by Ann Marie
“Those familiar with the name, remember well the Ferrero family fortune. Creating the one of the largest wine companies in America, the family has employed hundreds of immigrants throughout its history. In the sixties, the Ferrero’s niece was abducted and taken away to Mexico. The kidnappers requested 2.5 million dollars for her safe return but no ransom was ever paid. Her body was found three days later in the desert. The police report claimed the child bled to death after having several organs removed. She had been dropped in the desert while still alive for the animals to devour. The suspects were never apprehended.”
Tap tap tap. The guys were back. Seeing Taylor look up from her paper, Sam opened the door and the two officers, both in their early twenties, stepped into the office.
“Morning, Lieutenant.” offered Michael.
“Good morning gentlemen, have a seat. Let’s get this over with so you can go home and get some sleep.” Her throat was starting to dry out. “Either of you read the morning paper?” Both of the officers shook their heads no. “Who wants to give me a short version of what happened.”
Sam gave a brief description of the events leading up to the shooting, the arrival of the ambulance and the reports taken.
“Hang on a minute. You said Billy came in and filled out the reports, correct?” Sam nodded in agreement. “Billy, the bouncer?”
“Yes, ma`am, that’s right. Both Ms. Ferrero and Ms. Dal Santo were taken to St. Bart’s.”
“Both women were shot?”
“No, as it says in the report, Ms. Dal Santo was shot four times. Ms. Ferrero received an injury on her forehead.”
Lieutenant Barsky leaned forward in her chair. She locked her eyes with Sam’s. “Do you see a report here?” She motioned with her arms over her desk. “I did not ask what was in the report, did I.” Taylor swallowed with difficulty. “Look, what I want to know is this. What was your impression when you arrived at the scene? How were the women both mentally and physically? I don’t want some washed up Chippendale wanna be to tell me what you get paid to see. I want it written in your own words and on my desk by noon today.” She sat back and took measure of the quiet officer. “Michael, what did you see?”
“Ma`am,” he started. Taylor could not tell if he was nervous or just tired. “We arrived on the scene, just before the ambulance. Some of the guests directed us to where the women were. Both were on the ground. Ms. Ferrero was sitting up and being helped to her feet. I got the impression she was in shock. She didn’t seem to know where she was at first. And she could not answer questions. It was as if she could not hear us.”
Taylor nodded her head for him to continue.
“Ms. Dal Santo was lying on the ground. I approached her as the stretcher was brought down. She was bleeding a lot. I saw two entrance points. One in her shoulder and another in her abdomen.” Taylor raised her eyebrows with concern.
Before Mike could respond she added, “And you said four times, correct?”
“Yes ma`am, hard for me to say for sure. I didn’t see any of the other wounds. That’s what the paramedic reported.” Taylor nodded again in understanding. “The other two were not visible from my angle.” He seemed to go pale in Taylor’s view. “I saw the wound in her right shoulder.” He pointed to his own shoulder for a reference point. The other hit her in the stomach.” He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “That one was...well it was...bleeding badly.” Taylor started to feel sorry for the man.
“Where was Billy when you got there Michael?”
“Ma`am?”
“Billy, the bouncer, the guy who filled out the report. Where was he when you arrived? Or when you left? Or at any time in between?”
“I never saw him ma`am. I did hear Ms. Dal Santo ask for him though.”
“Ms. Dal Santo? What did she say? When?”
“She came to for a moment. She was in a lot of pain. I mean, I heard her say, ‘It hurts real bad’, while she was holding her stomach.” He closed his eyes tightly again and seemed to drift off.
“Mike?” He opened his eyes and shook his head to chase away the memory. “Sorry, ma`am. Ms. Dal Santo, well she...she paid my way through school ma`am. I am sorry, I just got...I heard her say, ‘Where the hell was Billy?’”
“Was? She used the word was? You’re certain of this?”
“Yes, she was whispering, you know, speaking real soft, like she didn’t have the strength. But just before she passed out, she asked Bernie where Billy was and it came out clear, like she summoned all her strength to get the words out.”
