Yesterday (Part Three - Chapters 41 & 42) (Patreon)

CHAPTER 41

It was three o’clock in the afternoon at Cap Ferrat and it was sweltering hot. After being cooped up underground for several years, Gabriel and Sophie were surprised at how difficult it was for them to stay under the open sky for long periods of time and to endure the changes in temperature and humidity. Gabriel had been suffering from severe headaches all day and Sophie kept feeling nauseous.

The children though were fine.

They managed to get to Nice in some hippie students’ colorful van, and it had taken them more than a two-hour stop-and-go drive to get to the tiny beach from the campus.

Gabriel had been watching the beach for some time. They needed a boat or something similar to get away with and he knew from experience that many yachts used to wade there fleeing the turmoil of Cannes and Monte Carlo. They just needed a little break.

—If only we had some luck... —Gabriel sighed.

—So what next? — Whispered Sophie — they’re all over the place.

—Find an island somewhere, stray there. You heard the guys, we could just mingle among the people in the communes of Ibiza, who would even notice us?

CHAPTER 42

Jonah had been locked in the hotel suite for four days. He spent them hypnotized in front of the television, letting himself be pampered by the opulence of that exclusive paradise of luxury.

He was accustomed to good living, for in the various houses of the Congregation in which he lived with Pater there was never a lack of exquisite furnishings, good food or art around him. But what really captivated him on his return from Dublin was the discovery of all those mass media, forbidden by decree since his childhood by decision of Pater, who censored them, decrying them as demonic tools of mass manipulation.

Of course, he had seen many films during his life, and countless documentaries carefully selected by Pater, but this world of commercials and reality TV was new and fascinating. In just four days, Jonah had understood why these audiovisual media were so effective in their work, and he found it increasingly difficult to tear his eyes away from the screen and its 100 or more TV channels.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city, Pater Lorenzo Aminarti was landing at Terminal 4 of Barajas Airport. He was returning to Spain for the first time in over thirty years.

A secretary was waiting for him at the entrance of the modern office building when he got out of the cab, and she dutifully led him to Oscar's office. Everything had changed a lot in that city.

Despite his usual poise and elegance, Oscar was not having a good day. Aminarti didn't miss the small details, and that morning they betrayed his perennially dapper demeanor.

They exchanged formal greetings and made small talk for a few minutes. Aminarti wanted to gauge the man’s desperation and deliberately tested his patience. But Oscar was not deterred.

—Aminarti please, let’s cut the niceties, I need answers, —he interrupted him.

—Just ask.

—I have been doing my own research and there are some things that don’t add up, do you know what kind of affairs Jonah and Laura’s real parents were involved in?

—How would I know that? Let me remind you that it was you who gave me Jonah some time after they passed away.

—They never told you anything about them?

—No, not really; as you are well aware, Jonah and I kept ourselves isolated from almost everything from day one.

—Why?

Aminarti looked at him in surprise, but replied patiently.

—Well, after the unfortunate event that led to our meeting, it was Professor Hebert’s idea for us to remain apart, remember? Because of the boy’s unusual abilities, we decided among all of us that it would be best to keep him away until he was properly educated. You yourself were fine with it from the beginning. So what is really bothering you?

—I keep wondering what interest the Congregation has in Jonah, and I think you know it, which makes me wonder what their real role is in this whole mess,—Oscar ventured.

—Look, Oscar, the Congregation, as you like to call us, did you a big favor.

—In exchange for a lot of money, lest I forget.

—So, what's your concern?

Oscar grunted and paused for a moment. He had a closed blue cardboard folder before him. As he hesitated to open it, Aminarti looked at it sideways. He decided to keep it that way for the moment and deal another card to the priest.

—For starters, what puzzles me is why Hebert mentioned for the first time during our last conversation a device that, according to him, you have always carried with you.

—Device?

—Your Rosary. According to Hebert it protects you from Jonah.

Aminarti let out a short laugh and slapped the arm of his chair.

—Are you serious?

—Absolutely.

Aminarti reached into a pocket of his cassock and extracted the small circular silver Rosary with which he always prayed. He placed it carefully on the table facing Oscar.

—I don't usually let anyone touch it, but if it serves to reassure you, please take it.

Oscar took it between his fingers and was amazed at the exquisite craftsmanship that had gone into decorating it. The inner ring had beads embedded around it and the whole setting culminated in a small cross carved with great detail. There was a tiny Papal symbol engraved on the back of the cross.

—Very nice, what’s it for? —asked Oscar.

—To pray, —answered Aminarti with a touch of irony.

—I see, but what is it really for?

—Look, Oscar, it was a gift I received from someone very special to me many years ago; other than that, I have only used it to pray.

—Maybe whoever gave it to you did it with ulterior motives.

—I don't think so.

—Then why did Hebert make such a big deal out of it?

—He lied to you, obviously.

Oscar stared at Aminarti in bewilderment and carefully returned the Rosary to the spot on the table where Aminarti had placed it.

—I see, —said Oscar, folding his hands on the table, —it’s clear to me that one of the two of you is lying.

