Living Grace Church (12/20, 11:30 am)

[Hollis Brown]

The last sermon before Christmas ended a few minutes ago, but no one has left so far. As time slowly wears on, people are lingering in the church, socializing with friends, neighbors, and relatives from out of town. Some are talking directly about the murders, while others are trying not to. In either case, it is clear to a perceptive spectator that the congregation's minds are all on whose head might next be found in the town well. There is an unspoken mentality among many that it might be time to move soon, despite the hardships that might bring.

The church's pastor is speaking currently with the man in the black suit. The man is sitting down in the pew, wiping the tears from his eyes. The pastor sits to his right and has his hand on his shoulder. The pastor is a young man with short black hair. He wears a pair of oval glasses and has a quiet, but firm voice.

The Ackermann family is speaking as one unit to another family in town. The Ackermann's are all dressed in different styles of pumpkin orange and brown clothing, except for Samson Jr., who is wearing all black. The other family leaves after a moment, leaving the Ackermann family to talk amongst themselves until either someone else drifts toward them or they decide to drift toward someone else. Samson Jr. looks restless, while Reggie is sitting in the pew and is reading a Bible.

Of the people who attended this service, many are still in the building, including:

• Mayor James Douglas
  The deputy with the shaved head
  The police officer with graying black hair
  The librarian
  Ellie Swan
  Dr. Nora Green
  Lesley Kozlov
  The singer/songwriter with his hair in a ponytail
  Oricle Younger (known by the town as Jon Vista)
  Brandy Smith

[Cliff Alset]

Cliff stands near the back of the church with his arms folded tightly. He looks at everyone milling about. He suddenly reaches in to grab a handkerchief from his left pocket. He sneezes several times and blows his nose. "Damn...darn cold. Excuse me." He looks up toward the front of the church at the Pastor speaking with a man who had been crying.

[Hollis Brown]

The pastor rises with the man in the black suit. The man is still crying, while the pastor leads him by the arm out of the pew. The pastor happens to notice Cliff looking at him, and he turns his head to smile in Cliff's direction. The two walk past Cliff and toward the nearest exit. The man in the black suit has his face buried in his hands up until the last second, before he disappears from view-- at that last moment, he looks up and around him. He has a bewildered, fearful look on his face, and then he is gone from view, along with the pastor.

[Cameron Johnson]

Cameron walks up to the church and says quietly, "Well there big guy you and I haven't spoken in a while. There was a time in my life when I refused to believe in you but I see now how wrong I was." he continues to walk slowly into the church trying to not bother any of the people leaving.

[Hollis Brown]

Samson Jr. turns around, so he is facing the pew behind him. While his pumpkin orange-colored family converses among each other and with Kathy, the librarian, Samson Jr. looks at the deputy with the shaved head. The boy is dressed from neck to toe in black; the deputy is wearing dressed as though he's on-duty.

"Mr. Roger," Samson Jr. says.

The deputy's eyes switch to Samson Jr. suddenly, and for a moment he is startled. Then he appears to realize where he is and who is in front of him, and he says softly, "Oh, heya Sammy. That was some service today, huh?"

Samson Jr.'s mouth curves into a slight frown. "When are you going to catch the murderer?"

Mr. Roger runs his back from his forward to the back of his shaved head. He looks down slightly, then back up at the boy. "We'll get him soon, don'tcha worry. He is a slippery dog, but he's a sure-shootin' to be a bun our oven soon."

Samson Jr. does not look impressed or reassured by this answer. "My brother saw the head of a dead women. He's probably traumatized for life. The last thing he needed was more brain damage."

Mr. Roger places his right hand on the boy's left shoulder. "I know we're in quite a pickle, but you know, when it rains, it pours. The police are the key, and the well is the lock. Sure, a few pieces of the puzzle might be missing, but every snowflake is unique, y'know."

Samson Jr. looks at Mr. Roger for a few more seconds and then turns, without saying another word, back toward his family. He tugs at his mother's sleeve, which causes her to crane her head toward him. He asks, "Can we go now, mom?"

Martha sighs and says, with a smile, "Not right now, honey. This is so nice, just to be here. Let's enjoy it for a little longer, while this peace lasts."

LIVING GRACE CHURCH IS CLOSED

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