“Bernie the Ballerina?” Michael nodded his head in agreement.
“And where was he?” She looked at both men but wanted Mike to answer.
“I never saw him. When Ms. Dal Santo asked the question, I automatically scanned the yard with my eyes. But I never found him.”
Taylor turned her gaze to Sam. “You brought Billy here to fill out the reports?”
“Yes. Yes I did.”
“Where did you find him?”
“I turned around and he was standing right behind me.”
“And where were you at the time?”
“I was checking the house.” Taylor put her head in her hands as she rested her elbows on her desk. “Where was Billy when the shots were fired?”
“Would you like me to get the reports for you?”
“Excuse me? Would I what?” She didn’t want to get angry at this man but she was not feeling well and he was pushing her buttons.
“Look, Michael, why don’t you go home and get some sleep. Be back in by nine and then take a car out to the house. Camp out there till six. If nothing is off cue, then we will go a different route. Sammy...you go get the report, and you read it. Read it a couple times and find what is missing. From what I have just heard and no, I haven’t read the report yet, but just from what the two of you have said, I can guarantee you’re going to have to do a lot of rewriting. And what about Ms. Ferrero? No one questioned her at all? Why? Where is she now? What is the current condition of the Dal Santo woman? Was anyone on duty last night or were you all just party crashers?” Taylor waved her hand signaling them to leave her.
Once again she picked up the paper and looked at the photo of the woman. One photo of the two of them together. Taylor felt they could have passed for sisters. Their hair color and the color of their eyes were different. The shapes of their noses differed. But the shapes of their heads, their cheek bones. The way they carried themselves. Their smiles were very much the same. Taylor had guessed that the woman probably spoke in much the same tone. Probably had the same sounding voice. To Taylor, they looked like two sides of the same coin. This was going to be a long day. She was sure of it. She looked up to her clock and mentally noted the time. It was ten A.M. Taylor dropped her head into her folded arms on the desk. Oh, it was going to be a long day and she felt like shit. Taylor thought, “Where was Billy?” as she pushed herself away from her desk. She would need to know the answer to that question before the hour was through.
Chapter 10
Dr. Kessler was finishing up for the day. Dropping off the last clip board in his possession, he said his goodbyes and prepared to leave. For a moment he paused for thought and then turned around and headed towards the office of the Chief of Staff. He knocked gingerly on the door.
“Come in.” He checked his appearance before entering.
“Morning, Luke, how’s the patient?”
“Can I assume you are referring to the gunshot victim?”
“Yes, Antonia or Anthony something. Josephine Ferrero’s friend.”
“Ah, so your interest lies beyond the surgery?”
“No, sir, I just meant...”
“Never mind. Dal Santo - Antonia Dal Santo is doing remarkably well for all she went through, but then she’s always been a tough cookie. Are you familiar with the woman?”
Dr. Kessler was lost in thought. He let his left hand glide him into the chair in front of Dr. Luke’s desk.
“Why don’t you have a s
eat Kessler? Are you getting enough sleep?” Dr. Kessler looked up but was not seeing what was in front of him. He was lost somewhere back in time, in his mind. “Dr. Kessler?”
“Yeah...oh, sorry...you said Dal Santo?”
“Yes, do you know her? You seem to have drifted off, I wasn’t sure if you heard me.”
“I spent some time in Azerbaijan with an Antonia Dal Santo. Do you think, I wonder if it could possibly be the same woman?”
“You seem a bit...were you close with this woman?”
“We worked together. I was doing my three year and she was working with some CARE group. She was remarkable. I thought she was a surgeon. She was extremely well skilled. I was fascinated by her. But it turned out she was not a practicing doctor at all, she was just helping out and filled in wherever they needed her. There was nothing she couldn’t do. She was educated in every field you could name. Someone like that, well it couldn’t be the same woman.”
“Why is that, do you think?”
“It would be...well why would she be hanging out in New Haven?”
