Chapter 2 - The Woman Waiting at Pier Seven

Vincent arrived before sunrise.

No entourage.

No tuxedo.

Black coat.

Same eagle tattoo visible at his wrist.

Henry Walsh stood near the ticket gate.

I was there too.

Vincent had told me to come.

"Why me?" I had asked.

"Because you were standing beside the man everyone wanted removed."

That was his answer.

Rebecca was not there.

Neither was Thomas.

The ferry horn sounded.

Vincent looked toward Pier Seven.

A woman stood alone.

Early sixties.

Gray-streaked dark hair.

Navy coat.

One small suitcase.

She saw him.

Stopped.

Vincent stopped too.

Henry whispered:

"Anna."

No one moved.

Then she walked closer.

Her eyes filled.

"Vincent."

He stared.

"You know me."

Anna smiled through tears.

"I have known your face since you were twenty."

His expression changed.

"You saw me?"

"Photographs."

"From who?"

"Your father."

Vincent looked at Henry.

The old captain nodded.

Michael had sent photographs.

School.

College.

Vincent's first company opening.

His first newspaper article.

Anna whispered:

"He never stopped watching from a distance."

Vincent's jaw tightened.

"That seems to be everyone's favorite distance."

Anna lowered her eyes.

"You're right."

The ferry began boarding.

She held up her ticket.

Same route.

Same water.

Seventeen years later.

Vincent asked:

"Why this ferry?"

"Because I wanted to tell you where I lost you."

He looked at her.

"You lost me before I could remember you."

Anna flinched.

"Yes."

He boarded.

She followed.

Henry and I stayed several rows behind.

The ferry pulled away.

Water dark beneath the morning sky.

Vincent sat across from Anna.

"Start with the day I was born."

She took a breath.

"You were early."

"How early?"

"Seven weeks."

"You saw me?"

"For eleven minutes."

Vincent stared.

Anna continued:

"They took you to neonatal care."

"Then?"

"Thomas came."

His face hardened.

"What did he say?"

"That you had died."

Vincent looked away.

Anna's voice broke.

"He brought a bracelet."

She opened her purse.

A tiny hospital bracelet.

BABY COLE.

Vincent stared.

"I kept it."

"How did he get it?"

"I don't know."

Henry spoke from behind us.

"I do."

Vincent turned.

The captain looked ashamed.

"Michael's father paid a nurse."

Anna closed her eyes.

Vincent said:

"Grandfather."

Henry nodded.

"He wanted Michael to marry Julia."

Vincent looked back at Anna.

"And Dad?"

"He was told I left."

"By Thomas?"

"No."

"Who?"

"His father."

Vincent laughed once.

"Efficient."

Anna continued:

"Michael searched for me."

"For how long?"

"Months."

"Then married Julia."

"Two years later."

Vincent's face changed.

"Did Julia know?"

Anna shook her head.

"Not at first."

"When did she learn?"

"After you were four."

Vincent stared.

"Before she died."

"Yes."

"Why didn't she tell Dad immediately?"

Anna looked toward the water.

"Because she was afraid he would leave."

Silence.

Vincent asked:

"Did he?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because she was dying."

He looked away.

Anna continued:

"She told him the truth three weeks before she died."

Vincent's face tightened.

"He waited until after."

"He stayed with her."

"Then found you."

"Years later."

Vincent frowned.

"Why years?"

"Because Thomas had moved me."

His eyes sharpened.

"Moved you?"

Anna nodded.

"After Julia died, your father began asking questions."

"Thomas knew."

"Yes."

"So he found you first."

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Boston."

"What did he do?"

"He offered me money to leave the country."

Vincent laughed bitterly.

"And you took it?"

Anna looked at him.

"No."

That surprised him.

"What did you do?"

"I moved myself."

"Where?"

"Quebec."

"Why?"

"Because Thomas told me Michael had become dangerous."

Vincent's face hardened.

"You believed him."

"For six months."

"And then?"

"Michael found me."

Vincent stared at her.

"Seventeen years ago."

"Yes."

"The ferry."

Anna nodded.

"We were going to confront Thomas on the island."

Vincent looked toward the horizon.

"What happened there?"

Anna's eyes changed.

"Michael made Thomas confess."

"Recorded?"

"Yes."

Vincent turned sharply.

"Where is it?"

Anna reached into her suitcase.

Not the recording.

A key.

Small.

Silver.

"On the island."

Vincent stared.

"You left evidence there for seventeen years?"

"No."

Anna looked at Henry.

"Henry moved it."

The old captain nodded.

Vincent looked at him.

"You had it?"

"Not exactly."

"Explain."

Henry said:

"Michael hid a lockbox beneath the old lighthouse."

"Still there?"

"Yes."

Vincent frowned.

"Why hasn't Thomas taken it?"

Anna answered:

"Because he thinks the storm destroyed it."

Vincent looked at her.

"Did it?"

"No."

"Then why wait seventeen years?"

Anna's face broke.

"Because after the island, your father asked me not to come home."

Silence.

Vincent stared.

"What?"

"He said Thomas had people watching you."

Vincent's voice went cold.

"And you agreed."

Anna cried.

"Yes."

"So both of you chose to leave me."

"No."

She leaned forward.

"We chose badly."

Vincent said nothing.

The ferry approached the first island stop.

Anna looked at him.

"Your father spent the rest of his life trying to undo that choice."

Vincent's jaw tightened.

"And did he?"

Anna slowly shook her head.

"No."

Then she reached into the suitcase again.

A sealed envelope.

VINCENT.

In Michael Bellini's handwriting.

"Your father wrote this the week before he died."

Vincent stared at it.

"Three years ago."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you send it?"

Anna whispered:

"Because he told me to wait until you came willingly."

Vincent laughed once.

"Another person deciding when I'm ready."

Anna lowered her eyes.

"Yes."

He took the envelope.

But did not open it.

Not yet.

Instead he looked at the captain.

"Where is the lighthouse?"

Henry pointed toward an island ahead.

Not the route on the ticket.

Vincent frowned.

"We're not going there."

Henry smiled.

"The public ferry isn't."

Then a smaller boat appeared beside them.

White hull.

Old engine.

Henry stood.

Vincent looked at him.

"What is that?"

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The captain picked up his coat.

"The last part of your mother's ticket."