Page 26 of All He Sees
"What was the name of the church?" Nicky asked.
"The Good Shepherd," June said. "Do you want the address?"
"Please," Nicky said, grabbing a pen and paper from her bag.
June recited her the address, and Nicky wrote it down. "Thank you."
"Well, if that's all, I'd like to go back to bed," June said.
"Sure," Nicky said, relieved. "I appreciate your time."
"Mmhmm," said June. She hung up.
Nicky stared at the phone for a moment and then set it down on the table. The sister's reaction was odd, but if she really was evangelical, then maybe she truly did believe that Mira was okay out there. Nicky admired the optimism, but she also knew there was evil in this world--and it was her job to snuff it out.
"Well, what do you think?" Nicky asked Ken.
"I think she has had too much sugar," Ken said.
"Yeah. That was strange."
"More than a bit," Ken agreed.
Nicky looked down at the paper with the address on it. It was after dark now, and the church was probably closed--but it was too early to call it quits, and this was a promising lead.
Nicky stood up. "I guess we should pay this church a visit."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The headlights of the rental car cut through the night, and Nicky slowly navigated her way toward the beach, where the smell of salt and brine leaked into the vehicle. The moon rippled off the ocean as they drew closer, finding themselves in a parking lot that led toward a set of docks covered in houseboats.
"Where the hell is this place?" Ken asked from the passenger seat.
"June didn't mention it was on a boat," Nicky mumbled. What kind of church took place on the water? As she parked the car, she couldn't help but feel like this whole thing gave off a strange aura. There were a surprising number of cars in the parking lot.
Nicky and Ken stepped out of the car, into the warm night, where the sound of waves lapped against the shore. Nicky checked the GPS on her phone again--this was definitely the right place. According to the map, they just needed to walk up the dock, and there it would be.
Nicky and Ken moved up the rickety wooden planks, looking out at the water. In the distance, Nicky could see lights twinkling from houses on nearby islands, but here there was nothing but the dark water of the ocean. The clouds reflected off the water, producing a pale reflection of the sky.
Their feet pounded against the dock, creating a woody sound. Up ahead, Nicky noticed a tall structure floating, moored to the ocean with a dock leading up to it. It was strange--definitely not a typical boat, and as they got closer, they could see there were lights on inside what looked to be a literal church floating on top of a boat.
"Odd," Nicky muttered. She had a bad feeling about all of this.
"Looks like they're home," Ken said.
They were now close enough that the white-painted walls were clear. Nicky's eyes weren't playing tricks on her--this was a literal church on a boat. Inside, the faint sound of organs playing emitted through the night.
"Think they're having an evening worship?" Nicky asked.
Ken shrugged. "Guess we should find out."
Nicky and Ken stepped onto the wooden dock and walked up the stairs toward the church. Nicky reached out and knocked on the door. Inside, the music continued to play.
"That's odd," Ken said.
"What?" Nicky asked, surprised.
"I don't know," Ken said. "It just feels a little weird here."
