Lowell smirked and said sarcastically to the minister, "Do you think these degenerates will allow you into their vice den?"

"I'll find some way," the minister offered in what he hoped was a courageous sounding voice.

Suddenly, Lowell addressed the young minister in a very serious tone. "Frankly, Reverend Corman, I'm very surprised that you are getting so excited about an anonymous tip like this. How do you know that the caller didn't have some reason for spreading this malicious gossip? Well, you don't. It all makes for a better story when prominent people are accused of hanky-panky, right or wrong?" Lowell apparently didn't require an answer because the tirade continued. "I'll tell you another thing, too. All the people on the board are my friends. You've only been here a month. I've been here my whole life and these men are as fine a lot of men as you'll find anywhere." He shook his head dramatically, pushing his glasses up on his forehead now. "All you've got is a lot of allegations from someone who didn't even have the courage to identify himself and I think you should just let this matter drop."

He shook his head vigorously and dropped his eyes, letting the minister know that he could leave, that he had nothing more to say and no intention of listening, either.

CHAPTER TWO

Bradley sat at the kitchen table now with a drink. It was something he rarely did except on social occasions but he felt he deserved something after the day he had had and after that erotic dream. Good grief, had the phone call prompted him to dream in such an incredibly lewd manner? It was totally sinful to even entertain such thoughts about his wife.

He let his thoughts wander back to the allegations and the men involved. Why did they get involved in something like this that could ruin them? Were these older men so crazy for sex? He thought of his own little daughter being involved. For a brief moment he wondered what it would be like to copulate with a child of twelve… with your own daughter. What would it be like? But then the minister pushed the obscenely vile imagining from his mind.