Where the Sun Sets (18 page)

Antonia had mentioned that she would love to
carry a child. She did not have the desire to be a mother though.
Did not want to be committed to a child when there were so many
people in the world with needs. She had offered to carry a child
for Josephine. Josephine remembered the morning Antonia had found
out the procedure had worked. She was so happy for Josephine.
Josephine was jealous and angry. She had not expected to feel that
way. Never in a million years had she anticipated the feeling of
hate towards Anthony. But it was there and she could not lose it.
So instead she blocked it out. Apparently she had done such a good
job she completely forgot Anthony was pregnant. Hell, she never
even noticed the damn appointment card on the fridge. Anthony was
carrying her child. Her child was now dead. Anthony would never be
able to carry another child. Josephine could not breathe. She
needed to get out of the office. She stumbled along the hall
blinded from the tears in her eyes. Arlene was quick to get to her
feet.

“Ma’am, are you alright?”

“Need air, please, I just need to get
outside.” Arlene took hold of Josephine’s arm and led her through
the door and the waiting room. She stayed with Josephine outside on
the walk until she was certain the woman was OK. Josephine entered
her car and closed her door hoping to shut out all the sorrow she
was feeling. It didn’t help at all. She sat in the parking lot and
cried until she had no more tears. After a while, her sides hurt
and she had the hiccups. She wondered what kind of a monster she
had become and how it had happened. She felt herself getting angry
with Anthony. Angry that her friend had not told her what she had
become. Angry that Anthony had not stopped her. She needed to get
back to the hospital. She needed to see Anthony. She pulled out of
the parking lot and turned in the opposite direction, driving a
full mile before realizing it and turning the car around.

Chapter 18

Josephine had no idea where she wanted to go
after she left the doctor’s office. She needed to think, to clear
her head. She needed to talk to someone but whom? The only person
in the world she could ever talk to was Antonia. But after causing
her to hyperventilate earlier, she wasn’t sure she should go back
to the hospital right away. She could go home and talk with either
Billy or Chloe, but that would never make her feel any better. ‘Oh
Anthony,’ she thought to herself. ‘What the hell have I gotten you
into this time?’

A police cruiser pulled past her, with its
lights flashing. “Barsky.” She said out loud, to no one. Mentally
she had decided she was going to speak with the Lieutenant.
Josephine really did not know what she would talk to the woman
about. But she felt comforted by the decision, so she felt it was
the right one. Ten minutes later she again was sitting at the
woman’s desk.

“Ms. Ferrero, I must admit I hadn’t expected
you to come back today.”

“Have you made any progress?”

“No, I am afraid we really don’t have much to
go on. I am curious though; do you have the party guest list with
you?”

“No actually, I was in the neighborhood and
thought I might just stop in.”

Barsky wasn’t buying that and raised an
eyebrow in question. “Have either you, yourself or Ms. Dal Santo
had any disputes with anyone recently? Any bad business deals? Are
you both OK financially?”

Josephine had the slight feeling of being
chastised but dismissed it. “I can’t think of anything that would
cause anyone to shoot me.”

“So you are certain then, that you were the
target?”

“I think I was. I can’t be sure, but I think
Anthony was...” Josephine caught herself and tried to rethink her
words. “She was...she saved my life. She saw the gunman and
pushed...tossed me out of the way.” Again Barsky’s eyebrows went on
alert.

Barsky pushed back on her chair and twisted a
pencil thoughtfully between her two index fingers and thumbs. “How
can you be sure Antonia, Ms. Dal Santo, saw the gunman? I thought
the two of you were having a dispute at the time of the shooting.
Perhaps your disagreement had become physical. Perhaps someone
witnessed the event and decided they did not want Ms. Dal Santo to
put her hands on you in anger. Perhaps it was the shooter who was
saving your life.”

