Mary O'Reilly 09 - Twisted Paths

by Terri Reid

  “Was there anything they all had in common,” Mary wondered aloud, “other than being Faith’s friends in high school?”

  “And dying on the same day, four years apart?” Ian asked. “It doesn’t seem like they had much contact with each other after that. They all led very dissimilar lives and even went to different colleges.”

  “So, we’re back to their high school connection,” she said. “Did you bring the Yearbook with you?”

  Ian reached over to his brown leather briefcase and extracted the book. “I thought it might come in handy,” he said, handing it to her.

  She sighed. “Fine, you get to be Sherlock.”

  Opening to the index at the end of the book, she began to look up each girl and list the page numbers next to their names. Ian scribbled them down on the white board. “Well, this is interesting,” he said. “They are all listed on page 256. Let’s take a look.”

  There was a candid shot of a group of girls posing for the camera taken outside of the football field. The girls were smiling and posing for the photographer, their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders.

  “Look at this,” Mary said, pointing to a figure in the background of the photo.

  Behind the girls, in the bleachers above them, a lone figure stood looking down on the group. Her hands were clasped on the chain link fencing that surrounded the field and her face was raw with emotion.

  “Hope,” Mary said.

  “She looks so lonely,” Ian added. “Breaks my heart just looking at her.”

  Ian glanced down the page and read the names on the caption. He looked up at Mary. “We’ve more to worry about than a lonely Hope. All but two of these girls are dead,” he said, his tone serious.

  “Who?”

  “Faith Foley,” he said slowly, “and Katie Mahoney, who is now Katie Brennan.”

  “The anniversary is in two days,” Mary said.

  “And unless we figure this out, one of those women are going to die,” Ian added.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Bradley knocked on the record room door before entering. “Can I disturb you for a moment?” he asked.

  “We were just getting ready to come and see you,” Mary said.

  He looked at Mary and Ian, felt the tension in the room. “What’s wrong?”

  “We think Katie Brennan might be in danger,” Ian said. “She’s one of two girls still living from a yearbook photo where all of the other girls have committed suicide.”

  Shaking his head, Bradley breathed a quick sigh of relief. “Well, we don’t have to worry there. Katie is not going to commit suicide.”

  “That’s what they said about all of the other women,” Mary said. “None of them seemed like the kind to commit suicide, yet they did. All on the anniversary of Hope Foley’s death, four years apart.”

  “But Katie? We know Katie.”

  “We’re thinking they might have been helped with their suicide attempts,” Ian said. “But we haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “Okay, what do you need from me?” he asked.

  “Well, at this point, I’m not really sure,” Mary said. “We’re going to go over to Katie’s and talk to her.”

  “Aye, warn her about the situation,” Ian said.

  Bradley walked over to the table and looked at the files. “Is anyone else in danger?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Mary said. “Faith Foley is also in the photo. We thought we’d go by and see her too.”

  “When’s the anniversary?” Bradley asked.

  “Two days from now,” Ian replied. “We haven’t much time to solve this one.”

  Mary saw Bradley start to speak and then hesitate, looking like he was trying to make up his mind. “Why did you stop by?” she asked.

  Uncertain, he looked down at the table once more, then up at Mary and Ian. “Steve Turner from Walker Mortuary just called,” he said. “They have everything ready for Becca’s funeral, tomorrow. But considering…”

  “No, we need to go and support Clarissa,” Mary said without hesitation. “We can take the time for the funeral.”

  “Aye, we’ll be there,” Ian said. “It’s important that we’re there for her.”

  “Thank you,” Bradley said. “I really appreciate it.”

  “I’ll mention it to Katie, too,” Mary said, “after we meet with her. I’m sure she and Clifford will want to attend. Besides, she’ll be safer if she’s with us.”

  “So, you and Ian are leaving?” Bradley asked.

  Sighing, Mary stood up and walked over to Bradley. She reached up and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be very careful,” she said. “And I’ll take Ian everywhere I go.”

  “Aye, we won’t take any chances,” Ian agreed.

  “Do you want us to swing by the school and check on Clarissa?” she asked him.

  Shaking his head, he smiled a little self-consciously. “Um, no, that’s okay. I’m actually on my way over there myself.”

  “She’ll be happy to see you,” Mary said. “And I’ll call if something comes up.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder before she could turn away. “Why don’t you just make sure nothing comes up, okay?”

  She grinned. “Okay.”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Katie Brennan opened the door and smiled brightly. “Well, this is a nice surprise,” she said to Mary and Ian standing outside her door. “Come in, please.”

  They entered, but their neutral smiles did not reach their eyes.

  “You both look very serious,” she said. “What’s up?”

  “Can we talk to you about Hope Foley for a few minutes?” Mary asked. “It’s important.”

  “Sure, let’s sit at the kitchen table.”

  Ian placed the yearbook on the table and flipped the pages over until he got to the picture of the girls in front of the football stadium. “Do you remember this photo?” he asked.

  Katie nodded. “Yes, we took it before the homecoming game,” she replied. “I was just walking by and Faith pulled me into the photo to even things out. It was kind of fun to be included with the popular girls. Why do you ask?”

