Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a bit late (again). I had finished it the day after Halloween, but FF had experienced a hiccup which prevented most people from seeing new chapters and stories. I decided to wait until after the bug was resolved so everyone could enjoy it. I hope that you will.

Chapter 14

Henry wiggled into an upright position as the bare trees lining Catherine Slip Street transformed into a lush green field dotted with clumps of gorse bushes, elms, and poplars lining the two main roads on either side of the common. His heart sank when the stone church's steeple and green roof emerged from a strand of elms and broom trees that were almost as old as he was. Edward should be springing up from behind Mother and Father, excited to share the latest gossip about the neighbors or his and his friends' plans for the next few evenings. He should be trading barbs with Jonathan D'Arcy, dreaming of his own Grand Tour, or discussing his intentions to follow his older brother's footsteps into a life away from the shipping trade upon his return. He should be eyeing their new female—and unwedded—neighbor and pestering Grace and Mother for an introduction to her. Anything but lying in the ground next to Grandfather and Grandmother on the family estate.

Henry's black cravat and the matching crepe armband tightened their grip around his neck and arm. He spied an opening and stepped into it. If only he could tear down the field and hide in the grove near the street from Tooting, perhaps he could cry in peace.

"Henry."

Father's stern voice chilled him to the bone. He swallowed and cast his gaze to the ground while he rejoined his parents and sister.

"Yes, Father."

Falling behind the older Morgan, Henry brushed away the tears from his eyes. Perhaps he should have discouraged Edward from his plans to leave Father without an heir to the family company. Perhaps he should have left for Oxford to begin his medical education two years earlier than he had. Perhaps he should have abandoned his desire to go on the Grand Tour and opened a surgical practice instead. Perhaps….

Grace caught his eye and offered him a small smile. He bowed his head quickly, and his lips began to lift….

A car horn blared behind him. He blinked several times and waited until the remnants of his memory faded into the present before he dared to address anyone.

"Henry." Fawn's voice cut through the last of the fog. "Are you okay?"

He traded looks with Abe in the rearview mirror and then gave Fawn a small smile. "It's the first time I've stepped foot in a church in a long while." More like over 200 years.

"Bad experience?"

"You could say that." The long line of comforters had forgotten about him while consoling his parents and his sister, and the one friend whom he had there was at home suffering from a severe bout of—what he now knew was—ulcerative colitis. In addition, Reverend Venn's sermon on joy had failed to assuage his grief or address his desire to know whether he would ever see his brother again in the afterlife. Fortunately, the following Sunday, the surgeon-apothecary whom he had started working under had called him away to a medical emergency at St. Bart's, and, when it had come to his religious beliefs, Henry had never looked back.

He could feel Jo's eyes boring through him. He turned to her and gave her a look which he hoped would convey a desire to talk about it later. She responded by squeezing his hand and easing her other hand up his back until it settled on his nape. As she stroked it, every ounce of tension drained from him and into her fingers.

He swallowed back his hum and his pleasure to prevent a rather awkward situation. Keep going, Jo. That feels good.

Jo's fingers landed on the same spot that Abigail had stroked whenever she had been interested in more than a night out on the town. He leaned back against the seat and clutched the door handle in an attempt to not give into his passions. Man, this was going to be harder than he thought.

"This time will be different." Absolutely oblivious to what was really happening, Fawn locked eyes with him. "You'll be staying long enough to sing for everyone." She smiled at him. "And you have your friends, Abe, and me to support you. Just relax, and enjoy yourself tonight."

Jo slid her fingers down his neck and repositioned them on his back, breaking the spell over him. He smiled back at Fawn. "Thanks for the reminder."

He slightly shook his head. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn Fawn had sounded like his mother.

Abe pulled up to the Georgian-style, red brick church and parked between the two white columns supporting the porch. Henry climbed out and left his door long enough to help Fawn out.

As Henry went back and took Jo's hand, Abe twisted around, leaned over the seat, and gave him a paternal look. "If you and Jo make other plans for the night, I won't wait up for you. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Henry narrowed his eyes. What hadn't Abe done while courting a woman before Fawn had made an honest man out of him? At times, he could have sworn that his son could have given Uncle Dennis a run for his money.

