some of what had happened.
We sat down, she on the bed and I on the desk chair. I took the picture out and showed it to her.
She nodded. “I know who she is. We were in a class together.”
“Did she tell you her name?”
“Randy something. I don’t know if she ever told me her last name.”
“Was her name called on the roll?”
“I don’t think so. I think she just sat in on classes sometimes.”
“Where did she live?”
“I’m not sure. She was kind of weird. I think she worked in town. Maybe in a bakery.”
“So you never met her family.”
“No.”
“Did she tell you anything at all about herself?”
“Nothing that I can remember.”
“Did she drive to the convent, Tina?”
“She must have. How else could she have gotten here? It’s an awfully long walk from most of the town and it’s all uphill.”
“Did you notice her with anyone else? Did she mention any friends at the college?”
“No. We talked mostly about the class. And she asked me a lot of questions.”
“What about?”
“About being a novice, what we did, how we lived, what our rules were. I thought she might be interested in becoming a nun.”
“Anything else?”
“She asked about some of the nuns, what they were like.”
“Do you remember which ones?”
“Sister Joseph, some of the others. And she wanted to know about the Villa, who lived there.”
It sounded to me as though the imposter had picked up a lot of useful information from Tina. “Sister Joseph said you lost your purse. Can you tell me about it?”
“I was carrying a lot of things and I must have left it behind somewhere. I went back to all the places I couldremember being and it wasn’t there. I was really lost. It had all my identification and I knew I was going home for the Mother’s Day weekend and I might need it.”
“What did you do?”
“I got another college ID before I left.”
“The girl in that picture was carrying your purse.”
She looked at me. “You think she stole it from me?”
“She got it somehow. Do you remember the last time you saw her?”
“I really don’t. But it was more than a week ago, I think.”
“Is it possible that the last time you saw Randy was when you missed your purse?”
She thought about it. “It could have been. This is awful. Why would she want my purse? I didn’t carry much money in it. Anyone who knows novices knows they don’t have a fortune with them.”
“It may have been the ID that she wanted. Tell me, Tina, did you know who I was before today?”
“I’ve heard your name mentioned. I think I saw you once when you came up with your little boy.”
“Did you know where I lived?”
“No.”
“Did Randy ask you about me?”
“Not that I remember.”
I heard bells and I looked at my watch. “It’s lunchtime and I don’t want to keep you. If you think of anything else, I’ll be here for a while this afternoon and Sister Joseph can always get a message to me. I hope you’re happy at St. Stephen’s.”
She smiled. “I am. Very happy.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
* * *
I joined Joseph in her office for lunch. It had just arrived when I got there and she had the long conference table set up with our trays.
“Your motel room seemed very nice. I hope you slept well,” I said when we sat down.
“I did, but I had that poor girl on my mind. There was a call for you from Jack a little while ago. I didn’t know where you were so I talked to him. Detective Joe Fox called him this morning and said Jack’s fingerprints and the girl’s fingerprints were on the ax.”
“I’m not surprised.” I looked at the tray with appreciation. There was a cup of wonderful-smelling soup, a salad with chicken, a soft roll and butter, and some cookies. Joseph had a carafe of fresh coffee for our empty cups.
“I’ve just been talking to Tina Richmond. She knew the other girl and said her name was Randy. She really didn’t know much else about her. She said they
We sat down, she on the bed and I on the desk chair. I took the picture out and showed it to her.
She nodded. “I know who she is. We were in a class together.”
“Did she tell you her name?”
“Randy something. I don’t know if she ever told me her last name.”
“Was her name called on the roll?”
“I don’t think so. I think she just sat in on classes sometimes.”
“Where did she live?”
“I’m not sure. She was kind of weird. I think she worked in town. Maybe in a bakery.”
“So you never met her family.”
“No.”
“Did she tell you anything at all about herself?”
“Nothing that I can remember.”
“Did she drive to the convent, Tina?”
“She must have. How else could she have gotten here? It’s an awfully long walk from most of the town and it’s all uphill.”
“Did you notice her with anyone else? Did she mention any friends at the college?”
“No. We talked mostly about the class. And she asked me a lot of questions.”
“What about?”
“About being a novice, what we did, how we lived, what our rules were. I thought she might be interested in becoming a nun.”
“Anything else?”
“She asked about some of the nuns, what they were like.”
“Do you remember which ones?”
“Sister Joseph, some of the others. And she wanted to know about the Villa, who lived there.”
It sounded to me as though the imposter had picked up a lot of useful information from Tina. “Sister Joseph said you lost your purse. Can you tell me about it?”
“I was carrying a lot of things and I must have left it behind somewhere. I went back to all the places I couldremember being and it wasn’t there. I was really lost. It had all my identification and I knew I was going home for the Mother’s Day weekend and I might need it.”
“What did you do?”
“I got another college ID before I left.”
“The girl in that picture was carrying your purse.”
She looked at me. “You think she stole it from me?”
“She got it somehow. Do you remember the last time you saw her?”
“I really don’t. But it was more than a week ago, I think.”
“Is it possible that the last time you saw Randy was when you missed your purse?”
She thought about it. “It could have been. This is awful. Why would she want my purse? I didn’t carry much money in it. Anyone who knows novices knows they don’t have a fortune with them.”
“It may have been the ID that she wanted. Tell me, Tina, did you know who I was before today?”
“I’ve heard your name mentioned. I think I saw you once when you came up with your little boy.”
“Did you know where I lived?”
“No.”
“Did Randy ask you about me?”
“Not that I remember.”
I heard bells and I looked at my watch. “It’s lunchtime and I don’t want to keep you. If you think of anything else, I’ll be here for a while this afternoon and Sister Joseph can always get a message to me. I hope you’re happy at St. Stephen’s.”
She smiled. “I am. Very happy.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
* * *
I joined Joseph in her office for lunch. It had just arrived when I got there and she had the long conference table set up with our trays.
“Your motel room seemed very nice. I hope you slept well,” I said when we sat down.
“I did, but I had that poor girl on my mind. There was a call for you from Jack a little while ago. I didn’t know where you were so I talked to him. Detective Joe Fox called him this morning and said Jack’s fingerprints and the girl’s fingerprints were on the ax.”
“I’m not surprised.” I looked at the tray with appreciation. There was a cup of wonderful-smelling soup, a salad with chicken, a soft roll and butter, and some cookies. Joseph had a carafe of fresh coffee for our empty cups.
“I’ve just been talking to Tina Richmond. She knew the other girl and said her name was Randy. She really didn’t know much else about her. She said they
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