Saturday, March 27th
Rosary, Neil McKinley’s home, 7:45 a.m.
Neil and Robin had had a peaceful night, in reality more peaceful for Robin than for Neil. He had gone two or three times to check on the little boy, and had kept his mobile phone on all night, hoping to receive the news that Rebecca Blain had been arrested. Neil was glad because the child had slept peacefully, but he was worried because he didn’t know what the intentions of that woman were. Certainly, she would look for Robin. She had no doubt noticed that the Lewis home was under surveillance, so ... Where was she thinking of intercepting the boy? Neil was really at a loss: where was she? Where had she spent all night?
He got up early; he washed and shaved, and he prepared breakfast for himself and Robin. While he was eating, his phone vibrated. He looked at the caller ID and answered: “Hello Dan, news?”
“Hello, Neil, I wanted to tell you that, a few hours ago, Alison Stevens was finally out of the coma.” Neil replied: “Thank God! How is she?”
“She is out of danger. That’s the most important thing. The doctors told me they will let her talk to the police before evening.”
“Thanks, Dan. Unfortunately, we have not been able to arrest Rebecca Blain yet.”
“And the child?”
“His parents are out of town, and so he spent the night here in my home. I thought it was the safest way.”
“Surely it was. I hope you will arrest her soon, and that Alison will be able to identify both of them.”
“The problem is that Sawyer has already admitted Alison’s aggression and his involvement in Luca’s accident. We have proof that Rebecca is responsible for the murder of Mrs. Lewis, but I would like to pin the other murders on them.”
“Yes, Neil, I hope you will catch her soon. Let me know.”
“Of course, I will keep you posted.”
Neil was finishing his breakfast when his doorbell rang. He went to open, and David entered. Neil had decided to leave the boy at his home, at least for the moment, and to leave David with him.
Neil welcomed his agent with a smile. “Hello, David.”
“Hello, Neil. Is Robin still asleep?”
“Yes, he slept all night. I think he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for some time. I will wake him up now to tell him you will stay with him.”
He attached the badge and the gun to his belt, and he went to the guest bedroom. Robin had just woken up, but he was still lying in bed. Neil sat on the edge of the bed and told him: “Good morning, Robin. Have you slept well?”
Robin nodded and resisted the impulse to embrace the policeman, but Neil seemed to read his mind, and he put an arm around his shoulders. Robin rested his head on the Inspector’s chest for a moment. David appeared in the doorway, and Neil told Robin: “This is agent David. He will stay here with you until your parents come back to Rosary, ok?”
Robin nodded and asked timidly: “Have you found Barbara?”
Neil stroked the boy’s cheek and answered: “Not yet, Robin, but don’t worry, nobody will hurt you or your parents, I promise you.”
Robin smiled at him, and Neil told him: “In the kitchen, breakfast is ready for you. Take your time and ask David whatever you need.”
David approached the bed and told the boy: “Now Neil has to go, but I am here with you, ok?”
Robin had never been surrounded by so much kindness and attention,and he just smiled, a little confused.
Neil put on his jacket and left.
***
Rosary Police Station, 8:45 a.m.
When Neil arrived at the police station, Bob gave him the preliminary report from the lab for the analysis on the bracelet. Neil read it and commented: “It’s what I expected. There are traces of DNA, but it is not Stacey’s. There are residues of Mrs. Lewis's skin and nails. This is evidence against Blain for Mrs Lewis’s murder. But where is she?”
Steve came out of an interrogation room and said:
“Mr. and Mrs. Craig are here. She wants to retract her testimony for the afternoon of the murder.”
John was coming in at that moment.
Neil was going to the interrogation room when the receptionist called him: “Inspector McKinley, they are calling from the orphanage. It’s a boy, Peter.”
Neil took the receiver immediately because he felt that there was something terribly wrong if a child called the police. He put the phone on speaker.
“Peter, what’s wrong?”
The voice at the other end of the line was so agitated that Neil had difficulty understanding what the child was saying. He tried to sound reassuring, when he told the boy: “Peter, please, calm down and repeat what has happened. Where are you? Are you with the other children?”
A deep breath at the other end, and then Peter said, a little more clearly: “Neil, that woman is here!”
“Which woman?”
“The woman who usually came to pick up Robin after volleyball or after school.”
Neil exchanged a glance with his agents and, without speaking, Billy ran upstairs to fetch bullet-proof vests.
“Peter, where is she and what is she doing? Please try to be clear and don’t panic. We will be there in a minute, ok?”
“The woman is downstairs with the sisters. She came in, and she asked if Robin had already arrived for volleyball practice. Sister Theresa told her that the time for the practice has changed, but she didn’t believe what the sister told her. She got angry, she took out a gun, and she didn’t allow the sisters to call the police. We ran upstairs but Amy remained in the playroom and ... I tried to call her, but Sister Nancy ordered me to go upstairs. Neil, the last thing I saw was she had taken Amy, and she was threatening her with the gun. That woman wants Robin.”
Neil now was really worried, because Amy was the most fragile of all the children in the orphanage. She didn’t want to be touched. How would she react if a person held her so tight?
