Chapter Sixteen
The Chief Judge for Glen Oak County was furious.
"How in the name of Heaven did this happen?" she screamed at Janice at lunchtime the next day. Her long, gray hair was flying from side to side. "Defendant Henderson was supposed to be under constant, protective custody. Now I have no choice but to declare the entire case moot! How can there be any justice now, for anyone even remotely connected to this case? The last six months have been for nothing! I don't even know if any apology is possible to the victims."
"Your Honor," said Janice meekly, "this was as big a shock to the State as to you. The District Attorney and the Glen Oak Police Department are investigating as we speak."
"And another thing," said the judge, having calmed down a bit. "Why wasn't custody of Mr. Henderson's son given to his mother in the first place, rather than his sister?"
"We have not been able to track Mrs. Henderson's movements for quite some time," admitted Janice. "Yes, she did answer the subpoena last week, but from the time of the defendant's arrest to then, she and her current paramour skipped town with no forwarding address. They left town again, right after her court appearance. I can only guess she was so traumatized by the knowledge her children did what they did - even if it was under duress - that she couldn't see either of them anymore."
"I can't say I blame her," conceded the judge, "but I want you to find this woman, wherever she is. I want to depose her, personally, and find out if she had anything to do with this murder. Besides, the sister in question is a college junior and has her hands full with both schoolwork and having to raise her brother. The kid needs her mother back, and unless she unconditionally wants to transfer custody to her daughter, I'm going to make sure he gets his mother back."
"Yes, ma'am," agreed Janice. "We'll notify all relevant federal authorities immediately, and have them put out an APB."
"As for you, Counselors," said the judge to the defense lawyers, sighing, "relax, because I know what you're worried about. You will get paid by the State for all billing hours up to the time of Henderson's being attacked. You'll get a check by week's end. This court stands adjourned, sine die."
She slammed the gavel and went back into her chambers, slamming the door behind her.
Ruthie and Peter looked around at their fellow victims. Some were in a celebratory mood, even more than the night before. Others were crying tears of rage in the knowledge their quest for justice had been crushed by a vengeful sufferer.
"What do we do now, sweetheart?" asked Peter.
"We lay low, honey," replied Ruthie. "There's nothing we can do now other than that. Let's go back to school. If they ask us for help, we'll give it the best we can, but I don't think any of them are ready for that at this point in time. Right now, we're due in class in about fifteen minutes. Let's go before we're late."
It was several hours later when Ruthie went home, with Peter alongside her for yet another study date. In light of everything that had happened, they were certainly in no mood to make out now. But things were about to get even more interesting.
"Guys," said Lucy, meeting them at the door, "in the office; now."
The couple followed the younger minister into the study. They wondered what this was about.
"Dad's walked out on Mom. Actually, he was asked to leave. He's taken an indefinite leave of absence from the church," said Lucy, her voice shaking as she closed the door behind her. "He's flown to Buffalo and is staying with the Colonel, Grandma Ruth and George until further notice."
"What did you just say?" said Ruthie, in total shock.
Lucy repeated what she had just said.
"Rev. Kinkirk, what happened?" Peter was as stunned as his girlfriend was.
"Mom and Dad and I had an argument this morning about the church finances, Peter," said Lucy. "We were trying to figure out whether we should recommend to the deaconate that the profit we made the last year should go into the building fund for maintenance, or to Meals on Wheels. Mom and I thought it should go to the building because, after the roof cave in three years ago, our insurance premiums went through the roof - pardon the expression - and, well, we couldn't afford another claim like that. Dad said the underwriting companies are too greedy to begin with but that's what insurance is for; and besides there was a huge waiting list for the Meals program, and why we didn't care about the children of those who were relying on it already.
"I said, 'Of course we care about kids, Dad, we just have to make choices, and it's time some of the other churches paid their fair share for Meals on Wheels, too.'
"Dad said, 'If your two - no, three - kids knew how you felt, Luce, they'd rip you apart; after all that's happened in this town for the last few months.