—And I think we should be talking about Jonah, —suggested Aminarti.

—Who gave you the Rosary?

—That's personal.

—And it will remain between us.

—It won't be of any use to you.

—Try me.

—Pope John XXIII.

Oscar was perplexed for a moment. He crossed out with his pen one of the sentences he had jotted down from the summary of his conversation with Hebert and wrote down the Pope’s name. He drummed his fingers on the blue folder and looked out the window.

—Why would Hebert lie to me? —Oscar mused aloud, puzzled.

—He may be a psychiatrist, but he always seemed like a dilettante to me, he always knew how to play you.

Oscar turned his gaze back to him and Aminarti continued.

—I can only imagine the dread the professor must have felt when he found himself alone there with you. You have to keep in mind that he knows perfectly well what Jonah is capable of. He simply took advantage of your need to discover some kind of conspiracy that would justify your wife’s unfortunate accident to tell you a story that would allow him to escape quickly. Besides, you have to take into account that Laura was present, to whom similar...

—Laura was not present when he told me about your Rosary.

—Never mind. I would bet that Hebert manipulated you.

—Well, I bet both of you are lying, —said Oscar as he opened the folder in front of him containing the copies of the police reports of the twins’ parents that his friend, the judge, had sent him earlier.

He took out the black and white copies of the two attestations and placed them in front of Aminarti. They had the names and a few lines of text blacked out in thick marker, but the numb faces of the two young adults were crisp and their eyes were open. Aminarti knew instantly that the gruesome photographs were taken post mortem.

—Who were they working for? —asked Oscar, pointing to their faces with his finger. —What were they involved in?

—I’m sorry, Oscar, I can’t help you.

—Can you at least tell me why the Congregation was so interested in covering up their disappearance and in my adopting the children?

—I really don’t know. They didn’t give me any more details, I suppose it was to protect them. You have to keep in mind that our order is home to countless lay members who dedicate themselves to doing good anonymously. Surely someone decided it was the safest thing for the children.

—Because of their abilities.

—Maybe, I don’t know.

—So you knew about their abilities before I adopted them?

Aminarti shifted uncomfortably, puffed and looked away from the photos but did not respond. Oscar decided to try another item on his list.

—Why did they choose you? —he asked.

Aminarti was still struggling internally, for that was a question he had asked himself many times. At first he assumed they did it because of his work and his moderately progressive approach, which had led him to travel the world doing research on the boundaries of religion and psychology, analyzing trends and preparing reports on sociological and political movements. But then began the phone calls, the letters with instructions, the secrets…

—I guess it was due to my skills as an educator and my familiarity with that kind of phenomenology.

—I can see you are not willing to collaborate with me.

—That’s not it, Oscar, but if you insist on finding ghosts where there are none, I can’t help you. We should focus on recovering Jonah instead.

—And what can you do that you haven’t already done?

—Leave that to me, it’s my job.

—Then please, do it better.

—Again, I doubt that Jonah had anything to do with your wife’s unfortunate accident.

—What about Adrian, my daughter’s fiancé? Did you know he also just passed away?

Aminarti threw him a confused look. Oscar sat up.

—Listen, help me locate Jonah as soon as possible. If he has anything to do with this, despite your reservations, we have to stop him. You’ve got to give me something to start with.

—Don’t give him any more money.

—He’s got enough for a while, it will take him some time to reappear.

—I don’t think so, he’s here for more than that.

—Laura?

—That’s my guess. I must know her.

—I’ve already told Laura most of the story I know and she hasn’t been very helpful. She doesn’t seem to have any contact with her brother, and besides, she’s very shaken by everything that’s happened these days, I don’t know how she’s going to be able to help you.

—Did you bring her up to speed on everything?

—Yes, I even played her the recording on which Jonah wrote the number, the one on which he drew her face.

—The girl in the drawing was Laura? -- Aminarti exclaimed in surprise.

—Yes.

—Well, then, it is really essential that I be introduced to her as soon as possible.

—I’ll check with her. And about Adrian... I want to know if Jonah is involved. And I don’t want to alarm Eva, she still doesn’t know anything about this whole affair.

—Perhaps if you introduced me to her as a spiritual advisor?

—Are you kidding? —Oscar replied, shaking his head, —Your ingenuity will never cease to amaze me. I have the impression that Eva is hardly a believer and would find it strange, —he dismissed, waving his hand. —As you know, we were never very devout at home.

—A pity, faith would help her find comfort at this time.

—Look, Father, with all due respect, what I want is to find answers and a solution to the problem I have with Jonah, —Oscar reprimanded him seriously. —I’ve had enough of your evasions, so let’s call a spade a spade: Jonah is a danger because of some abilities that, following your advice, we have not made public nor have we allowed other professionals to deal with. Now all this has turned against my family, and out of respect and politeness I am asking you to help me, but not to complicate the situation further. If you can’t or won’t, I’ll take it from here, but I’m telling you that the solution I have in mind will not be easy, nor may it be to your liking.

—I don’t like the implications of your words.

—Well, then help me, damn it.