Stolen Dreams (8 page)

Before Mary could even start helping Marty, she had to follow
through on her initial hunch.
 
If Sol had
really killed Marty and wanted him to become connected to their house, he
probably disposed of the body on the property. So, there would be no record of
Marty’s death.
 
She drove over to the county
clerk’s office, which had been moved from the old County Courthouse building to
the Stewart Centre on Douglas Street.
 

Mary pulled into the parking lot, parked, and entered
through the front lobby.
 
As the tallest building
in Freeport with a total of twelve floors, it was equipped with two
elevators.
 
Mary was grateful for that
convenience as she pressed the button for the fifth floor.
 

The doors opened and Mary stepped into the new lobby for the
Stephenson County government offices.
 
Walking across the lobby, she entered the modern, glass-walled
accommodations of the county clerk’s office.
 

“Mary,” Linda called happily from behind the large counter
in her new office space. “It’s great to see you.
 
How are you feeling?”

“Actually, great,” Mary said. “I am finally feeling like a
human being again.”

“Well, you look amazing,” Linda replied. “Pregnancy agrees
with you. How’s the rest of your family?”

“Pretty excited about Halloween,” Mary said. “We’re going to
be helping with Clarissa’s party at school.
 
And that ought to be an interesting experience.”

“Very,” Linda replied.
“Especially after
the article in the paper.
 
I bet
you could tell some really good ghost stories.”

You have no idea
,
Mary thought.
 
But she only smiled,
shrugged and changed the topic. “How’s Bob?” she asked, referring to Linda’s
fairly new husband.
 

“He’s great,” Linda replied with a smile.
“And
still very romantic.
It’s like he’s making up for all of those years we
weren’t together.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Mary said.

“So, I suppose you didn’t come down here just to chit chat,”
Linda said. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for a coroner’s report from the last four
months or so,” Mary said. “The name would be Marty Cannon.
 
I’m not sure if it’s Martin or Marty.”

Linda nodded. “That’s okay. It shouldn’t be that hard to
find,” she said, turning to her keyboard and entering the information.
 
She scanned the screen and typed in more
information. “Are you sure he died in Stephenson County?”

“Yes, it should be in Pearl City,” Mary said. “And if it’s
listed, it should be sometime in June.”

Typing some more information into the system, Linda studied the
screen again. “No, I don’t see anything like that,” she said. “Maybe we could
do a search on John Does, just in case.”

“That would be great,” Mary said. “I would guess he’s about
forty years old.”

Linda stopped typing and glanced over to Mary. “Should I
even ask you how you know about this?” she asked, raising one eyebrow.

Shaking her head slightly, Mary smiled at Linda. “That’s
probably not a great idea,” she confessed.

Nodding slowly, Linda smiled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Linda turned her attention back to the screen. “Okay, even
searching for a John Doe with the age variable from twenty-five to sixty years
of age, I don’t have anything for you,” she said.

“Okay,” Mary said easily.

Linda looked up and cocked her head to the side. “Why do I
have a feeling that you’re not surprised?” she asked.

Mary shrugged. “Nothing much surprises me anymore,” she
hedged.

Linda leaned on the counter towards Mary and lowered her
voice. “Please tell me that you have Bradley involved in this investigation,”
she said. “A missing dead body can’t be a good thing.”

“Yes, he knows about it,” Mary said. “And he insisted that I
call in some special help. So, we’re hoping that Ian will come back to help.”

“Ian,” Linda replied with a smile. “Well, it will be good to
have him back in Freeport for a while. Will he be bringing his black shirt with
him?”

A surprised burst of laughter popped from Mary and she
clapped her hand over her mouth to hold it back. “Linda,” she scolded, still
chuckling. “You’re a newly married woman.”

“I’m married, not dead,” Linda replied with a saucy grin.
“Besides, I’m looking out for all of the women in Freeport, not just me.”

“How generous of you,” Mary replied with an answering smile.
“I’ll make sure Bradley asks him to bring it along.”

“And, you know, if you have a moment and he wants to stop
by…” Linda added.

“Well, really, it would be a waste for him to come all the
way to Freeport and not stop in here,” Mary said.

“You really are a good friend,” Linda said and then she
lowered her voice once again. “But all kidding aside, be very careful with this
investigation. You’re not quite as spry as you used to be.”

