Thursday, March 25th
Rosary Police Station, 10:30 a.m.
Neil was reading his agents’ reports in his office when his mobile phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, and his heart skipped a beat when he read the name. He called John, who was talking to Bob Mallon, and he summoned him to his office.
John looked at him and understood immediately why he had called him. He sat down and Neil put the mobile phone on speaker.
“Hello, Dan. Any news?”
“Hello, Neil. Yes. You were right. My agents found out that, little more than a month ago, on February 19th, Sawyer’s car was taken to a mechanic. They traced the mechanic workshop, and he confirmed he had a smashed headlight, and the bumper was damaged. Our lab technicians confirmed that the glass fragment corresponds to the make and the model of Sawyer’s car.” Neil looked at the troubled face of John and shared his dismay.
Dan went on: “Your priest was killed, Neil. We questioned Sawyer about it, and he finally admitted that he was driving, and he wasn’t able to avoid the other car. He didn’t stop because he panicked, and then he simply decided not to come forward.”
Neil interrupted him and said: “On the contrary, he certainly stopped, and he took his time to collect the glass and clean the scene.”
“Yes, and my agents inspected his apartment and found a folder with a name written on the cover: ALISON. He told us he found the folder in Alison’s flat, but we didn’t believe it. I am sending you a copy of a handwritten sheet. It would be useful if you could confirm that the handwriting is the priest’s, since Alison’s colleague has already stated that it is not her friend’s. Anyway, for what concerns Alison Stevens, he said that he had been paid to kill her. He has been unemployed for some time now, and he has money problems, so he accepted, but he doesn’t know the name of the person who contacted him. They spoke on a prepaid phone he threw away before going to the hospital. He denies killing those old women in their homes.”
Neil thought for a few moments, and then he said: “We must hope Alison Stevens will recover soon and will be able to identify the female accomplice, because I am convinced that they are the killers of those old ladies, Dan.”
“So am I, Neil. Keep me posted on the developments of your investigation.”
“Yes, Dan. We will show the handwriting sample to Father Luca’s mother. It will be a hard blow for her.”
“I can understand that, but at least she will know what really happened.”
Neil closed the phone call. Bob appeared in the doorway with a sheet of paper in his hands.
“This was attached to Dan Gordon’s email, Neil.”
Neil gave the piece of paper to John, who examined it.
“I am sorry, Neil,” he said, “but I don’t know Luca’s handwriting. Only Silvia or Anna can recognize it.”
Neil shook his head and said sadly: “You don’t know how much I hoped I wouldn’t have to do this.”
“Yes, Neil. What about going to the Trattoria after lunch? I know Silvia stays with her mother at the Trattoria until her children come out of school.”
“Yes, they will support each other ...”
At that moment, David came into the office and announced: “Neil, John! Barbara Lewis is downstairs, and she wants to talk to you ...” Neil and John exchanged a surprised glance, and they went to the ground floor, to the same room where they had talked to Dana a week before.
Barbara was waiting for them, sitting on a chair with a pleasant smile on her face and an air of apparent nonchalance.
Neil went to sit in front of her and John next to him. They didn’t ask anything, but they waited for the woman to speak.
She looked at them for some moments. Then she said softly: “First of all, I would like to apologize for my behavior since my mother-in-law’s death. I loved Stacey, and it has been a shock to me, as you can certainly imagine.” Neil and John exchanged a glance, but they didn’t say anything. ‘Why this sudden change of attitude? What is the purpose of this visit to the police station?’ Neil thought.
Barbara went on, turning to Neil. “I would also like to thank you for the support you are giving Robin. Nolan and I appreciate it.” Neil looked perplexed because he had had the impression that they didn’t appreciate it at all.
“You will wonder why I am here, agents, and, believe me, it cost me very much to decide to come here. My husband tried to dissuade me, but I must tell you what I know, out of respect for Stacey, at least.” She stopped for a few moments, waiting for a reaction on the part of McKinley or Steele, but she saw they were silently listening, so she continued: “I don’t want to point my finger, but I overheard some conversations of Dana on the phone. She was speaking to someone, and they were talking about a plan, or something like that ... They were also talking about Father Luca ...” Neil looked at her.
