Sins of the Father (37 page)

“Tony, I need you to focus,” I tried my best
to tug him out of the Briscoe retrospective. “Did you ever have any
indication that Crevan already knew that Aidan lied to him or that
he didn’t believe the story of the stillborn brother?”

“Hell no. I thought he bought it hook, line
and sinker. Then again, these past few months, I figured the reason
he bought it was on account of fear.”

“Fear?” Johnny echoed.

“Sure. His old man was bound to bust a nut
when and if Puppy ever came outta that closet of his. Now that it’s
out, I guess it makes sense that the rest of Aidan’s house of cards
falls.”

“When Aidan tried to use the stillborn
brother story to control or manipulate Crevan, was that the first
anybody had heard this particular bit of creative historical
revision?”

Tony stared at me blankly for several
moments. I snapped my fingers in front of his face.

“Sorry,” he said. “I just can’t get over it,
how this thing has literally been starin’ me in the face for almost
a year and I never saw it before now.”

“Well?”

“Well what, Helen?”

I groaned, repeated the question and tried
to tamp down the impatience.

“To be honest, I never knew any of that
family until Puppy became my partner close to thirteen years ago,
see. Knew
of
‘em, if you know what I mean. The way I recall
that whole case was that Aidan tried to make it seem like some
sorta Catholic conspiracy against the real believers, you
know.”

“So he’s always been a lunatic.
Fantastic.”

“Now, Helen, it ain’t all that bad. I mean,
Aidan didn’t go off the deep end what with all the protests and
such in Downey until Puppy was out from under his thumb.”

“Which makes complete sense,” Johnny said.
“I wish I had been older when this happened. I might actually have
something to offer.”

“I’m sorta curious what all of this has to
do with anything, Helen,” Briscoe said. “I mean, I get it that the
Pup lied to you, but I don’t understand –”

“The man who abducted Helen knew about the
details of her infant abduction,” Johnny said, “which was how we
learned the truth. It was only today that Crevan came clean with
what he knew.”

Briscoe scowled at the tabletop. “Well that
don’t make sense.”

I leaned forward. “Are you thinking what I’m
thinking Tony?”

“I ain’t sure,” he said. “Ain’t sure if I
am, and if I am, definitely ain’t sure that’s a good thing if we’re
on the same page.”

I chuckled. “So much for the truce,
huh?”

He grinned. “I’d suspect that you joinin’
the Conall family might suddenly make Puppy look not quite so bad
to the crazy patriarch. Why’d he keep it a secret?”

“That’s what I’m hoping you can tell me,” I
said, “and for the record, that was exactly what I was thinking.
Aidan hated me on sight. I’m everything he despises. It’s not like
I haven’t been fairly outspoken regarding my lack of religious
belief.”

“In Aidan’s circle? You’re rich, Helen, but
not part of that bunch. Besides, you protected the queers. That’s
enough for Aidan to hate you. Plus, he had to know you saved
Puppy’s life when that freak Underwood tried to kill him.”

“You subsequently solved the murder of
Aidan’s pastor too, Helen.” Johnny’s frown suddenly mirrored what
Briscoe’s had been minutes ago.

“Begs the question, don’t it, John? Did
Aidan see somethin’ he recognized when he first met Helen too?”

“How could he not see it? The resemblance to
Kathleen is remarkable.”

“Hold on a second,” I slapped the skids on
their speculation. “It might be remarkable now, but –”

“Do you think Wendell would recognize you no
matter where you went or how old you were?” Johnny interrupted.

“Yes, but that’s different. He raised
me.”

“And ol’ Aidan’s been lookin’ at a very
similar face for more than 40 years,” Tony said. “It wasn’t so
obvious when you had the longer hair, but damn me. I can’t figure
why I didn’t notice the similarities before. You got the same eyes,
the same mouth, the same reddish sorta tone in the hair.”

“Which Wendell has too. Had.”

“Helen,” Johnny said softly. “Yes to the
hair, but not his eyes. Not anything but a little remnant of red in
the hair.”

Briscoe turned hard eyes on Johnny. “I guess
there’s a whole lot I don’t know if you got a close up of Helen’s
old man.”

“It’s not relevant at the moment, Tony. Do
you think that Aidan and Kathleen have known all along too?”

