introductions were made all around. Olivia repeated all the names as she met each one until she got to Angus.

“You’re the man Zeke and Lucy used to work for,” she announced. 

“I like to say that I’m the one who introduced them,” he replied. “And fired them.”

Olivia didn’t seem to know how to take Angus’ comment. “That’s amazing that you can all still get along and even go to church together,” she said.

“This is my first time here, actually,” confessed Angus. “I’m showing my support for Mr. Davies here.”

Father Vance made his way to the growing party at the front of the church. After shaking many hands, he sat down next to his wife, and the service started. 

After a few hymns, it came time to read the passage of the day. Olivia had volunteered, and she approached the lectern.

“Today’s reading comes from the book of Revelation, chapter twenty-one,” she began.  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Olivia closed the book and looked out over the crowd. “This is the word of the Lord.”

“Thank you, Olivia,” said Father Vance as he carried his notes to the pulpit. “Good morning, and welcome everyone. It’s good to see a full house again.”

“This has been a week of reunions,” he began as he looked across the rows containing Olivia and her mother Loretta, along with the entire Davies family behind them. “It’s always good to be reunited with family and loved ones. In our scripture reading today, we see another reunion—the cosmic reunion between Heaven and Earth.”

While Stephanie tried to listen intently, she couldn’t help but think about the church bulletin Zeke said he left behind in the Ames Hill Motel room. She was concerned about unwelcome visitors and could never really escape her law enforcement training when it came to being aware of her surroundings. To complicate the matter, the front row was not the best place to sit if keeping an eye on the crowd was an objective. Fortunately, Edenbury was such a small town that anyone not belonging stood out like a sore thumb. Combined with her training, a quick glance around the sanctuary was all she needed. That, and she always prayed with her eyes open.

Father Vance went on for several more minutes before bringing his short message to a close. “For now, we have glimpses—sights, sounds, and even smells of Heaven—but one day, the reunion will be fully realized,” he said. “And the renewal of all things will be complete as we welcome the coming kingdom of our Lord.”

Father Vance folded his hands. “Let us pray.”

During the prayer, Stephanie caught sight of two strangers in black slipping out the rear of the sanctuary. 

—

For brunch, Cheryl slid a pair of tables together for the large group. Olivia and Loretta sat with Zeke, Lucy, Father Vance, and Stephanie. 

“You have an appointment with the Mayor of Ames Hill tomorrow afternoon,” said Sheriff Stephanie, slipping Zeke a piece of paper. “Here are the details.”

Zeke unfolded the note. “How did you manage that?” he asked.

“Mr. Davies called in a favor,” she replied. “He was so excited to help that he set it up right away.”

“How much does he know about Ames Hill?”

“Can’t say for sure,” replied Stephanie, “so there’s no telling what you’re walking into.”

“We also have an appointment with the real estate agent tomorrow,” said Lucy. “We finally get to see inside the mansion.”

“How long will you stay?” asked Olivia.

“As long as we need this time,” replied Zeke. “We don’t want to come back until it is safe for you to go back home.”

“Don’t take that the wrong way,” Lucy clarified. “We want you to stay as long as you want.”

“Of course,” said Zeke. “Loretta, where did you go when you and Father Gregory were in Ames Hill?”

Loretta finished a bite of her pancakes. “The motel, the library, and the hill of course,” she replied. “Other than that, just the usual stop to the graveyard.”

All the heads at the table turned to Loretta.

“I’m sorry, the graveyard?” asked Lucy.

Olivia tried to explain. “My father liked to visit cemeteries wherever he went,” she said. “He liked to look at the old gravestones and find the oldest ones. It was kind of fun, now that I think about it.”

Zeke turned back to Loretta. “This Ames Hill Graveyard, did you find anything interesting there?” he asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” she replied.

“Zeke, maybe you can catch up with the strangers we had at church today,” joked Stephanie.

“Got a description?” he asked.

“While all of you were praying with your eyes closed at the end of service, two men in dark suits scurried out the door.”

Zeke smiled at Lucy. “We’ll be sure to keep our eyes open this time, Sheriff.”

—

Along with all the buzz at church, Eric’s Chronicle article spread quickly through town. Papers sold out, and a second edition was already on the way from the printers. As Eric sat outside the office in his favorite new spot, residents of Edenbury came visiting in great numbers throughout the afternoon. Some just waved hello, and others sat with him and his rock. 

Drive-bys were also common. “Great article, Eric!” he heard more than one person yell from a car window.

Inside, Eric’s desk remained a secret that only he, Zeke, Father Vance, and his next visitor knew about. 

“How’d you like the way she turned out?” Henry Sheldon asked as he looked inside the front window of the office at the desk.

“Oh, she’s a beauty,” replied Eric. “You did a fine job on that Warren wood desk.”

“Zeke came into my store with a drawing, but I didn’t know he’d bring it over here,” Henry remarked as he returned and took a seat in an extra folding chair Eric had set out. “Makes a lot of sense when you think about it.”

