After the trip to First United, Anne flashed her St. Rita educator’s pass at the Perkins School of Theology and got her hands on back issues of the United Methodist Reporter to close-read Raleigh’s sermons. Most were pablum—Life is a journey from darkness to light . . . live in the moment . . . in marriage there is only giving—but then she found a transcript of Raleigh’s Easter sermon, the Sunday of the supposed death threats. He started with a synopsis of a book called The Passover Plot. It rang a faint bell. So Anne went into the Perkins stacks. BT 301.3.S36. Schonfield, Hugh. Nineteen sixty-five. A book about how Jesus orchestrated the crucifixion and resurrection, and the plot was to sell himself as a false messiah. So Raleigh faked the threats to make himself seem persecuted and in danger, Anne theorized. This was his Passover Plot. So why be so obvious? The best explanations here that Anne came up with: He wanted to get caught, or was stupid enough to think himself cunning.

Anne pulled away, down the dim alley, until it spat her out onto another side street of the subdivision. A sudden gust bansheed through the vents of the Zephyr, but the rain had stopped and the wipers were now chattering on the windshield. Did he look right at Peggy that Sunday? Or his mistress? Both were in the congregation that morning. Anne brooded on this sermon a lot. It was beyond suspicious, but every time she went over it, her understanding of Raleigh tangled.

Just more evidence that proves nothing.

February

[ FEBRUARY ]

30-DAY CLINICAL TRIAL FOR HYPOVITAMINOSIS CHOLECALCIFEROL

PATIENT DIARY, PATRICK FRANCIS MALONE

February 1

Taken with each meal per instructions, no noticeable effects.

February 2

Coffee tasted weird after morning dose, otherwise no effects. Left leg sore, which is normal. Early spring predicted by large rodent.

February 3

Nada. Patient, i.e. me, thinks he got the placebo.

February 4

No worse for wear. Did a phone check in with Dr. Landis. I asked him if I had to fill out this diary and he said it was optional. So here’s the tally: Diet good, drinking moderate, exercise bike 20 minutes every morning. Three doses, stools soft past couple of days, but Landis said that’s a possible side effect. Leg feels okay today. All of this comes and goes.

February 5

Three doses. Pretty sure these are sugar pills. I have MS. No change there.

February 6

Three doses and no flare-ups in past two days. I feel good—I think. Just bored and unemployed.

February 7

Took one dose before communion this morning. Prescriptions for mortal and immortal life. Hedging bets all around.

February 8

I apologize to the folks at the MS Society for the most boring medical diary ever written.

February 9