Michael Malone - Weebly

the garden to the vestry, pulled a surplice over his head,
and raced down the aisle to draw back the iron bolt on
the doors.
There stood Mrs. A.A. Hayes in a pink sundress,
looking at his unshaved face and uncombed hair
precisely as if she had seen him last night through the
window of the headmaster's bedroom. Her son Charlie
was a student there. Was it conceivable that she, an
early riser… The curate forced himself to be rational.
"It's just me." June Hayes frowned. "I was here a
little while ago, but I guess I must have just
misunderstood your little notice up here about daily
Mass, and then I telephoned, maybe y'all should have
the phone company check yours, see if something or
other might be the matter with it. I feel awful dragging
you out of bed, but something's happened."
What had happened was that Peggy Strummer's
daughter had drowned last night in the Ransoms' pool.
Mrs. Hayes said she'd recalled that Peggy had said how
grateful she was to Father Fields for his efforts about
Bobby, and so she thought, if he wouldn't mind, could
he follow her down to Glover's Lane as soon as