Ray was impressed. Marketing the show was a realm he had never felt comfortable with, simply because he didn’t have the expertise. He knew other televangelists did it with flair and success. Brick and mortar churches often weren’t shy about advertising either. For the first time, he recognized that saving souls was beyond the spiritual—it was a business. The key would be in doing both well. “You’ve given this quite a bit of thought,” he told Susannah. “Do you have a marketing background?”
“I’ve had some marketing experience,” she said. “I see the immense potential of your work—potential I was afraid you were going to throw away.”
“It’s a good thing God came to you in a dream,” Jeff mused, but Susannah was already moving on to another idea.
“There are other ways to distinguish the service. A choir praising God in jubilant song, a welcoming space, and members witnessing to the power of salvation in their own lives.” She paused. “As I mentioned to Reverend Ray, I’ve never seen a Christian makeover segment aimed at women. It would be another way of distinguishing the program.”
Buck stared at Susannah incredulously. “I’m all for 1-800-HE-SAVES, but how do makeovers fit into the program? And what makes them Christian?”
“Why do you insist on making fun of me? There are plenty of other programs that would love the idea.” Her voice had quickly turned defensive.
Taken aback by her sudden angry tone, all conversation ceased.
Her cheeks flushed. “Oh, my gosh, please forgive me. I’ve had a very recent family tragedy, and I’ve found survival itself challenging. I get frustrated, lashing out for no reason and saying things I shouldn’t.”
“I wasn’t making fun of you. I fail to see how the concept of Christian makeovers fits into all this. Keep going,” Buck said graciously.
Ray watched Buck smile at Susannah with encouragement; he remembered his friend knew a thing or two about the fairer sex.
“I believe a woman who looks good feels confident, happy, and empowered to spread the word of God. What makes them Christian is that you’re bringing out that confidence by focusing on women who want to spread the Good News. Not ‘extreme makeover’ by any means, but showing any woman she can look good.”
“That would distinguish us, all right,” Buck replied dryly. “I’m simply trying to wrap my head around this. I know from firsthand experience, however, that all my wives loved their makeup.”
Ray looked on in bemused silence as Susannah processed Buck’s comment. Almost everyone was surprised by this revelation. Buck seemed too nondescript and mild-mannered to have had three marriages. But he knew from experience, stereotypes were meant to be broken.
“Wives?” Susannah said. “How many times were you—?”
Buck held up his fingers. “Three. My point is they all liked using makeup, so maybe this isn’t such a crazy idea after all.”
Susannah contemplated this. “I’m not saying we have to implement all these ideas. But here’s one you need to seriously consider.” She paused, eyeing each of the men. “Start broadcasting The Road to Calvary live.”
Silence enveloped the room, the dead air thick. Ray spoke first. “That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but I’m not sure we have a large enough audience for a live show.”
“And implementing all this technology—” Buck started in, but Susannah interrupted.
“Think about how much more effective HE SAVES will be as an 800-number on the screen if at least one broadcast is live. Start small; try one live episode you’ve heavily promoted as a test. Have the phones answered immediately and get viewers invested in watching The Road to Calvary.”
“If ya ask me, it’d be a whole lotta work for maybe nothin’,” Jeff said, shaking his head.
“Jeff’s right,” Buck agreed. “Scheduling could be a problem. What if nobody shows up?”
“You won’t know unless you try,” Susannah said.
“This is low-power cable; city meetings are broadcast live every month,” Buck reasoned.
“Susannah has a point. Let’s at least try one live broadcast and see what happens. If it fails miserably, we’ll continue to rely on taping a weekly program. When I’ve considered broadcasting live, I’ve always thought it bestows a sense of urgency. Maybe I’m wrong, but as Susannah said, we won’t know unless we try.” Ray smiled at her.
“But who’s going to be responsible for making all this technology work?” Buck asked.
Ray hadn’t been this captivated by a woman or this excited about preaching in a very long time. He faced Buck with a ready answer. “You’ve got training in computer science and electronics, and Jeff here has a degree in broadcasting—”
“It’s a certificate actually,” Jeff interrupted sheepishly.
When Ray smiled, he radiated the warmth and charisma that hinted at a great preacher with the power to mesmerize. “You work as the camera operator and know more than you think. Both of you do. What Susannah is suggesting has merit. No, we can’t do everything. I’ll contact the cable station about presenting The Road to Calvary live on a Sunday morning in three or four weeks. I think this might have real potential, especially if it’s promoted well.”
Buck disagreed, shaking his head. “I’m with Jeff; this plan involves a huge amount of work.”
“The Road to Calvary airs twice a week, on Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon. It’s taping the program where all the work is involved, and we’re already doing that. Think of this as the same amount of effort with more benefits,” Ray explained.
Buck seemed to relax a bit. Leaning back in his chair, he addressed Jeff. “I guess it can’t hurt to try, Jeff. I mean, we don’t have anything to lose. But, I do think we need to concentrate on doing a live broadcast before we start this eavesdropping on the congregation idea.”
Jeff hesitated for a moment. “Might as well. I’m willin’ to try goin’ live.”
“It’s settled, then,” Ray said, swiveling his chair. “Let’s try going live first and see what kind of response we have. If the show’s successful, then I’m willing to start putting the technology in place to anticipate the prayers and concerns of the congregation.”
“Every one of you is right,” Susannah acknowledged. “I realize I’ve kind of come in from out of nowhere with what may sound like some pretty crazy ideas. But I truly believe The Road to Calvary has a future.”
Ray smiled. “I’ll let the station know we’re going live and see if a Sunday morning slot is available. It would be outstanding if they would help promote us. We have lots of work to do to get ready. Susannah, I hope I’m not being presumptuous, but I’m counting on you to help us with planning the first live The Road to Calvary broadcast.”
“I’m more than happy to help in any way I can,” she said with a smile, her long lashes fluttering.
10
FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2002 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA NORTHEAST POLICE HEADQUARTERS
Linda’s trip to Chicago had proved enlightening, particularly since Patterson was still very much in love with his ex-wife. Even with a print match, this woman, who possessed a hard-to-see but unique mark inside an ear, had vanished. Nine excruciating days had passed since the Hansen bodies were discovered. In those fleeting days, the only good news was the discovery of the Hansens’ beige 1995 Toyota Corolla in Cleveland. The police department was keenly aware that, rather than satisfying the public, finding the car would heighten the need of the residents of Lincoln to get answers to the murders. Linda would be flying to Cleveland soon in search of more clues.