Fiction: The Interloper :: Part VIII
Title: The Interloper
Pairing: Justin/Iris, Carnivale
Rating: G
Spoilers: the whole enchilada
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am in no way shape or form connected to the actual series I am writing about here. Daniel Knauf thought of these people and the circumstances in which I found them in and then extrapolated on.
Author's Note: Previous chapters linked for your convenience.
Summary: Are we having lunch or an interrogation?
So Real :: Jeff Buckley
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Coreen and Val Templeton stared across the table at Iris as she tapped her spoon against her napkin on the table, her face pursed into an expression of utter annoyance. Sofie sat next to her looking from the Templetons to Iris and then to Justin, sitting at the head of the table and looking equally annoyed at his sister's manners. Jack sat at the other end of the table with an amused smile on his face.
Sofie leaned into the table to get a better look at Jack. "So Jack, being a detective," she started, "that must be really interesting."
Jack took her cue and gave a little wink before looking over at Justin who was still staring at his sister. "It has it's moments, certainly Sofie."
Coreen leaned in as well smiling widely at Jack with a twinkle in her eye. Jack almost started laughing at her utter mischievousness before she could speak. "You know Jack, I just love mystery novels." She looked toward Iris, "Iris here was just talking to me about The Postman Always Rings Twice the other day."
Iris looked up suddenly and put on that grotesque smile Jack hated. "Yes, that's right." she said looking back at Coreen.
"You know, I've thought about writing a book myself." Jack started, determined to get a real smile out of Iris.
"Oh really." Iris said lifting her eyebrows at him and setting down her spoon.
"Yes," he said leaning in a bit more. "I think I have the perfect opening line too, just like in all those books people are eating up these days." Jack was smiling wide now and eying everyone at the table. Unconciously they were all leaning in slightly to hear what he had to say, and it made his heart beat a little harder with delight. "Yes. Tell me what you think." He wiped at the corner of his mouth quickly though he had yet to eat anything. He straighted up in his chair and looked directly at Iris. He gave a quick glance in Justin's direction and noted that he was still looking squarely at his sister, and growing more impatient at her rapt attention on him. He quickly reestablished eye contact with Iris.
"Well go on Jack." Coreen piped in as he focused on Iris.
He cleared his throat. "She walked into my office," he paused looking as everyone at the table stared at him, their mouths slightly open, waiting, "like a centipede with 98 missing legs." Iris burst out laughing, her forehead straining like she was going to cry and morphing into the relaxed lift that Jack loved so much in her real smiles. Her eyes wrinkled hard at the sides and her mouth was open, her tounge barely touching the bottom of her upper teeth, like a little girl. "Now, that is indeed a beautiful smile Ms. Crowe, you should indulge in them more often."
Iris rolled her eyes slightly and relaxed her posture. "Thankyou Mr. Tiernan," she said, smiling more freely.
Justin set his spoon down and looked from his sister to Jack, "I actually prefer my sister with a more somber expression myself." He smiled wickedly toward Jack before opening his smile up into something more freindly for the rest of the table to see.
"Oh Justin Crowe," Coreen laughed, "you are the living end."
Justin looked at her chuckling a bit, "Yes, you're right." he said. Exaggerating his smile over the more sinister implications of his statement. Jack took note of it anyway.
Val Templeton looked down at the bowl of soup in front of him. "This soup smells wonderful Sofie."
"Thank you, Mr. Templeton," she said smiling openly, "Justin here actually helped me make it this morning."
"Jack, could you pass me the salt." Iris chimed in quickly.
Coreen let out a stifled laugh. "It can't be that bad Iris."
"Oh," Iris said opening her eyes wide in a gesture of innocence, "you didn't think I was implying? Oh no."
"Iris what has gotten into you today, this isn't like you at all." Coreen laughed.
"Oh, I beg to differ Coreen." Justin smiled good naturedly
"You know," Iris leaned in smiling, "Justin here is the reason I never got married." Everyone at the table looked at her intently. "I mean if this is what it's like to live with a man, heaven help me. I swear if he wasn't my brother, some days." She laughed to herself, and Coreen soon joined in.
