Sunday, April 4th
Rosary, in front of the Catholic church, 11.30 am
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Neil liked this moment, after the Sunday morning mass, when he met members of the small community of Rosary. They frequently stopped him to say hello, to ask him about his job. This morning many people approached him to congratulate him on his team's success at the basketball game the day before. Neil was not used to talking much, he was reserved, and he generally preferred to spend his free time with a few trusted friends, he didn’t like noisy parties or large gatherings, but he liked the idea of becoming part of a community. Orphans like him or Billy were not used to showing or receiving affection, they were used to facing problems by themselves, to rely on their force and their resilience to overcome trouble. Living in a metropolis like Vancouver and working for the ERT had contributed to increasing this sense of isolation. But this first month in a small town, dealing with people and talking with them, had made them aware of their need for support, a need they had suppressed and ignored until they had arrived in Rosary.
Neil was going to join his friends, when two women in their thirties called out:
“Inspector McKinley!”
He stopped and smiled at the two women. They had both dark eyes, but one was tall and blond and the other was short and had auburn hair. He had noticed that they were watching him while he was talking to some people a few minutes before. They were evidently waiting for him.
“Inspector, my name is Maureen Mason, ” the short woman started, introducing herself, “and this is Rosetta May.”
Neil smiled and waited for them to go on.
“We are Amy’s teachers. I teach Mathematics and my colleague teaches English.”
Neil shook hands with them, but he didn’t say anything. He instinctively looked at the English teacher, thinking of what Anna had told him. He didn't want to say that he already knew about her attempts at arousing Amy’s memory. He wanted to hear what she would say.
At first the Maths teacher kept on speaking, and Ms May remained silent.
“We saw that she isn't afraid of you, Inspector McKinley. She is always scared when she is at school, even if she is exceptionally talented and very intelligent. She can do very complicated Maths problems and exercises. The main obstacle for her is speaking, isn't it, Rosetta?”
It was evident that the other teacher would have preferred not to speak. She kept on looking at Neil, and Neil didn't understand if she was just reserved or if she wanted to hear him talk first. Now she simply commented:
“Yes, when I ask her something about the various subjects, she merely nods or just says a few words, but nothing more.” She stopped, always looking intently at Neil. Then the Maths teacher asked abruptly:
“Oh, but she must have said something to you. The sisters say that you go to see her every day, but that she just embraces you without speaking.”
Miss May intervened for the first time, adding:
“She can’t keep silent all the time. What has she said? Has she talked about her past?”
Neil didn't know why, but he didn't like the teachers’ hint at the fact that the sisters hadn't told the truth, and their insistence at learning what Amy may have said. He looked at Miss May who was really an eye-catching woman. She evidently took great care of her appearance, the hair perfectly coiffed, the long red nails, the smart dress and matching handbag …
He smiled and answered:
“For the time being, she hasn’t opened up with me. She just says a few words about what she has eaten and about the school, but she doesn't say anything more …”
Neil was not a distrustful person, but he had learnt in his job to speak little, and Ms May had to do much more than batting her eyelashes at him and smiling charmingly to gain his confidence.
Now she just turned to her colleague and said:
“I told you, Maureen, writing is the best way for her to express herself.”
Neil took the chance to say:
“Does she write anything about her past?”
Ms Mason said:
“Rosetta tried to force her to write about what she remembers, but she refused. Didn’t she, Rosetta, when you gave her that photo?”
Neil pretended not to know anything about the incident and said:
“What photo?”
It was evident that Ms May didn't approve of her colleague bringing up that episode, and she didn't say anything, she just lowered her gaze and looked intently at her perfectly manicured hands. Ms Mason waited for her colleague to explain, and when she saw that Ms May remained silent, she answered:
“Rosetta gave her a photo to describe. Oh, ” she turned to her colleague, who was glaring at her, “you certainly meant well, but … a photo of Fredericton station, where Amy was found …” Neil looked intently at the English teacher, expecting a reaction on her part, but she simply stared ahead, evidently ill at ease. The only sign that she was nervous were her clenched fists.