He tried to remain calm, and he asked Peter, while Billy, Bob and John put on their bullet-proof vests, “Peter, is there another door? Is there a back door?”
“Yes, there is a backdoor that leads to the kitchen. I have left it open for you ...”
“Peter, one more thing. Where is the woman exactly? Is she facing towards the kitchen or the entrance hall?”
“When we ran upstairs, she was in the playroom, and she was facing towards the entrance, because she was waiting for Robin.”
“Ok, Peter, you are helping us very much. Another thing, are the doors open or closed? I mean, the door that connects the playroom to the canteen and the one connecting the canteen to the kitchen.” He was trying to remember the layout of the ground floor.
Peter answered: “The door to the kitchen is closed, the other one is open.”
“Ok, Peter. Now, who is with you?”
“Sasha and Jim, Neil.”
“Tell Jim to check that all the children are in their bedrooms and come downstairs with Sasha. Wait for us in the kitchen, but only if it is safe. If that woman moves towards you, go immediately upstairs, ok?”
Peter said a feeble ‘Yes’.
“We are coming, Peter. Nobody will hurt Amy, I promise you.”
When the call ended, he ordered:
“ Steve, please, take Mrs. Craig’s statement. When Mr. and Mrs. Lewis call to tell you they are in Rosary, tell them to come here and wait for me, please.”
Billy handed him his bullet-proof vest, and he put it on. He turned to his agents and said: “John, I would like you to go into the orphanage through the front door, hide your bulletproof vest under your jacket and behave as if you didn’t know Blain is there. Try to talk to her, but, most of all, try to keep her turned towards the front door. Bob, you will stay outside, in case she tries to run away. Billy, we will go inside through the kitchen door. We must hurry, because Amy is a fragile child, and I don’t know how long she can resist ... Let’s arrest that bitch!”
They immediately left, Billy and Neil in Neil’s car and John and Bob in John’s car.
***
Rosary Parish Orphanage, 9:10 a.m.
The agents got silently out of their cars at the back of the orphanage, where there was a small parking lot for the suppliers’ vans. Bob went to the front door and stopped outside, while John went in.
Neil and Billy opened the kitchen door, and they saw the frightened faces of Sasha and Peter. Neil crouched down in front of them. They were intimidated because they had never seen their volleyball coach with his gun. He told them: “Peter, Sasha, first of all, thanks for calling us. Now Billy and I will go to rescue Amy, ok?”
The children nodded in a mixture of awe and fear.
Neil told them: “You have already helped us a lot, but I need you to do something else for us.” The children nodded eagerly. Neil continued: “Now go back upstairs, open the front windows and count slowly to ten. Then shout from the window, as if Robin were coming. Shout something like: ‘Hello, Robin, what are you doing here?’ We need to distract the woman, ok? But don’t come downstairs for any reason until someone comes to tell you it is safe, okay?”
Sasha and Peter nodded, and Neil gently pushed them towards the stairs. They looked back at him, and he tried to smile encouragingly, even if he knew that now came the most difficult part. He had rescued many people in his career, even children, but every time he knew that the life of a person depended on him and his skills, he couldn’t help reminding himself that no mistake was allowed. He signaled Billy. They were so used to working together, to covering each other’s back, that a glance was all they needed to know exactly what they should do.
Billy cautiously opened the door that led from the kitchen to the canteen. Beyond the next door they could see the back of Rebecca. She was holding a trembling Amy with her left arm, and she was pointing the gun at the child’s temple, using her right hand. Billy slipped silently into the room, while John was talking to the woman. Billy put a finger to his lips, because he noticed that Sister Nancy had seen him. The nun immediately turned her head towards Rebecca. Neil entered just behind the woman. At that moment, the children’s voices were heard out of the window.
“Robin, what are you doing here? Hello Robin! There is no practice this morning.” They sounded genuine and convincing. Rebecca turned towards the window and lost her grip on Amy. Neil was fast, and he grabbed Amy. He took her in his arms, and he turned the other way, so that his body was between Blain and the child.
Rebecca turned quickly and aimed the gun at the head of the Inspector, who had crouched to the floor, but Billy was very fast: he jumped on the woman, grabbed her armed hand and turned it away from his colleague. She lost her balance and fell. She shrieked in pain, and her gun fell to the floor. John came immediately and kicked the gun out of Blain’s reach. Billy mercilessly forced her to turn on the floor. He handcuffed her, and he dragged her to a chair.
Neil stood up, still holding Amy in his arms. He noticed she had locked her arms around his neck. Sister Theresa was watching, and she had noticed, too, but she didn’t say a word. Neil gently sat the girl on the sofa under the window. He noticed the child was panting, and her breathing was not regular. He crouched down in front of her, and he told her soothingly, holding her hands: “Amy, look at me.” The frightened girl locked eyes with him, and he told her: “You are out of danger, Amy. Nobody will hurt you any more, darling. Try to breathe slowly. Take a deep breath.” The girl looked at him and imitated instinctively what he was doing. He guided her through some deep breaths, in and out, and she slowly calmed down. He smiled at her and tried to warm the child’s ice-cold hands with his.
After a few moments, when he saw she was relatively calm, he told her: “Amy, would you like sister Nancy to sit here with you for a few minutes?”
