Daring Hearts: Fearless Fourteen Boxed Set

by Box Set

  “If he knows anything.” Kate’s shoulders slouched forward, and she rubbed her achy jaw. Had she been clenching her teeth again?

  “That wasn’t a what if, but no more ifs either.”

  “I want to be ready for anything and not get my hopes too high. That’s all.” Kate felt a headache coming on.

  “Fine, but keep those thoughts to yourself. They are going to make you depressed. Once he tells us your parents’ names and possibly addresses, we’ll go visit them.”

  Kate pulled on the front of her blouse, back and forth. “Is it hot in here or what?”

  “You’re nervous. Don’t worry, we’ll get a smoothie for the cab ride. There. I’m done. You look picture perfect. Your parents are going to love you.” She smiled and her eyes danced. She wanted this just as badly as Kate did. Kate put the locket around her neck and then stuffed the cross into her pocket along with the green note. Maybe the priest could tell her what the note meant.

  Ellie snapped photos of the church as they climbed out of the taxi. The white stucco shone bright in the sunlight. A large tower held a shiny silver bell inside. “I wonder when that rings.”

  Kate knew the answer. It rang before church started on Sundays and on religious holidays, but she was too nervous to say anything. The church was not the largest Kate had ever seen, but it held its own. They walked up the steps to the large wooden doors. Ellie pointed at a sign to the left of the door that listed the hours of operation. Her eyes lit on Sat. 10:00. “ We made it.”

  Kate turned around and started back down the steps.

  Ellie grabbed her arm and stopped her before she reached the bottom. “Kate. We are going inside that church. We are talking to Cremashci, and we will hear one of two things. Number one. Your parents are alive and well. Number two. They aren’t. Either way, we are getting the answer, and we will deal with it.”

  “There are so many things that could happen. Maybe I’m not ready.”

  Ellie grabbed her into a hug. “You are ready.”

  The bell rang and the doors to the church suddenly popped open. Both Kate and Ellie jumped. A mass of people poured out, all in suits and dresses, looking like they owned the place. Two large men held the doors open for the rush. Ellie and Kate stepped to the side to allow the group to pass. Out of the fifty or so passing, only one set of eyes lit on the girls and they were dark brown and brooding and belonged to a boy about their age. Some of the mass of his tousled dark brown hair hung into his eyes. He popped large sunglasses onto his scruffy tanned face.

  Ellie grabbed Kate’s forearm as she openly stared at him. The corners of his mouth tugged up before he looked away, following the crowd down the sidewalk. Kate continued to stare as he walked away. A line of fancy cars took the churchgoers away. The two men holding doors open remained, and Ellie and Kate gave each other a curious look before stepping forward to go inside. The man closest them put out an arm, preventing them from entering. An elegantly dressed older man and woman exited the building. One of the men acting as guards walked out in front of them and the other behind them, letting the door shut as he followed.

  The girls gaped. “Who was that?” Kate whispered, an ominous feeling filling her chest.

  “Were those two massive guys guards?” Ellie whispered. That’s when Kate noticed Ellie had been using her phone to snap pictures. Her secret stalker talents were paying off in a big way at the moment. She must’ve thought they had to be someone important. They watched the couple climb into a white Cadillac, the two guards sweeping the area for, for what? After the car drove away, they turned to each other and Ellie held up her phone. “Don’t worry. I’ll find out who they were. I can’t believe I was so close to so many important people.” Kate rolled her eyes. Ellie hoped she’d seen a bunch of celebs. “And did you see that boy stare at you, Kate? He definitely will need to go to confession for the thoughts he was having about you.”

  “Very funny.” Kate opened one of the massive church doors, and they went inside.

  “I’m serious. He was totally crushing on you.”

  Lit candles seemed to be in every nook and cranny of the church and, mixed with the bright sunlight coming through the myriad of stained glass windows, they created harsh areas of dark and light. Their shoes clicked on the stone floor and for the first time since arriving in New Jersey, Kate felt cold. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She may have even held her breath for several seconds.