Neil now was waiting for an explanation, but the Maths teacher was obliged to go on:
“It was the first time Amy had refused to write….”
“And I didn't scold her,” Ms May interrupted impatiently, “because I understood that that photo had certainly reminded her of something unpleasant …. Nothing terrible happened, Maureen, you don't have to tell everyone …The sisters even went to the director, as if I had committed some sort of crime …” She was evidently annoyed, and Neil intervened:
“I agree that writing would be a good way of expressing her emotions and telling what she remembers. I will try to encourage her to do so, but I think we will have to wait until she does it spontaneously, because we have no way of knowing what her reaction will be if and when she remembers … It can be traumatic …” the two teachers were looking at him in a strange way, and he added quickly:
“Of course, I have not as much experience with children as you have … And the sisters are responsible for Amy, so I believe you have to refer to them when you see a reaction on her part, or something different in her behavior…”
Ms May seemed a little more relaxed, she smiled charmingly when she said: “Yes, of course. We stopped to talk to you because we thought that Amy had told you something that may help us to approach the little girl more effectively and without scaring her. But if you say that she doesn’t talk to you …” The last sentence had a hint of disbelief in it, that Neil noticed.
This insistence was starting to alarm Neil, but he thought that the two teachers were certainly worried about Amy. He didn't answer, and he just smiled at them, before joining his friends… He noticed that they went to their cars immediately, without talking to anyone else. He thought that he would ask for the sisters’ opinion one of the following days…
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***
Anna was really happy when she saw Neil talking with the people in her community. For some reasons, she was afraid that he would go back to the ERT soon, or that he would be sent somewhere else, where his skills would be more appreciated. She knew that Rosary was a small town, that a policeman like him maybe wanted something more in his career. She didn't want to see him leave, because he had arrived at a difficult moment in her life, when she had just lost her son, and she had grown fond of him and of Billy. She liked them, because they were kind, respectful, but, at the same time, they were nice and funny. Her grandchildren adored them, and Giulia had asked her a few days before, if she could consider Neil and Billy as her new uncles … Giulia and Mario missed their uncle Luca so much …
Outside the church she chatted with Billy and Bob, while Neil talked to the parents of his basketball players. Denise and Lisa approached them, and Lisa told the two policemen:
“Thanks for another funny evening yesterday … What time shall we meet today to go to the lighthouse?”
Jennifer joined the little group with her husband John, the local Lieutenant. She intervened:
“Bob, Billy, our daughter and her friends are monopolizing you, we can see!”
Billy answered:
“We don't know many people here, and Lisa, Denise and Daisy are very kind. They have introduced us to their friends, and they are showing us around …”
Daisy came nearer with her grandmother. Anna introduced Louise to the policemen.
“Louise, these are the new officers in town, Billy and Bob, and that …” she pointed in the direction of Neil, who was talking to the teachers, “is Inspector McKinley!”
Bob and Billy shook hands politely with the woman, and Bob said:
“We know that yesterday you commemorated Daisy's mum. We are sorry for your loss.”
Louise now saw why Anna had told her to trust the new policemen, and she thought of her son-in-law's negative comments the previous night. She would have liked him to meet them, but he seldom came to church.
Daisy turned to Anna and said kindly:
“I wanted to thank you, Mrs. Venturi, for the opportunity to do my training in your restaurant. I am looking forward to starting next Saturday.”
Anna smiled and answered:
“It’s Anna, Daisy. And I am glad, also because Bruno needs help, especially at the weekends, when the Trattoria is full.”
Billy said: “Wow, so you will learn a lot of Italian dishes. Would you like to open your own restaurant?”
Daisy answered:
“I would like to, but I still have so much to learn.”
Bob winked at her and said: “ When you need voluntary tasters for your recipes, we are always ready…”
Everybody laughed, and, at that moment, Neil joined them.
Denise told him:
“I saw you talking to my aunt, Neil!”