“What did they say about Father Luca?”
Barbara replied quickly: “Oh, I don’t know exactly. I just caught some words. Maybe I didn’t hear that part correctly. They certainly talked about money. Did you know that Mike Stone has broken his relationship with Dana in the last few weeks?” In reality, Neil knew something more: Mike Stone declared he had never had a real relationship with Dana. The Inspector decided not to say anything about his conversation with the doctor, and he asked instead: “When did you hear these phone calls? Dana has been in St. John most of the time, for what we know.”
“Oh, I had heard something before Stacey was killed, and I heard part of a phone call last Monday.”
“Why didn’t you come forward with this information after your mother-in-law was killed?”
“As I said before, I didn’t want to point my finger at my husband’s ex-wife. But now she is behaving as if she were running away.”
Neil looked at John, and then he asked: “Since you are here, Mrs. Lewis, and since you are so willing to cooperate now, I have a few questions for you.” There was a note of sarcasm in his voice, but Barbara didn’t seem to notice.
She said pleasantly: “Of course I want you to find the person who killed my mother-in-law. What would you like to know? I can tell you I don’t know much about Dana’s past life, though.”
“Oh, but I wanted to ask you something about YOUR past life.”
Barbara looked alarmed and couldn’t conceal her surprise at the turn in the conversation. She quickly recovered her composure and said nonchalantly,
“Go on. What do you want to know?”
Neil opened a folder he had taken from his office and said,
“As you can imagine, we have investigated the life of all the people involved in this murder.” He began to turn the pages very slowly, in order to increase the tension. He succeeded in making Barbara very nervous. She was getting restless.
After closing the folder, Neil asked: “We know that you worked in Victoria until more or less five years ago, then you disappeared completely until last year, when you met Nolan Lewis here in Rosary. I would like to know what you did in those four years, Mrs. Lewis.”
She looked at him scornfully, and all her kindness had vanished, when she answered: “I have come here to help you with your investigation, and now you are making me appear as a suspect. I don’t like it, Inspector, I don’t like it at all.”
Neil looked at her unimpressed, and he said calmly: “Until we find the culprit, everyone is a suspect for us. We thank you for your information about Dana Morgan. It is certainly useful, but we are trying to complete our report on every member of the family, so we would be grateful if you could answer this question, since I am sure there is a logical explanation.” He smiled at her encouragingly. John reflected that Neil was certainly good at using his charm at the right moment.
Barbara seemed a little more relaxed when she answered: “Of course there is a logical explanation. I had been working for a few years as a waitress in Victoria. I had put away some money, and I decided to have new experiences. I went on a tour around Europe with a friend, I went to visit my family in Ireland, and then I stopped in the South of France. I worked as a waitress there for a while.”
Neil kept on smiling pleasantly and told her: “We thank you for coming here. We will certainly consider what you have told us, both about Dana and about yourself. Have a nice day, Mrs. Lewis.”
Barbara stood up. She went towards the door, then she stopped and turned, as if she wanted to say something more, but she changed her mind, and she went out, closing the door behind her.
Neil and John were going to comment when Billy opened the door of the interrogation room and told them,
“Steve has just found out something interesting about Dana Morgan.”
Neil and John went immediately to the first floor and, on the large screen, they saw what looked like a certificate of a hospital in St. John and a photo of Dana that was almost unrecognizable. She had dark bags under her eyes, and her hair was disheveled.
Neil and John read the certificate, while Steve was explaining: “I have just found out where Dana was in the period between her separation from Nolan Lewis and her new life in St. John. She was in this clinic, trying to recover from a serious form of depression. During the last period of her marriage, she had been seeing a psychiatrist here in Rosary, but later she decided to seek treatment. She was dismissed almost two years ago, then she went to live with a friend,” the photo of a woman and the name Carla Merton appeared on the screen, “I have already called Mrs. Merton, and she confirmed Dana lived with her on the outskirts of St. John for little less than a year.”
