why?”
“Just in case Gloria’s daughter comes to see her mother during our visit.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Gloria Foley was still a very attractive woman, although her hair was now liberally sprinkled with silver threads and the corners of her eyes showed the lines of age. She was dressed in a silk caftan in bright jeweled colors and rings of the same hues sparkled on her fingers. Mary watched her eyes as they approached and was relieved to see openness and welcome in them.
“Hello, Mrs. Foley,” Mary said when they reached the elegant rattan chair she was seated in. “My name is Mary O’Reilly and this is my colleague, Professor Ian MacDougal from the University of Edinburgh.”
“Oh, from Scotland?” she asked, motioning for them to take seats near her. “How very interesting.”
“Ach, well, not so verra interesting,” Ian said, thickening his accent a little for effect. “But I canna deny it holds a special place in me heart.”
“I’m sure it would,” Gloria responded. “I visited there once and I fell in love with it.”
“Did you?” he asked. “And when was that?”
“Oh, it was the year before…” she stopped and her face changed, a veil of sadness covering it. “It was a while ago.”
“Mrs. Foley, we’d like to ask you some questions that might bring back some sad memories,” Mary said. “Are you willing to speak with us?”
“Sad memories?” Gloria asked. “Why do you need to ask me questions like that?”
Ian scooted his chair a little closer to hers and took her hand in his. “I’m doing research about adolescents and suicides,” he said. “And I’m hoping you will speak to us to help other children.”
Gloria looked down at her hand clasped in his and then slowly looked up and met his eyes. “She had no reason to kill herself,” she whispered. “Everyone loved her. I don’t understand…”
“I read the police report,” Mary said. “You were the one who found your daughter.”
Gloria turned to Mary and nodded. “I was just checking on her, like I did every night,” she said. “To be sure she was safe…”
Her voice shook and she took a deep breath. “I tried to help her…I tried to lift her up…but I wasn’t strong enough,” she explained. “If only I’d been stronger…”
“No, that wouldna helped,” Ian said. “She was gone before you found her.”
She looked at Ian. “Are you sure?” she asked. “How can you know?”
“I know,” he assured her. “And I’m sure.”
She slipped her hand out from his clasp and searched in the pockets of her caftan for a handkerchief. Drawing it out and turning away from them and toward the window, she dabbed away the moisture from around her eyes. “They…the authorities…told me that too. I just always thought…”
“Aye, if there was only something I had done or something I had said,” Ian added softly.
She looked at him, grateful for his understanding, “Yes. Yes, what could I have done to prevent it?” she said.
“And that’s why we’re here today, speaking with you,” Ian replied. “To try and find out some of those answers.”
“Will your study help find out what happened to my daughter?” she asked.
“That’s one of our goals,” Mary answered honestly. “We want to find out the truth and use that to help prevent other deaths.”
Gloria took a deep breath, placed her folded hands on her lap and faced them. “Ask me what you will,” she said. “I get a little confused sometimes, but I will try my best.”
“That’s all we’re asking for, darling,” Ian said.
“We’ll take it slow,” Mary added.
“Now, tell us about the day it happened,” Ian said.
“Well, I remember that Hope had been quite dramatic that day. She was upset about Faith and her boyfriend. She actually accused Faith of maliciously trying to steal her boyfriends. I explained to her that Faith couldn’t help being popular.”
“Was there any boy in particular involved with
“Just in case Gloria’s daughter comes to see her mother during our visit.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Gloria Foley was still a very attractive woman, although her hair was now liberally sprinkled with silver threads and the corners of her eyes showed the lines of age. She was dressed in a silk caftan in bright jeweled colors and rings of the same hues sparkled on her fingers. Mary watched her eyes as they approached and was relieved to see openness and welcome in them.
“Hello, Mrs. Foley,” Mary said when they reached the elegant rattan chair she was seated in. “My name is Mary O’Reilly and this is my colleague, Professor Ian MacDougal from the University of Edinburgh.”
“Oh, from Scotland?” she asked, motioning for them to take seats near her. “How very interesting.”
“Ach, well, not so verra interesting,” Ian said, thickening his accent a little for effect. “But I canna deny it holds a special place in me heart.”
“I’m sure it would,” Gloria responded. “I visited there once and I fell in love with it.”
“Did you?” he asked. “And when was that?”
“Oh, it was the year before…” she stopped and her face changed, a veil of sadness covering it. “It was a while ago.”
“Mrs. Foley, we’d like to ask you some questions that might bring back some sad memories,” Mary said. “Are you willing to speak with us?”
“Sad memories?” Gloria asked. “Why do you need to ask me questions like that?”
Ian scooted his chair a little closer to hers and took her hand in his. “I’m doing research about adolescents and suicides,” he said. “And I’m hoping you will speak to us to help other children.”
Gloria looked down at her hand clasped in his and then slowly looked up and met his eyes. “She had no reason to kill herself,” she whispered. “Everyone loved her. I don’t understand…”
“I read the police report,” Mary said. “You were the one who found your daughter.”
Gloria turned to Mary and nodded. “I was just checking on her, like I did every night,” she said. “To be sure she was safe…”
Her voice shook and she took a deep breath. “I tried to help her…I tried to lift her up…but I wasn’t strong enough,” she explained. “If only I’d been stronger…”
“No, that wouldna helped,” Ian said. “She was gone before you found her.”
She looked at Ian. “Are you sure?” she asked. “How can you know?”
“I know,” he assured her. “And I’m sure.”
She slipped her hand out from his clasp and searched in the pockets of her caftan for a handkerchief. Drawing it out and turning away from them and toward the window, she dabbed away the moisture from around her eyes. “They…the authorities…told me that too. I just always thought…”
“Aye, if there was only something I had done or something I had said,” Ian added softly.
She looked at him, grateful for his understanding, “Yes. Yes, what could I have done to prevent it?” she said.
“And that’s why we’re here today, speaking with you,” Ian replied. “To try and find out some of those answers.”
“Will your study help find out what happened to my daughter?” she asked.
“That’s one of our goals,” Mary answered honestly. “We want to find out the truth and use that to help prevent other deaths.”
Gloria took a deep breath, placed her folded hands on her lap and faced them. “Ask me what you will,” she said. “I get a little confused sometimes, but I will try my best.”
“That’s all we’re asking for, darling,” Ian said.
“We’ll take it slow,” Mary added.
“Now, tell us about the day it happened,” Ian said.
“Well, I remember that Hope had been quite dramatic that day. She was upset about Faith and her boyfriend. She actually accused Faith of maliciously trying to steal her boyfriends. I explained to her that Faith couldn’t help being popular.”
“Was there any boy in particular involved with
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