Chapter 88: The Longest Serving Deacon

After a short while Jessie looked up at the Reverend Bryce Unsworth and asked, “So, dad, what made someone want to watch that video surveillance footage in the first place? It looks like someone was already deliberately trying to find something or deliberately trying to catch someone out. But who would want to do something like that and why?”

Bryce Unsworth was now in the kitchen helping his new wife prepare the evening meal when Jessie addressed him with this question. He stopped what he was doing and slowly drifted back in to the living room where Jessie was lounging. The man took a very appreciative look up and down Jessie’s naked body - she really was a very pretty teenager indeed he thought. Jessie knew he was looking at all her feminine curves and smiled smugly back at him with her own sense of appreciation.

“Well now, that’s what I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. Your mother and I have made a rather interesting discovery and we were just on our way home to tell you when we were approached about these latest developments. Whether what we have discovered will change anything remains to be seen but who knows...”

Jessie’s mother came into the room at that point and said, “Oh, for goodness sake, Bryce, just tell the girl before the suspense kills her!”

Glenda then gave her husband a squeeze and a big kiss on his cheek before he could respond. When he did respond he said, “Well, your mother and I went down early to the church office and quietly started looking through all the old church records. I had absolutely no idea about what we were hoping to find or what we were even looking for in the first place. Anyway, after about two hours of scanning quickly over old records of board meeting minutes, and two boxes of old correspondence and church photos your mother picked up on something. I hadn’t noticed it and in fact I was about to call it a day and go out for some coffee ... but not old eagle eye here. She suddenly noticed just one name that seemed to surface a lot in anything to do with this nudity stuff and anything to do with building maintenance and security. That name was the name ... Don Weasley ... ring any bells?”

Jessie Harper looked at her step-father for a minute but gave a little shrug and said, “ ... um ... no, not really. Sounds like the guy from the Harry Potter stories but that was Ron Weasley.”

Bryce Unsworth continued with, “Well, that’s not surprising. This guy does keep in the background quite a lot. But you should remember him from the wedding he was...”

“Oh, yer...” interrupted Jessie, “ ... he was the MC for the party out back. I remember now. But what difference does that make?”

“Well,” said Glenda Unsworth, “when I noticed his name coming up a lot I went back through all the stuff I had been looking at and so did Bryce. His name always seemed to appear on anything to do with the building extensions and the new security system, including the cameras and anything to do with this Nudist Lifestyle stuff. He is also the church’s longest serving deacon and was Head Deacon for quite a few years some time back. Also, if there was anyone in the congregation that knew anything about that forgotten door then it would be him. Also, and I don’t think it coincidental, he was on lock up duty the night of our wedding reception. So, if anyone had an opportunity to leave that little window open in the men’s toilet block then it could easily have been him.”

Jessie was quietly processing all this when she asked, “But I thought he was all sympathetic towards this public nudity stuff. He didn’t seem to mind everyone getting naked at the end even though he did stay clothed himself. It still doesn’t quite make sense.”

Bryce chimed in again at that point with, “And that’s just it. He seems all pro-nudity on the surface but looking back at all our board minute discussions I saw that he had not once voted in favour of anything pro-nudist but had either voted against or just abstained. I’m not sure what any of this means in the long run but it certainly is a very faint glimmer of light in this long depressing tunnel we seem to be entering if nothing else.”

At that point Glenda Harper looked up at the wall clock and said, “Oh, goodness me, look at the time. We need to get up to that hospital or visiting time will be over. And I do so want to see how young Carrie Pearson is doing. That poor young girl. Come on Jessie, get your clothes on again and are you ready to go, Bryce? The casserole will all be cooked and ready when we get back. Come on guys let’s get going!”

And with those words Jessie Harper quickly got dressed again as all three headed out through the door to visit Carrie Pearson up in the hospital.