Chapter 16
Rev. Nichols did not waste any time in carrying out his plan.
“Deacon Klipspringer, it’s been a while, but what’s been going on?”
“Not much, Rev. Nichols. I’m just trying to enjoy my early retirement. Sometimes I’m tempted to go back to work.”
“Well, I have a little job for you,” Rev. Nichols said. He shared with Tucker Klipspringer the things that had been going on at his house.
“So, what do you want me to do?” Tucker asked.
“I just want you to survey the place and find out who’s trespassing on my property and shake them up a little.”
Tucker Klipspringer laughed. He was a retired police officer with a degree in criminal justice and a former deacon of First Baptist Church.
“Once you find out who it is, I can take it from there,” Rev. Nichols told him, after which he shared the situation between Cassandra and Grant Barnett. “I don’t think it’s him because he’s away in Florida and I’ve already spoken with his father about them staying away from here. But you can start by keeping an eye on the Barnetts. The father is Rev. Barnett of Mt. Shiloh Baptist. He owns the soul food restaurant across town.”
“I got you,” Tucker said.
After about a week, Tucker reported back to Rev. Nichols. “I can assure you, the Barnetts are not involved. They lead a quiet life — go to the restaurant, go home, go to church, go home, go to the store — you know, everyday stuff. We’ll be watching your house more closely now.”
“Okay, Tucker. Keep me abreast.”
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Jake Seymour received a package from Grant for Grant Lee. As previously discussed, Jake was to remove the outer wrapping with the name and address of the receiver as well as the sender and drop the package off with discretion.
He dropped it off at about 2:30 the next morning. Unknown to Jake, Tucker Klipspringer was parked at the end of the street keeping an eye on the Nichols’ household. All he saw was a tall figure with a coat and hat on.
Early that morning when Cassandra was leaving to take Grant Lee to the sitter so she could attend classes, she noticed the package which she dropped inside the door.
“Mom, there’s an unmarked package. I’m leaving it inside the door, I have to go.”
“I’ll get it,” Natalie said walking out of the kitchen.
Natalie opened up the package. It contained six little boy outfits. No doubt these are for Grant Lee. But who could have sent them? she thought. Grant’s not around. Surely Cassandra’s not seeing someone else.
She showed her husband the contents of the package and voiced her thoughts to him.
“It would be best to ask her than to be here guessing and assuming things that might not be true,” her husband told her.
Whatever it is, she thought as she took the package up to the attic after re-taping down the opened side, these will be safe up here.
When Cassandra returned home, she denied seeing anyone stating that she was not interested in having a relationship with anyone but Grant.
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Tucker Klipspringer hired a friend, Jimmy Adair, to keep an eye on the house during the daytime. “Someone comes at different times throughout the week and places something in the mail or on the porch,” Jimmy reported to him.
