51
Darby thought about the photos. The moments they had frozen in time weren’t about cheating; they were about comfort. Aaron wasn’t kissing her; he was hugging her, consoling her after the abortion.
Did Mickey know? Darby suspected he didn’t. If Heather hadn’t told him about her affair, why would she tell him about aborting another man’s child?
But Byrne knew about it, because Heather had confessed it to him.
Judith Levenson had also had an abortion and confessed it to Byrne. Darby knew this because Byrne had shared that information with her, that day at his house.
Two women who had had abortions and confessed their sins to Byrne when he was a priest were also the mothers of young girls who had been abducted, allegedly by the same priest. That was one hell of a coincidence.
Darby needed a reasonably quiet spot where she could make a phone call – a near-impossible task in a city as busy and as loud as New York. The restaurant was too noisy, but the alley she found outside, between two buildings, would work.
Judith Levenson answered the phone.
‘I’m glad you called,’ Judith said. ‘I feel horrible about the other day.’
‘Don’t. I was glad I was there to listen. I need to ask you a question.’
‘Okay.’
‘When we spoke, you mentioned having your pregnancy … terminated. I know this is going to sound like an odd question, but may I ask you where you had it done?’
Darby heard the woman take in a long breath.
‘I know this is personal, but it might be important.’
‘I don’t mind your asking.’ Her voice, though, sounded stiff. Cold. There was a long pause, and then she said, ‘Concord, New Hampshire.’
‘Describe the place to me.’
‘It looked like a house. That’s the first thing I remember. And there wasn’t a sign out front. Back then, if you had that … procedure, you did it in secret. It’s not like it is nowadays, when you can go on the Internet and find a clinic.’
‘Describe the outside of the house to me. What did it look like? Was it blue?’
‘White,’ Judith said without hesitation.
‘You’re sure.’
‘I remember everything about that day. How I had to climb this really steep set of concrete steps. I’ll never forget those steps. It was climbing the mountain to judgement, is how I felt.’
Just like in the picture, Darby thought. Judith was describing the building Darby had thought was a bed-and-breakfast in the photo of Heather and her lover, Aaron.
‘When I came out,’ Judith said, ‘I was in so much discomfort and still so woozy that Stan had to hold on to me, help me down the steps because they were so steep. I kept feeling like I was going to fall.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Does that help?’
‘It does. I appreciate your candour.’
‘Does this have to do with Father Byrne?’ Judith’s tone jumped, brightening with hope. ‘Is there some sort of break in the case? Something new?’
Darby didn’t want to get into it, give the woman any sense of false hope. ‘No,’ she said. ‘Not at the moment. But Judith?’
‘Yes?’
‘If I do find out anything, I will let you know. You have my word.’
‘Thank you.’
The first girl Byrne abducted was seven-year-old Mary Hamilton, from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Darby didn’t have the case file with her, but she had programmed the phone numbers listed on the file into her iPhone. She dialled Nancy Hamilton’s home number first and got the woman’s voicemail.
She didn’t hold out much hope when she dialled the woman’s cell, as Nancy Hamilton hadn’t picked up a single time or returned any of her calls. Darby was surprised when someone on the end of the line answered.
‘Mrs Hamilton?’
‘Dr McCormick,’ the woman said curtly, ‘I want you to hear me and hear me now. You are to stop calling me, you are not to come by my house. Do you understand? I have no interest in discussing –’
‘I’m sorry for bothering you, but this is in regard to your daughter’s case.’
‘I don’t want to talk any more to you people.’
‘I understand. I –’
‘You’ve called day after day, and I’ve told you people everything I know about that goddamn monster, and I’m done with it. Do you understand? I’m done.’
‘Are you Catholic?’
Nancy Hamilton reacted as if Darby had reached through the line and slapped her face. ‘What did you say?’
‘I need to know if you’re Catholic. Wait, do not hang up. This is extremely important.’
A moment of silence, and then the woman said, ‘I was Catholic. Emphasis on was.’
‘Did you ever go to Richard Byrne, back when he was a priest, for confession?’
The woman didn’t answer.
‘Mrs Hamilton, please, this could be very important.’
‘Several times. Satisfied?’
Not yet, Darby thought. She didn’t want to plunge ahead, but she could tell the woman was moments away from hanging up. Time to roll the dice.
‘I’m going to ask you one last question. It’s very personal but it’s critical that you answer it.’ Darby closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. ‘Did you ever have an abortion?’
A dead, ringing silence came from the other end of the line.
When the woman spoke, her voice teetered between fury and tears. ‘My daughter has been dead for twenty-four years. I’m not reliving it any more. You’re not going to steal this life away from me too.’
The sting of the dial tone came next.
Darby thought about calling Kennedy. But what could he do? He’d been sidelined.
She had an idea. She dialled another number as she left the alley to wave down a taxi.