Page 34 of In Her Prayers

The way he spoke, with such quiet certainty, piqued Jenna’s interest despite her skepticism.It was not the timbre of a man seeking attention or concocting lies.This was genuine belief.The sense of kinship she felt with David in that moment was unexpected, an acknowledgment that sometimes the search for facts led down paths not found on any map.But as a law officer, she couldn’t afford the luxury of indulging in ghost stories.Not when there were real victims and a killer at large.

“You’ve seen him how, Mr.Cavanaugh?”she pressed gently, aware that she was treading on delicate ground.

David took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with the effort of someone carrying a great burden.“Dim figures,” he began, the words spilling out in a rush now, “glimpsed in the corner of my eye during late-night practice sessions.”

He inhaled and exhaled sharply.

“And footsteps,” he continued, “echoing in empty corridors when no one else is around.”His hands unfolded and gestured helplessly, as if trying to grasp the intangible.“The feeling of being watched when I should be alone—it never leaves me, not even when I step outside the sanctuary.”

Jenna knew that St.Michael’s Catholic Church was an old building, filled with the echoes of its past—a perfect breeding ground for tales of hauntings, especially in a small town like Trentville, where legends and history intertwined seamlessly.

“Go on,” she encouraged, her tone neutral.There was more here than simple superstition, she felt it—a clue perhaps, hidden beneath the layers of folklore and fear.

“I believe Kip is being punished,” he said, eyes alight with fervor.“Punished for automating the carillon, for silencing the human touch that brought music to our town, and for killing my sister as an act of vengeance against those who love music.He’s not allowed permanent rest.”

She asked, “And you believe that although Kip died in 1960, he has returned to kill again?”

“I think he never left.”David leaned forward, eyes locked with hers.“He’s condemned to wander the church for as long as it stands.And it seems that even death itself has not stopped him from murdering at least one more time.”

Jake’s chair creaked as he shifted, his voice cutting through the mounting tension.“That’s quite a leap, Mr.Cavanaugh.Are you suggesting a ghost is responsible for these crimes?”

“Let’s stay focused on the tangible,” Jenna suggested firmly, her voice a rudder steering them back to reality.“We need to understand the connections between the victims and the church—ghost or no ghost.”

Jenna regarded the elderly man with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity.There was an earnestness to his belief that didn’t look like simple delusion, yet what he proposed defied all logic.

“Mr.Cavanaugh,” she said, “you’ve made some serious allegations about a presence at St.Michael’s Church.But why would Selves’ ghost kill again after all these years?”

David’s expression softened, sorrow etching deeper lines into his weathered face.“I don’t know,” he admitted, looking down at his hands before meeting her gaze once more.“Perhaps his hunger for beautiful voices couldn’t be sated with just one life.Or maybe...maybe he’s trying to create a choir of the dead.”

Silence settled in the room.David seemed to sense his guests’ discomfort and leaned forward, his eyes intense behind the glint of fading sunlight on his spectacles.

“I realize this complicates your investigation, Sheriff,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper now.“How does one bring a ghost to justice?Perhaps it would be better to speak with Father Walsh,” David suggested, his gaze unwavering.“To request an exorcism.It’s long overdue, in my opinion.”

Jenna nodded slowly, not in agreement but in acknowledgment of his conviction.

“Thank you, Mr.Cavanaugh,” Jenna said as she stood up, signaling the end of their meeting.“We’ll take everything you’ve said under consideration.

Jenna extended a hand to him, her touch light but firm.“Mr.Cavanaugh, we appreciate your cooperation.”Her voice held the practiced neutrality honed from years in law enforcement, though her mind churned with the sheer strangeness of David’s tale.

Stepping out into the fading warmth of the day, Jenna and Jake moved towards their cruiser.Jake waited until they were seated inside the relative privacy of the car before he broke the silence, turning towards Jenna with furrowed brows.

“What do you make of that?Is he genuinely delusional, or is this some kind of elaborate misdirection?”

Jenna turned the ignition key, the engine’s rumble a grounding contrast to the bizarre notions still echoing in her head.She fixed her gaze on the rearview mirror, seeing more than the dusty road behind them.“I’m not sure, Jake.But one thing’s clear - we need to find out more about Kip Selves.”

“Are you sure he even had anything to do with all this?”Jake said, his tone laced with skepticism.“David’s story could be a way to throw us off track.It might just be a distraction from his own guilt.”

“That’s true.But if there’s even a sliver of truth in anything he said …”

Jenna paused for a moment, weighing her choices carefully.

“Then we investigate,” Jenna cut in, her decision swift.“We look into every angle, no matter how unlikely it seems.”

“Even ghosts?”Jake asked, the corner of his mouth twitching in a half-smile.

“Even ghosts,” Jenna affirmed, though her practical nature wrestled with the notion.“We need to revisit Kip Selves’ history.”

“Alright,” Jake conceded, glancing at Jenna with a new level of respect.“Where do we start?”

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