Tuesday, April 6th
St. John, Vincent Clancy’s villa, 9 am
Vincent crossed the porch of his beautiful villa with a big envelope in his hands. A delivery man had just given it to him. He entered the house and went straight to his study. He closed the door carefully, even if he knew that he was alone in the house, because Rachel had gone to her lessons at college, and Olivia was at work in the family company.
When he got up in the morning, he expected Brian to have breakfast with him, but he hadn’t seen him so far. He had looked for him in the garden and in the spacious living room, but he was apparently out. Vincent thought that he would look for him later. Now he wanted to read in peace what the PI had sent him.
He sat down in the leather armchair under the window, and he opened the envelope carefully, pouring the contents on his desk. The first sheet of paper was the PI’s invoice for his services, with a detailed list of his movements, of his expenses, of his stakeouts… Vincent took a quick look at the paper and put it aside. He then saw some photos stapled together. He went through them, and he was glad nobody could see his reaction, because he had to look at them for a second time. He turned on the lamp on his desk, and he directed the light on the photos, in order to recognize the people with his son-in-law.
The PI had done a really good job. The photos were taken in different places and at different times. It was evident that he had been thorough in the stakeouts, that he had waited for a long time outside bars and restaurants, outside office buildings and blocks of flats, and even outside casinos and gambling halls.
Vincent’s hands were shaking when he started to read the report that accompanied the pictures. He had to stop because he was feeling dizzy, and for a moment he thought he was going to be sick. He leaned his head against the leather headrest, and he closed his eyes, feeling tears burning his cheeks. He had expected bad news, but nothing of this kind! His first thought was how he could break the news to his daughter, what her reaction would be … And Rachel? He put the envelope into a drawer of his desk, placing it carefully under some other documents, and he decided to look for Brian. He had to talk to him immediately. He couldn't hope that what he had discovered was not true, but he hoped that his son-in-law had some kind of explanation for that … No, no explanation was possible! Vincent thought that the only possible solution was … Oh, but would Olivia accept it? One thing was sure, she was still in love with her husband, she had always been madly in love with him. Vincent was really anguished and worried.
He came out of his study, and he looked for Brian everywhere. The maid came out of the kitchen, and she evidently saw that something was wrong, because she looked anxiously at Mr. Clancy. She asked:
“Is anything wrong, Sir? Are you looking for something?” Evidently his expression betrayed his concern, because he was generally a calm and collected man, used to give orders and to control.
“Beatrice, have you seen my son-in-law this morning? I can’t find him, and he knew I had to talk to him.”
Beatrice answered immediately:
“He had breakfast with Mrs Olivia and Miss Rachel early this morning, before they went out. Then he went upstairs, and after a few minutes he went to his car with his suitcase. I thought you knew he had to leave ….” Her voice trailed off because she saw the old man’s face become alarmed. She was used to Brian going away frequently, and she had not paid too much attention to his departure, even if he had come back only the day before.
Vincent thanked the maid and went back to his study. He took his mobile phone and called his daughter. Olivia answered after a few rings:
“Hi, dad. How are you? You were still sleeping when I left for work this morning, and I didn't want to wake you up… ”
“Olivia, did Brian tell you that he had to leave this morning?”
The silence at the other end of the line was more eloquent than words. Olivia’s voice had lost all her liveliness, when she finally replied:
“No, dad. He must have gone out on some errand. We planned to meet tonight and go to that restaurant in town, the new one they have just opened… Why do you ask? What’s up?”
“Beatrice saw him with a suitcase, not long after you and Rachel left… Maybe he simply put the suitcase somewhere in the garage …” He was trying not to alarm Olivia, even if he was sure she was sharing his apprehension.