  “Katie, all of the girls in the photo, except for you and Faith, have committed suicide,” Mary said.

  Katie stared down at the photo and studied it again. She slowly sat down in a chair. “You’re right,” she said. “All of these girls are dead. I hadn’t realized…”

  “We’ve studied the files, all of the deaths seem like suicides,” Ian said.

  “Seem? They weren’t suicides?” Katie asked.

  Mary shook her head. “We don’t have any solid evidence, but we think they might have been murdered.”

  “Why? Why would anyone want to murder these girls?”

  “Well, actually, Katie, the better question would be, ‘Is the killer still out there looking to cross the next one off the list?’” Ian said.

  “Wait. What? What do you mean?” Katie asked.

  “We mean that there are only two more girls left in this photo, you and Faith,” Mary said. “And we’re concerned that you might be in danger.”

  “But, but, I didn’t know those girls very well,” she protested. “I didn’t hang around them. I was just in the picture.”

  “We don’t know if the murderer knows that,” Ian said.

  “This is just crazy,” Katie said. “I’m not going to commit suicide and no one is going to murder me. I’m just a mom.”

  Mary sat down next to her and took Katie’s hands in her own. “You’re probably right,’ Mary said. “It could be just a coincidence that this photo has all the girls who died. But, just in case, we want you to be very careful these next couple of days.”

  “Why these next couple of days?” she asked.

  “The women who die always die on the anniversary of Hope’s death,” Ian said. “And that’s in two days.”

  “Two days,” Katie repeated slowly. “And what should I be looking out for?”

  “We don’t know yet,” Mary sai
d. “We’re still investigating.”

  “Aye, and there’s a possibility the murderer will be going after Faith,” Ian said. “She was also in the photo.”

  Katie placed her head in her hands and sat quietly for a moment, contemplating everything they had just told her. She thought about the other women. Thought about the conversation she’d had with Mandy, the day before she died. Mandy had a family. She had children who were now growing up without a mom. This was not going to happen to her.

  She sat up, took a deep breath and turned to Mary and Ian. “Okay, what do I need to do to help you catch this person?” she asked.

  “There’s a lass,” Ian said with a smile. “Let the fighting Irish part of you take over.”

  She was surprised; she could actually feel a smile begin on her face. “It’s easier when you realize you’re not just fighting for yourself, you’re also fighting for your children,” she said.

  “Well, at this point, we just want you to take extra precaution,” Mary said. “We don’t know how this person gets control of these women.”

  “Aye, it could be drugs,” Ian added. “So don’t drink or eat anything that you haven’t either made yourself or watched someone prepare.”

  Katie looked up at Ian. “Actually, I was thinking I might just stay home for the next couple of days,” she said.

  Mary paused for a moment and then nodded. “You know, that’s actually a really good idea.”

  “I saw the hesitation,” Katie said. “I’m a mom; we’re trained to look for subtle nuances. What are you not telling me?”

  “Becca’s funeral is tomorrow,” she replied.

  Katie’s face softened with regret. “Oh, that’s right,” she said. “Well, of course I’m coming to that.”

  Constantly amazed by the strength of the woman seated next to her, Mary was speechless at the simple statement of courage. She put her hand on Katie’s arm. “No, Katie, you need to stay home and stay safe,” she said softly.

  Katie smiled at Mary. “Well, are you going to be there?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Mary replied.

  “Where could I be safer than with you at my side?”

  “Katie, I…”

  Katie stood up. “No, it’s settled. Though I would be obliged if you would give me a ride to the funeral. Then I don’t have to worry about my brakes being cut.”

  “You’re a brave woman,” Ian said. “Have you driven with Mary before?”

  “Ian,” Mary chastised, standing up and slapping him lightly on his arm. “That was rude.”

  Katie laughed. “Okay, that felt better.”

  Mary turned and gave Katie a hug. “If you need anything, call me,” she said. “And if you feel anything is in the least bit suspicious, call me.”

  “Aye, and if you are going someplace out of the ordinary, check in with us,” Ian said.

  “I feel like I’m sixteen again,” Katie said, as she walked them to the front door.

  “Well, you don’t look much older than you did in the photo,” Ian said. “So that’s understandable.”

  Katie laughed again. “Well then Ian, you’ve just made my day. Are you going over to Faith’s now?”

  “Yes, we need to warn her too,” Mary replied. “She wasn’t very receptive when we talked to her about her sister’s death earlier in the week. I hope she’ll listen to us this time.”

  “She changed a lot after her sister’s death,” Katie said. “She was a different person. I heard that after Europe she went to Stanford for school. The Faith I knew could have never made it through the entrance exams. I guess having someone you love die changes your perspective on life.”

  “Do you think she really loved her sister?” Ian asked.

  Katie nodded. “Oh, yes, even though there were issues, deep down I think there was also love.”

  Chapter Thirty-five

  A few minutes later Mary and Ian found themselves in the same wood-paneled meeting room at the offices of Foley and Foley. Their reception this time was not as friendly and Mary had to drop Bradley’s name in order to get through the door.

  “I don’t think we’re going to get sparkling water this time,” Ian said. “They don’t seem very happy to see us.”

