Episode 3.12, Devil’s Night, Part 1 ----------------------------------- At the Lakeview Golf Course Will, Kevin, Wayne, and Don meet at the golf course. Tee time is 8:04 a.m. They each introduce themselves, since this is the first time some of them have met. Wayne is surprised to see Kevin in a wheelchair, and is unable to prevent the shocked expression on his face. He wishes Will had warned him, “Kevin, it must be difficult to play golf from a wheelchair.” Kevin – “Oh, they have a single-rider golf cart that goes everywhere, including the greens. I’ve even taken it into the traps. They only have two, so as long as I reserve one ahead of time, I’m fine.” Wayne – “That’s great! What’s your handicap?” Wayne becomes uncomfortable with what he just asked and decides to clarify, “I mean in golf.” Kevin – “That’s okay, I knew what you meant. Mine is 18.” They each record their handicap and proceed to the first hole. At the Bethel AME Church The church is a beautiful wood frame structure, painted white with traditional stained glass windows. The cornerstone states 1891, but the building was rebuilt after a lightning strike in 1943 caused it to burn to the ground. The rummage sale is in a newer building, a nice activity center built on a lot behind the church. It is used for almost everything, except for Sunday services. The volunteers have done a good job of sorting everything, but it is still an adventure sifting through the piles of merchandise. Lilly arrives at 8 o’clock and meets Rebecca, who has been there since 6:30 a.m. Much of the merchandise has already been sold. Lilly – “This rummage sale is the largest I’ve seen in a long time. We could spend hours here and not see it all.” Rebecca – “That’s why it’s fun. I always end up leaving with a few things. What are you interested in?” Lilly – “You can’t come to one of these looking for something specific, but I always peruse through the books, and I like antique glassware and knickknacks.” They begin to browse. At Home Helen gets up with Will and Kevin and fixes them breakfast before they leave for the golf course. Joan and Luke have just gotten up, and they come downstairs with their stomachs grumbling. Helen – “Good morning!I have ham. Can I fix you some ham and eggs?” Joan – “Yeah, that sounds good. An omelet would be even better. Do we have any hash browns or grits? Helen – “We have both. Which one do you want?” Joan – “Hash browns with an omelet.” Luke – “Yeah, that would be good. Make me one, too.” Helen – “You two can man the toaster. What are your plans for the day?” Luke – “Friedman and I are going over to the college to meet with Professor Steinholz. He has access to the school’s mainframe, and we are going to play around. He’s a computer geek, too.” Helen – “Just be home for dinner. The Goetzmann’s want to meet you.” Luke – “Yeah, yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. We can talk about the molecular structure of mobile home parts and acrylic paint.” Helen – “It’s only dinner. You’ll survive, and you’ll have Friedman here after dinner, so you can hide in your room.” Joan – “What are we having for dinner?” Helen – “We are having your Aunt Olive’s paella. I’ll make two of them, and that should be plenty for all of us.” Joan – “Can I help? I would like to learn how to make it.” Helen – “Only if you promise not to tell your father. Not knowing the recipe really annoys him, and I love it.” Joan smiles, “Yeah, okay.” The toaster pops and they put a couple of more slices in. “Adam is coming over in a little while. We’re just going to talk. I don’t know, maybe here, maybe we’ll walk over to the park.” Helen – “Well, have fun. It’s nice to see you two together again.” Joan – “Well, today won’t be fun, but it’s necessary.” Helen wants to ask why, but she can sense it’s not something Joan wants to expand upon. “If you would like to talk later, let me know.” Joan – “Maybe, I don’t know… yeah, probably.” At the Lakeview Golf Course The game has been progressing as expected, with everyone scoring near his handicap. Wayne and Dan are close to par, but Will and Kevin are behind. Will will be shooting his next shot from a sand trap. Dan smiles, “That’s a tough break, Will. If only that tree had been a little further to the left, it might have ricocheted onto the green.” Will – “Well, I’m still working on the angles. Golf is a lot harder than pool.” Kevin – “I’ve made a few beaver pelts, but at least I’m close to the green.” Wayne – “You guys are really doing well, considering you’ve been golfing less than a year. I stank when I first started playing. But, that last birdie was sweet.” Dan – “Hey, did you know the New England Journal of Medicine reports that nine out of ten doctors agree that one out of ten doctors is an idiot?” As he takes his shot, he calls out “Three!” At the Bethel AME Church Rebecca observes the collection of books Lilly has gathered, “Harlequin Romances and Bible study, an interesting mix.” Lilly – “Don’t tell Kevin about the romances. It’s my secret. The Bible and Nave’s Topical Bible are for Kevin’s sister, Joan. She asked me about the Bible the other day. I don’t know if she wants them, but they’re only a buck each, so I’ll get them for her.” Rebecca – “I read Harlequin Romances, and Regency Romances are good, too. I haven’t told Dan, just because it hasn’t come up, but I don’t care if he knows.” Lilly – “Well, I just feel a little guilty, so hush is the word.” They continue browsing and come upon several tables filled with dishware and knickknacks. Most of it is junk, but Lilly finds a statue of\ `Pallas Athena `__\ . It’s about a foot tall, made of