Mary stepped back from the counter and looked down at her
protruding belly. “Don’t worry, Linda. I’m not going to do anything to
jeopardize this guy,” she said. “I do understand my limitations.”

“Well, good,” she replied. “I know you’re an amazing woman
and you can pretty much handle anything, but I have to admit I’m really
relieved Ian will be helping you.
 
And if
there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Linda,” Mary replied, moving back towards the door.
“I’ll remember that.”

“And don’t forget about the black shirt,” Linda called.

Shaking her head, Mary touched the button to call the
elevator. “I’ll make sure that’s a priority.”

When she finally got back to her office, Mary was delighted
by the cheery Halloween display in the front of her office. Paul had situated
everything perfectly and had even draped some tiny white lights in the
background to give the impression of stars sparkling at night.
 
Rather than being scary, it was a warm and
friendly Halloween scene, and Mary could almost hear the shouts of children
clamoring from house to house and dashing through piles of dried leaves as they
collected their Halloween treats.
 
She
remembered her own trick-or-treating years when she and her brothers would take
pillowcases for treat bags, and by the time the evening was over, the
pillowcases were heavy with apples, popcorn balls, candy and coins.

The brief memory of her own childhood reminded her of Alison
and her missing child. She walked over to her desk, quickly glanced over her
emails and, after finding nothing pressing, decided there was no time like the
present to make her first attempt to locate the adopted child.

Mary’s cell phone rang about a half-hour later as she drove
down the rural roads towards the old convent that was located just beyond the
Wisconsin state line.
 
The caller ID
appeared on her hands-free, phone display and she smiled as she pressed the
button. “Hi, sweetheart,” she said. “What’s up?”

“Well, Ian wants to know what’s for dinner tonight,” Bradley
said with a chuckle. “I still don’t understand how that guy eats as much as he
does and stays so fit.”

“Must be good genes,” Mary replied. “So, what did you tell
him?”

“I told him I was calling Rosie and inviting us all over to
her house for dinner,” he replied. “So he’s already on his way.”

Mary laughed out loud.
“Really?
He’s coming today?” she asked.

“Yes. He said he needed a little time out of the city and
would love to see everyone again,” he answered. “So, should I call Rosie?”

“No,” she said slowly.

“No? You’re going to cook dinner?” he asked.

“Well, don’t sound so surprised,” she replied and paused for
a moment. “But no, I’ll call Rosie so I can pick up the ingredients and some
dessert.”

“Good idea,” he said, trying to hide the laughter in his
voice.

“I can still hear that you’re laughing,” she said.

“Not laughing,” he coughed.
“Something in
my throat.”

“You are such a liar,” she replied. “So, I visited with
Linda this morning.
 
There are no death
records for Marty.”

“I’m running a background check on Sol,” he said. “If he
turns out too dicey, we’re calling in someone else on this one.”

“Okay, deal,” she agreed. “In the meantime, I’m heading up
to the convent in Wisconsin to see if I can get my hands on the records for
Alison’s baby. Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck,” he said. “You’ve got skills.”

She laughed. “Well, thank you,” she said. “Let’s see if
those skills can get me what I need today.”

Once she finished the call with Bradley, she dialed Rosie’s
number. “Hi Rosie,
it’s
Mary,” she said when Rosie
picked up the phone. “I was wondering if you and Stanley had any plans for
tonight.”

“No, nothing important,” Rosie replied. “Stanley and I were
just planning on a quiet night at home.
 
Do you need me to babysit Clarissa?”

“No, actually, I have a surprise for you. Ian is coming into
town tonight. He’s here to help me on a case,” she said.

“Oh my word, how wonderful!”
Rosie
exclaimed and Mary could hear the excitement in her voice. “Why, I haven’t seen
him in ages. Will he be here in time for dinner?”

“Well, actually, that’s why I’m calling,” Mary said.

“Oh, Mary,” Rosie interrupted. “I know this is frightfully
forward of me, but would you mind if I cooked dinner?
 
I did so enjoy cooking for Ian, and I know
how busy you are.”

“I would love to have you cook,” Mary replied eagerly.
“Actually, I was hoping you’d volunteer.
 
What ingredients do you want me to pick up?”

