Текст книги "Bonnie"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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“Good, then there’s a chance that Danner bonded with him,” Eve said. “Did you get an address?”

“No, she hasn’t heard from him in several years.” He paused. “According to her, the reason he quit was that he was suffering severe burnout. He was going to take a rest before he opened his own practice.”

“Where did he go? Can we trace him?”

“We can try. He was going to visit a cousin, James O’Leary, who lived in Ireland.”

“Ireland? What city?”

“Dublin. The cousin might know something. I’ve already placed a few calls, and Catherine is having Venable do some checking. We should know soon.” He paused. “Are you okay, Eve?”

“Fine. Confused, a little scared. But I’ll get through it.”

“You always do.” He didn’t speak again for a moment. “I don’t like the way this is playing out. I want to come to you.”

“Not yet.” She wanted to see him, too. It didn’t seem right that she wasn’t working beside him toward finding Bonnie. Yet it had been her choice, and she had to stick with it. But it was damn difficult.

“There’s no reason,” Joe said roughly. “Tell Gallo that we’re going to find his uncle no matter what he does. I’m not going to let him find him first, so that he can decide whether or not he wants to keep him away from us. Danner is a prime suspect, and there’s not going to be a cover-up.”

“You know I wouldn’t let that happen.” She was watching Gallo’s face. All the torment and uncertainty had faded, and his face was hard and without expression. What was he thinking? Whatever it was, she had to find out. “I have to go, Joe. Let me know what you learn from Donnelly’s cousin.”

“Eve, I mean it. I don’t trust Gallo, and you shouldn’t either. I need to be there with you.”

“You will be. I love you.” She hung up the phone. She studied Gallo for a moment. He had closed himself away from her, and she wasn’t sure how to reach him. “Joe seems to have hopes of a breakthrough if he finds out where Donnelly is right now. Do you think that your uncle would have confided in this psychiatrist?”

“How can I be sure?” Gallo shrugged. “The man you tell me he’s become isn’t the Ted Danner I know. You’re looking at this with an objectivity that I don’t possess.”

“Objectivity?” She shook her head. “What the hell do you mean? This is about Bonnie. There’s no way I could ever be objective about Bonnie’s murderer.”

“Listen to you, you’ve already convicted him,” he said fiercely. “You’re wrong. He wouldn’t have killed a child.”

“I hope not, for your sake.” She glanced away from him. “But we have to figure out a few things before we can even delve into what he’d do or not do. How did he make a connection with Jacobs and Queen? Did you write to him and tell him that you’d been contacted by them to go into North Korea on a special mission?”

“No. As you know, Jacobs and Queen were in Army Intelligence, and they told me it was top secret.” His lips twisted. “I had no idea what a dirty secret it was going to turn out to be. Drugs and smuggling instead of saving the world from nuclear proliferation. I was a fool.”

“How could you know Jacobs and Queen were criminals? They deceived the Army for years.” She went back to the main subject. “If you didn’t tell him about Jacobs, how did he find out about them?”

“I don’t know. My uncle was sharp. He’d been a Ranger for years, and he had contacts with all kinds of brass in different departments of the Army. People liked him, trusted him. Maybe he found out that Jacobs and Queen sent me on that mission.”

“And that would make him angry. He was very protective of you, wasn’t he?”

“Of course he was,” Gallo said curtly. “He got used to trying to keep me safe from my dad. But that doesn’t mean he’d go after a superior officer just for sending me on a dangerous mission. Why would he? He knew being a Ranger was risky. When I told him I wanted to join the service, he tried to talk me out of it.”

“But you wanted to follow in his footsteps. He must have felt terribly responsible when he thought you’d been killed on your first mission.”

“And you’re saying that sent him off his rocker?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe not. I remember when Danner told me that you’d been killed, he was very bitter against the Army and anyone else who might have been guilty of contributing to sending you to your death. So he might not have been as philosophical as you think about accepting the risks of your being a Ranger.”

