Текст книги "Bonnie"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“Because they’re good friends, and they knew I wanted to make a final break with my patients there. I set them up with fine, competent doctors who could help them, but many patients develop a dependence on their psychiatrists that’s difficult to break if they find they can maintain contact. The best way is to make a clean break. When I started at the seminary, I made it impossible for me to be found.” He tilted his head. “Yet you found me. I’m very curious why you bothered.” He stiffened. “Unless you’re a relation to one of my ex-patients?”

“Not a relation. Definitely connected.” She paused. “Ted Danner. I need to know everything you know about Ted Danner.”

His wariness became even more obvious. “Indeed?” He murmured, his gaze searching her face. “And why is that?”

She was silent. How much to tell him? She was suddenly aware that this man exuded a power that was very formidable. All of that casual, almost boyish charisma had vanished. “He recently murdered a man. He may murder others. Who should know better than you that he’s unbalanced? You treated him for a number of years, didn’t you?”

“Murder.” His lips tightened. “You’re sure? Not self-defense, not an accident?”

“A dagger in the chest isn’t usually an accident.”

His eyes closed for a moment. “Dear God in Heaven. Lost. Truly lost.” His eyes were glittering with moisture when he opened them. “And mad…”

“You’re surprised? Yet you must have known that was a possibility. You were his psychiatrist. Didn’t he ever give you a glimmer that he was capable of killing someone?”

“Of course he did. He was a Ranger. He was trained to kill.” His lips twisted. “He was praised when he did it right. The Army made him what he was, then threw him to us to heal when he became … unstable.”

“You’re blaming the military?”

He wearily shook his head. “I blame no one but the world we live in and what it does to us.” He added bitterly, “And the demons it causes to rise within our souls. Ted Danner knows all about those demons. He’s obsessed with them. He probably thought he was killing one when he stabbed that man.”

She stiffened. “You say that with some authority. You know Danner very well?”

“As you said, I treated him for years.”

“But you cut your ties to him as you did your other patients?”

He was silent. “I cut all ties.”

She had seen something in his expression. “But did he accept it? Danner was a Ranger, he was smart. He would know how to track you down. Did he have some kind of paternal fixation on you? Have you seen him since you left the hospital?”

He didn’t answer the question. “Who are you? And what are you to Ted Danner? You said you weren’t a relation. Are you with the police?”

“No, my name is Eve Duncan.”

He slowly nodded. “I thought I recognized you. You’re the forensic sculptor. I’ve seen your photo in the newspaper. What do you have to do with Ted Danner?”

“You tell me.” She took step closer to him. “What did he say to you?” she asked fiercely. “No one was closer to him. First, as his psychiatrist, then his priest. He did search you out, didn’t he? Did he mention my daughter?”

“Your daughter?” He shook his head. “Why would he—” He stopped, as the realization hit him. “You daughter was killed years ago. You believe Danner did it?”

“I don’t know. She was taken about the time you left the hospital and stopped treating Danner. Did he ever talk about her?”

He shook his head in bewilderment. “Why would he?”

He was telling the truth. “She was also the daughter of John Gallo. You must know about John.”

“Ted Danner’s nephew.” The priest nodded. “He loves him very much. He probably doesn’t love anyone else on this Earth.”

“You know that, and you didn’t know about Gallo’s daughter?”

“Perhaps Danner didn’t know.” Then he muttered, “Or perhaps he did. It would explain so much. The little girl…”

“He knew,” she said jerkily. “He knew about my Bonnie. And what would it explain?”

He didn’t answer directly, “And you think he killed her?”

“It’s possible. I’m going to find out. I’m going to find him. You have to help me.”

He shook his head.

“Don’t tell me no,” she said fiercely. “You’re a priest, a man of God. I’ve told you that Danner has already killed and might kill again. You can’t let him go free. You know where he is, don’t you?”

“No.”

“But you’ve been in recent contact with him. You could find him. He must have told you something. You’ve got to help me.”

“God will help you.”

“It’s your duty, dammit.”

“My duty is to God and my vows.”

“So pure. But how pure are you, Father? You appear to have gotten off scot-free on that charge that was leveled at you several years ago. But it just occurred to me that if you were afraid that Danner might bring new evidence and testify against you, it might ruin your bright new life. You might not want him to be found. Were you experimenting on Ted Danner, too?”

His gaze was narrowed on her face. “You’ve done some in-depth research, haven’t you?”

