A Prayer for the Devil (17 page)

THEY LEFT THE HOSPITAL
, and Luke drove to the bank and parked in front. “I’ll just be a minute,” he said to John. “If anyone has a problem with the car being parked here, move it.”

John looked surprised. Luke figured that there weren’t many people who would leave a stranger in their hundred-thousand-dollar Mercedes with the keys. As he entered the bank, he buttoned the top of his coat in an attempt to hide his collar. The bank had just opened, and the lobby was empty except for a few elderly customers. After examining Luke’s ID, the teller counted the cash and placed it in an envelope.

Luke walked back to the street without incident, and the car and John were still there. As they headed to the Common, Luke asked, “Do you think Blade really knows who’s responsible for the bombing?”

“He seems to think he does. I told him not to BS you.” Looking at Luke, John continued, “I just don’t know if it was a good idea to give him the down payment last night; that’s probably more money than he’s had at one time in years.”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking the same thing. I thought it would show that I was serious about paying him the rest, but after I gave it to him, I worried that he would buy drugs with the money.”

“I don’t think he’s into drugs, but five hundred can buy a lot of whiskey.”

“Do you know where he sleeps at night?”

“No. His girlfriend is a little crazy and suspicious of everyone. I think she has some mental problems. They keep to themselves, but he should be meeting us at the fountain in a few minutes.”

Luke and John walked into the park. Not seeing any sign of Blade, they waited. At ten thirty, Luke suggested, “Let’s split up and try to find him. We can meet back here.” They quickly headed off in separate directions. Luke jogged as he frantically searched for the only lead he had left. Coming up empty, he was disappointed to see John sitting by the fountain alone. “Any sign of him?” John shook his head. As Luke paced, trying to figure out what to do next, his cell phone rang.

He looked at the display and saw that it was the parish secretary. Realizing that it had been weeks since he had checked in, he immediately answered it. She told Luke that Monsignor Swiger wanted to meet with him. Flustered, he asked, “When?”

She replied, “He’s free now.”

Wanting to be respectful to his boss and friend, Luke agreed to go to the parish. He looked at John and said, “I have to go to an appointment. I shouldn’t be more than an hour or so.”

Before Luke could ask, John insisted, “I’m going to stay here and search for Blade.”

Luke reached into his pocket and took out the cell phone that Detective Romo had given him. After punching the numbers into both phones, he handed the prepaid one to John. “If you find him, please call me. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll pick you up after my meeting.”

Jogging to the car, Luke knew that he should have checked in with Swiger weeks ago, but the reality of being a parish priest was fading into the distance as his new life with Deb and the children and trying to figure out who killed Aaron were becoming his new reality. Unfortunately, the children were becoming more and more dependent on him each day, as was Deborah. And even more sobering was the realization that he was beginning to enjoy being part of a family. He thought, What have I gotten myself into?

Pulling into the rectory parking lot, Luke did something that he hadn’t done in weeks. He dialed Aaron’s cell number and listened to his message. As he exited the Mercedes, he saw Monsignor Swiger looking out the window. He entered the reception area, and the secretary said, “Go right in, he’s waiting for you.” The monsignor was still standing when Luke entered his office. The older man smiled and said, “It’s so good to see you,” and they embraced.

As Luke sat down, he noticed that day’s newspaper open on the small circular table in front of him. Getting right to the point, he said, “Did you read the paper yet?” He knew the answer before Swiger answered yes.

“Well, I’d like to explain.” Luke told him everything about his meeting with Sal at the restaurant and his subsequent phone conversation earlier in the morning. He explained that he had already visited Steve Hinkley at the hospital, just minutes ago. The monsignor listened carefully without responding until Luke was finished.

“Luke, I understand. I never believed that you personally had anything to do with the violence, but your actions provoked unintended consequences.” After a lengthy conversation about Rebecca and Sal Bruno, the monsignor ended the topic by saying, “Just because someone donates tremendous amounts of money to the church doesn’t mean that they’ve earned God’s favor.”

Changing the subject, the monsignor asked, “How are your parents doing?”

Luke had no choice but to tell him the truth and let him know that they were moving back home. “So that means you will be back to work soon?” Swiger asked, assuming that Luke would be returning to his normal church schedule.

Luke dejectedly realized that he was at a dead end with regard to the bombing and that his one last lead, Blade, had proven to be anything but reliable, so he sighed and answered, “I won’t be much longer.”

The fact that Luke was discussing coming back to work seemed to satisfy Swiger. But before Luke walked out of his office, the monsignor offered some words of advice. “There is temptation everywhere. Be careful not to fall prey to it.” He added, “I’m always praying for you.”