He scratched his scruffy chin. “Possible for
Aidan. With Kathleen, it’s hard to tell. You ask me, that woman’s
more like a concentration camp survivor.”

“After today, I’m sure she’s got all kinds
of ideas bouncing around in her head,” I said.

“Oh?”

“Helen met her today at a charity function
out on the island, Tony. All this shit came to a head when Helen
thought she’d bridge the gaping void between a mother and her
son.”

“And Puppy didn’t cotton to that, I take
it.”

I perched my chin on my fist and peered at
Tony. “Why is that? Crevan acted like he was pissed to see
her.”

“I’d imagine he would. His mother – yours
too, I guess – has a long history of hot and cold behavior. I think
if Aidan weren’t around anymore, she’d be warm and loving to Crevan
all the time. As things stand –”

“She’s hot when the cat’s away and cold as
ice when Aidan’s there to keep her in line,” I mused. “His
disappearance could be arranged.”

Before Johnny could say a word, I wanted to
kick myself for the unguarded comment in front of Tony Briscoe of
all people. He surprised me.

“Well, I’d be lyin’ if I said I ain’t had
the same thought over the years, but I get it that you’re just
frustrated, Helen. Multiply how you feel knowin’ this bunch for a
few short months by more’n a decade, and you’ll understand how much
stronger my sentiments on the subject are. You know I can’t stand
that bastard.”

The front gate chime sounded from the
intercom.

“Dinner,” Johnny said. “Play nice. I’ll be
right back.”

“Tony, you have to tell me the truth. Do you
think that Crevan is angry with his mother because she’s
inconsistent and doesn’t stand up to Aidan, or is it because in
some way, he’s like his father?”

He rubbed his chin again. “I don’t know. I’d
like to say it’s the first theory, Helen, but I don’t know
sometimes. He can be as rigid as Aidan is on some things. I expect
you’ve noticed.”

“Less than an hour ago, I couldn’t argue
that point with you, Tony. He’s determined to pin this whole human
trafficking thing on my father.”

“Aidan?”

I glared.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. I
guess you meant the one that raised you.”

“He’s the only father I’ll ever have.”

Tony reached for my hand and squeezed it.
“Sorry about your loss, Helen. I wanted to say somethin’ that day
out at the hangar, but it seemed like you and Johnny was ready for
all out warfare. Things look better now.”

Like I said before. The old goat doesn’t
miss much. “He was upset with how I handled things, Tony. I didn’t
think he’d approve of what I needed to do –”

“So you pulled an Eriksson on him and went
off and did it anyway without tellin’ anybody. That ain’t no
surprise, Helen. I hope those days are over. I can’t help but
notice that your condition can’t hardly be hidden anymore.”

“It could be if I wanted to. I don’t. I’m
done running off alone.”

He chuckled. “I heard that one before. Ain’t
buyin’ it now any more than I did then. I hope you know that Johnny
would do anything to keep you happy.”

“Almost anything,” I said.

“So this was the big story you wanted outta
me? How Crevan really seemed about his daddy’s lie?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before the
words fell, someone else spoke.

“He wants Aidan’s approval more than
anything else in the world. But what Aidan never understood was
that our son was born different than other children. He knew from
the very beginning that he had a sister out there in the world
somewhere, that for whatever reason God had put her in someone
else’s care, and all that we could do was pray that she was as
loved as Crevan was.”

My eyes dragged slowly toward the doorway.
Johnny stood behind Kathleen Conall.

“I never imagined that I’d see you again,
Helen.” She stepped forward tentatively. “I prayed that someday…”
Her lips rolled inward, a gesture I recognized but never realized
came from a biological parent. “You don’t believe in prayer or God,
I know, but I love you anyway.”

What could I say to such a declaration? And
was this part of what Tony meant by hot and cold? She’d no doubt
flip in a heartbeat if Aidan burst through the door. Speaking of
Aidan…

“Does your husband know about any of this?”
I asked.

She recoiled a little bit from my chilly
reception.

“And how long have you known that the long
lost daughter was in town?”

“Helen,” Johnny said gently, “I think this
is an olive branch, not an interrogation.”

“Sorry, John, but I gotta agree with Helen
here,” Briscoe said. “You’re sayin’ that Puppy – er – Crevan knew
about a sister from the time he was a little boy. He ain’t never
given any indication of that over the years. And why would you go
along with Aidan’s lie? If you knew Crevan was different, why
didn’t you protect him from that bully you call his father?”

