“Triple M?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah, his name was Matthew Mick Murphy. Do you know him?”
“His son was in my high school class. He went by Triple M too. Michael Martin Murphy. He was at your father’s house when we went there yesterday.
“Michael was promoted when his father was told to retire. He is so far up Sal’s ass he knows what’s for lunch tomorrow.” Maria shook her head. “So far as I know, Mick’s living it up in Miami.”
“I appreciate you giving us that information, Maria.” Jude squeezed her hand. “I hate to ask, but what happened after you opened the fridge door?”
Maria sighed. “Henri’s head sat on our turkey platter. His eyes were wide open. There was coagulating blood covering the plate. I got a whiff of copper and fainted. I’d never fainted before in my life. When I woke up, the goons were gone and I was lying on the living room sofa. My father sat beside me. He apologized for upsetting me and told me he hoped I would remember this night if I ever thought about running away from my family responsibilities ever again. I don’t know what happened to Henri. I was too scared to ask.”
“How did his head end up in your freezer?” Jude swiped at tears that tracked down his cheeks.
“Two months after Henri was murdered, my father brought me into a meeting with Mick Murphy and Brian Cullen. He told me I was marrying one of them and to choose between them. Sal offered me a house and enough money to be a housewife andstay at home mother, on the condition I be available for family business when he needed me. I didn’t hesitate to pick Brian. I’d gotten to know each of the men over time and Brian seemed to have a crush on me. All Mick did was look at me like I was on the menu. So, I chose the lesser of two evils. I married Brian, Sal bought us a house and had it fixed up and decorated for us when we came home from our honeymoon.” Maria began to cough.
Jude helped her to sit up and held her cup of water as Maria drank. “I’m so sorry, Maria.”
“I appreciate that, Jude.” Maria took a deep breath. “Anyway, when we got home. My father was there to greet us. He gave us a tour of the house which ended in the basement, which had a large chest freezer. My father told me there was a little gift inside it for me. I knew what I would find without opening it, but Sal forced me to do it anyway. It was Henri’s head. I made Brian fill the freezer with meat I never intended to eat, just so that it would be out of sight, out of mind.”
As Maria spoke, a young man appeared by her bed. He wore tan pants, a sweater vest, and had a John Travolta hairstyle. “I’m Henri,” the man said to Tennyson. “Look how beautiful my girl is.”
“She’s a stunner,” Ten said. “Do you want her to know you’re here?”
Henri nodded. “I’ve been by her side every single day.”
“Ten, what is it?” Jude asked, turning around in his chair.
“Henri is here. He’s wearing tan pants-”
“And a sweater vest,” Maria finished, smiling. “I bought it for him one Christmas and he wore it constantly. Is he okay, Tennyson?”
“He is,” Ten said. “Henri says he’s been by your side every single day.”
“So he knows? He’s seen-” Maria lowered her head against Jude’s shoulder.
“Tennyson, please tell Maria that I saw everything and I love her. Please, she has to listen to what I have to say.”
“Maria,” Ten said. “Henri needs you to listen to what he has to tell you. He loves you. Based on what I’m seeing, he never stopped.”
“Okay. I’m just so ashamed.” Maria dabbed at her eyes with a tissue Jude handed her.
Ten nodded to Henri and began to speak for the spirit. “Don’t be ashamed. You did what you had to do to protect yourself. You are the strongest woman I know. I find something new every day to love you for. Yesterday, it was the tattoo of my initials in that special place. Today, it’s the way you’re telling your truth.”
“You have a tattoo in aspecialplace?” Jude asked, laughing. “Maria, you naughty girl!”
“I knew I would never love Brian or any other man the way I’d loved Henri. The tattoo was my act of rebellion, one I knew Brian would never tell my father about, no matter how upset at me he was.”
“I need to tell you how I died, Tennyson,” Henri said as Jude refilled Maria’s cup and held the straw for her to drink. “You have to promise me you won’t tell Maria. Deal?”
Ten nodded. He crossed his heart.
“The night I was killed, Brian Cullen and Mick Murphy grabbed me and brought me to Sal at one of his butcher shops. He toldme I would never see Maria again and shot me. Once in the stomach and once in the chest. He sat and watched me die. Then he ordered my head to be sent to Maria and the rest of me weighed down and dumped into Boston Harbor. I know you want to find the rest of my body, but after all these years, there’s nothing left to find.”
“I understand,” Ten whispered. As Henri had spoken, Ten had been able to see the murder play out in his mind. He would never forget the callous violence and the way Sal laughed as Henri took his last breath. It explained the stomach and chest pain Ten felt at the morgue.
“Is that all Henri has to say, Ten?” Maria asked.
“He says he’ll be here waiting for you.” Ten dabbed at his eyes. He knew it would not be a long wait. “When I was here the other day, six men appeared by your bed. Can you tell us about that?” Ten asked.