"Then Mom chimed in. 'Oh, yeah,' she said rather sarcastically. 'It's like you still care about kids, Eric: you knocked me up last fall when you knew damn well my body was in no shape to have kids anymore.' She realized her mistake and covered her mouth, but it was too late."
Ruthie's and Peter's jaws both dropped.
"Mom's - pregnant?" asked Ruthie.
"Not anymore," said Lucy. "She had an ectopic pregnancy; that's when ."
"We know what that is, Reverend," interrupted Peter, waving his hand. "What does that have to do with Rev. Camden walking out on your mother?"
"Well, the only way to save Mom's life was for her to get an abortion," said Lucy. "Mom was so embarrassed and upset by that, she couldn't bring herself to tell Dad. When she finally admitted up to it today, Dad was furious. He so badly wanted one more child, and I guess the fact they got pregnant then lost the baby would have been fine for him would've been okay had she been straight with him from the beginning.
"So, he starting shouting at Mom and called her every bad thing you could think of. Mom took it well, saying she was sorry over and over. But when Dad used the epithet 'battle ax,' that was the last straw, even for me. We told Dad he had fifteen minutes to pack his bags and hit the road, and he was not welcome back into the parsonage until he apologized to both of us."
"Excuse me, Lucy; pardon me for interrupting," said Peter, "but what gives you the right to force your Dad out of his own house? And why would you want an apology? His argument is with Mrs. Camden, not you."
"This is not Dad's house, it's a parsonage and the property of the church; and as an officer of the Church, I'm well within my rights to have a say in how this house is run," replied Lucy quietly. "Besides, Peter, I expect more from my father than that. He and Mom conceived me, on Valentine's Day of all days, and as such I insist he treat my mother with dignity and respect. So if Mom's insulted by Dad, then so am I. If I was still a minor, I'd let Mom make the decision alone. But since I'm an adult now, and I'm paying rent on the garage apartment, I have an equal say in the household and the tone of its environment. I think Ruthie explained that to you a few months back, when we first found about how involved the two of you were."
"You're right, she did," said Peter. "I forgot that."
"You stood up to that idiot, Dick, a few years back; even though you were just thirteen. If you were an adult, you would have wanted to take him out, or asked him to leave. But because you were young, he decided he could ignore you and threaten to take you out and your dog because you were a kid. If you hadn't asked Ruthie to ask Kevin for a background check, heaven knows what would've happened to you. Now, do you understand where Mom and I are coming from?"
"Yeah, Luce, I do," said Peter.
"So what's happening now?" asked Ruthie.
"Nothing much," said Lucy. "Right now, Chandler and I are running the Church, and after the last time Dad sat out so long after his heart surgery, the Deacons are fed up by him. Lou Dalton told me this afternoon that, if Dad doesn't smarten up and come back to work by Friday, the Board will fire him and offer the job of Minister to me. I called the Colonel and told him to take that message to Dad the moment he touches down in Buffalo - which should be right about now." She checked her watch, and nodded.
"You're kidding!" Peter, who was already in shock over the split-up of the Camdens, was now ever more staggered. "Why wouldn't they offer the job of Minister to Dr. Hampton? He's been here almost four years now; you've been on board less than two."
"Well, Peter, Chandler's contract is coming up and he tells me that he might be taking a pass on renewing it because Crawford University wants to hire him as Ecumenical Chaplain and Dean of the Divinity School. Which means .?"
"You'd be the new Minister, and this house will be all yours!" Ruthie ran up to her sister and hugged her. "Congratulations! I know you, Kevin, Jennifer and Charles must be getting tired of the garage apartment."
"Not so fast, Ruthie," laughed Lucy, but accepting the hug anyway. "We're waiting on Dad first. But I have to warn you: Mom is pretty irked by Dad. For the first time in her life, she's actually considering petitioning for divorce. She threatened him before, but this time she really means it. She had separation papers made up during the lunch hour by our family lawyer. If Dad's not on a plane out of Buffalo by Friday morning, she's - uh - going to file them. Then she will wait a few more months; until Mary and Deena give birth to our nieces or nephews. And if he still refuses to apologize after that, then she'll file for divorce and custody of you and the twins.
