The Body In the Belfry Read Online Free PDF

bites, Faith kept talking about Cindy.
    â€œIt has to be a disappointed lover because of the rose.
A poetic gesture, the final symbol of their blighted romance.”
    â€œIf any romance was blighted, it was Cindy and Dave’s. You know, Faith, I never could understand why those two were getting married.”
    â€œElementary, my dear Thomas. Because Cindy wanted it and Dave wanted her. Think about it, or rather, imagine yourself at twenty—not that long ago to be sure—and all those hormones and Cindy walks into your life. Those proverbial curves in the correct places, that long black hair with the blue highlights just like Wonder Woman’s in the cartoons. It was sex. Frequent, prolonged, and poor Dave got hooked.”
    â€œKeep talking, Faith. I find this not only mesmerizing but kind of a turn-on.”
    â€œI’m not sure why Cindy wanted poor Dave, though. Maybe she wanted to get marriage out of the way and go on to bigger and better things, like affairs.” She saw Tom’s look. “Bigger and better for Cindy that is, silly. And Dave is a good catch. Steady, dependable, bright, and handsome. You know, I wouldn’t put it past her to have chosen him because she wanted a blond to contrast with her looks.”
    â€œâ€˜Poor Dave’ does sum it up. I tried to talk to him about Cindy several times, but he never seemed to want to. We were due to start the prenuptial pastoral counseling soon and I thought I might understand the whole relationship better then.”
    â€œYes, and probably you would have given Dave the courage to back out. Although short of having his parents fill his ears with wax at birth and tie him to the liberty pole in the middle of the common, I don’t see how he was going to resist her call. But if you did, then Cindy would have killed you and Dave both. The invitations have gone out and she was not a girl to be spurned lightly.”

    Tom finished the last morsel on his plate and stood up and stretched.
    â€œIt is pretty horrible, Faith. I’ve been thinking about her wedding service and now I have to write a funeral oration instead.”
    â€œThese theological dilemmas are bound to come up, Tom, but I have no doubt that you will rise to the occasion.” Faith smiled primly, secure in the knowledge that rising to that sort of occasion was something she would never have to do.
    â€œIt’s certainly not one of the topics we wrestled with in Divinity School. Now what do you say to some sleep? Frequent and prolonged or whatever.”
    â€œGood idea. I am exhausted. This has been a very busy day, if I may be permitted the greatest understatement of my life, so far anyway.”
    â€œYou may and it is,” Tom agreed.
    Faith followed him upstairs and wondered briefly if he had found Cindy attractive. She had worn sex the way other girls wore makeup. Depending on the circumstances, it could be the full treatment or a hint of lipstick and powder. Whatever it was, though, it was always there, unsettling and devastatingly provocative. Faith started to ask, then changed her mind. It was one of those questions, like whether there really is life after death, that she didn’t want answered for sure.
    They looked in at Ben, marveled at that splendid accomplishment babies perform—breathing—and went to bed.
    They were not prepared for an insistent ringing at six o’clock the next morning. Faith woke up and wondered groggily why Benjamin was making such an odd noise. She was at the side of his crib looking down at a peacefully sleeping child before she realized it was the doorbell.
    She ran back into their bedroom, fully awake.

    â€œTom!” she cried, “wake up! Somebody’s at the door!”
    Tom was a very sound sleeper. She shook him.
    â€œTom! Somebody’s ringing the bell!”
    â€œWhat? Not again?” he mumbled.
    â€œThe doorbell! Someone is ringing our doorbell!”
    â€œAll right, all