40. Celine
Celine
Alex sits in his office chair with his head in his hands, while Esther sits in the chair opposite him, staring blankly at a wall, and I pace back and forth behind her.
None of us speak as we try to gather our thoughts on what we just saw. Well, Alex only saw the images and footage of us. He didn’t witness the horrors that Father Keaton was doing to Joanna and Bekah.
Bekah.
My mind tries to wrap around the fact that Father Keaton is engaging in these activities with Bekah, too. I can’t even imagine what Joanna would do if she found out the person who has been her friend—the one woman who has stood by her side —was also fucking Father Keaton.
I may not like Joanna or Bekah, but my heart breaks for them. No one should have to go through what they are. Father Keaton is corrupting both women, making them believe that the sexual acts they are performing with him are to please God.
The disgusting things I saw on his computer creeps back into my thoughts, causing me to press my fingers to my mouth as I begin to feel sick again. He needs to go down for this.
“What do we do?” Esther finally breaks the silence.
I continue to pace with my mouth still covered, but send my gaze to Alex, who runs a hand down his face and looks my way.
He is angry with me, and as much as I don’t want him to be, I’ll just have to deal with his irritation later because sneaking into Father Keaton’s office and looking through the computer was the right thing to do.
“I don’t know,” Alex responds, almost sounding defeated.
Stopping my feet, I stand behind where Esther sits and place my hands on the back of the chair. I look directly in his eyes and say, “We need to turn his computer in to the police.”
“We can’t,” he disputes. “Not with the shit that is on there of me and you.”
“I deleted it,” I say, and he looks at me with perplexity. “That’s why it took forever to get me out of there. I deleted it, and then made sure to delete it permanently from the trash.”
“Smart,” Esther mumbles.
“It was a smart move, but how would we get the police involved? What would we even tell them?” Alex asks, glancing between Esther and me.
The room is silent for a moment as we brainstorm how to get the police here. I can’t come up with anything, and I know by the look on Alex’s face that no plan is coming to his mind either.
But then, Esther speaks up. “I could call using my cellphone and explain the situation to them.” Alex moves his eyes to her, and Esther turns in her seat to look up at me.
“Father Alexander shouldn’t call, and I don’t want you calling because, if this all goes south, and Father Keaton figures out one of us called, I want him to know it was me. I don’t want you to get blamed for it.”
“I can’t ask you to do that, Esther,” I protest.
“You aren’t asking. I’m offering.”
“What would you say?” Alex asks curiously, pulling her attention.
She faces him, and with a shrug, she says, “I’m not sure yet. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what Celine and I just saw, but I will come up with something that will get them here.”
“Celine?” Alex says my name, looking for approval.
“I don’t like thinking of the vengeance that Father Keaton will rain on Esther when he finds out,” I frown. “Because he will know it was one of us who called.”
“I’ll take his whatever he throws at me,” she states confidently. “It can’t be any worse than my father’s.”
Heels click down the hall, causing me to groan. “My mother is here.”
“Is your head in the right place to have a visit with her?” Concern lines Alex’s face as he asks.
“No, my head isn’t in the right place, but I don’t really have a choice,” I sigh. “The two of you should come up with a solid plan and fill me in later.”
They both nod, and I release the grip I have on the back of the chair, plastering on a fake smile and turning toward the door. I step out, just as my mother approaches Alex’s office door. She’s not looking down at her phone for once, and when she sees me, she smiles.
“Hello, Celine.”
“Hello, Mother,” I greet her with my award-winning smile. “Shall we?”
She walks past me and into the office next to Alex’s. I follow in behind her, not bothering to shut the door. My mother takes her usual spot, and I take mine.
“You look a little flushed,” my mother points out.
“I was cleaning in the library for a little while. Sister Greta doesn’t like it when the windows are open, so it gets a bit stuffy,” I lie.
“Someone needs to tell her that fresh air will do her some good.”
“I’ve tried.” I laugh a little, cringing at how fake it sounds.
“I’m glad you are helping out around the convent. It builds character.” The urge to roll my eyes is strong, but I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from doing so. “And your lessons?”
“Great! I’ve been learning so much.” I couldn’t tell her one thing that was taught in any of the lessons.
My lie brings a smile to her face. “Do you feel a change?”
“I do,” I tell her. “Befriending the other women here and seeing the relationship they have with God really pushed me towards taking a step in the right direction. It’s been nice being surrounded by those who serve Him.”
I just know Esther is listening in from next door and trying to hold back her laughter. As if I summoned her, she walks past the open door, shaking her head with a silent laugh. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling and focus back on my mother.
“That is wonderful to hear, Celine. I’m so happy this has been working out for you, and you feel closer to God,” she says, and I swear, it looks like her eyes are becoming glossy with tears.
“Me too. Father Keaton actually has something special planned for us. He says it will bring us even closer to God.”
“Oh, that is great to hear! I love his initiative to help all of you.”
I swear, they are all brainwashed.
“It’s happening Thursday, so I will tell you all about it when you visit the following Wednesday.”
