“We need to talk.” Carl kept both hands in his coat pockets. His voice, although a bit slurred, was as calm as if he was casually visiting a neighbor, his demeanor as if he and Edward did this sort of thing all the time. Two friends sharing a friendly chat at the church. Chat-at-the-church time with Pastor Graham.
Carl was obviously planning to get back at Edward, but right now Edward had a more pressing need on his mind—Abby. He needed to find his daughter. He looked out the window. It was still snowing heavily. He needed to get home and get home fast.
“Carl, we talked this morning.” Edward rubbed his elbow which still smarted. “There is nothing else to say, and I must get going.” Edward started to pull himself to his feet using his cane and the stair railing.
“Not so fast.”
“Carl, I don’t have time for this. I have to—”
“Sit down.” Carl didn’t move when he said the words.
“Excuse me?” Edward stopped halfway up.
“Sit. Down.”
Edward had never been in a fight his entire life, but he’d just as soon punch Carl in the face as take any more of the man’s attitude. “No.” Edward rose fully to his feet, leaning on his cane. “I don’t know what makes you think you can come here, uninvited, and start issuing orders.”
“Huh.” Carl put a hand to his mouth, drummed his fingers on his lips. “I thought this was a public building, being a church and all, and that anyone could come here.” Carl stopped drumming and raised an eyebrow.
Edward leaned forward on his cane and shook his head. “I don’t have time for games, Carl. My daughter may be in danger stuck in this storm and I need you to leave so I can leave. Right now.”
Carl chuckled. “You know, Ed, you put my wife in danger. As long as you’re here, she’ll continue to be in danger.” Carl pulled one of his hands out of his pocket, reached behind his back, scratched it, and returned his hand to the pocket.
Edward thought about the words Carl had just spoken. You put my wife in danger. As long as you’re here. What did that mean?
Edward looked up at Carl. “Jessica.”
“What about her?” Carl stared at Edward for a moment. A smile spread across his face. “Oh. You think…you think I hurt her.”
Edward held Carl’s stare, unsure what to do or think.
Carl looked down at his feet as he shuffled them from side to side. “I may not be as refined a man as you, what with you bein’ a pastor and all, but I’m not a barbarian. I love my wife.” Carl looked at Edward. “I would never do anything to willingly hurt Jessica.”
Carl was definitely drunk. Not falling-down drunk, but capable-of-doing-anything drunk. He was starting to slur his speech and shuffle his feet. His body was swaying. It might come to Edward forcibly removing Carl from the building. He tightened his grip on the cane. All things being equal—which they weren’t—Edward knew he was physically inferior to Carl who was younger and in much better shape. If Carl didn’t want to leave, what could Edward do about it, short of calling the police?
“Carl, what do you want from me?”
Carl grinned. “Now we’re gettin’ somewhere.” He withdrew his hands from the coat pockets and folded his arms across his chest. “I want you to leave.”
Edward blinked. “Leave? That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Carl shook his head once. “Leave. As in leave Old Wachusett. As in pack all your things and move your sorry ass out of our fair city, out of our beloved Worcester County, out of our dear state of Taxachusetts.”
Edward laughed. Not out of mirth, but out of incredulity. It was the only response that came to him. Carl was joking.
“Are you....” Edward switched his cane from one hand to the other. Anger rose within him. He did not care anymore about any perceived danger he may be in. Then a realization struck him. “You’re serious.”
Carl stood unmoving. Unsmiling. Unblinking. His arms remained crossed.
The two men looked at each other. Edward swallowed. He could not work the dryness out of his mouth. All the years of pastoring and counseling and being mentored and doing mentoring had not prepared him for this situation. Demanding that he move. The arrogance. The absolute pride and arrogance exhibited by Carl was stunning. That angered Edward even more.
He stepped toward Carl. “How do you expect me to do that? I can’t just pack everything up and move out of town. My daughter and I…my life…it’s here.” Edward jabbed his cane into the carpet. “Our school, our church, our friends…everything. It’s all here in Old Wachusett.”
“Yeah.” Carl stepped toward Edward, uncrossed his arms, and jammed both hands into his coat pockets. “I know. So’s my wife. She’s right here. That’s why it’s not only the right thing, hell, it’s the only thing for you to do. You owe me that much.”
Edward hobbled toward Carl. “Carl, think about what you’re saying. About what you’re asking of me.”
Carl shrugged his shoulders. “I have.”
“You can’t expect me to move just because you say I should. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Makes about as much sense as you screwing my wife and thinking you could get away with it, Mr. Teddy Kennedy.”
“What? What does Ted—”
“It’s over!” Carl closed his eyes and shook his head. “This whole thing is over. The affair, your time here at this church, your living in Old Wachusett. It’s all over, Ed, and you know it. Face the truth. For once in your pathetic life, face the truth.” Carl opened his eyes. Edward, not understanding what Carl meant, started to move, but was interrupted by Carl. “If you can’t,” Carl withdrew a hand from one of the pockets, “I can help you face it.”
Edward gasped when he saw the gun. He stepped back from Carl, holding to his cane like a drowning man grasping a life preserver. “Carl, wait a minute.” He held up a hand. “You don’t—”
“I’m tired of talking, Ed. Tired of all of this.” Carl swept the gun above his head before bringing it to bear upon Edward’s chest. “Tired of you, tired of being taken advantage of by those in power. I’m tired of the powerless always feeling powerless.” Carl stepped toward Edward, the gun still leveled at him. “Guess what?” He waved the gun at Edward. “I’m not feeling powerless anymore. In fact, I’m feeling like I’ve got all the goddamned power I need right at this moment.”
The fear and uneasiness Edward had felt this morning didn’t compare to what he felt now. His heart raced. The hand gripping the cane began twitching. The pain in his hip flared. His vision grew cloudy, Carl swimming in and out of focus.
“Ed, it’s time for you to shut the fuck up and get the hell out of town before I issue you a one-way ticket to your eternal destiny.”
Edward was sweating. His T-shirt stuck to his chest and back. The cane was now slippery with sweat in his grip, his other hand twitched in dead air, and his knees were weak. He started to sway. He felt his body start to—
Edward probably would’ve crumpled to the ground in another moment if the door hadn’t opened and let in an arctic blast of snow.
Both Edward and Carl snapped their heads toward the person who had stepped into the foyer.
Edward’s long-time friend. Richard LeLand.