Gallo was shaking his head.

Lord, he was stubborn. But how could she blame him when she was forcing him to look at his uncle in a completely different way than he ever had before. Tough. “It’s true. He loved you, and he was bitter. That’s all I know. I thought it was perfectly natural. I had no idea he had a mental problem.” She had a sudden chilling memory of Danner smiling down at Bonnie and telling Eve that her daughter looked like Gallo. She had not looked any deeper than the obvious in any of Danner’s actions. She had felt sorry for him. But had there been something ugly and twisted of which she hadn’t been aware in that contact with Bonnie? “All we’re doing is guessing. We have to get Donnelly’s records of his therapy sessions with Danner.”

“And we have to find Donnelly before we can do that.” He turned away. “And I’m not going to wait around for Quinn or Venable to locate this cousin in Dublin. I’m going to start making phone calls myself.”

“Because you want to be two steps ahead of them?”

He gave her a cool glance. “Does that surprise you?”

“No, right now for you it’s all about getting to Ted Danner before any of the rest of us do. But it’s not going to happen. I’m sticking with you all the way. I’m not letting you out of my sight, John.”

“Really?” He tilted his head. “You’re still so sure that Bonnie wants us to be together?”

“Yes.” She met his eyes. “I thought it was because she knew you were in pain and needed to be here when we found out what happened to her.”

His smile was twisted. “And you don’t feel like that any longer?”

“Another reason occurred to me. Perhaps she wanted me to be with you to make sure that everything went as it was supposed to go. That you didn’t try to stop me from finding Bonnie and the man who killed her.”

“You believe I’d do that?”

She couldn’t read his expression. There was hardness in the curve of his lips, and his dark eyes were glittering with a hint of recklessness. Yet she was still aware of the underlying pain that lay beneath that hardness. In which direction was he headed? Eve knew that he loved Bonnie. But he also loved his uncle and was very grateful to him for years of protection and affection in a barren world. “I don’t know what I believe right now. But I’m not going to take a chance. We’re joined at the hip until we find your uncle.” She smiled wearily. “So you can call information in Dublin and see if we can locate Donnelly’s cousin if you like. Do you know how many O’Learys there will be in that city? I’m going to call Catherine back and see if Venable or Joe can narrow down the odds. We’ll see which method will get us what we need the quickest.”

*   *   *

IT TOOK OVER AN HOUR for Catherine to get back to Eve about O’Leary’s phone and address.

“I found him,” Catherine said. “O’Leary owns a pub outside Dublin.”

“What’s his phone number?”

Catherine rattled off the number. “But you don’t need it. I talked to him. He was belligerent as hell and drunk as a skunk, but he did finally answer a few questions. He hasn’t seen Donnelly since he visited him after he left the hospital. He stayed with O’Leary for about three months, then went back to the U.S.”

“Does he have an address?”

“Not a current one. He hasn’t heard from him since about a year after he left Dublin. It appears they didn’t get along too well. O’Leary likes his pints a bit too much, and his cousin was always trying to make him cut down his drinking. Actually, from what Venable tells me, O’Leary is an alcoholic. I can see a psychiatrist trying to help him with his problem, but O’Leary didn’t appreciate Donnelly’s interfering in his life.”

“Where was Donnelly’s last address?”

“A university town near Valdosta, Georgia.”

“What? He’s not practicing any longer? He’s teaching?”

“He wasn’t on the staff as far as we can tell. Joe and I are going down there to ask some questions. Do you want to meet us there?”

Gallo was shaking his head.

“Maybe not,” Eve said. “We’re in the car on our way to the airport to catch a flight for Atlanta. And I imagine Gallo wants to talk to O’Leary himself. Let us know what you find out.” She hung up, and said to Gallo, “Though I don’t know what you think that you can find out from O’Leary that Catherine didn’t.”