  A man dressed in full ceremonial vestments, obviously the priest, was using something to put the candles near the altar out, his back to them. The interior was modeled after the massive cathedrals in Europe with small areas dedicated to various saints for worshippers to pray to. They walked up the long aisle in silence, passing the rich toned wooden benches. At about twenty feet from the altar, the priest turned their direction.

  He startled, clutching at his chest. “Sorry, I thought I was alone.”

  “Oh, are you not open, yet?” Kate said, eyes wide.

  “No, we are. Sorry. I was cleaning up after a baptism.” Two young boys walked out of a back room. They must have been the helpers for the baptism.

  “Father,” the taller of the two said. “We finished in the back. May we leave?”

  He nodded and waved them away. They wasted no time in disappearing out the door.

  He turned to the girls. “What may I do for you today?”

  “Are you Father Cremashci?” Ellie asked even though she knew he wasn’t. This man didn’t look anything like the picture they’d seen.

  “Father Cremashci is no longer here.”

  The girls looked at each other. “Is he at a new church now? Do you know where he is?” Ellie asked.

  His head bobbed in the affirmative. “I do, but perhaps I can help you.”

  “Actually,” Ellie said, taking a step closer. “He’s the only one who can help us. Kate here is looking for information about her dad. Her dad wrote about Father Cremashci in his journals, and Kate was hoping to find out more about him. He died when she was really little.”

  Ellie was lying in a church. This was not good. Did she have any respect at all?

  “Well, I’m afraid he won’t be able to help you. He’s at a care center. Alzheimers. I’d be surprised if he even knew your father anymore.” His kind and yet hard eyes lit on Kate. “Was your father a part of this congregation?”

  Kate opened her mouth to speak, but Ellie charged on. “Could you maybe tell us what center he’s in? We’d like to visit him. It’s the least we could do to hopefully repay some of his kindness to Kate’s dad. He’d like that, wouldn’t he?”

  “Oh, I’m sure he would, but I’m telling you, if it’s information you’re after, you will be sorely disappointed.” He tilted his head to the side and peered at Ellie. Curiosity glowed in his eyes. “If you give me his name, I could look through the records. Perhaps Father Cremashci mentioned your father in his journals.” His eyes flicked back to Kate’s. It was like he was fishing for information. Why would he be fishing for information? When Kate said nothing, he said, “Let me get you the name of the care center.” He walked away and through a doorway to the left. Kate began to follow. Ellie grabbed her arm. “Whatever you do, don’t give him any names. Don’t tell him anything. I don’t trust this guy.”

  “But what if Father Cremashci did keep some kind of a record, and my parents and I are mentioned in there?”

  “We don’t even know your birth dad’s name.”

  “No. But we do know my birth mom’s, Constanzie.”

  “Not a word, Kate. ”

  Kate wanted desperately to give her mom’s name, but Ellie was right, without her dad’s name, it meant nothing. The Father returned holding out a slip of paper. “I wish you luck on your journey…” He paused, waiting for Kate to tell him her name and she almost did, but Ellie jumped in and snatched the paper from his hand and said, “Thank you, Father.” She took Kate by the arm again and pulled her down the aisle. When Kate looked back, the priest was still look
ing their way. He raised a palm in farewell.

  Kate shrugged Ellie off. “What are you playing at? He might have had information.”

  She kept going to the curb. The cab, parked in the lot now, had noticed her and was heading back to pick them up. Kate, not knowing what to do, followed her. “He said he has the priest’s journals.”

  “But you don’t have your father’s name, and that was weird. There was something off with that guy.”

  “You just don’t like religion or guys that are helpful.”

  The cab pulled up. “Yeah. I don’t like religion, but that guy was being anything but helpful. Trust me. We did the right thing in leaving.” They piled into the back seat, and Ellie gave the driver the address on the paper. “We’ll get information on your birth dad. Don’t worry. We won’t, however, be using that priest to get the information. I just hope this Cremashci isn’t a shady guy like that one was.”

  “He wasn’t bad, Ellie. Seriously.”