"Well it isn't for everyone. My dear Val, I feel like I won the lottery." Coreen leaned against her husband. Justin smiled laughing through pursed lips and a smirk.
"You Crowes, you're quite entertaining." Jack said as he took a drink of water. A laugh at his lips.
Sofie looked around the table, troubled, before looking at Jack. "Don't believe them," she smiled, "it's normally all 'please and thankyou' and 'remember when' around here."
"Oh, I don't doubt that for a minute Sofie." Jack smiled, reassuring the girl that he got the joke.
"There," Justin smiled at Iris, "look at that, now you've implicated poor Sofie in your charade."
"Oh stop it you two." Coreen admonished. "Everyone knows that Iris is as sweet as the day is long, and that Justin is perfectly pleaseant." She looked over at Iris, "Even if he is a man."
"Yes ladies, I do admit to being a man. As a man of God, I will be the first to admit my folly. If only to serve as an example to others." Justin bowed his head in a show of mock humility.
"Don't start with that brother, we'll never be done giving penance." Val inserted stoically, before looking at his smiling wife.
Iris shot Justin a brief, icy glare before smiling again at the table. Jack took note of it and filed it under the growing list of mysteries to be solved about the woman before him. He watched as she took a tentative sip of soup, before looking toward Justin. Justin was staring right at him. "So Justin, I have a friend in the clergy. He tells me that the School of Divinity at St. Thomas has an impressive reputation."
"Yes, it does. It's a six year intensive curriculum." Justin said trying to hide his discomfort at the detective's investigation into his own life. "Like marriage," he nodded towards Coreen and Val, "it's not for everyone."
"That must have been very expensive. You were very lucky to have your sister to rely on." Jack added.
"Of course. I'm very grateful to my sister. I don't think it would have been possible without her." he said looking at his sister. Iris looked up at him, her features softened a bit.
"That must have been quite an ambitious undertaking for you Iris, a seminary tuition." Jack said probing her.
Iris looked at Jack squarely, "We may have been orphaned at a young age Mr. Tiernan, but I certainly didn't think that my brother should be deprived of anything because of it."
"Of course not dear." Coreen offered.
"He had a calling," Iris continued, "it seemed to be a crime not to help. I suppose if I'd felt pulled to something in the same way it would have been different. But when someone knows what they want, you can't help but want to see that dream realized."
"Not many people would have had that attitude Iris," Jack said, before taking a sip of his soup, he set his spoon back down. "I only meant to compliment your fortitude."
"It's really not necessary Jack, I think anyone in my position would have done the same thing." Iris said before taking a sip of her own soup.
"I was just wondering," Jack said. Iris put down her spoon impatiently. "The Dahlias said you left their employ in May, but you wouldn't have joined your brother in St. Paul until September."
Iris put down her hands down flat on the table, and looked at him with the ugly smile again. "Mr. Tiernan, are we having lunch or an interrogation?"
"I was just wondering what you did for those three months?"
"Nothing." Iris said. "Dr. Dahlia must have been mistaken, that was an awful long time ago."
"Actually it was the first Mrs. Dahlia that told me that. She was quite insistent on that fact." Jack smiled smugly. "Charm school, Ms. Crowe."
"Yes, you desperately need to go to one Mr. Tiernan." Iris fired back before taking a drink of water.
"Am I missing something?" Justin said leaning forward.
"Oh my, this is turning into quite an interesting conversation." Coreen gushed.
"Coreen, really." Val said, nudging his wife.
"I wasn't aware that there was ever a second Mrs. Dahlia. All this time I thought him and Beth were still together. It's always sad to hear that a marriage hasn't worked out." Iris said fidgeting with her napkin, and punctuating the end of her sentence by looking up and smiling.
Jack laughed, "And your friends with our dear Coreen? Iris, I can tell that you don't lie very often," Jack said leaning in and making eye contact with Justin, who was glowering, but seemed willing to let the conversation continue, "because you're incredibly bad at it."
"Oh Lord," Iris said pushing back in her chair and shrugging. "I had saved up quite a bit of money working for the Dahlias and I realized that I could afford to do something for myself and still be on time with Justin's tuition."