“Probably nothing. But there’s no use all of us converging on that university town. I’m my uncle’s next of kin, and maybe the hospital would tell me something they wouldn’t tell Catherine and Quinn.”

“And you don’t want to get too close to Joe or Catherine,” Eve said shrewdly. “They might get in your way.”

“Very perceptive. I don’t deny that could be part of it.” He gazed at Eve. “When we get to the airport, I’m going to try to call O’Leary and see if I can catch something that Catherine didn’t find out. She said he was drunk. But after I make that call, I’m boarding the first flight to Atlanta.” He paused. “But you might prefer to catch a flight to Valdosta to meet Catherine and Quinn. You might find it more profitable.”

“Forget it,” Eve said grimly. “I’m not leaving you, John.”

“I was afraid that would be your answer.” He looked back at the highway, and said soberly, “I hope you won’t regret it, Eve.”

She hoped she wouldn’t either, she thought. She didn’t know whether staying with Gallo would translate into protecting him or battling with him. She didn’t want to do either. She wanted to be with Joe at this crucial time.

Stay the course. Every instinct was still telling her that she had to travel this path.

But why, Bonnie?

*   *   *

“ WHY, BONNIE?”

Bonnie lifted her head as Eve’s words swept to her like a wind through autumn leaves.

So much pain. So much bewilderment.

She couldn’t always hear her mother when she spoke to her when Bonnie was here on this plane. As she’d told Eve, it was like being in two different worlds with different rules and memories. She was not allowed to take this world with her. The balance was difficult, and letting her go back from here to Eve’s world was a trade-off. It was usually only when Eve needed her most that she could break through the barrier and be there for her.

Why?

I wish I could tell you, Mama. I don’t know myself. I’m feeling my way and hoping that everything will come together. I have to have faith that it will. I don’t even know why it couldn’t have happened before. I wanted all the hurt to go away for you, and it hurt me that it didn’t. But there’s that wonderful order here that I have to trust.

As Bonnie was doing this moment in the middle of this forest that teemed with life … and death.

She fell to her knees beside the injured doe that was soon going to pass to the other side.

She could see the deer’s heart beating frantically with fear. Fear was always the most terrible part of the passing.

Don’t be afraid. I’m here with you. She gently put her hand on the deer’s head. I’ll show you. See? You’ll be safe soon, and there will be nothing but the joy. Do you see it?

The doe was quieting and looking up at her with eyes that no longer held the fear, only the wonder.

Trust. Love. It’s all there waiting for you. It’s only the beginning. Do you see it?

Wonder was being replaced by the joy in the deer’s eyes.

And Bonnie knew she was beginning to see it.

*   *   *

“WHY ARE YOU PHONING ME? Why the hell are you bothering me?” James O’Leary’s voice was rough with irritation and slightly thick from the alcohol he’d obviously been imbibing. “I’ve already talked to that nosy Ling woman. She wouldn’t leave me alone. I told her I didn’t have time to talk to her. I have a business to run. Now you come asking me the same questions.”

“Because I’m not satisfied that she got the right answers,” Gallo said.

O’Leary muttered a curse. “I’m hanging up now.”

“And I’ll call you back. If you don’t answer, then I’ll get on a plane and be knocking on the door of your pub within a matter of hours. I won’t give up, O’Leary. And I’m much more difficult to deal with in person. It would be much smarter if you give me a few moments right now.”

Silence. “What the hell did Kevin do to you all?”

“Nothing that would get him in trouble with the authorities. We just need some information from him that he may have obtained from one of his patients.”

“Then he won’t tell you anything. I used to ask him to tell me if those nuts he talked to had any weird stories that would give us a chuckle. He’d never say a word. Asshole.”

“You didn’t get along with him?”

“He was always trying to get me off the booze. It’s not his business. Just because he doesn’t want to have a good time, why try to keep me from doing what I want to do? He was lousy company, always sitting around brooding or taking walks. He said that he had some heavy thinking to do. That was okay, but when he tried to tell me what to do, I blew up. I told him I didn’t want him around here any longer.”

