"You really think you’ll find answers here?"
Doris asked Olivia as she and Blake stood outside the
farmhouse’s back door.
"Yeah," Olivia said as she used her key and
opened the door.
They stepped inside where it was quiet, except for the
eerie clicking of the clock.
"Where to?" Blake asked.
"You two check downstairs; I’ll look up."
Olivia said before she made her way up the staircase.
Doris idly walked around the living room as she mumbled
grumpily, "I don’t know what we’re even looking
for."
Upstairs Olivia went to the Emma’s room. She smiled for a
brief moment when nothing looked out of place – in fact, it
nearly resembled what it looked like when they both lived
there. But just as quickly as the smile came, it faded and she
left the room.
Next she traveled to her former room, which now held many
of Rafe’s belongs. It didn’t look or feel like hers
anymore, yet it didn’t feel like his either. There was just
an aching void. Her jaw tightened and before she could think
about it any longer she left.
She walked further down to Natalia’s door and for some
reason she paused before entering. As if mustering the will to
enter, she swiftly moved inside. She looked around and found
nothing out of place. With careful footsteps, she walked to
the head of the bed and took a seat.
She pulled Natalia’s pillow from under the bedspread,
clutching it to her. She inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of
Natalia’s perfume and shampoo. She held it tighter in
response. She probably would have stayed in that position, but
Doris’s voice floated to the second floor.
"Olivia?" she called out. "Come to the
kitchen."
Olivia rounded the corner to see Doris and Blake looking at
three brochures.
"Recognize these?" Doris asked as she held them
up for Olivia.
She came over and took them from Doris as she leafed
through them.
"Retreats," she muttered.
"Chances are she’s at one of these places,"
Blake suggested.
"No," Olivia answered. "Father Ray said he
gave her options of where she could go. These are the places
she probably rejected. She would have taken the brochure of
the place she decided on with her."
Doris snorted. "So where does that leave us?"
Olivia looked behind Doris. "It’s gone," she
said.
Doris looked back. "What’s gone?"
"The picture – me, Natalia and Emma. She took
it."
"That’s good, right?" Blake asked.
For a moment Olivia didn’t answer. "Yeah,
probably." She held up the brochures. "Where did you
guys find these?"
"Right there," Doris answered as she pointed to
where the picture was.
Olivia began to grin. "Time to go to the church."
"Aren’t they closed?" Doris asked.
"No, they never close their doors," Olivia
answered.
"But didn’t Father Ray already say he wouldn’t
tell you where she went?" Blake asked.
"Yep, and Father Ray probably isn’t there. And that’s
good. Let’s go." Olivia waved her brochure-filled hand
to have them follow her. "I need a few supplies from the
barn first," she added.
XXXX
With screwdriver in hand, Olivia entered the church with
Doris and Blake behind her.
"Huh," Doris said looking around. "Last time
I was here, I was marrying Natalia." Olivia stopped and
turned to look at her. "Or more accurately stated, not
marrying her. Of course, you didn’t help in that
department," she added.
"This way," Olivia said as they followed her to a
hallway. They walked a few paces until they came to a door.
Olivia tried to turn the knob, but was locked. She put the
screwdriver against the door and the frame and raised the
mallet.
"What are you doing?" Blake asked in a nervous
rush.
Olivia slammed it and pushed back, popping the lock.
"It’s called breaking and entering," Doris
replied dryly.
Olivia opened the door and motioned for Doris to go in.
"Oh no," Doris argued. "You’ll have to shove
me in like I’m unwilling. If they’re video tapping
--."
She didn’t get a chance to finish before Olivia pushed
her forcefully inside making her stumble before she herself
followed along. Blake, for her part, tiptoed inside.
"He might have a silent alarm in here so we’ve got
to look fast for brochures to retreats. Start checking all the
drawers."
Doris opened a filing drawer door and smiled.
"Bingo!" she announced. Olivia and Blake came
over excited to see what she had discovered only to find she
held up a Bingo card. "There’re chips in here
too," she added.
Blake chuckled while Olivia sighed.
"That’s it," Olivia warned. "No more ‘Naked
Gun’ jokes."
Doris elbowed Blake and smiled broadly. "Surely she
can’t be serious!"
Blake started to shake her head as she tried to silently
hold in a laugh, but she just couldn’t do it. Hearing Blake’s
snorts Olivia slowly began to turn around to face them.
"She is serious…and don’t call me Shirley."
Blake was already laughing before she could finish the line
with Doris joining in right after. "I’m sorry,"
Blake apologized through her tears as she held up her hands.
Olivia tried to scold them, but she had to smile too.
"Hey, you didn’t say anything about ‘Airplane’
jokes," Doris defended.
"Guys," Olivia whined. "Are you gonna help
me?"
"Yes," Blake said going back to a drawer.
"We’re helping. We’re helping."
Doris opened up a box and reached inside to pull out a
cracker. She began to chew and the noise made Blake and Olivia
look over.
"What? I’m hungry. I’ve been on this wild goose
chase and I didn’t have lunch," Doris replied.
"Don’t worry, I’m done. These taste awful."
"You’re eating the body of Christ," Olivia told
her sounding annoyed.
Doris looked around the room. "You see any ‘blood’
to wash it down with?"
Olivia looked at Blake and rolled her eyes before going
behind Father Ray’s desk. She found another locked door and
once more she pried it open.
"Stealing from a priest, Olivia," Doris tisked.
"Shame. Shame. Shame. You’re gonna go to hell."
Olivia and Blake both did a double take to see Doris now
holding up a chalice and taking a sip. "What?" she
asked. Then she held it out to Olivia. "Want some?"
Olivia paused a moment and then took the cup. She had a
swig and then handed it back. "You know," she began,
"with as much money as the Catholic Church makes they
could buy a better blood."
"After all this is finished maybe you can set Father
Ray up with your supplier at the Beacon," Doris
suggested. She took another drink, but then made a
dissatisfied face and put it on the desk.
Blake had six brochures. Three matched the ones that Olivia
pulled from her back pocket. The three that didn’t she drew
stars on and took with her.
"This is going to be a bit more complex than we
thought," Doris remarked.
Olivia grinned. "Maybe, but now I know where to start
the search… Who’s with me?"
"I would but I have authors to oversee," Blake
replied.
"And I have a city to run," Doris countered.
"Neither of you are helping?" They both looked at
each other. "Fine – I see where I stand."
"Look. We’ll flip okay? Loser goes with Liv."
"Great to know I’m such a catch," Olivia
sighed. "No wonder Natalia ran from me."
Doris took out a quarter and flipped it as she asked Blake,
"Heads or tails?"
"Tails," she replied.
Doris revealed the coin to show tails.
Olivia put her arm around Doris shoulder. "Can’t you
just feel the love?"
"Son of a bitch," Doris sighed.
The End
