CHAPTER 14
“Mike, get the door. It’s Pastor Tim,” Denise’s voice called from the kitchen after the doorbell rang.
Greetings were made and Lainey apologized to Pastor Tim for not making it to this morning’s service. They called in the children from outside, and everyone took their seats around the table.
Dinner was like every other Sunday dinner. They discussed the past week’s weather, mentioned next week’s forecast, and reviewed the sermon, but this time they did it in far more detail because the speaker was there. Next, the children’s talents, and finally the reason Pastor Tim was here.
“As you all know, we’ve been raising money for a new multipurpose hall for the last four years,” Pastor Tim said. “We’ve finally gained the one point two million we need to build it.”
Denise and Lillian awed in a congratulatory manner.
Lainey kept quiet, feeling not only underdressed in sweats, but the guilt of sitting here with her husband’s family and also their pastor the very day after spending a searing night of erotic sex with a man hotter than any fantasy she’d ever dreamed up.
Her skin still tingled from Robert’s lips all over her. If they could read her mind, embarrassment would make her melt into the chair, or God himself would strike her dead with lightning for disappointing everyone present. Especially herself.
Pastor Tim beamed with excitement. “Yes, it’ll have a larger kitchen for dinners, a basketball court, larger bathrooms, additional storage and office space. It’s really going to give the church the space it needs to host more activities for both the youth and adults.”
“That’s wonderful, Pastor Tim,” Denise said, offering him a second helping of mashed potatoes.
“But as you already know, we couldn’t have raised the money if it weren’t for Geoff’s generous donations,” he said.
Everyone stopped eating. Forks dropped, tinging against plates. Lainey’s knee-jerk reaction was instantaneous. “What?” She looked around. Everyone was as dumbfounded as she was. “What donations? We don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Pastor Tim surveyed their reactions with a confused countenance on his face. “Surely one of you knew?” he asked.
Mike shook his head. “Nope.”
Pastor Tim sat up in his seat, tugging on his necktie. “Geoff made several large cash donations within the two years before his death. The last being six-months before his passing. Collectively, they totaled up to be a half a million dollars. He said he’d earned it from an investment paying off.”
Lainey watched Pastor Tim look around for some recognition, yet still nothing.
“He wanted to stay anonymous, refusing to take a donation receipt for taxes.” Pastor Tim's forehead wrinkled. “None of you knew?”
They all focused on Lainey, assuming if anyone had knowledge it would’ve been her. She swallowed in dismay. “No, I knew nothing of this. What investment?”
Pastor Tim shrugged. “He never said.” He gave them a moment, letting the perplexing news settle. “The reason I wanted to talk to you all is because I’ve spoken with the board and, with your blessing, we’d like to name the new building Wickham Hall in memory of Geoff.”
Lainey furrowed her brow in thought. What investment paid out five-hundred thousand that Geoff had failed to mention?
He didn’t dabble in the stock market, except for his 401K. She’d been through all the bank records, the IRAs, the life insurance records, everything after Geoff died. None of this made sense. “Are you sure it was Geoff who made this donation?” she blurted out.
“Of course he is,” Denise answered.
Lainey promptly slumped back in her chair, feeling her mother-in-law’s disdain.
“He handed it to me personally,” Pastor Tim assured.
After a brief consultation, they were all in agreement to give their blessing. Lainey didn’t contribute any words, but simply nodded in agreement.
After dessert was served, salutations bidding Pastor Tim farewell escorted him out the door. Immediately, they surrounded Lainey. Geoff’s father was the most curious. “You don’t know where Geoff got this money?” Mike asked.
“I have no clue,” she answered.
“Do you think he won it in Vegas with Mac and the guys on that bachelor party trip?” Ethan suggested.
Lainey had forgotten about the trip. It was over six years ago. How did Ethan remember that?
“I remember the trip because he came back bragging about how he’d won five-hundred bucks off blackjack and Mac had won five-grand, then Mac lost it all the next day,” Ethan explained.
“That had to have been it,” Denise surmised.
“And for Geoff to turn around and give it all to the church,” she beamed with pride.
“Gambling’s a sin, you know? That’s probably why he didn’t tell Pastor Tim where the money had come from, nor want credit,” she concluded, departing to the kitchen to get started on the clean-up.
The men retired to the den to watch football. Lillian and Lainey gathered dirty dishes off the table. When all three women were in the kitchen washing, drying and putting away the dishes, Denise asked, “Monica at church asked if you had company last night.”