He looked at her questioningly, and she explained:
“The teacher, Maureen Mason, is my father's sister!”
Neil exchanged a quick glance with Anna, but he didn't comment. He introduced himself to Louise, who had to admit that Anna was right when she told her that he was not only handsome and charming, but he was very polite.
Billy asked Neil:
“The girls asked what time we can meet today to go to the lighthouse. Is four ok for you?”
Neil answered:
“For me it’s perfect.” He turned to the three girls and asked: “ Is it alright for you?”
The girls nodded enthusiastically, and they all left …
***
Rosary, the old lighthouse, 5 pm
The old lighthouse was not far from the town, on the rugged rocky coast. It was abandoned now, and Neil had immediately liked the trail that led to it. He had always liked taking walks or running in nature, but in Vancouver he had to take his car to find solitary paths like this one, while here he just walked a few blocks from his home, and he found himself in a little wood, surrounded by tall trees. After a little more than two miles, there was a clearing, the trail ended, and the lighthouse stood tall, overlooking a small bay. Neil thought that it would be a good spot to go swimming, another activity that he liked very much. In the first few weeks he had spent in Rosary, he had started walking regularly along this path, because he felt walking was good for his wounded leg.
Bob, Billy and Neil had met the girls in the small parking lot at the beginning of the trail, where they had left their cars, and they had started walking together and chatting. Daisy had prepared a delicious cake, and the girls had brought bottles of water and orange juice. They had insisted on providing refreshments for the boys, because, when they had gone out on Saturday evening, Bob, Neil or Billy had paid for all of them both times, and the girls wanted to repay their kindness.
When they had arrived at the lighthouse, they had laid out a blanket, and they had sat down to enjoy the beautiful sunny day. It was beginning to get warmer, even if the sun still went down early, leaving a cool breeze.
The girls were happy because in a week they would start their Easter holidays.
“Neil, it seems such a long time ago, when we waited for our Easter holidays at school or college or at the police academy …” Billy said musingly.
Neil nodded and said:
“For me it is really a long time ago, Billy.” When he was with Bob and Billy, it was difficult to notice the age gap between them, because Neil was athletic and handsome, but when he talked, the girls couldn't help noticing a certain wisdom, a calm, collected attitude that his two friends missed. The other thing that was unmistakable was Bob and Billy’s evident admiration and respect for him, not only because he was their superior, but also because they evidently looked up to him, in particular Billy. Lisa had been many times on the verge of asking them about their relationship, but she had refrained from doing so. It seemed they had a mutual understanding, they simply looked at each other, and it was evident that they knew immediately what the other was thinking. Now Lisa controlled once again her curiosity, and she simply asked:
“Do recruits at the training center have a few days off for Easter?”
Bob answered:
“Yes, when you are at the police academy you have regular vacation as you have in school or college, but when you are in a ERT training center you have just a few days, unless there is an emergency, of course.”
Denise said dreamily: “I would like to see a training center. Is it possible to watch a drill?”
Bob and Billy turned to Neil, who smiled and answered: “I can ask Jeff, the director of the training center, but I think it is possible. Weren’t there people watching your drills in Edmonton, Billy? I remember some students came to my training center in Vancouver, when I was a recruit…”
Lisa said: “I think it would be a good idea for the high school students in Rosary to be able to visit the training center, just to familiarize with the world of police forces, and to learn about a possible career …”
Neil answered immediately: “Yes, I welcomed students when I became an ERT officer. We usually explained our job, we showed them all the equipment, and we demonstrated some rescuing techniques to them … I believe it was interesting for young people to see how much work and training there is behind a successful police operation…”
Denise asked: “What are your areas of expertise? I think you are all snipers, but are you experts in a field?”