"You never told me about this." Justin said a genuine look of surprise on his face. "I would have never begrudged you spending the money. It was yours of course. You had to have known that."
"Of course I knew that Justin, I just. I knew what I was planning to do and you would have gone out of your mind with worry." Iris said looking about the table.
"And what was that exactly?" Jack asked, trying to bring the conversation back around.
"I went traveling." Iris said simply.
"A young girl traveling on her own?" Coreen gasped, "Iris, that's unheard of! You are full of surprises today."
Justin leaned back in his chair pushing his soup aside, "You're right, I would have gone out of my mind. You're lucky nothing bad happened to you." Justin leaned in again to punctuate what he was saying. "Really Iris, do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"
"From what I've heard it was more dangerous to a girl's virtue to work in that house." Coreen offered.
"Coreen!" Val, interrupted.
Sofie let out a laugh, and quickly grabbed her napkin and put it to her face, trying to muffle her laughter.
"Three months is a long time to travel with money saved up scrubbing floors." Jack said, not wanting to give Iris any room in her explanation.
"Well, Dr. Dahlia gave me a very generous severance." Iris added quickly.
"That's odd, Dr. Dahlia doesn't strike me as a very generous man." Jack said pushing at Iris.
"Wait a minute," Justin interrupted trying to catch Iris's eyes, "Where did you travel to?"
Iris looked from Jack to Justin, and decided that the answer to Justin's question was safer. "Just extended stays on the stops to see you Justin, really. Just an extended tour of the places I knew I probably wouldn't get the chance to see again." Justin was still leaning in upset. "Justin, it was years ago, really. And nothing happened. Here I am in one piece. And another thing, I worked to put you through school, I supported both of us for over a year, I was not some naive girl. I'd like to think I knew how to handle myself."
"That I have no problem believing." Jack said. "But Abel told me a story about the boys having to sneak you out of the house in the middle of the night to see your brother on a visit because the Dahlias wouldn't let you leave the house. That hardly seems like the same kind of person that would give you a generous severance."
Iris looked at Jack, "You saw Abel? How was he?"
"He was alright, except for his eye that is. Seems he managed to loose it somewhere along the way." Jack said preparing himself for the invitation to leave he knew was coming. "He asked about you too, seems he had quite a crush on you back then."
"Well Mr. Tiernan, I honestly don't see how you could find anything he had to say remotely believable." Iris laughed, "I mean really, the Dahlias wouldn't let me leave the house? Believing something a man without enough sense to keep both of his eyes told you?"
"I find it entirely believable that someone could have a crush on you." Jack laughed.
"It was a payoff wasn't it Iris?" Coreen chimed in. "C'mon Iris, tell us."
"Coreen, I swear one more word from you." Val said through his teeth.
"Now Val, there's no need to threaten your dear wife in this house." Justin said in a show of gallantry that reminded Jack suddenly that Justin was indeed a member of the clergy. He berated himself for an instant for being too aggressive toward him in his efforts to unravel Iris.
"Coreen, blackmail would be positively untoward. Besides it's rude to discuss finances in mixed company." Iris said abandoning herself to the conversation.
"Look what you've started detective. I'm not normally one to ask someone to leave my home, but if you are going to continue to harass my sister, I'm afraid I'll have to." Justin said, quieting the whole table.
"I am awfully sorry," Jack said actually finding himself feeling guilty as he regarded the ruffled minister before him, and the sulking Iris, and strangely, the frowning Sofie.
"Really, Justin, it's my fault." Coreen volunteered, "I must admit I get a little carried away at times."
"Don't be so hard on yourself Coreen, you've had Jack's help along the way." Iris said looking sharply at Jack.
"Why don't I just do the gentlemanly thing then, and excuse myself." Jack said as he stood up. "Again, I'm sorry to have caused such a stir. The soup was wonderful Sofie dear," he said as he nodded his head at her.
"If only it'd occured to you to be a gentleman a half an hour ago Jack." Iris said looking up at him smugly.
"Coreen, Val." Jack said nodding goodbye to them, "I can see myself out." he finished before turning and leaving.
