path: root/12-DevilsNightPart1.rst

Episode 3.12, Devil’s Night, Part 1
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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 <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/PallasAthena.jpg>`__\ .
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 <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/Joan_of_Arc_Drawing.jpg>`__\ ,
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 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428803/>`__\ 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.”