“Well, let me think about it and get back to you,” Rosie
replied. “I want to look through my recipes and decide what to make. Oh, this
will be so much fun!
 
Does Clarissa
know?”

“No, she doesn’t,” Mary said. “She’ll probably want to
invite Maggie over when she finds out.”

“Well, why don’t we just invite the whole Brennan clan?”
Rosie asked. “I’ll make something like a big pot of chili or a stew.”

“That sounds perfect,” Mary said. “I’ll give Katie a call
and invite them.
 
You are amazing,
Rosie.”

Rosie giggled with delight. “Well, I wouldn’t say that,” she
said, pausing for just a moment. “But it’s so nice to hear you say it. Now, are
you in town?”

“No, I’m heading up to Wisconsin right now,” Mary replied.
“But I should be back by early afternoon to help you.”

 
“Oh, that’s right,”
Rosie said. “You’re going up there to find out about that poor woman’s baby,
aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am,” Mary nodded. “Wish me luck.”

“Oh, you won’t need luck,” Rosie said confidently. “You’ll
have them eating out of your hand in minutes. I’m just sure they will be able
to help you.”

“I’m afraid we can’t help you,” the stern-faced nun on the
other side of the desk stated bluntly. “There’s nothing we can do.”

Mary had arrived at the convent twenty minutes earlier.
 
The institution sat up on the top of a hill
surrounded by a huge arboretum with smaller meditating gardens and a number of
small, brick-lined, narrow paths that led throughout the acreage.
 
The facilities consisted of the convent, a
large school and a smaller brick building that had few windows and seemed more
like a factory than a religious institution.
 

Parking her car near the convent, Mary got out and decided
to wander the grounds for a few moments before she went up to the office.
 
The air was crisp and the trees surrounding
her were still bathed in the full glory of autumn.
 
She walked down the hill, away from the
parking lot, and the first garden she encountered was a shade
garden
filled with
hostas
of every
size and color.
 
They were planted
underneath and around a cedar pergola in the shade of a grove of oak trees.
 
There were a number of small, cedar benches
scattered throughout the area and Mary walked over to one situated under the
largest oak and sat down.

“This is one of my favorite spots, too.”

Mary was startled to find that she was sitting next to the
ghost of an elderly nun dressed in a black habit with a long, silver and black
rosary around her neck. She turned slightly towards the nun and smiled. “I can
see why it would be,” she said. “It’s very peaceful here.”

“Are you one of our girls?” the nun asked. “You know, you’re
not supposed to be outside in your condition.”

The nun looked pointedly at Mary’s belly and then she shook
her head. “You know you must follow the rules,” she continued. “You agreed to
them when you came.”

Deciding she wanted to learn more from the nun, Mary played
along. “What rules?” she asked.
“Sister?”

“Sister Bernadette. The contract you signed when you came to
live with us,” the nun replied impatiently. “Whether you or your parents signed
it, it’s still binding and legal.”

“But what if I didn’t want to come here?” Mary said.

“You made that choice when you decided to lay with a young
man out of wedlock,” Sister Bernadette replied harshly. “You will learn that
there are consequences to your actions.”

“I want to keep my baby,” Mary said, placing her hands
protectively on her lap.

“That’s not an option,” Sister Bernadette replied, and this
time her voice was tinged with regret.

“Why isn’t it?” Mary asked. “I’ll get a job. I can raise my
child.”

“Think of the others,” the nun replied.

“What others?” Mary asked.

“The other girls who are here,” Sister Bernadette continued.
“Those who have no ability or desire to find a job.
We
need the funds from the placement of the children to run our facility.”

“You sell our babies?” Mary asked, astonished.

Sister Bernadette quickly shook her head. “No, of course
not,” she immediately replied. “We charge a placement fee, that’s all. It just
covers some of the expenses for housing you girls while you prepare to give
birth.”

“I thought the factory work paid for our room and board,”
Mary ventured, hoping to learn a little more about the work they did.

“Factory?”
Sister Bernadette replied,
confused.
 
Then her face cleared and she
nodded. “You mean the laundry? Well, that brings in funds, of course, but not nearly
enough.”

Mary studied the elderly nun’s eyes and saw the sadness
there. “Are you sure?” Mary asked. “Are you sure the money from the laundry
didn’t bring in enough money?
 