Sensing Abe wouldn't let up on him, Henry mustered as defiant of an expression as he could. "Yes, Dad."

Abe's eyebrows shot up. Before his son could say anything, Henry burst into a grin, closed the door, and wave the younger Morgan off to his parking spot. He turned to the two women, who were attempting to hide their laughter from him.

"Shall we?" Ignoring their reactions for the moment, he gestured to the door.

A brisk, cool wind brushed against his cheek. Reminded of the day's ordeal, he wrapped his arm around Jo, tucked her under his shoulder, and kissed her on the top of her head. She snuggled deeper against his side as they mounted the stairs, almost as if she sensed he didn't want to let her go.

They passed a pair of parishioners entering the building. The door swung toward the threshold, and he caught it for Fawn with his free hand. Fawn nodded her thanks while she brushed by him.

A grin cracked his face. Perhaps, one day, he would tell her the real reason why the exchange was amusing. He still needed to know what she believed about death, the afterlife, and immortality, but, until then, he would let her dictate how much she wanted to know about his life.

"Hey!" Hanson's stern voice rose above the rest of the ones echoing in the foyer. He emerged from the group of their fellow carolers and their families, pursuing his sons as though they were suspects in a case. "Come back here. You're not supposed to be running in a church. It's unholy."

Henry gulped. Right after he told Hanson. Unlike Jo, Lucas, and Lt. Reece, Hanson didn't believe in immortality. One word about it from the immortal's lips, and the skeptical detective would place him in a white-padded room in Bellevue in a heartbeat.

Jo untangled herself from him, caught his eyes, smiled, and tugged at his hand. Whatever his next thoughts were, they had faded before it could enter his mind.

"Come on. Let's join everyone."

He gaped at her and shook his head as she led him into the building. How was it possible for her to have this effect on him? For her to steal his worries and hide them somewhere where he couldn't find them with merely one touch and a look? For her knowledge of his innermost secrets to take his breath away? For her desires to override his and encourage him to try something he hadn't done in ages?

He pulled his lips into an open-mouthed smile. What he wouldn't give for her to bring him under her influence anytime she pleased for the remainder of her life.

Jo nudged him deeper into the nave. His eyes widened as he took in the garlands of fake hollies and ivies lining the pews and the lighted ones lining the balcony's walls, the Christmas trees flanking the main aisle, and the poinsettias sitting below the altarpiece. Holy Trinity was always somber, even during the holidays. This, well, this was almost a festive wonderland.

Jo slipped away from him, presumably to greet Karen. Henry's heart lurched in his chest. He wished that she would have remained by his side. There weren't enough hours in this day for them to be together.

He checked out the group. Everyone was preoccupied with their families, and he hated to disturb them.

To distract himself from his loneliness, he found Fawn claiming a seat in the pews for herself and Abe. A young couple eased into the pew behind her. The woman struck up a conversation with Fawn. Henry tried to hone on them, but the surrounding voices drowned out the women's words.

The man looked back at Henry. He locked eyes with the immortal, and the color drained from his face.

Henry struggled to keep his features schooled. How did the man know him?

The man then peered over Henry's shoulder. Henry twisted around to see where the man was looking. Henry's heart slammed against his scar the second he recognized the man was watching the group.

Henry swallowed as soon as the man turned his back to them. With his unpredictable schedule and his days off for practice, he hadn't had the pleasure of examining Jo's files on their suspects yet. But he could swear that the couple were Marcia and Ralph.

He pivoted toward the group and spotted Jo and Karen talking animatedly. Jo glanced at him, a smile gracing her face, before turning her focus back on Karen.

He swallowed again. He hated to interrupt their conversation. Jo and Karen had been apart for a long time, and it was only recently that they had rekindled their friendship. She shouldn't be forced to miss another minute of it.

Paul's and Barbara's gray, blank faces and naked bodies flashed before him. He squared his shoulders and started toward the women. Regardless, Jo needed to know so that they could move in on Ralph and arrest him.