To the astonishment of all the people around him - Sister Nancy, Sister Theresa, John, Bob, Billy and the children, who were starting to come timidly into the large room - Amy shook her head and stretched her arms towards Neil. Neil took off his bullet-proof vest and sat down next to the child. He tentatively put an arm around her shoulders, but she didn’t shrink away or curl up in a corner as she usually did. Instead, she rested her face on the policeman’s chest and started to cry softly.
Sister Theresa and sister Nancy could hardly hold back the tears, and Nancy said: “We have never been able to touch her, let alone embrace her. And she has never cried. This is a miracle, Neil!”
Neil didn’t move and started to caress the girl’s hair tenderly. He knew that, when you saved the life of a person, particularly a child, a bond was created between the rescuer and the rescued, but in the case of Amy…
Bob and Billy approached their boss as if they were afraid to disturb and told him in a low voice that they would take Blain to the police station in Neil’s car and alert Dan Gordon. Neil nodded and gave Bob his car keys.
John came near and told Neil: “Anna has just called the police station to say that the Lewises have gone directly to her. They are at the Trattoria. They thought maybe Robin would be there. Do you want me to tell them to go to the police station?”
Neil answered, always holding Amy in his arms: “No, if Anna doesn’t mind, I prefer talking to them at the Trattoria. I wouldn’t like them to meet Blain.” John nodded and went out of the room to call Anna.
Sister Theresa and sister Nancy told the children to go to the kitchen and went with them. They closed the door behind them, and Neil was left alone with Amy.
He gently raised her face to look at him. She had stopped crying, and she was calm now.
Neil asked her: “Amy, are you alright?”
Amy looked at him and nodded.
Neil ventured to ask her: “Why, Amy? Why are you afraid of everyone and not of me? I mean, I am glad about it, but ...”
Amy spoke slowly, as if she was trying to remember something. She said: “I saw you on TV last Christmas.” Then she added with a terrified expression: “They want to kill you!”
“Who wants to kill me, Amy?” He was trying hard to sound calm and to conceal his emotions.
“My father ... He said … He spoke to the woman who lived with him…” She stopped and shook her head… “I don’t remember, I can’t remember…” Her memories were evidently confused and blurred.
Neil took out his mobile phone, and he scrolled through his photos. He showed Amy the photo of a smiling girl with green eyes, exactly the same color as Amy’s.
“Was this the woman who lived with your father? Was she your mum?”
She shook her head and said sadly, locking eyes with the handsome Inspector: “I don’t remember her. I can’t recall her face. She was not my mum, she never told me she was my mum… I don’t think I have a mum! That woman was always sick and looking for money. I don’t remember anything else ...”
Neil put away his mobile phone and held the girl in his arms for a few moments, then he told her: “Amy, if you like, I can come to see you every day...” Amy nodded and said: “Please, Neil!”
“But you have to promise that you will always stay with the other children, that you won’t sit alone again.” Amy nodded solemnly. Neil went on: “And if you need to talk to me, you must tell the sisters, ok? It doesn’t matter what time it is, especially if you remember something. Promise me, Amy!”
Amy nodded again, and she said softly: “Don’t let them hurt you… They are bad people…” She was really frightened. Neil caressed her cheeks and told her: “Don’t worry, Amy, they will not hurt you anymore, and they will not hurt me…” The Inspector slowly helped her to stand up from the sofa and took her hand. He led her to the kitchen. The children were washing the breakfast bowls and plates. They stopped what they were doing and looked at their little friend with a mixture of curiosity and worry. Amy took a towel without a word, and she started to dry the dishes.
Neil said: “Peter, Sasha, Jim, come here, please.” The three children came nearer. John was entering, and he approached the group.
Neil told the boys: “You have been simply amazing today. Sister Theresa, sister Nancy, if it hadn’t been for them, things wouldn’t have been so easy, and I really don’t know what would have happened. Thank you, guys.” The sisters embraced the three little heroes affectionately, and the three boys swelled with pride. Neil added, turning to all the children in the room: “See you this afternoon, guys...”
He motioned the sisters to follow him to the other room, and, when the door to the kitchen was closed, he told them: “Nancy, Theresa, from the few words Amy said, I understand she doesn’t remember much from her past, but she is still scared about something or someone.” He didn’t tell them exactly what the girl had said. He handed a card with his phone number to Theresa, and he said: “Please, since the girl seems to trust me, I will try to come every day to stay with her and talk to her…If she asks to talk to me, call me immediately. Day or night, my phone is always within reach.”
Theresa nodded. Both she and Nancy were still a little shaken by the events of the morning and by Amy’s reaction.
John told Neil: “The Lewises are waiting for us at Anna’s. Dan Gordon has left Fredericton and will arrive here in little more than an hour. He told me he will wait for you before starting to interrogate Blain. Then they will take her to Fredericton prison.”
Neil nodded. He was still emotional. He knew he had to shake off the image of Amy snuggling up against him if he wanted to focus on his investigation. Amy hadn’t recognized the girl in the photos, but Neil’s heart told him that the little girl was related to that woman and …. To him!