After a few moments, Olivia told him:
“Dad, now I have a meeting with the directive board. Then I will try to call him. I am sure there is an explanation …”
When he hung up with Olivia, Vincent dialed Brian’s number, but the call went to voicemail. He remained with the phone in his hands for some minutes, unable to move. He went back to the brief conversation he had had the day before with his son-in-law, and he remembered that he had mentioned some documents he would receive today. He had had the impression that Brian was nervous, but he still didn’t know the content of that envelope. Now Vincent knew for certain that Brian had left for good, that it would be difficult to trace him, and he bitterly thought that it would have been better not to tell his son-in-law anything until he had actually seen the documents. Now it was too late, he had to try to find him, and, worst of all, he had to talk to his daughter and granddaughter…
***
The ERT training center, 2 pm
Neil and Billy met in the parking lot of the training center, where they had just finished the sessions with the recruits. Neil had called Billy the previous evening to put him up to date with what he had learnt from Louise, and they had agreed to go to the police station in St. John and try to find out something more.
They got into Neil’s car, but he didn't start the engine. Neil decided to face a topic he knew Billy wouldn't like. It was something that had been bothering Neil since he had talked to Father Thomas and Cassy in Vancouver a week before. He turned to Billy and locked eyes with him.
Neil started tentatively:
“Billy”, they had such a mutual understanding that, even from the way Neil pronounced his name, Billy knew immediately what the tone of the conversation would be. He bowed his head, and he asked:
“What did Thomas tell you?”
“It was not Thomas, but Cassy told me something that maybe I should have learnt from you, Billy…”
Billy looked out of the window for a few moments, then he bowed his head once again, and he spoke without looking at his friend:
“Neil, I know what Cassy told you, and she really shouldn't have… What does it change now? It doesn't have anything to do with what Carol is doing now, so it is useless to talk about it.” His voice was firm, but it was not rude. It was evident that Billy loved Neil as a brother.
Neil said kindly:
“This is true, Billy, but I had already discussed it with Carol, because that jealousy towards you was wrong and foolish on her part.” He stopped for a moment, he sighed sadly, and he put a hand on Billy’s arm. Billy was forced to look at his friend. He said:
“Neil, you know what I promised that day in front of Father Thomas … I can't tell you …”
“Billy, I want to know what Carol told you that day.” His voice was firm now. “Was that the reason why you chose to go to the ERT training center in Edmonton, and to leave Vancouver? I wondered why you took that decision, because I would have been your trainer in Vancouver, but I thought …” His voice trailed off, because there was anguish on Billy's face.
“Neil, please, don’t ask…” Billy realized that all his protests were useless. He locked eyes with his friend, and he spoke slowly, as if every word cost him a great effort. It was impossible for either of them to lie to the other.
“I went to see her that day. She was feeling better, she was going back to being her old self. She was talking to another girl in the rehab center, and they were laughing and chatting. I was relieved to see her like that, after the state she was in when you brought her there two years before. When she saw me, her face clouded, she stopped smiling, and …” Billy turned an anguished face to Neil and exclaimed: “Why, Neil? Why did she hate me so much? I was always kind to her, or at least I always tried to… I never interfered with you two, I always tried to leave you alone, when you were still in the orphanage, and when you both left, she never came back… You came to train our team, but …”
Neil smiled at Billy, and he said softly: “Billy, stop tormenting yourself, because you have never done anything wrong. What did she tell you that day to make you cry?”
Billy sighed, and he went on: “She said something like: ‘What are you doing here? You know you are the only person I don’t want to see around me.’” Neil was staring at Billy with wide eyes, but he waited for him to go on.
“I asked her what was wrong, since, when she was sick, she had even apologized to me. She said that, if I insisted on sticking around you, when she came out of the rehab center, she would have to leave you, because I had ruined everything between you and her!” Neil was watching Billy disbelievingly. Billy was a tough policeman, who seldom showed his emotions, but tears were running down his cheeks, not because of what Carol had told him, but because he knew that he was making Neil suffer.