Neil looked at John and said: “She certainly can’t be responsible for those murders, and I am starting to believe that she didn’t kill Mrs. Lewis. What do you think, John?”
John answered: “Yes, and I didn’t like the reference to Father Luca Barbara Lewis made a few minutes ago. The death of Luca has always been treated as an accident. Why did she mention him?”
“I had the same reaction, John. Guys,” he added, turning to his agents, “You must find out everything you can about Barbara. She said that she went on a tour of Europe between her period in Victoria and her appearance here in Rosary. Find airline tickets, reservations, anything, ok?”
Neil invited John to sit in his office and told him: “What bothers me, John, is that Robin is afraid of something. I had the impression that he fears his mum is responsible. I am fairly certain that he saw something, after his grandmother died, that connects the murder to his mother. If he had discovered something linking Stacey Lewis’s death to Barbara, he would have told me, I am sure, because he isn’t fond of his stepmother. What do you think?”
“Yes, Neil. His grandmother told Anna more than once that she was sorry because Robin was kind to Barbara, but he didn’t love her. We must talk to the boy, Neil. Only you or Anna can convince him to tell the truth.”
***
Rosary, Mrs. Craig’s home, 2:00 p.m.
She knew she had made a big mistake. First of all, she had been too reckless, and she hadn’t stopped to think. If she wanted to lay the blame on Dana, she should have gone to the police with something more than a few phone calls … then she had inadvertently mentioned Father Luca. She had seen immediately that both agents had noticed it. The good news was that the two officers had not mentioned Alfred, so maybe they hadn’t found a connection yet… But how long would it take? Would Alfred keep protecting her?
The other good news was that they hadn’t said anything about an object found in her mother-in-law’s room. She was sure the boy had taken it, but she had searched his room, and she hadn’t been able to find it…
Now she had to go to her hiding place, but first, she had to make sure her friend didn’t talk. In the afternoon Mrs. Craig’s maid had a few hours off, so she decided to take action. She took a gun that she had always had but never used. Carrying it in her handbag, she decided to walk to her friend’s home.
She saw that all the blinds were closed, there was no car in the driveway, and the home looked deserted. She rang the bell, thinking that maybe her friend was having a nap. After what seemed an eternity, the maid came to open the door. She recognized her immediately, and she said: “I am sorry, but Mr. and Mrs. Craig left yesterday for a short holiday. They are coming back tomorrow late in the evening. Shall I tell her you looked for her?”
She said simply: “No, thanks, I didn’t know she was away. I will call her next weekend.”
The maid closed the door.
Now she knew for certain that she had to pack her bags and leave. The police were too close to the truth. She quickly went home.
***
Rosary, Anna’s Trattoria , 2:15 p.m.
The trattoria was empty when Neil and John parked in the parking lot. They had a heavy heart, and they were both thinking of the best way to break the news to Anna.
John knocked on the glass door, and a smiling Silvia came to open.
“Hello, John. Hello, Neil. Would you like to eat something? Or a cup of coffee?”
John had a lump in his throat and couldn’t speak. Neil just said: “Thanks, Silvia, don’t worry. Is Anna here?”
Anna came out of the kitchen, and she approached the two policemen. Their serious countenance told her that there was something wrong.
“Sit down, please!” she said.
They sat at one of the tables, and Neil took out a sheet of paper from his pocket. He showed it to Anna and asked: “Anna, do you recognize this handwriting?” Anna and Silvia bent over the note. Anna’s eyes filled with tears.
She said: “Yes, this is Luca’s handwriting. Where did you find it?”
Now came the difficult part, but Neil saw that John kept his eyes downcast and didn’t speak.
He took Anna’s hand, and he said: “Anna, Silvia. We would have liked to avoid this, but ...” Anna and Silvia were looking at him questioningly, and he decided to go straight to the point: “This morning the police in Fredericton arrested the man who attacked that woman, Alison Stevens, last week, and ... Anna, I am sorry, that man is responsible for your son’s car accident.” Anna looked at him for a moment as if she hadn’t understood, then she turned to Silvia, and the young woman embraced her. They both started to sob, and for a few minutes they remained like this, trying to comfort each other.