green and bronze colored gypsum stone. She checks the bottom. It says made in Greece. Rebecca – “First Harlequin’s, now Greek mythology. You really are a former nun.” Lilly – “Oh, when I was young, we studied the saints in school. I remember Pallas Athena because Saint Barbara is often referred to as her Christian equivalent. Pallas Athena is the Goddess of Truth. This is such a pretty statue. I’m going to get it.” At Home Joan has rearranged the living room so that a stuffed chair is facing the love seat. She wants to face Adam when he talks. She has moved the coffee table in and out between them three times before she finally decided to leave it in place. The initial bowl of potato chips has been changed to a bowl of pretzels. Two glasses of ice, one with a 7-Up for Adam, and a root beer for herself are also in place. A note pad and pen are on the table. ‘Should I get a tape recorder?’, she wonders. She walks to the window again and looks out for Adam. Helen walks into the room. “Mom, how do I look? Is my hair okay? Am I sweating?” Helen – “You look fine, but you are a nervous wreck. You need to calm down.” Joan – “I can’t. Why did I ask Adam to do this? I am so not signed up for this!” Helen – “Would you like to tell me what’s going on? Maybe I can help.” Joan – “No one can help.” She looks out of the window again and then back to Helen. “Ah… oh… Adam is going to tell me why he had sex with Bonnie. No matter what he says, it won’t be good.” Helen gives her a hug, “I know this will be hard for you, but I think you are doing the right thing. You and Adam need to talk about this. That’s the only way you will be able to move on.” Joan – “Well, that’s sort of why I’m doing it, but I still don’t want to.” Helen – “Hey, don’t you have some kind of yoga practice you could do to calm down?” Joan – “Yeah, I tried it. It didn’t work.” Helen – “Well, you and Adam will be better after you get this out in the open. Just keep that in mind.” She gives Joan another hug, “I’m leaving now. I have stitch witchery on the list for your costume. Is there anything else you need?” Joan – “A snack would be nice, something sweet. I really like those frosted oatmeal cookies. Oh, and some crackers, maybe Ritz or Chicken In A Basket, stuff for after dinner tonight.” Helen – “I already planned to pick up a few things. I’ll add your wish list. I’ll be back in a few hours.” Just then, the doorbell rings. Helen answers it, “Come in, Adam.” She looks back at Joan as she walks out of the door, “Bye honey.” Adam – “Bye Mrs. G.” Adam walks over to Joan, and they take their seats, “Are you ready?” Joan – “Yeah, I guess so.” Adam – “I have been thinking about it all summer long, so when you asked me to tell you why, it wasn’t hard to write everything down. I think my problem started when you got sick.” Joan – “Wait a minute! You had sex with Bonnie because I got sick over a year and a half ago?” Adam – “You said you wanted an honest and complete answer. I have to go back to when it started.” Joan is not happy, but she says, “Okay, I’m listening.” Adam – “Actually, it started just before that. Remember when you came to the hotel to see me?” Joan – “How could I forget that?” Adam – “Anyway, you came to have sex. Actually, you just wanted us to become closer. We didn’t have sex, but being closer to you is what I really wanted. You shared yourself with me, and I think that is the closest we have ever been. But then you got sick, and everything changed. I remember sitting in the waiting area while the doctor told us about your disease. She said you had probably been sick for a long time, but once the treatment was done, you would be back to normal. The problem is, I never knew you when you were normal. Your parents went in to visit with you, and after awhile, your mom came back out. She told us to go home, because you were too sick to see anyone. Luke asked if you were hallucinating like the doctor said. Your mom almost started crying when she told us that you were. Everyone else left, but I stayed. I just couldn’t leave, I had to see you. So, after a while, I went into your room. You were asleep, so I sat down and talked to your mom. When you woke up, we talked. Do you remember that?” Joan – “Yeah, I remember.” Adam – “Well, you told me you had been talking to God, and you talked about going some place in your head when we looked at that picture of Rodin and Rose. You still looked pretty sick, and the doctor and your mom had already told me you were hallucinating, so what was I to believe? The only thing I knew for sure was that you believed it. It really broke my heart when you told me that, because it meant the feelings you had for me on that day at the hotel were a hallucination. The Joan I fell in love with and who I thought loved me wasn’t real.” Joan – “Adam, that’s not true. I did love you.” Adam – “Maybe, but that wasn’t the real you. That wasn’t the ‘normal’ you.” Joan sees his point, and Adam continues. “During the summer when you were at camp, I began to wonder about what you said. I started reading those books and realized that maybe you were telling the truth. I convinced myself that it was true, because if it was, then your feelings for me were also real. I was ready to tell you when we met in the park, but then you said it wasn’t true. When I brought it up again later, you refused to talk about it. Hah, I remember exactly what you said, ‘I just want to be a normal couple again. You know? You remember normal?’ We never had ‘normal’ together, and that’s the point! And I realized then that the Joan I knew was gone. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted us to be together again, but you were different. I didn’t know how to connect with you. Then, Judith showed up. I know she was your friend and all, but she just took over your life. You didn’t have time for me any more.” Joan – “No, that’s not true. We talked and spent a lot of time together.” Adam – “You would only talk about the little stuff, and the only way you could find time for me was if we skipped school together.” Joan – “I invited you to Judith’s party.” Adam – “At the party, you spent the whole time with Judith. It was only when you got sloppy drunk that you decided you wanted to make out with me.” Adam looks sadly at Joan for a moment before continuing, “I’m sorry I got mad, but that wasn’t the real you. The real you just seemed to be closed off somewhere.” Adam stops for a moment, because Joan appears to want to say something. Joan just sits stunned, wanting to argue that he is wrong, but haunted by what he just said. She remembers how when she came back, God told her that she needed to reconnect. She thought he was just talking about to him. In addition, God recently told her about her problem with perception. Was he right? Could all of this have been happening to Adam without her knowing it? At least it appears that he believes it, and the truth is what she asked for. So rather than argue, she looks at him and says, “Okay, go on.” Adam – “At the hospital, we talked, and everything looked like it might get better. You promised we would spend more time together. I said we could go to Mercer Creek like you wanted. But that very next weekend, you and Judith went there together instead of us.” Joan – “Judith needed me. I thought you were okay.” Adam – “Well, I should have said something, but I didn’t. Anyway, I started getting jealous of Judith, and it made me mad the way she was treating you. That was when you were planting your garden, and I really hated feeling that way, but I couldn’t help it. We almost never got to be alone anymore.” Joan – “I knew you didn’t like Judith.” Adam – “At first, yeah, but that changed. Anyway, then you decided to get Larry the cat. I thought it might be a way for us to spend time together, but you didn’t want me to help. Then, when you had to get rid of him, I took him, hoping you would come to visit. You did, and I was really happy that you came, but still, nothing really changed between us. When you decided to help Brian Beaumont get elected, it was fun being able to help you, but you still spent most of your time with Judith. It did really make me happy that you were pleased when I got the internship at the graphics design studio. I thought that maybe we would be able to spend more time together, but again, you spent your time with Judith working on the clothing drive and getting yourself grounded in the process.” Joan gets angry, “Wait a minute! You’re making this sound like it was all my fault. If things were so bad, why didn’t you say something?” Adam – “It is my fault for not saying something. I was afraid of losing you. And our time together wasn’t all bad, but it seesawed back and forth, and slowly got worse over time. I kept hoping it would take care of itself, but it didn’t, and I let it go on too long. I decided that maybe the way to get closer to you was through Judith. We started talking, and that’s when I realized that she was really a nice person. What I liked most about her was that she loved you as much as me. I told her how I felt, that I wanted to get closer to you, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. She is actually the one who suggested we go out on a real date, but then, you got jealous, thinking Judith and I were hooking up. In the end, you realized we weren’t, but it upset me that you were jealous of me spending time with Judith when you could never find time for me on your own.” Joan is getting madder by the minute, but she can see there is some truth to what he is saying. She bites her tongue while Adam continues. Adam – “With Judith’s help, we arranged our date, and everything turned out perfectly, except Judith was murdered that same night. I was really angry with Judith, mostly because of what she did to you. I knew how much you loved her and how bad you were hurting, but you closed yourself off completely.” Joan – “Adam, you’re right here. I really had a hard time dealing with Judith’s death. I’m still trying to deal with it.” Adam – “I know it wasn’t your fault, but still, I was once again on the outside looking in. I couldn’t even talk to you about it, because you would always change the subject. When people really love each other, and something terrible like this happens, that’s when they should be able to support each other to make it through their grief together. You wouldn’t let me in, and that was just another reminder that there was still very something wrong with us. You finally got through it, and things looked like they were getting better. When we worked on the play and began planning to go to college together, I really thought that maybe we had a future. But then, you decided that we shouldn’t even consider going to the same college. You said it was because you loved me, but it sure didn’t feel that way.” Joan – “Adam, you are so talented. You can go to any art college you want. I didn’t want to hold you back.” Adam – “What about what I wanted? Why would you think I’d want to go anywhere without you? It seemed more like you wanted to get rid of me.” Joan again wants to say he was wrong, but decides to let him continue. Adam – “Then you saved Dylan’s life. I’m glad you did it, but you two became like Siamese twins. We