Confessional Guardian Investigative Service Volume three

Chapter 2

"Limits like fear is often an illusion." Michael Jordan
Guardian Investigative Service headquarters Edmond public safety building Edmond, Oklahoma, Manning watched as Samantha and Milgard shuffled into his office and sat down.
"I'm sorry for the way I handled things in there, I just wanted him to know where we stood with him," Manning told them.
"With his Syndrome, he could have torn us all apart, blacked out, and not remembered any of it when he came to," Milgard replied.
"This is why they don't suggest leaving him alone for more than a few minutes to an hour when he's agitated," Samantha added.
"How's he now?", Manning asked.
"Still agitated, probably take three hours or so before he's calm, Tasha is with him now," Samantha replied.
Angel walked into his office.
"We've got another dead priest," she told them.
Manning gazed up at her;"where at now?" He asked.
"Old Cemetery between here and Guthrie, Navarro and Gordon are on their way out," she responded.
"Let's go," Manning responded.
Whispering oaks Cemetery between Edmond and Guthrie, Oklahoma, they pulled into the long back drive way and got out to meet Navarro and Gordon.
"Father Mohammed Patrakas, thirty-five, from the parish in Guthrie," Navarro told them.
"Who found the body?", Kirby asked.
"Caretaker mowing the grounds, said he just about ran over him," Harrison replied.
"Based on liver temp and levitity, he's been dead for about an hour or so," the Medical Examiner told them.
"What do you have for Cod?", Gibson asked.
"He was beaten to death by at least three or four people, can't really tell," she responded.
Kirby and Jake motioned from the far back end of the Cemetery between two headstones.
"Looks like he dropped his glasses back here," Kirby pointed out.
Reina showed her flashlight on the headstone on the left of the glasses;"not dropped, he was knocked head first against it, causing them to fall off as he got up," she said.
Gibson gazed down at the soft ground, tracking the footpath.
"Looks like Patrakas pulled in back here, fought off his attacker's, and then got knocked to the ground by the largest one, causing him to hit his head on that marker," he surmised.
"Then he gets up dazed and staggers to where he falls and is beaten to death," Harrison finished for him.
"The caretaker said something interesting," Gordon said.
"What's that?", Angel questioned walking up to join them.
"He said that this wasn't the first time that Patrakas had been here, other officiating a few funeral services, and the other times, he was never alone," Gordon replied.
"Buddy system, the other attacks have been frontpage news for the past few weeks," Gibson replied lighting a cigarette.
"That's not it, he felt a psychological need to have guards, even before the attacks started," Samantha told them.
"You knew him?", Manning fired at her.
Samantha nodded;"He was my Confessor," she responded.
"So this hits a little more close to home for you now?", Shana said consolingly.
Samantha nodded;"a little too close," she replied.
Manning and Guiden finished up and headed over to the perish to speak with the head priest.
They were met by him in the parking lot as they pulled up.
"How may I help you all?", He asked as they showed him their identification.
"You might want to come in and sit down with us Father," Matt responded.
He showed them into his office and offered them seats and drinks.
"No thanks father, we have some sad news for you, and some questions if you feel up to answering them," Manning returned.
He leaned forward in his chair and took off his glasses, wiping them with a cloth off the desk in front of him.
What's going on?", He asked.
"Father Patrakas was found dead at Whispering oaks Cemetery about an hour ago, " Guiden told him, pausing to let things sink in.
"Dead oh my God, what happened to him?", He responded near in tears.
"From what we can tell, he was beaten to death, do you any idea why he would have been at the cemetery?", Guiden asked.
"He'd been receiving threats for the past few days, and was considering transferring perishes," the priest answered.
"Father Robards, did he ever mention who was making the threats?", Manning asked.
"All he voiced was concern for his life, and vowed to not travel anywhere alone, until we found out who was making the threats," Robards responded.
Manning pulled Guiden aside for a minute.
"I don't trust this guy, he's shuffling in his chair too much," Manning told him.
"If we bring him in, we'll have to let him go in twenty-four hours if we can't prove anything," Guiden warned.
"Turn his name into Leslie and see what she can come up with," Manning told him.
"Right," Guiden retorted.
As they were leaving, a female perishoner motioned for them to join her in the next room.
"Those two have had out for each other since Patrakas came here," she told them.
"Had it out for each other how?", Manning asked.
"It's like they were in competition to see who the better man was in everything," she responded.
"Rivalry huh, interesting, is this typical of priests?", Manning inquired.