Neil and John waited until the sobs had subsided, and Anna was able to say,
“It doesn’t change things very much, because the doctor told us that he died immediately, so, even if that man had stopped he wouldn’t have been able to save him ... and my Luca won’t come back to me. This is the thing I still can’t accept. But ...” she looked at Neil with her eyes filled with tears. “Why? Why, Neil? You never met him, but he was a wonderful person. He never did anything wrong. Why my Luca?”
Her anguished face was really heartbreaking. Neil felt a profound pity for this woman who loved her family more than herself.
“Anna, we are still investigating. I know you had asked John not to look into the accident. He showed me some photos of the scene and ... There was something wrong. I know it doesn’t change things for you, Silvia and your family, but if a criminal hurts an upright and honest person, he must pay for what he did …” His deep calm voice and his affectionate tone soothed Anna, and she nodded: “You are right, Neil.” She turned to the Lieutenant: “Thanks, John, for wanting to know the truth, but why was he killed? Was it an accident or was it intentional?”
John now found the courage to explain: “We don’t know yet exactly. The person who did it said it was an accident, but in his apartment, we found a folder about Alison Stevens, the woman who was attacked last week. In the folder, there was that sheet of paper with Luca’s handwriting. So, we have reason to believe that Mrs. Lewis’s murder, your son’s accident and the attack on Miss Stevens are connected. Probably they wanted to prevent your son from putting Mrs. Lewis in contact with Miss Stevens.”
Anna looked into the blue eyes of the Inspector, and she asked: “Is that person in prison?”
Neil just nodded and smiled.
Silvia insisted on making a coffee for the two policemen, and they accepted. They tried to talk about the children and the volleyball practice, just to ease the tension. Silvia promised to call Father George to tell him about Luca.
When they stood up to leave, Anna embraced John affectionately, because she had noticed his discomfort and uneasiness. She told him softly: “Don’t worry, John, I know you did the right thing, even if now it is painful!” John had difficulty holding back the tears. He just nodded and repeated: “I am sorry, Anna. We all loved Luca.” Anna approached Neil, and he realized she was going to embrace him. She took him by surprise, and he reacted as he had always done in similar situations. He took one or two steps backwards, and Anna stopped. Neil realized that both Silvia and John had noticed his reaction, but nobody said anything.
Neil turned to John and said quickly, avoiding Anna’s gaze: “We have to go now. I am sorry for what we had to tell you today.” He added, looking at Silvia.
He turned and left without another word.
***
Rosary, Nolan Lewis’s home, 6:30 pm
Robin saw that his father was preparing to go out. He would have liked to talk to him about his doubts, but he knew that Nolan was only rarely ready to listen to him. The idea of spending the evening with Barbara did not please Robin at all, but he had noticed that his father had tried to contact her many times in the last hour and had even left a voicemail asking what she intended to do.
There was something strange in his father’s behavior, something had definitely changed. Did he share Barbara’s suspicions about his mother? Robin looked anxiously at Nolan, who was knotting his tie.
Tony came in, and Robin looked at him with wide eyes. Was his father going out with Barbara? No, the child had heard that Nolan had a business dinner with some clients. Why didn’t Barbara stay at home with him as usual?
Tony smiled at the child and told Nolan:
“Don’t worry, Mr Lewis. I don’t have any engagements tonight. I will stay with Robin.”
“Thanks, Tony. I am sorry for telling you at the last moment, but I wasn’t able to cancel my dinner and I don’t want Robin to stay at home alone. I have been trying to contact my wife all day but she doesn’t answer and I don’t know what she intends to do!”