Neil put an arm around the younger man’s shoulders, and he told him: “You haven't ruined anything, Billy. You know that, don’t you?” Billy nodded slowly, but he said in an anguished voice: “I should have left you alone, after I had settled in the orphanage. You had already helped me so much, Neil. But, the fact is, I felt I needed your support, and I didn't see anything wrong if we spent a few hours talking …”
Neil was shaking his head, and he told his friend:
“I am sorry, Billy, for what she told you, and for the fact that you moved away from me for that reason. You know I loved …. I love Carol with all my heart, but her behavior to you was incomprehensible to say the least… And, Billy, look at me!” Billy had lowered his head, while Neil was speaking. Now, he slowly raised it to lock eyes with his superior and friend. “I told Thomas last week, and I am telling you now, if Amy is her daughter, and she allowed her to live that kind of life, I won’t be able to forgive her.” His voice was firm now, and his expression was hard. His blue eyes, which were normally so expressive and kind, were cold. Even Billy was startled by this change in his friend’s attitude, which he had seen only in front of criminals or in the interrogation room.
He asked him:
“Did you show Thomas Amy’s photo? What did he say?”
“He was upset, and he assured me that he had never heard of Carol being pregnant more or less ten years ago … Maybe Amy is not Carol’s daughter, Billy, but those eyes …” His voice trailed off because the emotion was taking hold of him. It was Billy’s turn to comfort Neil.
“Neil, you have to try not to think of Carol. I know that you still love her, but, after everything you have done for her … Where is she? And that phone call last September? What did she want to tell you? And if she had a child with another man …”
“Billy, Thomas tried to tell me to move on with my life. Thomas, who loved Carol as a daughter! But I think I won’t be able to do that until I know what’s happened to her!” Billy nodded, because he knew that Neil would never give up on Carol. He thought that the best way he could help his friend was to try to find the truth as soon as possible.
He told him:
“Neil, I will help you track down Carol. Don’t worry, we will find her …”
Neil silently nodded and pulled out from the parking place.
***
St. John police station, 3.15 pm
Neil had called St. John police station in the morning, and they had told him to ask for Lieutenant Louis Garland, the policeman who had investigated the alleged kidnapping.
As soon as Billy and Neil had introduced themselves to the agent at the reception, they were accompanied down a long corridor to a closed door. The agent who was escorting them knocked. A voice from within said: “Come in!” The agent opened the door, and let Billy and Neil in, announcing: “Inspector McKinley and agent Nigel from Rosary. They said you were waiting for them.” The officer retreated, and the Lieutenant, who was sitting behind a large desk, stood up and came to greet them.
“Inspector McKinley, it’s a pleasure to meet you in person. Agent Nigel, nice to meet you. Have a seat, please.”
Neil and Billy sat down on two plastic chairs in front of the desk, while Lieutenant Garland perched on the edge of the desk. He was a tall man, bald with dark eyes and a long nose. He took off his reading glasses and asked:
“On the phone, you said you wanted to talk about Daisy Brown’s kidnapping, or whatever it was.”
Neil started:
“Yes, in Rosary we made friends with Daisy and some other girls. We have already noticed that Daisy is easily scared and upset, that she doesn't talk much. Last Sunday we went for a walk together, and, when we were going back to the parking place, Daisy saw three guys near a car, and she had a violent reaction. Eventually she calmed down, but it was really worrisome.” The Lieutenant was listening intently, and Neil went on:
“Yesterday I talked to Daisy’s grandmother, and she told me that since that incident Daisy has never been the same. Furthermore, Daisy's mother died two years ago…”
Lieutenant Garland interrupted him immediately:
“Mrs. Brown is dead?” his voice sounded incredulous. Neil and Billy exchanged a quick glance, but Neil reflected that, since Daisy had declared there had been no kidnapping, the Lieutenant had stopped investigating soon, and he had not kept in touch with the family.