couldn’t even have lunch together without her butting in. I thought my work was going great, but it turned out to be a disaster. I wanted to talk to you about it, but I didn’t feel that I could. That’s when the hopelessness began to set in. I realized that I was never going to have you the way I wanted you. I really wanted you to need me. I thought that maybe if I made you jealous, you might change. But instead, you hooked up with Roger. It backfired, and instead of bringing you closer, I pushed you away.” Joan – “I told you, the kiss was nothing. It was a mistake. I was confused.” Adam – “Well, what you didn’t know was how totally confused I was. When we went to the concert, I thought that things could change for us. If we had sex, then maybe the rest would follow. But that didn’t work out either. It actually made things worse. Your mom… well… she’s like my mom, too. Now both of you were mad at me. My life seemed like it was totally destroyed, and when you meddled in Stevie’s life and destroyed it, too, it seemed like you were doing it on purpose. Why did you hate me so much?” Joan – “Adam, I didn’t mean to wreck Stevie’s life, I was trying to help her. It just all went wrong. And I didn’t hate you, I was just mad at you.” Adam pauses for a moment before continuing, “Do you remember that day you were framed for throwing eggs at Prices’ car?” Joan – “Yeah, that was so wrong.” Adam – “Well, that morning, I told you I was tired because I stayed up all night studying. Remember?” Joan – “Yeah, that’s also when you told me about your Rhode Island trip.” Adam – “Yeah, well anyway, I lied. What really happened is I was out driving around. I wasn’t going anywhere; I just needed to think. Then I saw Bonnie painting a mural under the overpass on 32nd Street. I stopped to look, because it looked so incredible. We got to talking, and she asked me to help her finish it. It took us most of the night to get it done. While we painted, we talked. We talked about painting, and she told me about herself, and I told her about me. When I mentioned you, I found out that she already knew who you were, even though you had never met. When we finished, I gave her a ride home. She invited me in. She said she wanted to show me some of her paintings. Then it happened. I knew I shouldn’t, but she wanted me. I just couldn’t stop. I wanted to be needed so bad.” Joan – “Adam, you shouldn’t have. Didn’t you think about what you were doing to us?” Adam – “No, not at that moment, and besides, I didn’t know if there was an *us* anymore.” They both sit in silence for a while, then Adam continues, “Anyway, the Rhode Island trip, you were right, it was a lie. Bonnie and I had planned to spend the day together, and I needed an excuse. That morning, we painted a mural under the Clifton Creek Bridge. When you saw me later coming out of the music store, I was on my way to Bonnie’s apartment. You knew something was going on, and even though I lied, I knew you didn’t believe me. I felt guilty, so I went home instead of going to Bonnie’s. The next day, I met you at your community service, because I really felt guilty. I didn’t know what was happening to me, and I still didn’t want there not to be an us, but I was totally confused. I didn’t know Bonnie would be there. After you went back inside, she met me by the dumpster. She showed me the mural she had done. She wanted me to go with her to her house, but I really had to go to work. I felt bad about using her, so the next day, I took her to see your mom. I asked your mom to let her join her art class. I thought that might be a way to make it up to her.” Joan – “Art lessons in exchange for sex, sounds like a fair trade.” Adam – “I didn’t say it was right. It was just the only thing I could think of to do. You know, it isn’t easy for me to tell you this, so let me finish.” Joan – “Okay, go ahead.” Adam – “A couple of days later, you started talking about our anniversary. You wanted to celebrate, have dinner together at the Unurban. Once again, it looked like maybe we did have a future. I knew I had to end it with Bonnie. I was never in love with her anyway. It was just sex. I went to her apartment to tell her. She started crying. She begged me to have sex with her just one more time. I said no, but she… well, we ended up doing it anyway. I know I shouldn’t have, but it happened. I told her that I loved you, and that I wouldn’t be back. She tried to get me to stay, but I finally just left. The next day, she made that scene, and you figured out something was going on. The rest you know.” Joan – “I don’t understand how when you went to tell her it was over that you had sex with her again anyway. How could you do that?” Adam – “I don’t know. I made a mistake. I’ve made a lot of them, but I want this chance to make it right. You said you would give me another chance.” Joan – “That I did.” She pauses to think for a few moments. “I will need some time to think about what you have told me. I wish I hadn’t set up our lunch with Roger for tomorrow, but I don’t think we should cancel. Roger is a good friend, and he is in love with Cee-Cee. I want you to help me to let Cee-Cee know that I am not a problem for her. So tomorrow, let’s not make our problems their problems. Okay?” Adam – “Okay.” Adam gets up, and Joan walks him to the door. She kisses him on the cheek, “Thank you for being honest with me. I know it wasn’t easy for you to tell me that. We’ll talk more about this later.” At the Lakeview Golf Course Will has had better luck since chipping his way out of the sand trap. His and Kevin’s score are within a few points. Wayne and Dan’s scores