Save Her Child CJ Lyons (best novels for students txt) 📖

be entertained by the wall filled with family photos: Matthew and Rachel stood alone in the first one, then two little boys stood with them, then three boys in another and in the furthest frames Harper finally made an appearance, first as an infant then as a little girl dressed in ribbons and laces. Luka smiled. The image was so very different from the Harper he knew, who even after her promotion to detective still wore Doc Martens beneath her dress slacks.

Rachel returned less than a minute later and held the front door open as he maneuvered his crutches over the threshold. “Luka Jericho? You’re Naomi’s boss,” she said as they strolled down the drive to the church. “She’s always talking about you, was so excited to join your team.”

“She’s a fine addition,” Luka replied, trying to toe the line between polite conversation and professionalism. After all, he was here to discover what her husband had to do with one man’s murder and a woman’s disappearance.

When they reached the church, Rachel once again held open the tall, heavy door. Luka nodded his thanks and stopped inside, uncertain of which direction to go.

“They’re in the office, behind the sanctuary,” she told him, her heels clicking against the hardwood floors, the sound echoing up to the beamed roof above. “The original Holy Redeemer was founded by Josiah Harper in 1679—two years before William Penn received his charter from King Charles to form Penn’s Woods. Back then it was a single-room log cabin, but each generation added to it until we now have this.” She waved her hands at shoulder height, a tour guide gesturing. “We still use remnants of that original building for storage—Naomi and her brothers loved to play in there when they were kids.”

Luka glanced around, hoping he appeared appreciative of her history lesson, when actually he was growing impatient. Was she mentioning her daughter as psychological leverage? And why had she brought him in through the main church when he’d seen a door at the rear when he’d driven past the parking lot? All this was meant to remind him to take care and tread lightly.

“And your addition?” he asked as she led him past the altar to a door hidden by heavy velvet drapes.

“You mean Matthew’s. He and the boys have brought Holy Redeemer into the twenty-first century by spreading the gospel via modern technology. We now have congregants all around the world, an expansion that Josiah Harper could never even have dreamed of.” She stopped halfway down a narrow hallway and knocked on a heavy oak door, then opened it without waiting for an answer. “Matthew? Sorry to interrupt, but Sergeant Jericho is here to speak with you.”

She stood aside to allow Luka to enter the office. Matthew sat behind a desk that could only be described as regal, and despite sitting down he seemed to tower over the younger man who stood before him as if a supplicant. John, the youngest son. Luka recognized him from the family photos.

“Sergeant Jericho.” Matthew managed to sound both surprised and dismissive simultaneously. “I wasn’t expecting you. You know I can’t discuss anything regarding Spencer Standish or his wife—”

“This is about another matter,” Luka answered, mirroring Matthew’s formal tone. He glanced at Rachel and John.

Matthew took the cue. “John, Rachel, please excuse us.”

John took a step forward. “Father, you might need a witness.”

Matthew pursed his lips in consideration. “If I do, I’ll call you. Now please, leave us.”

Reluctantly, John and Rachel left, closing the door behind them. Matthew sat in silence, polishing his glasses, waiting Luka out. Using one of Luka’s favorite interview techniques against him. Without legal standing or probable cause for a warrant, this might get dicey, Luka realized. But Matthew was an attorney as well as a minister and he understood that even before Luka said anything. Suddenly the silence between the two men was more than a conversational gambit, it was a power struggle.

Luka’s frustration simmered, threatening to boil over. He’d allowed Matthew to win the upper hand yesterday—he’d had no choice given the legalities—but now he was dealing with a missing mother and child and he wasn’t about to cede the field of battle to Matthew.

“Sir—” Luka began.

“Reverend Harper,” Matthew cut him off.

Luka ignored the other man’s title. “I believe you accompanied a young woman and her newborn son from Good Samaritan Medical Center earlier today. I’d like to see them, ensure that they are safe. The physicians at Good Samaritan tell me that the infant may be at risk and requires further monitoring. If you could take me to them now…”

He stopped, waiting for Matthew to respond. The older man closed the open Bible on his desk with a heavy thud and stood. “You ‘believe’? Meaning you have no proof of my involvement.”

Interesting way to phrase it, Luka thought. Definitely not a denial, more like a sidestep. “If you won’t take me to them. I’d like to search the premises,” Luka continued. “And access the GPS on your vehicle.”

“On what grounds? You have no warrant. Otherwise you would have led with that.”

“Exigent circumstances,” Luka bluffed. “A child’s life is at risk.”

Matthew stared at Luka, searching. Luka kept his face neutral, trying to not allow his anger to show. But Matthew squinted his eyes and gave a small shake of his head. “If you truly think you have exigent circumstances, you would have called for a search warrant on your way here, so clearly you don’t have enough probable cause to act on any suspicions you may harbor. Not to mention, the church grounds are considered a sanctuary. I’d be happy to call a judge right now, if you’d like to obtain a ruling.”

Luka could handle outmaneuvering a lawyer or a minister, but the combination of the two? “I’m not leaving without seeing them.” He was certain that Matthew knew where Beth and her baby were.

“Then you’re guilty of trespassing,” Matthew snapped. He calmed down and relented. “However, given that my daughter holds you in