Nothing Sacred

“There’s another fact that’s bothering me,” he said.

> Now what? Resting a head that felt twice its normal weight on her hand, Martha looked at him. She should be going to bed, letting him get to bed. Just as soon as she could manage to stand up.

“I’m not sure Ellen mentioned this to Greg, but when she first told me the story, she said something about the man trying to give her money when he dropped her off.”

“She told Greg,” Martha said. “He found it odd, too. But not as odd as the guy dropping her off in the first place.” At Ellen’s request, the bastard had driven her daughter to the church when he’d finished with her. Two things to be thankful for on this god-awful night. The preacher was having an effect on her.

But only because she was so weary.

“So we’re dealing with a guy who commits crimes and then feels remorse about them,” she continued. “Greg says it’s almost a classic composite of one of the four basic criminal types.”

David didn’t say anything. Just refilled her coffee cup and stayed with her.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Being here.” She didn’t know what she would’ve done without him tonight. And didn’t know who else she could have leaned on so completely. He was a man whose job was to see to his parishioners; it was nothing personal. He’d do the same for anyone. A paid professional, just like the doctor who’d attended to Ellen that night. And the sheriff. And the counselor who’d stopped in briefly and was seeing her again tomorrow.

Martha told herself she was at no risk of making more of it than it was—depending on someone again, the way she’d depended on Todd.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was six in the morning on the East Coast.

“I have to call her father.”

David grabbed the cordless phone off the wall cradle. Handed it to her.

She stared to dial, then hung up. Tried a second time. She hadn’t talked to her ex-husband since his call weeks before to tell them about the baby. She rarely spoke to him anymore.

But every single time, he made her crazy.

Crazy with pain. And anger. And all the things he’d left her with that she didn’t understand.

Like the ever-present feeling that she wasn’t good enough.

“Martha?”

She peered over at the minister, noticing the lines around his eyes when he smiled. “I’m glad to be here,” he said, holding her gaze with his own.

Something happened to her in that second. She felt…a jolt. A sudden, unexpected peace. She wanted to believe in it. To hope that someday things would be okay.

But that was only because she was overtired.

She knew better.

Breaking eye contact, Martha nodded.

And dialed.

EVEN HEARING ONLY ONE side of the phone conversation between Ellen’s parents, David could tell what was happening.

Martha was asking for support that Todd Moore was unwilling—or unable—to give her.

Will Parsons had told David a little about his once-closest friend, Todd Moore. He’d described Todd as a man searching for meaning in life, trying his best to be fair while daring to seek out happiness during his time on earth. David had been prepared to give the man the benefit of the doubt. But now…

“I don’t know what to say to her, either, Todd. I don’t really think it matters all that much. She needs you. Especially you—” Martha turned away as her voice broke. “Right now.”

David watched the slender muscles along the back of her neck as she nodded. “I understand.”