Page 26 of Vows of Murder

“I made a chocolate cake while you were gone today. But I’m sure the cookies will disappear fast around these boys. They were always big on sweets growing up.” Amanda rubbed Emma’s head. She had a glass of iced tea instead of a beer. And, I noticed, so did Beth.

I pushed away the comparison. And the guilt for serving store-bought cookies rather than making my own. But Sadie was a cookie wizard. There wasno comparison.

“So, Jill, what were you doing today?” Greg leaned back in his chair, watching my face.

“I stopped by to see Amy, then spent some time at the shop. Judith was there alone, so I wanted to make sure she was doing okay. She’s going to keep the store open on Saturday with Tilly.” I glanced over at our guests. “Amy’s my best friend. And I told my staff they were all welcome to come to the wedding, but Tilly’s going through a bit of a rough patch. Anyway, I picked up the cookies then. And since I had a little bit of time, I ran to Bakerstown to drop cookies off with Doc Ames. I haven’t seen him in forever and I wanted to make sure he and Carrie, who works at our local diner, were coming to the wedding. Then I grabbed a few groceries onthe way home.”

I saw Greg processing the stops. The only one I had left off was my trip to the college library, but I wasn’t sure I could lie well enough to make that about the upcoming wedding.

Greg leaned forward. “Why don’t you tell my family whatDoc Ames does?”

Greg was onto me. I could feel the gloat coming. But Ihadtalked to him about the wedding. “Doc runs our local funeral home. He used to be single and kind of lonely, but then he and Carrie started dating. He’s much happier now.”

Greg blinked first. “Doc Ames is also our county coroner. And if I know my Jill, she was probably there talking about Kane Matthews’s death.”

“I’m glad I don’t have to give a report on where I went each time I left the house.” Beth smiled at me then changed the subject. “Kane Matthews and his groupies. That’s such a strange story. Did you all know that New Hope was a cult? How in the world did they get approval to set up here? They were forced out of Oregon afew years ago.”

Jim put a hand on Beth’s arm. “Beth’s kind of an expert in modern-day cults. She did her thesis on it when she got her master’s in religion last year.”

“Which gives me almost enough credibility to be a church secretary.” Beth laughed and leaned into Jim’s arm. “I’m working on turning my thesis into a book about cults in today’s world. People are drawn into these groups by the feeling of family and being special. There’s a real need for that kind of closeness in today’s world. Loneliness is the cult’s number one weapon in gaining new followers. By the time the individual realizes what’s going on, they’re too deep intothe situation.”

“It’s too bad you weren’t here last week. Amanda and I went to the open house held at New Hope. It was disturbing.” I met Greg’s gaze and he shrugged. I guessed the conversation wasn’t treading on the investigation. “The women in the church are treated like they’re in the Middle Ages. None of the women spoke except to offer us food or drink. Kane was telling me they were turning their bakery into a commercial venture. He wanted Coffee, Books, and More’s business, but I explained we were happy with Sadie. He inferred that maybe she wouldn’t want to continue her bakery after she married Bill. Well, that’s how I took it. Huh, I’d forgotten about that part. Anyway, they have a huge library with all kinds of books.”

“Of course, that’s what you’d notice,” Greg teased. “Any books on devil worship or killing off your spiritual leader with a signed plan from thekiller inside?”

“Not a one. But Kane had books from all types of religious practices, positive thinking, and the law of attraction stuff. It was eclectic. He gave me a copy ofThe Four Agreementsto read.”

Amanda broke in. “That’s what the video felt like. I’ve gone to several seminars on the law of attraction. Don’t frown, Jim. I’m a grown woman who can decide what my belief system contains. Anyway, when we were in their great room or chapel and the movie was running, it felt like the third day of one of those seminars. Where you think you can do anything.”

“I’m not even touching the fact that you’re attending these feel-good growth experiences.” Greg grinned at his mom. “But the comparison with that type of organizationisn’t far off.”

“That’s how they pull people into the church.” Beth elbowed Jim as she talked. “Stop looking like that every time I call it a church. It’s just a word. Anyway, they’re filling a need that more traditional churches aren’t anymore. And with the state of the family so disjointed, well, you’ve got a lot of people out there looking for somethingto believe in.”

“Which is why Carlie dropped out of school to become a disciple?” I took a sip of my beer. “That has to be some strong mojo to get into someone’s mindthat quickly.”

“She was probably introduced to the organization by a guy who she thought was interested in her,” Beth corrected me. “They like to hit college campuses because the kids there are all trying to figure out who they are as an adult. And the cult feels like a safeplace to land.”

“Who was the other woman Bakerstown found in the fabric store? Do you know?” I met Greg’s gaze, wondering if he would talk about her and her family. “Oh, and did Carlie go home with Molly?”

“Sometimes it takes a while for people to leave.” Beth leaned forward. “It’s like that statistic on abused women. It takes them seven times to leave for good.”

“If they live that long,” Greg added. “Carlie’s safe right now. And I don’t have more information on thesecond woman.”

“Well, aren’t we a cheery group.” Amanda stood and headed to the kitchen. “Let’s get dinner started before we attempt to solve the rest of the world’s problems. Seriously, please, let’s talk about something else for a while. I’m feeling very depressed. And we have a wedding in three days. Let’s talk about that.”

As I followed Amanda and the others into the kitchen, I wished we hadn’t changed the subject quite so fast. I thought that Beth mightjust have some insight into the workings of New Hope and maybe even why its spiritual leader was killed. I’d have to get her alone to find out.

Chapter 11

Greg took Thursday morning off from work to hang out with Jim. Sometimes he needed time to process away from the investigation. The girls headed into Santa Barbara to pick up my dress and eat at Amanda’s favorite Mexican restaurant. Emma went with the guys, who were hiking the trails at the mission where we’d be married on Saturday. I figured Greg wanted to be close by town in case something broke in the investigation. And by spending the morning hiking, he couldclear his mind.

The bridal shop opened at ten, so we had time to stop at the beach when we got into town. Beth slipped off her shoes as soon as we hit the sand. “I’ll never get used to this. You’re so lucky to live here. I tried to talk Jim into moving after we make it official, but he’s tied to his job. Honestly, I think it’s his men’s church group he’d miss the most. They have weekly meetings and do monthly service projects. And quarterly, they do something over the weekend. They call them spiritual retreats, but I think it’s more about the fishing and hiking.”

“At least he has hobbies. My sister’s first husband didn’t leave the house for fifteen years, unless she was with him.” Amanda took her shoes off as well, using Beth’s arm to stabilize herself. The women had a bond. They were comfortable with each other. I was on the outside. They didn’t mean to put me there. It was just that they’d spent a lot of time together during Amanda’s illness.

At times like this, I wished I’d had a sister. Someone who knew my history. Who got bad jokes because she’d lived through those times too. Instead, I had my aunt, who had pulled me out of a bad situation and showed me what it was liketo have a home.

“You both are always welcome here.” I joined their barefoot club and we walked down the beach. It wasn’t crowded yet. The cooler weather was keeping all but the fanatics and tourists off the beach. I wasn’t sure which group we fell into.

---