Bonnie

CHAPTER 9

“ONLY TWO FATHER DOMINICS in 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.”

Gallo frowned. “That’s north of Atlanta, isn’t it?”

“Yes, northwest. It’s closer to Chattanooga than Atlanta, but we can make it an hour or so. I got the address from the secretary. Suppose we rent a car when we arrive and drive straight up there?”

“That sounds like a plan,” Gallo said. “We’re more likely to get answers if we question him face-to-face.”

“I doubt he’s going to give us any problem. After all, he’s a priest. We explain what we want, and he tells us where to find Kevin Donnelly.” She sat down and fastened her seat belt. “Priests are definitely not any kind of threat.”

DANNER’S HANDS CLENCHED with frustration at his sides as he watched Father Barnabas from where he stood inside the garden shed. The priest was on the outdoor basketball court with the two young boys. He was laughing, his T-shirt wet with sweat as he ran down the court and made the basket. The two teenage boys groaned and ran to retrieve the ball.

The priest was happy. Once, Danner would have been glad that Father Barnabas was able to take such joy in life but not now.

He needed him. He had been trying to see him since early morning, and the priest had always been surrounded. First, with those sober people who had come to arrange a funeral, then with these kids from the boys’ club. None of them were important. Couldn’t Father Barnabas feel the torment that was tearing at him? His need was greater than theirs. The child was getting closer and would not leave him alone.

But if the priest was able to sense his torment and anger, perhaps he was afraid. Father Barnabas had great powers, and perhaps he’d been able to sense Ted’s anger the last time he was here. Maybe he was trying to avoid him.

He could feel the rage growing within him.

No, control it. That was the demons again. Father Barnabas was never afraid. Even when he suspected that Danner was not… normal, he would only become more quiet, stronger. He would talk to him, soothe him… cleanse him.

Get rid of those boys, Father. Send them home.

I need to talk to you.

The little girl came to me again.

Help me. I have to do what she wants me to do.

I think she wants me to kill the Delilah demon, but I can’t be sure. I can’t make a mistake. That would be another sin, and I have committed so many.

Maybe it’s something else that I have to give her…

“VERY IMPRESSIVE,” EVE SAID as she gazed at the huge gray stone church looming on the corner of the street in the long rays of the afternoon sun. “And unexpected in such a small Southern town. Atlanta is heavily Baptist, not Catholic.”

“Well, evidently, they must have enough people to fill this cathedral.” Gallo parked the rental car. “It looks very Gothic.”

“Yes.” Eve jumped out of the car and started up the stairs. “But I’m not very interested in architecture at the moment. We need to find this Father Dominic. I just hope-”

“Just a minute.” Gallo’s phone was ringing, and he glanced at the ID. “Catherine. Go on. I’ll catch up.”

“Right.” She swung open the heavy oak door of the sanctuary. “I’ll be here. Though we may have to go to the residence if there’s no Mass scheduled for-”

“May I help you?” A tall, thin man in clerical garb was coming down the aisle toward them. “I’m afraid Mass isn’t until seven tonight. We had to change the schedules because of the services we had to add.” A crooked smile lit his thin, angular face with warmth. “Are you a member of our parish? I don’t believe I’ve met you yet. I’m a little new here.”

Pay dirt, Eve thought. “Father Dominic?”

“That’s right.” He shook her hand. “And you are?”

“Eve Duncan. No, I’m not a member of your church. I have a few questions we’d like to ask. I wonder if I could speak with you.”

“You’re thinking about joining? I’d be glad to accommodate you, but if you need any information about St. Michael’s, you really need to talk to Father Barnabas. This is his church. I’m just visiting and helping out. Father Barnabas has had an unusually heavy surge of people who have joined the church lately.” He shrugged. “Though that’s not unusual. Times have been hard lately, and people have a tendency to turn to God when they’re in need.”

“Even in your church in Buckhead? Not many people are in financial need in that area, Father Dominic.”

His smile faded. “How did you know that my church is in Buckhead?”

“Because you’re the one I came to see. Not this Father Barnabas. May I sit down?”

“Of course.” He gestured to the pew next to them. “This is God’s house, not mine.” He smiled again. “Well, maybe it’s a little Father Barnabas’s. He seems to put his stamp on everything around him.”