***
While they were driving to Anna’s, John noticed that Neil looked constantly out of the window. At first, he didn’t dare disturb him, but then he asked,
“Neil, are you alright?”
Neil turned slowly to his colleague and answered: “Yes, John. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. But I was surprised by Amy’s reaction. In my career, I have rescued a few children, but I generally entrusted them immediately to their parents. I can’t shake off the image of Amy stretching her arms towards me. Why me, John?” He didn’t say what the girl had told him.
John smiled and answered: “You are calm and soothing. I think that maybe in her past she lacked a comforting, fatherly figure. And then you saved her life, putting yours to risk. Amy is an intelligent and sensitive child. I think she implicitly feels she can trust you.” In the meantime, they had stopped the car. John went on: “Neil, I have known you just for a few weeks, but I think you are really a remarkable person: you are generous, considerate. I would never have thought of taking Robin to my home, but you didn’t hesitate. Now I can see why your agents respect you so much.”
Neil smiled and said: “And you are a trustworthy colleague. I think we will work well together.”
***
Rosary, Anna’s Trattoria , 10:30 a.m.
Before going into the Trattoria, Neil called David and told him to drive Robin to Anna’s, but to wait for a text from him before taking him inside. He wanted to talk to Robin’s parents before they met their child.
John preceded him into the cozy dining room. Anna and Silvia were sitting next to the Lewises, but they approached the two policemen. Silvia said: “Is Amy safe?”
Neil nodded and answered: “Thank God she is safe, and she is relatively calm now.”
He turned to the Lewises and went to sit in front of them, while John remained standing next to Steve, who was behind the couple. Silvia and Anna went to sit discreetly at a certain distance.
Dana and Nolan were completely different from what they had appeared when Neil had interrogated them. Neil looked at them for a minute. He tried to collect his thoughts because what he had to tell them would not be easy to accept. He silently prayed he would find the right words.
He asked Steve: “Have you put Mr. and Mrs. Lewis up to date with the developments?”
Steve nodded and answered: “Yes, Neil. I told them about the change of identity, about the fact that the real name of the woman is Rebecca Blain, about her arrest and Mrs. Craig’s change of testimony. Mr. Lewis stated he didn’t know anything about Blain’s past life, and he knew her only under the name of Barbara Davies. He will let us have all the documents for the marriage and everything that belonged to Blain, and that is still in his home. ”
Neil asked: “Did you tell them about the bracelet?”
“No, I thought you wanted to tell them personally, since it is connected to Robin.”
Neil nodded and turned to the Lewises.
“Mr. Lewis, you know the main facts concerning your second wife. We have reason to believe that she has an accomplice in Fredericton, a certain Alfred Sawyer, who was arrested last Wednesday for the attack on Alison Stevens. We think that Father Luca put Alison Stevens in contact with your mother, without knowing that Alison was the only person who could identify Rebecca Blain, as the fake physiotherapist who had introduced herself into the home of Alison’s mother, before she was killed by a thief.”
Nolan Lewis looked at Anna and said, startled: “But then, Father Luca ...”
Anna slowly nodded, and Mr. Lewis told her in a whisper: “I am so sorry, Mrs. Venturi.” He really looked troubled and uneasy. His countenance was far from the arrogance of just a few days before. Neil wondered what had happened to change his attitude so much, apart from the fact that he had just discovered he had married a criminal.
He went on: “Now let’s concentrate on Robin’s role in this thing.”
Dana had not raised her eyes until now. When she heard Neil mention Robin, she slowly turned to look out of the window, but Neil noticed her eyes were swollen from crying.
He started: “When he found his grandmother dead, he saw on the floor a stone belonging to a bracelet. He remembered that you, Mrs. Morgan, wore that bracelet when you lived here, and he hid the stone, because he didn’t want us to suspect his mother of the murder.” He looked at Dana, who was now staring at him with wide eyes. She was going to say something, but then she stopped.
Neil insisted: “Mrs. Morgan, since Mrs. Lewis’s death, your son has tried to protect you, even doing a thing that he knew was wrong. Yesterday evening, with the help of Mrs. Venturi, I convinced him to tell the truth. He was afraid of having done a terrible thing and of having lost my trust, because he had hidden evidence.” Anna smiled and nodded.
“I think, however, that a nine-year-old child needs a father and a mother or an adult to talk to in times of doubt. If you had answered the phone, Mrs. Morgan... If you had found time to listen to him, Mr. Lewis ...” Neil had been afraid of their reaction, but now, they were in front of him with the air of a child who knows that punishment is awaiting him. So, Neil went on, because he wanted to put them in front of their responsibilities. “If you had listened to your child, he would have known earlier that Rebecca Blain used that bracelet, that his mum was not involved. It would have been easier for us to investigate, and he wouldn’t have spent nights wondering what he should do and maybe… maybe little Amy could have been spared the terrible moments she has just experienced ... Sir, Madam, what happened last Tuesday night was really serious. Robin was left alone most of the night. This is illegal and dangerous. Yesterday Robin admitted, even if he didn’t want to, that he has been left alone several times.” Even if what he was saying was more and more accusing and direct, Neil’s voice remained calm. Dana’s eyes filled with tears, and she started sobbing.
