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“I may be old-fashioned,” said Joaquin, “but I still feel that a clergyman has to write his own speeches—though I write all the rest: speeches for the Hampton Cove Historical Society, Camp Delion Retreat Center and Summer Camp, the Hampton Cove Science Center, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, the SeniorNet Computer Learning Center, the—”

“Yes, yes,” said Father Reilly mildly, stemming the flow. “I think we get the picture.”

Joaquin gave his boss a warm smile.“We need to go over the numbers for the church foundation, Francis.”

“I know, I know.” He clapped the other man on the back. “If it weren’t for Joaquin, I would have gone mad a long time ago. He keeps me sane.”

“All right—I’ll leave you to it. But don’t forget about our meeting, Francis.”

“I won’t,” said the priest, and we watched as the energetic sexton left the room.

“You haven’t told him about Angel?” asked Odelia.

“Oh, he knows,” said Father Reilly. “Joaquin thinks that Angel simply needed some space, and that she’s staying with a friend.”

“You didn’t tell him that we found her phone?”

Father Reilly shook his head.“Alec told me not to. Said the fewer people know about the state of the investigation, the better.” He gestured to a cozy little nook near the window, where two sofas formed an L-shape, cornering a salon table. Odelia and Chase took a seat, and so did the priest. “So what have you discovered so far?”

“Nothing, I’m afraid, Francis,” said Chase. “Though we have heard some troubling news that we thought we’d ask you about.”

“Oh?”

“Now it’s going to happen, Dooley,” I said. “Chase is going to play bad cop and Odelia good cop, and together, and with perfect skill, they’re going to browbeat this man into a confession.”

“He doesn’t look like an alien, Max,” said Dooley, studying the priest closely. “He looks human to me.”

“He’s not an alien, Dooley. But he is a killer, just you wait and see.”

“I’ll wait,” said Dooley, taking a lie-down on the rug, “and see.”

“Okay, so I know this might be uncomfortable for you, Francis,” said Odelia, proceeding along tried and true good-cop-bad-cop lines, “but I’m afraid I have to ask you.”

“Ask me anything,” said the priest, spreading his arms as if to encompass his entire congregation.

“It has come to our attention that you and Angel had a big fight the day she disappeared,” said Chase gravely. “Now you may not want to talk about this…”

“It must be painful,” Odelia interjected. “And I want you to know we understand.”

“But it’s important to know what exactly caused this fight.”

“Did Vesta tell you about this?” asked Father Reilly, suddenly looking troubled.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” said Chase. “But suffice it to say that we know about the… special relationship you and Marigold share—and you and Angel.”

“And we also know that Angel isn’t aware that you’re in fact her… well, her father.”

The padre took it well. He slightly reeled, but then immediately rallied.“I guess it had to come out sooner or later,” he said thoughtfully. “The circumstances are less than ideal, but that can’t be helped.”

“So what did you and Angel fight about?”

“Oh, you know, nothing major. A misunderstanding, let’s just call it that. As you yourself have already surmised, Angel doesn’t know that her mother and I are more than mere employer and employee. And so she objects to what she considers Marigold’s extreme work ethic. She think the reason her mother spends most of her time here with me is because I make her work so hard. When the simple fact of the matter is that Marigold likes to be here… with me… and I like it too. Naturally Angel finds it outrageous that her mom would spend so much time at work, as she sees it.” He smiled at the recollection of the fight. “She called me a slave driver. Said she’d tell Marigold to look for another job, where she doesn’t have to put in so much unpaid overtime.” He glanced at a portrait of the girl, which had pride of place on one of the bookshelves. “I considered telling her thetruth, but it didn’t seem like the right time. It would only have served to infuriate her even more. Of course I didn’t know it would be the last time we talked.”

A silence fell, and I murmured,“Now, Dooley. Now they’re going to pounce!”

“I always thought aliens had those long faces, and those big eyes, and that gray skin,” said my friend. “Father Reilly’s skin is pink… ish, and his eyes are the normal size for a human.”

“He’s not an alien, Dooley!”

“That’s what I keep telling you, Max. I’m glad you agree.”

“Okay, so do you think that perhaps Angel could have run away from home to spite you and her mother?” asked Odelia. “After that fight, I mean?”

“I’ve thought about that myself,” said Father Reilly, nodding. “It wouldn’t be inconceivable for her to pull a stunt like that. She’s still at an age where rebellion is the answer for everything. So maybe Joaquin is right and she arranged to stay with one of her friends, hoping to teachher mother and me a lesson.”

“But that still doesn’t account for her phone,” said Chase.