Adelaide shivered, huddling within her worn, woolen cloak, the brown dress she wore just as old and tattered. She’d always loved the church, passed it a few times, although never stepped inside. For some reason she had felt like she wouldn’t be welcome. Above, the ceiling arched high, disappearing into darkness. The blue stained-glass windows at the head of the church gave the area a heavenly glow. She felt tiny in this building, at the same time, protected. The old woman mumbling to herself in front of Adelaide stood and hobbled down the aisle. Moments later the door thundered closed. Only two others remained, a man and woman at the front of the church, so far away, they were almost hard to see. Yes, she felt tiny and protected and guilty. Damn guilty. She’d arrived early and hidden the statue. The piece lost in this monstrous building. A perfect hiding place. She wasn’t stupid enough to hand it over directly. She’d learned her lesson. Yet now…now that she was here and ready to sell the statue to the old man she had been willing to sell it to in the first place, she wasn’t so sure she was doing the right thing.