Bob answered: “Yes, we are all snipers, but Billy is an expert on different types of weapons, I am an expert on explosives, and Neil …” he turned to his friend, and he added jokingly: “As for Neil, it is faster to say what he is NOT an expert on…”
They all laughed, even if it was evident that Neil didn't like being praised, and he was adverse to boasting about his career. He blushed slightly, and he explained: “I am certainly not an expert on explosives, Bob, so I may always need your help…. I am a helicopter pilot, a parachutist, and I am specialized in the rescuing of hostages in a variety of situations …”
Lisa was looking at him with evident admiration, and she exclaimed: “Wow, Neil, I think that you are really an ideal friend to have. I will keep your mobile number on speed dial, just in case ….” They all laughed.
Denise exclaimed: “Wow, I would like to try parachuting one day. It must be exciting.” She turned to Neil and asked: “I think I watched a documentary one day, and they spoke about tandem parachuting experience. Is it really possible to do that?”
Billy intervened: “Didn't you do exactly that with Steve's daughter, Neil?” He turned to the girls and explained: “Our colleague Steve has a daughter, Gloria, who is more or less your age, maybe a few years younger. I think you met Steve at the volleyball game. He doesn't come to church…” He turned back to Neil, and asked: “How old was she when she made that tandem parachute jump with you?”
Neil smiled and answered, while the girls listened with great interest:
“It was a gift for her sixteenth birthday . It was last year, just before that shooting. She insisted so much that in the end Steve gave in. I think he was more scared watching his daughter, than she was. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she wanted to do it again, but she saw her father’s anguished look and she renounced.”
They all laughed heartily. Neil noticed that Daisy was listening to them, but that she kept silent. He turned to her and said:
“The cake is really delicious. Are you going to help Anna on Monday, when she cooks with children?”
Daisy answered timidly:
“I would like to, I love children, and Lisa’s mother has told me that they are really good at cooking … I will ask Anna if she needs help…”
Lisa said:
“Yes, this is one of the most delicious cakes you prepare, Daisy. But the chocolate cake is even better …”
“Mmm, I love chocolate, and I know Neil does too. Don’t you Neil?” Billy exclaimed. Neil nodded and said: “You must promise that that will be our next cake, Daisy…” Daisy grinned. Talking about her cakes evidently made her feel at ease.
After a few more minutes of pleasant chatting, the girls collected all the leftovers and the crockery, and put them in a backpack that Bob volunteered to carry on his shoulders. They folded the blanket, and they started their walk back to the parking place. When the trail ended, they saw their cars in the distance. Three men were near a car, and, when they saw the six friends approaching, they stopped talking, they got into the car, and they left.
At first, nobody had noticed that, as soon as they had seen those men, Daisy had stopped abruptly, and she had started to tremble uncontrollably. The mobile phone she had in her hands fell to the ground. Lisa turned to her, and she saw that her friend was pale, and her legs were shaking. She immediately put an arm around Daisy’s waist, and she helped her sit on a stone on the side of the trail.
Neil and the others turned and went to them immediately. Neil took her hands, he took off his pullover, which he had put over his shirt, since it was getting cold. He wrapped it around the girl’s shoulders. He instinctively looked towards the three men, who had just got into their car, and he noticed that Daisy was staring fixedly at them.
Denise sat down next to Daisy, and she put an arm around her shoulders, while Billy opened the backpack and poured some water in a glass. Daisy’s hands were shaking so much that she wasn't able to hold the glass at first.
Neil waited until she calmed down, and then he told her kindly, while she was taking the glass from Billy's hands and slowly sipping water:
“Daisy, do you know those men?” He pointed at the place where the three men had been standing next to their car.
Daisy shook her head. Lisa and Denise were watching her apprehensively, and Lisa asked Daisy:
“Does this have anything to do with your kidnapping?”
Neil, Billy and Bob stared at Lisa with wide eyes, but Daisy was shaking her head, and she said in a choked voice:
“It was not a kidnapping, I just got lost!”
Denise rolled her eyes and told Daisy, while Neil, still crouched in front of the two girls, was listening intently:
“Daisy, look at me!” Denise was a sweet kind girl, but this time her voice had an authoritative note that startled the boys. Daisy turned to her friend and slowly raised her eyes. She was not trembling now, and she seemed to have recovered from her shock.
