Irregardless of Murder (Miss Prentice Cozy Mysteries) by Kennedy E. E

Author:Kennedy, E. E. [Kennedy, E. E.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Sheaf House Publishers
Published: 2012-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sunday school went fairly well. The lesson was on Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding at Cana, and the class entered eagerly into a discussion of its significance.

The girls, for their part, were generally agreed that the passage illustrated God’s endorsement of marriage. Some of the boys, on the other hand, tried earnestly to assert that it demonstrated His approval of alcoholic beverages.

While conceding that people in the Bible did drink wine, I tried to point out the passages condemning drunkenness. “Sometime soon, you may be offered alcohol—” I began my little impromptu sermonette.

“Try last night!” Gavin Porter said, snickering.

“Yeah!” chorused several other of the boys. Knowing grins were exchanged along the back row.

I sighed. Life was being thrust upon them earlier and earlier.

“You say you saw some drinking going on last night?”

“That’s right, saw,” several agreed, establishing themselves as innocent bystanders, all the while poking one another with gleeful elbows. Many of the girls were giggling now too.

“And the ones you saw drinking—how did they act?”

“Stupid!” Gavin said with a snorting laugh.

“Beat a guy up!” a smaller boy said in awe.

“Then puked his guts out!” Another boy added to the hilarity. “Lucky it happened, or Bob’d be dead by now.”

“No way—Bob’s just a wimp,” boasted Gavin. “I’m not afraid of Derek—” he broke off and looked wide-eyed at me.

I pretended not to notice. “Tell me something,” I asked the boys who were now scowling reproachfully at one another. “Did this—drinking person—look handsome?”

Quizzical looks all around.

I continued. “Did he look attractive? Did he appear intelligent?”

Heads shaking.

“Do you think God would approve of the way he was acting?”

Light bulbs came on around the room.

“No, ma’am,” said Janet Smythe, the class idealist.

“Can you see the difference between serving a little wine at a wedding and getting knee-walking drunk?”

Several involuntary barks of laughter, in surprise that I would use such an expression, then unanimous nods.

“Good.” I looked at my watch. “It’s almost time for church, so let’s pray. Martin, would you please?”

The class broke up quietly, and I proceeded to wipe off the blackboard and collect the lesson books left on the seats. I was stacking them in the storage closet when several of the boys returned to the room.

“Great! There’s doughnuts left!” said one.

“Hey, dork, what’s with spilling your guts about the party last night?” said another.

Clearly, they didn’t know I was there.

“Don’t worry, Miss P’s cool, she won’t tell,” he answered, his voice muffled by doughnut. “Besides, we didn’t say anything much. Gimme one of those chocolate ones.”

I have learned from long experience that eavesdropping is sometimes a helpful tool, if used in moderation. I stood very still in the closet and listened.

“No way! You said Derek’s name. He’ll kill you for that.”

“No, he won’t! He’s all torn up about that girl that got killed. Said he’s looking everywhere for who did it, even in Vermont. Said when he finds ’um, he’s gonna kill ’um.”

“He will, too,” piped a shaky tenor.

“Come on, hurry. Church is starting. My mom’ll kill me if I’m late!”

More sounds of the wax paper sack rattling.

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