Page 85 of Alpha Bait

"I'm sorry for your loss, Richard," Gail replied.

I glanced into her eyes for the first time. I felt a pang of hurt as I noticed how much she reminded me of Indie. The shape of her eyes and her lips were a grim reminder of what I'd lost.

"I am sorry for yours."

"Your brother's death was a tragedy."

I chuckled, "we both know that it was a little bit more than a tragedy."

She pursed her lips.

"And I am sorry for what my son has done."

A confession. She didn't even flinch to confess it. Perhaps she'd seen too much to become sensitive to violence. Our families had been at war for too long for it to shock her.

"Thanks for the apology.”

"You're not the only one who has lost people from this fighting," she reminded me.

I did not need to be reminded of Indie's death. From the moment I heard the news, I had remained in a state of disbelief. My mind raced with possibilities, with ways I could either explain or justify it.

"Your son is the reason that your daughter is dead," I announced.

She looked up at me and smiled.

I found her smile unnerving. There was nothing funny here, nothing amusing. Grief was all that hung rank in the room.

"My daughter is not dead."

Okay, I was dealing with a crazy woman. Perhaps she hung on to the delusion because she had no other hope. She had to believe that her son could not be a killer for her to continue. Otherwise, she would have to call in to question what sort of person she supported. She'd have to reflect on raising a cold-blooded murderer. I could easily see why that would be difficult for a mother to admit.

"I received the news. There was a funeral. She's dead," I replied, not intending to sound cold.

I couldn't allow myself to be naïve here.

Gail lost her smile and instead began to look at me as if I were both too pathetic and naïve for her to handle.

"Don't you think a mother would know if her daughter had died?"

It was a fair question but not one that I was keen on answering.

"If she's not dead, then who did you bury?"

She shrugged.

"It is not my concern who was buried. But I know that my daughter is not dead. She's too smart for Jamal. I have this inkling, this sense that she found a way to escape and when she is ready, I believe she will come back."

Gail appeared at peace with her beliefs. Nothing I could say here would change her mind.

The gun in my hands continued to go unacknowledged between us and I relaxed my grip on the weapon. I'd come for Jamal, not an innocent old woman who couldn't defend herself.

As much as I hated to admit it, Gail expressed a delusional hope that I to craved to cling to. Perhaps there had been some way that Indie had survived her brother's rampage. Perhaps she had outsmarted him in a way that my own brother hadn't found a way to.

"Where is your proof?" I asked, "An inkling isn't enough."

Gail shrugged, "I don't need proof. I have my faith."

"The only thing I have faith in my ability to take care of myself and my people. Tell me where Jamal is so I can do what I came here to do."

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