Neil went on pitilessly: “I should contact the social services and signal your behavior ...” He looked at them and didn’t finish the sentence because he wanted to hear what they had to say.
Mr. Lewis cleared his throat uneasily and started to talk tentatively.
“Inspector McKinley, if you had said something wrong or far from the truth, I wouldn’t have let you finish, but every single word you said is true. You have every right to call the social services. But please, let me try to explain.”
Neil nodded and waited for the notary to go on.
“I don’t know exactly when Dana and I started to lose our way. When we got married, we were really in love. We wanted a child, and we were glad when Robin was born. Then Dana started to show signs of depression, and she came to me for help.” Anna and Silvia exchanged a startled glance, but they didn’t say anything. Notary Lewis went on: “At first, I underestimated her symptoms, then I got impatient and intolerant with her. What was even worse, I unconsciously put the blame on the child, because Dana’s problems had started after his birth. We slowly drifted apart, and I started to look for new relationships. I grew restless in my job, too, because I noticed that I was not as my father had been, and maybe I felt inadequate. So, what I did was to lose the woman I love and to risk losing the job my father had left me. My sister didn’t help me, because she is a vain woman, always in search of new partners and new adventures. Dana went to a clinic to cure her depression. I am ashamed to say that I never went to visit her. I talked to my mum about Dana’s problems and her admission to the clinic. My mother begged me not to abandon her, to support her! The judge gave me custody of Robin because at that time, Dana wasn’t able to take care of him. I asked for my mum’s help with the child and she always took care of him. I even agreed to give Dana a sum every month for her treatments, because I only wanted to be free. Barbara, or Rebecca, found it easy to conquer me. She never complained if I stayed out late, she never asked me for too much attention. She was the ideal wife for a person like me.
Last Wednesday, Barbara insisted on the fact that Dana had killed my mother. She said something ... At first I didn’t notice that in her effort to convince me, she mentioned some details that only the killer could know.” Neil was listening with interest. “She spoke about my mum’s terrified look, about her eyes.” Neil and Anna exchanged a glance because Barbara had used more or less the same words outside the church while talking to Anna. Nolan went on: “At that moment, my instinctive reaction was to defend Dana. Barbara immediately stopped, but there was something in her demeanor that had changed. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and I could see a different woman from the one I had so hastily married. I went to St. John yesterday, but I didn’t go to the conference. I went to look for Dana. She was desperate, because Mike had told her he had never cared for her. We talked all day, and we started to see things more clearly. I know, Inspector, you have a duty, and we behaved irresponsibly many times towards our son, but ...” His eyes were pleading now, and his voice was choked by emotion. Anna and Silvia exchanged a meaningful glance, because they had never seen the notary this way. “Please, Inspector, give us a chance ... Please give us the chance to try to rebuild Robin’s trust and confidence in us.”
Dana looked at the Inspector, and she said with a trembling voice: “Nobody here in Rosary knew anything about my depression. I concealed my condition even from my mother-in-law… When I entered that clinic four years ago, the doctors declared that at that moment I was unfit to raise a child, and I left Robin with Nolan. Then, when I came out of the hospital, I was afraid nobody would trust me anymore. I tried to start a new life in St. John, and I really thought Doctor Stone loved me because he was very kind and caring. Then I realized he didn’t really care for me, and I started to feel depressed and lonely again. The last two weeks were a nightmare for me, believe me.” she looked around at the people listening to her. “I thought I was falling back into the abyss of depression. I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want Robin to see me in that condition … I know this is not a justification for my actions and for neglecting my son, but … I called Nolan, and he agreed to meet me and to talk about my problems, also because he said he was starting to see Barbara differently.” When she stopped talking, tears were running down her cheeks. In an anguished voice, she pleaded: “Please, inspector, give us a chance to show Robin that we love him. If you call the social services, I am afraid they will take my child away from me, considering my past health problems…”
Neil waited for a few moments before answering. “Mr. Lewis, the fact is that Robin, in spite of all, has never lost his trust in you. After all the promises you have broken, Mrs. Morgan, last night when you called him, he was the happiest child in the world. All his worries vanished. Believe me, a child is a gift from God. On the other hand, no one knows this better than I do, having a family is a gift not every child has.” The reference to his being an orphan was obvious, and Anna felt tears coming to her eyes. Neil went on: “You are lucky parents because you have a sweet child. I have seen many children become restless because they felt rejected. Don’t destroy the trust he has in you, please ...”
He took out his mobile and typed a quick text. After a few moments, there was a knock on the door of the Trattoria. Robin came in, followed by David. He saw his parents, he stopped, then he went towards Neil. Seeing his mum so distraught reminded him of the times he had seen her in her bedroom crying, just before she separated from his father.
Neil put a hand around his shoulders and said: “Robin, your parents are here, and they want to talk to you.” Robin was watching him with a worried face. Dana looked at her child and said: “Robin, I know… We know that we have not been good parents for you. I know that I have broken or forgotten my promises too often. But we love you, and we want to try to make things right, Robin...” She couldn’t go on because she had a lump in her throat. Robin looked at Neil questioningly, and the policeman told him: “Robin, it’s up to you. I know, and you know as well that they have failed their promises more than once, but … Will you give them another possibility?” Neil knew it was a rhetorical question, because Robin’s answer was predictable, but he wanted to put a little more pressure on his parents.