“I can’t wait!” she beams, genuinely happy. “Your father will be joining me next week. Then we can talk about you leaving.”
My body lights up with hope. “Really?”
She nods. “You’ve been making great progress, Celine. I’m proud of you.”
Real tears well in my eyes, but they aren’t happy tears.
I’ve always longed for the day when either of my parents would say those four words to me.
They never said it when I graduated from high school or college.
They never said it when I got a job at the publishing company.
Never once in my entire life did they mutter those words, but today, she’s thinking that I’m finally believing in God, and that was what made her proud.
And it pisses me off.
“I’ll be back next Wednesday with your father, and if he sees the change in you that I am, we will discuss with Father Keaton about you leaving.”
That hope I was holding on to deflates and turns into worry. As a tear rolls down my cheek that my mother doesn’t even acknowledge, I smile. “Okay.”
She says her goodbyes and leaves the office.
I bury myself deeper into the chair and let another tear fall.
I stare at the desk in front of me, entirely in a daze that I don’t realize someone has entered the office until a hand gently touches my shoulder.
My body jolts, but when I twist my head, I find Alex looking at me.
“You’re crying,” he points out, crouching down next to me.
“She said she was proud of me,” I tell him.
His brows furrow. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“She is only saying it because she believes this place is helping me. She is only proud of me because this”—I gesture around the room, talking about the convent—“was her doing. I’ve never heard either of my parents say those words when it was something I accomplished on my own.”
Alex brushes his thumb under my eye to collect the fallen tears. “I’m so sorry, Celine.”
“It doesn’t matter since she believes me. She said that the next visit, she and my father will talk to Father Keaton about me leaving.”
“That’s good,” he reassures me. “We just have to get through the next couple of days.”
Before I can agree, I sense someone standing outside the door. Father Keaton slows his steps as he walks by the office. His eyes meet mine and then slide over to Alex, whose hand is still cupping my face.
Alex drops it and stands, tucking his hands into his pocket. My body goes ice cold, waiting for Father Keaton to say something, but he doesn’t. He just continues on his way.
Alex blows out a long breath, and my body begins to warm again now that Father Keaton is no longer in my line of vision.
In a whisper, I ask, “Did you and Esther come up with a plan?”
“She said she needed time to think of something.”
“We don’t have time.” Standing from my chair, I say, “I’m going to go talk with her. See if I can help her.”
Alex nods, but his mouth twists in worry. “You’re sure you deleted it?”
“Yes,” I respond, placing a hand on his arm. “I wouldn’t have suggested we get the police involved if it didn’t delete.”
“Okay,” he says, with a breath of relief. “Go find Esther.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Besides avoid Father Keaton?” he asks in a low voice. “I don’t know.”
“Keep yourself busy,” I tell him. “Take your mind off of all this shit. I’ll come find you tonight after I talk with her.”
He nods, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and then I walk out of the office on a mission.
I ended up finding Esther in her room, which works out well. We don’t need anyone eavesdropping on the things that need to be discussed. My feet have been very acquainted with her wooden floor, seeing as I haven’t been able to stop wandering around her room.
“Celine, can you sit down? You’re stressing me out,” Esther says, from where she sits on her bed.
I pause, looking over at her while I chew at the skin on my thumb. I drop my hand with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m panicking, and when I panic, I pace.”
“I know,” she says, patting the empty spot next to her. “But it will all work out, and Father Keaton will end up behind bars.”
“We can only hope.” I plop down next to her. “So what is the plan? What are you going to say to the police?”
Esther scoots back on the bed until her back is against the wall. “I already called them.”
My head whips in her direction. “What? When?”
“After I left Father Alexander’s office. The whole walk to my bedroom, I was thinking of what to say, and when I got in here, I just called.”
I shift my body to face her. “What did you tell them?”
“I told them I’m part of a convent at a church, and a friend of mine confided in me that the head priest has been taking advantage of her.
She said she’s too scared to tell anyone else because she fears no one will believe a priest of his stature is capable of something so heinous.
But I’m worried about her, so I decided to make the call myself and report it on her behalf. ”
“Okay, that’s good,” I say with hope. “Did they ask for her name?”
“Yes, and I gave it to them.”
“Did you give them Bekah’s?”
She nods. “They asked if I had been subjected to any of this, and I said no, but then they asked if there were any other women who I thought might have been affected. That’s when I gave them Bekah’s name.
I also told them that Joanna had mentioned he filmed and took photos whenever they were together.
The woman on the phone seemed worried and said they would send someone out to check on the situation. ”
“Did they say how long?” I ask.
“The dispatcher said an officer would be here soon since they aren’t far down the street.”
“How long has it been since you made the phone call?”
“Ten minutes ago?”
I fling myself off her bed and throw her door open. I hear her footsteps behind me as I run through the hall and down the stairs. Cutting a sharp left at the hall by the chapel, I immediately stop when I get to the next turn that leads to the offices.
Esther slams into my back, causing me to hiss out from the impact, but when we peek around the corner, our bodies go still when we see two police officers standing outside Father Keaton’s office.