“Mom, I told you not to say anything,” Lillian cut in.
Lainey wasn’t one to blush physically, but she felt her face burning. The neighbor girl, Sarah, who watched Viv from time to time, had a gossip for a mother, Monica, the nosy neighbor. Monica must have driven by and either saw Robert arriving or going.
Lainey was in too deep now, but committed to playing dumb. “What gave her that idea?”
“Well...” Denise began.
“Let me, Mom,” Lillian sighed and rolled her eyes. “Monica saw a sedan parked in your driveway last night.”
Robert has a truck, and he parked on the street. “Oh! The detective. Yes, a detective stopped by asking questions about the night of the fire and the last time I’d spoken to Geoff.”
“What questions?” Denise asked.
“He’s investigating a missing coin collection from the Bingman fire and going through reports of everyone who was there that night.”
What a relief! Mrs. Kravitz, aka Monica, had seen the detective’s car, not Robert.
“That explains it,” Lillian elbowed her mother while drying off a plate.
Lainey realized on the drive home with Vivian in tow, her mind was no longer preoccupied with Robert. She’d already decided to break it off with him after the terrible ordeal with Mac that morning. She’d deal with that by phone call or something.
But now the question of where Geoff had gotten this money infiltrated her every recollection. The thought of Geoff being involved in the theft of a valuable coin collection was preposterous. Besides, he had donated that money to the church six months before the fire and disappearance of the coins.
But if he had that much money, why didn’t he pay off their mortgage? Why hadn’t he bought her a new SUV? She’d been nursing this one along for the past ten years now. Where had he earned that amount of money to just give it away?
Mac might know, but she was going to give it a couple of days for everyone to cool off from this morning’s scuffle before reaching out.
* * *
“Moore, please tell me you called Jan Bingman with an update before she shows up here at some point today,” Jake said to Detective Moore when he arrived Monday morning. Mid-morning, to be precise.
Moore was walking through the bullpen making his way to his office. “Calm down, Lieutenant. I called her yesterday.”
Jake fell into step behind him. “You had an update for her then?”
“Not exactly, but I told her I talked to Wickham’s widow, and I’m following up on some things.”
Jake followed Moore into his office.
“When did you talk to Lainey Wickham? What’d she say?”
Moore sat his laptop satchel behind his desk and removed his sports coat.
He motioned for Jake to close the door. “Lainey Wickham gave the same details that were in her initial statement three years ago, but,” he pulled his chair back to sit, “this time she stated the name of the restaurant her husband was heading to before the fire. She may have told us three years ago, but the beat cop didn’t think it was worth mentioning. ”
“Ok? So why is that important?”
Moore rubbed his face. “It might be nothing. Maybe a coincidence,” he shrugged. “But the two guys we arrested from that drug bust on Old 40 last month, both listed El Tapatio Mexican Grill as their place of employment.”
“Okay?” Jake was still trying to catch up.
“The judge set their bail very high, but I looked into it and they’re out. They made bail.” Moore shook his head. “I find this restaurant’s connection to Geoff Wickham strange.”
“I’m not following,” Jake said.
“Call it instinct, call it a long shot, but I wanna sniff around the place. Have you ever been there?”
“Actually, I’m having a surprise birthday party for my wife therer this Friday.”
Moore’s attention snapped to him. “Seriously?”
Jake smiled. “She likes their strawberry margaritas. And they have a party room in the back. They gave me a good price on a taco buffet for thirty people. I need to go there today or tomorrow to put down the deposit. You wanna come?”
Moore sat up. “Yes, and make it today.”
* * *
“Thanks for returning my call, man.” Robert said, answering his phone.
“No prob. What’s up?” Jake asked.
“What do you know about Lainey’s late husband, and is there an ongoing investigation about his death or something?”
“Well...” Jake hesitated a second. “Why do you ask?”
“I was over at her place Saturday night, and a detective showed up asking questions about the last time she talked to her husband before he died.”
“Moore never mentioned he met you.”
Robert’s voice perked up. “Yeah, Detective Moore. We never made introductions. But you do know something?”
“Mmm. Not really, he’s following up on an eyewitness statement from the night of the fire.”
Robert could tell he was holding back. And if this was an active investigation, he had every right to. But he prodded him once more. “Okay? What did they see that involves Lainey’s husband?”