“Answer me.”

“But I don’t have to answer you. You obviously wouldn’t believe me if I did.”

“Does Danner come to you in the confessional?”

“Yes. But very infrequently.”

“Then you must know—you have to know something.”

“And you know I can’t violate the confessional.”

She didn’t know anything but that she didn’t trust anything that he was telling her. “Not even to catch a murderer, to prevent another murder?”

He was silent. “I couldn’t violate my vow. I’d have to do it in another way. I can only try to find Danner myself and prevent him from striking at another of his demons.”

“Demons? You mentioned that before. What are you talking about?” She added bitterly, “Or is that something else that you have to keep confidential?” She took a step closer to him. “You listen to me, Father Barnabas. My daughter is dead and may have been killed by Ted Danner. I have to find him. I have to know everything about him. I won’t stop until I do. I’ll follow you everywhere you go.” She paused. “And I don’t care about your vows. You have to tell me what he told you.”

“I can’t do that,” he said quietly. “You must see that I can’t betray a trust. As a psychiatrist, I was bound by one oath, and when I became a priest, I became bound by an even stronger one. Either way, I mustn’t break my vows.”

“Or you could be protecting yourself and using your vows to keep me from finding Danner.” She added deliberately. “Implanted false memories, Father Barnabas? What a horrible crime.”

He looked her straight in the eye. “Yes, it is.”

“Did you do it? What was the verdict of that court?”

He smiled faintly. “Another vow that I can’t break. I agreed to a sealed testimony. You wouldn’t want me to get in trouble with the law.”

He wasn’t going to help her, she realized in frustration. The priest was staring at her with an expression that was firmly determined. “Danner is a criminal. The authorities are looking for him. They won’t understand about your vows, Father Barnabas.”

He smiled faintly. “God will understand. I can’t please everyone, Ms. Duncan. I have to choose. I realized that a long time ago.” He glanced away from her. “Who is Danner supposed to have killed?”

“Thomas Jacobs.” Her gaze was studying his face, but she could see no change of expression. “You don’t recognize the name?”

His smile deepened. “I understand you deal with faces all the time in your profession. Can’t you read me?”

“Maybe.” She was silent a moment. “I don’t believe he told you anything about Jacobs. But that’s a guess. I don’t know you, and you’re obviously smart and have a good deal of self-control.”

“And you’re desperate to learn something you can sink your teeth into. I’m a great disappointment to you.”

“You’re damn right.”

“And you’re in pain. Such pain.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll tell you what I can, Ms. Duncan. You won’t be satisfied, but it may help you get through this.” He gazed at the water now flowing from the fountain. “First, you have to know that I have no real idea where you can find Ted Danner. For the first few years after he found me and started coming to confession, he worked here at the church. But then he slipped away and only came back every several months. I tried to get him to return, but he said that he was too comfortable here and that he wasn’t meant to stay with me.”

“That sounds amazingly self-sacrificial. I’m finding that fairly unbelievable in the context of what I know about Danner now.”

“Why? Every man has to fight the sin within him. Danner’s battle was more extreme than most.” His lips tightened. “And as long as he stayed on his medicine, he was able to manage it. But he stopped taking it when he said it weakened him, and he was afraid he couldn’t fight the demons.”

“What demons?”

“He would have to identify them for you. He wanted help with them, but he would only talk about them vaguely. I couldn’t pin him down.”

“And you have no idea where he went when he left you or what he was doing?”

“I know he was working as a volunteer for the Salvation Army for a while in Birmingham. But then he left them, too, and started to go from job to job.”

“He wasn’t a young man, and he’d been injured. How could he get work?”

“The spinal operation was a complete success, and he worked out for hours every day. He said he had to keep strong. He was almost fanatical about it. He had a tent, and there were times he lived off the land for months at a time.”

He was telling her more than she had hoped. Not enough, but maybe she could push him. “Danner didn’t tell you he had killed?”

He didn’t answer for a moment. “Of course he did, and it tormented him. But it was always about his time in the service.” He hesitated. “I cannot tell you any personal details, but perhaps it would be better if I give you an idea how my sessions with Danner proceeded. That would not be a violation. After a dozen or so appointments, he began to start loosening up. He told me about his nephew. He was completely devastated when he heard Gallo had been killed in Korea.”

“But he didn’t tell you about my daughter, Bonnie?”