Denise went on:
“If what happened to you when you lived in Fredericton was not a kidnapping, then why are you always afraid, when you walk on the street, or when you are in a deserted place? ”
Neil, Billy and Bob were still in the dark, and they exchanged a questioning glance, but they remained silent.
Lisa turned to them and explained:
“Six years ago … We still didn't know Daisy because she lived in Fredericton at that time … She was kidnapped, and she was found at a gas station after two days …” Daisy was shaking her head, but Lisa went on: “In reality Daisy told us that she doesn't remember much of those two days, that she evidently lost her way, because she had gone to a friend of hers who lived not far from St John, and she wasn't familiar with the streets … She wanted to go to the bus stop, but she lost her way … Then she found herself at that gas station, and she asked the pump attendant to call the police …”
Neil was listening intently, and he kept on looking from Lisa to Daisy. Daisy was calm now, she slowly unwrapped Neil’s pullover from her shoulders and gave it back to Neil, but she remained leaning against her friend.
Neil looked at her, trying to choose his words carefully:
“Daisy,” the girl locked eyes with the Inspector. He didn't want to agitate her, now that she was calm, “you know that you can talk to me, or Billy or Bob, whenever you feel like it or you can come to us if you need help, don’t you?”
The girl nodded and tried to smile, but it was evident that she was worried and scared of something. Neil agreed with her friends that what had happened six years before was something more serious than not finding the way back home, but he thought that she had to overcome her fear, before being able to open up …
Neil smiled at her, and he said:
“Are you alright now? Do you need anything?”
Daisy stood up, and she said:
“I am sorry, those three men looked like … Oh, I just mistook them for someone else …” Billy and Neil exchanged a glance, but they waited for her to go on. “I am sorry, now I am ok… Really, Lisa, Denise... You mustn't worry so much about me … This has nothing to do with what happened six years ago, believe me!” Her friends didn't seem convinced, but they preferred not to insist.
Billy and his friends took their car, and Lisa drove her friends home.
***
St. John, Vincent Clancy’s car, 6 pm
Rachel was sitting next to Vincent in his car. He had just picked her up at her friend Sarah's, and now they were driving home. She noticed that her grandfather had affectionately kissed her cheek, when she had got into the car, but now he was silent and he looked at the road ahead, avoiding her gaze. This was strange, because her grandfather was always kind to her, he never forgot to ask her how she was doing or what she had done, and now …
“Grampa, is anything wrong?” she asked tentatively.
The old man turned to her and locked eyes with the beautiful girl. He smiled, and he answered:
“No, darling, everything is alright. I was just thinking …” He prayed she wouldn’t ask him what he was thinking, because it would be difficult to tell her that he was afraid of what he would find in Mr. Gatti’s envelope in a few days. This had been his constant worry, since he had spoken on the phone with the PI.
He hurried to ask:
“Did you have a good time with Sarah?”
Sarah had been Rachel's best friend since primary school. They liked to spend the weekend together, and they shared many interests, they both studied foreign languages, and they loved the same kinds of music and sport.
“Yes, we went to the beach yesterday. The water was still too cold to have a bath, but it was sunny, and we made friends with a group of boys and girls. We have planned to go out together next Saturday.”
Vincent noticed that his granddaughter had not mentioned her father and his umpteenth delay in coming home. Vincent knew that Rachel loved her father, and that these constant failures on his part made her suffer. He was wondering whether to raise the subject with his granddaughter or not, when she said abruptly, looking out of the window to avoid her grandfather’s gaze:
“I hope my dad will really be at home tomorrow.” There was a note of sarcasm in her voice, which was unnatural for her. Rachel was generally cheerful and easygoing, and she always thought the best of everybody. Vincent felt sad for this young girl, who had grown up almost without her father, but always waiting for him, always bestowing on him love when they were together. He was aware that this situation, this continuous waiting for her dad to come home, this continuous feeling of disillusionment when he postponed his return, were weighing on Rachel's heart more and more and were becoming unbearable.
