Bonnie by Iris Johansen

Author:Iris Johansen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Published: 2011-10-20T09:13:51.601000+00:00

CHAPTER

10

IT WAS THE CHILD AGAIN.

Danner’s heart was pounding with fear as he stared at the little girl standing by the fountain. He had been hovering in the garden house, waiting impatiently for the chance to approach Father Barnabas, when Eve Duncan had appeared. It had shocked and disturbed him, but he had not been terrified.

Until the child had appeared when the priest had left.

Danner staggered back and leaned against the wall of the garden house, trying to fade into the plaster. He was sweating, his palms cold and wet.

It was the child again. What was the little girl doing here?

Had she known he would be going to Father Barnabas and meant to stop him?

Hide.

Hide.

Don’t let her see you.

He had to keep hidden until he was sure she had vanished, then go find the priest. Talk to him, and perhaps the priest would be able to tell him what he needed to know.

What do you want from me? he thought in agony as he stared at the child. I’ll do anything. Just leave me alone.

The sweat was causing his palms to slide down the wall behind him.

He drew a shaky breath as he realized that the child had now vanished. When her mother had followed Father Barnabas into the church, she had faded away. The threat was gone … for now.

Why had she followed him here? How had she known he was going to see the priest?

But she had not seemed to be aware he was here. She had not turned to him, called his name. She had spoken to Eve Duncan, then gone away.

Perhaps he had not been the child’s target. She had seemed to only want to be with her mother. When they had been speaking, the two had been totally absorbed, and even he could see the intense love that radiated between them.

He felt a jolt of pain as he remembered the way they had looked as they gazed at each other. Loneliness.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

But it did no good to have regrets. The child would not accept it. She would keep coming until she got what she wanted. She would torment him until the day he died.

I’ll give it to you, he thought in agony. Anything you want. I just have to go to Father Barnabas and have him help me find out what it is that you want. Stop following me and let me alone.

He suddenly stiffened as a thought occurred to him.

Follow?

He inhaled sharply as the thought began to grow and formulate.

Yes, that was it!

That had to be it.

He had been wrong. It wasn’t the Delilah demon he had to kill at all.

The great load was being lifted from him.

He pushed away from the wall and opened the door of the garden house. He didn’t have to wait to see Father Barnabas. He had the answer now.

The little red-haired girl had not been in pursuit, following him to this garden.

She had led him here.

* * *

FATHER BARNABAS WAS NO longer with Gallo when Eve came into the sanctuary.

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