Dying to Know (A Detective Inspector Berenice Killick Mystery) by Alison Joseph Read Free Book Online Page A

be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken…’
    Chadwick looked out across a sea of heads to the thick wooden beams above them. The morning sun shone through the stained glass of the East window behind him, throwing patches of colour on to the plain white walls.
    ‘This is the word of the Lord,’ he finished.
    The congregation murmured the response. The organ played the opening notes of the Psalm, the choir began to sing. Chad took his seat again.
    “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of Glory thunders…”
    In his mind he began to rehearse his Sunday sermon. He had prepared a homily about Adam and Eve, about exile from the Garden of Eden, and how we must remember that, even if we have left God, he hasn’t left us, and that in our suffering he is by our side.
    From his seat he could see Virginia, sitting in the shadows at the back of the church, her head bowed. As he looked at her, the words in his head seemed to lose all their meaning. That God is by our side, he thought. An empty hope.
    The reader was now reaching the ending of the Epistle. It would be time to read the Gospel and then to give the sermon. Chadwick stood up. In his mind he heard the words, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to live forever…’
    He stuttered through the Gospel, Matthew, Chapter Four, Jesus tempted by the Devil. There was an expectant hush in the church. He glanced at his notes, saw nothing there of any help, and began to speak.
    ‘We are the fallen,’ he said. ‘It is a necessary part of our humanity that we have fallen from Grace. To be human, we cannot be otherwise…’
    He saw Virginia lift her head. Her eyes met his. He took a deep breath and continued to speak.
     
    ‘Man, I’m not having all this ballet shit, you get me?’
    Helen glanced at the rest of the class, then back at the boy who was standing in front of her. He was tall and muscular, in T-shirt and leggings, his feet in their black ballet shoes placed firmly on the floor, his hands on his hips. His blue-grey eyes shone from his face, which glowed dark with sweat. Behind him the class took a break, leaning on the barre, sipping water, stretching legs, watching with interest.
    ‘Finn, it’s a ballet class.’ Helen faced him.
    ‘You told me dance, man. Dance to me, it’s the beat, right? Like, living the music. Not this…’ He waved his arm around the studio.
    ‘It’s all dance, Finn.’
    ‘And the music’s shit too.’
    ‘You don’t have to do it, then, blad.’ One of the girls approached. She had straightened Afro hair pinned back, and was dressed in a scarlet T shirt with matching leggings. ‘We don’t need you here, you get me?’
    ‘Wha’ else me going to do?’
    She tutted, turned to Helen. ‘Sorry about him, Miss, he’s just like this, y’know?’
    Helen smiled at her. ‘It’s OK.’ She turned to him. ‘It’s up to you, Finn.’
    He shrugged.
    ‘You’re good, you know?’ she went on.
    He slouched in front of her, staring at the floor.
    ‘Really, you are.’
    He raised his eyes. ‘I ain’t no good at all this shit. All them words, don’t know what they mean or nothing.’
    ‘You don’t have to know what they mean. You just have to dance them.’
    The girl in red tugged at his sleeve. ‘You wasting our time, bruv.’
    ‘Leave it, Lisa.’ He shook her off. He walked over to the corner of the studio and sat on the floor.
    Helen started the music CD again, and the class gathered into lines.
    ‘Adage,’ Helen began. ‘Chassé forward on the left, port de bras …’ She was aware of Finn watching the class. She was also aware that the energy had faded from the group and was now concentrated sullenly in his corner of the room.
     
     

     
     
    Chapter Five
     
    Chad stood at the church door, greeting the