He shook his head. “You have to understand. Danner is a very secretive man, and he’s always surprisingly insecure in his relationships. I had to pull stories and feelings out of him.” His lips twisted. “After we crossed the bridge in the doctor-patient relationship, I always had the feeling he didn’t want to disappoint me. It’s not unusual to have a patient like Danner develop a certain dependence on my good opinion. But that was a real hindrance in getting anything of any significance done. He didn’t want to tell me anything that he thought would turn me against him. I’ve never been able to overcome that reluctance.”

“And he never told you anything about Bonnie?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Wouldn’t you? But you said ‘the little girl.’ What little girl? Danner must have told you something about Bonnie.”

He shook his head. “Nothing clear or concise. He never referred to her by name.” He paused. “Though he did mention a little girl.”

She stiffened. “Did he tell you what he did to her?”

“You don’t understand. He never spoke of this little girl as a victim. He refers to her as if she’s alive. It may be another child.”

“Then you have to tell me where I can find her. He’s a murderer. We have to get her away from him.”

“I don’t think that she’s in danger. If I were to describe his feeling for her, I’d say he was intimidated.”

“What?”

“That’s my impression.” He shrugged. “And that’s all I can discuss with you. You had a right to know that I have no definitive information concerning your daughter.” He turned away. “Rules are rules, but I don’t believe God would want you tormented like that.”

“Wait.”

“I have to go and change, and I have an appointment with a young couple who are being married. I’ve told you all I can.”

“Wait. You said he was lost … and mad. And what’s all this talk of demons?”

He paused, then said, “During his bad times, he believes that he’s surrounded by demons and that it’s his duty to destroy them.”

“Bad times? Does he have good times?”

“Oh, yes, he can be kind and generous, and he wants desperately to be good. But those times have become less frequent lately.” He added soberly, “Which makes for a very dangerous condition. One moment he’s fairly stable, and the next he’s … volatile.”

“You mean dangerous.”

“Considering what you’ve told me, I have to assume that’s true.”

“I don’t know about his good times, but I’ve witnessed one of his bad episodes,” Eve said grimly. “He almost killed my friend Catherine. You said that you’d go after him yourself. How can you do that if you don’t know where he is? Was that the truth?”

He smiled. “I don’t lie. Good afternoon, Ms. Duncan.”

She couldn’t let him go. “John Gallo is probably inside with Father Dominic now. Will you talk to him?”

“Of course.” He was walking down the path. “He’s Danner’s nephew. There must be great love between them. He’s probably suffering right now. It’s my job to alleviate suffering.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But, no, my answer to him will be the same as to you. I’ve told you all I can reveal about Ted.”

Her hands clenched as she watched him walk away from her. Questioning the priest had been like battering against an invisible wall. He had been courteous, cool, and tough as nails. There was no way to reach him and get past the barrier of his damn code. What could they do? It wasn’t as if they could use force against him. How did you manage to overcome a code that had led Kevin Donnelly from the secular to the pulpit? He had given up everything because of his beliefs.

Maybe. Unless that pious front hid an inner corruption. She should have pinned him harder on that court case.

But she had to do something. There had to be a way, and she wasn’t going to find it staring after the priest like this.

She started after him.

*   *   *

“DON’T DO IT, MAMA. You’ll only get upset, and he won’t change his mind.”

Bonnie.

She turned to see her daughter sitting on the edge of the fountain. The sun was shining on her red curls, and the spray surrounded her in a misty aureole.

“He’s got to change his mind. I have to find Danner.”

“I think you’ll find him, but it can’t be through Father Barnabas. He’s not going to give in.”

“He might if I keep after him.”

Bonnie shook her head. “That won’t happen, Mama. He and Ted Danner have been together for a long time.”

“So he’s going to let Danner have a chance to kill again?”

Bonnie didn’t answer.

She gazed at her in despair. “I don’t understand how this works, Bonnie. I believe Danner may have killed you, dammit. Why won’t you help me?”

“It has to play out the way it’s meant to do. I don’t understand either, Mama. I’m trying to help, but I told you that it’s only gradually becoming clear to me.” She shook her head. “But I can feel your pain, and it hurts me. I want it to be over, Mama.”

Lord, so did she. “Then go and make that priest help me. What good is being a ghost if you can’t pull a few strings?”

Bonnie chuckled. “It doesn’t work that way. Though I’m learning things all the time.” She added softly, “Beautiful things, Mama. You can’t imagine. I can’t wait to show them to you.”