"Not usually to the degree they took it, always trying to take confessions from each other, and bullying each other, it was disgusting," she replied.
    Guiden eased forward for a moment.
"How far had the bullying gone?", He asked.
"To the point where they argued with each other about everything, it was like a fullscale war," she responded.
"Any threats?", Guiden asked.
"Not that I've heard but, there's a first time for everything," she responded.
"Anybody else notice the rivalry, maybe someone who might want to put an end to it?", Manning asked.
"Maybe Sister Amy Gelter, Father Robards was always accusing Father Patrakas of flirting with her," she responded.
"Did he?", Manning fired at her.
"No, he would never betray his cellubacy vow," she replied.
"Where is Sister Gelter now?", Guiden added.
"In the sanctuary, praying for her soul," she responded skeptically.
   Manning pulled Guiden aside for a moment.
"Go talk to Sister Gelter, I am going to continue talking with Sister Kendall," Manning told him.
"Got it," Guiden retorted heading towards the sanctuary.
   Sister Gelter gazed back, seeing Guiden coming and raced through the right front door of the stage.
Guiden dashed after her, shouting for her to stop.
She raced through several hallways and stopped to catch her breath after making a left turn around the wall.
Guiden glared at her as cought up to her.
"Why did you run?", He asked.
"I know that you're with the feds, and didn't want you to know anything," she replied.
Guiden eased back trying to catch his breath;"know anything about what?", He asked.
"I am pregnant with Father Patrakas' baby," she responded.
"How pregnant?", Guiden inquired.
"Two weeks," she replied.
    Manning walked into the sanctuary as Guiden was leading Sister Gelter through the stage right door.
"What's this?", Manning asked.
"Secrets better left kept under wraps," Guiden replied.
"Hmm, such as?", Manning replied.
"Tell you later," Guiden responded.
     Guardian Investigative Service headquarters Edmond public safety building Edmond, Oklahoma, they led Sister Gelter into an interrogation room and sat her down, walking out to meet with Angel and Samantha.
Samantha watched her body language as she sat in the room.
"So, the outing produced a suspect, I see," Angel said.
"Seems thatta way, but it is also about secret romances," Manning replied.
"You mean she and Patrakas were intimate, for how long?", Samantha added.
"Don't know, she lawyered up in the car," Guiden responded.
"That's unusual, must've been a long time," Angel replied.
   Two men suits walked into the place and Reina led them down the hallway to Angel and the others.
"Sister Gelter's lawyers are here, and they seem pretty ticked off," she told them handing Angel a card.
"Marquis and Hughes, snazzy," Angel commented.
   The lawyers were shown into the room to speak with Sister Gelter and they watched from outside.
After an hour, they were ushered into the room.
Manning and Samantha came in and sat down across from them.
"How long were you and Father Patrakas in a relationship with each other?", Manning asked.
The lead lawyer glared at him.
"Our client has been advised to take the fifth amendment," she told them.
"You're gonna hide behind these suits, what else are you hiding?," Samantha asked watching reactions.
Gelter continued to shuffle hesitantly in her chair.
   Samantha pulled Manning aside for a minute.
"She's not sure what to do, she feels cornered," she told him.
"So, she's hiding behind them because she's feeling cornered, how do we get her out of it?", Manning asked.
"Leave the room for a few minutes," she responded.
   Manning stepped out of the room and Samantha talked with her and the lawyers.
After fifteen minutes, the lawyers left and Manning walked back in.
She told them about her relationship with Father Patrakas and how they were very careful to keep it a secret.
"Did you ever think anyone cought on, I mean it went on for two years," Manning replied.
"What else was going on, tell him!", Samantha growled.
She finally broke and told them everything, it took two hours.
    Leslie walked up to Manning and handed him what they found on Father Robards.
Manning looked at the file and shook his head;"I knew he was hiding something, son of a bitch!", Manning rejoiced.
They read everything on Robards and how he was wanted by the authorities for acts of domestic terrorism.
"Let's go get him," Angel breathed.
      Saint Paul the apostle Catholic Church Guthrie, Oklahoma, they pulled into the church and walked through the door, looking for Father Robards.
A female perishoner met them at the door.
"We're looking for Father Robards, we have an arrest warrant for him," Angel told her.
"He left for Will Rogers world airport two hours ago, saying he was on his way to The Vatican for a meeting," she responded.
Shana quickly called the airline and had them hold the flight until they could get there.