“You kicked him out?”

“I had a right. We got along real good when we were in school together, but then he got all serious and telling everybody what to do. He wouldn’t leave me alone. He even offered to hypnotize me to get me to quit drinking. He said that it would reinforce my will. I’ve got plenty of will if I want to use it. I know what’s good for me.” His tone was surly. “I told him to go and lecture someone else and leave me to go my own way. Do you know what he said? The bastard said if I needed him, to call, and he’d be there and work with me.”

“Terrible. And you only received one card from him after he left Dublin? The one from Valdosta, Georgia.”

“I got a couple more from him, but I tore them up. I didn’t need him whining at me.”

“From Valdosta, Georgia?”

“Yeah, I told the Ling woman that was the only address I had from him.” He suddenly burst out, “It’s not as if I’m some kind of criminal, dammit. So I like to drink a little. I don’t hurt anyone. He acts as if I’m going straight to hell. I threw that rosary down the toilet.”

“Rosary? He gave you a rosary?”

“No, some priest stopped by the pub about a year ago.”

“You didn’t mention that to Catherine Ling.”

“Why should I? I just wanted to get rid of her. And all she wanted was to know if I had an address for Kevin.”

“I think she would have been interested. What was the name of this priest?”

“Father Dominic from some church in Atlanta. He said he’d just come from Rome, and he’d promised my cousin he’d get a rosary blessed by the Pope and give it to me.”

“What church in Atlanta?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I told him to tell Kevin to go to hell. I don’t need his rosary.”

“The name was Father Dominic?”

“I think so. I didn’t pay much attention. I just wanted him out of my pub.”

“And that’s the last contact you had with Kevin Donnelly?”

“That was no contact. I told you, I threw the rosary down the toilet and told the priest to get out.” He was silent. “When you get hold of Kevin, you tell him that I’m doing just fine. I don’t need him or anyone else telling me what to do.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know.” Gallo hung up and turned to Eve. “Father Dominic. He had contact with Donnelly no longer than two years ago.” He paused. “And Donnelly offered to use hypnosis to help O’Leary stop drinking.”

“It could be an innocent offer. Hypnosis is often used by psychiatrists. It doesn’t have to mean that he’s endangering anyone.”

“He was brought up on charges for implanting false memories. What better way than using hypnosis? I’ll slit his throat if he was doing his experiments on my uncle.” He checked his wristwatch. “We have forty minutes before our flight. Let’s get to the gate and see if we can start making some phone calls to see if we can find a church in Atlanta that has a Father Dominic.”

“There may be more than one.”

“Then we’ll start interviewing all the Father Dominics and try to find the right one.” He took her elbow and strode toward the security gates. “And hope to hell he’ll lead us to Kevin Donnelly.”

CHAPTER

9

“ONLY TWO FATHER DOMINICS in the greater Atlanta area,” Eve said as she hung up her phone thirty minutes later as she went down the jetway to the plane. “One in Marietta, the other in Buckhead. I’m opting for the one in Buckhead. O’Leary said the priest who visited his pub was a young man, and the priest in Marietta is in his sixties. The priest who is at St. Cecelia’s is no kid any longer, but he’s much younger. I tried to call him at the church, but he’s not going to be there for the next six weeks. He’s helping out at a church in Rome, Georgia.”

Gallo frowned. “That’s north of Atlanta, isn’t it?”

“Yes, northwest. It’s closer to Chattanooga than Atlanta, but we can make it an hour or so. I got the address from the secretary. Suppose we rent a car when we arrive and drive straight up there?”

“That sounds like a plan,” Gallo said. “We’re more likely to get answers if we question him face-to-face.”

