“I know.”
She gentled her voice. “Lying to a federal agent is a felony. I don’t care if you were dating Lisa. She was over the age of consent, so it’s not against the law. Lying to me is. Would you like to revise your statement?”
Red colored his face and he looked at his lawyer. “Steve?”
Steve eyed him. “I suggest you tell the truth. We both know you didn’t harm Lisa, and we want to know who did. Sure, you might’ve made a mistake or two, but we’re talking about murder here. John? My advice is to tell all, unless it incriminates you. If it does, we’ll talk privately first.”
Pastor John looked back at Laurel. “Is this confidential?”
“We’ll try to keep it confidential, but I can’t guarantee it,” she said honestly.
The pastor pressed his lips together. “I am not going to discuss it.”
Huck scoffed. “Pastor John, give it up. Don’t make us interview all of your parishioners and the townspeople about when they saw you together and if they knew you were screwing. Your best move is to talk to us.”
Steve reared up. “That’s one, Captain. If you threaten my client again, we’re ending this interview.”
Huck smiled. “That wasn’t a threat. This is. Talk to me or I’m going to bulldoze my way through this church community looking for answers.”
Pastor John’s head dropped. “Fine. Yes. We started seeing each other seven months ago. Obviously we kept it secret, because I’m twelve years older than her and we were engaging in relations outside of marriage, but we were getting serious, and I think we would’ve gotten married.” He sat back and ran a hand over his short hair. “I’m so devastated she was hurt . . . killed in such a brutal way. Who would do this? I can’t get my head around it.” Lines cut into the sides of his mouth. Pain or stress? Anger or guilt?
“Did you know she was pregnant?” Laurel asked.
Pastor John rocked back so quickly that his chair nearly tipped over. “What? Pregnant? No.” He gasped rapidly as if having a seizure. “She didn’t say anything. I didn’t know. Are you sure?” His pain was palpable.
“No,” Laurel said. “She told a friend she might be pregnant, but we haven’t received the final autopsy report as of yet.” It didn’t look as if John had known, but he could be an excellent actor. The guy was smooth, which he probably had to be to run a church. “If so, I am very sorry for this second loss.”
Bearing put an arm over John’s shoulders. “You didn’t have to shock him like that.”
Yes, she did. It was the only way to gauge his reaction, as much as was possible. “Do you need a moment to compose yourself?”
He swallowed rapidly. “No. I’m fine. Let’s get this over with now.”
“What if you had known,Pastor?” Huck asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
“I would’ve married her. Right away.” John’s eyes glistened. “We would’ve gotten married anyway, I think. I can’t believe this happened to her. Why? I don’t understand why.”
It was a question Laurel could never answer. For anybody. “Tell us about your outreach program in urban areas.”
Steve Bearing cocked his head. “Why?”
“Why not?” Huck replied before Laurel could.
Pastor John shrugged. “Sure. We’ve been administering to the sick and the lost souls on the city streets. We take food and pamphlets, hoping to help them find a better way. Jasmine and Robert Caine have been in charge of the project. They’ve worked hard and made connections with many of the food banks and shelters in Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma by donating both food and funds. What good is working for God if you don’t really get out there and help His children who are so lost?”
Huck leaned back in his yellow chair, and the base creaked. “Does the outreach extend to prostitutes?”
“God’s love extends to anybody who needs help,” John returned. “Anybody on the streets. There are so many runaways, Captain. Sometimes, I do wonder if Pastor Caine saw too much of the pain and just left. It doesn’t make sense, knowing him, but what if? The pain in people can be nerve shattering.” His shoulders slumped. “I thought this job might be easier with Lisa by my side, but now she’s gone, too. Killed in such a terrible way. How could a just God allow this to happen?”
There definitely was no answer to that question. “Did you know Casey Morgan, Pastor John?”
Steve Bearing stiffened just enough for the movement to be noticeable.
John nodded. “Yes. Casey was a member of the congregation. She attended church periodically and often administered to high-risk youth, but I never worked closely with her. I knew her by face and name, but she never sought my counsel.”
“Was she friends with Lisa?” Huck asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” John said. “They were both friendly people, but I don’t believe they had an association outside of saying ‘hi’ to each other when Casey did attend services.” He looked at Steve. “Casey worked for you, didn’t she?”
