by De Freitas
“I agree totally, Your Grace. I am very fond of him. His mother has done an amazing job instilling these values in him.”
“Surely, Father, it is not only his mother. You must take some credit for this. I can see the bond you share with him you are doing a fine job for the church. Keep up the good work.”
CHAPTER 15
Simon and Martha were having dinner at the kitchen table.
“You have to go, Mom. It, will look terrible if you don’t. You know Linda really likes you, and she has told her parents that, so they are looking forward meeting you and this is the perfect opportunity.”
“Let me think about it, Simon.”
“Come on, Linda is planning it to be the most informal graduation party ever. It won’t be all students either – plenty of parents are invited. Linda has put a lot of thought into it. There will be finger food, a buffet, a barbeque, and an indoor and outdoor bar. If you want to sit and eat at a table inside, you can – or you can just eat outside. It will be very relaxed. They have a large garden where they have set up a small stage for a hired band. You will really enjoy it.”
“I don’t have anything to wear to a graduation party.”
“You are just making excuses, Mom.”
“It would have been so much easier meeting them if her father had not turned me down for that car loan. It’s going to make meeting him a bit awkward.”
“Mom, I’ve told you for years now, he is a great guy. You will like him a lot and you have so much in common with her mother, you see her all the time at church. Occasionally her dad goes, but her mom is always there. She usually sits at the back and leaves before us, so you have not met her, but for sure you will recognise her straight away when you see her at the party.”
“Alright, you have worn me down. I’ll go.”
“Great, I guarantee you will tell me the next day that you really enjoyed it.”
“We’ll see…”
“And you never know, Mom, if you make a good impression you might even get your car loan approved.”
Martha’s eyes narrowed. “Now let me tell you something, Simon J Holman. If you think I am going there to try and…”
“Relax, Mom. I’m just joking. . .”
“Well, for that comment, you my son can do the dishes, and I’m not joking!”
*
Robert sat back in his favourite chair, put his feet up and looked out from his porch towards the hills. Beth put a cup of tea on the table next to him and handed him the newspaper.
“I’ll join you in a few minutes, Robert. I just need to check the roast in the oven.”
Robert started flicking through the paper and a headline caught his eye: “TOMMIE LEE ANDREW’S CASE, A REVOLUTION IN SOLVING CRIME.”
Beth sat down next to Robert and picked up her pen and crossword book from the side table.
“Tommie Lee Andrews, does that name mean anything to you, Beth?”
“Should it?”
“It definitely will when I tell you what I’ve just read.”
“Who is he?”
“He is a guy who raped a woman in Florida. He had an O Positive blood type which is the same as 65% of the population. He became the first person convicted in the US using something called DNA. It stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. It says here it’s found in many things, including a person’s blood, semen, hair and saliva. It contains the genetic blueprint that gives each person their individual identity. DNA testing has a greater than 99% accuracy.”
Beth put down her pen and crossword book. “I’ve never heard of this before. Did it happen recently?”
“He was convicted a couple of years ago. His lawyers recently appealed the use of DNA at trials, but the District Court of Appeal ruled against him and accepted DNA as credible scientific evidence.”
Beth was lost for words.
“Do you know what it means, Beth? We need to call Amos straight away and get him onto this.”
*
“You look amazing, Mrs Holman. That dress fits you perfectly,” said the young sales clerk at the boutique.
Martha was indeed surprised at how good she looked. It had been years since she dressed up for any occasion. “I’ll take it and the shoes. I just need to go now and find a gift for Linda.”
“Any ideas what you are getting her?”
“The only thing I can think of is jewellery, she has everything else!”
The sales clerk folded the dress carefully and put it into a bag. “Well, you can never go wrong with jewellery, Mrs Holman. I’m sure she will love whatever you get her.”
“I hope so, I’ve really gotten to like her a lot.”
“When is the graduation?”
“It’s this weekend coming. Actually, the closer it gets, the more I’m looking forward to going.”
“You will have a great time, Mrs Holman. Say hello to Simon for me. Between you and me, I had a secret crush on him in high school. I wished I had the courage to let him know back then. He must have been going out with Linda for over four years now, so my chance has surely gone.”
“You’ll find someone. Ah, sorry, I didn’t get your name…”
“It’s Jane. Just tell him Jane from high school said ‘hi’. He’ll remember me.”
“I will, Jane, and thanks for your help today.”
“Bye, Mrs Holman. Enjoy the party.”
*
Simon packed the lunch box, drove over to Linda’s house, and the two headed for the nearby hills.
“So, Linda, how are the preparations coming for this weekend?”
“There is nothing left to do. I just told my folks a few weeks ago what I wanted. We made a list and they have done it all. There are a few small things regarding the music. The band gave me a set list, which I’m happy with. However, I also need to speak with the DJ regarding what he has lined up.”