"Frankly, I'm not surprised. After Thanksgiving, I noticed that there seemed to be a bit of tension between the two, somewhat withdrawn from each other. I guess it just boiled over today. I don't like the idea of them splitting up after all these years, but I guess that's just the way the sawdust has settled this time."
"I knew something wasn't right between those two. Hey, I don't want Mom and Dad to divorce, either," said Ruthie sadly, "but if that's the way it has to be, so be it. I'm okay with it; I'm just worried about how Mom will deal with Sam and David all alone."
"She's willing to offer Dad access to them and to you, as long as he pays alimony and child support," said Lucy. "After I spoke with the Deacons, they're prepared to offer Dad a reference to any church that wants to hire him, given that he's been Minister here so long and done so well for the church and the community. They're willing to say that they 'parted on agreeable terms' rather than use the f-word: 'fired.' But as far as she's concerned, the marriage is pretty much over. She doesn't want a divorce either, but this is a case where 'irreconcilable differences' exist, if ever there was any, and while I don't normally take sides with my parents, I'm with Mom 100% this time."
"You have my support too, Lucy," said Peter. "Or should I say 'Reverend'?"
"Lucy's fine, Peter," grinned Lucy. "I'm not counting my chickens, yet, but Minister of Glen Oak Community Church: Wow. I was dreaming of this job since I was a kid, and definitely wanted it in my senior year of high school. I never imagined it would be so soon.
"Well, Mom and I just made supper. Chili, Caesar salad with light dressing, cornbread, and both your favorite: lasagna. I just took the main course out of the oven when I heard you guys coming up the front walk."
Lucy led the way out of the office and to the dining room. She joined her husband and their children, along with Annie and her twins. Lucy sat at one end of the table, with Ruthie and Peter on either side of her. They started supper with grace, which was said by Peter. He asked for only two things: that Eric was safe, wherever he was now; and that Mary and Deena would have no complications with their pregnancies.
The Chief Judge for Glen Oak County was furious.
"How in the name of Heaven did this happen?" she screamed at Janice at lunchtime the next day. Her long, gray hair was flying from side to side. "Defendant Henderson was supposed to be under constant, protective custody. Now I have no choice but to declare the entire case moot! How can there be any justice now, for anyone even remotely connected to this case? The last six months have been for nothing! I don't even know if any apology is possible to the victims."
"Your Honor," said Janice meekly, "this was as big a shock to the State as to you. The District Attorney and the Glen Oak Police Department are investigating as we speak."
"And another thing," said the judge, having calmed down a bit. "Why wasn't custody of Mr. Henderson's son given to his mother in the first place, rather than his sister?"
"We have not been able to track Mrs. Henderson's movements for quite some time," admitted Janice. "Yes, she did answer the subpoena last week, but from the time of the defendant's arrest to then, she and her current paramour skipped town with no forwarding address. They left town again, right after her court appearance. I can only guess she was so traumatized by the knowledge her children did what they did - even if it was under duress - that she couldn't see either of them anymore."
"I can't say I blame her," conceded the judge, "but I want you to find this woman, wherever she is. I want to depose her, personally, and find out if she had anything to do with this murder. Besides, the sister in question is a college junior and has her hands full with both schoolwork and having to raise her brother. The kid needs her mother back, and unless she unconditionally wants to transfer custody to her daughter, I'm going to make sure he gets his mother back."
"Yes, ma'am," agreed Janice. "We'll notify all relevant federal authorities immediately, and have them put out an APB."
"As for you, Counselors," said the judge to the defense lawyers, sighing, "relax, because I know what you're worried about. You will get paid by the State for all billing hours up to the time of Henderson's being attacked. You'll get a check by week's end. This court stands adjourned, sine die."
She slammed the gavel and went back into her chambers, slamming the door behind her.
Ruthie and Peter looked around at their fellow victims. Some were in a celebratory mood, even more than the night before. Others were crying tears of rage in the knowledge their quest for justice had been crushed by a vengeful sufferer.