She wilted a little more. I couldn’t forget
years of clinical experience with monsters and their victims.
Kathleen Conall definitely fell into the latter category. I
remembered Aidan’s words to me several months ago, how I reminded
him of his mother in law, how he had spoken it with such disrespect
and disdain.

“Jesus, he knew too, didn’t he? He’s known
all along.”

Kathleen’s eyes fixed on the floor.

“Did you know too, Kathleen?” Johnny
asked.

She nodded. “How can a mother not know her
own child?”

Briscoe’s arm wound around my shoulders,
fingers dug into my upper arm. “Then why in the name of all that’s
good and holy didn’t you say somethin’?”

“Look at her,” Kathleen said. “She’s
beautiful. Confident. So strong. Who was I to intrude into her good
life? It was a good life, wasn’t it, Helen? You were loved and well
cared for. You’re obviously very successful. Why would I want to
take a speck of that happiness away from you?”

I thought I might hyperventilate and pass
out. Briscoe’s skeleton supported me and little more.

“Yes, Kathleen, Helen was loved by her
father like she would’ve never known from Aidan,” Johnny said.

She nodded and knocked a few delicate tears
loose. “And your mother? Was she good to you too?”

Ho boy. Very bad subject.

“Helen’s mother has been dead for a very
long time,” Johnny said. “But she and her father had the closest of
relationships.”

“I’m so sorry,” Kathleen said. “You’ve lost
him too?”

“Very recently,” Briscoe said. He rubbed my
shoulder and asked, “You okay, missy?”

I sucked in a deep breath and dug for some
of the strength Kathleen thought I had. There were questions only
she could answer. I knew of only one way to get them. I hardened my
heart to her tears, to the ache that must’ve consumed her for
nearly 40 years. I refused to listen to the tenderness in my heart
that whispered questions about how I would ache if I lost one of my
sons in a similar manner. My mind squashed the sentiment like a
bug. I wouldn’t accept shit. I wouldn’t scurry off to pray. I’d
turn over every rock in the world until I found my child, would
spare no expense, would hunt down the beasts who dared steal my
child and kill them. Slowly.

Johnny watched the transformation and wisely
stepped around Kathleen, like he thought that would buffer her from
the coming storm.

Nothing would.

Chapter 35

I shrugged off Briscoe’s meaty paw and
rose.

“Helen,” my husband tried to curb the urge I
couldn’t control.

“I need answers, Johnny. She came to me.
You’re not going to stop what has to happen.”

“Don’t be…”

My eyebrow shot up. “Don’t be what? Me?”

Briscoe patted my back. “I think he’s
suggestin’ that you catch more flies with honey.”

“Funny,” I said coldly. “My instinct is to
swat them until they’re all dead.”

“Uh-huh, and I think that’s what’s got us
both a little concerned.”

Kathleen stepped around my husband. “It’s
all right, Johnny. I’ll tell her anything she wants to know.”

“Did you and your husband discuss who I
really was after I arrived in Darkwater Bay?”

She shook her head. “But he knows. We’ve
both known since the moment news broke of that odious man’s arrest
last spring.”

Jerry Lowe. Dad was right about keeping a
low profile. The press had splashed as many page one photographs of
me on the front of the Sentinel as they had Jerry Lowe. That
fucking troll kept reaching out and meddling in my life from the
moment I met him and probably wouldn’t stop until the day he
died.

“And you’re sure Aidan is aware?”

She nodded. “He questioned Crevan about you
quite vigorously.”

Funny that Crevan hadn’t mentioned that.

“And when did that conversation take
place?”

Kathleen’s eyes darted toward the floor
again. “Christmastime. I suppose it was a fear that Aidan had that
perhaps if Crevan’s marriage to Belle was over that he could be
attracted to you.”

“God,” I groaned. “Was he still that
blind?”

“Hopeful,” Kathleen said, “but afraid of
disaster.”

“Crevan… did he uh…”

“Tell Aidan that he knew who you really
were?” she asked. “I wasn’t certain he knew until this afternoon,
Helen. He simply told Aidan that you were his friend, his colleague
and that Johnny was so madly in love with you that no other man in
the world stood a chance with you.”