Footsteps tapped toward him. The next thing Henry knew, Donnie screeched to a halt. "Uncle Henry!"

The lad threw his arms around the old man's waist. His chest warming, Henry reached down and patted Donnie's shoulders. "It's good to see you too."

He squatted down until he was at eye level with Donnie. "What's this that I hear? Why were you running in the sanctuary?"

"Matt took the candy cane they gave me when we came in. I wanted it back."

Henry bowed his head and smiled. How many times had Edward pestered him in that manner when they were Donnie's and Matt's ages?

Donnie scrutinized the older man. "Are you wearing jeans?"

Henry scoffed, careful to not insult the lad. "I am."

"Did Aunt Jo talk you into it?"

Henry scrambled for his words. Had he and Jo been so obvious that a child could discern what was going on between them?

Before Henry could answer, Lucas appeared in his field of vision. He stepped in front of a guilty-looking Matt, who proceeded to lunge around his legs.

"Whoa, there, Little Guy." He swooped Matt into his arms and carried him back to his older brother. "Not so fast. Hasn't anyone told you you're not supposed to be running in a church?"

"Nun-uh." He shook his head as Lucas lowered him to the ground.

Donnie glared at his brother. "Someone did too."

"Who?"

"Daddy."

As if on cue, Hanson raced up to his sons and leveled a stern look at them. "How many times have I told you two not to run away from your mom and me?"

"Matt took my candy cane and won't give it back," Donnie pleaded.

"I did not." Matt shot a look at his brother. "It was mine."

"We'll talk about this later." Hanson took both boys by the arm and pointed them toward Karen. "Right now, we need to get you back to your mom so you can take your seats."

He finally noticed his colleagues and gave them a grateful look. "Thanks, guys. I owe you one."

As they moved toward the ladies, Henry felt a smile playing on his lips. He turned back to Lucas. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Lucas puffed out his chest. "My cousins. They're always running from their parents whenever we have a family reunion. Catching them is much easier than chasing them."

Henry threw his head back. With Lucas' lanky frame, he could see that.

The young man studied Henry. "Say, aren't you and Jo…?"

"Everybody." Candy's voice interrupted them. Henry inwardly blew out a sigh of relief. He wanted to tell Lucas about his and Jo's relationship, but not like that.

Candy studied them and waited for the rest of the group to join them. A tall, older-looking man joined them. She gestured toward him. "This is Reverend MacNeilly."

"It's good to meet you all. Sgt. Lior has told me so much about you." Reverend MacNeilly nodded a greeting to them and checked his watch. "Why don't I lead you to the choir area so you can get ready?"

As the group fell in line behind the pastor and migrated to the side aisle, Henry stole another peek at their possible suspects. The young man stared at them, almost as if he was attempting to discern their identities.

Abe pivoted around and caught Henry's eyes. Henry gave his son a small smile which failed to fill him with peace. Somehow, he had the feeling that he and Jo wouldn't be enjoying themselves later tonight.

"Glo-o-o-o o-o-o-o-…"

Jo sucked in a breath and hoped that she held her note. How much longer was this going to last?

"…-ri-a."

Whew!

"In ex-cel-sis De-e-o."

As the last note from Candy's piano faded and applause took its place, Jo dared to look out over the crowd. Her eyes widened as the audience rose to their feet and gave them a standing ovation.

Her chest warmed as she spotted Karen and the boys, Abe and Fawn, and everyone else's immediate families. She glanced back at Henry, and they exchanged smiles. This was possibly her best singing yet. She had been so distracted by her walk to the shop and picking Fawn up from her Union Square apartment that the detective didn't have time to be nervous about the performance.

When she turned back to everyone, her eyes landed on Lieu and what looked like her husband, a daughter, her nephew, and his family. She swallowed. She didn't even see Lieu. Had she or her nephew noticed where she had screwed up?

She squared her shoulders as the audience took their seats again. She would find out soon enough. Knowing Lieu, she wouldn't let them leave without telling them what she thought about their performance.

Reverend MacNeilly sauntered up to the pulpit, laid his hands on it, and cleared his throat. "This concludes tonight's cantata. Let's give Sgt. Lior and The Twelve Golden Rings another round of applause and thank them for filling in for our choir this week."