“That’s interesting,” she said absently as she sat down. Get down to the reason that she was here. She just hoped he was the right Father Dominic. She hadn’t even established that fact yet. “Several years ago, you visited a James O’Leary at his pub in Dublin. Is that right?”

“O’Leary?” He made a face. “Oh, yes. Not one of my most pleasant memories. He threw me out.”

She gave a relieved sigh. First bridge crossed. “After you gave him a rosary blessed by the Pope.”

He nodded. “And I prayed for his soul after I left him. I’m not even sure the Holy Father could-” He broke off, gazing at her curiously. “Why are you asking me this?”

“Because you told O’Leary that his cousin, Kevin Donnelly, had asked you to give O’Leary the rosary. I need to know how to find Kevin Donnelly.”

He tilted his head. “You don’t know?”

“If I knew, would I be asking you?” she asked impatiently. “The hospital where he worked isn’t being very cooperative. We’ll track him down, but there’s no reason why you can’t tell us where he is. It will save us time.”

He chuckled. “You sound like a bill collector. Though I know Kevin would never be a deadbeat.”

“You know him well?”

“Very well.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

He didn’t answer directly. “Why do you want to find him? Are you one of the patients he worked with at the hospital?”

“No, but I have questions about one of this patients.” She said. “You’re trying to protect him? I don’t want to cause him any trouble. I just want to locate one of his ex-patients and ask Donnelly a few questions.”

He shook his head. “Kevin won’t disclose any confidences.”

“Isn’t that up to him? There’s a very good reason for him to tell me what I need to know.” She added deliberately, “Life or death, Father Dominic. So why don’t you tell me when you saw him last and where I can find him now.”

“Life or death?” He was silent a moment. “Truly, Ms. Duncan?”

She looked him in the eye. “I don’t lie, Father.”

He nodded slowly. “No, I don’t believe you would.” He thought for a moment. “I don’t know why I’m trying to guard him. He can take care of himself. He’d laugh at me.” He grimaced. “He does that quite a bit actually.”

Present tense. She stiffened. He was going to give her the information. “Tell me.”

“When did I last see him?” His lips turned up at the corners. “About forty-five minutes ago.”

“What?”

“And where can you find him?” He nodded at the door to the left of altar. “Out in the garden. He’s trying to repair the fountain.”

She stared at him blankly. “He’s a handyman?”

“Kevin is many things, a regular jack-of-all-trades.” He stood up and helped her to her feet. “And actually I offered to try to fix the fountain, but he said it was his responsibility.” He paused. “Since it was his church.”

Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“That Kevin is the priest who requested I come here and help him for a few weeks?” He nodded. “Father Barnabas.”

She had suspected it was coming, but she was still stunned. “Why?”

“I assure you that he wasn’t trying to go undercover or some such nonsense. He took the name when he graduated from the seminary.”

“In Valdosta, Georgia.” She was putting the pieces together. “That’s where he went to seminary.”

He nodded. “That’s where I met him. We were students together. We became friends. We’re still good friends. Kevin is a remarkable man. It’s not often a man gives up a lucrative medical practice and years of training to devote himself to God.”

“Why did he do it? You’re saying he had some kind of calling?”

“I’m saying that he’s a fine man,” he said quietly. “And that if you want to know anything else about him, you should ask him yourself.” He gestured to the door. “And tell him if he wants to go to the office and talk to you, I’ll take over repairing that fountain.” He smiled. “Kevin gets fixated on a project once he starts it. He won’t stop until he finishes. He’s always sure that nobody else can do it as well as he can. I always tell him that God doesn’t approve of the sin of vanity.”

“And what does he reply?”

“He says that God wouldn’t have given him a mind and a skill if He hadn’t meant him to use them.” He started to turn away. “Kevin always has an answer.”

“I hope he has a few for me,” Eve said grimly as she headed for the door he’d indicated. “I have a friend, John Gallo, who should be here soon. He stopped outside to take a phone call. Would you tell him what you told me and where I am?” She saw him hesitate, and added, “He’s no threat to Kevin Donnelly either. I promise you, Father Dominic. All he has to do is answer a few questions.”

He nodded. “I believe you. As I said, Kevin can take care of himself.” He headed down the aisle. “If he couldn’t, he wouldn’t be capable of caring for hundreds of parishioners.” He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes twinkling. “With the help of God… and his friends, of which I count myself one of the more intelligent. I’m afraid I have a bit of vanity myself.”