are much better, but they have each been playing for several years. They are enjoying the challenge of each other, and each is struggling to win. Dan’s ball is four feet from the hole, “Hey, you know what I learned the other day? The limbic system of the brain controls the four F’s: Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, and Reproduction.” He lines up and sinks his putt. Everyone gets a little grin, and Will comments, “Dan, you are quite the comedian.” Dan replies, “I try not to take life too seriously, because no one ever makes it out alive.” Kevin lines up his cart to the ball. He’s on the edge of the green. He shoots, and it rolls just of the left of the hole and stops a foot beyond. Everyone sighs for Kevin. Will – “Tough break! That was so close.” Kevin – “Maybe we should take up horse shoes.” He putts it in. It’s Wayne’s turn. His ball is still in the rough, but just outside of the green. He shoots and it misses and rolls past the hole about three feet. Dan – “Hey, you are losing your touch. You need to catch up to me.” Wayne – “I will, watch me.” He putts and makes par. At the Bethel AME Church Lilly found a wonderful\ `drawing of Joan of Arc `__\ , framed and everything, “This is really nice, and I love the quote.” Lilly remembers, “When I was in grade school, we had to write an essay on who we would most like to meet, if we could go back in time. I chose Joan of Arc. She was such an incredible person, and I really would have loved to have known her.” Rebecca – “Well, now you have this nice drawing to remind you of her.” Lilly – “No, this is for Kevin’s sister. She spent the summer reading a book about Joan of Arc. I’ll bet she would love this.” Rebecca – “Joan is cleaning up today. You must like her.” Lilly – “I do, I really do. She’s kind of hard to get close to, but I’m working on it. She reminds me so much of my little sister.” Rebecca – “Oh, you have a sister?” Lilly – “Had, she died when I was twelve.” Rebecca – “I’m sorry to hear that. What was her name?” Lilly – “Rose… our mom really liked flowers.” Lilly wishes she hadn’t thought about her sister, because now she feels depressed, “Hey, why don’t we pay for this stuff, and then we can have some of those brats. They smell so good.” Rebecca – “Yeah, sure, then we can come back and look around some more.” At Arcadia College Friedman has been logged into Ryan’s computer, browsing around. He begins reading his e-mails. He comes across one and asks, “Professor Steinholz, what do you think this one means?” Professor Steinholz takes a look and reads it aloud, “Hope will burn on Devil’s Night, followed by and Peter, Paul, and Mary.” He thinks about it for a few moments, “Devil’s Night is tomorrow. That’s what they call the day before Halloween. The rest, I don’t know. Hope will burn? The answer is Blowin’ In The Wind.” Suddenly, Luke has an insight, “Could ‘Hope’ be a place?” Professor Steinholz – “I suppose, that would make it likely that Peter, Paul, and Mary are places as well.” Friedman – “Peter and Paul are names of churches! Is there a church called Hope?” Professor Steinholz retrieves a phone book. He leafs through the yellow pages until he finds the directory for churches, “Church of Hope on Broad Street.” He continues to leaf through the directory, “St. Peter’s Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and . . . hmm, there’s no St. Mary’s. That kind of blows our theory.” Luke – “St. Mary’s Convent, that’s where Joan takes dance lessons.” Professor Steinholz – “I think you’re right. You should give your father a call.” At Home After Adam leaves, Joan picks up the notepad and pen and begins writing down everything that Adam had said. By the time Helen returns, Joan has everything written down, “Mom, how do you spell ‘idiot’?” Helen – “Well, that depends upon whether you are talking about you or Adam.” Joan – “I don’t know, maybe both. I don’t agree with all the things that he told me, but from his point of view, I think he was being honest. How could I not have seen it? Am I that blind?” Helen – “Blind, no, but self-absorbed, sometimes. It’s not uncommon for someone your age. It might help if you really start considering other people’s point of view. Take Grace, for example. She has some really radical ideas, but it’s good to at least understand them, even if you don’t agree with them. It will allow you to gain a better perspective of things. She is both your friend and Adam’s friend. Perhaps you should talk to her about what Adam has told you and get her opinion.” Joan – “Yeah, that’s a good idea, but I don’t know if she’ll want to. Plus, I really don’t have time with Elizabeth coming over tonight, lunch and the hayride tomorrow, and Halloween on Monday. Do you think Adam will understand if I put this off for a while?” Helen – “I think Adam will be willing to give you a little time, but don’t put this off too long.” Joan – “I know, I have to deal with this, but I want to do it right.” Helen – “I’m going to leave you alone with this, but I’m here if you need me. If you want to talk or ask for some advice, just let me know. Why don’t you come help me prepare some of the ingredients for the paella tonight?” Joan – “Mom, I really want to learn how to make it, but I can’t do it now. I need to call Grace. It looks like now is the only time I have to do it.” Helen – “We can do it another time. Go call your friend.” Joan goes up to her room and calls Grace. Rabbi Polonsky answers, “Rabbi Polonsky, this is Joan Girardi, may I speak to Grace?” Rabbi Polonsky – “Grace is actually on her way over to your house. She’s rather upset now. I’m sure she’ll