Cherry Two

Part 43

Chapter 41

Neither Calley nor Alain wanted to stay another night at the Olympic Inn. The entire third floor had been evacuated and cordoned off; guests were leaving in droves. The uproar in Port Angeles would not get back to normal for weeks. But there remained little choice for tonight with everything closed. Exhausted, they climbed out of the patrol car and entered the lobby. On recognition the night manager turned pale.

In the café the family huddled at a table and tried to make sense of their lives. Calley dared to touch Sonia's hand across the white linen. "Is Uncle Bob going to be alright?" she said with teary eyes.

Sonia bit down on her lip. "They don't know. It's his age. I think they were trying to prepare me for the worst. Oh, God, I wish I could be there. I've wasted so much time."

Alain knew she meant decades. Their estrangement had been one-sided and all the regret in the world could never change a thing if Robert failed to regain consciousness. Sonia could end up feeling some of the same pain Robert had endured over the years.

Keenan was next to speak. He aimed his hesitant words at Calley. "I don't know how to ask this one but let me try. You knew Ramos would come to kill Robert. You knew even before Ramos knew it himself. Perhaps not his actual name—but someone would come. I've never been what you would call a superstitious person; the constant search for hard evidence makes you that way. Sonia said your father had... premonitions... if that's what we should call them." Keenan narrowed his eyes at the girl and lowered his voice almost to a murmur. "Is it really her sister inside your head?"

Calley shivered and closed her eyes as if searching internally. "She's gone. I mean the feeling has gone. Part of it was always there... now it's gone."

"Always there?" Calley felt Sonia squeeze her hand.

"Yes, always; as far back as I can remember. It feels so strange—so empty—as if something has lifted away." Calley shook her hair, making it bounce around her head as if she were in a shampoo commercial. "Even when I was little, the feeling would come and go. Not such a bad feeling. It told me I was special. Here for a reason." She scanned them with saddened eyes. "I suppose I loved her. In a way I wish she'd stayed."

For a moment the plug of silence at the table seemed to take on presence of its own.

***

Two evaluation sessions with Jesus Benson told Sonia all she needed to know. Fakery didn't enter into it and the word "murder" held no association for the retarded man at all. She wrote a report for Hollander that concluded the prisoner would not comprehend any charges the department tried to lay. His prevailing diminished capacity would ensure he'd end up confined to a mental institution for life. Hollander thanked her, not so sure this conclusion paralleled what he wanted to hear.

***

For the next two days Alain and Calley spent lengthy time at Robert's bedside. With no significant change and relentless hounding from the media, Sonia urged them to return home while she and Keenan continued the vigil and dealt with reporters.

The pair landed at Castellamare only to find Kent sprawled in front of the TV in shorts, vest and a pile of beer cans. He greeted Alain with a hi-five, then followed up with a bear hug. "Welcome home, Bro."

"You too, shithead. I believe you've met my sister."

Calley and Kent flashed sullen glances at each other, but said nothing.