too, Julie,” Dr. Gage continued. “And, you’ll need to return here or go to your family doctor in another three days to have your sutures removed.”
“I’ll make sure to get her back here,” Mom said.
“Good. Because after three days, the skin will start to adhere itself to the stitches themselves, and it becomes more painful for the patient to have them removed. Sixty-seven of them, right?” he asked looking at me.
I nodded, eyes downcast.
“Hmmmm. I’m going to say this again to you both: I don’t feel Julie’s ready to leave. That’s my professional advice, and you can take it or leave it,” he said.
“Dr. Gage, thank you for everything you and St. Vincent’s have done for Julie,” Mom said taking my hand. “I’ll do all the things I need to do to make sure she gets better.”
“And, Julie?” Dr. Gage asked. “There’s only so much your mom can do. You have to make the decision that you want to live—that you’ll follow through with your therapy and do all the things you need to do to make yourself well. Is this something you can do without the security of being here in a safe and controlled environment?”
“Yes,” I said knowing it was true. “Yes, I can.”
33
Connections
“Oh, my God!” Raven cried, leaping up off the PVPA bench outside the library. “You’re out!” She ran over and gave me a big hug.
“Hey, girl,” Jorge grinned, walking up, “looking good outside the hospital scene.”
“Feels good, too,” I smiled. It did, it felt really good. Mom has stopped watching me like a hawk every second finally. KiKi forgave me and Danielle’s so little, she’s just happy I’m back in that innocent and endearing way little kids have about them.
“Welcome to my office,” Jorge said as the three of us entered a study room on the third floor of the library. “Complete with our own computer for research,” he continued, “and, it’s hooked up to that big printer we passed coming in, so if we need to print, unlimited ink and unlimited paper. All on the library’s dime,” he grinned.
The librarian on the main floor had been a little reluctant to give us the key to the room and a user name and password for the computer. “Shouldn’t the three of you be in school?” she asked suspiciously, her hair pulled back in a tight bun and her cat’s eye glasses balanced on the tip of her nose. “We’re all home schooled,” Jorge assured her. “We’re doing work on a group project for homeschoolers. You know, to build social skills since we’re alone all the time.”
Raven and I nearly cracked up laughing. I had to pinch myself hard to keep from busting all out. I knew once I started, Raven would follow suit, so the two of us howled all the way up four flights of stairs instead.
“Am I slick, or am I slick?” Jorge asked doing a little moonwalk across the hardwood floor.
“You’re the slickest!” Raven and I bragged. The whole floor was empty. We had the place to ourselves.
“See?” Raven said. “Edward Jamison lived in your uncle’s apartment. Look at the apartment number. Does it ring a bell?”
“Oh, my God,” I said shocked. “That’s Uncle Eric’s address.”
“Exactly,” Jorge said. “And, look,” he pointed further down in the newspaper article, “Edward Jamison, indicted on charges of larceny, is presumed dead after a family member notified the police of his disappearance. No body has been recovered and police have called off the search. No foul play is suspected.”
“Look at the date,” Raven said.
“September 12, 2006,” I read, “almost exactly two years before Davey drowned. Do you think Uncle Eric killed him, too?” I asked horrified.
“No,” Jorge said shaking his head.
“No, Julie,” Raven added. “But, don’t you think there’s too much of a coincidence? Your uncle living in the same apartment of a man who drowned in the same river?”
“Yeah, that just doesn’t happen in real life,” I said.
“Can you think of any other coincidences, Julie?” Jorge asked. “Any other things that just don’t seem like they could have happened without them being planned?”
“Julie,” Raven jumped in. “What did you mean that day you told us in the hospital that your uncle had tried to drown your brother before?”
“He did,” I nodded. “Davey told me the story a lot of times before. Uncle Eric was watching him; he was supposed to be taking care of him in the swimming pool. We were all on vacation and Davey was really little. He said Uncle Eric held him under water and wouldn’t let him come up for air. That if my dad hadn’t have come, Eric would have drowned him, and done so on purpose. Uncle Eric has always denied it. Always.”
“Yeah,” Raven said dismayed, “that just doesn’t add up.”
