Alex Barclay - Harm's Reach

‘That last sighting in Denver was real,’ said Ren.

Ren called Eleanor Jensen.

‘I’m sorry for leaving you hanging,’ said Ren. ‘We’re just looking into a few things. I wanted to ask you about Fr Daniel O’Sullivan. What do you know about him?’

‘Not a lot,’ said Eleanor. ‘Just that he was the first chaplain here, he lived at the abbey, he said mass here every day of his life. He welcomed every nationality, he turned no one away. He accepted alcoholics, down-and-outs, ladies of the night — the kind of people who wouldn’t be welcome elsewhere. He was a hero around here.’

‘Was he Irish?’ said Ren. She could hear Janine’s cell phone ringing behind her.

‘Yes,’ said Eleanor. ‘A Cork man, from what I gather.’

‘Thank you,’ said Ren. She was nodding at Janine, but Janine was engrossed in her call.

‘Agent Bryce,’ said Eleanor. ‘What about Delores Ward?’

‘I can’t get into that right now,’ said Ren, ‘but you have nothing to be concerned about.’

‘Are you sure?’ said Eleanor.

‘Yes,’ said Ren.

‘Because she’s here at the abbey right now.’

‘Oh,’ said Ren. ‘She’s not in her cabin?’

‘No,’ said Eleanor. ‘We finally persuaded her to move in here. They’re dismantling the cabin today. Delores came to an arrangement with Burt Kendall. Can you hear that rain? Honestly. I don’t think that cabin could survive that kind of downpour.’

‘We need to find out some more details,’ said Ren, ‘and we will be coming by to speak with Delores later on.’

‘Who is she?’ said Eleanor.

‘Someone we believe had a terribly tragic life,’ said Ren. ‘Until she came to Evergreen Abbey.’

Janine finished her call, then stared at her screen intently. She walked over to Ren.

‘OK, I just got a call from a case manager at Stateville,’ said Janine. ‘She heard about the inquiry about Laura Flynn and Derrick Charles. She says that the name Laura Flynn came up in connection with a totally different inmate. They had a mail watch on him. Laura Flynn sent him a letter.’

‘Who is he?’ said Ren.

‘A man called Frankie Gorman, currently serving an eighteen-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault and burglary.’

‘Oh my God,’ said Ren.

‘Conor Gorman’s deadbeat dad.’ They both said it at the same time.

‘Holy shit,’ said Ren. ‘Ho. Lee. Shit. What did the letter say?’

‘She emailed me a PDF,’ said Janine. ‘It says: “ Dear Frankie, Conor and I are in trouble. I know it probably seems unfair getting in touch after all these years, but I couldn’t think of anyone else who would care enough to help. I will be in Chicago on May 12th. I’m staying at the same hotel as my sister. I don’t know if there is time to put me on your visitor list, but, Janey Mac, you know how much I’d love to see you. Regards, Laura (Flynn) .”’

‘And did he try to get her on his visitor list?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Janine. ‘This was only sent a week before she died. She probably didn’t know she’d have had to be background checked, she would have needed more time. But why would she go to Chicago if there was no guarantee of meeting with him?’

‘Did the case manager ask Gorman about all this?’ said Ren.

‘Yup — he said he got the letter, big deal, he hadn’t seen her in ten years, since right before he went to prison.’ She paused. ‘What does Janey Mac mean?’

Ren laughed. ‘That, I learned, is the Irish way of saying Jesus Christ... if you don’t want to piss your “mammy” off.’

‘That guy taught you a lot,’ said Janine. ‘Why is Laura Flynn saying she’d love to see Frankie Gorman, when we know that the family thought he was a loser?’

‘Looking for money?’ said Ren. ‘Like, support for Conor if she was about to take him out of the country? Letting his father know in person that they were leaving the United States? But, again, I can’t see her doing that, because of his loserdom.’

‘She says “I’m staying in the same hotel as my sister.” Why would she say that? Why would he care where she stays?’

‘Hmm,’ said Ren. ‘I do not know.’ She told Janine about Delores’ move from the cabin. ‘I mean, it wasn’t long ago that she didn’t want to budge. She was adamant she was going nowhere. Now, this turnaround. Conflicting behaviors all round...’

‘That’s for sure...’

‘The headstone was revealed by Jesse several weeks ago, were anyone to have noticed the cemetery,’ said Ren. ‘But Delores must have only realized that a few days ago... otherwise she would have gotten Conor to take care of it as soon as she knew. Maybe she’s planning to leave. She could hardly say that to Eleanor. She would go along with whatever new accommodation she had set up for her in the abbey.’

‘She’s been hiding something in that cabin,’ said Janine.

They both considered it.

‘Angelo Marianelli,’ said Ren. ‘What if Angelo Marianelli tracked her down... and she... took care of him?’

‘I think you’ve got it,’ said Janine.

Ren’s phone started ringing. ‘It’s Everett,’ she said. She put him on speaker.

‘OK, I have updates,’ said Everett. ‘Burt Kendall has set up a new company. It’s called ETS, Energy Transport Services. And they’ve just been awarded a one-million-dollar contract from NOVA. From Robert Prince. The company is registered in Williston, North Dakota. Do you know how many trucks are going back and forth there every day? Water, chemicals, drilling equipment, pipes... this is a one-million-dollar contract, but it’s worth a hell of a lot more than that.’

‘That has to be through Delores Ward’s recommendation,’ said Ren.

‘And yes, flight records confirm Robert Prince has taken several trips there...’ said Everett.

‘Were any of them around the beginning of April?’ said Ren.

‘Yup,’ said Everett. ‘He was there April 4th through 7th.’

‘That was the same time as Delores Ward,’ said Ren. ‘I think we’ve just found out who owns the second tract of land with the energy rights.’

Rain poured down the library windows of Evergreen Abbey. It had started without warning; instant gray skies quickly turned black, the rain fell, aggressive, relentless. Through the blurred glass, Delores Ward had been watching the tracks of the green digger move through the thick mud, Burt Kendall at the wheel. The bucket rose and struck the walls of the cabin, gouging out chunks. He was gone now, driven away by the downpour.

She hurt. For six decades, she hurt. She had prayed and prayed and prayed. She had sought forgiveness, but she hadn’t found it, not in her heart, not where it mattered.

There was a knock on the library door. Conor Gorman walked in, drenched, his boots covered with mud, his jeans spattered. He slumped into one of the chairs at an old mahogany table. Delores sat down opposite him. He slid a battered metal box toward her. ‘I think they’re all there.’

‘Thank you,’ said Delores. ‘God may just be on my side after all.’

‘Whose bones are they?’ said Conor.

‘A bad man,’ said Delores. ‘Sent by an even badder one.’

‘Badder — I like that,’ said Conor. He smiled. ‘Who was the badder one? Seeing that you killed this one.’ He pointed to the box.

Delores frowned. ‘It’s not a joke. The other man, I recently discovered, you have a connection to. Robert Prince is your guardian? Well, it was his... grandfather, Walter, who sent this gangster after me.’

‘Why?’ said Conor.

‘It’s all in the past now. Robert Prince has turned out to be nothing like him.’

Conor snorted.