The Eager Evangelist (The Hot Dog Detective (A Denver Detective Cozy Mystery), #5) by Mathiya Adams

Author:Mathiya Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery, private investigator, police procedural, mysteries, cozies, mystery books, mystery books set in Denver
Publisher: Misque Press
Published: 2015-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34

Saturday, October 8, 0950 Hours

MacFarland experienced something he had not experienced in 845 days: a hangover. His head pounded and he did not feel like getting out of bed. Then he sat up with a start. He realized he wasn’t in his bed, but Laura Miller’s bed. She must have brought him home with her when they left the restaurant last night.

He couldn’t remember much of what happened the previous night. He must have drunk quite a bit of the champagne. Had he drunk anything else? His mind was a fog.

He felt someone move beside him in the bed. Laura propped her head up on a bent arm and stared at him. She had a concerned look on her face. “Mark, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize this would happen.”

He tried to speak, but his mouth felt like it was full of cotton. He had to go rinse out his mouth and brush his teeth. Did he have a toothbrush here? Yeah, he thought he did. “I’m an alcoholic,” he muttered, as though that explained everything. It didn’t explain to him why he let himself be cowed into taking that first sip. Why didn’t he stop after the one sip? After one glass?

“How much did I drink?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I think there were three bottles by the time we stopped, but I could be wrong. I should have stopped you.”

“I shouldn’t have started,” said MacFarland. “More than two years of sobriety, gone. Damn, I really messed up this time.”

“I’m sorry,” repeated Miller.

MacFarland took her hand and looked at her, his expression softening. “It’s not your fault, Laura. I need to resist temptations like that. If I start blaming other people, then I will just slide downhill.”

Laura looked relieved, then decided to change the subject. “There is someone who I think is sliding downhill. Stefanie.”

MacFarland didn’t think Stefanie had a drinking problem, so at first he was confused. “What do you mean?”

“She’s getting more and more involved with that church.”

MacFarland knew that Stefanie had expressed some interest in doing just that. When he needed her help to start taking classes, he was willing to look the other way. Now that Laura mentioned it, he realized that he should have been more concerned. “Tell me more about what happens when you are a Novice. And then an Acolyte.”

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to your house and taking your hot dog stand downtown?”

“It’s a Saturday, and it doesn’t look that warm outside. I should call Rufus, but he doesn’t have a phone and he won’t answer the landline in Cynthia’s house. He will just assume I am with you.”

“Really? I didn’t realize I was so predictable.”

“You’re not predictable. I am. If I’m not there, he’ll assume I am here. There aren’t too many other places I’d be. Now, tell me about being a Novice.”

Miller smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Where to start? Let me describe the duties of a Novice. That might be the easiest way to begin. Novices have one main mission: to make sure the message of God’s Grace is available to everyone.

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