Page 39 of Silent Night

As Sheila studied Tess, she noticed the shadows beneath her eyes, the way her hands trembled ever so slightly. There was no doubt in her mind that this woman was genuinely distraught, but whether or not that had anything to do with Pastor Walden remained to be seen.

"Marital problems?" Sheila asked, her eyebrows raised. She glanced between the two, observing their interactions closely.

"Tess simply needed someone to talk to, and as her pastor, I'm here to provide support."

Sheila exchanged a glance with Finn, her mind racing with possibilities.

Finn cleared his throat, shifting the tense atmosphere of the room. "Whatever the case, Pastor Walden, we're going to need you to come with us to the station and answer some questions."

"Questions?" Walden asked, looking puzzled. His gaze shifted to Sheila. "Does this have to do with the matter we spoke about yesterday?"

"Yes, it does," Sheila said.

Walden sighed. "Of course, of course. Whatever you need. I wouldn't want to hinder your investigation."

Sheila's gaze flicked to the computer on Walden's desk. "We'll also be taking your computer with us."

Walden's agreeable demeanor soured at the mention of his computer. "Why would you need that? There's confidential information on there—people's personal matters."

Finn reached into his pocket, producing a search warrant. "We have a search warrant, pastor. It's standard procedure."

Walden hesitated a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Very well."

As Finn led Walden out of the office, Sheila headed over to the computer.

"Can I help you with anything, detective?" Tess asked, her voice cracking slightly as she dabbed at her tear-streaked cheeks. Apparently, she had finished her call.

Sheila glanced at the young woman, taking in her vulnerable state but maintaining a professional demeanor. "We're just going to ask Pastor Walden a few questions," she said nonchalantly, avoiding any specific details about their investigation. She began gathering up Walden's computer, unplugging cords and detaching peripherals with practiced ease.

A leatherbound book fell to the floor. She picked it up and opened it, noticing a number of names and addresses written in a neat hand.

"That's the pastor's address book," Tess said. "The 'original church directory' as he calls it. What did you say you needed to speak with Pastor Walden about?"

"Nothing for you to worry about," Sheila reassured her, setting the address book aside. Her fingers deftly disconnected the last cord before she carefully placed the computer into a protective bag. Then she paused, growing thoughtful.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, shifting her attention back to the young woman.

"Of course."

"What do you think of Pastor Walden?"

Tess hesitated, fidgeting with the tissue in her hands. "He's a good pastor, I guess. Cares about his congregation."

"Is that all?" Sheila asked gently, sensing there was more beneath the surface. She knew the importance of gaining trust, especially when speaking with someone who might have valuable information.

Tess bit her lip, her eyes darting around the room before landing on Sheila once more. "To be honest, I've always felt a little...uncomfortable around him."

"Why's that?" Sheila asked.

Tess sighed, as if releasing a burden she had been carrying for too long. "I don't know. He's just...he has a lot of secrets, I think. Things he doesn't want anyone to know about. I know that's part of counseling people—you can't go around telling everyone what you talked about."

She paused and pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully. "But sometimes I suspect he has just as many secrets of his own."

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"How do you think we should approach this?" Sheila asked Natalie, her voice low as they neared the interview room. "Good cop, bad cop?"

They had just spoken with Finn, who was busily searching through the contents of the computer taken from Salvation Springs. Thus far, he'd found nothing incriminating. He was far from finished, however.

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