“Does your dad need me to come over to help move furniture, or set up tables? Actually, we can get a few friends to help out.”
“No. It’s all taken care of. The guys building the temporary stage for the band will do all the heavy lifting. Mom has arranged all the food. As I said, there is nothing that needs to be done.”
“Okay, please tell your dad, if he needs any last minute help, to call me.”
“I will. By the way, how did your mom make out with the dress hunting? Did she find anything yet?”
“Yes. She told me yesterday; she is all set and looking forward to it.”
“Did she really say that?”
“Well, she said she is all set and looking forward to it, more than she thought she would be – I just cut off the last bit of the sentence.”
Linda laughed out. “I’ve no idea what she is thinking. She will have a great time. I told her that the other day.”
“You know, Linda, she is not used to going out and meeting lots of people. However, since she started working, she is a bit more sociable. Her main issue is the loan thing.”
“What loan thing are you referring to?”
“I never told you, but years ago, long before I met you, Mom applied for a loan to buy a new car and your dad knocked it back.”
Linda smiled and shook her head. “Wow, Simon, you could not make this up. And now we are together. Yep, I can see why your mom would be hesitant to go, but she shouldn’t worry. You know my dad. He will just make a joke of it.”
“I know. I told her that.”
“What did she say?”
“She told me she was thinking, on the day of the graduation when she gets to your home, she will drive past all the fancy bankers’ cars and park her car right in the middle of the front lawn. And, just for good measure, she will make sure it’s overheating with steam coming out the bonnet.”
“Oh, your mom kills me, with
the stuff she comes out with.”
“Trust me, I only tell you a fraction of it.”
“So, tell me, Simon: what is this place your taking me to? We’ve not been up in these hills before.”
“It’s just around a few more bends. Then we get out and walk for about thirty minutes and we’ll be there. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
Linda and Simon walked through the trees and suddenly came out into an open area. There was a small waterfall, which cascaded down onto the rocks, with a pool of water that was crystal clear.
“Wow, Simon, I’ve lived in Sidon all my life and I did not know this place existed. It’s beautiful. How did you know about it?”
Simon unfolded the blanket, placed it on the ground next to the lunch box and poured a couple of glasses of wine.
“When I was ten years old, I had my appendix removed. It was a bit of a difficult time for me. Shortly after I got home and recovered from the operation, I took a bus and got off a few miles down the road. I started to walk towards these hills and discovered it, I’ve not been back since.”
“Why not? This is such an amazing place, so peaceful.”
“Back then, I promised myself that the next time I come back here, it would be to ask the girl of my dreams to marry me.”
Simon got down on one knee and held Linda’s hand. “Linda Bernstein, there are many beautiful women in this world, but you are the finest of them all. Will you be my wife?”
This was the last thing Linda was expecting. She did not have to think about it for very long. “Yes, of course I will. Simon, I love you so much.”
*
At the Archbishop’s house, Bishop Connor hesitantly broke the red and gold seal on the letter. He knew what it would say. Tears came to his eyes. This surely marked the beginning of the end for him.
At the age of seventy-two, his resignation on the grounds of ill health had been accepted. Yet he felt he was letting the church down. Life was so short and there was so much left to do. However, he knew he could not go on much longer. He was asked to recommend someone who could succeed him. Only one name came to mind.
*
“So, Mom, are you all set for the graduation tomorrow?” asked Simon.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. You will be pleased to hear I won’t be driving there, so you won’t be embarrassed by the car.”
Simon smiled. “That’s a relief, Mom. Why the change of plan? I thought the mechanic sorted out the problem a few weeks ago.”
“He did, but I could not get it started last Wednesday. I ended up late for work.”
“What did Mr Caine say when you showed up late?”
“Oh, he is no problem. He’s still pushing me to hire on full time but I told him I’m happy with just three days a week. He says I am the longest serving part time employee in the firm’s history.”
“He obviously thinks you’re doing a good job. Anyway, who is taking you tomorrow?”
“I’ll go with Aunt Annamae to the ceremony and then, I guess, someone will give me a lift to Linda’s house afterwards. I can’t ask Annamae to drop me there. I already feel a bit guilty that she has not been invited. As you say, Linda’s folks really don’t know her at all.”
“Did you explain that to her?”
“Yes, she came over yesterday so I mentioned it, but I can see she’s clearly upset.”
“Yes, but Mom, she is coming to the graduation, so that is far more important than the party afterwards.”
“Somehow, son, I don’t think that she sees it that way.”
“Mom, I’ve been wanting to ask you something regarding Aunt Annamae. Do you find she’s a bit cold towards Linda? I mean she is polite and everything, but I get the impression she does not like her much.”
“Oh you know your Aunt. No girl is every going to be good enough for you in her eyes.”
“I hope that’s what it is, Mom.”
