Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [680]
“Yeah, you’re right,” Timmy said and slurped down the milk from his bowl, putting it back on the coffee table. There was a silence while the two boys seemed to think about it then Timmy continued, “My mom says there’ve been other priests killed. Do you think they were part of the game? Maybe names other players submitted when they were invited to play?”
This time Gibson shrugged. He set his cereal bowl down next to Timmy’s one on the coffee table. He sat back into the soft couch.
“I think every time we played the game and the Holy Man was terminated…” Gibson paused, watching Timmy’s face “…I think maybe a real priest might have been offed.”
“But who’s doing it?” Timmy asked and Gibson couldn’t help noticing that Timmy didn’t seem shocked or even surprised by his theory.
“The Sin Eater had to be at the airport when Monsignor O’Sullivan was killed. Otherwise how did he know I was there? He knows about the portfolio. He could’ve been the one who put it in my backpack.” It felt good to Gibson to finally be saying it all out loud, instead of going over it again and again in his mind.
“And The Sin Eater’s the only one who knows all the names.”
They stared at each other. Gibson still couldn’t believe this was real. It was supposed to be a game. It was supposed to be a way for them to take out their anger and frustration, to help them feel in control and free. It was supposed to be a way to deal with the stuff that they had gone through, the abuse or inappropriate touching or whatever the hell they wanted or needed to call it. The Sin Eater was the master of the game.
“The Sin Eater’s last message said that as long as I had the portfolio I was safe and that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me,” Gibson told Timmy.
“Do you believe him?’
Gibson had to think about this before he answered. The game had made him feel in control, strong. Each time he signed on he felt like he had friends in the other players and their characters. He couldn’t think of a single thing about the game that was meant to hurt him or take advantage of him or make him feel stupid.
“Yeah, I think I do,” he finally said.
“Do you think The Sin Eater’s someone we know?” Timmy asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I would have recognized him at the airport.”
“Maybe he wore a disguise,” Timmy suggested, inserting another fingernail between his teeth.
“I guess that’s possible. There were an awful lot of people.”
“Can I ask you something?” Timmy sat forward in his chair, hands now in his lap.
“Sure, I guess so.”
“Why were you there?”
“Whadya mean?”
“Why were you at the airport on Friday?”
Gibson felt his face get hot and he avoided Timmy’s eyes, looking at the TV as if suddenly interested in Ellen’s next guest though he didn’t have a clue who the guy was. He knew he shouldn’t be embarrassed. At least not with Timmy who certainly knew where he was coming from. Geez, Timmy had been through even worse…
Finally he said, “I went by the school that morning to see if Sister Kate needed any help setting up for the Explorers’ Program, but she wasn’t there. When I went by Monsignor O’Sullivan’s office he and Father Tony were sort of arguing. They didn’t see me. I’ve gotten really good at sneaking by ’ cause I don’t like running into the monsignor.” He paused and Timmy nodded.
“I overheard him tell Father Tony he was leaving, flying to Rome that afternoon and not coming back. I know it probably sounds pretty lame, but I wanted to make sure he really was leaving. So I checked on the Internet what flights there were and went to the airport. I wanted to see him get on that plane. Only he went to the bathroom and he didn’t come out.”
Gibson didn’t like remembering the blood. It looked so red on that bathroom floor. He could even remember the smell. And that look on the monsignor’s face. He shook his head, trying to get the image out.
“I wanted him to leave.