"What do we do now, sweetheart?" asked Peter.
"We lay low, honey," replied Ruthie. "There's nothing we can do now other than that. Let's go back to school. If they ask us for help, we'll give it the best we can, but I don't think any of them are ready for that at this point in time. Right now, we're due in class in about fifteen minutes. Let's go before we're late."
It was several hours later when Ruthie went home, with Peter alongside her for yet another study date. In light of everything that had happened, they were certainly in no mood to make out now. But things were about to get even more interesting.
"Guys," said Lucy, meeting them at the door, "in the office; now."
The couple followed the younger minister into the study. They wondered what this was about.
"Dad's walked out on Mom. Actually, he was asked to leave. He's taken an indefinite leave of absence from the church," said Lucy, her voice shaking as she closed the door behind her. "He's flown to Buffalo and is staying with the Colonel, Grandma Ruth and George until further notice."
"What did you just say?" said Ruthie, in total shock.
Lucy repeated what she had just said.
"Rev. Kinkirk, what happened?" Peter was as stunned as his girlfriend was.
"Mom and Dad and I had an argument this morning about the church finances, Peter," said Lucy. "We were trying to figure out whether we should recommend to the deaconate that the profit we made the last year should go into the building fund for maintenance, or to Meals on Wheels. Mom and I thought it should go to the building because, after the roof cave in three years ago, our insurance premiums went through the roof - pardon the expression - and, well, we couldn't afford another claim like that. Dad said the underwriting companies are too greedy to begin with but that's what insurance is for; and besides there was a huge waiting list for the Meals program, and why we didn't care about the children of those who were relying on it already.
"I said, 'Of course we care about kids, Dad, we just have to make choices, and it's time some of the other churches paid their fair share for Meals on Wheels, too.'
"Dad said, 'If your two - no, three - kids knew how you felt, Luce, they'd rip you apart; after all that's happened in this town for the last few months.
"Then Mom chimed in. 'Oh, yeah,' she said rather sarcastically. 'It's like you still care about kids, Eric: you knocked me up last fall when you knew damn well my body was in no shape to have kids anymore.' She realized her mistake and covered her mouth, but it was too late."
Ruthie's and Peter's jaws both dropped.
"Mom's - pregnant?" asked Ruthie.
"Not anymore," said Lucy. "She had an ectopic pregnancy; that's when ."
"We know what that is, Reverend," interrupted Peter, waving his hand. "What does that have to do with Rev. Camden walking out on your mother?"
"Well, the only way to save Mom's life was for her to get an abortion," said Lucy. "Mom was so embarrassed and upset by that, she couldn't bring herself to tell Dad. When she finally admitted up to it today, Dad was furious. He so badly wanted one more child, and I guess the fact they got pregnant then lost the baby would have been fine for him would've been okay had she been straight with him from the beginning.
"So, he starting shouting at Mom and called her every bad thing you could think of. Mom took it well, saying she was sorry over and over. But when Dad used the epithet 'battle ax,' that was the last straw, even for me. We told Dad he had fifteen minutes to pack his bags and hit the road, and he was not welcome back into the parsonage until he apologized to both of us."
"Excuse me, Lucy; pardon me for interrupting," said Peter, "but what gives you the right to force your Dad out of his own house? And why would you want an apology? His argument is with Mrs. Camden, not you."
"This is not Dad's house, it's a parsonage and the property of the church; and as an officer of the Church, I'm well within my rights to have a say in how this house is run," replied Lucy quietly. "Besides, Peter, I expect more from my father than that. He and Mom conceived me, on Valentine's Day of all days, and as such I insist he treat my mother with dignity and respect. So if Mom's insulted by Dad, then so am I. If I was still a minor, I'd let Mom make the decision alone. But since I'm an adult now, and I'm paying rent on the garage apartment, I have an equal say in the household and the tone of its environment. I think Ruthie explained that to you a few months back, when we first found about how involved the two of you were."
"You're right, she did," said Peter. "I forgot that."
