Free The Body In the Belfry by Katherine Hall Page

We must walk with our fears toward God the fortress and make our house endure in his love and justice.
    â€œNow let us pray. For strength in God and each other and for Cynthia Shepherd.”
    Faith bowed her head. The sermon had been longer, but these were the phrases she turned over in her mind as she prayed. The silence before the service had not been as quiet as she thought. It was full of apprehension and unspoken fears. Tom had tried to dispel it, and when they stood up and shook hands with their neighbors at the close of the service, she knew he had been successful. Patricia and Robert went up to him and he embraced them warmly.
    They walked home after retrieving Benjamin from the volunteers who ran the child care during the service. Faith took Tom’s hand, “It couldn’t have been easy, Tom. But somehow you managed to do it. All the awful things I’ve been thinking about Cindy dropped away and I felt terribly, terribly sad. She should be very grateful to you.”
    â€œThank you. I think the congregation is going to be fine, but it’s a tough time.”
    As they went through the back door into the kitchen, the phone rang.
    â€œProbably more plaudits, darling. Why don’t you get it?” Faith said, “I’ll start lunch.”
    Tom picked up the phone, listened, and exclaimed, “Oh, no! Of course, I’ll be right there. Have you called the police?” He listened again briefly, said good-bye and hung up. Faith was by his side in a flash.
    â€œWhat’s happened?”
    Tom looked grim. “Apparently while we were all in church taking in that uplifting sermon of mine, someone broke into the Moores’ house and ransacked Cindy’s bedroom. Patricia is very upset and Robert asked me to come.”
    Faith grabbed her coat. “I’m coming too!”
    â€œthought you might say that.”

4
    They were at the Moores’ in record time. They managed to disengage the seat belt from Benjamin’s infant seat without waking him. Unpredictable as he was in almost everything, he could always be counted on to fall into a deep sleep at one in the afternoon. Faith thought it was Nature’s way of evening up the score.
    Tom carried the baby bucket with Benjamin up the front stairs, where they were momentarily halted by Patrolman Warren. It was no surprise. There must have been five or six police cars in the drive. Faith put her finger to her lips and pointed to Ben. Whether it was the sleeping baby or the memory of his earlier mistakes in judgment, Dale hurriedly opened the door and ushered them in. Patricia was waiting in the hall.

    â€œPut Ben in the study, Faith, there’s too much commotion upstairs. We’ll be in the living room,” she said softly.
    Faith walked into the living room just as Robert was finishing a sentence, “ … never been broken into in its entire history. Such a violation!”
    â€œDo you have any idea what they were looking for? Did Cindy keep cash or valuables around?” Tom asked.
    â€œShe had some good jewelry that belonged to her mother, but that’s at the bank. I suppose there were some other things of value, but nothing much, and I doubt she had any money. She seemed to think credit cards had replaced currency,” Robert answered.
    â€œThe police brought us her jewelry box a short while ago to see if anything was missing. It had been dumped out, but her pearls and a watch she wore when she dressed up were still there.” Patricia stopped, then spoke again in an anguished tone. “Just think of all the other valuable things in the house, the silver, the rugs, the paintings …” Patricia’s face tightened as she catalogued her beloved possessions. “Thank goodness we surprised them and they didn’t get that far,” she added.
    â€œBut why start in Cindy’s room?” Faith asked.
    â€œExactly,” concurred Robert, “We have to asume it’s tied