The table sat in silence for a moment.
"Really you were too hard on him Iris," Coreen finally said, "he likes you."
"Don't be fooled, he's a snake oil salesman if I ever saw one." Iris said before taking a sip of water. "The first Mrs. Dahlia has been dead for over ten years."
"Iris Crowe!" Coreen gasped.
"The truth about my little vacation was going to come out before the second course anyway." Iris said looking at each person at the table before finishing. "It was a dreadful waste of money. I should've just saved it. Not one single thing worth remembering happened. And that's that, end of story."
"I know the Dahlias Iris, you're not going to convince me that Dr. Dahlia really just gave you a big severance." Coreen looked at Val again before leaning forward, but he'd given up hope. "What did you see? We're all friends here."
Sofie was leaning in too now. Justin looked at Iris and Coreen and tried to break it up, "Dear Coreen, this really isn't the kind of thing I want to have discussed around my table. Idle gossip is..."
"That Coreen is the five-hundred dollar question isn't it?" said cutting Justin off, "Or I suppose today it would be the thousand dollar question." Iris stood up. "If you'll excuse me everyone." Iris started to leave before turning around and adding, "that man a friend of someone in the clergy? Next he'll have you believing he's actually read a book." Iris turned back around and disappeared into the living room.
Coreen looked at Sofie, Sofie gave a little smile in Justin's shadow. "A thousand dollars...." Coreen mumbled. Sofie widened her eyes at Coreen, trying to hold back a bigger smile.
"Perhaps we'd best call it a day." Justin offered, "I think that detective has managed to spoil lunch for today, maybe next week we can try again."
"I think your right Justin." Val said beginning to stand up. "Come on dear, let's leave Brother Crowe to his day."
"Of course." Coreen said as she struggled to maneuver her weight out of her chair. She looked up at Justin, "I'm so sorry Justin. I don't know what I was thinking inviting him."
"I do." Justin said unflinching as he looked into her eyes, before softening his gaze, "It's quite alright. I don't think anyone is the worse for wear." Justin reached out and shook Val's hand. "We will have to try again."
Pairing: Justin/Iris, Carnivale
Rating: G
Spoilers: the whole enchilada
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am in no way shape or form connected to the actual series I am writing about here. Daniel Knauf thought of these people and the circumstances in which I found them in and then extrapolated on.
Author's Note: Previous chapters linked for your convenience.
Summary: Are we having lunch or an interrogation?
So Real :: Jeff Buckley
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Coreen and Val Templeton stared across the table at Iris as she tapped her spoon against her napkin on the table, her face pursed into an expression of utter annoyance. Sofie sat next to her looking from the Templetons to Iris and then to Justin, sitting at the head of the table and looking equally annoyed at his sister's manners. Jack sat at the other end of the table with an amused smile on his face.
Sofie leaned into the table to get a better look at Jack. "So Jack, being a detective," she started, "that must be really interesting."
Jack took her cue and gave a little wink before looking over at Justin who was still staring at his sister. "It has it's moments, certainly Sofie."
Coreen leaned in as well smiling widely at Jack with a twinkle in her eye. Jack almost started laughing at her utter mischievousness before she could speak. "You know Jack, I just love mystery novels." She looked toward Iris, "Iris here was just talking to me about The Postman Always Rings Twice the other day."
Iris looked up suddenly and put on that grotesque smile Jack hated. "Yes, that's right." she said looking back at Coreen.
"You know, I've thought about writing a book myself." Jack started, determined to get a real smile out of Iris.
"Oh really." Iris said lifting her eyebrows at him and setting down her spoon.
"Yes," he said leaning in a bit more. "I think I have the perfect opening line too, just like in all those books people are eating up these days." Jack was smiling wide now and eying everyone at the table. Unconciously they were all leaning in slightly to hear what he had to say, and it made his heart beat a little harder with delight. "Yes. Tell me what you think." He wiped at the corner of his mouth quickly though he had yet to eat anything. He straighted up in his chair and looked directly at Iris. He gave a quick glance in Justin's direction and noted that he was still looking squarely at his sister, and growing more impatient at her rapt attention on him. He quickly reestablished eye contact with Iris.