“Our Ms. Dal Santo came back to New Haven, bout, oh, maybe ten years ago. During the Ferrero stalking I think it was. Seems she and Ms. Ferrero have been friends since childhood. She came back from the Congo. I believe that was where she was located at the time. Running a Literacy Awareness Program. The movie star made one phone call and all the millions of children in Africa got pushed aside. It is quite a shame. Yes, I believe your Antonia and our Antonia are one and the same.”
Dr. Luke cleared off his desk as he prepared to end his shift. “I am heading home now; it’s been a long evening. Ms. Dal Santo should be awake enough for you to say hello when you come back this evening. Why not stop in and see for yourself if she is your Antonia.”
“Yeah, I will do that. Thanks. Can I walk out with you?” Dr. Luke hung up his white coat and replaced it with a tan trench.”
“Millions of children pushed aside. For what? Can you tell me why? Why would anyone give up such meaningful work to be, a what, a bodyguard? Just doesn’t make any sense.”
Dr Luke shut the light out in his office as the two men left the room. Once out into the hallway, Kessler asked, “Is that what she is doing now? A body guard for Ferrero? Damn...” He shook his head. “Well, if I can remember correctly, she was well skilled in martial arts. I seem to recall her having some sort of military training as well. Something about the Sisters in Calcutta and some of them being attacked and raped by some guerillas. I think she covered as body guard for them as well. Who knows? Maybe that’s what she wanted to do with her life.”
The gentleman stopped abruptly at the doors to the parking garage. Letting his gaze travel the garage, the Chief of Staff deliberately offered his opinion.
“I don’t think so. I think Ms. Dal Santo wanted to be a missionary. She worked long and hard for it. From all I have read about her over the years, it was what she felt she was born to do. It was her calling. No, she hadn’t spent many sleepless nights wishing she were a body guard. It’s a damn shame. A damn shame.”
With that Dr. Luke turned and headed out to his car. Dr. Kessler stayed for a moment longer. He debated whether or not to head back in to her room or wait until the evening shift. He was tired and hungry. Besides she wasn’t going anywhere for a while. He dug through his pocket for his car keys and headed home.
Chapter 11
Fortunately for him, during the month of September, one could acquire lodging in New Haven for less than seventy five dollars a night. He sat alone, having his complimentary continental breakfast, while reading the local paper. The paper had the story wrong. It claimed the body guard had caught the shooter out on the lake. This annoyed, yet humored the man. The article did not mention the recovery of any weapon. It went on to say, “Ms. Dal Santo is listed in critical condition. Ms. Dal Santo’s pregnancy had been terminated after she suffered a shot to the womb. Murder charges are pending in the case for the life of the child. Ms. Ferrero was treated for a minor head wound and released".
Anger swelled inside of him. It boiled and rose to his throat threatening to spill out on the table. He looked up and away from the paper. He let his eyes wander to the outside of the front window. It was a bright and sunny day. He needed air. He stood and exited his hotel. A Cab was parked directly outside, awaiting any fare. He gave the driver a dead stare and simply walked on past. The hospital was just over a mile away. The walk would clear his head. He needed the air and the sun to calm him.
People walking down the street seemed to open up a path for him. No one wanted to get too close. It was as if he had leprosy, people backed away from his presence. He was angry, he was thirsty for blood. His pace was quick. He made it to the hospital in ten minutes, then, after pausing briefly at the main desk, he took the elevator up to her room. Pushing the door ajar just a crack, he heard a voice. He froze in place not knowing what to do. He had not expected anyone to be here this early. He let the door close silently and walked over to the nurse’s station.
“How is Antonia this morning?”
“She has been upgraded to stable but she is heavily sedated this morning. We don’t expect her to wake up for at least another hour, possibly two. She seems to be doing just fine though. She sure does have a lot of people concerned for her. We are all very hopeful for her full recovery. She has to be one of the most physically fit people I have ever seen. She will probably be able to go home within a week or two.”
His eyebrows arched, “Is that right?” he tapped his hand on the counter top twice. “Good, very good then, thank you.”
