Maria nodded. “Jude, do you see that box near the window? Can you open it up and bring what’s inside?”
“Sure.” Jude walked to the back of the room and opened the box. He pulled out what looked like a white shadow box. “Here you go.”
“Come take a look, Captain Fitzgibbon. You too, Ronan. Tennyson.” Maria motioned them forward.
“Hatpins?” Fitz asked.
“Yes, Captain. Six of them. One for each life I was forced to take. Albert Congili. Vincenzo Rossi. Tony Bonaducci. Carlo Ricci. Joey DiPietro. Mario “The Hacksaw” Greco.”
Ten moved closer to the box. Each of the six pins were made of steel. Atop each of them was a different jewel faceted to the shaft and surrounded by what looked like a halo of diamonds.
“Who forced you to take these lives?” Fitzgibbon asked, looking as if he already knew the answer.
“My father. If I didn’t do what he asked, he said he would hurt one of my students the way he’d hurt Henri.” Maria shook her head. “After I was forced to marry Brian, I used my degree to become a first grade teacher. I loved my students so much. They were my surrogate children. Six months after I was married, there was a week-long meeting in Chicago that my father, Brian, and the other goons went to. What my husband and father never knew was that I’d scheduled surgery to have my ovaries removed. I found a woman doctor who was sympathetic to my plight. I told Brian I’d needed to have my appendix out after the fact. He had no idea where the appendix was located, so he believed my scar was from that procedure. I knew if I had kids of my own my father would use them to control me and would find a way to indoctrinate them into the family. I couldn’t do that. My father had turned me into a whore and a hit woman. I’d sold enough of my soul to him.”
“I told you she was one hell of a lady,” Henri said.
Tennyson couldn’t agree more.
“The last of the hatpin murders took place in 1991. Why did you stop?” Jude asked.
“I quit my job at the school and told my father I was done working for him. I also told him that several attorneys all over New England had my hatpins and full confessions of not only what I’d done, but other crimes he’d committed and that if anything happened to me, even if it was an honest-to-goodnessaccident, the information would be made public and the hatpins turned over to the police. My father agreed to let me go. I kept the house in Salem and got to spend my life with my nieces, nephews and their kids as well. I traveled the world by myself, saw the Colosseum, elephants and rhinos on safari, and spent days on the most beautiful beaches. I was free and finally able to grieve my Henri.”
“You know we’re going to need your confession on video, right?” Fitzgibbon asked.
“Tomorrow,” Maria said. “I’m tired now. Come back after lunch tomorrow and I’ll give you everything you want.”
Fitzgibbon’s eyes moved from Maria to Tennyson.
Ten knew there wasn’t going to be a tomorrow for Maria. He nodded to Fitzgibbon and hoped the captain would forgive him for lying. Along with the hatpins, the box at the back of the room contained mountains of evidence against Fat Sal and his lackeys, along with a full videotaped confession of her own crimes.
“We’ll see you tomorrow.” Fitzgibbon shook Maria’s hand and left the room. Jude and Ronan did the same.
“Tennyson, stay a moment.” Maria patted the side of her bed.
Ten shut the door and took a seat.
“You know this it for me, right?” Maria asked.
“I do.” Ten nodded.
“Thank you for lying to your captain. I know it’s not usually in your character to do that.”
“You’re right, it’s not. You deserve your peace, Maria. God knows you’ve spent your entire life having it stolen from you.” Tennyson would give her the world in this moment.
“I have one last favor to ask.”
Ten took Maria’s hand. “If it’s within my power to do it, I will.”
“There’s a plot with a headstone in Act of Mercy Cemetery in Amherst. I bought it years ago for me and Henri. Please have us buried together. My attorney, Reagan Pryce, has my will, estate plan, and a list of my final wishes. He even has the urn I want to be buried in. Mix Henri’s ashes with mine.”
Ten felt tears stream down his face. He didn’t know how Maria was making it through this conversation without crying herself. “I’ll do my best.”
“Lastly, Ten, make sure my father and his goons pay. Take them down. Every last fucking one of them.” Maria’s eyes glittered with the anticipation of revenge.
“You got it. My husband and his colleagues are the best at what they do.” Ten pressed a kiss to the back of Maria’s hand. “Henri is here with you, so is the white light. Take his hand, run into it, and never look back.”
“Happily.” Maria’s smile faded and her eyes slid shut.