Are you
sure you needed to steal the infants from these young women and break their
hearts?
 
Are you really sure you needed
to do this?”

Sister Bernadette’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her
head. “No,” she whispered, her voice thick with grief. “No, I’m not sure at
all.”

And then she faded away until Mary was once again alone in
the shaded garden.

Rising, Mary slowly walked from the gardens up the path
towards the main building.
 
The path was
bordered with flowers, some summer flowers that were still in bloom mixed in
with spicy chrysanthemums.
 
But the
colors and scents didn’t bring Mary the pleasure they usually did.
 
Instead they reminded her of the flowers at a
funeral, something beautiful trying to disguise something very sad.

She entered the huge, stone building, walked to the main
office and was immediately greeted by a friendly young woman who was dressed in
a more modern version of a habit, lighter in color and a little shorter than Sister
Bernadette’s. “May I help you?” the nun asked.

Mary offered her friendliest smile and nodded. “Yes, I
certainly hope so,” she said. “I’ve been engaged by an elderly woman to locate
information about a child that was placed for adoption from your facility.
 
I have the birthdates, the child’s given name
at birth and the mother’s maiden name.
 
And now that the child is no longer a minor, I
understand the information can be released.”

She handed the woman a piece of paper with all of the
information on it. “If you would just check your records,” Mary urged.

The smile faded on the young woman’s face. She took the
paper and nodded. “If you will just wait one moment,” she said. “I’ll need to
call the Mother Superior to help you.”

Mary found herself sitting on a hard, wooden bench for ten
minutes until she was summoned into another office. The room was very modest,
the furniture sparse, and the only ornamentation were religious artifacts on
the wall. The woman sitting behind the desk seemed to fit her
surroundings.
 
She was thin and birdlike,
her small, dark eyes darting nervously around the room before resting on Mary
and then quickly on Mary’s belly.

“So, I can see that you have more in common with your client
than my secretary stated,” she snapped derisively.

“I beg your pardon?” Mary replied, shocked at the tone in
the woman’s voice.

“You and she are both…how shall I say it?” she pondered aloud,
“Both carnal women rather than Godly women.”

Perched on the edge of the seat in front of the Mother
Superior’s desk, Mary could feel her temper rise, but she fought back the angry
words that were on the tip of her tongue.
It
will not help the situation if you call her a snake and tell her to bite the
wall,
she decided silently.
Even though it would feel really good.

“I suppose that we are alike because we have both been
blessed in being able to join with God in the miracle of life,” she finally
replied, trying to do her best to say what she thought her mother would say in
this situation. “She also gave birth to two wonderful sons who love her very
much.
 
But whether a woman is able to
bear children or not, I believe that God judges her by her good works and
what’s in her heart.”

So, what’s in your
heart, you angry, old reptile?
Mary thought, though her face remained
passively pleasant.

Mother Superior snorted scornfully and shifted some papers
on her desk. “Well, I’m sure some day we will find out how God judges us, won’t
we?” she asked.

Mary continued to smile, even though her jaw was beginning
to ache at the strain, and nodded. “Yes, I suppose we will.
And
now, about the records.”

“I’m afraid we can’t help you,” the nun replied. “There’s
nothing we can do.”

“You don’t have the records?” Mary asked.

“Whether we do or don’t is irrelevant,” she replied,
shrugging easily. “We do not share that kind of information.
 
It is confidential and each young woman
signed a contract when she entered the facility.”

“If the young woman was a minor, she cannot be held to the directives
of the contract,” Mary countered.

“Which is why we also had their legal guardians sign the
contract,” Mother Superior replied with a satisfied smile. “We have lawyers,
too, and they have reviewed our records and found nothing wanting.”

“Except, perhaps, a conscience,” Mary blurted out before she
could help herself.

The nun’s face turned red and she stood up very slowly. “I
believe this conversation is over,” she replied. “I’m sure you can see yourself
out as you certainly found your way in here.”

Mary stood. “I’m not giving up,” she replied. “I will get
hold of those records.”

The nun met Mary’s eyes and shook her head, an angry smile
on her face. “Well, you know, records do have an unfortunate history of getting
lost or being destroyed by fire. Who knows what happened to the records you are
searching for? The adoption was a long time ago.”