“That’s insane. You can’t possibly believe
that. Anthony would never hurt me. She could never hurt anyone.
Yes, we were having an argument, although I could not tell you what
it was about at the moment. But Anthony would never lay a finger on
me in anger. I know this first hand.” She giggled a little. “Lord
knows I have given her more than enough reason to take a swing. She
could do some serious damage though. I have seen her bust a nose
with one shot. And Billy can tell you about her martial arts
training. She was some big body guard for the Sisters of Mercy over
in Calcutta.” It was Josephine’s turn to sit back in thought. “You
know,” she added, “I have known Anthony my whole life, and I have
never seen her lose her temper, not once. I have never seen her
angry.”

“Never?” Barsky let the word hang in the air
for a moment before continuing. “You said you witnessed her bust a
nose. She wasn’t angry when she did this? What, was it an
accident?”

“No, I mean I don’t...” Josephine stopped to
think.

“You don’t what?”

“I don’t think she was angry when it
happened. I don’t think Anthony...it just kinda happened. She
was...well she was protecting me. She just walked up from out of
nowhere and popped the guy. She didn’t look angry. Come to think of
it, she didn’t look anything. Ya know? Kinda like she knew she was
in control and it came natural. She grabbed my arm and we left. We
never talked about it but I never got the impression she was angry,
just confident. She made me feel confident, so it just kinda
dropped. We never brought it up again. I know it sounds strange,
but honest, I have never known Anthony to get angry.”

“Still though, don’t you think it might be
possible? Someone, just for example sake, a stalker? Thinking they
might be proving their own ability to protect you. From a distance,
the shots came from the fence area? From a distance, would it not
be possible, to interpret what was going on between the two of you,
as a violent situation? One that would lead to your needing
protection.” Barsky stopped and blew her nose.

“Excuse me, sorry.” She tossed her tissue
into the trash can. “Have you had any stalking type incidents
recently?”

“No, thankfully, not that I am aware of. What
would even give you that idea?”

“You have had a stalker, or stalkers in the
past, have you not?”

“Please, what is it you want me to say. I am
sure you are very well aware of my past. This is not a subject I
feel comfortable talking about. It happened. It is over. It is in
the past. It has nothing to do with this.”

Barsky was flipping through some papers on
her desk. “Ms. Dal Santo came home then, didn’t she? Right after,
what was his name? The Postal Prophet?”

“Well, yes, she did.”

“Why, what made her give up everything over
in the Congo?” Barsky inquired as she tossed the article in front
of Josephine for her to read.

“I don’t believe she gave up that much. I
asked her to come home. I needed her to come home. I...she makes me
feel safe.”

“Why did she stay? Why hasn’t she ever
returned? Did you not ever feel safe, not even after the Prophet
was shot to death?”

Josephine looked for safety in the corners of
the office. “She has no need to go back. She doesn’t need to work.
I give her everything she needs.”

“You sound a little self-fulfilled Ms.
Ferrero. What exactly is it that you supply her with that she can’t
get over seas? Are you lovers? Is it a marriage sort of
arrangement? From everything I have read on the woman, she was
leading a very enriching life. She had thousands of people counting
on her. Thousands of people who needed her. She needed for nothing.
She supplied the people of the Congo. If I were one of her
students, I would feel very angry at the prospect of her not
returning. Perhaps angry enough to come here to find her and bring
her home.”

“I thought you said I was the one with the
stalker.”

“These are just thoughts Ms. Ferrero. You
know ideas to bat around. Ms Dal Santo was attending your party
when she was shot four times. I am simply trying to figure out who
the target actually was.”

“I told you, she was protecting me. I should
have been shot. I should be dead right now. She saved my life. She
saved my life.”

“Yes, you said that once before. What is it
that makes you so sure?”

“Well, I wasn’t at first. But in the video
you can see, well you can’t see her face because the video was shot
from the lake. But in the video you can see her look in the
direction of the fence..And then she grabs me and tosses me
aside.”

Josephine drifts off into the memory. Her
eyes teared up and a single drop fell.

“What video?”

“You know that first shot? It looked as if it
might have caught me right in the head. Right in the back of my
head. But Anthony, she threw me out of the way, just in time. She
took that shot in her shoulder.” Josephine closed her eyes and
watched the scene over again in her head.

