“I’m staring at him right now. His color is good.” Despite his exhaustion, Nathan sounded excited. “Ashley, I’m praying….”
“So am I,” she said softly. “Good night, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Stuart was fine. His parents wouldn’t leave him. Not even a cop could slip in and harm him, not with the hospital personnel around and Stuart’s folks keeping vigil. It was still hard to believe a cop could be involved in his situation.
Why? Cops were people, too.
She was going to head straight to the hospital the next morning. And while she was there, she would make her decision about what to do with the information David Wharton had given her.
Her heart quickened. Jake would be back….
Maybe. Peter Bordon might linger for days.
Maybe she should go to the hospital right now. She would close her eyes for just a second, then get up and go in.
Mary Simmons was on breakfast duty. She enjoyed baking bread. While she kneaded the dough, she thought about the world and the peace she longed to find.
Her life was good here. Quiet. And she prayed as she worked.
She was startled when Ross, a young member of the Krishnas, came in to find her. “You have a visitor, Mary. He says it’s urgent.”
“The cop?” she asked.
Ross shook his head. “No. He’s—”
He broke off. The visitor had followed him in. She stared at him and gasped.
“Mary?” Ross said uncertainly.
“It’s—it’s all right.”
“Can we speak privately?” the man asked.
“Yes, of course. Ross…?”
Ross nodded warily but left them.
“John!” Mary said incredulously.
He strode over to her, going down on one knee, taking both her hands. “Mary, dear Mary, I’m so sorry to come here…to disturb you. You’ve found what you wanted, haven’t you?”
“I think so,” she said, gently moving her fingers through his hair. “I thought you were dead.”
“I was very close,” he admitted. “And then…letting the world think I was dead seemed like a good idea.”
“But, John…”
“Mary, I need your help.”
“I can’t help you. I can’t help anyone.”
“You can help me. You’re the only one who can.”
“John, I have a life here.”
“Mary, you need peace, and you’ll never have it unless you help me. I’m close…so close to those scumbags who nearly destroyed all our lives. You’ve got to help me.”
“John…I can’t!”
“Mary, for the love of God! Don’t you want…revenge? Justice against those who used us—all of us?”
“John…I don’t want to go to jail. Do you want me to do something…illegal?”
He looked into her eyes. “Yes. Illegal, but necessary.”
She sighed, closing her eyes.
Then she removed the apron she had tied around her waist.
“I guess you have a car?”
“Better than a car,” he assured her, his engaging grin coming into place.
“I found God.”
Jake jerked his head up. He wondered if he had imagined the words. Peter Bordon hadn’t moved. His eyes remained closed.
Then he saw the man’s lips move.
“I found God. I found God.”
Jake leaned closer. The words were little more than a whisper. His eyes opened, but he was staring straight ahead, as if seeing nothing. “I found God,” he suddenly cried out. “Dear God, have you found me? Forgive me!”
Jake looked up at Dr. Matthews who shrugged. “The man is dying,” he mouthed, then added in a whisper, “He’s delirious. It probably won’t do you any good, but try asking your questions.”
“Peter, it’s Jake Dilessio. You needed to talk to me.”
Bordon’s lips twitched. “Jake.” He tried to turn to look at Jake but couldn’t quite manage the feat. “Pain…pills…can’t think. God…they say God forgives.”
“Peter, I need you to help me.”
“Didn’t kill…I didn’t kill…but I…knew.”
“Peter, who did the killing? Let us stop him. Peter, they say that God forgives. Help us. In the name of God.”
“Something in me…pills, not pills, couldn’t swallow pills…but the pain…oh, God, it will be good not to feel the pain. God…I found God…has God found me?”
“Peter, help me,” Jake repeated urgently.
The man swallowed with great effort. Then he almost managed to turn to Jake, and Jake was amazed to see that tears had pooled in his eyes. “Your partner…Jake. Didn’t know…Nancy…she came…she was with me…no, no, didn’t kill…didn’t kill, but I knew…”
“Peter, I can see your sorrow, see your remorse. Help me. I need names. I understand. Nancy came out to see you. You didn’t know her, because she hadn’t been at the property before, but someone there knew who she was and what she was doing. Who was it, Peter? Please.”
Bordon mouthed something.
“What? Please, Peter, for the love of God.”
The dying man’s eyes were closed again. Jake longed to grab him and shake him by the shoulders, but he was afraid that any movement would kill the man when he still might speak.
“Peter, help us,” he said urgently. “A name, Peter. I need a name.”