"Well go on Jack." Coreen piped in as he focused on Iris.
He cleared his throat. "She walked into my office," he paused looking as everyone at the table stared at him, their mouths slightly open, waiting, "like a centipede with 98 missing legs." Iris burst out laughing, her forehead straining like she was going to cry and morphing into the relaxed lift that Jack loved so much in her real smiles. Her eyes wrinkled hard at the sides and her mouth was open, her tounge barely touching the bottom of her upper teeth, like a little girl. "Now, that is indeed a beautiful smile Ms. Crowe, you should indulge in them more often."
Iris rolled her eyes slightly and relaxed her posture. "Thankyou Mr. Tiernan," she said, smiling more freely.
Justin set his spoon down and looked from his sister to Jack, "I actually prefer my sister with a more somber expression myself." He smiled wickedly toward Jack before opening his smile up into something more freindly for the rest of the table to see.
"Oh Justin Crowe," Coreen laughed, "you are the living end."
Justin looked at her chuckling a bit, "Yes, you're right." he said. Exaggerating his smile over the more sinister implications of his statement. Jack took note of it anyway.
Val Templeton looked down at the bowl of soup in front of him. "This soup smells wonderful Sofie."
"Thank you, Mr. Templeton," she said smiling openly, "Justin here actually helped me make it this morning."
"Jack, could you pass me the salt." Iris chimed in quickly.
Coreen let out a stifled laugh. "It can't be that bad Iris."
"Oh," Iris said opening her eyes wide in a gesture of innocence, "you didn't think I was implying? Oh no."
"Iris what has gotten into you today, this isn't like you at all." Coreen laughed.
"Oh, I beg to differ Coreen." Justin smiled good naturedly
"You know," Iris leaned in smiling, "Justin here is the reason I never got married." Everyone at the table looked at her intently. "I mean if this is what it's like to live with a man, heaven help me. I swear if he wasn't my brother, some days." She laughed to herself, and Coreen soon joined in.
"Well it isn't for everyone. My dear Val, I feel like I won the lottery." Coreen leaned against her husband. Justin smiled laughing through pursed lips and a smirk.
"You Crowes, you're quite entertaining." Jack said as he took a drink of water. A laugh at his lips.
Sofie looked around the table, troubled, before looking at Jack. "Don't believe them," she smiled, "it's normally all 'please and thankyou' and 'remember when' around here."
"Oh, I don't doubt that for a minute Sofie." Jack smiled, reassuring the girl that he got the joke.
"There," Justin smiled at Iris, "look at that, now you've implicated poor Sofie in your charade."
"Oh stop it you two." Coreen admonished. "Everyone knows that Iris is as sweet as the day is long, and that Justin is perfectly pleaseant." She looked over at Iris, "Even if he is a man."
"Yes ladies, I do admit to being a man. As a man of God, I will be the first to admit my folly. If only to serve as an example to others." Justin bowed his head in a show of mock humility.
"Don't start with that brother, we'll never be done giving penance." Val inserted stoically, before looking at his smiling wife.
Iris shot Justin a brief, icy glare before smiling again at the table. Jack took note of it and filed it under the growing list of mysteries to be solved about the woman before him. He watched as she took a tentative sip of soup, before looking toward Justin. Justin was staring right at him. "So Justin, I have a friend in the clergy. He tells me that the School of Divinity at St. Thomas has an impressive reputation."
"Yes, it does. It's a six year intensive curriculum." Justin said trying to hide his discomfort at the detective's investigation into his own life. "Like marriage," he nodded towards Coreen and Val, "it's not for everyone."
"That must have been very expensive. You were very lucky to have your sister to rely on." Jack added.
"Of course. I'm very grateful to my sister. I don't think it would have been possible without her." he said looking at his sister. Iris looked up at him, her features softened a bit.
"That must have been quite an ambitious undertaking for you Iris, a seminary tuition." Jack said probing her.
Iris looked at Jack squarely, "We may have been orphaned at a young age Mr. Tiernan, but I certainly didn't think that my brother should be deprived of anything because of it."
