Wednesday, March 24th
Fredericton, Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, 4:30 a.m.
Alfred walked along the deserted corridors of the hospital, wondering why it was so silent, and there were so few doctors and nurses. He had put on a doctor’s coat that he had found somewhere and he had kept just in case he would need it.
A few nurses passed in the corridors and nodded at him. So far, so good. Something at the back of his mind was telling him it was too easy … He had thought about it all night, debating whether it would be better not to worry about that woman, she would certainly not be able to recognize him, but ... Maybe his accomplice was right, maybe that woman was a threat. Eventually, he decided to follow his friend’s suggestion.
Now he was almost in front of the woman’s room door. He stopped for a moment because the nurse, who had kept him informed, had told him that there was a policeman guarding that woman’s room at all times. And now? Why wasn’t there anybody? Something was wrong, definitely wrong. And if they had moved her to another room? He didn’t stop long enough to think. He opened the door slowly. All was dark inside, apart from a dim night light above the bed. Only an arm was visible on the blankets, with a drip attached to an infusion bag next to the bed. The rest of the body of the woman was covered by a blanket, and the face was turned to one side and heavily bandaged. He tiptoed to the bed, and he took out from his pocket a syringe and a phial. He removed the cap from the syringe, drew the yellow liquid into it, and took the arm that was outstretched on the blanket. He felt being pushed backwards by that same arm he believed powerless. The person lying in bed got up and threw him to the floor, the lights in the room were turned on, and two officers pointed their guns at him and ordered him to put down the syringe. An officer took the syringe and put it into a plastic bag. He was handcuffed and taken away.
While he was taken to the police station in a marked car, he thought he shouldn’t have followed his friend’s advice. And now? What did the police have against him, apart from the syringe, of course? What would his accomplice do?
***
Rosary, Catholic Church, 10 a.m.
Robin still couldn’t believe that his dear grandmother, the only person who really cared for him, had left him. In the past two days, he hadn’t gone to see her at the funeral home. He preferred to remember her smiling and embracing him affectionately. Now he was sitting in the front pew of the church between his father and his aunt Margaret, and he didn’t know whether he was crying more for his grandmother or for the fact that his mother was not there. Once again, she had deserted him, once again she had broken her promise, and, most of all, he was more and more afraid that her behavior confirmed what he had thought since he had found his grandma dead in her bed. He tried hard to hold back the tears, but he was so desperate, so lonely. Nobody was trying to comfort him, not his father, not his aunt, not Barbara, who kept on looking at him in a strange way.
When the people, gathered in church, moved towards the altar to receive the holy communion, Robin kept his face in his hands and didn’t look around until he felt a hand on his shoulder, the first act of kindness from the time he had prepared for the funeral at home. He raised his eyes, and he met the kind look of the Inspector, of his volleyball coach. He didn’t talk, but he smiled encouragingly at him, before walking to his place at the back of the church. It is strange how a simple gesture can mean so much in a moment of distress. Robin felt a warmth, a comfort he had not felt for a week. Maybe it meant that Neil was not angry with him ... He decided at that moment that he had to talk to Neil. He had to talk to him without being interrupted by Barbara or anyone else. He had to find a way.
***
Anna entered the church with a heavy heart. The last funeral she had attended was her son’s and tears came to her eyes when she saw Stacey Lewis’ casket covered with flowers in the center of the aisle. She looked around, and she saw just a few people, the relatives and some friends of Stacey’s. At Luca’s funeral, the church was crowded. There were some people outside the church as well, because the little chapel couldn’t contain all the mourners. It had been a great comfort for her to see that so many parishioners and members of their community loved her son and mourned him. Nothing could ease the pain she was still feeling, but having the affection and the support of friends and family had meant a lot to her.
Her heart went out to that poor boy, who kept looking at his grandmother’s photo on the casket. Where was his mother? How could she be so indifferent to her son’s suffering? Anna would have liked to take Robin to where she was sitting and embrace him. Why couldn’t his father put a hand on his shoulder, or just smile at him? She looked to the back of the church, where Inspector McKinley was standing with Billy Nigel and John. She locked eyes with Neil, and he smiled at her immediately. She noticed he was looking at Robin, and she was sure he shared her feelings.
***
Neil didn’t like going to funerals, even if, not having a family, he had not had to attend the funeral of a relative.
He looked at the family members who were following Mrs. Lewis’ casket into the church. He noticed immediately that Dana Morgan was not among them, and he exchanged a quick glance with John. Where was that woman? What was happening?
He stopped thinking about the investigation and he started looking at Robin. He was constantly crying, and his father and his aunt didn’t seem to perceive that he was suffering.
