Free The Way of the Wicked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 2) by Ellery Adams Page A

folks who live alone and have no one to look out for them! Finding the one or two precious things they’ve tucked away and taking it.” He banged his fists against his desk. “I’d like to meet this scumbag in a dark alley.”
    “Lali said that both clients died suddenly, and in their chairs? With no signs of illness the previous day?” Nathan asked, his expression troubled.
    Cooper nodded.
    “And both were victims of the Door-2-Door volunteer burglar? This is awful.” Quinton shook his head woefully.
    “Wait a minute!” Bryant interjected. “We don’t know that the thief is a volunteer. Other outsiders must go into these people’s homes.”
    “Like who?” Trish demanded. “You heard what Lali said during orientation. Door-2-Door arranges for food delivery, light housekeeping, yard work, and home repair. They even take care of driving their clients to important appointments and seeing to their pets. That’s why I wanted to sponsor a route. Door-2-Door does so much more than provide nutritious meals.”
    “What about medical treatment?” Bryant argued. “These folks need regular checkups, right? My mother sees several doctors and she’s fit as a fiddle.”
    “I think Medicaid pays for a nurse to come to their homes, but I don’t know how often,” Savannah said. “I could ask Pearl, the woman who helps me with errands and such. Her daughter’s a nurse.”
    “Either way, someone’s mighty shady!” Jake exclaimed. “And it’s our duty to make sure that no one else gets robbed or . . . hurt. We need to figure out just who we’re working with every Saturday and find the dirty rat hiding behind a mask of kindness and charity.”
    Most of the Sunrise members nodded in agreement, but Trish looked unhappy. Cooper suspected that Trish was concerned that her company’s reputation would suffer if her friends launched their own investigation. “The volunteers all seem like lovely people,” she said. “What if we’re jumping to conclusions? We could be making a huge mistake.”
    “What do you think, Savannah?” Cooper asked.
    Savannah tugged on her long black braid and sighed. “What’s happening to those people is unjust. The elderly should be treated with love, dignity, and respect.”
    Quinton glanced at Cooper. “But do you believe we should get involved?”
    After a long pause, Savannah nodded. “A line from the fourth chapter of Genesis comes to mind: ‘Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’” She looked intently at her Bible study group. “Someone has opened the door wide and invited sin to become their master. I believe we’ve been called to find this wolf in angel’s robes before someone else falls prey to their corrupted heart.”
     
    • • •
     
    Cooper wanted to look her best for her date with Nathan. He was taking her to a trendy French restaurant downtown and Cooper’s head was already filled with romantic images of a candlelit meal filled with intimate conversation followed by a stroll in the city. She hoped they’d find a private place where Nathan could take her in his arms and kiss her good night over and over again.
    It was this last vision that encouraged her to wear the pale green bra she’d bought at the mall that afternoon. The saleswoman, who’d been the epitome of tact and discretion, had sold her a water bra.
    “It’s very comfortable and will enhance your natural shape,” the woman said. “It looks great under T-shirts and cocktail dresses.”
    Cooper had squeezed the padded cups and the material had given way as though it were stuffed with Jell-O. But when she tried it on, she’d found it extremely comfortable and liked the way its shape subtly emphasized her curves.
    “You’re lookin’ just like a flower this evenin’,” Grammy exclaimed when Cooper passed her in the garden. “How could a man not fall in love with you?”
    Stroking her butterfly pin, Cooper blushed. “Thanks, Grammy.”
    “You need to