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‘divine help’ with their medical or financial troubles? The man is toothless, the woman is skinny, and the kids are cute as buttons?“
    “I’ve seen that on the newsreels at the movie house,“ Walker acknowledged.
    “Well, these people are carefully picked, carefully rehearsed. And he leads people to think they’re just a few of the unfortunate multitude she’s helped out. But it’s not true. He’s making a fortune on these preaching campaigns.“
    “So it’s a money matter,“ Walker said, nodding. “Not surprisingly.”
    Price ran his hand through his hair, messing it up. Lily looked at him and thought once again that he was strangely familiar. Had she seen him before, or did he simply remind her of someone else? She’d been vaguely aware of this since she first saw him.
    Price went on, “The man who’s caused this meeting is the only important one to the Institute who isn’t here.“
    “Hold up. What institute? That’s the second time you’ve used that term,“ Walker said.
    Price looked disgusted. “That’s what Good-heart calls his outfit. The Institute of Divine Intervention.“
    “How pretentious,“ Lily muttered.
    Walker looked at her. “Please just take notes, Miss Brewster.”
    It was a fair shot, Lily had to admit. She was here to do a job. Not to make comments. She was feeling a bit smug anyway about this note taking. A month earlier she’d checked out a book from the library to learn shorthand and she was certainly no expert, but she was able to put what little she’d already learned to good use.
    “So who is behind this meeting?“ Walker continued.
    “Big Jimmy Rennie. He’s the treasurer of the Institute. He knows, as almost everyone with any brains does, that Brother Goodheart is using a lot of the money he collects for his own uses. Fancy cars, expensive hotels, and inappropriate women he hires for his own pleasure.“ Price actually blushed.
    He went on. “I suspect, but don’t have proof, that Big Jimmy himself has a hand in the till as well. In the last year he’s bought a new car, much bigger and more expensive than he had before, and he’s dressing a lot better. But that’s beside the main point. Rennie’s been subtly suggesting to Brother Goodheart that his conscience, such as it is, might force him to reveal Goodheart’s spending habits. This would leave Rennie in charge of the whole bundle.”
    Lily was again tempted to comment, but Walker said what she was thinking.
    “Wouldn’t that bring the whole outfit down in a heap? Put everybody out of a job?“ Walker asked.
    “Probably so. But both of them are already rich and can go on to another scam, I presume. But they’re both greedy bastards—pardon my language, Miss Brewster—and the rest of us involved know we have to support Goodheart to keep our salaries. Goodheart is—or was—a very stupid man. When we all disappeared at the same time, Big Jimmy certainly figured out what was happening.“
    “And may have known where you were going for the meeting?“
    “Possibly. He has his own loyal toadies at the Institute.”
    They were again interrupted, this time by the arrival of two men in grubby white uniforms coming to take away the body.
    “Stand by while I get everyone out of the way,“ Walker told them. “Lily, will you ask Robert to herd all the other members of this group into the dining room for breakfast and keep an eye on them. Is Mrs. Prinney ready to serve it? I don’t want gawkers. And see if you can find Harry Harbinger, or better yet, Ralph Summer, and ask him to come help me out here.“
    “I’ll do so,“ Lily said. She was glad to escape. She didn’t want to watch the removal of the body.

Chapter 7

    Lily couldn’t find Ralph Summer but was lucky and located Harry Harbinger very easily. He showed up almost immediately to act as guard on the guests who were confined to the dining room. Harry locked the doors to the outside. It was virtually the only big room at Grace and Favor that