As soon as Luke left the building, he checked his cell phone. No messages. Disappointed, he did something else that he hadn’t done in weeks. He entered the beautiful ornate church that looked more like it belonged in Rome than in Boston, and he walked directly to a small alcove containing a statue of the blessed Mother holding Jesus after the crucifixion, where worshippers could light a candle. Kneeling, he prayed. He prayed for his family, for direction on Aaron’s case, and for Blade to come through. He even said a prayer for Steve Hinkley.

He was walking back to the parking lot when his cell phone rang. Seeing the number, he answered it quickly. “Did you find him?”

John answered in a somber tone. “Yes, but I don’t have good news.”

THE MERCEDES’ TIRES SCREECHED
as Luke sped across town toward the Common. He parked illegally near a fire hydrant and ran into the park, frantically heading toward John and Blade. Turning the bend near the fountain, he saw John holding Blade under his arms as he attempted to walk. Blade’s worn-out shoes dragged on the pavement as John stepped forward and then lugged the unconscious man toward Luke. Without saying a word, Luke grabbed Blade’s ankles, and they rushed to the car. Crossing Tremont Street, they attracted stares from pedestrians as the two men struggled to get Blade into the backseat and out of the frigid weather.

They sped to the mansion, where Luke honked the horn and the guard stepped aside as the gates opened. Pulling up to the house, they hoisted Blade out of the car and again struggled as they carried him into the backyard and toward the downstairs gym doors. Glancing up as they rounded the corner of the house, Luke saw Deborah and the children looking out the family room windows. Abel pointed and said something. Luke didn’t need to know what was said to understand Deb’s reaction; it was written all over her frightened face. Undeterred, he used his key to open the door and lay Blade on the padded floor.
Luke had worked with drug-prevention organizations and was trained in CPR and basic medical procedures, so he knew what to do. After checking his vital signs, he quickly removed Blade’s shoes and socks, searching his toes for needle marks. As he was rolling up his shirtsleeves, John remarked in an agitated voice, “I already told you, he doesn’t do drugs.”

Luke continued searching. “We can’t take any chances; his life might be at stake.”

“He’s just drunk. Can’t you smell the alcohol?”

“I smell urine.”

“He must have peed his pants. Star told me he’d been drinking.”

“Star?”

“Yes, his girlfriend. She said they rented a hotel room and he’s been drinking whiskey and beer all night. “I told—”

Luke interrupted, “I know, I never should have given him the money.”

After undressing Blade and dragging him into the shower, Luke ran upstairs to get some dry clothes. As he searched his closet, Deborah entered the room. “What’s going on?”

Luke looked up. “Just trying to find a few things.”

She responded sharply. “Tell me the truth!”

Luke stood to face her. “I thought we already had this conversation. Please trust me.”

“Do you know what Abel said when we were watching you out the window?” Luke didn’t respond, so she continued. “He asked, ‘Is that man dead like my daddy?’”

She started to cry, and he put his arms around her. Holding her, he pleaded, “Please, Deb, I just need a few more days to figure some things out. I can’t tell you everything that’s going on because I’m not
sure myself. But trust me, I would never do anything to put you or the children in danger.”

When he released his hug, she didn’t, but squeezed him tighter. He rewrapped his arms around her and returned her embrace.

Luke headed back to the basement and entered the shower area. He saw that John had found a plastic chair and placed it in the shower. Blade was propped up with water cascading over his body as his head rested on the tiled wall. “Has he said anything yet?”

“Yes, he’s mumbled a few things. I think he was asking about Star.”

Luke looked at John. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me.”

John smiled. “No problem. It’s nice to do something meaningful again. I should be thanking you.”

Blade began sobering up once they removed him from the shower. Knowing that he needed time to sleep it off, they laid him on John’s makeshift bed and covered him. After watching him breathe for a while, Luke asked, “Can you stay with him for a few minutes? I need to go upstairs, and he shouldn’t be alone.”

John looked up, smiled, and said sarcastically, “Let me check my calendar.”

Luke grinned back at him and quickly headed upstairs.

He searched the house for Deb, finally finding her in the library. She looked up from the computer when Luke entered the room. “Deb, do you have any work that needs to be done around the house?”

Knowing that the servants did everything, she looked at him like he was crazy. “What do you mean?”

He sat down next to her. “As you know, John Daly has fallen on hard times. I wanted to see if we had any work to do around here. I would like to give him money, but I know he won’t accept charity.”

“Do you think he can be trusted?”

“Yes.” Luke relayed everything he knew about John from their conversations. When she understood that he had a family and was living on the streets because he couldn’t go and live with his wife’s parents, her heart sank. Remembering her conversation with John when they were playing the piano, she asked, “Doesn’t he have children?”

“Yes, two daughters.”

Her expressive eyes saddened. “Well, there has to be something we can do.” She thought for a few minutes, then she looked up. “I know. He can be in charge of cleaning out Aaron’s office and taking care of the building. I keep putting it off and it has to be done.”