“I got no way to know if he passed it along. But I will tell you that he was close to Chuck Steiner. They went out looking for bear every season while the rest of us hoped they didn’t find none. Don’t know why anyone’d want a grizzle bear coming their way. And you shoot one and what’re you expectin’ to do with it except make it into a rug? You can’t eat it’less you’re Daniel Boone and Mingo about to starve to death.”
“Chuck Steiner was Denesa Steiner’s husband?” I asked, and I did not let my voice show what I felt.
“He was. A mighty nice man, too. It just killed us all when he passed on. If we’d known he had such a bad heart, we would’ve sat on him more, made him take it easier.”
“But he hunted?” I had to know.
“Oh, he sure did. I went out with him and Jake a number of times. Those two liked to go out in the woods. I always told’em they ought to go to Aferca. That’s where the big game is. You know, I personally couldn’t shoot a stick bug.”
“If that’s the same as a praying mantis, you shouldn’t shoot a stick bug. It would be bad luck.”
“It’s not the same thing,” he said matter-of-factly.
“A praying mantis is a whole not her insect. But I think the same way you do about that. No, ma’am, I wouldn’t touch one. ”
“Mr. Kelsey, did you know Chuck Steiner well?”
“I knew him from hunting’ and church.”
“He taught school.”
“He taught Bible at that private religious school. If I coulda sent my son there, I would’ ave
“What else can you tell me about him?”
“He met his wife in California when he was in the military.”
“Did you ever hear him mention a baby that died? An infant girl named Mary Jo who may have been born in California?”
“Why, no.” He looked surprised.
“I always had the impression Emily was their only young’ un Did they lose a little baby girl, too? Oh me, oh my.” His expression was pained.
“What happened after they left California?” I went on.
“Do you know?”
“They came here. Chuck didn’t like it out west, and he used to come here as a boy when his family vacationed. They generally stayed in a cabin on Gray Beard Mountain.”
“Where is that?”
“Montreal Same town where Billy Graham lives. Now the reverend’s not here much, but I’ve seen his wife.” He paused.
“Did anybody tell you about Zeida Fitzgerald burning up in a hospital around here?”
“I know about that,” I said.
“Chuck was real good about fixin’ clocks. He did it for a hobby and eventually got to where he was fixin’ all the clocks for the Biltmore House.”
“Where did he fix them?”
“He went to the Biltmore House to fix those. But people in the area would bring theirs directly to him. He had a shop in his basement.”
Mr. Kelsey would have talked all day, and I extricated myself as kindly as I could. Outside, I called Wesley’s pager with my portable phone and left the police code 10-25, which simply meant “Meet me.” He would know where. I was contemplating returning to the foyer to get out of the cold when I realized from the conversations of the few people still trickling out that they were members of the choir. I almost panicked. The very instant she entered my mind she was there. Denesa Steiner waited at the church door, smiling at me.
“Welcome,” she said warmly with eyes as hard as copper.
“Good morning, Mrs. Steiner,” I said.
“Did Captain Marino come with you?”
“He’s Catholic.” She had on a black wool coat that touched the top of her black T-strapped shoes, and she was pulling on black kid gloves. She wore no makeup except for a blush of color on her sensuous lips, her honey-blond hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders. I found her beauty as cold as the day, and I wondered how I ever could have felt sympathy for her or believed her pain.
“What brings you to this church?” she next asked.