Iris Johansen - Bonnie

“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.

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 NOlonger 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.”