Chapter 52: The Remarkable Hayley

"Father York!"

"..."

When Father York appeared, he instantly became the center of attention, drawing the eyes of everyone present.

The crowd turned their heads towards him like meerkats sensing danger.

"Father York..."

Father York nodded, first glancing at the Becks and Geoffrey, then sweeping his gaze around the room, cheerfully avoiding any mention of last night's events.

"Good morning, everyone. Were you all waiting for me to open the doors?"

Seeing the priest's demeanor, everyone tactfully refrained from bringing up the previous night, nodding subconsciously.

Father York's smile remained unchanged. He made the sign of the cross, likely gaining a new batch of followers.

"God sees your efforts."

Saying this, Father York headed towards the tranquil church.

"Come on in."

"Yes, Father."

The people silently followed, with the Becks and Geoffrey trailing behind. As they entered, the usually quiet church began to buzz with more life and vitality.

This change, different from the usual, felt quite pleasant, and Father York contemplated hiring someone to tidy up the church and take care of the accumulating fallen leaves outside.

"It's not right to always rely on the congregation for cleaning, though they do it willingly and find satisfaction in it."

"..."

"Father! Thank you for your help last night."

Another young couple came to express their gratitude.

Father York, standing at the side, replied with a gentle smile.

"It's God's directive."

The young couple exchanged a look, smiled, and nodded in response. They then placed some bills in the donation box, bowed their heads to Father York, and left, deciding to return in the future.

Father York, maintaining his smile, made the sign of the cross and bowed in return.

"God will bless you, Amen."

One by one, people came forward, but what struck him most was a lady and her daughter.

The girl, wearing a red hoodie, had very alert eyes and kept asking him various questions. The last question, in particular, caught his attention.

She asked if she encountered an extremely vile psychopathic murderer, possibly responsible for her friend's death but with no evidence, and if she wanted to execute this psychopath herself, would the priest support her?

Such a brutal question made Father York closely observe the girl, who looked to be in her early teens, with short hair and a lively, spirited demeanor.

"I think you should tell this to the two police officers. If what you're saying is true, they will definitely bring the murderer to justice."

But Hayley Julia, the girl, glanced at the Becks and Geoffrey sitting on the benches, put her hands in her jacket pockets, and sighed like an adult.

"Father, he's very cunning, a bad person who still appears innocent. Just a few words, and those dear officers might not believe me. Even if they do, without sufficient evidence, they can't search his house."

She seemed quite troubled as she scratched her head.

"He's a somewhat famous photographer and must have captured something. If we can't search his house, we won't find any evidence..."

Hearing this, Father York's eyebrows raised slightly. He sensed the girl had been investigating for quite some time. Otherwise, how could she know such a seemingly innocent person was a psychopathic killer?

"Child, it seems like you really need my help?"

Hayley looked up seriously at Father York, whom even her strong-willed mother respected greatly.

Though young, she was not foolish. Judging by her mother's attitude towards the priest and considering today's major news, she knew the explosion might be related to him.

Father York, seeing the girl deep in thought, offered a smile.

"If you need it, I will definitely help you, at least in ensuring your safety."

Nothing else mattered at that moment except for her mother's recent donation and the potential of gaining a new follower.

But to his surprise, Hayley nodded and then shook her head, firmly saying,

"No! I can handle it myself. I just want to know, do you support me?"

As if his support would give her more confidence and courage, Father York glanced around at the others.

"Then you must first tell me how you are sure this seemingly innocent person is a psychopath. How did you find out he's a psychopath..."

Hayley took a deep breath and scanned the hall, making sure no one was paying attention, before speaking softly.

"..."

"My friend disappeared and was later found murdered and violated. I know her character; she wouldn't just vanish. So, I started investigating..."

"..."

The girl spoke logically, and Father York began to believe her story.

She also discovered that this photographer had taken photos of her friend, crucially on the day she mysteriously disappeared after a reassuring phone call.

"I've only found this much." The girl's eyes were fierce as she spoke through clenched teeth.

"But I'm sure this perverted photographer is the murderer!"

Father York pursed his lips, looked around the hall again, and then gazed at the statue of Jesus, making the sign of the cross.

"Child, if you are capable and sure he is a psychopathic murderer, then I definitely support you. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

As he said this, Hayley's eyes began to light up, but he quickly tempered her enthusiasm.

"But you're still too young. For your safety, you must tell me before you act, or else I'll have to inform your mother, Mrs. Julia, and the officers..."

Hayley fell silent, regretting her decision to confide in him.

"Hmm?"

After a while, as someone approached, Father York spoke again.

"Child, it seems you don't agree?"

Hayley finally sighed,

"Alright, Father, I'll let you know."

"Good. Your mother is coming. We'll talk more about what to do later."

Father York smiled brightly, sensing a potential trigger for a random mission.

Hayley got up and looked at her approaching mother.

Mrs. Julia glanced at her daughter and nodded at Father York, signaling her intention to leave.

"Father York, we will come again."

With that, she gestured to her daughter, and Hayley, reluctantly, followed her mother, looking dejectedly at the priest.

Father York made the sign of the cross, watching the impressive young girl leave with a warm smile.

"Alright."