“I doubt he’s going to give us any problem. After all, he’s a priest. We explain what we want, and he tells us where to find Kevin Donnelly.” She sat down and fastened her seat belt. “Priests are definitely not any kind of threat.”

*   *   *

DANNER’S HANDS CLENCHED with frustration at his sides as he watched Father Barnabas from where he stood inside the garden shed. The priest was on the outdoor basketball court with the two young boys. He was laughing, his T-shirt wet with sweat as he ran down the court and made the basket. The two teenage boys groaned and ran to retrieve the ball.

The priest was happy. Once, Danner would have been glad that Father Barnabas was able to take such joy in life but not now.

He needed him. He had been trying to see him since early morning, and the priest had always been surrounded. First, with those sober people who had come to arrange a funeral, then with these kids from the boys’ club. None of them were important. Couldn’t Father Barnabas feel the torment that was tearing at him? His need was greater than theirs. The child was getting closer and would not leave him alone.

But if the priest was able to sense his torment and anger, perhaps he was afraid. Father Barnabas had great powers, and perhaps he’d been able to sense Ted’s anger the last time he was here. Maybe he was trying to avoid him.

He could feel the rage growing within him.

No, control it. That was the demons again. Father Barnabas was never afraid. Even when he suspected that Danner was not … normal, he would only become more quiet, stronger. He would talk to him, soothe him … cleanse him.

Get rid of those boys, Father. Send them home.

I need to talk to you.

The little girl came to me again.

Help me. I have to do what she wants me to do.

I think she wants me to kill the Delilah demon, but I can’t be sure. I can’t make a mistake. That would be another sin, and I have committed so many.

Maybe it’s something else that I have to give her …

*   *   *

“VERY IMPRESSIVE,” EVE SAID as she gazed at the huge gray stone church looming on the corner of the street in the long rays of the afternoon sun. “And unexpected in such a small Southern town. Atlanta is heavily Baptist, not Catholic.”

“Well, evidently, they must have enough people to fill this cathedral.” Gallo parked the rental car. “It looks very Gothic.”

“Yes.” Eve jumped out of the car and started up the stairs. “But I’m not very interested in architecture at the moment. We need to find this Father Dominic. I just hope—”

“Just a minute.” Gallo’s phone was ringing, and he glanced at the ID. “Catherine. Go on. I’ll catch up.”

“Right.” She swung open the heavy oak door of the sanctuary. “I’ll be here. Though we may have to go to the residence if there’s no Mass scheduled for—”

“May I help you?” A tall, thin man in clerical garb was coming down the aisle toward them. “I’m afraid Mass isn’t until seven tonight. We had to change the schedules because of the services we had to add.” A crooked smile lit his thin, angular face with warmth. “Are you a member of our parish? I don’t believe I’ve met you yet. I’m a little new here.”

Pay dirt, Eve thought. “Father Dominic?”

“That’s right.” He shook her hand. “And you are?”

“Eve Duncan. No, I’m not a member of your church. I have a few questions we’d like to ask. I wonder if I could speak with you.”

“You’re thinking about joining? I’d be glad to accommodate you, but if you need any information about St. Michael’s, you really need to talk to Father Barnabas. This is his church. I’m just visiting and helping out. Father Barnabas has had an unusually heavy surge of people who have joined the church lately.” He shrugged. “Though that’s not unusual. Times have been hard lately, and people have a tendency to turn to God when they’re in need.”

“Even in your church in Buckhead? Not many people are in financial need in that area, Father Dominic.”

His smile faded. “How did you know that my church is in Buckhead?”

“Because you’re the one I came to see. Not this Father Barnabas. May I sit down?”

“Of course.” He gestured to the pew next to them. “This is God’s house, not mine.” He smiled again. “Well, maybe it’s a little Father Barnabas’s. He seems to put his stamp on everything around him.”

“That’s interesting,” she said absently as she sat down. Get down to the reason that she was here. She just hoped he was the right Father Dominic. She hadn’t even established that fact yet. “Several years ago, you visited a James O’Leary at his pub in Dublin. Is that right?”