As the audience clapped, Jo finally took the deep breath that she had felt she had needed all evening long. At the same time, she was relieved that no one outside of their group had recognized Henry. Frank and Dottie had given her a scare, and, when Henry had told her that he had mentioned his condition to them before they went to their death beds, she had assumed the worst. Fortunately, his and Abe's visit had gone the same way that Henry's final visit with James Carter had gone over a century ago, and, so far, it appeared that Henry could stay in New York without worrying about his secret getting out any time soon.

She caught Fawn's eye before the older woman bent down to pick up her purse. Jo smiled. It would be nice if Henry were to tell her the truth about himself. But, when he had regaled her with the tale of his visit with his former neighbors, the seasoned detective could tell from the look on his face that he wasn't ready for that just yet. Apparently, six reveals over the course of two and a half years—seven, if she counted Adam receiving visual confirmation of Henry's immortality when the psychopath had stumbled upon the crash which had thrown Henry into her life—was a bit much for him.

Jo's eyes traveled to a couple sitting directly behind Abe and Fawn. Her heart jumped into her throat the moment she recognized Marcia and Ralph from her case files.

She mentally slapped her head. Of course, there was a chance that they would show up here. According to Candy, the King of Hope Church's yearly cantatas usually drew visitors who had walked in off the streets as well as the church's regular parishioners. Maybe Marcia had heard about the change in plans, and she had asked Ralph if they could go before they returned Upstate.

She inwardly cursed herself for not noticing them sooner. The moment that the curse word had finished crossing her thoughts, she cringed. It didn't matter if she was mad at herself for looking at different parts of the audience like her grade school teacher had instructed her to before her performance in My Fair Lady. She shouldn't be using that language in church.

Ralph locked eyes with her and leveled a threatening glare. She leaned into her police training to resist the urge to react. If Ralph thought he would scare her easily, he had another think coming.

The congregation rose and began to gather their belongings. The group stepped out of their spots and clustered around each other. She nervously gazed out into the audience. She hoped that everyone else would slow Marcia and Ralph's exit from the building. It would give her time to round up Mike, Nadia, and Rachel—and maybe Colleen and Sarah, if Candy didn't mind—and move toward her suspects without arousing suspicions.

Several scenarios ran through her head. Her heartbeat picked up its pace. At the same time, she didn't want to think about Ralph taking a hostage or threatening to shoot a random bystander in the building. Even Henry deciding to take a risk and step between the suspect and everyone else would….

"Jo?"

Nadia's voice brought Jo's thoughts to a stop. "What?"

"Do you have any plans for the night?"

Jo bit her lower lip. Abe and Fawn had plans for later, and, knowing them, the couple wouldn't be finished with them until morning. Maybe she should invite Henry over to her apartment, and, if they talked way past their bedtimes, maybe she could return the favor by letting him crash on her sofa for the night.

Fawn's and her attempts to comfort Henry while on the way here came back to her. She bit back her laugh. Did she manage to turn Henry on while she was stroking his neck? She didn't know she had it in her.

The room suddenly grew hot. She…

Focus, Martinez. You're in a church, and you shouldn't be thinking that way. Mark the spot and save your memory of his reaction for the honeymoon. And don't forget that Nadia is waiting for you to answer her.

Jo found Henry to suggest the idea to him. He, however, was deep in conversation with Mike. She strained to hear what they were talking about, but she couldn't make it out.

She shrugged. Maybe it was a father-to-father talk about Donnie and Matt's behavior earlier in the evening. Mike hadn't quite simmered down when he had joined the men in the choir area, and both Jo and Karen were worried he might not focus on his singing. Maybe Henry was giving him some advice without revealing precisely how he knew what to do.

Ralph caught Jo's eyes. Fortunately, he and Marcia hadn't left yet. Unfortunately, he alternated between eying the group with suspicion and charting a course for the exit.

She motioned for Nadia and the other law enforcement officers to come closer. They huddled around her. She glanced around them and shot Lucas a murderous look which she hoped would discourage him from joining them. To her relief, he slowly backed away from her, eased around the group, and headed toward the audience.

