Ch. 16f Tomorrow is Another Day

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Fathers," says William. "Was there anything about this town Florence liked?"

[Philulhu]

”She said when she first arrived, everyone was really friendly and she enjoyed the peace and quiet, away from the city. As things started to go wrong with her marriage, though, she said she felt isolated and had no-one else to talk to. And nothing to do, either. She made her views clear on that,” said Ortega.

[Silver Priest]

"A sad situation all around. From what little I've heard she and Billy truly loved each other, but were perhaps incompatible. I advised Billy to follow her back to New Orleans, but doubtful he will while his mother's still alive. Thank you both," he tells the fathers. "And we're very sorry for taking up your time with idle gossip. It's just that any mention of snakes really attracts our interest, because that's one of the signs used by the criminals we are investigating-- they have an unhealthy veneration for the creatures."

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, thank you," says William.

[Philulhu]

Where to next?

[Silver Priest]

Alexander waits until they get outside before he addresses the others. 'I'm afraid I have my suspicions about Father Ortega," he explains. "Based on what we know I cannot believe that marked reference to snakes is a coincidence, and if she spoke to the Father as much as he claims I can't imagine she'd not have brought up her concerns. I think we need to find a way to quietly investigate him further."

[Mr. Handy]

"His reaction does strike me as suspicious," says William, "but he could merely be concealing an affair."

[Silver Priest]

"It could be, but he specifically told us he'd never heard anything about snakes. If he was concealing an affair I don't see what he'd gain by not mentioning that. In some ways it could even serve as a convenient excuse; `I was counseling her so much because she had this fear.` "

[Mr. Handy]

"That is a good point," says William. "How should we investigate him? If we ask around about him, word will get back to him. Maybe there are records somewhere, but he's relatively new here. That in itself could be an indication. Nyatanga only came here within the last year. Perhaps we could go back to Billy Trahan and ask him about what his mother insinuated about the priest and Florence. We could sound him out to see whether or not he believes it before we inquire further."

[Silver Priest]

"That might work. Perhaps we should go back to him and ask him if Florence ever expressed fear of snakes specifically. Maybe she let something slip to him." He frowns. "I'm beginning to fear she never made it back to New Orleans. I pray very much that I am wrong."

[Philulhu]

OOC:   So what’s your next move?

[Mr. Handy]

Let's go see Billy again.

[Philulhu]

Billy Trahan frowned as he saw his visitors approaching his porch again. “What can I do for you this time?” he asked.

[Mr. Handy]

"We had a few more questions," says William. "Did your wife express a fear of snakes before she left?"

[Philulhu]

“Snakes? I don’t know about snakes in particular, but she was always complaining about the critters around here. I tried to explain that’s what you get living in the country, hell, I even told her that you’re never more than six feet from a rat when you’re in the city, but that didn’t make her feel any better!”

“Is that what she was talking to the Reverend about? Snakes?” he asked.

[Mr. Handy]

"We asked him that," says William, "but he didn't mention the snakes. Your mother had her own ideas about why she went to see him."

[Silver Priest]

William just barely avoids shooting Alex an incredulous look. Though perhaps this was not a time for delicacy.

"That bible of hers had a verse bookmarked concerning vipers; 'Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips.' It just struck us as an odd verse to mark, with a snakeskin bookmark to boot. Of course it could be talking about deceitful people, but we've heard a few tales of some of the oil workers growing fearful of the snakes in these parts, and we wondered if she had developed the same fears, especially after Mr. Tucker's death."

[Philulhu]

“Her and mama didn’t get on,” Billy replied sullenly. “I’ve told you that already. And other than him dyin’, I don’t know nothing about Brian Tucker, and nor do I know anything about my wife being afraid of snakes, that bookmark nor that passage you said was marked.”

“I see what you’re getting at though. You’re saying the Reverend was sweet on my wife, ain’t ya?”

[Silver Priest]

"I would caution taking this with a grain of salt," Alex advises. "Your mother's the only one we've heard mention this, and she seemed to think the worst of your wife regardless." It's not quite the truth, but he sees no reason to make the poor man think his wife had been unfaithful.

[Mr. Handy]

"We don't know the people in question anywhere near as well as you do," says William. "What's your opinion of the Reverend?"