[Jack Delaney]
The priest read and re-read the small article in
the newspaper. "Still No
Trace of Missing Woman - Essex Police Appeal
For Witnesses" Jack shook his
head. He knew the woman and her
little girl only vaguely - they attended
his services from time to
time. He still could not believe that something
like this had
happened to someone he knew, let alone in the same area as
him.
Jack
had heard that some priests get 'attached' to their flock, and he
felt
something odd - a need to help. Flicking through his address
book, he found
the address of the woman, and decided his best bet would be
to go there and
see if there was anything he could do to help. Even
if it was to find
someone to look after the little girl.
Sorting
himself out, Jack ran a comb through his hair, jumped into his car
and
headed to the address. The garden would have to wait.
Marcy
Duvall was rather shocked to see a priest coming up the garden path to
the
Wells house. She'd been the house keeper there for years and never
once
had any priest visited. Yes, occassionally Ms. Wells took the
child to
Mass, but the purely at eh child's begging. The girl's
mother was not very
religious at all. Something Marcy thought a
distinct shame. It was her own
influence that had goten the little
girl interested in her faith. Thinking
of that tiny girl made her
stomach twist into knots.
Marcy opened the door and came down the
steps. "Good afternoon Father, is
there something I can help you
with?"
[Jack]
The priest smiles, and
glances around at the house as he walks up to the woman. Turning his
attenion back to her, he smiles at the woman again. "Ah, yes, if you
could please. My name is Jack Delaney - Father Jack Delaney. It's
very odd, but I heard about Mrs Wells being missing and, well, I wondered if
there was anything I could do to help? Perhaps find someone to look
after the child?"
As he spoke, he realised
how flimsy he sounded. A thought crossed his mind - maybe this woman
would think I am nothing more than a nosey neighbour - Oh well, too late for
that. Jack looked around at the house and grounds. He never knew
the Wells lived in such a beautiful
house.