“Neither can I, baby.” Eve felt the tears sting her eyes. “But it was pretty beautiful when I had you with me, too.”

Bonnie nodded. “But that was only the start. There’s so much more.” She got up from the fountain. “But we have to work our way toward it. We’ll be together. But you’re still on the path, and you have wonderful companions to travel with you.”

Joe, Jane, Gallo, Catherine …

“I’m going now. Now forget about going after Father Barnabas. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“What? Do you think I’d mug a priest?”

“No, but there’s no telling what else you might do to make him give you what you want.” Bonnie grinned at her. “And you can be very determined about getting what you want, Mama.”

“I don’t promise not to try with Donnelly. I don’t trust him. Even if he’s not as bad as I suspect, he has no right to put roadblocks in our path just because he’s worried about Danner’s soul. Your soul is the only one I care about.”

“That’s not true. You care about the souls of a lot of people. You just don’t think about souls very much. People on the path are usually too busy to do that.” Her smile faded as she met Eve’s eyes. “You have a wonderful soul. It’s deep and strong, like a clear, powerful river. It sweeps everyone along and makes them feel safe, as if they know they’re headed in the right direction.”

Dammit, her eyes were stinging again. She smiled unsteadily. “It sounds … wet.”

Bonnie didn’t return her smile. “You made me feel safe.”

“I didn’t keep you safe.”

“You’ve told me that before. I didn’t know what to answer you then. I do now. It was one of the things I learned. It was time for me to go.”

Eve shook her head. “Seven years old?”

“Years don’t make a difference. I was ready.” She said gently, “You kept me safe, you gave me love, you made my stay beautiful.”

Bonnie was the one who had made their time together beautiful. As she stood looking at her, Eve could feel the golden haze of those seven years enveloping her. She could remember every moment, every word, every touch. “I love you, baby.”

Bonnie nodded. “I know. In the end, that’s all there is, Mama. No regrets, just the love.”

“Is that why you came to see me today?” Eve asked unevenly.

“I felt I had to be here. I wanted to come before. I knew there wasn’t a threat yet, but I could feel your pain. But there are things I can do on that other level that I can’t do for you yet. Wonderful things … It took me a little while to break away. Here, everything is confusing, and I can’t see what’s going on. I just have to work my way through it. But I had to do something to help you.”

“You did help me.” She cleared her throat. “Though I can’t see things as you do.” She made a face. “And don’t tell me that I will someday. I have to do what I have to do. So unless you can offer me a little nudge toward getting that priest to give us a little assistance, I’d better go and see what I can do.” She had to leave before she lost her resolve. This time with Bonnie was too precious, the love too strong. She turned and moved toward the church. “And I won’t cause Father Barnabas any distress about—well, maybe a little distress. But not enough to worry you.”

*   *   *

BONNIE DIDN’T ANSWER.

Eve didn’t have to look back to know she had left her again.

CHAPTER

10

IT WAS THE CHILD AGAIN.

Danner’s heart was pounding with fear as he stared at the little girl standing by the fountain. He had been hovering in the garden house, waiting impatiently for the chance to approach Father Barnabas, when Eve Duncan had appeared. It had shocked and disturbed him, but he had not been terrified.

Until the child had appeared when the priest had left.

Danner staggered back and leaned against the wall of the garden house, trying to fade into the plaster. He was sweating, his palms cold and wet.

It was the child again. What was the little girl doing here?

Had she known he would be going to Father Barnabas and meant to stop him?

Hide.

Hide.

Don’t let her see you.

He had to keep hidden until he was sure she had vanished, then go find the priest. Talk to him, and perhaps the priest would be able to tell him what he needed to know.

What do you want from me? he thought in agony as he stared at the child. I’ll do anything. Just leave me alone.

The sweat was causing his palms to slide down the wall behind him.

He drew a shaky breath as he realized that the child had now vanished. When her mother had followed Father Barnabas into the church, she had faded away. The threat was gone … for now.

Why had she followed him here? How had she known he was going to see the priest?

But she had not seemed to be aware he was here. She had not turned to him, called his name. She had spoken to Eve Duncan, then gone away.

Perhaps he had not been the child’s target. She had seemed to only want to be with her mother. When they had been speaking, the two had been totally absorbed, and even he could see the intense love that radiated between them.

He felt a jolt of pain as he remembered the way they had looked as they gazed at each other. Loneliness.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

But it did no good to have regrets. The child would not accept it. She would keep coming until she got what she wanted. She would torment him until the day he died.