"You stood up to that idiot, Dick, a few years back; even though you were just thirteen. If you were an adult, you would have wanted to take him out, or asked him to leave. But because you were young, he decided he could ignore you and threaten to take you out and your dog because you were a kid. If you hadn't asked Ruthie to ask Kevin for a background check, heaven knows what would've happened to you. Now, do you understand where Mom and I are coming from?"
"Yeah, Luce, I do," said Peter.
"So what's happening now?" asked Ruthie.
"Nothing much," said Lucy. "Right now, Chandler and I are running the Church, and after the last time Dad sat out so long after his heart surgery, the Deacons are fed up by him. Lou Dalton told me this afternoon that, if Dad doesn't smarten up and come back to work by Friday, the Board will fire him and offer the job of Minister to me. I called the Colonel and told him to take that message to Dad the moment he touches down in Buffalo - which should be right about now." She checked her watch, and nodded.
"You're kidding!" Peter, who was already in shock over the split-up of the Camdens, was now ever more staggered. "Why wouldn't they offer the job of Minister to Dr. Hampton? He's been here almost four years now; you've been on board less than two."
"Well, Peter, Chandler's contract is coming up and he tells me that he might be taking a pass on renewing it because Crawford University wants to hire him as Ecumenical Chaplain and Dean of the Divinity School. Which means .?"
"You'd be the new Minister, and this house will be all yours!" Ruthie ran up to her sister and hugged her. "Congratulations! I know you, Kevin, Jennifer and Charles must be getting tired of the garage apartment."
"Not so fast, Ruthie," laughed Lucy, but accepting the hug anyway. "We're waiting on Dad first. But I have to warn you: Mom is pretty irked by Dad. For the first time in her life, she's actually considering petitioning for divorce. She threatened him before, but this time she really means it. She had separation papers made up during the lunch hour by our family lawyer. If Dad's not on a plane out of Buffalo by Friday morning, she's - uh - going to file them. Then she will wait a few more months; until Mary and Deena give birth to our nieces or nephews. And if he still refuses to apologize after that, then she'll file for divorce and custody of you and the twins.
"Frankly, I'm not surprised. After Thanksgiving, I noticed that there seemed to be a bit of tension between the two, somewhat withdrawn from each other. I guess it just boiled over today. I don't like the idea of them splitting up after all these years, but I guess that's just the way the sawdust has settled this time."
"I knew something wasn't right between those two. Hey, I don't want Mom and Dad to divorce, either," said Ruthie sadly, "but if that's the way it has to be, so be it. I'm okay with it; I'm just worried about how Mom will deal with Sam and David all alone."
"She's willing to offer Dad access to them and to you, as long as he pays alimony and child support," said Lucy. "After I spoke with the Deacons, they're prepared to offer Dad a reference to any church that wants to hire him, given that he's been Minister here so long and done so well for the church and the community. They're willing to say that they 'parted on agreeable terms' rather than use the f-word: 'fired.' But as far as she's concerned, the marriage is pretty much over. She doesn't want a divorce either, but this is a case where 'irreconcilable differences' exist, if ever there was any, and while I don't normally take sides with my parents, I'm with Mom 100% this time."
"You have my support too, Lucy," said Peter. "Or should I say 'Reverend'?"
"Lucy's fine, Peter," grinned Lucy. "I'm not counting my chickens, yet, but Minister of Glen Oak Community Church: Wow. I was dreaming of this job since I was a kid, and definitely wanted it in my senior year of high school. I never imagined it would be so soon.
"Well, Mom and I just made supper. Chili, Caesar salad with light dressing, cornbread, and both your favorite: lasagna. I just took the main course out of the oven when I heard you guys coming up the front walk."
Lucy led the way out of the office and to the dining room. She joined her husband and their children, along with Annie and her twins. Lucy sat at one end of the table, with Ruthie and Peter on either side of her. They started supper with grace, which was said by Peter. He asked for only two things: that Eric was safe, wherever he was now; and that Mary and Deena would have no complications with their pregnancies.