When he came back after receiving the Holy Communion, he couldn’t help it. He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and he tried to smile at him. Barbara was looking the other way at that moment, and she didn’t notice, but, even if she had seen, he wouldn’t mind. Someone should try to comfort poor Robin in that cold family.
He looked at Anna, who kept on looking at the casket: he knew what she was thinking, he knew that the memory of her son’s funeral was coming back to her. He felt the instinct to comfort that poor woman, because he knew that in a day or two, he would have to share with her a terrible truth about Luca’s accident, even if he still hoped he was wrong.
***
After the funeral, the people attending stopped to shake hands with Nolan and Margaret Lewis. Neil and John went to express their condolences to the family, and they saw Anna approaching Barbara, who was standing on one side as if she weren’t a member of the family. She was holding Robin’s hand fast, almost afraid he would run away. Robin was looking completely dejected. Anna said: “Mrs. Lewis, I am sorry for your loss.” She caressed Robin’s cheek, and Barbara answered: “Thanks, Mrs. Venturi. We are all terribly sad today. I keep on thinking of poor Stacey, those terrible moments when she realized she was being killed, and she couldn’t defend herself...”
Neil came nearer and said: “Our condolences, Mrs. Lewis.”
Barbara turned to him and said unkindly: “I have heard that you went back to talk to Mrs. Craig. I would like to know why, Inspector...”
Neil looked at her, and he answered calmly: “Mrs. Lewis, in our investigation, we are free to talk to witnesses more than once. May I ask you why you resent this so much?”
Barbara didn’t answer. She turned and walked away, dragging poor Robin after her.
Neil turned to Anna and commented: “Dana Morgan is certainly attracting suspicions, but I can’t say I like Mrs. Lewis much more. Why is she always so irritated? And why does she always keep Robin far from you or me? Anna,” he locked eyes with the woman and added: “I need to talk to Robin without being interrupted. Can you call me if he stops at your trattoria or at Silvia’s home?”
Anna nodded and said: “Of course, Neil, but Tony now has precise orders to take the child straight home. I am worried, Neil, for Robin. A period like this and the lack of support can affect the life of that poor child.”
Neil simply nodded.
***
Rosary Police Station, 2:00 p.m.
Neil was in his office when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and he answered immediately, because this was a phone call he was waiting for.
“Hi, Dan.”
“Hi, Neil. First of all, thank you for your suggestion. You were right because this morning we were able to arrest Mr. Alfred Sawyer with a syringe in his hand, ready to kill Alison. I am waiting for his public defender. Then we are going to interrogate him.”
“Good.” While he was talking, John entered his office. Neil put his mobile phone on speaker and added: “Lieutenant Steele is here with me.” He turned to John and told him what Dan had just related.
Then he said: “Dan, what is your first impression? Is he going to confess, or is he a tough guy?”
“I don’t know, Neil. He immediately asked for a lawyer, so we weren’t able to talk to him. I wanted to tell you that your agent, Steve Ganderson, has just left here the piece of glass you had told me about. I have already given it to my agents. We are waiting for Sawyer’s car. Then we can know if the car has been repaired recently. I will keep you posted, ok?”
“Thanks, Dan, and ... Good job!”
Neil closed the phone call, and he turned to John: “Maybe we are wrong or maybe we will never know what happened to Luca, but now we just have to wait, ok, John?”
“Yes, Neil. Yesterday I talked to Jennifer about my fears, but she agreed with you. She is always able to put my mind to rest.” He smiled, and Neil said jokingly: “I am happy your wife is on my side.”
John said: “Neil, I noticed you were looking at Robin all the time at the funeral. Why is Dana constantly running away? What is she hiding? And, Neil, if Dana were the killer, what would happen to Robin? I am afraid he wouldn’t stand losing his grandmother and his mother at the same time.”
Neil sighed and answered: “Dana is behaving in a strange way, to say the least. But there is something in Barbara’s demeanor that I definitely don’t like, John. Why is she constantly preventing Robin from talking to us? Anna told me that now Tony must drive the kid straight home. I don’t know who ordered this, but I can’t understand.”
“We must talk to Dana, one way or the other.”
Neil nodded and added: “And I want to talk to Barbara. And, sooner or later, we will have to talk to Mr. Lewis about Robin, whether he likes it or not.”
At that moment, the phone in Neil’s office rang. He picked up the receiver and answered. The receptionist told him that Anna Venturi wanted to talk to him. Neil put the phone on speaker and said,
“Good afternoon, Anna.”
John added: “Hello, Anna. How are you?”
The voice at the other end of the line was excited, and Neil and John perceived Anna had something important to tell them.
The woman started: “Hello, Neil. Hello, John… I am sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to ...” she stopped as if she was not sure of what to say next.
Neil encouraged her: “Anna, you never disturb! What’s up?”
