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Chapter Thirty-Five

Joy sat listening to the choir sing Amazing Grace, feeling somewhat inspired. She held tight to Ricky's hand for comfort. She was still shaken up by what Autumn had said earlier. Did Autumn know that Joy was on to her? Maybe she knew that Joy had discovered the diary or the shoes? But whatever or however she had found out, it was not a good thing for Joy. She knew there was no way she could go back to the house. She had already arranged to stay with Ricky because it was too dangerous and she had no idea what she would do about what she had learned yet either. She had not told Ricky the whole deal even now but planned to later on tonight. He would know what to do. He was level-headed.

All he thought right now was that she and Autumn had a slight falling out. It wasn't totally a lie. That conversation they'd had was very unsettling. Autumn was unstable. It was like she was unraveling right before Joy's eyes. The reason was unknown though. She had always been on the edge but it seemed to be out of control. Or had she always been like that and Joy hadn't realized it before.

Her mother stood in the front to give the anouncements and Joy zoned out. She was worried about those poor truckers on the road. Innocent men who just wanted to do their jobs. She had to do something to help before someone else lost their life. She looked

down in her lap feeling surreal, like maybe she was in one of those crime movies or something. She wished she had not even been put in this position.

Joy watched her father take his place in the pulpit. "Church, the Lord God is really speaking to us today. He's directing our steps. Leading us down the right path. The path of righteousness."

Joy leaned up on the edge of her seat, all ears. She wanted God to speak to her. She needed Him to point the way. Give her a way out.

Suddenly a hand was on her shoulder. She turned to see Cole, Autumn's friend, standing there in a double-breasted suit and smiling down at her.

"I thought that was you Joy," he said. A beautiful little girl in a purple and pink dress sat beside him, swinging her legs.

"Hi Cole, nice to see you." She touched his hand as he sat directly behind them. She wondered if it was sign from God. The fact that he was her, in church just when she was debating on what to do. He was an officer. Actually a homicide detective. He would be the one to talk to.

"Who's that?" Ricky asked. She detected a bit of jealousy in his tone.

"Autumn's friend."

"A whacko case like her got some dude

sniffing? Dog must not know the real deal about her," Ricky whispered.

"Ssssh." Joy folded her hands in her kap, trying to pay attention. It had been obvious that everybody had known about Autumn but her. She had to.

After the final amen and service was over. Joy was immediately swamped by people including the annoying Betina Andrews who kept trying to get Joy to join the church

woman's auxiliary. Joy had enough to do with the soup kitchen and then the charity work she was involved in. It was enough already and she was able to hold Betina off. So after a few seconds, Betina left and she had answered everybody's probing questions aboutthe upcoming nuptials. She turned around to see that Cole was gone. Darn, her opportunity had vanished in thin air. Ricky grabbed her arm and they went to join her father who was just talking to the last few parishioners.

"There is the happy couple!" her father called out, kissing Joy and embracing Ricky in a hug. "Life is good family and we are blessed. Let's go get some breakfast. That's after I find my wife."

"Sounds good to us Reverend Henderson." Ricky put an arm around Joy's shoulder. She wasn't hungry but knew she needed to at least pretend that everything was normal for now.

Robin Ayele...murder has hit African American books!