Nettie nodded and looked quite delighted. She hugged him briefly before going in. "You and the constable just stay here. I promise I won't be long."

She headed in to speak to Miss Clarke and sign the contract as the woman explained the rules in more detail.

Crane glanced over and attempted a smile. "I'm glad you both like the place. I wasn't sure..."

All the little discomforts were worth it, in seeing Nettie smile at him like that. Malachi returned the hug without hesitation, and nodded his encouragement once she'd stepped away.

Once she had gone back inside, he turned his head to meet the constable's gaze.

"It's just what we were looking for," he assured with a smile of his own, small and polite. Malachi took a few steps closer to the constable, hands returned to their loose hold behind his back, and stood beside him as he looked over the boarding house again.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me to have her here, and in a safe place."

Elijah smiled back, it was very genuine and relaxed. When the man stepped closer, he mirrored him in turning his head to look to the boarding house.

"I'm overjoyed it works for you both. I hope it suits her and she's happy here as long as she wishes to stay. And you don't need to thank me, I like to help. I am honestly happy it's worked out, I didn't wish to disappoint you both. You're still new in town and she just arrived. I'd like to show a nice side to Whitby and I want you both to feel safe and comfortable here as much as I possibly can. So don't hesitate to ask if you need help with something, I am far from perfect but I know the town well enough."

He looked back at him and held out a gloved hand. "While I hope you never need me, I do hope I can be of some use to the both of you."

For the first time since they'd met, Malachi believed in the authenticity of Crane's warm expression. The constable didn't seem like the type to put on an act, but his nervousness had been apparent in the way it clung to his attempted smiles and unfinished words.

So when he spoke freely, and offered his well wishes for not only Nettie, but for the priest as well, Malachi didn't have to force his smile as he typically did.

"That's very kind of you, constable."

A gloved hand was extended out to him. Malachi took it into both of his own, pressure light, then released it.

He was never going to get away from people trying to shake his hand, was he?

"I think you're much too humble, but I suppose humility is a good thing, is it not?" His light-hearted tone seemed to suggest that it was more of a joke than anything, as if the priest didn't actually care about humility one way or the other. As if he said it just because he knew he should, and that he found some amusement in that.

"And likewise, of course, if you ever need anything from me or the church. Ah--"

Malachi clicked his tongue. "Where shall I bring the basket? Do you live nearby?"

Elijah nodded his head and tried to show a little humor at what Malachi had said. "Too humble? And here I had been raised to think we should always strive for the humbleness."He chuckled slightly. Father Brennan seemed more at ease thank Richards, and he wasn't sure yet what that meant overall, but he decided this man was perhaps good for Whitby and maybe to help his dearest priest.

Elijah held up a hand and about to speak to tell Malachi not to worry when he mentioned the basket. He looked away , the nervousness returned. "Ah, it isn't... a rush. But yes, I don't live too far." He gave him directions and gestured in it's overall location. "If it is too difficult to do it later in the day or early enough when I'm home, the Constabulary is very easy to find."

There was that nervousness again, almost reflexive at the mention of the basket. God, he wanted to know why.

Had his attempt to retrieve the basket been hindered by Mister Tully? It wouldn't have surprised him. The beggar could've teased Crane enough to repel him from the church, or... perhaps he had been right in his first assumption that it had something to do with Father Richards.

Malachi's smile stayed fixed. He did his best to commit the directions to Crane's house to his memory -- it wouldn't be too hard. It was always good to know where a constable lived.

"That won't be difficult at all," he assured. "I'll bring it by your house as soon as I get the chance. And..."

He watched the constable for a moment, and continued in a quieter tone so as not to be overheard.

"...I am always here to listen, if there is anything ever bothering you. It's sort of what I'm meant to do, after all."

Elijah was about to brush off the kind words and already started replying some form of gratitude for the help when the other man continued. His voice lowered as if it were a secret. He looked at him curiously.

"Ah?" He stared and wondered.

"Did the church tell you about Father Richar-", as soon as the words were out of his mouth, the constable forced an awkward smile on his face and a panicked look came to his eyes as they darted away. "I mean he's been a great help, but I've gone to him a lot in the past, and he has said he can't help me any more. And .." he tried to act like nothing was wrong and glanced back towards the man before looking away again. "Ah.. I mean.. my life is ok. My only big problem I don't think can be fixed, especially the church."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry.. just ... as hard as I've tried to ignore it. I've an incurable evil deep in my heart. I've been ignoring it but now I'm just trying to put up a wall around it."

Theeeere it was. Father Richards.

Malachi wore a mask of calm neutrality as the constable spoke, betraying nothing of what he thought about his mention of the other priest in particular. If the church had indeed told him about it or not, he didn't indicate one way or the other.

He raised a curious (or was it, once again, just amused?) brow at the idea that Crane had some issue that couldn't be fixed, and another smile curved the edges of his mouth.

"There's no need to apologize," he dismissed first. "You have an incurable evil in you, Constable Crane? I suppose that darkness fuels the terrible things you do, like bringing gifts to the injured and helping young women find shelter?"

Malachi didn't believe that one bit, and it showed.

"There is nothing that God can't forgive. And, for that matter, nothing that I will not try to help you with."

Elijah smiled looking thankful but a small part of him was uneased. He looked away from the priest and looked restless as he changed his position and rubbed his hands together. "Ah that. Well you wouldn't be too far off actually. I've a great shame and a great sin. The shame is what drove me to be a constable, you see? I actually wanted to be a fire fighter once. "

His chuckle was more strained as he continued. "The sin drives me to work harder in hopes I can do a little extra good to help wash away any stain my sin could cause. It is harder because this sin is so beautiful if it weren't a sin I'd have taken it with open arms without hesitation, but I feel it has caused more than enough damage and would like to pretend it didn't exist."

His eyes caught the priests in pure desire that his words were true, but he shook his head. "Thank you. I would love to but... I spoke to Father Richards of my issues once and.. it has made everything far,far worse." He held up a hand to cancel any assumptions the other could make.

"It is no failing of his. He is a paragon of what the church represents, or should. I've never seen someone stand so strongly to their values. It's humbling. And I don't want to trouble you with something that I feel my best option is to push it down inside and hope it eventually dies."

As Malachi observed the constable and the restless shame that seemed to soak through his every action, every word -- he felt his features gradually soften at the pitiful misunderstanding of it all.

A sin was a sin, no better or worse than the next. Malachi read the same bible as his fellow priests and his parish, yet found that their interpretations eluded him; he disagreed with much of what he knew was widely accepted by the church. The better path was not the widest one, nor the one that all others traveled.

"It is your choice, of course. I will not push you."

Not directly.

"But," he continued, "none of us are without sin. It is better to live an honest life, even in sin, than a false one. Consider Judas and his fate, who let his sin eat away at him; consider Paul, who did terrible things, I'm sure much worse than you -- who was still forgiven when he asked to be."

If everyone was without sin, or if everyone simply hid them away in the hopes they'd disappear -- what need would they have for confession? For forgiveness? For God? Malachi touched a hand to Crane's shoulder, and said, "I will not cast judgement either way, constable. But you are never too lost to be found."

His hand fell from the other man's shoulder, and joined his other hand behind his back again.