“Why didn’t her doctor wean her off the medication?”
“What doctor? She got the pills from my father.”
Rina held back surprise.
“Actually, Dad gave them to me, told his golden boy to keep a watch on her, especially after Magdeleine was born. He was worried about postpartum depression, which she had with Michael. At the grown-up age of fifteen, I was in charge of dispensing Class Two narcotics to my mother.”
Rina remained silent.
“Anyway, she did wean herself off by the time we finished high school. I hope and pray she can handle my father’s death without a major relapse.”
“You still have siblings at home, don’t you?”
“My youngest brother and sister. But they never knew her as an addict, thank God. None of my siblings knew. Later on, Luke figured it out. Could interpret her odd behavior for what it was. Probably because of his own illicit drug use.”
“Is he still an addict?”
“Thank God, no. He’s been clean for three years. But I’m concerned about him, too. He’s fragile. His marriage is unstable. My sister-in-law is a very difficult person.”
“Dana.”
“You’ve got a good memory.”
“The girl who broke your heart.”
“A very good memory.” He kissed his cross again. “Te amo, Jesu Cristo. There are things worse than celibacy.”
Rina smiled and so did he. Then he turned grave. “I know we’re all our brothers’ keepers. We are responsible for each other’s welfare. But sometimes I wonder if I’m strong enough.” He rolled his eyes again. “Now I’m whining.”
“You’re talking.”
“I’m rambling actually.”
Rina looked down. “It’s good for you to talk. Bram, I really do have a phone number.”
“I appreciate it, Rina Miriam, but it wouldn’t work, with your being married…I’d feel…He’d feel…” He waited a beat. “Did you tell your husband about us?”
“I haven’t been able to get hold of him, Bram. He slept at the station house last night. I’ve left him messages to call me. But we keep missing each other.”
The car was silent.
Rina said, “I’ll tell him. I know it could be a problem with your father’s investigation. Not that you’re a suspect-”
“He’s going to be looking into me…into all of us as soon as my father’s will is read. Because I just found out, we all inherited a lot of money.”
Rina was silent.
Bram said, “You’re not involved in his professional life, correct?”
“Generally, no.”
“That’s good. Because things could get dicey. Some of my sibs are in deep debt. Deeper than he’s aware of at the moment. But I’m sure he’ll find out. He’s going to start doing background checks, asking us lots of personal questions. The past could come up. That’s why you’ve got to tell him you know me.”
“If I see him at the service, I’ll tell him on the spot.” Rina tried to rein in her sick stomach. “You’re not in trouble, are you?”
“Me?” Bram let out a soft laugh. “No, my life is an open book. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be friction.” Traffic started to slow. “We’re getting close.”
A thunderous roar from a motorcycle brigade came zooming past. A deafening noise. Rina held her ears and looked quizzically at Bram.
“My father loved motorcycles,” he said. “Rode with a club on weekends. I’m assuming that caravan was his riding buddies.”
“Your father rode motorcycles?”
“Faithfully for about the last two years.” Bram downshifted. “Saturdays. Not Sundays, of course. This hobby of his came on really quickly and soon became a passion. He got hooked up with kind of a hard-core bunch. I met them a few times. Like everyone else, they were in awe of him, of course. But it was a strange association.”
“I’ll say.”
“He even gave money to some of their causes…much to my mother’s chagrin.”
“What kinds of causes could bikers possibly have? Save the local methedrine lab?”
“Yeah, declare it a landmark so no one can touch it.” Bram shrugged ignorance. “My father, with all his education and knowledge, wasn’t very worldly. Flatter him a little and he was an easy mark. If someone needed a handout, he was there with open pockets.”
“A handout is one thing. But giving money to outlaws?”
The priest shrugged. “‘For just as by the one man’s disobedience, the many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience, the many will be made righteous.’”
Rina smiled. “I don’t know the text.”
“No, you wouldn’t. Romans five, nineteen. It refers to the redemption of mankind from original sin by Jesus’ grace. Maybe Dad thought himself on a mission. Because he was really into this club.”
Bram thought a moment.
“Or maybe the reason was much more plebeian. Maybe they made him feel young and irresponsible-a word that’s not normally in my father’s vocabulary. They had him all hepped up on some kind of environmental freedom petition. To my jaded eye, it looked like a scam. To Dad, it was his version of Save the Whales. How’re the boys, Rina?”
“Big.”
“They get along well with…him?”
“You may call him Peter.”
“I will call him Lieutenant.”
Rina smiled, looked away. “They were very young when Yitzchak died…especially Jacob. Peter is the only father he’s really ever known. He adores them both. And they love him as well.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Abram, one doesn’t replace the other.”
“But life goes on.”
“Yes, it does.”
Bram waited a beat, then said, “I’m really happy for you, Rina. Sincerely. It’s taken me a while to get to this place. But I’ve arrived nonetheless.”
“Thank you, I…are you happy, Abram?”
“Yes, I am-I mean I’m not happy at this moment. But I feel I made the right decision.”
“That’s wonderful.” Rina began wringing her hands. Softly, the priest put his palm over her tightened fists.
“What’s on your mind, Rina?”
She relaxed her hands. “Nothing.”
Bram pulled his hand away and waited.
Rina said, “What did you mean when you said there might be friction. Did you mean friction between you and Peter?”
“Maybe.”
“What kind of friction?”
The priest sighed.
Rina said, “Forget I said anything.”
“No, I’ll answer you.” He paused. “You know we’ve told each other private things. Not officially under the sacramental seal…but things in confidence. Have you thought about what you’ll do if he starts asking questions about me?”
“Why should he? Our past has no bearing on this case.”
“But what if he thinks it does?”
No one spoke. The car ground to a halt as they reached the grounds of the church. Rina looked out the window…mobbed with people.
“I’ve got to get out of this lane.” He jerked the car to the left, then made a sharp right until he was riding on the grass. An attendant flagged him down, then saw who it was.
“Father Sparks, I’m very sorry for your loss.” He looked down. “Everyone’s loss.”
“Thank you for your sympathy, Ralph.”
“You didn’t ride in the limo with the others?”
“No, I was tied up with other things. Where should I park?”
“Just go straight over the grass.” Ralph pointed out toward the field. “All the way in front of the line. I’ll radio Tim that you’re on your way.”
“Thank you.” Bram jammed the car into second gear, the tires stalling in the soft dirt. He downshifted back to first and tried again. The Toyota bucked forward.
“Another long day.” His eyes watered. “There’s going to be lots of them. What a nightmare! My heart’s coming out of my chest.”
“You’ll get through it.” Rina spoke assuredly. “Everything’s a blur now…time is endless…but the day will end, I promise you. And you’ll survive.”