Deadly Affair: SCVC Taskforce World Novella (SCVC Taskforce Romantic Suspense Series Book 5) by Misty Evans, Amy Manemann Page B
Authors: Misty Evans, Amy Manemann
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she looked older than when they’d come in. “It was a monk at the Abbey north of here.”
“What?” Cooper and Celina said at the same time.
Elizabeth nodded and crossed herself. “Worse than that? The night before Ana disappeared, she revealed a secret to me that would have enraged her father, and devastated her mother, even if she hadn’t been in love with a man of God.”
Celina felt the crawl of dread, creep up her spine. “What was the secret?”
“Ana…,” she paused, swallowing hard. She rubbed her arms and sent Celina a sad look. Her voice dropped an octave. “Ana was pregnant.”
Chapter Seven
Stunned didn’t even come close to Cooper’s shock over the librarian’s confession. How was it possible for all of this to have gone unnoticed until now? And who was the mysterious monk?
“I know what you’re thinking.” Elizabeth said to Cooper. “But they were very careful. No one knew they were meeting in secret, and no one ever knew of the child.”
“Perhaps someone did.” Cooper couldn’t help but point out the obvious. It’s how his mind worked, effectively picking apart every scenario until a solid conclusion came into view. He had no doubt someone had figured out what was going on between Ana and the monk and did something about it.
The monk, who would bring a horrible scandal on the monastery and the Church as well? Roberto, whose daughter had defied him and gotten pregnant by a priest?
“Perhaps.” Elizabeth agreed reluctantly. “They had plans to run away the night Ana disappeared. I assumed she had finally escaped from underneath her father’s thumb and they had made it. I expected to hear from her, but as the weeks, months, and then years went by with no word, I began to fear the worse.”
“You never thought to tell anyone that she was having an affair with one of the monks and was pregnant with his child?” Celina sounded as incredulous as Cooper felt.
Elizabeth once again became wary. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You have news about Ana.”
“We don’t have anything confirmed about Ana,” Cooper said. Annoyance ate at him. “But I’d still like to know why you didn’t tell anyone what you knew after she disappeared.”
“Who would I have told?” Elizabeth held out her hands. “I truly believed for a long time that the two of them had made it out of here. By the time I became suspicious that something else might have happened to Ana, it seemed too late, and who would listen to me? I was nothing but her tutor and the town librarian. Roberto Verdoni’s influence in Paso Vallejo extends all the way to the mayor’s office and beyond. I had no proof of anything bad happening to Ana and it would have been my word against Roberto’s if I had suggested he was involved with her disappearance. He would have buried me.”
Celina patted Elizabeth’s arm. “Do you really think Roberto capable of harming his own daughter?”
“I think Roberto Verdoni is capable of doing anything to anyone who doesn’t do as he wishes.” Elizabeth’s disdain for the dictating father dripped from her words. “In just the few hours a day I tutored Ana, I saw firsthand the unbreakable hold he had over the people around him. No one would have dared to defy him. They still don’t from what I’ve heard around town.”
Roberto Verdoni sounded like a top rate asshole. Dealing with assholes just so happened to be Cooper’s specialty. “What was the monk’s name? Any possibility he changed his mind about running away and decided his reputation at the Abbey was more important?”
“I never knew who he was, nor did I ever see his face. Ana was very careful when it came to him, and I respected her wishes. They were young and in love. I was younger then, too, and believed in such things.” Elizabeth lowered her gaze, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “Had I known anything would happen to her, I would have paid closer attention.”
Cooper wanted to believe her
“What?” Cooper and Celina said at the same time.
Elizabeth nodded and crossed herself. “Worse than that? The night before Ana disappeared, she revealed a secret to me that would have enraged her father, and devastated her mother, even if she hadn’t been in love with a man of God.”
Celina felt the crawl of dread, creep up her spine. “What was the secret?”
“Ana…,” she paused, swallowing hard. She rubbed her arms and sent Celina a sad look. Her voice dropped an octave. “Ana was pregnant.”
Chapter Seven
Stunned didn’t even come close to Cooper’s shock over the librarian’s confession. How was it possible for all of this to have gone unnoticed until now? And who was the mysterious monk?
“I know what you’re thinking.” Elizabeth said to Cooper. “But they were very careful. No one knew they were meeting in secret, and no one ever knew of the child.”
“Perhaps someone did.” Cooper couldn’t help but point out the obvious. It’s how his mind worked, effectively picking apart every scenario until a solid conclusion came into view. He had no doubt someone had figured out what was going on between Ana and the monk and did something about it.
The monk, who would bring a horrible scandal on the monastery and the Church as well? Roberto, whose daughter had defied him and gotten pregnant by a priest?
“Perhaps.” Elizabeth agreed reluctantly. “They had plans to run away the night Ana disappeared. I assumed she had finally escaped from underneath her father’s thumb and they had made it. I expected to hear from her, but as the weeks, months, and then years went by with no word, I began to fear the worse.”
“You never thought to tell anyone that she was having an affair with one of the monks and was pregnant with his child?” Celina sounded as incredulous as Cooper felt.
Elizabeth once again became wary. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You have news about Ana.”
“We don’t have anything confirmed about Ana,” Cooper said. Annoyance ate at him. “But I’d still like to know why you didn’t tell anyone what you knew after she disappeared.”
“Who would I have told?” Elizabeth held out her hands. “I truly believed for a long time that the two of them had made it out of here. By the time I became suspicious that something else might have happened to Ana, it seemed too late, and who would listen to me? I was nothing but her tutor and the town librarian. Roberto Verdoni’s influence in Paso Vallejo extends all the way to the mayor’s office and beyond. I had no proof of anything bad happening to Ana and it would have been my word against Roberto’s if I had suggested he was involved with her disappearance. He would have buried me.”
Celina patted Elizabeth’s arm. “Do you really think Roberto capable of harming his own daughter?”
“I think Roberto Verdoni is capable of doing anything to anyone who doesn’t do as he wishes.” Elizabeth’s disdain for the dictating father dripped from her words. “In just the few hours a day I tutored Ana, I saw firsthand the unbreakable hold he had over the people around him. No one would have dared to defy him. They still don’t from what I’ve heard around town.”
Roberto Verdoni sounded like a top rate asshole. Dealing with assholes just so happened to be Cooper’s specialty. “What was the monk’s name? Any possibility he changed his mind about running away and decided his reputation at the Abbey was more important?”
“I never knew who he was, nor did I ever see his face. Ana was very careful when it came to him, and I respected her wishes. They were young and in love. I was younger then, too, and believed in such things.” Elizabeth lowered her gaze, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “Had I known anything would happen to her, I would have paid closer attention.”
Cooper wanted to believe her
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