“Ms. Ferrero, what video? You never mentioned
any video. Where is it? Ms. Ferrero? You said it was shot from the
lake? Do you see the face of the shooter in the video? Ms. Ferrero,
are you listening to me?” Barsky stood up behind her desk. She was
just barely shouting. Her throat was on fire. She smacked her hand
on the top of her desk in frustration.

Josephine jumped out of her fog. “Sorry, I
guess I just drifted.”

Barsky looked at her skeptically. “Ms.
Ferrero, are you taking any medication at the moment? Did the
hospital prescribe anything?”

“No, I’m sorry, I just... I want to help,
really. I just...if Anthony saw the person doing the shooting. Well
do you think it is possible, that perhaps he saw her, you know see
him? Do you think he might try and...can we get someone to sit
outside her room? Do you think that would be possible?”

The change in this woman was incredible to
the Lieutenant. Now it seemed as if she were a child. Barsky was
not feeling well either and this was not going well. “You mentioned
a video. Where is it?”

“Back at the house. Justin was headed back
for it. I never thought about it. That’s where Billy was you know.
He was out on the lake getting the guy with the video. That’s why
he wasn’t doing his job. Well he was doing his job; just no one
knew it at the time. Anthony kept saying ‘where’s Billy?’ I
remember that,” She laughs mockingly at herself. “Sure, that I
remember. Where’s Billy, she kept saying. She knew, you know?”
Josephine was almost crying. “She knew something was wrong before
it was wrong. She’s like that. She always has been. She’s always
looked out for me. Always protected me. She brought me Billy.
Brought him back from the Congo with her. He was my souvenir. To be
my bodyguard. I guess, now that I think about it, she probably...do
you think she did that so she could go back?”

“I think,” Barsky starts, handing her a
tissue, “I think I need to see that video. I think we can get
someone to sit outside her door and keep the men out by your
house.” She looks at Ms. Ferrero with confusion.

This could not be the same woman who sat in
front of her this morning. The tough, hard as stone, un-penetrable
woman. “I think you should seek some professional help. I want you
to know,” she came around to the front of her desk and sat in front
of Josephine. “I want you to know that you’re coming in here today,
now, was a good thing. You need to know that. And as soon as I can
see the video, we can try to focus on the actual shooter and not
the motive. You have given me several things to think about. Is
there anything else you want to say right now?”

Josephine sighed. She was very tired all of a
sudden. She looked up into the face of the Lieutenant and saw pity
in the woman’s eyes and which angered her. She gained control of
her thoughts and emotions, stood and extended her hand. Securely
and firmly she shook the hand of the Lieutenant. “No, I believe
that is all for now. I just want to help in any way that I can. I
want Anthony to be safe. I am going to go home and take a nap
before I head back to the hospital. Justin should be bringing the
video up as we speak. Call me if you need anything or have any
questions.” That was that. Josephine left the Lieutenant to stare
at her back in amazement.

Barsky was beginning to think that Ms.
Ferrero was the best actress she had ever witnessed. She too felt
the need for a nap. It was nearly four in the afternoon. She could
go home and come back if and when the video ever showed up. She
went out to the front desk and instructed the desk clerk to find
someone to sit by Ms. Dal Santos door. Also she requested the
continuance of the Ferrero guard. Leaving word to call her at home
if and only if the video or the suspect was brought in, she headed
home to bed.

Chapter 19

Chester prided himself in being completely
efficient. Even at his age he felt neatness counted. Everything
needed to be in its place. No fuss, no muss, organized to the “T”.
So it was no surprise to himself that he broke out into a cold
sweat, when tossing his shirt over the dining room chair, the small
wad of paper appeared. Nothing was to leave the grounds of the
house without expressed written consent, and or, legally authorized
documentation. So close to retirement and he could lose it all for
this little finger football. How could he have let this happen? He
glanced at his watch and sighed dejectedly. There was not enough
time to drive all the way back to the house that evening. Even if
he made it before lock down, there would still be an explanation
needed. No, it would be best if he waited until his shift tomorrow.
He could replace it then without anyone noticing. As he bent down
to retrieve the fallen object something about it caught his eye. He
had not noticed it earlier.