“What a fucking sicko, man. Who would try to kill a little kid like that?” Jorge grabbed his knees with both hands and squeezed as hard as he could. “That makes me want to really hurt him.”
“I know, Jorge,” I said placing my hand on top of one of his. “Let’s channel that anger into something constructive.”
“Anything else, Julie?” Raven asked. “Anything else that leads a trail back to Eric?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, “there is.”
“What?”
“Uncle Eric knew, of course he knew, he caused it, he knew Davey was terrified of water. Davey wouldn’t go in any water. Not even a wading pool. I know that sounds crazy.”
“Not crazy if you almost drowned to death,” Raven added.
“And, the police said none of them that night was wearing a life vest. Not a one of them, even though on the bank, right near Uncle Eric’s back door, there were enough life preservers for each of them.”
“How do you think your Uncle got Davey out there?” Jorge asked. “Do you think he bullied him into going? I bet he did,” Jorge added.
“I’ve asked myself that so many times before,” I said. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
“Well, I’m a guy,” Jorge started, “and I know what other guys are like.”
Raven and I nodded.
“And I bet your brother didn’t want to look weak in front of everyone. That’s a real strong motivator in guys, it makes us do things we normally wouldn’t do, just to show we have cajones.”
“Maybe,” I said. “I just don’t know why.”
“Anything else?” Raven asked. “Any other coincidences you can think of?”
“Well,” I hesitated, “don’t you think it’s weird that Eric wanted Davey to sleep over so badly? I mean, he’s a grown man and he wants my fourteen-year-old brother to sleep over? Davey wanted to come home, but then he texted me and said Uncle Eric wanted him to stay.”
“I’m trying to get into your Uncle’s head right now,” Jorge said leaning back in his chair and tapping his forefinger to his temple. “I want to think how he thinks so I can put all of the pieces together.”
“What about the other two kids?” Raven asked. “Their names weren’t listed in the articles Jorge and I looked at before.”
“Pat and Vince? Oh, the police talked to them, too, and they collaborated with Eric’s story, that is was an accident, that the boat had too much weight and it flipped over. And, of course it was dark. And, they all said they tried to save Davey, but they couldn’t get to him.”
“Couldn’t get to him?” Jorge asked. “How’s that? If they were all in that one little boat, how could they not find him?”
“I don’t know,” I said sadly.
“I know who would,” Raven said standing up.
“Pat and Vince?” Jorge asked.
“Pat and Vince,” Raven reiterated.
34
The Interview
“No, Julie, look I’m sorry,” Vince said, his long brown hair falling over his face. “I told the police everything there is to tell. And, I told your mom, too, when she came around. Look, Julie,” he said, “and Jorge and Raven, right? I’m a peac
eful person, all right? I didn’t want anything like this to ever happen to Davey. He was a real good kid. You look just like him, don’t you” he said to Julie and then looked away quickly.
Jorge, Raven, and Julie were sitting in Vince’s breezeway. We’d all taken the PVPA across the river to get here. Jorge had mapquested the directions and we were able to walk the two blocks from the bus stop to get to Vince’s. His mom brought out cookies and Kool-Aid.
“Thank you, m’am,” we all said. “Thanks, Mom,” Vince looked up.
“I always told Vince not to go hanging out with your uncle,” Mrs. Darsh said to Julie. “That no good would come of it. No good,” she said wringing her hands. “And, now your brother lost and Vince suffering so because of it.”
“Mom, stop,” Vince warned.
“He can’t sleep,” she continued, “and when he does, he screams out at night, `No! No! No!’ over and over again. You won’t tell me, will you, son?” she asked Vince. “You won’t tell me why you’re crying out like that.”
“Mom, that’s enough.”
Jorge and Raven and Julie all looked at each other.
“I prayed for Mary’s intervention when they were looking for your brother,” Mrs. Darsh continued on. “For a miracle, but God works in mysterious ways.”
“Mom, can you go away now, please?” Vince asked with rising irritation.
We all sat not saying a word after Mrs. Darsh went back inside, closing the front door gently behind her.
“So, what are you dreaming about at night that makes you scream?” Jorge asked.
“Look, I’m not going to be interrogated, ok?” Vince asked pleadingly. “I