Anna was a little calmer when she went on: “After the funeral, I stopped to talk to Barbara Lewis … Something she told me has kept on bothering me, even if I couldn’t understand what… Was Stacey sleeping when she was attacked?”
John and Neil exchanged a glance and Neil asked: “Why do you ask, Anna? What is worrying you?”
“Oh, maybe I am just exaggerating. Barbara hinted at the fact that she can’t forget the image of that poor woman terrified and unable to defend herself…. But, maybe they know she was not sleeping ...”
Neil interrupted her: “Wait a minute, Anna …The autopsy revealed that she struggled, so we presume she was awake when her killer attacked her. But,” he added after exchanging a glance with John, “as a matter of fact, we didn’t disclose this part of the autopsy results to the family … What did Barbara Lewis say exactly?”
“She said that she kept on thinking of Stacey, of her terrified reaction when she realized she was being killed, and she couldn’t defend herself … Oh, but maybe she was just imagining that terrible moment. I don’t want to judge her, but I can’t help disliking her behavior to you and to us, Neil!”
John and Neil looked at each other with alarm on their faces…. Was Barbara only imagining her mother-in-law’s last moments or … ?
Neil tried to sound calm when he told Anna,
“Thanks for telling us. This may be important, Anna. Don’t worry, we are investigating all the members of the family, and we are going to find the culprit soon ... Please, don’t tell anyone in the Lewis family what we have just told you about the autopsy…”
“Of course, Neil. I also wanted to tell you that Robin called Mario yesterday night. He was at home alone and he sounded frightened. Silvia and Mark talked with him on the phone, until his parents came back.”
John commented: “This is not good and it is illegal to leave a child at home alone!”
Neil added: “When we finish this investigation, we will have to talk to Nolan Lewis seriously about his son, whether he likes it or not. Don’t worry, Anna, and thanks for calling us.’
When the call ended, John told Neil: “What do you think of Mrs Lewis’s words?”
Neil stroked his chin and said musingly: “I definitely don’t like that woman’s behavior. And why is Dana so slippery if she is not guilty? There is still something that is not clear…”
***
Rosary, Nolan Lewis’s home, 7:30 p.m.
Robin was eating silently, while Barbara and his father talked about the funeral.
Barbara was speaking about the child’s mother, without caring if Robin was listening. “Nolan, you will have to accept it. Dana is hiding something. Why doesn’t she answer the phone? Why didn’t she come to your mother’s funeral?”
“What are you trying to tell me, Barbara? That Dana killed my mother?” Robin gasped when he heard this, but neither Nolan nor Barbara seemed to notice.
Nolan went on: “Dana is frivolous, and she likes spending money and living a luxurious life. You don’t know anything about her life, Barbara, and you don’t know her as well as I do… Kill my mother and steal her jewels? No, Barbara, I don’t think you have a right to say something like this.” He slammed his fist on the table with force. Barbara looked at him disbelievingly. It was the first time Nolan had raised his voice with Barbara.
“Ok, Nolan. But sooner or later, the police will find out that Mike Stone has left her. They will draw the same conclusions: if she is alone, she needs money and ...”
Nolan glared at her, and Barbara stopped talking. She started to clear the table, and Nolan went to the living room to watch TV.
Robin went to his bedroom and closed the door. He took out his mobile phone and tried to call his mother once again, while tears were running down his cheeks. His mother didn’t answer, and he threw himself on the bed. Oh, how he wished he had his volleyball coach’s phone number. But he thought that tomorrow he would call the police station and ask to talk to him. The number of the police station was certainly in the phone directory his dad had in the living room.
Before falling asleep, he reflected that his father had defended his mum. He had not listened to Barbara’s suspicions. Did he still love his mum? Was he tired of Barbara, who always talked and judged everything and everyone? He smiled involuntarily. He prayed his father would be able to help his mother. And maybe…
***
11:00 p.m.
She turned off the TV. Alfred was right, she had to admit it. It would have been better to leave that woman alone ...
And now? Alfred was in prison. She didn’t know if Alison was really recovering or not, and she had no way of finding out. What should she do? Would Alfred implicate her? Would he confess?
She was becoming more and more restless. Then she forced herself to calm down. She sat down on her bed, and she tried to focus. First of all, she had to get rid of her friend, because she was sure that, sooner or later, she would talk to the police.
Then she was now sure that the kid had seen something when he had found his grandmother. He was too nervous. If the police had already found that thing, they would have certainly questioned her... No, the child must have taken it … She had to get rid of him, before he talked to that policeman … The plan was different, but now the most important thing was to hide for some time and try to find a new identity and a new partner. Yes, she had to run away and hide. She had already found a place where nobody would find her. There was nothing she could do now, so she decided to behave as normally as she could until tomorrow.
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