“Yes, four years ago, the family moved from Fredericton to Rosary, and two years ago Mrs. Grace Brown went out for a walk, and they found her the following day at the bottom of a ravine. She hurt her head in the fall, and she died instantly.”
The Lieutenant remained silent for a few minutes, and then he spoke slowly, as if he was still processing the information he had just received.
“Sorry for my reaction, but, at the time of what I insist on calling an attempted kidnapping, Mrs. Brown and her mother tried to learn the truth from the girl, and it was evident that they had doubts, even if, when they arrived at the gas station, Daisy had already changed her version. In reality, the only person she told that she had been kidnapped was the gas attendant. And, even if Mr Brown insisted on his having misunderstood, that guy kept on repeating that he was absolutely certain of what he had heard.”
Neil asked Garland:
“Can I have a copy of the file on this episode? I would like to have a look at it…”
The Lieutenant sounded uncertain:
“I don’t see the point in looking into a case that in reality was open and closed. The girl insisted that she had lost her way. Her father asked not to investigate further. You’ll understand that we could not do anything else.” His tone was defensive, as if he were afraid that Neil and Billy would accuse him of negligence in his investigation.
Neil said immediately with his usual calm voice:
“Lieutenant Garland, we are not implying that you didn't do your job, don't worry!” The man in front of him relaxed visibly, and Neil added:
“The girl's grandmother is really worried about Daisy, and we would like to try to talk to her. Maybe, after some years, we will be able to understand why she stuck to that version, which, to say the truth, doesn't convince us. We are acting on a personal level, it is not an official investigation, and I have no intention to reopen a closed case.”
“Oh, I see.” Garland smiled for the first time, since they had started talking about Daisy’s kidnapping. He went to a cabinet in a corner of the room, and he opened the bottom drawer. He took out a file with a red cover, he called an officer and asked him to make photocopies. When the officer came back, he gave the sheets to Neil. He said:
“This is what we could find out, Inspector McKinley. ”
Neil stood up, he thanked the Lieutenant, and he left with Billy.
***
When Neil and Billy were back in Neil’s car, they looked at each other, and Billy commented:
“There is something wrong in this whole story, Neil.” He was thumbing through the pages of the file the Lieutenant had given them. “What Daisy’s grandmother told you and what is written here are two different things. Here it is clear that Daisy just lost her way, and it was all a misfortunate accident. But… How could the police not have doubts?”
Neil said:
“They probably had doubts, and it is clear that the Lieutenant is afraid of being judged for not investigating. On the other hand, if Daisy herself declared that she had got lost, and her father didn't ask the police to investigate, there was not much they could do …”
Billy watched Neil with a smile, and he said jokingly: “I know a policeman, who would have certainly investigated…” He winked at Neil, and they started to laugh …
Neil took out his mobile phone and scrolled the numbers on his contact list. He looked at Billy and said:
“I want to try calling Daisy’s father, Luke Brown… Let’s hear his side of the story…”
After a few rings, a wary voice answered:
“Hello”
Neil introduced himself:
“Hello, Mr Brown. My name is Neil McKinley, and I am the new Inspector in Rosary.” Tense silence at the other end of the line. “I have recently met your daughter Daisy…” Still no reaction … Neil and Billy exchanged a glance.
Neil was forced to go on:
“My friends and I are worried about your daughter …”
“Why should you be?” Coldness in the voice, but also a trace of nervousness.
Neil related briefly what had happened the previous Sunday, stressing the reaction of the young girl. After another minute of silence, Brown said:
“I thank you for your concern, Inspector, but you mustn't worry. Daisy is evidently going through a period of stress because of her studies. She lost her mother two years ago, and, as you can imagine, she misses her very much. What did she tell you?”
Billy shifted uneasily in his seat, because the conversation was taking them nowhere, and Brown was getting more and more nervous. Neil and Billy shared the feeling that this phone call could have negative consequences for Daisy, instead of helping her.