Now Vincent looked at his granddaughter and answered:
“Of course he will be at home, Rachel. He called your mum today to confirm that he will be back early in the morning.”
Rachel grinned happily for a moment, but then her face clouded once again, and she asked, almost afraid of the answer:
“And will he stay at home for a few days at least? He won’t leave again on Tuesday, will he?”
Vincent tried to sound reassuring when he told her with force:
“Oh, your mother didn't tell me anything about his future plans, but I think he will be at home the whole week!” In reality, Vincent hoped to have a few days to talk to his son-in-law, especially after he had received the PI’s report, and he wasn’t keen on the idea that Rachel would be there, too. He asked:
“But you have to go to college, haven't you, Rachel? Your vacation will start next Friday, am I wrong?”
“Yes, I will remain at home tomorrow to stay with my dad, then I will go back to my lessons, but I hope he will be at home at least until Easter. Does he never have a vacation? A day off? Oh, grandpa, even you, who are a manager, and mum, who works in a company, find time for a short vacation or just to relax for one or two days. What undelayable commitments does dad have all the time?” There was desperation and a hint at skepticism in Rachel’s voice, but Vincent tried to comfort her, when he said:
“When a person is self-employed, it is more difficult to take a break, because you have no one to help you, Rachel… I have always had a secretary and staff that supported me …” The girl didn't seem convinced, but she nodded, and she got out of her grandfather’s car in front of her luxurious villa.
***
Rosary, Neil’s home, 8.30 pm
After a few rings, the usual cheerful affectionate voice at the other end of the line:
“Hello, Neil, how are you? Did you have a nice day?”
“Hi, Anna. Yes, we had a good time with Lisa, Denise and Daisy at the lighthouse. Before going out with them, I went to visit Amy at the orphanage. She was calm today, and she showed me her Maths homework. She is really intelligent and talented.”
“Yes, I noticed that you were talking to the teachers outside the church this morning. It is strange, because I have never seen them at the Sunday mass before… What did they tell you?” She had noticed that Neil had a perplexed expression while he was talking to Miss Mason and Miss May, and she was curious to hear what his impression was…
Neil knew that Anna was the most reserved person he had ever met, and he was always willing to share his opinion with her. Now he said:
“Well, they are certainly worried about Amy and her situation. Nevertheless, they hinted at the fact that Sister Nancy and Sister Theresa told them that Amy doesn't talk to me, but they admitted that they didn't believe it. I don't think they have a right to second-guess what the sisters say. And I think Miss May resented the reaction to her attempt at forcing Amy to write about her past through a photo of Fredericton station. She was visibly annoyed when her colleague mentioned the incident …”
Anna was amazed at how perceptive Neil was. He had spoken to the two teachers for just a few minutes, but he had been able to have the same perplexities as her daughter and her son-in-law. Now she said:
“Miss Mason has been teaching in our school for two or three years now, while Miss May arrived in Rosary last September, because the English teacher had retired. Miss Mason and Miss May have become close friends, they always go shopping together. They meet to go to the cinema or to the theater, but invariably NOT in Rosary. They go to the hairdresser in Fredericton, shopping in St. John … They aren't familiar with the people in the community. The children had invited them to the friendly volleyball game and to the first game last Saturday. They told them that they would come, and then … Miss Mason used to take part in community life from time to time, but now … I know they are free to do whatever they like when they are not at school, but children love to see their teachers around, to meet them and introduce them to their relatives. And I don't think it is correct to say you will come and then not do it… Mario and his friends felt let down. And it was not the first time! Mark is thinking of talking to the teachers about that, but …”
“You are right, Anna. I tried to tell them that forcing Amy to talk or to write is not a good idea, that it is better to wait and to encourage her little by little to open up … I hope they have understood. Today I preferred not to talk about it, but I will advise Amy to try to write, because maybe she can collect her thoughts. I am convinced that she remembers something, but that her memories are confused or maybe they are too frightening, and she stops them from surfacing.”