  “You mean to tell me you didn’t get this ache in your gut every time he spoke?”

  “No,” Kate blurted, but she couldn’t deny the ominous feeling she’d felt as she looked at the man.

  Ellie waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. We don’t need him, but you really need to start tuning into your feelings. I always listen to what my gut tells me. And when I do what it tells me to do, I don’t lose. Start paying attention to your feelings, Okay?”

  Kate nodded, still unwilling to admit that the guy had given her the creeps, too. She let a cautious wave of hope roll through her, thinking Father Cremashci might still be able to tell her about her dad and who she was.

  10

  Ellie did her duty and snapped pictures of the care center. It was a mansion, not a sterile clinic built to house those with mental illness. She hoped the interior was as inviting as the stately exterior. In order to save money, Ellie sent the cab away. They had no idea how long they’d be inside. Kate took a deep breath. Ellie held Kate’s hand in hers. “It’s going to be okay. If he can’t help us, we’ll find another way.” She spoke like a mother to a small child. “Now, let’s do this. And let me do the talking.”

  Kate nodded. Heat raced up her spine. This was it. Ellie could talk about different ways all she wanted, but Kate knew this was the only solid lead she’d come on in three years, and it was likely the only break she’d ever get. Ellie pulled open the front door and walked in, Kate following close behind. She wasn’t disappointed once inside. She felt right at home. The rich colors and textures made her feel cozy and warm. The luxury of it surprised Kate. How could a man, a servant of God, pay for such opulence? Did the Catholic Church have an excellent health care and retirement plan or what? Kate found that hard to believe. The green acres of lawn, shrubs, and trees seemed to go on forever. If Kate ended up in a care center one day, she hoped it would be half as nice. It felt great to think the church gave such good care to its ailing priests.

  They stepped up to the reception desk, where a smile met them. “Welcome to McArthur’s. May I help you?”

  “You sure can,” Ellie said. “We’re here to visit Father Cremashci.” Kate looked up, admiring the fresco painted on the high ceilings.

  “Sign in here, please, and I’ll find out where he is.” She pushed a clipboard toward them. They signed their names while the receptionist talked on the phone.

  “You’re in luck. Father Cremashci is out back in the gardens right now. He so loves to be out in the gardens. Thank you for coming to visit.” She pulled out a map and showed them where to go. As they walked down a wide hallway, Kate stopped to get a drink from the fountain and overheard the receptionist say, “Yes. They are here. Yes. Their names are Kate and Ellie. I’ll have someone close, Father.”

  Kate hurried to catch up with Ellie. She leaned in close to tell her what she’d overheard, but noticed a camera peering down at them and decided to wait. They passed a bathroom and Kate pulled Ellie back toward the bathroom door.

  “I’ll wait outside, thank you very much,” Ellie said, tugging away.

  Kate shook her head. “No. I need you.” Kate sincerely hoped no cameras were in the bathrooms. She scanned the room. None were apparent, but she still turned on the faucet and pulled Ellie close. Ellie narrowed her eyes, but played along. “I overheard the receptionist as we left telling someone that we were here and we’d be watched. She gave the person on the phone our names.”

  Ellie turned her head and whispered. “Bathroom faucet. Nice touch. You’re learning.” She gave Kate a meaningful glance, before continuing to whisper. “I told you that priest was up to no good.”

  Kate’s head flinched back. “No. You don’t think?” But even as she said it, she knew it was true. The receptionist had called him Father. “If that priest who took Cremashci’s place is somehow dirty, what does that say about Cremashci?”

  “You mean Cremashci, the “children’s father?” The man whose defining purpose was to save the children? No way was he dirty. You read the article. Stay strong. I’ll play interference so you have time with Cremashci and can get what you need.”

  Kate nodded. “Maybe he thought we were bad people. We were really vague. Maybe he wanted to make sure Cremashci was safe.”

  “Maybe. I think we should be careful, though.”