Robin looked at him, then he turned to his parents. He locked eyes with Neil and said: “Why are they crying? Are they really afraid that I don’t love them?”
Neil couldn’t help but smile but he didn’t answer, and Robin said, looking at his mum and dad: “Of course I want to give you another possibility. I love you, and I know you love me...”
Neil pushed him gently towards his parents, and he whispered in his ear: “They need a big hug now...” The little boy didn’t need further encouragement. He went to embrace his mum and dad.
Neil told Steve and David: “Please, read the report on the bracelet to them and read the transcript of anything Mr. Lewis has told you about his relationship with Blain. They can sign everything digitally on your tablet so that they don’t have to come to the police station, at least for now.”
His mobile phone vibrated in his pocket. He answered. He listened to what Billy was telling him, and he stood up. Silvia was asking the Lewises and the policemen if they wanted a cup of coffee.
She looked at him, he smiled and said: “I would like to remain for a coffee. God knows how much I need it, but I have to go, because we must question Blain, before she is taken to Fredericton ...” He looked at Anna and said: “I’ll have to take a raincheck.”
The Lewises stood up to thank the inspector, and Neil left, followed by John.
***
Rosary Police Station, 12:00 pm
Dan Gordon was sitting in front of Rebecca Blain in the interrogation room. Billy Nigel and Bob Mallon were standing behind her. A public defender was sitting next to Blain, and he was examining the reports Bob Mallon had given him. Rebecca Blain had an arrogant face, the face of a person who knows that, apart maybe from the murder of Stacey Lewis, the police didn’t have anything to link her to the other murders. Even if they could prove she was the woman who went to Alison Stevens’ mother before she was killed, it didn’t mean anything.
Neil and John arrived, and Neil went to sit in a corner, apparently leaving the questioning to his colleagues.
Dan looked at him for a moment, and Neil smiled encouragingly.
Dan started to ask: “You are Rebecca Blain, but you took the identity of Barbara Davies. Can you explain when and why you changed your identity?”
“Oh, I didn’t know anything about that woman. I found her bag with her documents by the side of the road, and her car at the bottom of a slope. I changed her documents with mine and ... That’s all!”
“Why did you need a new identity?”
“Oh, and you ask? Haven’t you investigated my past? After I was released from prison, I had difficulty finding a job and ... do you think Notary Lewis would have married me if I had told him I was Rebecca Blain, arrested for an attempted murder?”
Neil was listening attentively, and he noticed she didn’t mention her grandmother. That was her weak spot. He decided to let Dan go on and see where his questions would lead ...
“And why did you kill Stacey Lewis?”
“Who told you I did?”
“Mrs. Craig has retracted her testimony. She told us you were not with her the entire afternoon.”
“And what is that supposed to mean? Did she tell you I lied to cover her meetings with her lover? She was the one who used me, not the other way around.”
Neil was getting nervous. That woman was too self-confident and, to tell the truth, they didn’t have much.
Dan went on: “We have another piece of evidence, Mrs. Blain.”
Billy put the plastic bag containing the bracelet on the table. The contents of the bag were not visible from outside. She had a moment of confusion, but she soon recovered her composure.
“I could have lost that stone at any moment. I frequently went to my mother-in-law’s room.” Neil stood up and moved his chair near Dan. Now she had done her first false move.
Neil looked at her with a hard look. His blue eyes, usually expressive and kind, were penetrating and sharp. John, who had known him for a relatively short time, noticed the change and waited.
After a few moments, Neil asked: “Mrs. Blain, how do you know we found a stone and where we found it? Agent Nigel didn’t show you what is inside the plastic packet.”
She was taken aback by the calm tone, which at the same time seemed menacing.
She looked sideways at the lawyer, who was taking notes. He just looked at her and didn’t say anything.
She said: “Two or three days ago, I saw that a stone was missing from my bracelet and...”
Neil changed the subject, trying to take advantage of her lack of confidence, which could be only momentary.
He asked sharply: “Let’s talk about your grandmother!”
Rebecca’s face became a mask of fury. She turned red, and it was evident that she had difficulty keeping her rage in check.
She said: “What has my grandmother got to do with this thing?”
Neil replied calmly: “I think it has a lot to do, because it was the beginning of your hatred for old women. Am I wrong?” While he was talking, he kept looking at her with cold eyes.
Now, that policeman was starting to confuse her, to mess things up. ‘No, Rebecca,’ she told herself, ‘Don’t fall into the trap!’ But her confidence was gone, and, most of all, she had lost her self-control.
“What are you trying to say?” She asked desperately, trying to buy time.
“Mrs. Blain, everybody knows I have never had parents, let alone grandparents. I would like to understand what she did to you, what terrible things she did to deserve an attack. I just want to understand, Rebecca…”
“WHAT - SHE - DID?” She realized she had raised her voice. Now she knew that blue-eyed policeman had won, but she couldn’t stop. “She never cared for me. She always told me I was a good-for-nothing, she ordered me what to do and what not to do. And then? Did she try to understand me? Did she try to understand my feelings? No, she just sent me to a boarding school. And she had a lot of money! She never gave me a cent to buy sweets or a new dress ... Those old women ... They have a lot of money and ... Where will that money go? To some distant relative who comes up when they are dead. Oh, but you can deceive them, because they think they are intelligent, but they are not ...”
