Read Hailstone for Free Online Page B

biggest purveyor of the scourge of alcohol. He also openly advocates his immoral, filthy lifestyle.”
    “Gosh. And he seemed so nice, to bring my bag back.” Magda set the cups on the table. She gave John’s back a scathing look. She hated the way he never so much as spoke to her in her father’s presence.
    Preacher’s fist landed on the table. His tea slopped over the side of the cup. “Do not talk to him again, do you hear me? He is my greatest opposition in our quest to eradicate alcohol from Hailstone. He opposes my efforts at every turn. He is only interested in you because through you, he seeks to destroy me!”
    “Really? It’s all about you?” Magda wiped up his spilled tea. “When are you on TV next, Preacher?”
    “Tomorrow, after the rally.” Somewhat mollified, Preacher sipped his tea. “Where is Amanda? I expected her report by now.”
    “Oh, she had to leave quickly. Something about a family emergency.”
    “How did you go?”
    Magda sat down next to John and gave Preacher her most earnest look. “She was lovely, Preacher. It’s always nice to make new friends in the church. She really opened my eyes to what I’ve been doing to myself. I know now that I let myself down. More than that, I let you down. I’m sorry. Amanda and I prayed together and I promised God I would turn my life around.”
    Preacher’s brows beetled together. He wasn’t buying it. But then, he wasn’t outright disbelieving her, either. “We’ll see, Magdalene, we’ll see,” he said. “John has decided to cancel his next business trip in order to stay with you and make sure you stay on the path to God.”
    Magda smiled and patted John’s arm. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” she said. She felt John flinch under her touch, so she patted him again. “It’ll be so nice to have you around for a little longer, darling. Look, I’m even going to cook us dinner tonight.”
    John looked from her to the potatoes on the sideboard. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I do still need to attend to some business in Hailstone this afternoon. Excuse me, Magdalene. Preacher, I’ll see you later.”
    Magdalene watched him go. She wondered if he should have just married Preacher and be done with it. “Well gosh,” she said when he was gone. “All on my own again.”
    Preacher’s expression softened, as much as was possible in the man. “I know you’re left on your own too often,” he said. “It’s not healthy for a woman to be alone. You’ll come with me to the church and continue the prayer you started with Amanda. I’ve got an interview there.”
    “What kind of interview?” Magda washed up the tea cups.
    Preacher straightened his shoulders. His mouth settled into a smug line. “The Hailstone Herald is running a series on the city’s most influential personalities, including me. I’d like to see Adam Seymour make it into a prestigious list like that, especially in the city’s foremost newspaper.”
    Magda made a sound that was half-snort, half cough, to cover what should have been a scream of laughter.
    Preacher patted her on the back. “There now,” he said. “I know it’s big news. Perhaps if you work hard and pray every day like I do, one day you’ll be in the paper too.”
    *
    Magda had never liked the church. The hall was too cavernous, the shadows too deep. It was always cold and it smelled like wax, or sometimes fear. Nobody ever knew when Preacher was going to decide some unfortunate soul should be exorcised; three times over the years it had been her. She’d sworn never again after the last one, no matter what it took. Exorcisms of anybody else tended to reduce her to a quivering, nervous wreck in the back pew. The last time, when Joseph had been the victim, she’d left bloody holes in her palms from her own fingernails and narrowly escaped being mistaken for a stigmatic. Preacher would have loved that a little too much.
    Today was different. Today a shaft of sunlight speared straight through the window