  “Well, perhaps we weren’t as impressed with them as we should have been last time,” Mary said with a smile. “We’ll have to do better.”

  Ian laughed. “Aye, I’m used to dealing with royalty,” he said. “I can flatter the best of them.”

  The opening of the door silenced their conversation and Faith walked in the room. She was, once again, dressed with intricate care and an eye to detail. She looked like she walked off the pages of a fashion magazine. “I understand you wanted to see me,” she said.

  “We have been doing some further investigation into suicides in the community and have discovered a troubling pattern,” Mary said. “And we wanted to warn you.”

  Taken aback, Faith placed her hands on the table and leaned forward. “Who do you think you are that you can warn me about anything?” she snapped.

  Calmly leaning forward, Ian shook his head. “I think you may have misunderstood our meaning, Miss Foley,” he said. “We believe you to be in danger and we only want to keep you safe.”

  She flushed and stepped back. “Oh, of course, I’m sorry,” she said. “I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusion.”

  Using his most disarming manner, Ian smiled at her. “Don’t worry, darling,” he said. “Do you have a moment to speak with us?”

  She slipped into a chair across from Ian. “Of course,” she said. “Thank you.”

  Clasping his hands together and placing them on the table in front of him, he leaned forward slightly in his chair, meeting her eyes with his own. “The anniversary of your sister’s death is this week,” he said, his voice soft and comforting. “I’m sure it’s hard for you.”

  Nodding, she fidgeted with her hair for a moment, and then finally nodded. “Yes, it is,” she said. “It never seems to get easier.”

  “Aye,” he said. “Not only did you lose your sister, but you also lost your family.”

  She began to argue, but he interrupted. “Your family structure, the way things operated in your home at the time,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said. “Everything was different after she died.”

  “It must have been difficult to have to go away before you even had a chance to say good-bye to your sister,” he added.

  Tears formed in her eyes. “It was very…hard,” she finished. “I felt like I lost my sister and my parents. I felt like I was blamed, in some way, for her death.”

  “But your parents, they were just trying to protect you,” he said.

  “Protect me and protect the family name,” she said, her voice bitter. “But, yes, I suppose they felt sending me away was for the best.”

  Taking a deep breath, she wiped impatiently at her eyes. “But that’s old news,” she said. “Why am I in danger?”

  Mary pushed the yearbook across the table to her, the book open to the page of the girls in front of the stadium. “This photo is what has us concerned,” Mary said. “All of the girls in this photo are dead. Except for you and Katie Mahoney.”

  Faith looked at the photo and then up at Mary. “All of them are dead?” she asked. “How?”

  “They all committed suicide,” Ian said. “According to the police reports.”

  “Why would they do that?” she asked.

  “That’s the mystery,” Mary replied. “None of them had reason or showed signs they were contemplating suicide. We’re concerned that perhaps it isn’t what it seems.”

  Faith shook her head. “I don’t understand. It’s not what it seems?”

  “They might have been killed, but made to look like it was suicide,” Ian said.

  “And they all died on the anniversary of Hope’s death,” Mary added.

  “Which is only two days away,” Faith said. “What should I do?”

  Ian reached over an
d closed the book. “Who might think they needed to avenge Hope’s death?” he asked.

  “The only person I can think of is Nick,” she said. “He thought he was in love with Hope.”

  “Thought he was in love?” Mary asked.

  “On the day Hope died she saw him kissing me,” she said. “It seems his loyalties weren’t what she thought.”

  “If he wasn’t in love with her, why would he kill the others?” Mary asked.

  “Guilt,” Faith suggested. “Maybe he felt that his betrayal caused her to kill herself and he can’t accept the guilt, so he blames others.”

  “Do you feel guilty about Hope’s death?” Ian asked.

  Staring down at the table, she was quiet for a few moments. Finally, she looked up and met Ian’s eyes. “When my sister died, I died too,” she said. “We were twins. No matter how much we disagreed with each other, we had that bond. It’s hard for one to go on without the other. I can’t tell you how many times I wished it had been me who died.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Ian said. “I can’t imagine.”

  “Most people can’t,” she agreed. “But I won’t let her legacy die and I want to be sure something like this doesn’t happen to other young girls.”

  “For the next few days we want you to be very careful,” Mary said. “If you’d like, we can arrange police protection.”

  Shaking her head, she turned to Mary. “No, I don’t think I could stand having someone watch me, especially this week,” she said. “I really need my privacy this week. But, I promise, I’ll watch my back and if I feel nervous in any way, I’ll call the police.”

  “We just warned Katie that she should not eat or drink anything that she hasn’t prepared herself or was able to see prepared,” Ian said. “We’d offer you the same advice.”

  “Katie? Katie Mahoney is still in town?” she asked.

  “Aye, she’s Katie Brennan now,” Ian replied. “She has a wonderful family.”

  “That’s great,” Faith said. “I’d like to see her sometime. Maybe after all of this is over.”

  “I’m sure she’d like that,” Ian said. “Once you’re both safe and sound.”

  “Could you tell her something for me?” Faith asked, looking at Mary.