She could feel the excitement tingle through her. Close. She was so close. She had never dreamed that she’d be lucky enough to be heading straight to Kevin Donnelly when they’d driven up to this cathedral. “A little vanity never hurt anyone.” She was moving quickly toward the door. “Thank you, Father.” She opened the door, and her gaze quickly searched the spacious rose garden. It was a lovely, formal garden with a two-tiered stone fountain in the center of it. The fountain was encircled by three stone benches.

But there was only a dark-haired teenage boy in a Bon Jovi T-shirt near that fountain. He was squatting down and peering at-

“Give me the screwdriver, Billy.”

“Did you find it, Father?” He moved, and Eve could see that the side of the fountain had been jacked up, and a man was on his back and half under the fountain.

“I think so. It’s calcium deposits blocking the filter. If I can clean them out, the water should run fine until I can get a new filter.”

“Do you want me to do it?”

“No, not this time. I’m getting it. But the next time I expect you to be able to recognize the problem and be able to take care of it. You’re studying to be a gardener, and taking care of the hardscape is as important as the planting.”

It had to be Kevin Donnelly, Eve thought, as she walked toward them. Though all she could see was two black-clad legs protruding from beneath the fountain.

But when she was within a few yards of the fountain, he suddenly scooted out into the path with a quick, lithe, undulating motion. “Done.” He grinned at the boy and handed him the screwdriver. “Go turn the water back on. It should flow like the Red Sea rushing back to drown the Egyptians.”

“You shouldn’t be so bloodthirsty, Father.” The boy chuckled. “You’re always telling me that I need to-” He broke off as he saw Eve. His smile faded, and he quickly whirled on his heel. “I’ll go turn on the water.” He hurried down the path toward the church.

Eve’s gaze followed him. “I didn’t mean to scare him off.” She turned back to the man who’d emerged from beneath the fountain. If this was Kevin Donnelly, he was a man in his fifties, with a strong, tall, muscular body, a shock of gray-flecked hair, and blue eyes surrounded by laugh lines. “You’d think I had a contagious disease.”

“You’re a woman,” Kevin Donnelly said as he wiped his wet hands on a towel he’d picked up from the ground. “Billy has problems with women.”

“He’s shy?”

“No, just wary.” He got to his feet. “Forgive my appearance. I’ve been training Billy on the basics of becoming a gardener. He has a real talent for it. I’m Father Barnabas. Is there something that I can do for you?”

“Father Dominic thought you might.” She paused. “I’ve been looking for Kevin Donnelly.”

He grinned. “You’ve found him.”

“Also Father Barnabas?”

He nodded. “One name I was given, the other I took. These days, sometimes it’s hard to remember that other life.”

“Well, your cousin, James O’Leary, remembers you very well.” She paused. “But he didn’t know you had become a priest.”

“He wouldn’t have understood. He didn’t accept my advice as a psychiatrist, he certainly wouldn’t have let me help him as a priest.” He shrugged. “I know a few people in the city, and they keep an eye on him for me. When he reaches the point of no return, I’ll be there for him.”

“‘Point of no return,’” she repeated. “And what is that?”

“Everyone comes to a meeting in the road with God when they’ve reached the final pit. They either follow Him away from it or leap into the abyss.” He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. “But sometimes if there’s someone there to explain the rules, it can make a difference.”

“Yes, it can.”

“Why did you phone my cousin James?”

“It was the only lead I had. The people you worked with at the VA hospital are very close-mouthed about you. Why is that?”

“Because they’re good friends, and they knew I wanted to make a final break with my patients there. I set them up with fine, competent doctors who could help them, but many patients develop a dependence on their psychiatrists that’s difficult to break if they find they can maintain contact. The best way is to make a clean break. When I started at the seminary, I made it impossible for me to be found.” He tilted his head. “Yet you found me. I’m very curious why you bothered.” He stiffened. “Unless you’re a relation to one of my ex-patients?”

“Not a relation. Definitely connected.” She paused. “Ted Danner. I need to know everything you know about Ted Danner.”

His wariness became even more obvious. “Indeed?” He murmured, his gaze searching her face. “And why is that?”

She was silent. How much to tell him? She was suddenly aware that this man exuded a power that was very formidable. All of that casual, almost boyish charisma had vanished. “He recently murdered a man. He may murder others. Who should know better than you that he’s unbalanced? You treated him for a number of years, didn’t you?”