“O’Leary?” He made a face. “Oh, yes. Not one of my most pleasant memories. He threw me out.”

She gave a relieved sigh. First bridge crossed. “After you gave him a rosary blessed by the Pope.”

He nodded. “And I prayed for his soul after I left him. I’m not even sure the Holy Father could—” He broke off, gazing at her curiously. “Why are you asking me this?”

“Because you told O’Leary that his cousin, Kevin Donnelly, had asked you to give O’Leary the rosary. I need to know how to find Kevin Donnelly.”

He tilted his head. “You don’t know?”

“If I knew, would I be asking you?” she asked impatiently. “The hospital where he worked isn’t being very cooperative. We’ll track him down, but there’s no reason why you can’t tell us where he is. It will save us time.”

He chuckled. “You sound like a bill collector. Though I know Kevin would never be a deadbeat.”

“You know him well?”

“Very well.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

He didn’t answer directly. “Why do you want to find him? Are you one of the patients he worked with at the hospital?”

“No, but I have questions about one of this patients.” She said. “You’re trying to protect him? I don’t want to cause him any trouble. I just want to locate one of his ex-patients and ask Donnelly a few questions.”

He shook his head. “Kevin won’t disclose any confidences.”

“Isn’t that up to him? There’s a very good reason for him to tell me what I need to know.” She added deliberately, “Life or death, Father Dominic. So why don’t you tell me when you saw him last and where I can find him now.”

“Life or death?” He was silent a moment. “Truly, Ms. Duncan?”

She looked him in the eye. “I don’t lie, Father.”

He nodded slowly. “No, I don’t believe you would.” He thought for a moment. “I don’t know why I’m trying to guard him. He can take care of himself. He’d laugh at me.” He grimaced. “He does that quite a bit actually.”

Present tense. She stiffened. He was going to give her the information. “Tell me.”

“When did I last see him?” His lips turned up at the corners. “About forty-five minutes ago.”

“What?”

“And where can you find him?” He nodded at the door to the left of altar. “Out in the garden. He’s trying to repair the fountain.”

She stared at him blankly. “He’s a handyman?”

“Kevin is many things, a regular jack-of-all-trades.” He stood up and helped her to her feet. “And actually I offered to try to fix the fountain, but he said it was his responsibility.” He paused. “Since it was his church.”

Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“That Kevin is the priest who requested I come here and help him for a few weeks?” He nodded. “Father Barnabas.”

She had suspected it was coming, but she was still stunned. “Why?”

“I assure you that he wasn’t trying to go undercover or some such nonsense. He took the name when he graduated from the seminary.”

“In Valdosta, Georgia.” She was putting the pieces together. “That’s where he went to seminary.”

He nodded. “That’s where I met him. We were students together. We became friends. We’re still good friends. Kevin is a remarkable man. It’s not often a man gives up a lucrative medical practice and years of training to devote himself to God.”

“Why did he do it? You’re saying he had some kind of calling?”

“I’m saying that he’s a fine man,” he said quietly. “And that if you want to know anything else about him, you should ask him yourself.” He gestured to the door. “And tell him if he wants to go to the office and talk to you, I’ll take over repairing that fountain.” He smiled. “Kevin gets fixated on a project once he starts it. He won’t stop until he finishes. He’s always sure that nobody else can do it as well as he can. I always tell him that God doesn’t approve of the sin of vanity.”

“And what does he reply?”

“He says that God wouldn’t have given him a mind and a skill if He hadn’t meant him to use them.” He started to turn away. “Kevin always has an answer.”

“I hope he has a few for me,” Eve said grimly as she headed for the door he’d indicated. “I have a friend, John Gallo, who should be here soon. He stopped outside to take a phone call. Would you tell him what you told me and where I am?” She saw him hesitate, and added, “He’s no threat to Kevin Donnelly either. I promise you, Father Dominic. All he has to do is answer a few questions.”