Martha knew exactly what Simon was speaking about. It had always bothered her and, in a way, she was happy Annamae had not been invited. She knew she would find fault with everyone and everything.
“Linda mentioned her mom invited Fr. Mark. So, if you’re stuck for conversation, you always have him.”
“What! Why didn’t you tell me that ages ago? Well at least I’ll know someone there. What a relief. It won’t be so bad now. Also, I can get a lift with him straight from the graduation over to Linda’s house.”
“You know where she lives, right?”
“I think everyone in Sidon knows where her family lives. Just look for the mansion in the town centre,” Martha replied. “Oh, before I forget, I’m telling you now I want at least one dance with you; and I don’t want to hear anything about you being embarrassed to be dancing with your mother… got it?”
“Sure, no problem, Mom. By the way, speaking of being embarrassed, please do not bring that camera of yours tomorrow. The university will have dedicated photographers there and we can just choose and order up what we want after.”
“So you’re embarrassed by my car and now my camera as well? Do you know, when I was pregnant, your father worked two jobs on his time off from the military to buy it. This is the only reason we have all those precious baby pictures of you to cherish forever.”
“Seriously, Mom? That camera is from the sixties. If you really want that dance, you will have to leave it at home.”
*
Beth came home, put the shopping on the kitchen table and went out to the porch. It was spring and Robert was sitting in his favourite chair. She kissed him and sat down.
“So Robert, how did it go? Did you finally manage to get hold of Amos?”
“Yes. He’d been tied up at meetings, so he couldn’t take our calls. He said they are restructuring the department – again!”
“Do you have good or bad news?”
“A bit of both really. He said they got an internal memo when DNA was used to convict Andrews. However, they knew it would go to appeal. Until that ruling comes down it changes nothing. Now that the District Court has ruled that DNA can be used, it sets the precedent. Each jurisdiction can now make a list of unsolved cases with the evidence in question, subjected to DNA analysis.”
“So what does that mean for us?”
“That’s exactly what I asked. He said, apart from police departments submitting evidence for DNA testing, every convict that has heard of DNA analysis, innocent or guilty, is asking their lawyers to file to have their cases retried. The laboratories where the testing is done are overwhelmed at the moment. It’s going to get worse before it gets better as more and more people find out about it.”
“So about how long are we speaking?”
“He said that it’s difficult to say. Department guidelines clearly gives priority to cases where suspects who pose a risk to the public can be locked up, or where it is thought a conviction can be attained with DNA analysis.”
“It’s logical. So can Amos not argue that Holman poses a risk?”
“He can try, but unfortunately Julia’s murder has been classified as a cold case. It’s much further down the list of priorities when compared to more recent crimes. Amos still has the hair sample from the crime scene in evidence. Of course, he has to go before a judge to have Holman brought in, to get a hair sample from him. If the judge rules in our favour, we can get Holman’s sample sent off together with the hair from the crime scene to be compared. He could not give a timeline, but it won’t be quick, he said.”
“I thought the lab in Texas that we used for the Microscopic Hair Analysis sent us two kits, one we sent off which was the A Sample and the other was a back up B Sample. We still have that up stairs. Over the years it’s made its way to the back of the cupboard.”
“You’re right, Beth. Let’s look into it and see if we can find a lab that does private D
NA testing. Even if there aren’t any now, with the demand, it won’t be long before they are everywhere.”
*
It was a stunning morning; the weather could not have been better. Martha was dressed and ready with more than an hour to go before Annamae arrived. She usually wore her hair up but, on this occasion, she thought it looked better down. She looked in the mirror again. It gave her the confidence to overcome the nerves she felt inside.
Martha and Annamae arrived at the graduation ceremony fifteen minutes before it was due to start and sat together in their allocated seats. Martha looked around, desperate for familiar faces, and spotted Fr. Mark and Linda’s parents. There were a few other faces she recognised, but none of them she knew well.
There was the usual long introduction, welcoming everyone and speaking about the achievements of Sidon University. Martha thought, please stop and just get on with handing out the awards. She wondered if everyone else was thinking the same.
At last the students started walking onto the stage to collect their awards. Martha could not wait, and then finally the name was announced: “Simon J Holman, Business Graduate, with honours.” As she watched her son walk onto the stage, suddenly John came to her mind. She was sure he would be looking down and seeing what his son had achieved. She took a tissue and dried her eyes.
As Martha walked out of the ceremony with Annamae, her eyes were fixed on Fr. Mark. She caught up with him outside and they all got photos taken together with Simon. Martha said goodbye to Annamae but it was a frosty farewell. She got into the car with Fr. Mark and drove the short distance to Linda’s home.
“Have you been by the Bernstein’s before, Fr?”
“No, but I’ve a rough idea where they live. My plan is just to follow all the fancy cars up ahead.”
Martha smiled. “Yes, good idea, Father. I think anyone who is anyone in Sidon will be there.”