“Murder.” His lips tightened. “You’re sure? Not self-defense, not an accident?”

“A dagger in the chest isn’t usually an accident.”

His eyes closed for a moment. “Dear God in Heaven. Lost. Truly lost.” His eyes were glittering with moisture when he opened them. “And mad…”

“You’re surprised? Yet you must have known that was a possibility. You were his psychiatrist. Didn’t he ever give you a glimmer that he was capable of killing someone?”

“Of course he did. He was a Ranger. He was trained to kill.” His lips twisted. “He was praised when he did it right. The Army made him what he was, then threw him to us to heal when he became… unstable.”

“You’re blaming the military?”

He wearily shook his head. “I blame no one but the world we live in and what it does to us.” He added bitterly, “And the demons it causes to rise within our souls. Ted Danner knows all about those demons. He’s obsessed with them. He probably thought he was killing one when he stabbed that man.”

She stiffened. “You say that with some authority. You know Danner very well?”

“As you said, I treated him for years.”

“But you cut your ties to him as you did your other patients?”

He was silent. “I cut all ties.”

She had seen something in his expression. “But did he accept it? Danner was a Ranger, he was smart. He would know how to track you down. Did he have some kind of paternal fixation on you? Have you seen him since you left the hospital?”

He didn’t answer the question. “Who are you? And what are you to Ted Danner? You said you weren’t a relation. Are you with the police?”

“No, my name is Eve Duncan.”

He slowly nodded. “I thought I recognized you. You’re the forensic sculptor. I’ve seen your photo in the newspaper. What do you have to do with Ted Danner?”

“You tell me.” She took step closer to him. “What did he say to you?” she asked fiercely. “No one was closer to him. First, as his psychiatrist, then his priest. He did search you out, didn’t he? Did he mention my daughter?”

“Your daughter?” He shook his head. “Why would he-” He stopped, as the realization hit him. “You daughter was killed years ago. You believe Danner did it?”

“I don’t know. She was taken about the time you left the hospital and stopped treating Danner. Did he ever talk about her?”

He shook his head in bewilderment. “Why would he?”

He was telling the truth. “She was also the daughter of John Gallo. You must know about John.”

“Ted Danner’s nephew.” The priest nodded. “He loves him very much. He probably doesn’t love anyone else on this Earth.”

“You know that, and you didn’t know about Gallo’s daughter?”

“Perhaps Danner didn’t know.” Then he muttered, “Or perhaps he did. It would explain so much. The little girl…”

“He knew,” she said jerkily. “He knew about my Bonnie. And what would it explain?”

He didn’t answer directly, “And you think he killed her?”

“It’s possible. I’m going to find out. I’m going to find him. You have to help me.”

He shook his head.

“Don’t tell me no,” she said fiercely. “You’re a priest, a man of God. I’ve told you that Danner has already killed and might kill again. You can’t let him go free. You know where he is, don’t you?”

“No.”

“But you’ve been in recent contact with him. You could find him. He must have told you something. You’ve got to help me.”

“God will help you.”

“It’s your duty, dammit.”

“My duty is to God and my vows.”

“So pure. But how pure are you, Father? You appear to have gotten off scot-free on that charge that was leveled at you several years ago. But it just occurred to me that if you were afraid that Danner might bring new evidence and testify against you, it might ruin your bright new life. You might not want him to be found. Were you experimenting on Ted Danner, too?”

His gaze was narrowed on her face. “You’ve done some in-depth research, haven’t you?”

“Answer me.”

“But I don’t have to answer you. You obviously wouldn’t believe me if I did.”

“Does Danner come to you in the confessional?”

“Yes. But very infrequently.”

“Then you must know-you have to know something.”

“And you know I can’t violate the confessional.”

She didn’t know anything but that she didn’t trust anything that he was telling her. “Not even to catch a murderer, to prevent another murder?”

He was silent. “I couldn’t violate my vow. I’d have to do it in another way. I can only try to find Danner myself and prevent him from striking at another of his demons.”

“Demons? You mentioned that before. What are you talking about?” She added bitterly, “Or is that something else that you have to keep confidential?” She took a step closer to him. “You listen to me, Father Barnabas. My daughter is dead and may have been killed by Ted Danner. I have to find him. I have to know everything about him. I won’t stop until I do. I’ll follow you everywhere you go.” She paused. “And I don’t care about your vows. You have to tell me what he told you.”

