Tropic of Stupid by Tim Dorsey

Author:Tim Dorsey
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: 2021-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

West Palm Beach

The cameras were waiting.

Reinhold looked around the front of the courthouse. “Where’s Nathan?”

Nash checked his Rolex. “He’s never this late.

“Doesn’t he know we’re shooting the new commercial this morning?”

“I left five voice messages on his cell phone and called his house and the office,” said Reinhold. “Nobody knows where he is.”

The director grew impatient. “What’s it going to be, guys?”

The pair looked at each other, then the director. “Guess we’ll get started without him . . .”

Sixty miles south, knuckles hit wood.

A priest came to the front door of the rectory. “Yes?”

“You don’t know me, but my name is Nathan Sparrow. Father Al knew me as Bobby.”

“Oh yes, Father Al,” said the priest. “He will be remembered well. He touched a lot of lives. Were you at the funeral?”

Nathan nodded.

“How may I help you?”

“Father, I need to ask a favor. I don’t know if it’s appropriate,” said Nathan. “When I was young, I met him a few times here in the main living area, but I never saw his room. Is it . . . ?”

“He only passed a few days ago, so there hasn’t been time,” said the priest. “It’s still just like he left it. I’m guessing you want to see it?”

Nathan nodded again.

“I assumed that, because you’re not the first. Follow me.”

They arrived, and the priest waited with folded hands outside the open door as Nathan went inside the tiny dark-green room. He moved slowly, gently touching the bed, the bookcase, the modest desk. A Bible was still open to the book of Matthew. Nathan got out the letter and read it again. His lips began to tremble, and the priest politely looked away.

An hour later, the attention of a serving staff swung toward the unexpected sight of a tailored suit that had just come in the door. Nathan removed his jacket as someone approached. “Can I help you?”

“I used to come here as a boy with Father Al.”

“Father Al? If you knew him, I’m sure he had an effect on your life.”

Nathan answered by tossing his jacket in a corner without regard for wrinkles. He walked around behind a long table for the homeless dinner line. “May I?”

The other person nodded, and Nathan picked up a serving spoon.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.