Neil answered quickly:
“She didn't say anything. On the contrary, she reassured us that nothing was wrong, but …”
“If she didn't ask for your help, why are you calling me? Concentrate on your investigations and mind your own business, please. I have already told Daisy that I don’t like her going out with much older men, men she doesn't know anything about. And now, if you don’t mind, I am at work, and I can’t talk on the phone!”
The phone call was disconnected, and Neil looked at Billy for some moments before speaking:
“Why react that way with strangers? Why, if you have nothing to hide?”
Billy locked eyes with his friend and said:
“If he wanted us to stop looking into what happened six years ago, he chose the wrong method, because, I don't know about you, but now I really want to know about that kidnapping, because I am sure it was that….”
Neil nodded, and he added:
“We are going to the bottom of this, that’s for sure… I want to talk to Daisy, but I think I will wait for a few days. Let’s hope her father doesn't take it out on her now…”
He started the engine, and they left the police station parking lot.
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***
Neil McKinley’s home, 8 pm
Neil was checking the emails on his laptop, when his phone rang. He recognized the number of Sister Frances from the Orphanage in Fredericton, and he answered kindly:
“Hello, Sister Frances. How are you doing?”
“Inspector McKinley, good evening. I hope I don’t disturb you.”
“No, of course not. I know that I had promised to get in contact with you, but I have been busy, and I had to check the volleyball schedule for the children before thinking of a date…” he thought for a moment, and he added: “Would next Saturday afternoon be ok with you?”
When he had gone to ask for information about Amy at the orphanage in Fredericton, where the child had been taken after she was found, Sister Frances had asked him if he was willing to talk to the orphans about his experience and his career. He had immediately agreed, but he had said that he had just arrived in Rosary, and he needed a few days to settle in his new job and in the community.
The sister's voice sounded enthusiastic, when she replied:
“It would be perfect. Oh, the children will love it. When there was the award ceremony on TV, the reporter hinted at the fact that you are an orphan, and they asked me so many questions… Not personal, Neil, but about your job, and why you decided to become an agent…”
“Will four o’clock be ok for you, sister?”
“Yes, it will be perfect.” She waited for a few moments, before saying, “In reality, I haven't called you for the meeting with the children, but because I have finally had time to look through the photos of the Christmas celebration, when Amy was here.”
Neil became immediately alert. Maybe they could finally find a clue to Amy’s past or to the people who had kept her.
He said eagerly:
“This could be very important, Sister! Have you found the photo of that man who kept trying to talk to her?”
“Yes. As I had already told you, at Christmas time we always have a lot of volunteers who bring gifts for the children and try to create a cozy atmosphere…” her voice trailed off, because she realized she was talking to an orphan. Neil was silently listening. “Every Christmas we take a lot of photos, and we keep them archived in a database on the computer. I went through them yesterday, and there are two or three pictures where that guy is together with other volunteers. There are no close-up photos, and I remember he didn't like to be photographed, but I think you can see him clearly enough…”
“Thanks a lot, Sister. Can you show them to me next Saturday?”
“Oh, I have already printed them for you!”
“You have been really very kind. I appreciate it! ”
“I would do anything to see that poor girl smile… Do you think that man may know something about her past?”
“It is too early to say, but I will try to find out who he is and why he wanted to talk to her…”
“How is Amy? Is she opening up a little? Sister Theresa told me two or three days ago that she isn't afraid of you… She told me about the arrest you made at the orphanage and the fact that you saved the kid's life.”
“Yes, maybe she was scared because she had been threatened with a gun and she needed comfort. I still don't know why she isn't afraid of me. There must be something in her past that connects her to me, but I don’t know what it is yet…She is still timid and scared. She doesn't talk much… I think that she is starting to remember something, but it must be something frightening…”
“I pray every day for that poor darling. See you next Saturday, Neil, and thanks…”
“You are welcome. Have a good night, Sister…”
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