We followed and stepped onto the porch. Casey glanced at the video doorbell. An instant later, the blue indicator ring flashed on. Her mother was watching from her cell phone.
Casey huffed, annoyed, and put her hand over the lens. After a moment, she strolled down the walkway, then across the lawn to the driveway, out of view.
We followed.
"She thinks I'm a child. I'm not a child.”
"I'm sure she's just being protective," I said.
"I'll be 18 next month.”
We stared at each other for a long moment.
"Tell me what's on your mind.”
Casey glanced around, making sure no one was in the area. "What I’m about to tell you has to remain a secret. Promise?"
33
“Casey, I need to know what’s going on,” I said.
“Ivy made me promise I would never tell.”
“I think Ivy would want us to solve her murder.”
Casey’s lips tightened. “Okay, but I didn’t tell you this.” She glanced around again with nervous eyes. “Ivy was pregnant.”
That hung there for a moment.
“Who was the father?”
Casey’s face tensed. “I don’t know if I should say.”
“I think we’re beyond that point. You need to tell me. It could be relevant.”
“Oh, it’s relevant.” After another long pause, she said, “You’re not going to believe me.”
“We’ll do our due diligence and verify whatever it is you tell us.”
“I don’t know how you’re going to verify this.” She paused. “You gotta keep my name out of this.”
“Casey…”
She took a deep breath. “Okay. It was Father Callahan.”
Our eyes widened with surprise.
“Father Callahan?” I said.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Now, just hang on. I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. Those are serious accusations, and we’ll need to investigate. How did this happen?”
She gave me an annoyed look and talked to me like I was a child. “See, when a man and a woman have sex without protection, sometimes babies happen.”
I gave her a flat look. “Thanks for enlightening me. Now, can you tell me the circumstances surrounding their affair?”
“Well, they were spending a lot of time together because of the choir, and Father Callahan is kind of hot in thatI-can’t-have-youkind of way.”