tell you about it when she gets there.” Joan – “What is she upset about?” Rabbi Polonsky – “I’d rather let her tell you that when she arrives. Joan, she needs her friends now.” Joan wants to ask what is going on, but decides to take Rabbi Polonsky’s advice, “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” At the Bethel AME Church Lilly and Rebecca have resumed browsing through the rummage and have worked their way to the clothing section. They have both found some jeans and blouses in good repair. Lilly has found the most, “These are really great! I destroy so many of my work clothes by getting paint on them or snagging them, it’s nice to find some so cheap.” Rebecca – “Well, I won’t be wearing these to work, but they will be great for days like today. Dan wants me to start jogging with him. The pants are loose enough to work fine.” Lilly – “Let’s go pay for these, and then we can come back and check out the last few rooms.” At the Lakeview Golf Course Wayne is making a three-foot putt when Will’s cell phone rings. It startles Wayne, causing him to shank the ball, “I think this warrants a mulligan.” Will signals his approval as he answers the phone, “Will Girardi.” Luke – “Dad, we found something in Hunter’s computer. We think his group is going to burn down three churches and St. Mary’s Convent tomorrow. You need to warn them.” Will – “Which churches?” Luke – “The first will be Church of Hope on Broad Street, then St. Peter’s Catholic Church, and then St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. I’ve sent an e-mail with the information to your computer at work.” Will – “Thanks, Luke, I’ll take care of it.” At Home When Joan hangs up the phone, the doorbell rings.She runs downstairs to let Grace in, almost knocking Helen over as she leaps from the landing. Her heart drops into her stomach when she opens the door. This is the first time she has ever seen Grace cry. Both Joan and Helen give her a hug as she puts down her suitcases, “Can I stay here for a while?” Both Joan and Helen say yes, and Joan continues, “Why don’t you go up to my room? I’ll be there in a few minutes.” After Grace goes upstairs, Joan says to Helen, “Mom, Grace needs me now. I’m not going to be able to entertain Elizabeth tonight. Can you call them and cancel dinner?” Helen was really looking forward to this evening, but realizes it is necessary, “Sure, honey, I’ll take care of it.” Joan goes upstairs and the phone rings. Helen picks it up, “Hello.” Will – “Hi hon, I have a problem at the office and I’ll probably have to work into the evening. I’m sorry about dinner.” Helen – “Grace is here and she has some big problem at home. Joan has already asked me to not have the Goetzmann’s come over tonight. She wants to spend time with Grace.” Will – “Okay, I’ll tell Wayne. Why don’t you call June? I’ll see you later.” Helen – “Be safe.” At the Bethel AME Church Lilly and Rebecca have wandered into a room full of electronic devices, mostly kitchen appliances. Lilly finds a DVD player, “Do you know if this works?” Rebecca – “Yeah, it was donated by… ,” she thinks for a moment, “Marilyn Brown’s son. He bought a DVR and didn’t need it anymore.” Lilly – “Good!I have a VCR, but not a DVD player. It’s getting hard to find new movies on tape.” Rebecca – “It also plays CD’s, so you can use it for that, too.” Lilly – “Great!Last year I heard some Christmas music on the radio by Mannheim Steamroller, but when I went to the store, they only had it on CD. I love their version of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’.” Rebecca – “Well, it won’t sound as well in comparison to a real stereo. TV speakers usually aren’t that great, but it will work.” Lilly – “This will be fine. Today has been wonderful. I’ve found so many nice things, and I’ve really enjoyed your company. Hey, have you been to the flea market on South Clinton Street? It’s by the auto auction.” Rebecca – “I’ve driven by there, but I’ve never stopped.” Lilly – “Why don’t we go? There’s always a lot of neat stuff. I love browsing.” Rebecca – “Sure, it’s still early. It sounds like fun.” At the Police Station Will gives Wayne the bad news about dinner, and both Wayne and Dan offer to take Kevin home after the game. Toni had duty today, and Will called her before leaving the golf course. The team is nearly organized by the time Will arrives. Toni – “I have been able to contact Brother Jimi and Father Mallory. Both have agreed to make sure their churches are empty and to lock the doors until we arrive. I’m still trying to get a hold of someone at St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s. We have two K-9 units ready to go and Roebuck has the bomb squad ready if it is needed.” Will – “Send patrol cars to St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s, and have them evacuate the buildings until we can get there. You have been doing this quietly, right?” Toni – “Yes, we have been using land and cell phones to keep the information off of the air.” Will – “Good, we don’t want anyone to know about it, in case these devices can be remotely detonated. Go ahead and dispatch the K-9 units to the Church of Hope and St. Mary’s. When they are done, have them go to St. Peter’s and St. Luke’s.” Toni – “Carlisle and Daghlian are on the way in, and here is the roster of officers on standby for today and tomorrow.” She hands him the lists. Will – “Have Carlisle and Daghlian go directly to the Church of Hope and St. Mary’s. I’ll be in my office checking e-mail and making contingency plans for tonight and tomorrow.” At Home Grace’s sorrow has turned to anger, but Joan still doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong. However, she does know that it is something about Grace’s mother, and she has learned quite a few new expletives. “Grace, can you tell me what happened?” Grace – “I just can’t deal with it anymore. I’m tired of the promises. I’m tired of the lies. If she wants to kill herself, fine.” Joan – “Your mother is going to kill herself? Grace, you need to tell me what’s going on. Maybe, I can help.” Grace – “My mom has all the help she needs. She just won’t take it. She’s a drunk and will always be a drunk. I have enough problems of my own. I can’t deal anymore with hers, not if she isn’t even willing to try.” Joan – “I thought she quit! She was fine during our summer vacation.” Grace – “Well, she has been sneaking booze and I caught her. ‘It’s only one little drink.’ For an alcoholic, that’s all it takes. I’m not going back there… ever! If I can’t stay here, I’ll go to the ‘Y’ or live on the street. Casper did all right.” Joan – “You can stay here as long as you want. I’m sure it will be okay with my parents, but you are still going to have to deal with your mother. What did your father say about it?” Grace – “He has always been a wuss when it comes to my mother. He knows what needs to be done, but he doesn’t have the guts to do it.” Joan – “What do you want him to do?” Grace – “For starters, get her into rehab, the real kind, not just ‘AA.’” Joan – “Did you tell them that?” Grace – “She doesn’t think she needs it, and Dad won’t make her.” Joan – “I think we need to tell my parents about this. My dad should be home soon. Maybe they can have a talk with them.” Grace – “Do what you want, I’m through talking to them. Rehab is not a request, it’s an ultimatum. I’m not going to live with a drunk anymore.” At the Flea Market Lilly – “In the summertime, they have tents outside for the farmers’ market. I buy most of my produce here. It’s fresh, and it’s usually less expensive than in the stores. Everything is inside now.” Rebecca – “This is a lot bigger that it looks from the street. Where do you want to start?” Lilly – “Let’s just start here and work our way to the back.” At the Church of Hope Lt. Daghlian and the K-9 officer arrive, and Mike is talking to Brother Jimi, “Nobody is in the church, right?” Brother Jimi – “Yeah, it was empty when I got back from ASK. I locked the doors as soon as I was finished looking around.” Lt. Daghlian – “Good, have you had anything delivered in the last week or so?” Brother Jimi – “When the officer called, I immediately thought of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. A statue was donated anonymously and delivered this last week. It’s really a beautiful statue.” Lt. Daghlian – “Where is it located?” Brother Jimi – “It’s in the right front of the room, near the lectern. I plan to get a pedestal for it.” Mike talks to the K-9 officer, and he and his dog enter the building. He is only inside for a few minutes when he returns, “Sammy doesn’t like the statue at all. The rest of the building is clean. You need to call in the bomb squad.” At St. Mary’s Convent Carlisle and the patrol officer have begun the evacuation of the convent. The Sisters were preparing for afternoon vespers, so all are dressed in their traditional clothing. Carlisle and the officer stand in the parking lot and observe as the nuns leave the building in single file. Carlisle chuckles. He puts his hand over his mouth and chuckles again. The officer asks, “What’s so funny?” Carlisle – “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. I took my niece and nephew to see\ `March of the Penguins `__\ this summer.” The K-9 officer arrives, and together they meet with Mother Superior Sister Agnes. Carlisle – “Has anything unusual happened in the last week or so?” Sister Agnes – “No, not that I can think of.Oh, wait, we did receive a beautiful new statue of St. Mary. We receive donations of all kinds, all the time. The only thing unusual about it is that it was given by an anonymous donor.” K-9 Officer – “Where is the statue now?” Sister Agnes – “Right now, it’s in the rotunda, against the wall. We plan to replace the existing statue tomorrow. Father Mallory will be bringing the tools we need after Mass.” Carlisle – “Are all the doors unlocked?” Sister Agnes – “Yes, I think so.” The K-9 officer enters the building with his dog. He goes straight to the rotunda and checks the statue. His dog alerts immediately. He calls Carlisle, “This statue is hot. Better call the bomb squad. I’ll check the rest of the building.” Carlisle calls Will, “Will, we’ve found a device. We need the bomb squad here ASAP.” Will – “I’ll get them there as soon as I can, but they are still working at the Church of Hope. What did you find?” Carlisle – “There is something inside a statue of St. Mary. It was delivered last Wednesday.” Will – “Sounds like the same story as at the Church of Hope. Father Mallory has confirmed receiving a similar statue at St. Peter’s. Keep everyone out of the building.” Carlisle – “Everyone’s out except for Officer Cattrall. He’s checking the rest of the building.” At Home Joan has convinced Grace to have lunch. Helen cooked a roast last night, and they have made sandwiches from the leftovers. Helen has joined them and the three are sitting quietly at the table eating. When they are finished, Joan tells Helen, “Mom, Grace needs to tell you something.” Grace – “Hey, I never said I would talk to your mother, you did. I’m through. I don’t care what they do anymore.” Joan – “Come on, you know it has to be you. I can tell her, but I only know part of it. You know everything.” Helen – “I don’t know