Jo steeled herself for the officers' reactions. "Look, I hate to break the news to you, but whatever you have planned for the night, we're going to miss it."

Everyone groaned and started complaining. She sneaked another peek at Marcia and Ralph. Her heart pounded harder as she watched Abe and Fawn engage them in conversation.

She pleaded to whomever was listening for them to keep Abe and Fawn safe. Abe loved helping his father out in any way he could, and he wouldn't hesitate to confront a potentially armed suspect if he felt it could help Henry bring them to justice. Henry certainly didn't need the loss of a child—or that child's girlfriend—to a criminal on his conscience.

Jo looked up to catch Henry's eye and warn him about Abe's possible intentions. To her surprise, neither he nor Mike were anywhere in sight.

Oh, great. Just what I needed.

Feeling the urgency of the situation, she took a quick stock of their strengths. "Nadia, call for backup and secure the sanctuary. Sarah, take the back of the church. Colleen, take Marcia Doyle into custody." She discreetly pointed at the woman. "And, Rachel, take the intersection."

"Where are you going?" Colleen raised her eyebrows.

At that moment, Ralph took another look at the group, vaulted over his pew, landed beside the empty one behind him, and sidestepped his way to the aisle. Once he found a clearing, he bolted toward the main exit. Several parishioners yipped and screamed as they jumped out of Ralph's way.

Jo raced down the stairs and through the half-empty side aisle, hoping to cut him off before he left the sanctuary. As her feet hit the tile floor, she unleashed another expletive. Had she known that she was doing this tonight, she would have borrowed a pair of Henry's sneakers. They might be slightly larger on her feet, but she wouldn't be worried about losing her shoes or injuring her foot.

Speaking of which, where was Henry? She hoped that he wasn't planning to take on Ralph himself. She was grateful for his lack of self-preservation, but she didn't need him to become a hostage—or a victim—tonight.

Out of the corner of her eye, a dark shadow moved toward her. A second later, Lieu joined her side and matched her step for step.

"What's going on?"

"Ralph and Marcia are here tonight. Or I should say that Ralph was here. He's making a break for it."

Jo took another look at the crowd. The doors leading outside swung close, but not before the amber streetlights shined into the building and illuminated Ralph's general direction.

Oh, great. Ralph's escaped.

In case she was wrong, Jo led Lieu toward the doors, bounded down the steps, and looked both ways down the street. The heavy traffic obscured her view of the other side of both streets.

Just as she had begun to think that she had lost him, a car's screech filled the air as it came to a stop. Jo followed it down the street. Behind her, she could hear Lieu racing with her.

The back of Ralph's head appeared on the other side of the intersection. Jo's heart leaped into her stomach. Ralph was heading for the Chambers Street station, and she would lose him again for sure if he boarded a train before she could reach him.

Ignoring the traffic, she followed him across the street and past the nearby high school. Lieu quickened her pace until she was at Jo's side again.

"How are you planning to catch him?" Lieu's question rose above the car engines and horns passing by them as the vehicles prepared to cross the Brooklyn Bridge.

"The only way I can think of." Jo filled her lungs with a cold, deep breath. "Follow him until he gives out."

The cold air brushed against Jo's cheeks as she sprinted across the parking lot near the NYPD's headquarters. Remembering what had happened earlier in the day, she swallowed. Maybe she should summon backup herself and let the unis arrest him. She had already endangered her life once today. She didn't need to do it again.

Henry's absence flashed in front of her. Then again, she couldn't give up now. Trouble always found him when he least expected it. Maybe she could keep it from finding him today.

Ralph bolted through the brick-covered courtyard and under the arch. Jo bit back her laugh. She doubted that he even knew where he was.

Lieu leaned over until her chin touched Jo's shoulder. "I'll get backup."

Not wanting to expend her breath, Jo nodded. As Lieu veered off toward their superiors' offices, Jo's arms quivered. Her pulse quickened. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. If Ralph didn't stop soon, she could be in trouble.