I’ll give it to you, he thought in agony. Anything you want. I just have to go to Father Barnabas and have him help me find out what it is that you want. Stop following me and let me alone.

He suddenly stiffened as a thought occurred to him.

Follow?

He inhaled sharply as the thought began to grow and formulate.

Yes, that was it!

That had to be it.

He had been wrong. It wasn’t the Delilah demon he had to kill at all.

The great load was being lifted from him.

He pushed away from the wall and opened the door of the garden house. He didn’t have to wait to see Father Barnabas. He had the answer now.

The little red-haired girl had not been in pursuit, following him to this garden.

She had led him here.

*   *   *

FATHER BARNABAS WAS NO longer with Gallo when Eve came into the sanctuary.

Gallo whirled to face her as she came toward him. He was clearly not pleased. “What the hell? I couldn’t do anything with Donnelly. He’s hard as nails.”

She nodded. “Frustrating. And I’m sure I didn’t find out anything more than you did. I was hoping that he might lean a little toward confiding in you since he has a relationship with your uncle.” She grimaced. “And it’s not as if we can physically ‘persuade’ him to tell us anything. He’s presumably doing what he believes is right. It’s his duty to keep his silence.”

“Presumably. Providing he’s not more of a criminal than my uncle. And if he is doing what he thinks is right, hell, someone may get killed while he does his damn duty.”

She tilted her head as she gazed at him. “You’ve been fighting desperately against believing that your uncle is guilty. Now you’re suddenly worried that he may go on a killing spree?”

“I’m still fighting,” Gallo said. “Father Barnabas said that he’d had years when he’d lived a good, productive life. Jacobs was a son of a bitch. My uncle may have had reason to kill him.”

“And the man at the alligator farm?”

“It was a struggle. Maybe it was self-defense.”

“And he was close to murdering Catherine.”

“What do you want me to say?” Gallo said tersely. “So it looks like he’s not sane. I can’t give up on him until I find him and know for sure.”

“He spoke to the priest about a child.”

“He wouldn’t kill an innocent child. He wouldn’t kill Bonnie.”

“You’re sure. I can’t be certain of anything connected to him. I was hoping that we’d be able to persuade Donnelly to break a rule of confidentiality when we found him.” She added dryly, “But that rule of confidentiality has suddenly become almost impossible to breach for more reasons than one.”

“We’ll get beyond it.”

“Maybe we should call Catherine back.” Her lips twisted. “She could probably get a very sophisticated truth drug from her friend, Hu Chang. It’s a thought.”

He suddenly went still. “Not a bad one.”

She quickly shook her head. “I was joking.”

“I’m not. We get what we want. If Father Barnabas is telling the truth about his devotion to his vows, then his soul and conscience would be clear. He couldn’t blame himself.”

“How do you know? He might feel as if he should be able to resist the drug.”

“He’s a priest, not a saint.” He paused. “And he might not be doing a good job at being either one.”

“No, Gallo,” she said firmly.

“Catherine would agree with me.”

Eve knew he was probably right. “Then you won’t ask her, will you?”

He was silent. “It would be the most efficient way to handle it.”

“Gallo.”

“I’ll think about it.” He looked at her. “If you can suggest another way that we can get what we need from him.”

“He seemed confident he could reach Danner. We keep close to him and follow him.”

“But he said he didn’t know for certain where my uncle was.”

“Then he might be expecting Danner to come to confession. We just have to be patient for a little while.”

“With the emphasis on little,” he said. “I’ll play it your way for now, but if it appears to be going nowhere, I’ll call Catherine and ask if Hu Chang has given her anything that would be—”

“No.”

He smiled faintly. “I may not have to call her or do anything at all. When I talked to her on the phone, she said she and Quinn would be on their way here. She’ll analyze the situation and make her own decision.”

Eve should have expected that to happen. “You told her that we had a lead on Donnelly.”

He nodded. “They had already found out that Donnelly had become a priest at that college in Valdosta and taken the name of Father Barnabas. We just combined info and came up with this church as a reasonable meeting place. Quinn is going to be very suspicious. He isn’t going to be any more inclined to understanding the priest’s reluctance than I am.”

No, three warriors with a practical mentality about getting what they want. She might be fighting this battle alone. There was a certain logic to their argument, and she was tempted to go along with their reasoning.