“I can’t do that,” he said quietly. “You must see that I can’t betray a trust. As a psychiatrist, I was bound by one oath, and when I became a priest, I became bound by an even stronger one. Either way, I mustn’t break my vows.”

“Or you could be protecting yourself and using your vows to keep me from finding Danner.” She added deliberately. “Implanted false memories, Father Barnabas? What a horrible crime.”

He looked her straight in the eye. “Yes, it is.”

“Did you do it? What was the verdict of that court?”

He smiled faintly. “Another vow that I can’t break. I agreed to a sealed testimony. You wouldn’t want me to get in trouble with the law.”

He wasn’t going to help her, she realized in frustration. The priest was staring at her with an expression that was firmly determined. “Danner is a criminal. The authorities are looking for him. They won’t understand about your vows, Father Barnabas.”

He smiled faintly. “God will understand. I can’t please everyone, Ms. Duncan. I have to choose. I realized that a long time ago.” He glanced away from her. “Who is Danner supposed to have killed?”

“Thomas Jacobs.” Her gaze was studying his face, but she could see no change of expression. “You don’t recognize the name?”

His smile deepened. “I understand you deal with faces all the time in your profession. Can’t you read me?”

“Maybe.” She was silent a moment. “I don’t believe he told you anything about Jacobs. But that’s a guess. I don’t know you, and you’re obviously smart and have a good deal of self-control.”

“And you’re desperate to learn something you can sink your teeth into. I’m a great disappointment to you.”

“You’re damn right.”

“And you’re in pain. Such pain.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll tell you what I can, Ms. Duncan. You won’t be satisfied, but it may help you get through this.” He gazed at the water now flowing from the fountain. “First, you have to know that I have no real idea where you can find Ted Danner. For the first few years after he found me and started coming to confession, he worked here at the church. But then he slipped away and only came back every several months. I tried to get him to return, but he said that he was too comfortable here and that he wasn’t meant to stay with me.”

“That sounds amazingly self-sacrificial. I’m finding that fairly unbelievable in the context of what I know about Danner now.”

“Why? Every man has to fight the sin within him. Danner’s battle was more extreme than most.” His lips tightened. “And as long as he stayed on his medicine, he was able to manage it. But he stopped taking it when he said it weakened him, and he was afraid he couldn’t fight the demons.”

“What demons?”

“He would have to identify them for you. He wanted help with them, but he would only talk about them vaguely. I couldn’t pin him down.”

“And you have no idea where he went when he left you or what he was doing?”

“I know he was working as a volunteer for the Salvation Army for a while in Birmingham. But then he left them, too, and started to go from job to job.”

“He wasn’t a young man, and he’d been injured. How could he get work?”

“The spinal operation was a complete success, and he worked out for hours every day. He said he had to keep strong. He was almost fanatical about it. He had a tent, and there were times he lived off the land for months at a time.”

He was telling her more than she had hoped. Not enough, but maybe she could push him. “Danner didn’t tell you he had killed?”

He didn’t answer for a moment. “Of course he did, and it tormented him. But it was always about his time in the service.” He hesitated. “I cannot tell you any personal details, but perhaps it would be better if I give you an idea how my sessions with Danner proceeded. That would not be a violation. After a dozen or so appointments, he began to start loosening up. He told me about his nephew. He was completely devastated when he heard Gallo had been killed in Korea.”

“But he didn’t tell you about my daughter, Bonnie?”

He shook his head. “You have to understand. Danner is a very secretive man, and he’s always surprisingly insecure in his relationships. I had to pull stories and feelings out of him.” His lips twisted. “After we crossed the bridge in the doctor-patient relationship, I always had the feeling he didn’t want to disappoint me. It’s not unusual to have a patient like Danner develop a certain dependence on my good opinion. But that was a real hindrance in getting anything of any significance done. He didn’t want to tell me anything that he thought would turn me against him. I’ve never been able to overcome that reluctance.”

“And he never told you anything about Bonnie?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Wouldn’t you? But you said ‘the little girl.’ What little girl? Danner must have told you something about Bonnie.”

He shook his head. “Nothing clear or concise. He never referred to her by name.” He paused. “Though he did mention a little girl.”

