“You mean ‘Father.’” Zeke’s tone sounded indulgent.
Her voice remained sure and strong. “I really don’t.”
Huck cleared his throat. “How long have Pastor John and Mrs. Bearing been seeing each other?”
“Maybe for a couple of months, from what I understand.” Zeke looked properly somber.
Huck lowered his chin. “Are you breaking the confessional right now?”
“Oh, no, no. This is just normal gossip,” Zeke said. “I’m not breaking the confession at all. I wouldn’t do that.”
“All right. From whom did you hear this gossip?” Laurel asked.
Zeke lifted his hands. “I really don’t know. I can’t say. Besides, if I did hear something in confession, and it wasn’t about the confessor, then I’m not breaking the confessional.”
Huck tried to hold on to his patience. “Somebody in confession told you about Pastor John and Teri Bearing?”
“Yes. I can’t reveal the identities of those persons because I gleaned the information during confession, although I can tell you about the actual affair because that wasn’t what was confessed.”
Huck glanced at Laurel. She shrugged.
He didn’t know either. “I thought just Catholics have confession.”
“No, not at all. I think it’s important to lift sins off the chest, and we hold confession here once a week,” Zeke said. “Although, Tim, I do note that you haven’t been to confession recently. Should you attend?”
Kohnex shook his head. “No. Anything I’ve done is between me and God.”
Laurel focused on Kohnex. “Tim, did you know Mrs. Bearing?”
Kohnex nodded. “I did. We attend the same church, but outside of church we weren’t friends. She had a darkness around her, an aura of . . . I don’t know. If I had to pick one word, it’d be ‘melancholy.’ But in the last couple of months her aura had lightened to a pink, almost a sparkling-champagne pink. So I figured whatever had been weighing on her had lifted. Maybe she had fallen in love.”
“Did you hear that she was dating Pastor John?” Huck asked.
Kohnex scratched his chin. “I did not. But I don’t hear confessions. At least not formally.”
“Formally?” Pastor Caine asked.
Kohnex shrugged. “Sometimes the wind whispers her secrets to me, and then I know.”
“So you and the wind, huh?” Huck asked.
Kohnex nodded solemnly. “Yeah, my talent used to help with basketball games. I would know which players to put where and which plays to call. Then the wind murmured to me when I invested in that oil company. Lately, I’ve got to tell you, she’s been crooning a lot.”
“Saying what?” Laurel asked.
“Beware,” Kohnex whispered, his eyes widening.
Laurel tucked her gloves into her jacket pocket. “Beware of what?”
Kohnex looked back at his dog. “She hasn’t told me yet.”
What was this guy’s deal? “Where were you last night?” Huck asked.
“I told you. I was home, and then I took my dog for a walk.” Kohnex smiled at the dog.
“I see. What about Sunday night?” Laurel asked.
Kohnex pursed his lips. “Same. I don’t go many places, Agent Snow. I was home with my dog. We had macaroni and cheese. I watched the television and went to bed. That’s pretty much what I do. Every once in a while I get online and play around with the stock market, but all I seem to do is make more money.”
