M. Forsythe - While Rome Was Sleeping

“You do a great job with what we do have,” Byron told him.

“I do hope it’s an empty rumor,” Sister Ruth repeated. She noticed that Ben looked tired and wondered if he really felt as confident as he sounded.

For the next couple of hours the three worked without interruption. Byron had prepared a Plan A and Plan B budget for the Center. Looking at Plan B Byron explained, “If it comes to this, Father, we will have to close the Center several days a week.”

Ben’s usually placid face registered alarm. “No, no, Byron, we must not even contemplate such a thing. Soon there would be little reason to have a maritime ministry at all!” he said emphatically. “We must trust the Lord to provide for our needs. He has not failed in the past, so let us just use Plan A.”

“Okay, Father, I guess my banking background gets in the way of my faith sometimes. Of course, you’re right. If this is a ministry that the Lord wants, He certainly will provide.”

Sister Ruth rubbed her forehead, a nervous habit she did whenever she felt stressed. “Amen, I guess,” she murmured.

Davey had done an effective job telling everyone who called or came in that Father Ben, Sister Ruth and Byron were working on debits and credits. He thought that sounded very official.

As Ben emerged from the office, a file folder of papers in his hand, Byron following close behind tapped him on the shoulder and asked the question he had bottled up all morning.

“By the way, what happened here yesterday?”

“Yes,” echoed Ruth from the doorway. “What did happen here?”

Immediately Davey responded, “I know, I know, I can tell you.”

“Never mind, Davey, not now!” cautioned Father Ben and to Ruth and Byron. “I promise when I get back I will tell you both all about it. And yes, Davey, you can tell too, but not now. It is getting late. I have to get to Diocesan House and we all have work to do. I will pick up the mail on my way back to the Center. If Andrew comes in tell him where I am and that I will see him or call him later.” He paused and looked squarely at Sister Ruth and asked, “Do you think that Chinese are inscrutable?” He didn’t wait for an answer.

Ruth’s mouth fell open and she looked at Byron, “What in the world caused a question like that? Inscrutable indeed!” she snorted. “You think he’s been watching too many old Charlie Chan movies?” Byron just smiled and shrugged.

As Ben hurried out the door he barely took notice of the two men who stepped out of his way and entered the Center.

Jake and Leo had arrived. “There’s the priest!” Jake whispered watching Father Ben as he left. They paused at the door and looked around, “Detective Maxwell would be real happy with us, huh?” Jake grinned.

“He’ll be happier when we find the stuff,” Leo asserted. He didn’t care much for this assignment. For one thing, they didn’t know what to look for; what the package or merchandise looked like. He wondered; he surely didn’t want to talk to Monte again so he concluded they would take anything, big or small that could be classified a package .

They were wandering around, looking at everything, moving magazines, papers, and trying to keep a low profile, not realizing they stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs. “I don’t see the guy who was with the priest at the hospital, do you?” Jake asked Leo.

“No, but he might be somebody who just visits now and then,” Leo answered. “Kelshaw wasn’t carrying anything when we hit him. He could have left it in here somewhere; depending on how big it is, keep your eyes open.”

“Oh, all we gotta’ do is find out all about the guy at the hospital with the priest, and some package that we don’t even know what it looks like!” Jake swore and complained sarcastically. “Leo, this is like lookin’ for a needle in a haystack. And we’re not supposed to ask any questions about who we’re workin’ for or nothin’. Who does Maxwell think we are anyway, some Houdinis? Maybe we should get a crystal ball?” Jake continued to grumble getting angrier by the minute.

Leo elbowed Jake and said in a low voice. “Quit whining and be quiet! Here comes a Nun.”

“May I help you, gentlemen?” Ruth inquired cautiously.

“N-No,” Leo told her. “We just dropped by to-to get out of the rain for awhile.”

“If you don’t mind,” Jake spoke in his most polite tone of voice and smiling a toothy grin at Sister Ruth.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, “I didn’t realize it had started to rain. Well, that’s Seattle for you. Of course you are welcome here. There is some coffee and cookies on that table if you would like. Just help yourself, or ask Davey over there.” She nodded toward Davey who was straightening up some magazines on a nearby table.

Ruth went back to work in the office and after a few minutes she commented to Byron, “Do you know those two men out there?”

Byron looked up from the yellow pad covered with figures and glanced through the door at Leo and Jake. “I’ve never seen them before,” Byron studied them; “they look a little out of place to me.”

“They look out of place to me, too, and they seem to be prowling, like they’re casing the Center. They don’t look like sailors by any means!”

“Well,” Byron responded, “they’re probably harmless enough and probably homeless too.”

Sister Ruth was not convinced. “They aren’t dressed like homeless guys that you see down around the Union Gospel Mission. They don’t act like homeless guys either,” she muttered. “I think we need to keep an eye on them.”

Just then Andrew came through the door of the Center. “Hi, Davey, is Ben in?”

“He’s not here right now,” Davey told him, “but Sister Ruth and Byron are in the office.”

“Bingo!” Leo exclaimed when he saw Andrew. “There’s the guy!”

“Yeah,” Jake agreed.

“Do I hear Andrew?” Sister Ruth appeared in the doorway of the office. “Well, you are a sight for sore eyes! Where have you been keeping yourself? You shouldn’t stay away so long. You know we need you here to keep Father Ben occupied,” she scolded tongue-in-cheek referring to the ongoing chess games.

“Where is he?” queried Andrew.

“At the Diocese, at a budget committee meeting. Rumors are that they are planning to cut our budget, again,” Ruth said dryly.

“Uh oh, do we need to do some fund-raising?” Andrew asked.

“Probably, and while you’re at it you might throw in a few prayers, too,” she added. “Father Ben will be back later, he said to tell you if you should stop by.”

“Okay, I’ll call or stop in and see him later.” Andrew said casually. He didn’t want Ruth to see the urgency he felt.

As Andrew was walking toward the door he noticed Jake and Leo. “Scruffy looking guys,” he thought. He eyed the pair as they ambled aimlessly around the room. Leo was dressed in faded Levi’s and a stained tee shirt under an unbuttoned blue flannel shirt that had seen better days. Jake’s attire was nondescript dark green industrial looking clothing that might be worn by anyone, a bus driver, janitor or elevator repairman. They both wore thick soled shoes indicating they spent a lot of time on their feet.

“They don’t fit in here. I wonder what they’re doing.” Probably nothing he mused, “but I think I’ll talk to Ben about keeping his eyes open”.

Leo and Jake watched Andrew leave noticing that he had looked at them quite intently. That made Leo a little uncomfortable.

“Let’s find out who he is,” Leo said.

“How do we do that?” asked Jake.

“We talk to that little nerd over there wiping tables, stupid,” Leo inclined his head toward Davey.

“Hi, Davey,” Leo remembered the name the nun had given as they walked over to Davey.