She stiffened. “Did he tell you what he did to her?”

“You don’t understand. He never spoke of this little girl as a victim. He refers to her as if she’s alive. It may be another child.”

“Then you have to tell me where I can find her. He’s a murderer. We have to get her away from him.”

“I don’t think that she’s in danger. If I were to describe his feeling for her, I’d say he was intimidated.”

“What?”

“That’s my impression.” He shrugged. “And that’s all I can discuss with you. You had a right to know that I have no definitive information concerning your daughter.” He turned away. “Rules are rules, but I don’t believe God would want you tormented like that.”

“Wait.”

“I have to go and change, and I have an appointment with a young couple who are being married. I’ve told you all I can.”

“Wait. You said he was lost… and mad. And what’s all this talk of demons?”

He paused, then said, “During his bad times, he believes that he’s surrounded by demons and that it’s his duty to destroy them.”

“Bad times? Does he have good times?”

“Oh, yes, he can be kind and generous, and he wants desperately to be good. But those times have become less frequent lately.” He added soberly, “Which makes for a very dangerous condition. One moment he’s fairly stable, and the next he’s… volatile.”

“You mean dangerous.”

“Considering what you’ve told me, I have to assume that’s true.”

“I don’t know about his good times, but I’ve witnessed one of his bad episodes,” Eve said grimly. “He almost killed my friend Catherine. You said that you’d go after him yourself. How can you do that if you don’t know where he is? Was that the truth?”

He smiled. “I don’t lie. Good afternoon, Ms. Duncan.”

She couldn’t let him go. “John Gallo is probably inside with Father Dominic now. Will you talk to him?”

“Of course.” He was walking down the path. “He’s Danner’s nephew. There must be great love between them. He’s probably suffering right now. It’s my job to alleviate suffering.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But, no, my answer to him will be the same as to you. I’ve told you all I can reveal about Ted.”

Her hands clenched as she watched him walk away from her. Questioning the priest had been like battering against an invisible wall. He had been courteous, cool, and tough as nails. There was no way to reach him and get past the barrier of his damn code. What could they do? It wasn’t as if they could use force against him. How did you manage to overcome a code that had led Kevin Donnelly from the secular to the pulpit? He had given up everything because of his beliefs.

Maybe. Unless that pious front hid an inner corruption. She should have pinned him harder on that court case.

But she had to do something. There had to be a way, and she wasn’t going to find it staring after the priest like this.

She started after him.

“DON’T DO IT, MAMA. You’ll only get upset, and he won’t change his mind.”

Bonnie.

She turned to see her daughter sitting on the edge of the fountain. The sun was shining on her red curls, and the spray surrounded her in a misty aureole.

“He’s got to change his mind. I have to find Danner.”

“I think you’ll find him, but it can’t be through Father Barnabas. He’s not going to give in.”

“He might if I keep after him.”

Bonnie shook her head. “That won’t happen, Mama. He and Ted Danner have been together for a long time.”

“So he’s going to let Danner have a chance to kill again?”

Bonnie didn’t answer.

She gazed at her in despair. “I don’t understand how this works, Bonnie. I believe Danner may have killed you, dammit. Why won’t you help me?”

“It has to play out the way it’s meant to do. I don’t understand either, Mama. I’m trying to help, but I told you that it’s only gradually becoming clear to me.” She shook her head. “But I can feel your pain, and it hurts me. I want it to be over, Mama.”

Lord, so did she. “Then go and make that priest help me. What good is being a ghost if you can’t pull a few strings?”

Bonnie chuckled. “It doesn’t work that way. Though I’m learning things all the time.” She added softly, “Beautiful things, Mama. You can’t imagine. I can’t wait to show them to you.”

“Neither can I, baby.” Eve felt the tears sting her eyes. “But it was pretty beautiful when I had you with me, too.”

Bonnie nodded. “But that was only the start. There’s so much more.” She got up from the fountain. “But we have to work our way toward it. We’ll be together. But you’re still on the path, and you have wonderful companions to travel with you.”

Joe, Jane, Gallo, Catherine…

“I’m going now. Now forget about going after Father Barnabas. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“What? Do you think I’d mug a priest?”

“No, but there’s no telling what else you might do to make him give you what you want.” Bonnie grinned at her. “And you can be very determined about getting what you want, Mama.”

“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.