Free The Promise of Home by Darcie Chan Page A

had been relatively uneventful, other than the short announcement he had made at the end about Karen Cooper’s missing husband. He had asked everyone in attendance to say a prayer for Nick’s quick and safe return.
    He had spoken with Karen after Mass, once the other church members had offered her their words of comfort and left. She’d insisted that she and Ben were holding up as well as could be expected, but her pasty complexion and baggy, swollen eyes indicated otherwise. What concerned him even more was the expression he saw in her eyes—or, rather, the lack of it. There was no spark there, no trace of hope or anger or resolve, any of which he would expect to see in the eyes of someone in her situation. Her eyes were blank, emotionless. He had seen other people’s eyes look that way, and it had scared him every time.
    Father O’Brien stood at the altar, looking out at the pews to make sure all was in order, when he suddenly realized how tired he was. His head felt as if it were spinning, and his knees were a bit wobbly. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning?
    Of course that’s it,
he thought. He’d had his usual coffee and a small glass of juice, but he’d gotten so absorbed in making a few last-minute changes to his homily that he hadn’t had time to eat anything. Carefully, he left the church and walked the short path to the parish house.
    In his kitchen, he grabbed a banana to eat while he grilled a sandwich. The heat from the stove burner felt good as it radiated toward him, and it reminded him of the paperwork for the new heating assistance program that Jim Gasaway had requested he look over. The weather was already getting colder, and winter was a few short months away. He wanted to make sure that the funds Mary McAllister had left for the program could be used as soon as possible.
    When he closed his eyes, he could still envision Mary’s smiling face. His dearest friend had been gone nearly nine months. He missed her terribly, especially in the quiet moments he had to himself. It comforted him to know that he was helping to carry out her wishes to care for the people of Mill River. Throughout her lifetime, she had done so much for her community, and her estate would provide even more help to those in need.
    Still, there were limits to what Mary’s love could do. If she were alive, he undoubtedly would have told her of Karen Cooper’s situation, of his prayers for Nick’s safety and the well-being of Karen and her son. She would have shared his concern. He knew, too, that as much as Mary would have wanted to help, there would have been nothing she could have done to find Nick Cooper and return him to his family.

Chapter 6
    Saturday, March 31, 1934
    F or an instant, Michael was too shocked to move. A second scream from his mother launched him into action. He threw open the door and raised his rifle.
    The large man in the kitchen towered over his mother. He stood with his back toward Michael, holding her firmly by the wrists and pushed up against the counter. She was struggling against his hold, kicking and thrashing, but she was no match for the man’s strength.
    “Take your hands off her!” Michael yelled. Never before had he aimed his gun at a person. He pressed his cheek to the side of the rifle, trying to steady the weapon in his trembling hands. The man turned, revealing a dirt-streaked face and an unkempt beard. Michael made eye contact with the intruder and took aim at his forehead. At that moment, two thoughts rose up in his mind.
    The man was standing in close proximity to his mother, which would make firing extremely risky.
    His loaded rifle held only a single shot.
    “Or what, little boy?” In an instant, the man had produced a knife and whirled his mother around in front of him, where he held the blade to her throat. “Careful. You wouldn’t want this knife to slip, now, would you?”
    Michael stayed frozen where he stood. His finger was positioned just in