Bennett regarding the fate of
Salvatore Masconi.
Johnny cursed. “It’d be pretty
hypocritical of me to condemn the man for what he did, Helen,
particularly since I could’ve done something about it at the time,
but believed Masconi evaded justice and got away with murdering a
fifteen year old girl.”
“Celeste said Danny was literally sick when
the truth came out. I should’ve seen it when I interviewed
him after Gwen Foster’s murder. He really was surprised when
he realized what happened to her. In fact, he said it wasn’t
possible. I found it compelling, that it indicated he knew
what really happened to Masconi when he disappeared.”
“Because he did,” Johnny said.
I shook my head. “I was blinded by
thoughts of vengeance. I thought I knew everything. I
knew nothing. I feel like I know less now than ever.”
“So we’re certain that Datello wasn’t
involved in anything, not the murder of Ireland, or the human
trafficking, none of it.”
I nodded. “Of course, he’s such a
convenient patsy. I think that’s probably the only aspect of
any of this that we got right.” I sighed heavily and buried
my face in my hands. “God, I feel so guilty.”
“You didn’t kill Datello, Helen, and if any
of this had come out at the trial, don’t you think Zack would’ve
moved to dismiss the case against him? Wouldn’t we have
immediately seen that he was as much a victim of Sully Marcos as
anyone else?”
“But that’s not how it happened. He
was murdered by an FBI agent who I inadvertently killed. Same
with Andy Gillette. He’s dead because I got angry, because I
didn’t think anybody would find me. All of our avenues for
answers are gone – because of me.”
Johnny slipped my hand into his. A
thumb swished back and forth across my knuckles. “Don’t blame
yourself, Helen. It really isn’t your fault.”
“But for some still unknown reason, I’m the
one in the middle of all of this. I’m the one still desperate
to understand why, and the people with answers are dropping like
flies.”
“Well, we may not know all the details, but
we do know why you’re in the middle of all of this, Helen.
Maybe you were the beginning of this enterprise, when somebody
figured out how easy it was to snatch children and they’re never
seen or heard from again. There have been some pretty high
profile child abductions or disappearances in the last few years
where law enforcement had no choice but presume that the child is
dead, buried out in the woods of Oregon or Ohio somewhere.
Maybe that isn’t what really happened.”
I pulled my hand free and caressed my
belly. “Johnny –”
“We’ll keep them safe. Nobody is
taking you or our children.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“How can we bring children into this
world? Look how much suffering we’ve mopped up after the fact
just in the short time we’ve known each other.” Every victim
I’d encountered in Darkwater Bay since I arrived almost a year ago
rippled through my memory. Gwen Foster, indirectly her cousin
Brighton Bennett, the homeless men, Detective Jake Cox, Journey
Ireland… the list went on and on and on, culminating in Sofia
Datello, the most innocent of them all.
Tears leaked from my eyes.
“Helen, please don’t doubt me now. Not
again.”
“I should be angry, outraged that Terrell
Sanderfield is dead. Another door that could’ve led us to
answers, slammed shut. But I can’t muster up what should be
the emotion. I wish they’d all die, that I could pretend that
none of it is really out there.”
“You can’t do that,” Johnny said. “I
know you too well, Helen. Until you know that the world is
safe specifically for those babies we created, you won’t
stop. You can’t. Neither can I.”
“Are you still mad that I left and didn’t
tell you where I had to go?”
He grinned. “I had a suspicion or two
before I got off the phone with
Salvatore Masconi.
Johnny cursed. “It’d be pretty
hypocritical of me to condemn the man for what he did, Helen,
particularly since I could’ve done something about it at the time,
but believed Masconi evaded justice and got away with murdering a
fifteen year old girl.”
“Celeste said Danny was literally sick when
the truth came out. I should’ve seen it when I interviewed
him after Gwen Foster’s murder. He really was surprised when
he realized what happened to her. In fact, he said it wasn’t
possible. I found it compelling, that it indicated he knew
what really happened to Masconi when he disappeared.”
“Because he did,” Johnny said.
I shook my head. “I was blinded by
thoughts of vengeance. I thought I knew everything. I
knew nothing. I feel like I know less now than ever.”
“So we’re certain that Datello wasn’t
involved in anything, not the murder of Ireland, or the human
trafficking, none of it.”
I nodded. “Of course, he’s such a
convenient patsy. I think that’s probably the only aspect of
any of this that we got right.” I sighed heavily and buried
my face in my hands. “God, I feel so guilty.”
“You didn’t kill Datello, Helen, and if any
of this had come out at the trial, don’t you think Zack would’ve
moved to dismiss the case against him? Wouldn’t we have
immediately seen that he was as much a victim of Sully Marcos as
anyone else?”
“But that’s not how it happened. He
was murdered by an FBI agent who I inadvertently killed. Same
with Andy Gillette. He’s dead because I got angry, because I
didn’t think anybody would find me. All of our avenues for
answers are gone – because of me.”
Johnny slipped my hand into his. A
thumb swished back and forth across my knuckles. “Don’t blame
yourself, Helen. It really isn’t your fault.”
“But for some still unknown reason, I’m the
one in the middle of all of this. I’m the one still desperate
to understand why, and the people with answers are dropping like
flies.”
“Well, we may not know all the details, but
we do know why you’re in the middle of all of this, Helen.
Maybe you were the beginning of this enterprise, when somebody
figured out how easy it was to snatch children and they’re never
seen or heard from again. There have been some pretty high
profile child abductions or disappearances in the last few years
where law enforcement had no choice but presume that the child is
dead, buried out in the woods of Oregon or Ohio somewhere.
Maybe that isn’t what really happened.”
I pulled my hand free and caressed my
belly. “Johnny –”
“We’ll keep them safe. Nobody is
taking you or our children.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“How can we bring children into this
world? Look how much suffering we’ve mopped up after the fact
just in the short time we’ve known each other.” Every victim
I’d encountered in Darkwater Bay since I arrived almost a year ago
rippled through my memory. Gwen Foster, indirectly her cousin
Brighton Bennett, the homeless men, Detective Jake Cox, Journey
Ireland… the list went on and on and on, culminating in Sofia
Datello, the most innocent of them all.
Tears leaked from my eyes.
“Helen, please don’t doubt me now. Not
again.”
“I should be angry, outraged that Terrell
Sanderfield is dead. Another door that could’ve led us to
answers, slammed shut. But I can’t muster up what should be
the emotion. I wish they’d all die, that I could pretend that
none of it is really out there.”
“You can’t do that,” Johnny said. “I
know you too well, Helen. Until you know that the world is
safe specifically for those babies we created, you won’t
stop. You can’t. Neither can I.”
“Are you still mad that I left and didn’t
tell you where I had to go?”
He grinned. “I had a suspicion or two
before I got off the phone with
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