But she had promised Bonnie that she would be careful with Father Barnabas. In her daughter’s eyes, that would include the possible disturbance of the priest’s conscience.

“Then I’ll have to explain my point of view.” She met Gallo’s eyes. “We have to find another way. There has been enough hurt to the innocents. I’m just as eager as you to find Danner, and we will.” She added crisply, “Now what’s the most efficient way for surveillance of Father Barnabas?”

He frowned. “I don’t like—” He broke off. “The most practical method is observation and maybe to bug his car.”

“And how can we do that? Where can we get the equipment?”

“We can call Quinn and get him to contact the local police and get them to help.” He shook his head. “But that would probably mean dealing with red tape. It would be quicker to get the equipment ourselves from one of those local spy-and-surveillance stores you see in some of the malls.”

“They can’t be that popular. Do you think they’d have a store here in Rome?”

He shook his head. “I’ll check on the Internet, but a small town would probably not be worrying too much about spying on nannies or checking to see if their kids are on drugs. But they’d have them in Chattanooga, and that’s right next door.”

“Then go get what we need.”

“You think our good priest is lying about knowing where my uncle is right now?”

“No. It’s hard to judge, but I don’t think he lied to me. But I don’t want to take a chance that he might make a good guess. Do you?”

He slowly shook his head. “We’re getting too close. Let’s go.”

She shook her head. “No, you go. I’ll stay here.” She held up her hand to stop him as he opened his lips to protest. “Observation, remember? One of us has to keep an eye on Father Barnabas.”

“And who would keep an eye on you?”

“Do you actually think Father Barnabas is going to attack me in this church?” She gave him a steady glance. “It’s not likely. He told me he had an appointment with a young couple who are going to be married. You’ll probably be back before he’s even finished with them.”

He didn’t move. “And you won’t try to follow him if he takes off?”

“I won’t do it without calling you.”

“And what if my uncle decides to show up for confession?”

“Then I’ll have to play it by ear.” She smiled faintly. “So stop borrowing trouble and get back here so that you don’t have anything to worry about.”

He hesitated, then turned on his heel and strode toward the door. “It shouldn’t take me more than a couple hours. Stay here.”

She didn’t answer.

He glanced back over his shoulder at her. “I don’t like this,” he muttered.

Then he was gone.

She was relieved that he had actually left her. The suggestion she had made was reasonable, but Gallo was very protective.

It must be because her argument about the safety of the sanctuary was reasonable and the time involved so little.

She did feel safe here.

She gazed around the sanctuary.

Peace. Beauty. Stained-glass windows depicting St. Francis and the animals. The crucifix over the altar.

She was not a Catholic, but there were many things she liked about the religion. The confessionals. Releasing guilt and pain by voicing them could only be healthy, both physically and mentally.

The idea that worshippers had followed the same rituals for centuries.

And the soothing silence of this sanctuary that closed out the present and brought back the past.

She sank down in the pew to the left of the aisle and closed her eyes.

Memories were flooding back to her.

Not bitter but gentle, precious memories.

Bonnie that moment in the hospital when Eve had first seen her.

Bonnie singing her special songs with Eve before she went to bed.

Joe holding Eve, smiling at her, tilting his head thoughtfully as he listened to something she said.

“Are you waiting for Father Barnabas? You did find him, didn’t you?” She looked around to see Father Dominic coming down the aisle. “You and Mr. Gallo seemed to be very intent on talking to him.”

“I found him.”

The priest’s brows rose. “Not a satisfactory meeting? It doesn’t surprise me. He’s pretty well rejected the life he led before he entered the seminary, but he’s very protective about his former patients. He can be very stubborn.”

“Yes, he can. But so can I. Where is he? He told me he had an appointment with a young couple.”

Father Dominic nodded. “He should be done now. I saw their car leaving about ten minutes ago. He’s probably still in the office.”

“And where is that?”

He nodded at a door to the right of the altar. He shook his head. “I know you must be in distress, but you’d be wise to accept Father Barnabas’s decision,” he said gently. “He won’t change his mind.”

“Thank you, I know you only want to be kind.” She headed for the door. She smiled over her shoulder. “And maybe also to protect a fellow priest from having to deal with an annoying person from his past. I’m not going to cause him any trouble … at the moment.”

The priest chuckled. “Father Barnabas can handle trouble. It’s what we’re taught to do in the seminary.”

“And what I was taught growing up on the streets. So we have that in common.”