The prioress never made it to the bridge.
She stopped in the square and entered a fruit market that had been set up for the day. He lingered back and used the crowd for protection. Birds flitted across the cobbles in quest of tidbits. The prioress loitered within the market, finally stopping at a booth selling fresh flowers.
揝he抯 waiting for somebody,?he whispered.
揑 asked to be sent overseas,?Kelsey said in his ear.
揥here抎 that come from??
揥hen I completed my novice training, I was asked where I抎 like to serve. I chose France. I could have stayed in the United States, we have a convent there, but I wanted to go far away.?
They抎 never had a conversation about what happened afterward. It all happened so fast. She told him. The wedding was canceled. She entered the convent. Gone.
揑 thought not dragging things out best,?she said. 揘ot being around, or nearby. My course was clear, and I knew I抎 hurt you. I would have given anything not to hurt you, Nick. I had to follow my conscience, over my heart. You said you understood, but you really didn抰， did you??
揑 do now,?he said. 揃ut that took time.?
He kept his eyes locked on the prioress, who busied herself with perusing the flowers offered for sale.
揑 loved you, Nick. I still love you. I抣l always love you.?
揂nd I you.?The words were bittersweet to hear and even harder to say. 揃ut it抯 tough competing with God.?
She chuckled. 揌e doesn抰 compete. He doesn抰 have to.?
No, he doesn抰。
揑 was hoping we抎 have this conversation,?she said. 揑t抯 another reason why I wanted you to come here. The main one was I just wanted to see you again. Of course, I never dreamed all this would happen.?
揟he unexpected seems to follow you, Kelsey.?
Two women approached the prioress. Both mid-thirties, one with short hair, the other longer. One was the woman who抎 attacked him last night. The one he抎 KO抎 with the laptop. She bore a violet bruise with brown shadows on the side of her face. Both women wore gray dresses below their knees and veils that draped their necks. Perhaps they thought their religious garb would offer an added measure of protection since, after all, who抎 ever suspect a nun of doing anything wrong? They certainly hadn抰 come from the convent. No. They抎 vacated that refuge last night before the police arrived.
Smart play. So he wasn抰 dealing with dummies.
He was safely hidden behind one of the booths, out of their sight. The women chatted for a moment. Three nuns in a friendly conversation. Not a soul paid them any attention. Then the prioress handed over the laptop and left. The prioress had been easy to follow. These two, though, were another story. He noticed how they both seemed constantly aware of their surroundings. Checking the lay of the land. The one with the laptop headed off first, the other with the bruise lingered behind, off to the side, watching, ensuring that no one was following. He抎 been with the police last night at the convent, and though they抎 only encountered the mother superior, his face was definitely familiar to at least one of them.
Thankfully, he was a step ahead.
揝he just gave the laptop to two Maidens of Saint-Michael,?he told Kelsey.
揑 have the blue dot blinking on the map,?she said.
Kelsey had his computer with the tracking program that came with every Apple. No need for him to follow. Technology would do that for him. Finally, both nuns left the square, headed south, in the opposite direction of the bridge that led over the river toward the convent.
No surprise there.
揑t抯 all good,?he said to Kelsey, wanting to give them both some comfort. 揇on抰 feel bad about following your convictions. You did what you had to do. Yeah, it hurt. But I抦 a big boy. The main thing is that you抮e happy with the choice.?
And he meant it.
Sure, he抎 love to be the one who made her happy. But seeing her, and realizing that she actually was happy, loosened the grip on his chest that he抎 lived with for nine years.
He liked to recall the good times. And there were many during the three years they were together. They met in a bookstore. The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale. They both lived in Arizona. He working for the FBI. She for the local museum of contemporary art. They抎 each had an interest in a travel log written by a woman who spent a month in Bali. With only one copy in the store he抎 insisted she take it, but asked for a cup of coffee together in return. Three hours later they had dinner, then spent the next few days getting to know each other. The mutual attraction had been there from the start. No question. Was there such a thing as love at first sight? Before Kelsey he would have said no. Now? He wasn抰 so sure. They dated two years before he proposed, and their honeymoon would have been in Bali.