Iris Johansen - Bonnie

“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.”

“ONLY TWO FATHER DOMINICSin 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.”