Anna thought of that sad beautiful face, of those green eyes, and she said in a soft voice: “Poor little girl. I hope tomorrow she will come again to cook with Giulia.” She was hinting at her cooking lessons for children, that, the previous Monday, she had extended to some of the orphans. She hadn't thought that Amy would come, but Neil had succeeded in convincing her. Anna's granddaughter Giulia had been really good at cooking with her, without touching or scaring her friend.
Neil answered:
“I hope she will come. This afternoon she told me that she is looking forward to it, so I think she likes cooking with Giulia.” He stopped for a moment and then asked Anna:
“I wanted to talk to you about Daisy.”
Anna was immediately alert. She asked apprehensively:
“Is something wrong with Daisy? Her grandmother is a good friend of mine, and she is worried about her …”
Neil told Anna what had happened in the afternoon, and what Denise and Lisa had told about her alleged kidnapping.
Anna listened attentively, and she sighed before speaking:
“Yes, Louise and her family came to live in Rosary four years ago, after living in Fredericton. Louise started to come to my Trattoria, and we became friends. She told me one day about what had happened in Fredericton six years ago. Daisy disappeared near St. John, where she had been visiting a friend of hers who had moved there the previous year. When she had been there for two days, the friend’s parents called to say that she was walking in a park, and she had suddenly vanished. They called the police, they looked for her everywhere. You can imagine the anguish and the worry. After almost two days a pump attendant at a gas station north of St. John called to say that a little girl was there - she was twelve at that time - frightened and confused. She said that she had lost her way, she had taken a bus to go back to her friend’s home, but she had gone in the opposite direction, and then she had walked until she had found a gas station. This is what Louise told me…In reality, I didn't dare ask for more details, because she was so anguished when she told me, so worried about Daisy …”
Neil was really perplexed at this tale. He asked:
“But she wasn’t found for almost two days. What did she do? Where did she sleep? It’s not just for a few hours … ”
“You are right, and I have the same doubts. Louise said that Daisy has never been the same since then. Her father has refused to let a psychologist talk to her, he has forbidden his wife and his mother-in-law to talk about what he calls an incident, but …” Anna reflected for a few seconds and said: “Neil, I know that you are free on Monday afternoon. Can you come here and talk to Daisy's grandmother? She has never told me the whole story, but … I talked to her when you were in Vancouver, when she came to ask me to let Daisy do her training period with me… She was really anxious for Daisy, and two years ago she lost her daughter in an accident. I know that you are busy, and that nobody asked to investigate, but…”
“Anna, you know that I trust you. If you say that I can be useful, I will talk to Louise, also because today Daisy was really scared. It was as if she had seen a ghost. I didn't know anything about the kidnapping or whatever it was, but, when we go out together, Lisa and Denise laugh and talk, while she is silent most of the time. I think that her grandmother had a good idea when she asked you to let her work at the Trattoria. She needs support, that’s for sure. There is certainly something that torments her, that frightens her… I will be back from the training center at two, two thirty. Is it ok for you?”
“I will call Louise and text you to confirm the time, Neil. Thanks.”
Then she added in a lighter tone:
“Alan, Robin and Mario kept on talking about volleyball all day today. They went to the orphanage to train with Peter and the other boys. They are waiting for you to watch a game with them at the orphanage. They said Billy has promised them…”
“Yes, we have promised, because, when I went to the police academy, and Billy was still in the orphanage, I used to spend some nights with the children to watch games together... We had fun, and Billy liked those moments very much. I must see the schedule and find a good game to watch with them. The sisters promised cookies and snacks… Between your cakes, Bruno’s casseroles, and the sisters’ snacks, I think that Billy, Bob and I will have to jog at least ten kilometers a day to stay fit…” They laughed together and, after wishing Anna good night, Neil hung up and went to have a shower.
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