Mac Davenport arrived at Newberry Community Church around
seven-thirty in the morning to open up the building and prepare
it for the Sunday morning service. His mind was still on the explosion
he heard last night and knew it had to have come from Sunrise Trailer
Park for that area where he saw the glow came from the same direction
where the trailer park was located.
What got him was why the explosion was so intense. Being a former
firefighter and having fought a few mobile home fires knew of their
intensity to burn. But for one to explode like the one he heard last
night was unusual even for a trailer fire. It had to have been a homemade
bomb. The thought of that made him cringe.
Mac was still thinking of last night when he heard someone enter the
back entrance of the church. He heard the voices of Wilfred Templar
and Jenny Garrett; his fellow greeters.
Mac was in the copier room of the church office and called out from
there, "Wilfred! Jenny! Good morning! I'm in here!"
"Ah, good morning, young Mac," Wilfred replied as he entered the
office with Jenny following.
"Good morning, Mac," Jenny answered then added, "Do you want
me to prepare the coffeemakers while you and Wilfred do the bulletins?"
"Sure, go right ahead, Jen' " Mac said, "This won't take long, anyway."
"Okay, Mac."
Jenny turned and headed to the tea room to prepare the coffeemakers
and lay out the snacks. Jenny knew Mac bought coffee cookies and
kept them in the shelf above the table where the coffeemakers sat. She
reached in to get them and laid them on a glass serving tray then got
to work setting up the coffeemakers. She had the routine down pat
as did Mac and Wilfred.
As Mac went to the table in the hallway to lay out the bulletins Mac
caught a glimpse of someone entering the church, looked to the right
and saw Officer Frank Hunt step in.
Mac responded with, "Well good morning Officer Hunt. What's the
trouble?" Mac went over to him.
"Are the Canfields here?" Hunt asked.
"They should be here any time," Mac answered, "Is something wrong?"
"Let's talk outside," Hunt insisted.
"Sure, no problem."
Mac and Officer Hunt went outside through the front entrance and to
where Hunt's patrol car was parked then Hunt began to speak.
"There was a trailer explosion last night at Sunrise Trailer Park," Hunt
began, "and the trailer involved belonged to the mother of the kids that
the Canfields now have in their foster care."
Mac felt his tongue go dry and his head buzz when Hunt mentioned
the Hobbs trailer being the one that blew up. What's going on here?
"What exactly caused the trailer to explode?" Mac asked, trying
to stay calm.
"It's still under investigation, but they believe it's arson."
"I see."
"Mac, I usually don't talk about incidents to those not involved but
I trust you and I know how close you are to the Canfields, but it's
also imperative I talk to them__for the sake of Julie and Alex."
"I understand."
Just then Mac and the officer heard a car pull in. Mac looked over
and saw that it was the Canfields' maroon Dodge minivan, their
other vehicle.
Officer Hunt was getting ready to walk over to where the Toyota
pulled in when Mac suggested, "Why don't I walk over there with
you, Frank? It might ease the tension."
"Absolutely." Frank suddenly stopped short, turned back toward
the patrol car and to the front passenger door to open it. Frank
then said, "Oh, something else I'd like to ask of you and the
Canfields." And with that he opened the car door and out of the
car came a little boy with light brown hair, about eight-years-old
and wearing a white collared polo shirt and dark blue pants and
black shoes and carrying a children's Bible.
"Mac," Frank began to say, "this is my son Tommy." He then
turned to Tommy and said, "Tommy, this is Mr. Davenport. He
welcomes people to the church."
Mac stooped down to the boy's height and extended his hand to
the boy, the boy reaching to take it; albeit somewhat shyly.
"Well, nice to meet you, Tommy," Mac smiled, If you and your
dad come with me, there are four other kids who would like to
meet you as well."
"You'll like them, Tommy," Frank assured his son.
"Thank you, Mr. Davenport," Tommy finally answered.
You're welcome, Tommy," Mac replied, "Your dad is
right, you'll like these kids."
Gary and Vera Canfield noticed the Newberry police car and the police
officer talking with Mac when they pulled in to park next to the church bus.
Julie and Alex exchanged uneasy glances to each other then to Gary and
Vera. Brian and Dawn did the same.
Gary noticed the nervous expressions of the kids and reassured them with,
"Now let's not get excited. That officer is just talking with Mac."
"Yes," Brian chimed in, "But what about?"
It was then they saw a little boy climb out from the front passenger side of
the patrol car and walk toward Mac and the officer with Mac greeting the
boy.
"I think that's our answer," Gary said as he saw Mac, the police officer, and
the boy walk toward to where they parked.
"Policeman have boy with 'em." Alex piped up.
"Well, let's go over and say hello, shall we?" Gary suggested as they all
got out of the minivan.
This concludes Chapter 20.
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