Page 42 of Their Burning Graves
Ben shrugged. ‘Your call, Brookes.’ His phone began to ring, he answered it, distracted already, and she rolled her eyes. Shutting the door she left him talking to whoever that was.
‘Morgan.’
Theo’s voice called her from the door of the church, and she stopped, turning to look at him, hoping he wasn’t going to make her go inside. He beckoned her over and she mutteredbollocksunder her breath. Turning she made her way to the door of the church and followed him inside.
‘We have to stop meeting like this, people are going to talk.’ He winked at her, and she laughed.
‘We do.’
‘What’s your boss doing, isn’t he coming in?’
‘He’s on a call, I just wanted a quick word with you.’
He looked her up and down. ‘No handcuffs, are we getting a little more trusting?’
‘Theo, if you give me a reason to arrest you I will. I honestly don’t care that you’re a vicar.’
He started laughing; it was so loud it echoed around the empty church.
‘I love teasing you. Sorry, that was mean of me. How can I help you?’
He didn’t go any further into the church, keeping her inside the entrance, and she was grateful for that, she didn’t need an image of Des’s mutilated body to distract her.
‘Have you heard of Isaiah, is it a biblical reference?’
‘Is this some kind of trick question?’
She shook her head.
‘Oh, okay you’re being serious. Right, well, let me see if I can recall something off the top of my head from it. The book of Isaiah is in the Old Testament, and it outlines Israel and its nations’ coming judgement.’
Morgan shrugged.
‘I think it also talks about the coming of the Messiah. Verse 19:16: “God is salvation, on that day the Egyptians will become like women, they will tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the Lord that he is going to wave over them”. Don’t quote me on that, it’s not perfect but something along those lines.’
‘The hand of God, judgement, it all leads back to that.’
‘I suppose if you’re referring to what you came to ask about on Saturday then yes, it is all linked.’
She leaned back against the cold stone wall and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to process everything.
‘Are you okay, do you want to sit down for a moment, Morgan, and take five minutes?’
She looked at him. ‘I’m good, thanks. I have this tornado going around in my head. It’s driving me mad all this stuff, how it all relates.’
‘Look, I’m not stupid as well as not being a serial killer and this is a small place. You’re obviously working on the terrible murder of that family. Can I give you my opinion?’
‘Of course.’
‘For what it’s worth if this person knows about the book of Isaiah and is using it to live their life by, I would say they learned it at Sunday school many moons ago, when they taught that kind of stuff. Whoever it is thinks they are either God, or carrying out His work, that’s my thought.’
‘That’s helpful, Theo, thank you.’
She turned to go back to the car. Ben was standing outside leaning against it waiting for her. He got back inside when he saw her hurrying towards him.
Morgan almost threw herself in, putting her seat belt on.
‘Isaiah is from the Old Testament and it’s all about judging the Egyptians. I think this is all about revenge.’
