“Sorry, I know, I know,” the man told her. “Having chosen to go into the Church, I probably should have changed my name!” He gave her a smile and then grimaced. “A pleasureto meet you and my deepest thanks along with Sean’s—we understand that you were the one to discover his granddaughter, you and your people.”
“We were lucky,” Angela said simply. “And—”
“Elizabeth!” Sean said. “Kidnapping! Trying to make something awful happen . . . frankly, planning for her to die on St. Patrick’s Day! I want her to suffer every single thing that the law can do to her. I’m glad I didn’t find her myself!”
“Sean, Sean,” Father Patrick said. “Find room in your heart for forgiveness. From what I understand thus far, the young woman played the part of true efficiency, logic, steadiness. But her background is painful to know. Sean, you have always offered the world nothing but a giving and good soul. In my mind—”
“She’s being taken to police headquarters,” Angela said. “She will face a trial, sir.”
“A little woman like Elizabeth!” Sean said. “How did she manage it all? Wait! Maybe she was being used, maybe . . .
A doctor appeared at the door to the waiting room. “Sir!” he told Sean. “You may come in and see your granddaughter now!”
“Thank you!” Sean said. “Angela—”
“I will be here, sir. Waiting.”
“And Patrick, if you’ll come in with me . . .” Sean asked.
“Ah, will do!”
Angela watched them go and wondered if she shouldn’t be joining the others. They might still be in the forest, trying to determine if Elizabeth had acted alone. Colleen was safe; they no longer had to worry about Elizabeth helping them find her. But . . .
The banshee took a seat by Angela.
“How did she do it? Did she do it alone?” Angela murmured.
“’There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio . . .’” the banshee said.
“You’re quoting Shakespeare?” Angela asked her.
And the banshee cast her head to the side. “You, of all people, should know just how true those words are. Could a young woman who stands at just about five feet even have managed that kidnapping on her own?”
“I guarantee you this,” Angela said softly. “We will find out! And—”
She broke off because a nurse had come into the room and was beckoning to her. Rising, she looked at the nurse questioningly. “I didn’t think that you’d want too many people in there at once—”
“They’ve asked for you,” the nurse told her. “And the young lady is doing brilliantly. Such a wonderful thing . . . another dose of the knockout drugs she was being given could have been the final straw. But you found her at the right time, and she’s already doing brilliantly. We will observe another few hours and then her grandfather will be able to take her home!”
“Thank you,” Angela said, following her—with Deidre at her back—as they walked to Colleen’s hospital room. And entering, she saw Sean and Colleen were smiling, and Colleen was already looking wonderfully alert and well.
“We just had to thank you together!” Colleen told her.
“Well, you’re welcome. And of course, it’s not just me—”
“Oh, we know, we know. And I knew that my dear friend Adam Harrison would have created the best investigative unit possible!” Sean said. He hesitated, wincing.
“Tell her, grandfather,” Colleen said.
“Aye, fine.” Sean looked at Angela and said, “We’ve been talking, Father Patrick, Colleen, and me and . . . when it comes to court, we’re going to try to see that Elizabeth does go to a mental health facility. The more I hear about the poor lass . . . she wasthe one to find a foster mother dead, she lost her own parents . . . all she’s done is fight her whole life. And,” he added, “well, it is almost St. Paddy’s Day, and the good fellow was a wretchedly abused prisoner who went back to bring goodness to the very people who had so abused him. So, in his honor . . . I believe Elizabeth can be helped. And despite what she’s done . . .giving. We’ll be giving, in honor of great and giving man.”
“That’s lovely. But, sir, we will still investigate—”
“Oh, bloody hell, aye!” Sean said. “Sorry, Father!” he said, looking at the current Patrick. “Forgive my language. But yes, you find out if anyone else was involved at all!”
“Indeed, sir! And I will go now to rejoin my unit. There are officers stationed here just for your protection, sir, and when you leave—”
“They’ll be with me. Go! Find out who is guilty!”
