“That’s fine.”
“What is your availability?”
“Any time except Sunday morning.”
Mike waited for an acknowledgment of his attempt at humor but none came. He looked at the calendar on his computer. “Actually, I would prefer to do it next week, either Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.”
“Both of those times work for Ken. I’ll check with the judge’s clerk and confirm via e-mail.”
THAT EVENING MIKE TOOK PEG OUT TO EAT. ON THE WAY HOME, they passed a road that led away from town and deeper into the mountains.
“How is your energy level?” Mike asked.
“Mostly good.”
“Do you have any plans on Friday?” Mike asked.
“Just my usual date with Judge for a run. I might call Elizabeth Lambert for lunch.”
“Would you like to climb Jefferson’s Ridge? I’ve been thinking about it since my sermon.”
“I thought you and Bobby were going to play eighteen holes.”
“I’d rather spend time with you.”
Peg turned sideways in her seat. Mike stared straight ahead and fought off a guilty smile.
“Bobby canceled on you,” she said.
Mike nodded. “Yes. Sam Miller thinks he sees the past and the future, but he’s no match for you. Bobby is still swamped at work and can’t break away for a few hours. But I’d still rather be with you than playing golf with Bobby.”
“Are you going to ride your bike while Judge and I run along beside you?”
“No. We’ll all be on foot.”
Peg was silent for a moment then sighed. “Okay. It’s time.”
“For what?”
“To go with you to the top of the mountain.”
THURSDAY MORNING, DELORES BUZZED MIKE.
“The lawn man is here,” she said curtly.
Mike made a final note for a finance committee meeting and came out of his office. Sam, dressed in blue overalls and wearing a cap from a local feed and seed store on his head, stood in the waiting area. Delores had scooted her chair as far away from her desk as possible and eyed the older man suspiciously.
“Glad the church is still standing,” Sam said.
“What do you mean?” Mike asked.
“In a dream last night, you and I were sitting in the sanctuary of your church when Bud Putnam came running in.”
“The fire chief?”
“Yep. The building was on fire. We had to leave and went outside to the parking lot. When I looked up, the roof of the church was covered in flames. At first, I wasn’t sure about the meaning. Papa often uses fire to represent good things, like His presence in a place, but the more I watched, the more I knew this was not a good fire. It was a fire from hell.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Mike could see a shocked expression on Delores’s face.
“Let’s go outside,” he suggested. “I’ll show you what to cut.”
The two men walked down the hallway.
“It wasn’t an actual fire, was it?” Mike asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why would you see a church on fire?”
“Fighting. When I see a church on fire in a bad way, it’s usually because there has been a lot of friction caused by fussing. Have you ever started a fire with a flint rock?”
“No, and friction isn’t a problem here. We have a unified, growing congregation.” The two men walked out of the building. Mike helped Sam lift his push mower from the back of his truck and unload a couple of old metal gas cans.
Sam quickly set a ramp and rolled off his riding mower.
“Make sure you have plenty of smoke detectors,” Sam said.
“We do. The insurance policy requires it. The custodian checks the batteries the first of every month.”
“I’m talking about the kind that can detect a foul spirit from the pit.”
Mike rolled his eyes. “The cemetery is the only tricky part of the property to cut. Everywhere else is clear enough that you should be able to use your big mower; however, the cemetery has some very old, partially missing markers. Be careful not to break a mower blade on a piece of marble or cause any damage. Families take the resting place of their ancestors seriously.”
Sam leaned over and checked the oil in his riding mower.
“I’ll be careful. It’s the hidden dangers that can cause the biggest problems.”
Mike returned to the administration wing.
“I can’t believe you invited that man to cut our grass,” Delores sniffed when he reached her desk. “He’s a criminal—”
“Wait a minute,” Mike interrupted. “He may have been tried in the court of public opinion, but in the eyes of the law, he’s innocent until proven guilty.”