Then something even stranger happened: Nolan turned to his son and told him with a kind voice: “Robin, Tony will remain with you tonight. I can’t contact Barbara, and I don’t know if she remembers she has to stay at home tonight. I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Robin didn’t know what to think, because he had stayed alone all evening the day before the funeral of his grandmother, and his father hadn’t seemed worried at all. He nodded and saw his father smile at him before leaving. This was another change. His father had rarely talked to him and shown him affection. What was happening? Adults were definitely strange and unpredictable.
***
Rosary, Neil’s home, 8:00 p.m.
Neil was at home, he was sitting on his sofa and drinking a beer, but he was feeling restless. Why had he reacted that way with Anna? Why couldn’t he control that reaction? Why couldn’t he keep his emotions in check? He knew that he had hurt Anna, and she was the last person he wanted to hurt, especially now that she needed comfort and not rejection. He held his head in his hands for a few moments. Silvia and John had certainly noticed his behavior, but maybe, he hoped, they thought it depended on him being an orphan. Oh, but it was much more than that. He reflected that he was really growing fond of Anna. She was so considerate, so sensitive, so affectionate, exactly the image of the mother he had always longed for and never had. And now, had he ruined everything? Would she behave differently to him? Would she feel offended?
He tried to concentrate on the volleyball game he was watching on TV, but he couldn’t.
He took his mobile phone in his hands. He thought for a moment of calling Anna, but then he reflected he would go to talk to her. He had to find the strength to explain the reason. He didn’t want to ruin everything.
***
Rosary, Nolan Lewis’s home, 8:30 pm
Robin had finished dinner, and Tony was tidying the kitchen. Strange things were happening. His father had called Tony earlier to know if everything was alright. What worried his dad so much? Barbara had not come home.
While Tony went to drive the car into the garage, Robin walked around the living room. He stopped in front of a big credenza where there were some photos of his grandfather and grandmother, of his father with him and of his father with Barbara. He noticed that there was a new photo of Nolan with Barbara at the golf club. It was a recent photo. He thought it had been taken two or three weeks before. They were both smiling and Barbara had a hand on his arm, but ...
Robin took the photo in his hands and stared at it disbelievingly. He looked around instinctively to make sure that nobody was there, even if he knew he was alone. Once more, he glanced at the photo ... Yes, this was exactly... He tiptoed to Barbara and Nolan’s bedroom. Upon entering, he turned on the light. He went to Barbara’s dressing table. She had a box full of jewelry. He opened it cautiously, and he took out some necklaces and rings. At the bottom of the box there was ... Oh my God. Robin couldn’t believe it. There was a bracelet. He looked at it, and he turned it in his hand. Yes, one of the stones was missing. Carefully, he wrapped the bracelet with a tissue. He put all the jewels back into the box, he switched off the light and closed the door cautiously. Walking to his bedroom, he put the bracelet into the front pocket of his schoolbag, along with the missing stone he had found on the floor in his grandmother’s bedroom the evening she passed away.
When he went back to the living room, Tony was returning from the garage. They watched TV for a while, then, after putting on his pajamas, Robin went to bed. He took out his mobile phone, and he called his mum once again.
This time, after a few rings, Dana answered.
“Hello, Robin.”
“Hi, mum. Why didn’t you come to grandma’s funeral?”
“I am sorry, darling. I was busy yesterday morning. How are you? I will call you later because I am at dinner with friends now.”
Voices could be heard in the background.
“Mum, I wanted to ask you a thing. Do you remember the bracelet you always wore when you were here with us?”
“The bracelet your father gave me when you were born? Of course I remember it, darling. I must have left it at your home and I always forget to take it, when I come to see you. Why do you ask?”
Robin would have liked to embrace his mum, such was his relief after a sleepless week.
“When are you coming, mum? I miss you…”
“Soon, darling, don’t worry. Now I must leave you. Good night, Robin.”
Robin didn’t have time to say anything, because the phone call was interrupted. He went to bed, and he heard his father’s footsteps in the foyer, much earlier than usual. He thought he would try to tell his father the following morning, maybe he would show him the bracelet, and they would go together to the Police Station to talk to Neil. Comforted by this thought and by his father’s presence, he fell asleep.
ns216.73.216.134da2
and then Add to home screen.