Joan walked apprehensively into the church. It wasn't out of fear over what she'd see. On the contrary, over the summer there had been an enormously heartwarming outpouring of sympathy and assistance from the town, and now the church looked good as new, as well as Rabbi Polonsky's synagogue. No, her nervousness was about what she was going to do here. She thought she had hardened her resolve enough at home, but standing on the brink of actually doing it brought all her misgivings back out.
Joan shook them away with some difficulty. She had to do it, at least as a starting point. She resolutely walked through the building, and into the confessional. She put her knees on the kneeler, and looked at Father Ken through the latticed window. "Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. It has been two years since my last confession." Father Ken replied, "Tell me your sins, my child." "I have taken the name of the Lord in vain several times…when I've spoken to him."
Father Ken looked her in the eyes. "What was that?" he said. Joan hesitantly said, "For the last two years, I've been talking to God. People come up to me, tell me they're God, and give me some sort of assignment. At first I thought I was just crazy, but I started listening and when I do what these people ask me to, everything changes for the better."
Father Ken pondered this for a moment. Then he said, "You just wanted to talk about this, in a way that I couldn't ell anyone else, could you?" "Yes," Joan confessed. He went on, "I'm not sure what you want me to say. If all these things have happened like you say, then maybe you really are talking to God. It seems you've made your mind up about that, so what do you need me for?"
Joan replied, "I think I know who attacked this place and the synagogue." "Really? And you've figured this out through your conversations with God?" "Yes. God talks to him too, but he doesn't listen anymore. In fact, he's now fighting Him outright." "I don't suppose you know his name?" "Ryan Hunter."
Father Ken's face took on a very serious expression when he said, "Now that's a very serious accusation. Mr. Hunter has been one of our most generous contributors in our time of need. Why would he do that if he caused that need in the first place?" Joan stuttered a little as she said, "I don't know. But I still suspect him, and I just wanted you to know about it."
Joan left the church after receiving some instructions for penance involving rosaries and Our Fathers that she didn't really pay attention to. She knew she hadn't done much damage to Ryan, but she was only beginning.