Ralph dashed across Park Row. He slowed to a stop and then disappeared into the Manhattan Municipal Building's courtyard. She jogged to the spot where he had stood and tried to see which direction he had taken.

She huffed. She couldn't see him anywhere.

She took a deep breath and picked a direction. She passed the red sculpture and under another covered walkway. To her relief, the arch sheltered her from the wind.

She slowed her steps, found a well-lit column, and took a moment to catch her breath. She gazed up at the passage's curved ceiling. She could imagine Henry trudging under this same arch on his way back home from an unexpected swim in the East River. Or gazing at something similar for the first time when he had arrived in Italy for that leg of the Grand Tour. Or….

A scuffle followed by a man's shout bounced on the arch's walls. Jo blinked herself out of her daydream.

"You can't do this to me! I'll sue you for assault and battery!"

Jo ran toward the front of the building and searched for the voice. To her left, a pair of men held a third man against the wall between the arches marking the subway station's entrance.

She jogged up the steps. If she didn't know any better, she would swear that the two men were holding Ralph hostage.

She reached for her badge, but her hand found air instead. She cursed herself. She had left it at home.

She squared her shoulders and hoped that the other men would believe her when she said she was a cop. If they didn't, maybe she could hold all three of them until Lieu arrived with backup.

She started to open her mouth to identify herself when the men turned to face her. As Henry held Ralph's wrist against the wall, his eyes shined under the dim overhead lights. A huge grin crossed his face as he panted for air. Mike tightened his grip on Ralph's shirt, raised his eyebrows, and tilted his head toward Henry as though her official partner was telling her that he was innocent.

Jo puffed her cheeks out and pulled her lips together as tightly as possible. She leveled her gaze at her ecstatic boyfriend. If Henry didn't watch it, he would be spending the night in jail as well.

Author's Note: How Henry and Mike beat Jo to the arrest will be addressed in the next chapter. And the chapter after that will be the last one.

In the flashback, Henry is 23, and he had returned from his Grand Tour a couple of months earlier. For story purposes, Edward had just turned 21 when he died. Grace is 19 and, thanks to her independent streak hinted at in Chapter 11, still single at the time.

In my stories, I usually set Henry's childhood home and the Morgan family estate in the London neighborhood of Lambeth/Clapham, partly because of the family's wealth and their involvement in the abolitionist movement and partly because it's about halfway between the Charing Cross Asylum (mentioned in the year and place stamp in Skinny Dipper's first flashback) and Southwark Prison. The description of Holy Trinity Church is from "Church of Holy Trinity—Lambeth - 1080491" on Historic England's website and "A Building and Its People" on Holy Trinity—Clapham's website. The common's description comes from Friends of Clapham Common's "History of Clapham Common" and "Perambulation of Clapham Common, Clapham, 1800" on Ideal Homes: A History of South-East London Suburbs's website. Information about Regency-era mourning rituals is from Jane Austen Online's "Regency Mourning: An In-Depth Look" and "Dressing for Mourning in the Regency", Donna Hatch's "Mourning Customs in Regency England" on her blog, and Sharon Lathan's "Mourning and Burial Practices during the Regency" on her blog. Henry's medical training is from "Doctors: Physicians, Surgeons, Dentists and Apothecaries in England" on FamilySearch's website's wiki page, Alicia Rasley's "Doctors in the Regency" in the Regency Fiction Writers' blog "The Beau Monde", and Regina Jeffers' "A Regency Era Teaching Hospital" on her blog "Every Woman Dreams...".

The King of Hope Church is based on the Brick Presbyterian Church (exterior, interior, and Christmas decorations) and St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church (balcony and Christmas decorations only). Pictures for the decorations are on Brick Presbyterian's website under "December 24, 2019, "God in the Manger, Glory in the Skies- Christmas Eve Candlelight Service"" and ABC7's video of St. Paul's Christmas décor in their December 24, 2018, article "Christmas Eve children's service held at St. Paul's Chapel".

The building where Jo, Henry, and Mike arrest Ralph is the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building. Information about it is from the New York City's government website, listed under "DCAS Managed Public Buildings". In case you're wondering it's a third of a mile (552.33 meters) from where the church is set to the building.