The door to her room opened and a man walked out. He closed the door gently behind him, as not to disturb Antonia. Heading towards the elevator, he never even noticed the man following him. When the doors opened Bernie entered, hit the ground floor button and leaned his shoulder against the wall. He laid his head against it and closed his eyes, releasing a tear that had somehow managed to remain, while thousands of others had fallen. He never noticed the man enter. After the doors closed and the elevator started down, Bernie felt a chill. His body stiffened without thought, in an automatic attempt to protect itself from the evil he felt surrounding him. He refused to open his eyes. When the doors reopened, Bernie practically walked into the elevator wall as he tried to escape. The man behind him watched. He was sickened to the point of retching. And his anger grew.
Outside, the fresh air relaxed Bernie. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs to clear his head. A cab pulled to a stop in front of him. He watched as an older gentleman stepped out of the cab. He watched the same gentleman reach back into the cab window to pay his fare. With a tip of his hat, the older gentleman turned to ascend the stairs. Bernie allowed his eyes to follow him without much thought. When he brought his eyes back to the direction of the cab, he noticed as the window was rolled back up, the man standing behind him. He felt the chill again. His body tightened again and he started to sweat. He turned quickly to witness the reality of the man. There was no one there. Bernie spun around in both directions, trying to find him. No one was there. Only the older gentleman who had just entered the doors. Bernie was alone at the bottom of the staircase. He walked briskly to his car. As he inserted his key someone called his name. Startled he dropped the keys by his feet. He bent to pick them up, and when he pulled himself up straight he found himself staring into the eyes of Jim Deloryan. Bernie jumped back a step and pulled his keys to his chest in an attempt to keep his heart from beating through.
“Hey, are you OK? I called you but I guess you didn’t hear me. Is it Antonia? Is she OK?”
Bernie leaned against his car and ran a hand up through his hair. “No, I’m fine. Antonia is, well, she is as good as can be expected. She is sleeping. They say she should be out another hour.”
“Did you get any sleep? Man you look like shit.”
“I napped a bit here and there. It’s hard, you know? I just kept thinking about...”
“Yeah, we all had difficulty sleeping I gu
ess. I was on my way to the attorney’s office and thought, you know, since I pass right by, that I would stop and see her. But you say she’s sleeping? Maybe I’ll stop back after lunch then. Josephine wants us to go over all the papers this morning anyway. Guess I should get busy.” He softly slapped Bernie on the shoulder, “Try and get some sleep man, she’s gonna need your support. She’s going to need you rested.”
Bernie watched as Jim walked back to his car. He watched as he drove past and exited the lot. He knew Jim was right. At the moment he was too spooked to drive. He would just stay where he was for a moment, just leaning up against the car, inhaling fresh air, just till his head cleared a bit. He glanced back over towards the entrance of the hospital just as yet another cab pulled up. He watched another visitor step out and ascend the stairs. He got into his car and took a deep breath as he started the ignition, then backed out of his parking spot. Home. He wanted to be back home where he felt safe and secure. When he pulled into his own drive, it was as much as he could do to escape the car. He wanted to run upstairs and jump in a tub to relax.
Anxiously he fumbled with his keys. He had difficulty finding the right one for the door but he did finally manage it. Once inside he turned to pull the screen door closed behind him. He wanted everything locked. As he secured the door, he noticed a cab drive by. Goose bumps covered his flesh abruptly. Closing the main door, Bernie pulled the curtain aside just enough to peek out. His hands shook as he latched the dead bolt tight. He laid his forehead against the door frame hoping to compose himself but it was no help.
He went straight to his bedroom to undress. He removed his pants and shorts. His hands trembled so much he could not undo the buttons of his shirt. He sat down on the edge of his bed and grabbed the edge of the mattress with both hands. He squeezed it tightly to try and regain his composure. With his head bowed, chin to his chest, he tried to relax his breathing. Then he felt it again, stronger now, closer. As if the breath of evil were blowing down his neck onto his back. Quickly, he raised his head and searched the room with his eyes.