The public defender put a hand on her arm, trying to prevent her from saying anything more, but she didn’t care. John and Dan exchanged a look and waited.
Neil pressed her: “So what did those women deserve? To die? To be deceived and robbed? What, Mrs. Blain?”
“Oh, I just deceived them… I made them believe I could take care of their back ache, or sore legs, or their arthritis... But I didn’t kill them.”
“Look here.” He put on the table, one next to the other, four pictures of elderly women. “Are these the women you were so smart as to deceive?”
She smirked, and she answered: “Oh, they were so convinced I was a wonderful physiotherapist. Especially the last one ...” she added, pointing at the photo of Francine Stevens.
Neil showed her the photo of Alfred Sawyer. He asked her: “Do you know this man? He says that he doesn’t know you.”
She looked at the picture as if she were talking to it: “Oh, no, you can’t get out of it. You ...” she turned to Neil and said: “He was the one who stole the jewels and the money and killed them ... If it hadn’t been for the daughter of this one.” Once again, she pointed at the picture of Francine.
Neil told her calmly: “And Mrs. Lewis? You killed her, didn’t you? There were traces of Mrs. Lewis’s skin on the bracelet, you know?”
Rebecca looked at him with a scornful expression and said: “What did I have to do? Wait for her to meet Alison Stevens? I had tried with poison, but it didn’t work…” Her voice trailed off because she saw the exasperated look on the face of her solicitor. That tall handsome policeman had definitely won…
Neil looked at her and slammed his fist on the table. He stood up and leaned towards the woman. She raised her eyes to meet his, and he said: “Don’t forget, Blain, that you have not only killed Mrs. Lewis and been an accomplice to the murder of four women and Father Luca Venturi. What’s more, this morning, you introduced yourself into an orphanage, and you menaced a nine-year-old child with a gun. I will do everything I can to make this have weight in my report, I promise… What had that poor orphan child done to you to be threatened with a gun? Didn’t you realize she was trembling with fear?”
He sat down. The public defender collected all his papers and prepared to leave. There was nothing he could do, since Blain had confessed. Billy Nigel forced her to stand up. He and Bob led her to the prison van, which was waiting outside the police station.
When John, Dan and Neil were alone in the room, Dan turned to Neil and said: “I had heard something about your skills in the interrogation room, but ... Congratulations.”
Neil smiled and said: “In my career as a policeman, I have seen that everyone has a weak spot. But, in reality, she looked so self-confident I didn’t think she would fall into my trap. Dan, I will let you have my report next Monday.”
Dan stood up, he shook hands with John and Neil, and he left immediately.
John turned to Neil and asked: “How many sides of Neil McKinley do I still have to discover? You are sweet and tender to children, stern with parents, hard on criminals… And then?”
Neil wanted to add: ‘And rude to mothers’, thinking of his behavior to Anna, but he just smiled and replied: “The fact is that I love children, I don’t have a great experience with parents, and I can’t stand criminals who kill defenseless old women and threaten children with a gun.” They started to laugh, the first moment of relaxation since the morning, and they left the room.
While John was leaving to go home, he saw Steve and David arrive at the police station carrying an enormous packet. They grinned at him and said: “If you want to stop for lunch, we have Anna’s lasagne and a cake…”
Neil and Billy smiled and took the packet from the hands of David. John said: “Thanks, but I am going to have lunch with my wife. Saturday is the only time we can have lunch together with Alan and Lisa…”
Neil and the other agents went into the police station to have their lunch together, and John left…
***
Rosary, the parish orphanage, 5:00 pm
The children approached Billy and Bob shyly, while Neil was shaking hands with all the people who wanted to meet him personally.
Peter, who was decidedly less timid, said:
“Thanks for being our referees.”
Bob smiled:
“It was a pleasure, and … congratulations, you are a very good team!”
Billy looked around and commented:
“Wow! What a wonderful gym! In my orphanage it was not so modern and equipped!”
The young athletes looked at him with wide eyes.
“Billy, are you an orphan, too?” asked Sasha.
“Yes, I grew up in the same orphanage as Neil, even if I arrived a few years later than him…”
“And did you play volleyball with Neil?” asked Alan. Bob and Billy were really nice, and the children had overcome their shyness.
“To tell you the truth, my team was the first Neil trained.”
“Wow!” commented Mario, “And did you win a medal?”
“In all modesty”, Billy winked jokingly at the children, “we were the best and we won two tournaments.”
“And you, Bob?” Jim asked, “you have got a family, haven’t you?”
Bob started to laugh and answered; “Don’t worry. I have got a mother and a sister, who live in Ottawa.”
Billy saw that Amy was sitting between Giulia and Lily on the bench and she didn’t take her eyes off Neil, as if she were afraid he would run away.
He crouched in front of her and said gently:
“Hi, Amy, are you ok?”
Amy looked at him and nodded.
