Page 37 of Archer
“So where did you take that shot of Jordy?”
“Just around this way.” He walked with me around the left side of the church to the beginning of a large rock fence that led to a small outbuilding. “Here’s where the fence begins. I’m not one hundred percent sure exactly where the kids were standing, but it was right in here somewhere.”
“I wonder what they would be doing back here?” Cort asked.
“I don’t know, but there was probably some event going on that day since I happened to be here taking photographs. I should’vebeen smart and taken the time to look at the other photos from that day. We could’ve figured out what was going on, but I was so excited you found something that I didn’t even think about it.”
“Your pictures should have a time stamp, right? We can look at that when we get back?”
“True enough.”
I walked along the fence to the building I’d mentioned earlier. “This used to be the rectory, but now they use it for other things.”
“Mm-hmm, and I bet I know what they were doing here.” He pointed to a sign that was leaning up against the building.
Soulful Soup Saturdays: Free soup to feed your soul.
“You might be right. I know St. Luke’s does a fair amount of community outreach, and if these kids are living on the street, free soup would sound pretty good.”
“It would indeed.” Cort clapped me on the back. “You’re two for two, Archer. I haven’t even been able to find a hint of his location until now, but this gives me something to really sink my teeth into. I’ll call the church, find out who’s in charge of the soup kitchen, and see if there’s someone I can talk to. If this group of kids comes every week for soup, someone’s bound to know something, and you can bet I’ll be right here watching and waiting next Saturday. I can’t thank you enough for your help.”
“You’re welcome. Want to go through more of the pictures? Who knows, there might be something even more.”
“Not today. I think I have enough to go on for now, and I need to make some phone calls, but I appreciate your help. Seriously.”
“Then I’ll text you the time stamp when I get back to my studio,” I said, happy that this worked out and my pictures were able to give Cort a new lead.
“Thank you.” We shook hands and headed back to the Windsor. My boy was going to be excited about this turn of events.
Crispin
I was surprised to see Elton peek his head in the door right before Restorative Yoga. I headed toward him with an outstretched hand and a welcoming smile. “Are you joining us?”
He slipped through the door, letting it close behind him and accepting a handshake. Surprisingly, he had on gray yoga pants with a gray t-shirt that said,Sloth Yoga, with a bunch of sloths in different poses. “I wasn’t sure if this would be a good one for a beginner like me, but I’d like to try.”
Grinning, I grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the yoga mats. “You’ll be fine.” There were already a few yogis here, so I wouldn’t be able to put him right in front of me, but I’d put him right behind Janelle, a young lady in her early twenties who I knew was a certified teacher as well. She’d be a perfect person for him to watch and follow along if he couldn’t see me.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” I said as he set up his area.
“Thanks. I got one of these”—he gestured down at the mat—“for my house, and I tried to follow a video online, but I felt goofy, and I gave up.”
“Once you get the hang of it, you’ll probably be fine to do it at home, but I’m glad you’re here.”
Janelle spun around. “There’s also something magical about being in a class. The energy of being in the same room with other people doing the same thing is unmatchable.”
Elton smiled tentatively at her. “I really enjoyed the last class.” He snorted. “Well, the only time I’ve been here. Everyone was so nice.”
Since Janelle hopped in and out and attended whatever classes she could based on the day and what she was doing, I said, “The trio got a hold of him during Easy Flow.”
Janelle’s pleasant expression softened even more. “Aren’t they lovely? I hate when I can’t make that session because they bring such beautiful energy with them.”
“Energy,” he mumbled. He side-eyed me. “That’s what you have, right? Your good vibes kind of wrap around me like a hug.”
“Wow.” That was the highest kind of praise. “I’m happy you had a pleasant experience last time. It really is the collective—”
I cut off at Janelle’s tsking. “The people gathered does matter, but he’s not wrong. There’s something about you personally, Crispin. I used to hop around between a few different studios depending on where I was during the day, but you’re the reason I only come here now.”
Flustered, my gaze darted around the room. “Oh, thank you. I better get everyone else settled in.”