He nodded. “I believe you. As I said, Kevin can take care of himself.” He headed down the aisle. “If he couldn’t, he wouldn’t be capable of caring for hundreds of parishioners.” He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes twinkling. “With the help of God … and his friends, of which I count myself one of the more intelligent. I’m afraid I have a bit of vanity myself.”

She could feel the excitement tingle through her. Close. She was so close. She had never dreamed that she’d be lucky enough to be heading straight to Kevin Donnelly when they’d driven up to this cathedral. “A little vanity never hurt anyone.” She was moving quickly toward the door. “Thank you, Father.” She opened the door, and her gaze quickly searched the spacious rose garden. It was a lovely, formal garden with a two-tiered stone fountain in the center of it. The fountain was encircled by three stone benches.

But there was only a dark-haired teenage boy in a Bon Jovi T-shirt near that fountain. He was squatting down and peering at—

“Give me the screwdriver, Billy.”

“Did you find it, Father?” He moved, and Eve could see that the side of the fountain had been jacked up, and a man was on his back and half under the fountain.

“I think so. It’s calcium deposits blocking the filter. If I can clean them out, the water should run fine until I can get a new filter.”

“Do you want me to do it?”

“No, not this time. I’m getting it. But the next time I expect you to be able to recognize the problem and be able to take care of it. You’re studying to be a gardener, and taking care of the hardscape is as important as the planting.”

It had to be Kevin Donnelly, Eve thought, as she walked toward them. Though all she could see was two black-clad legs protruding from beneath the fountain.

But when she was within a few yards of the fountain, he suddenly scooted out into the path with a quick, lithe, undulating motion. “Done.” He grinned at the boy and handed him the screwdriver. “Go turn the water back on. It should flow like the Red Sea rushing back to drown the Egyptians.”

“You shouldn’t be so bloodthirsty, Father.” The boy chuckled. “You’re always telling me that I need to—” He broke off as he saw Eve. His smile faded, and he quickly whirled on his heel. “I’ll go turn on the water.” He hurried down the path toward the church.

Eve’s gaze followed him. “I didn’t mean to scare him off.” She turned back to the man who’d emerged from beneath the fountain. If this was Kevin Donnelly, he was a man in his fifties, with a strong, tall, muscular body, a shock of gray-flecked hair, and blue eyes surrounded by laugh lines. “You’d think I had a contagious disease.”

“You’re a woman,” Kevin Donnelly said as he wiped his wet hands on a towel he’d picked up from the ground. “Billy has problems with women.”

“He’s shy?”

“No, just wary.” He got to his feet. “Forgive my appearance. I’ve been training Billy on the basics of becoming a gardener. He has a real talent for it. I’m Father Barnabas. Is there something that I can do for you?”

“Father Dominic thought you might.” She paused. “I’ve been looking for Kevin Donnelly.”

He grinned. “You’ve found him.”

“Also Father Barnabas?”

He nodded. “One name I was given, the other I took. These days, sometimes it’s hard to remember that other life.”

“Well, your cousin, James O’Leary, remembers you very well.” She paused. “But he didn’t know you had become a priest.”

“He wouldn’t have understood. He didn’t accept my advice as a psychiatrist, he certainly wouldn’t have let me help him as a priest.” He shrugged. “I know a few people in the city, and they keep an eye on him for me. When he reaches the point of no return, I’ll be there for him.”

“‘Point of no return,’” she repeated. “And what is that?”

“Everyone comes to a meeting in the road with God when they’ve reached the final pit. They either follow Him away from it or leap into the abyss.” He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. “But sometimes if there’s someone there to explain the rules, it can make a difference.”

“Yes, it can.”

“Why did you phone my cousin James?”

“It was the only lead I had. The people you worked with at the VA hospital are very close-mouthed about you. Why is that?”