what’s going on, but I would like to help if I can. Please tell me what it is.” Grace looks at Helen and then to back to Joan. Joan’s nearly nonexistent radar sputters on for a moment, “I have some poetry to read for English. Why don’t I go do that now? I’ll be in my room.” Joan leaves and Grace begins to tell Helen about her mother. At the Flea Market Lilly and Rebecca roam through the flea market, not finding anything they wish to purchase, but they find a woman with handmade quilts for sale. This sparks a conversation, and Lilly learns that Rebecca enjoys making quilts as a hobby. Quilting is something Lilly did years ago with her grandmother, before she lost her sight. They leave the market talking about some of the projects that they have done, and in Rebecca’s case, a project she is doing. At the Police Station Toni – “Our two-hour news blackout is not going to be long enough.” Will – “Yeah, I know. Give me the numbers, I’ll make the calls myself this time.” Toni provides the names and numbers, and Will calls the TV station first, “Jim, Will Girardi. I need an extension on the news blackout.” Jim – “But this is big news! The public has a right to know what is going on.” Will – “I know, but before, we only suspected the devices were planted. Now we have found two and are pretty sure of the locations of a third and fourth device. They have cell phones for remote detonation. We have only disarmed one of them. If news gets out before we are done, whoever planted them will likely detonate those that remain. Lives are at stake here.” Jim is stunned by the news and pauses before responding, “Okay, but I want a call from you as soon as the last device is disarmed. Deal?” Will – “Deal, and I’ll tell you as much as I can, without compromising the investigation.” Jim – “Okay. Hey, good luck.” Will – “Thank you.” At Arcadia College Friedman – “Okay, you see this other computer on the network? It’s receiving streaming data from somewhere. We need to find out what the data is and where it is coming from.” Professor Steinholz – “We can try a network capture and see if we can analyze the information. I have a program that will do that.” Luke – “Great! You take over, and let us know if we can help.” Professor Steinholz – “I have already figured out that what we are doing is not legal, but this guy is obviously up to no good. How did you two get involved?” Friedman – “The less you know, the better. Let me just say we are members of an organization called ‘AoJ,’ and leave it at that.” Luke thinks to himself, ‘AoJ, Army of Joan, cute, Friedman!’ At Home Joan has been lying on her bed, reading her poetry assignment. She doesn’t mind this one so much, because Emily is still her favorite, “…and here they are, touching people 100 years later.” Grace comes in and sits beside her, “I told your mom everything. She’s on the way to my house.” Joan – “Okay, but I kind of thought my dad should go, too. He and your father are sort of friends now.” Grace – “Your dad had to go to work. Your mom said he probably won’t be in until late tonight.” Joan – “I was thinking about calling Adam. He is your best friend.” Grace – “Both you and Adam are my best friends, just in different ways, but I really want to talk to Luke. Where is he?” Joan – “He and Friedman are computer geeking with Professor Steinholz. He’ll be home for dinner.” Grace – “Okay, I really don’t feel good. Do you mind if I lay down for awhile?” Joan – “No, go ahead. Just come downstairs when you wake up.” At the Lakeview Golf Course Wayne, Dan, and Kevin finish their game of golf and eat lunch in the lounge. Kevin enjoys Wayne and Dan’s bantering back and forth. Dan beat Wayne by one stroke! Of course, Kevin is nowhere in their league, but they all had a lot of fun. Wayne – “It’s too bad your dad had to go to work. He missed a great game.” Kevin – “Well, at least he got to be here for the first part of it. Did you see that smile on his face when Dan goaded him about his ricochet shot?” Dan – “He’s a good sport. That joke he made just before he left was good, ‘Being a cop isn’t all bad, but I do wish they would have more music and less talk on the police channel.’” At the Polonsky’s Helen walks up the sidewalk and rings the bell. Rabbi Polonsky answers the door, “Helen? I wish I could say this is a surprise, but it is nice anyway.” Helen – “We need to talk.” Rabbi Polonsky invites her in, and they sit in the living room. “Where is Sarah?” Rabbi Polonsky – “She’s taking a nap.” Helen – “Sleeping it off?” Rabbi Polonsky ignores her remark, “Sarah has a problem, and she will deal with it.” Helen – “According to Grace, she hasn’t been dealing with it too well.” Rabbi Polonsky – “This is just a little set back. I’m sure she will come to realize her mistake and everything will be okay again.” Helen – “An alcoholic will always be an alcoholic. She needs to understand that. I don’t think that Grace’s insistence that her mother get professional help is unreasonable.” Rabbi Polonsky – “She refuses to go, and I can’t make her.” Helen – “Of course you can make her, and if you can’t convince her to go on her own, I think you should.” Rabbi Polonsky – “You don’t understand the whole situation.” Helen – “I understand that your daughter is now living at my house and she belongs here with you. She can stay for a while, but this is not a permanent solution. You need to convince Sarah to get help or convince Grace that she doesn’t need it, but I don’t think Grace is going to budge on this issue.” Rabbi Polonsky – “I will talk to Sarah when she wakes up. Thank you for allowing Grace into your home while we sort this out.”