Changing Habits: A Short Story (A Giulia Driscoll Mystery) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Alice Loweecey
Tags: Women Sleuths, Private Investigators, Short Stories, amateur sleuth, detective novels, english mysteries, female sleuths, cozy mysteries, british mysteryies
that in the paper,” Michael said. “You guys working on that case?”
“Now I remember,” Frank’s mother said. “One of my sorority sisters is recovering from heart surgery. Father Carlos’ assistant is one of the priests that make sick visits. I was visiting her and met him. Very nice young man, but looked like he hadn’t slept well in weeks.”
Giulia’s ears shut out the conversation because she didn’t like what she was thinking. She shouldn’t think it during wedding favor night anyway. Wrong place, wrong time. She locked the idea into a back room in her mind and picked up the new discussion topic: Ordering pizzas for the rehearsal dinner.
VI
Giulia called the Bishop’s office Tuesday morning at eight. Father Klein, the ultra-formal priest secretary, turned into an ice sculpture when she asked the question that had kept her up half the night.
“If you’ll wait a few minutes, I’ll see if I can access that information for you.”
“Liar,” Giulia said to the hold-silence. “You’re double-checking with the Bishop. I’d do an end-run around you, but your office has the information I need all in one convenient place and we don’t have a lot of time.”
Four and a half minutes later, the ice sculpture took her off hold. “Ms. Falcone, if you’re ready I can give you the list of names.”
When Frank came in at eight-thirty bearing coffee and bagels, Giulia waved the list at him before he got his coat off.
“I hate myself for thinking this, but the church thief might be a priest.”
Frank whistled. “Evidence?”
“Your mother gave me the idea last night when she mentioned Father Robert visiting her friend. Look.” She found the whole wheat bagel and took him to her desk where she’d spread out the maps from yesterday. “I called Father Carlos and got hold of the pastors from five of the other churches this morning to get their visitation schedules. All the thefts happened when a parish needed one of the rotating priests to help out with visitations.”
She caught Frank’s puzzled expression.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”
“Well, in theory, yes.”
She huffed. “You have neglected the upkeep of all you learned in school. It’s simple: When a parishioner is bedridden for whatever reason, they can request a priest or nun to bring them Communion. I used to do it in the summers when school was out. There are no nuns currently in the rotation, therefore I’m forced to conclude it’s one of the priests on this list.”
Frank read through the list while he drank coffee. “I’d love to wrap this up before the honeymoon, but I still don’t see how a priest could get into all these churches without breaking and entering.”
“Frank.”
“What? It’s a legitimate question.”
“Where do you think he got the Hosts to take around to these invalids?”
A long beat. “Son of a gun.”
“Bingo. No pun intended.” Giulia clicked one of the eight tabs on her screen. “I’ve got photos of all the priests on the list. Did you get a description from the pawnshop and jeweler visits?”
“Yeah, the same from both. Medium height, blond. Wore sunglasses and a ball cap, but the disguise was pretty amateur. Our thief thinks he’s being clever by using two different fences.”
Giulia hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until Frank confirmed the thief wasn’t Father Carlos. “That narrows it down. There are five blonds to choose from.” She closed three of the tabs and opened the first Pittsburgh one.
“No. He’s too thin.”
They eliminated one after the other until two tabs remained. A Franciscan from a church on the other side of Cottonwood, a new Jesuit from one of the Pittsburgh churches, and Father Robert.
“Damn,” Frank said. “Damn. I think it’s him. Robert, I mean.”
“I didn’t want to hear that.” Giulia studied the visitation list. “Give me a reason to cross him off, please. Take the next-to-last robbery,
“Now I remember,” Frank’s mother said. “One of my sorority sisters is recovering from heart surgery. Father Carlos’ assistant is one of the priests that make sick visits. I was visiting her and met him. Very nice young man, but looked like he hadn’t slept well in weeks.”
Giulia’s ears shut out the conversation because she didn’t like what she was thinking. She shouldn’t think it during wedding favor night anyway. Wrong place, wrong time. She locked the idea into a back room in her mind and picked up the new discussion topic: Ordering pizzas for the rehearsal dinner.
VI
Giulia called the Bishop’s office Tuesday morning at eight. Father Klein, the ultra-formal priest secretary, turned into an ice sculpture when she asked the question that had kept her up half the night.
“If you’ll wait a few minutes, I’ll see if I can access that information for you.”
“Liar,” Giulia said to the hold-silence. “You’re double-checking with the Bishop. I’d do an end-run around you, but your office has the information I need all in one convenient place and we don’t have a lot of time.”
Four and a half minutes later, the ice sculpture took her off hold. “Ms. Falcone, if you’re ready I can give you the list of names.”
When Frank came in at eight-thirty bearing coffee and bagels, Giulia waved the list at him before he got his coat off.
“I hate myself for thinking this, but the church thief might be a priest.”
Frank whistled. “Evidence?”
“Your mother gave me the idea last night when she mentioned Father Robert visiting her friend. Look.” She found the whole wheat bagel and took him to her desk where she’d spread out the maps from yesterday. “I called Father Carlos and got hold of the pastors from five of the other churches this morning to get their visitation schedules. All the thefts happened when a parish needed one of the rotating priests to help out with visitations.”
She caught Frank’s puzzled expression.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”
“Well, in theory, yes.”
She huffed. “You have neglected the upkeep of all you learned in school. It’s simple: When a parishioner is bedridden for whatever reason, they can request a priest or nun to bring them Communion. I used to do it in the summers when school was out. There are no nuns currently in the rotation, therefore I’m forced to conclude it’s one of the priests on this list.”
Frank read through the list while he drank coffee. “I’d love to wrap this up before the honeymoon, but I still don’t see how a priest could get into all these churches without breaking and entering.”
“Frank.”
“What? It’s a legitimate question.”
“Where do you think he got the Hosts to take around to these invalids?”
A long beat. “Son of a gun.”
“Bingo. No pun intended.” Giulia clicked one of the eight tabs on her screen. “I’ve got photos of all the priests on the list. Did you get a description from the pawnshop and jeweler visits?”
“Yeah, the same from both. Medium height, blond. Wore sunglasses and a ball cap, but the disguise was pretty amateur. Our thief thinks he’s being clever by using two different fences.”
Giulia hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until Frank confirmed the thief wasn’t Father Carlos. “That narrows it down. There are five blonds to choose from.” She closed three of the tabs and opened the first Pittsburgh one.
“No. He’s too thin.”
They eliminated one after the other until two tabs remained. A Franciscan from a church on the other side of Cottonwood, a new Jesuit from one of the Pittsburgh churches, and Father Robert.
“Damn,” Frank said. “Damn. I think it’s him. Robert, I mean.”
“I didn’t want to hear that.” Giulia studied the visitation list. “Give me a reason to cross him off, please. Take the next-to-last robbery,