"Of course not dear." Coreen offered.
"He had a calling," Iris continued, "it seemed to be a crime not to help. I suppose if I'd felt pulled to something in the same way it would have been different. But when someone knows what they want, you can't help but want to see that dream realized."
"Not many people would have had that attitude Iris," Jack said, before taking a sip of his soup, he set his spoon back down. "I only meant to compliment your fortitude."
"It's really not necessary Jack, I think anyone in my position would have done the same thing." Iris said before taking a sip of her own soup.
"I was just wondering," Jack said. Iris put down her spoon impatiently. "The Dahlias said you left their employ in May, but you wouldn't have joined your brother in St. Paul until September."
Iris put down her hands down flat on the table, and looked at him with the ugly smile again. "Mr. Tiernan, are we having lunch or an interrogation?"
"I was just wondering what you did for those three months?"
"Nothing." Iris said. "Dr. Dahlia must have been mistaken, that was an awful long time ago."
"Actually it was the first Mrs. Dahlia that told me that. She was quite insistent on that fact." Jack smiled smugly. "Charm school, Ms. Crowe."
"Yes, you desperately need to go to one Mr. Tiernan." Iris fired back before taking a drink of water.
"Am I missing something?" Justin said leaning forward.
"Oh my, this is turning into quite an interesting conversation." Coreen gushed.
"Coreen, really." Val said, nudging his wife.
"I wasn't aware that there was ever a second Mrs. Dahlia. All this time I thought him and Beth were still together. It's always sad to hear that a marriage hasn't worked out." Iris said fidgeting with her napkin, and punctuating the end of her sentence by looking up and smiling.
Jack laughed, "And your friends with our dear Coreen? Iris, I can tell that you don't lie very often," Jack said leaning in and making eye contact with Justin, who was glowering, but seemed willing to let the conversation continue, "because you're incredibly bad at it."
"Oh Lord," Iris said pushing back in her chair and shrugging. "I had saved up quite a bit of money working for the Dahlias and I realized that I could afford to do something for myself and still be on time with Justin's tuition."
"You never told me about this." Justin said a genuine look of surprise on his face. "I would have never begrudged you spending the money. It was yours of course. You had to have known that."
"Of course I knew that Justin, I just. I knew what I was planning to do and you would have gone out of your mind with worry." Iris said looking about the table.
"And what was that exactly?" Jack asked, trying to bring the conversation back around.
"I went traveling." Iris said simply.
"A young girl traveling on her own?" Coreen gasped, "Iris, that's unheard of! You are full of surprises today."
Justin leaned back in his chair pushing his soup aside, "You're right, I would have gone out of my mind. You're lucky nothing bad happened to you." Justin leaned in again to punctuate what he was saying. "Really Iris, do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"
"From what I've heard it was more dangerous to a girl's virtue to work in that house." Coreen offered.
"Coreen!" Val, interrupted.
Sofie let out a laugh, and quickly grabbed her napkin and put it to her face, trying to muffle her laughter.
"Three months is a long time to travel with money saved up scrubbing floors." Jack said, not wanting to give Iris any room in her explanation.
"Well, Dr. Dahlia gave me a very generous severance." Iris added quickly.
"That's odd, Dr. Dahlia doesn't strike me as a very generous man." Jack said pushing at Iris.
"Wait a minute," Justin interrupted trying to catch Iris's eyes, "Where did you travel to?"
Iris looked from Jack to Justin, and decided that the answer to Justin's question was safer. "Just extended stays on the stops to see you Justin, really. Just an extended tour of the places I knew I probably wouldn't get the chance to see again." Justin was still leaning in upset. "Justin, it was years ago, really. And nothing happened. Here I am in one piece. And another thing, I worked to put you through school, I supported both of us for over a year, I was not some naive girl. I'd like to think I knew how to handle myself."
"That I have no problem believing." Jack said. "But Abel told me a story about the boys having to sneak you out of the house in the middle of the night to see your brother on a visit because the Dahlias wouldn't let you leave the house. That hardly seems like the same kind of person that would give you a generous severance."
Iris looked at Jack, "You saw Abel? How was he?"