“Henry, it’s the craziest thing,” confided Eric. “I was suffering from writer’s block, and when I sat down at the desk, the article just flowed out.”

Henry stayed for several minutes, and Eric enjoyed sharing more about his treasured piece of furniture.

Later, Anne and Rebecca brought a group of children over from the park. Like a pair of Pied Pipers, they led a train of children down the walk to the front of the Chronicle building. 

Eric shifted in his lawn chair as he greeted them. “Hello, ladies.”

“Mr. Eric,” said Anne. “We’re here to say hello, and we respectfully request that you provide us and these children a proper introduction to your friend. I think you owe us that much.”

By this time, many of the children were encircling the ensemble of lawn furniture and the rock like a wagon train. Some took seats on the grass in front of the boulder while Eric considered the request.

“Of course,” replied Eric, now standing. “I would be happy to do so.” Eric cleared his throat and then raised his voice dramatically. “Admirable Miss Anne Womack, honorable Miss Rebecca Warren, wonderful children and beloved creatures of Edenbury, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to my good friend, Rascal Rock.”

Eric was pleased with himself, but the feeling went away when he looked down to find a small boy who had hijacked his folding chair.

The children all turned to the rock, and an awkward silence fell over the crowd. Eric was used to the silence of the rock but was curious to see how the children would react. It was then that a tender but palpable breeze caught all the children in the face, blowing back hair and clothing. More than one small child fell over backward.

Eric watched with widened eyes. The wind subsided as quickly as it began, and the crowd of children erupted in applause and cheering. Parents in the park across the street all turned to see what they were missing.

“Okay, kids. Back to the park,” yelled Anne. “Form a line, please.”

Still standing, Eric found himself being passed by a long line of children.

“That was great, Mr. Eric, thanks!” one child said.

“That’s the biggest pet rock I’ve ever seen,” complimented another.

Several of the children just shook Eric’s hand politely.

As the last child made it back across the street, Eric cut his eyes over at the boulder. 

“How come I never got a breeze?” he asked.

—

“That was weird,” said Lucy as she set her luggage on the bed of their motel room. “The clerk at the front desk was so helpful last time we were here. This time it was as if he had seen ghosts.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Zeke cracked the door to find the clerk from the front desk. 

“Here are the extra towels you asked for,” he said.

“I don’t recall asking for any extra towels.”

The clerk persisted. “I’m sure we can sort this out if you let me in, Mr. Hughes.”

“Ahhh, sure,” Zeke said as he disconnected the chain on the door.

The clerk entered the room and put down the towels. “I apologize. I know you don’t need any towels,” he confessed. “I just needed to talk with you.”

“I noticed when we checked in that you looked like you had just seen a ghost,” remarked Lucy. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, It’s just that no one has ever returned after visiting the mansion on the hill.”

“How do you know we were there?” asked Zeke.

The clerk looked at Lucy. “I saw her footsteps on the wanted poster in the post office.”

“Let’s back up for a minute. I’m Zeke, and this is Lucy. Can I ask your name?”

“My name is Mr. Barney,” he replied. “I live here at the motel and have worked around the place for many years.”

Lucy tried to put Mr. Barney at ease. “It’s very clean and well taken care of,” she remarked. “Who owns the place?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hughes. Honestly, I don’t know who owns the motel,” he replied. “It was purchased by an outside group some years ago. I have phone numbers I call if I need anything. Including the one I’m to use if anyone asks about the mansion.”

“I assume you reported us?” asked Zeke.

“Yes, I’m so sorry,” he replied. “But I really need this job.” 

Lucy had more questions. “So why are you telling us all this? And what do you know about green footsteps?”

“My mother left the same footprints,” he replied. “It happened just a few times that I know of.”

“Your mother? Really?” exclaimed Lucy. “How, when?”

Zeke interrupted. “Mr. Barney, please, have a seat,” he said. “Take your time. We’d love to hear more about your mother.”

Mr. Barney took a chair while Lucy took a breath.

“We used to take walks on the hill when she lived at the nursing home. My mother was at the home until they took her away with the others,” Mr. Barney explained as his face dropped. “She died a few weeks later at another facility.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” consoled Lucy.

Mr. Barney continued. “I always wondered if there was some connection between whoever owns the motel and the company that ran the home. Could the footprints be a sign?” he asked. 

“Mr. Barney, if we can get those phone numbers from you, we’ll try to find out who is on the other end and why they are concerned about the mansion,” said Zeke. “We’ll be sure to keep you out of it. If there is a connection, we’ll find it.”

“I have to get back to the lobby, but I’m happy to help however I can,” offered Mr. Barney as he made his way to the door. “I need to know if my employer is in any way involved with the death of my mother.”

Zeke thought for a moment. “For now, go ahead and call the number in the morning.”

“What should I tell them?”

“Tell them the couple from Edenbury is back,” Zeke replied. “And they intend to buy the mansion on the hill.”

—

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