Chapter 10

The two men walked together to the church, Charlie telling Spenser for the thousandth time to be sure to call on him if Spenser needed advice. Once inside Fellowship Hall where the board meetings were held, they were greeted by many of the members, got cups of coffee, and took their seats with Bishop Delaney at the head table facing the board. The bishop called the meeting to order.

Both Spenser and Charlie delivered their reports on how their respective schools were doing—Charlie making sure to let it be known the high school was performing above expectations, and interrupting Spenser during his presentation to make suggestions and point out how he’d done things when he was principal. The reports were followed by questions from various board members.

After the meeting, there was the usual mingling, while board members and the principals chatted over coffee and donuts. Bishop Delaney came up to Spenser. “Can I have a word with you—privately?” he asked.