"He was alright, except for his eye that is. Seems he managed to loose it somewhere along the way." Jack said preparing himself for the invitation to leave he knew was coming. "He asked about you too, seems he had quite a crush on you back then."
"Well Mr. Tiernan, I honestly don't see how you could find anything he had to say remotely believable." Iris laughed, "I mean really, the Dahlias wouldn't let me leave the house? Believing something a man without enough sense to keep both of his eyes told you?"
"I find it entirely believable that someone could have a crush on you." Jack laughed.
"It was a payoff wasn't it Iris?" Coreen chimed in. "C'mon Iris, tell us."
"Coreen, I swear one more word from you." Val said through his teeth.
"Now Val, there's no need to threaten your dear wife in this house." Justin said in a show of gallantry that reminded Jack suddenly that Justin was indeed a member of the clergy. He berated himself for an instant for being too aggressive toward him in his efforts to unravel Iris.
"Coreen, blackmail would be positively untoward. Besides it's rude to discuss finances in mixed company." Iris said abandoning herself to the conversation.
"Look what you've started detective. I'm not normally one to ask someone to leave my home, but if you are going to continue to harass my sister, I'm afraid I'll have to." Justin said, quieting the whole table.
"I am awfully sorry," Jack said actually finding himself feeling guilty as he regarded the ruffled minister before him, and the sulking Iris, and strangely, the frowning Sofie.
"Really, Justin, it's my fault." Coreen volunteered, "I must admit I get a little carried away at times."
"Don't be so hard on yourself Coreen, you've had Jack's help along the way." Iris said looking sharply at Jack.
"Why don't I just do the gentlemanly thing then, and excuse myself." Jack said as he stood up. "Again, I'm sorry to have caused such a stir. The soup was wonderful Sofie dear," he said as he nodded his head at her.
"If only it'd occured to you to be a gentleman a half an hour ago Jack." Iris said looking up at him smugly.
"Coreen, Val." Jack said nodding goodbye to them, "I can see myself out." he finished before turning and leaving.
The table sat in silence for a moment.
"Really you were too hard on him Iris," Coreen finally said, "he likes you."
"Don't be fooled, he's a snake oil salesman if I ever saw one." Iris said before taking a sip of water. "The first Mrs. Dahlia has been dead for over ten years."
"Iris Crowe!" Coreen gasped.
"The truth about my little vacation was going to come out before the second course anyway." Iris said looking at each person at the table before finishing. "It was a dreadful waste of money. I should've just saved it. Not one single thing worth remembering happened. And that's that, end of story."
"I know the Dahlias Iris, you're not going to convince me that Dr. Dahlia really just gave you a big severance." Coreen looked at Val again before leaning forward, but he'd given up hope. "What did you see? We're all friends here."
Sofie was leaning in too now. Justin looked at Iris and Coreen and tried to break it up, "Dear Coreen, this really isn't the kind of thing I want to have discussed around my table. Idle gossip is..."
"That Coreen is the five-hundred dollar question isn't it?" said cutting Justin off, "Or I suppose today it would be the thousand dollar question." Iris stood up. "If you'll excuse me everyone." Iris started to leave before turning around and adding, "that man a friend of someone in the clergy? Next he'll have you believing he's actually read a book." Iris turned back around and disappeared into the living room.
Coreen looked at Sofie, Sofie gave a little smile in Justin's shadow. "A thousand dollars...." Coreen mumbled. Sofie widened her eyes at Coreen, trying to hold back a bigger smile.
"Perhaps we'd best call it a day." Justin offered, "I think that detective has managed to spoil lunch for today, maybe next week we can try again."
"I think your right Justin." Val said beginning to stand up. "Come on dear, let's leave Brother Crowe to his day."
"Of course." Coreen said as she struggled to maneuver her weight out of her chair. She looked up at Justin, "I'm so sorry Justin. I don't know what I was thinking inviting him."
"I do." Justin said unflinching as he looked into her eyes, before softening his gaze, "It's quite alright. I don't think anyone is the worse for wear." Justin reached out and shook Val's hand. "We will have to try again."