Free The Cruel Ever After by Ellen Hart

stayed with her for a few seconds, then returned to the crowd. “Do you people think that early Christianity was any different from Christianity today? In the first, second, and third century, the variety of beliefs was every bit as great. The Bible developed out of that broad mix of ideas. It was assembled by the group who won the battle over what was and what was not correct belief.”
    “What’s your point?” called a man in a business suit.
    “Just that we have an oversimplified view of the Christian faith.”
    “God inspired the Bible,” called a young woman standing to the side. “I don’t need to know how it happened. That’s just a waste of time.”
    Several people nodded.
    The crowd began to disperse.
    Jane found it an interesting exchange. Not the fire and brimstone she’d been expecting.
    The preacher waited until his audience had all gone, then got down off his wooden box, picked it up, and trudged through the grass to the path around the lake. He nodded to Jane as he walked past. She nodded back. She had no personal animus toward him, but just the same, she hoped he wouldn’t come back.
    *   *   *
    Around four, as Jane was working in her office, she got a call from Julia. “Hey, stranger,” she said, clicking on her cell and leaning back in her chair.
    “I’m calling to RSVP about your dad’s birthday party.”
    “Can you come?”
    “Wouldn’t miss it.”
    “I thought maybe you were out of town. I left you a couple of messages.”
    “Apologies about that,” said Julia. “I’ve been incredibly busy.”
    “Still working at that clinic in Uptown?”
    “No, I’ve got something new in the works. Very exciting.”
    “You going to tell me about it?”
    “Didn’t Peter tell you?” She sounded disappointed that Jane didn’t already know.
    “What’s my brother got to do with it?”
    “I’ll tell you all about it when I see you tomorrow night.”
    As they said their good-byes, Jane concluded that the phone call was even more proof that Julia wasn’t trying to push her way back into Jane’s life. Cordelia was simply wrong when it came to Julia and her intentions.
    *   *   *
    Jane left the Lyme House early that night. She needed to make sure everything at home was as ready as possible for tomorrow evening. She said a quick good-bye to her manager just after ten and made her way up the hill. After the noisy interior of the pub, the sweet scent of late spring flowers was a welcome relief.
    As she approached her front sidewalk, hands in her pockets, head down, making a mental list of the projects she would need to finish before she could take a week or two off to drive up to Blackberry Lake, she didn’t see Chess sitting on her steps until she was almost on top of him.
    “Evening,” he said, standing up.
    “Wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”
    He sat back down and patted the space next to him. “The cement’s nice and comfy. Why don’t you join me?” He held up a white sack. “Unlike me, you’ve lost weight. Way too thin. I’ve decided that it’s my calling in life to feed you.”
    That made her laugh. “How long have you been here?”
    “Half an hour. Maybe a little more.”
    “You could’ve come to the restaurant.”
    “I know. Come on, eat something.” He looked into the sack. “I’ve got a chocolate éclair, a coffee éclair, two English toffee brownies, a cream horn, and two slices of chocolate pound cake. Pick your poison.”
    “You pick.”
    He handed her the coffee éclair. “It’s from a terrific bakery downtown.”
    She took a bite. “Very good.”
    “I always sniff out the best bakeries.”
    “So where are you staying tonight?”
    “That’s why I came back.” He removed a brownie and bit off the corner, closing his eyes and groaning. “I’m addicted to chocolate.” Chewing slowly, he continued, “This morning, before you got up, I noticed that you have an outside stairway that leads to a third-floor apartment. It looked vacant, so I