“Would you like me to call Neil?”
The child shook her head, always looking at the inspector who was talking to some people. Neil approached the group of children and his colleagues.
He saw Amy, and he crouched down in front of her.
“Hi, Amy!”
Amy looked at him, and, even if she didn’t smile, it was evident that she liked the policeman’s presence.
“Can I sit down next to you?”
Amy nodded, and Giulia moved immediately to make room for Neil. He sat down next to Amy, and he stretched his long legs in front of him. The child put a hand on his leg and he took it in his hands.
Mr and Mrs Lewis approached the inspector timidly, together with a beaming Robin.
“We wanted to thank you once again, inspector, for what you have done for our son and for your understanding.” The notary said. Their behavior had definitely changed.
Before Neil could answer, Nolan Lewis crouched down in front of Amy and said gently: “How are you, Amy? I am sorry for what happened this morning! ” Amy looked at him for just a moment and whispered: “I am ok, thanks.”
Dana said:
“Inspector, I know that you were wounded in a gunfight, and I have seen you still have a slight limp.”
Neil smiled: “Yes, my leg is better, but, sometimes, I still need to stretch it because it hurts.”
“I don’t want to impose, but I was a physiotherapist and I would like to resume the activity I left when I got married. When it is convenient for you, I could have a look.”
Neil answered immediately:
“I was thinking of looking for a therapist here, because in Vancouver I benefited from massages. I will contact you in a few days … Thanks!”
“It’s the least I can do!”
Robin added, with his voice choked by emotion:
“I will never forget the evening I spent with you, Neil. Thanks!”
***
Rosary, Neil McKinley’s home, 9:00 p.m.
Neil was sitting on his sofa and drinking a beer. He was thinking back of the night before, when he had been sitting on the same sofa with Robin. If it hadn’t been for his apprehension, it would have been a pleasant night, because the boy was polite and sweet. Neil would have liked so much to have children, to give them the family he had never had ... He reflected that in just twenty-four hours so many things had happened: the most important was the arrest of Blain and her confession. It was good to know that the families of those old women could learn the truth.
His thoughts kept going back to Amy, to his short conversation with her, and to his promise to go to her every day. He could still feel her head resting on his chest, her arms around his neck. He knew Amy was still in danger. She had run away from the people who threatened and beat her and, as long as she didn’t remember anything, she was not a menace to those criminals, but … What if she suddenly remembered? What would she remember? He decided to stay close to her and protect her. And who wanted to kill him? And what part did the girl in the photos on his mobile phone have? Billy had just told him that he had noticed the green eyes of the girl too. He knew that girl in the photos as well, there was even a photo of the three of them together. He had told Billy about his conversation with Amy. Billy had promised not to tell anyone but he had looked worried about the threats against Neil…
The volleyball practice in the afternoon had been a great success. He had met the children’s parents, and he had felt part of this community. Billy and Bob had been perfect referees, strict to the right point, but also nice and funny. The children liked them, and, when Billy had told them he was an orphan like Neil, the little orphans had immediately bonded with him.
Anna ... she was always kind to him but she was detached now, as if she were not sure of what she should do. He had to talk to her, and he had to do it soon. On Saturday night the Trattoria was open. He thought that the following evening would be perfect, but ... Would he find the courage to tell her something he had never told anyone? He had to find a way, he wanted Anna to know, he needed her affection…
His mobile phone rang. He didn’t recognize the caller ID, and he answered: “McKinley”
A kind voice said: “Hello, I am sister Frances from the Fredericton Orphanage. Do you remember me, Inspector?”
Neil replied: “Hello, Sister. I am sorry but I haven’t had time to think of your proposal.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I am calling because I have finally remembered something that happened when Amy was staying at our orphanage.”
Neil sat straight and put down the beer bottle.
“I have been trying to remember because I knew that something had happened, even if at that time I had not given it too much weight. It was the period of Christmas, and we generally have some moments of celebration for the children ...”
Neil still remembered Christmas time in the orphanage. All the volunteers did their best to create a cozy atmosphere for the children, but it was sad all the same.
Sister Frances went on: “I remember that there was a volunteer, a man, who started to come a couple of months after Amy was admitted to the orphanage, a little before Christmas time. He always tried to talk to her, even if she didn’t answer. One day I called him to my office, and I told him to leave her alone, because I had seen she was frightened. He said he had noticed she was always by herself, and he wanted to keep her company. After a few days that man disappeared. I asked Amy if she knew him, but she shook her head.”
Neil bent forward, and he rested his elbows on his knees. He asked eagerly: “Do you remember his name? Have you got a record of the volunteers?”
“I am sorry, we usually know every volunteer, but at Christmas time we need more help. I will look through the photos. Maybe if I see him in a picture ... Now I don’t even remember his face.”
Neil said: “Please, when you have time, look at those photos and call me if you find something useful…”
“Of course. I hope you will think of my little project, Inspector.”
“Yes, I will. I have been here for just a few weeks. Thank you for calling me, Sister ... Good night.”
“Good night.”
Now Neil knew that someone had checked on Amy, or maybe someone was checking on her now. He had to protect her.
ns216.73.216.64da2
and then Add to home screen.