I nodded toward the church. “I know Shannon was a Catholic. Were you here to make arrangements for Shannon’s funeral?”
“Yes, though we don’t know when we’ll have her body back. It’s a never-ending nightmare.”
He looked off, momentarily distracted by a pickup truck roaring up the road. It would be rude to detain him much longer, but this was my chance to ask about a subject that wouldn’t stop gnawing at me.
“Tom Nolan told me she’d recently rejoined the church.”
He eyed me warily. “That’s right. So what?”
“Part of me wonders if her killer is someone she met at church.”
“You mean anotherparishioner?”
“Maybe. It seems like a pretty big coincidence thatShannon recently started going to mass again and then her body is discovered at a Catholic retreat center. Did she ever mention anything odd that happened at church?”
He shook his head in dismay. “No, nothing like that. She’d go to mass for an hour every Sunday and come straight home.”
“Do you have any sense of why she started participating again?”
“She never spelled it out for me, probably because I’m not religious. Shannon’s whole family is Catholic, and it was once a big part of her life, but by the time we met, she’d lost interest. I figured it was probably something she wanted to share again with her mom now that she was growing older.”
“I see.”
Cody raked a hand through his cropped hair. “I really need to get a move on. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course. Thanks for talking with me. And again, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
He motioned to turn and caught himself. “I trust you mentioned this theory of yours to the sheriff.”
“I threw it out there. I’m sure they have it under consideration.”
“I’ll make sure they do.”
He nodded goodbye and slipped into the Lexus, shoulders slumped. He was probably going home to be with his kids, fix them boxed instant mac and cheese for lunch or heat up one of the casseroles that neighbors had dropped off. Maybe Kelly would be lending a hand. That was one of the things you discovered the more tragedy you saw. No matter howdevastating the event, life went on, which meant funeral arrangements had to be made, meals had to be served, kids had to be put to bed for the night.
As Cody drove away, I crossed the parking lot to the parish center. One story high and T-shaped, it was a less attractive building than the church next to it, probably built on a budget. I pushed open the glass door and stepped into a large white lobby with a wooden crucifix hanging high on the wall. The only furniture was a single navy-blue wingback chair and a small side table featuring a pot of yellow mums, which gave off a vaguely unpleasant herbal scent.
Beneath the crucifix was a set of glass doors, through which I could see a small library and a series of meeting rooms, all with the lights off. A door to my right, however, had a crack of light beneath it, and a woman soon emerged from behind it. She was in her late forties, I guessed, dressed in brown slacks and a lightweight beige sweater, her champagne-blond hair framing an attractive tanned face.
She smiled warmly at me. “May I help you, dear?”
“Yes, thank you. I’m looking for Deacon Nolan?”
“Tom? I’m afraid he’s not here. He’s generally only here on Saturday mornings.... Is this about a wedding? Father Jim is over at the church and could answer any questions.”
Thatwas funny. Me giving off a bridal vibe.
“No, actually, Tom and I have been in contact about Shannon Blaine and I was hoping to speak to him further.”
“Oh, what a heartbreaking story. I know Tom has been meeting with some of the family members. Is he doing bereavement counseling with you as well?”
“No, I’m a reporter actually, the one who found the body. Bailey Weggins.”
“Goodness, I read about that. It must have been very traumatic.”
“It was, yes. Are you familiar with the place—the retreat center?”
“I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never actually been there. I moved to the area around the time it was closing. I’m Emma Hess, by the way. The parish house administrator.”
