Page 125 of For Your Own Good

He gets out of his car and goes to the door. No buzzer to enter. Just an open door, like it’s a hotel. That’s pretty much what the building looks like, an old hotel converted into apartments. The lobby even looks that way except there’s no desk clerk.

The internet says her apartment number is 104, which means she’s on the first floor. It doesn’t take long to find it. And, yes, her apartment faces the back.

Zach crosses detective off his list of potential professions. And criminal. He’d be bad at that, too.

He knocks. No answer.

Second knock. Still no answer.

Zach puts his ear to the door, listening for any sound from inside.

Nothing.

Did Crutcher stand here for eighteen minutes? Was he writing her a note that he slipped under the door? Who does that? She works at Belmont—he must have her phone number. Why not just send her an email or a text?

Then again, this is the teacher who refuses to have a smartboard in his class.

Zach starts to leave the way he came but stops. Goes back to look out the back door. There is a row of parking spaces behind the building, but Fallon’s car isn’t there.

Good. For a second, he thought Crutcher might have done something to her.

With nothing else to do except some assignments for Titus, Zach decides to stick around to make sure. She may be crazy, but she doesn’t deserve to be murdered.

THREE HOURS. FRANKhas been inside that church for three hours. No one can pray for that long. They’d fall asleep. She almost has a few times, and she’s not waiting for God to answer her.

Her plan had been to watch from a distance, not to talk to him. So far, that plan has accomplished nothing. After checking her hair and lipstick, making sure she looks appropriate for a house of God, she walks into Touchpoint Ministry.

The outside of the building is deceptive. It’s big, yes, but on the inside it’s massive. More like an arena than a church.

“May I help you?”

The woman’s voice is low, almost hushed. She’s middle-aged and dressed in a turquoise suit. She has a kind smile and too much makeup.

“Is it all right if I just sit?” Fallon says.

“Of course.” The woman motions for her to go ahead. No one is on the stage, and Fallon sees just two others sitting down. Both have their heads bowed in prayer.

Neither one is Frank.

Fallon sits down and waits. About twenty minutes later, something finally happens.

A man walks onto the stage. Older, grey hair, wearing a white suit, black shirt, and a white clerical collar. He advances to the podium and picks up a tablet, showing it to a younger man following behind him.

Frank. Who is also wearing a clerical collar.

Oh.

Oh.

He’s not here to pray. He’s here to... work?

Fallon watches them, transfixed by this new Frank, until they leave the stage and disappear. She doesn’t wait around to see him a second time.

On the drive back, she tries to wrap her head around this new development. And about why Frank was at Teddy’s last night. It’s not likeTeddywas praying for forgiveness.

She’s still thinking about this as she parks at her apartment building.

Zach’s car snaps her back to reality. Sleek, black, and expensive enough to stand out here.