  Kate flushed a toilet for good measure and then turned off the faucet. Kate threaded her arm through Ellie’s as they walked out of the restroom and down the long hallway. They opened the large wooden door at the end of it and found themselves on a flower rich patio that stretched the entire length of the center. Tables, chairs and loungers dotted the shady, welcoming space, and various people, young and old, occupied a good portion of them. It was Saturday, probably the best day for most family and friends to visit.

  They stepped off the patio into the wide expanse of grass surrounded by terraced hedges and climbing roses. Several older men sat alone or with a care center worker on benches or in wheelchairs. Small children ran and played with siblings in the gardens, entering and exiting from the various openings around the hedges. A strong scent of roses filled the air. The girls stopped almost at the same time. “We should’ve asked what he looked like now,” Kate said. “I had no idea there would be so many people out here. The picture we saw showed a man in his fifties or so. Cremashci must be in his eighties now.”

  “No joke, but it’s probably best if we don’t let on that we don’t actually know him. I mean if we knew him, we’d be able to recognize him, right?” Ellie gave Kate a meaningful look.

  “But, how will we find him in this mass of people?”

  “Leave it to me.” Kate watched Ellie work her magic, walking from table to table and talking to the people. Ellie was smart. When she and her family went to visit their grandma they couldn’t help but get to know the other residents. Not all, but most of the friendly ones. The sixth person pointed out to the garden to an old man, hunched over and holding a black cane with an ornate, carved handle between his legs. A worker sat beside him on the bench, reading a book.

  Ellie came back to Kate and said, “I’m going to get rid of the worker. You go in and work your magic once I lead her away.” She started to walk away, but Kate grabbed her arm.

  “My magic? What are you talking about?”

  “Go get the information you need and then leave. Be quick about it.” Ellie walked away.

  “But…” Kate’s mind seemed to fill with mud. Didn’t Ellie realize she needed to practice what she was going to say? Her heart raced. Kate couldn’t remember why she’d come. What information did she need? What was she supposed to do again? Kate watched as Ellie spoke with the worker and led her away through an opening in the hedges. Kate stood frozen for several seconds until she reminded herself of what was at stake. She could work through her anxiety and do this. It was easier to talk to this man than lead that worker away. She willed her feet to move. Once she started walking, it was easy to continue. The grass tickled her toes through her sandals as she walked.
As she neared the old man, he looked up and smiled at her. “Do I know you?”

  She nodded and pushed her phone recorder on, a lump forming in her throat. The anticipation of discovering who she really was slammed into her, and she bit back tears as she sat next to the man. Hope filled her and she took a deep breath to calm herself, her eyes closing momentarily.

  “I do? Who are you?”

  “I think you knew my mother. I think my mom and dad were part of your congregation.”

  He seemed to be waiting for her to continue, his eyes placid and unfocused. Kate wasn’t sure though—he might not even have heard her. Her hands trembling, she pulled out her journal and flipped to the page where she’d taped in the lime green note. She held it out to him, and he took it in an automatic gesture, but he didn’t look down.

  Kate swallowed hard. “That’s you, isn’t it?” She tapped the page, pointing to the name Savino. She searched his eyes, hoping for a spark of recognition or even just awareness of what was going on.

  Finally, his eyes drifted down to the paper. Kate thought she saw a flash of understanding, but still, he didn’t speak. She clutched the locket around her neck and held it out to him, her fingers fumbling with the latch. “Look, Father Cremashci—this is my mother. You helped her, didn’t you?” She held the photo out for him to examine.

  He looked at her face, awe and disbelief making his jaw tremble, “Carmela? You’re alive?” His voice was a shaky whisper.

  “Who? Carmela?” Despair rose in Kate’s throat. This man was in a totally different reality. “No, listen. I think her name was Constanzie. She was in danger—and you helped her.”

  His eyes flicked behind her and he grabbed her hand. “You can’t stay here, they’re watching me. I hide here.” He cut off and looked down at his hands as a few people passed them.

  She grabbed at the locket again. His hand shot out and settled on her knee. “Carmela. You must go. It is not safe.”

  She started to sob.

  “They will find you. Go.” His eyes darted about. She wasn’t going to get any answers out of this man. He was too far gone.