More images flashed in her head. This time they came in rapid fire making her head pound. Noises popped and exploded in her head, drowning out her thoughts and making it nearly impossible for her to stand. She pressed her hands to her ears and staggered away from the edge of the altar.
Scared now, she crept behind the altar, ready to hide and wait for the sounds to go away. She wasn’t sure how she’d get back to Rudy. She didn’t know how to call and feared asking more strangers. Rudy had said strangers were dangerous and bad.
But as she moved to hide, she saw him. The man with the smiling face. He lay on his back, eyes open and glazed as he stared at the ceiling. His shirt was stained red but his face, well, it looked perfect and peaceful.
She knelt beside him and for a long time didn’t dare touch him. She half expected him to reach out and grab her.
When he didn’t touch her, she grew braver. With trembling fingers, she touched his jaw. Cold and smooth. Rudy’s face was warm and rough.
She poked him. He didn’t move; in fact, there was a stillness that frightened her. She backed away and then slowly rose. Terrified, she turned, fearing if she didn’t hide something bad would happen.
A door came into focus and she hurried toward it. With a jerk of the door she found a cool, dark closet. Grateful for the small, safe space she scampered inside and closed the door behind.
When Rachel’s door all but burst open, she glanced up from a court brief she’d been writing. Georgia stood in the doorway, her face pale and worried.
Rachel had seen Georgia several times under stressful situations but never once had she seen her upset. She rose. Her thoughts went to Deke who’d left her bed early this morning. He’d kissed her, made no promises to return, and left. “Everything all right?”
Georgia closed the door behind her and crossed the office. “I received a call from Margaret.”
“Annie’s sister.”
She nodded, rolled her eyes and sounded as if she couldn’t believe her own words. “My aunt called me. Margaret Miller.”
Rachel hesitated. “How did she find you? Your adoption was closed. Did you contact her?”
Georgia ran a trembling hand over her hair. “No. I’ve thought about it but I never really summoned the nerve. I don’t know how she found me.”
“You spoke to her.”
“Yes.”
“What does she want?”
“She wants to meet me. Says we need to talk. About Annie.” Georgia flexed her fingers. “I’m scared.”
Rachel remembered Bill Dawson’s warning about Margaret. “You don’t know her. That’s reasonable.”
“I know she’s family. I know I shouldn’t be freaked out over a simple call, but I don’t like surprises. And I’m really worried about what she wants to tell me.”
“Did you ask her what she has to tell you?”
Georgia rolled her eyes as if to say she might be rattled but she wasn’t a fool. “Yes. She refused to tell me over the phone.”
Rachel’s legal mind calculated the pros and cons. “Does Deke know?”
“No. He’d try to be cool about it but every time I see him I see Dad and I feel like I’m betraying Buddy and Mom.”
“You should tell him.”
“I know. But he will want to be there and I can’t do this with him watching.”
“Okay.”
She folded her arms, but restless energy had her dropping them by her sides. “Margaret wants me to meet at Pastor Gary’s chapel.”
The skin on the back of Rachel’s neck prickled. “Why there? That doesn’t make any sense. It’s under construction.”
Georgia shoved her hands in her pockets, removed them and then dropped them at her sides. “She said she’ll explain when I get there.”
“When?”
“A half-hour.” She shoved out a breath. “I don’t want to go alone. Come with me, please.”
The woman’s desperate plea surprised Rachel. “You don’t know me that well. Don’t you want someone that’s closer to you?”
Fear and nerves all but radiated off of Georgia. “I want a neutral party with a sharp mind. I clicked through the short list of the people who know about my adoption and Annie and your name rose to the top of the list.”
Being dragged into Morgan family business would only complicate whatever she had or more likely didn’t have with Deke. As much as it made sense to say no, she heard herself say, “Sure, I’ll come.”
A grateful smile broadened her face and she grabbed Rachel’s hands. “Thank you! I really could use backup.”
Rachel tugged her hands free and reached for her purse. “I’ll drive.”
“I’ll owe you the biggest of big favors when this is over.”
“No, you won’t. This one’s on the house.”
In Rachel’s car, they merged into traffic as Georgia drummed her fingers on her knees, not stopping until they pulled up to the church.
Georgia stared out her window at the white building. “This place gives me the creeps.”
“It’s one of the biggest churches in the area.”
“Maybe, but I don’t like it.”
“It’s okay. Relax.” Rachel got out first. Georgia lingered in the car a moment longer and then with grim set to her jaw, followed. “She said the new chapel.”
Rachel offered a smile. “It will be okay. This is just a meeting.”
Georgia chewed her bottom lip. “I hate not knowing. I like having all the answers.”
“Well, you might have more soon.”
“Yeah.”
Rachel attempted a smile. “Where is the confident woman who runs her crime scenes with an iron fist?”
Helpless laughter rumbled in her chest. “I don’t know but if you see her would you let me know?”
“Sure.”
They entered the chapel, quiet and dark.
“Hello,” Rachel said.
No answer followed.
“We are late, but I thought she’d wait.” Her voice trembled with disappointment and hope.
Rachel dug her phone from her purse. The quiet didn’t set well with her nerves. “She called you. Said she wanted to meet.”
“Yeah.”
“She’d cut you a little slack and hang around for fifteen minutes.”
“You’d think.”
Rachel tightened her grip on her phone. A thick scent of sick-sweet rust caught her attention. She stopped and so did Georgia. Rachel had smelled a similar smell the day her mother had died.
“That’s death,” Georgia said. “I know that smell.”
“This is not good.” Rachel dialed Deke’s number. “Get back, Georgia. We need to get out of here right now.”
The phone rang once and Deke picked up. “Detective Morgan.”
“Deke, this is Rachel.” Her tone didn’t invite a soft response.
“What’s the matter?”
“Georgia and I are at Pastor Gary’s chapel behind the main building. Something is wrong. It smells like death here.”
Instead of a barrage of questions about what had brought the unlikely pair to the church, Deke all but shouted in the phone. “Both of you get the hell out of there. Now. I’m on my way.”