Chapter 04

Joe had expected and endured Kirchmann’s annoyance with him after the scene in Margaret’s office, but he didn’t care what the man thought of him in this regard at the moment. He knew he and Atticus had hurt Margaret’s pride all those years ago, but that did not excuse her current behavior towards Atticus. The man was clearly struggling to cope with the loss of Jack and his guilt over his role in the man’s passing. The feelings weren’t entirely baseless, but the blame lay with all of them, Jack included, for not calling her in sooner. For his part, Joe refused to sit idly by while Margaret crucified Atticus mercilessly. Jack wouldn’t have wanted him to let that slide. Joe was sure of it.

“So what exactly will we be telling Monsignor Healy?” Joe asked the man next him as they drove out of Baltimore towards the small parish Joe had been assigned to before being summoned to North Carolina by Norton on Order business.

“You let me worry about that,” Kirchmann said. “The reality is that if I want to take you for Church business, I can. Hopefully the Monsignor acknowledges that and we can avoid any unnecessary unpleasantness.”

Joe shared this sentiment but doubted Healy would back down so easily. The man was far closer to Norton in temperament than most priests and had not been fond of Joe to begin with. This was not a sit down Joe was looking forward to, even with Kirchmann at his side.

Watching the mile markers whiz by, Joe reflected on the life he’d lived here in Maryland. He’d been in the state for the last fifteen years, at his current parish the last four, and yet he really hadn’t thought much about it since leaving. He’d started out in Baltimore, first in the inner city and then out into the suburbs. From there he had traveled to Rome a few times to do research for the Order, but mostly his life had been lived out here where things were honestly pretty mundane. Most of the time anyway.

When he’d moved from his urban parish to his suburban one, he’d met a woman named Hannah. She had started coming to him for counseling after she’d left an abusive husband in Connecticut and relocated to Joe’s diocese to be nearer to her aging parents. Hannah had spent hours and hours with him over the course of a few months and soon it became clear that she wanted more out of their relationship than just an ear to talk to.

Joe had resisted as long as he could, but eventually he had given into temptation and he and the woman had started a clandestine relationship. They’d kept it going for two years, but then something had happened that blew up the entire arrangement; Hannah had gotten pregnant. Joe had realized this news meant his days as a priest were over, but to his shock, Hannah had elected to both keep the baby and leave town, and consequently Joe himself, behind. She’d told him that she’d regretted their sins, but not the life that came from them. She’d told him not to try and find her and not to contact their child until she was an adult if he felt the need. Joe’s feelings had been more than a little hurt by the abruptness of it all, he had grown quite fond of the woman during their time together, but what could he do?

Joe had agreed, of course, and the two had lost touch almost immediately after. It had taken almost two years for Hannah to reach out to him again, but she had. It had been a simple christmas card, but the picture it contained had shaken him to his core. It was of Hannah and a young girl who must have been his daughter. Hannah looked well, a little tired maybe, but still as beautiful as Joe remembered. The child was wholly different though. She looked nothing like Hannah, or Joe for that matter, but was the spitting image of Joe’s own mother. He’d kept that picture with him ever since, though he didn’t look at it much anymore. He assumed his daughter was still in the area. Possibly just now entering high school. He had no idea.

He’d never mentioned the girl to a soul. No one in the Order, nor amongst his old friends, had any indication that Joe carried such a burden with him each and every day. Maybe he’d tell Atticus eventually, but then again, maybe he’d take this to the grave. Only time would tell.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

They reached his old parish in just under two hours and Joe helped Kirchmann from their rented car and up the stairs into the heart of St. Barnabas’ Catholic Church. The church was small, recently built, and lacked the grandiosity of the diocese’s larger, older buildings in Baltimore or Annapolis. Still, it had been home for years now and he felt a certain fondness for the place as he walked into the narthex and towards the Monsignor’s office. Kirchmann had called ahead, so the man should be waiting for them there.

As they entered the office, Healy looked up from his small particle board desk. “Well look who it is,” Healy said, grinding his teeth audibly. “The prodigal son returned home. I don’t know where you got the idea that you can just run off without saying a thing, but I’m glad you’ve come back so that I can correct it.”

“It’s good to see you too, Monsignor,” Joe said, taking a seat next to Kirchmann.

“Don’t be smart with me Rigali,” Healy snapped. “Father Carter and I have had to cover all of your masses, appointments and emergencies for the last few weeks with no explanation as to why. I’ve filed a complaint with the diocese…”

“Which I took the liberty of intercepting and destroying,” Kirchmann cut in, an unfamiliar edge to his voice.

“I beg your pardon,” Healy said, acknowledging the smaller man for the first time.

“Hello, I suppose I will introduce myself since you seem to have no intention of asking who I am or introducing yourself to me. I am Monsignor Kirchmann, we spoke briefly on the phone.”

“Yes I know who you are,” Healy spat. “The Austrian.”

“That is one way I could be described. Another would be as an emissary for the Holy See.” Reaching into his robes, Kirchmann produced a manila envelope and handed it to Healy. “The Church has need of Joseph's talents and I was authorized by my superiors in Rome to procure him. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but we assumed a man with your experience could handle the workload out here without issue.”

Healy grumbled as he opened the envelope and began rifling through the documents inside. “What exactly does Rome need with Father Rigali here? I wasn’t aware of any special talents or skills of his.”

“Then perhaps you should get to know your fellow priests better, Monsignor. And as for why we need him; I hate to say it, but it is not any of your business. You seem to have your hands full enough as it is. I will personally see to it that a replacement is sent immediately so that you and Father Carter aren’t overwhelmed.” Kirchmann said it all with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“So what do you need from me then? Seems like this could have been handled without a sit down. As you've noted, I have plenty of work to do.” Healy was fuming but seemed to know he’d been outranked and outmaneuvered.

“I assumed you would want to see that Joseph was alive and well with your own eyes before I take him for good, but I see that I was mistaken. We will gather Joe’s belongings and be off,” Kirchmann said coolly.

“His things were donated after he’d been gone for two weeks,” Healy said, with a small smile. “Sorry about that, Father Rigali.”

“None of it can’t be replaced,” Joe said easily, which was true. Anything he had of value he’d taken with him when he’d first left this place in the dead of night.

“So you’ll be going then,” Healy said, rising from his chair and showing them the door with an outstretched arm.

Joe and Kirchmann left him in his little office and ignored the slamming of the door as they exited the narthex. “A thoroughly unpleasant man,” Kirchmann said as soon as they’d left the church behind them. “Had I known, I would have had you moved Joseph.”

“He usually isn’t that bad,” Joe lied as he helped Kirchmann into the car. “Just a bit of a temper is all.” In reality Healy had been exactly like that the entire time he’d been assigned here. Joe had taken it as punishment for his misdeeds with Hannah all those years ago. He’d never even thought to ask the Order to spare him his well deserved fate.

“Ah,” Kirchmann said as he looked down at the small flip phone in his withered hand. “Father Jabari says your friends were successful in Florida. All targets down, no casualties or injuries to speak of.”

“Wonderful news,” Joe said as he turned the key in the ignition. He only hoped Margaret was being a good sport about it.