Page 69 of Coram House

In other words, she refused to go and they decided this was the best way to avoid bad PR.I nod along as if this was the only possible course.

“And people here didn’t mind—about her history?”

“People tend not to care who is putting soup in their bowl.”

I wonder what she would have said to him in the confessional. What he absolved her for.

“And you have to remember,” Father Aubry continues, “Coram House had been closed for fifteen years by the time the case was settled. Most of the sisters had retired elsewhere. And, well, people simply didn’t talk about the things that had happened there. There was a collective desire to move on.”

“To make the case go away, you mean,” I say.Whoops.

He sighs. “Did you ever pause to consider that we—the church—agreed to settle because we thought it would be the best thing for the community, for the children themselves?”

Father Aubry must see my skeptical look, but he presses on.

“Did you know most people involved wanted to settle? It’s not as if the church forced them to take some sort of deal. Alan was instrumental to the plan, of course, but so was Bill.”

“Bill? You mean Bill Campbell?”

Father Aubry looks at me warily. If he were an insect, his antennae would be waving in the air, searching for a threat.

“I truly got the sense that most of the former children just wanted to move on with their lives,” he says. “Including Bill Campbell, yes. It’s not a surprise really—no one wants to linger on the most terrible moments of their life.”

But plenty of people have no choice.

“But you mentioned Bill Campbell specifically.”

He frowns. “Bill and Alan were the de facto leaders, I suppose. The others listened to them, took their advice.”

My mind is whirring. Could Bill Campbell have had his eye on developing the property, even then? Why else would he convince people to settle for next to nothing? And Stedsan was on board with this. Not exactly the crusader for justice he painted himself as, then.

There’s a knock at the door. Father Aubry stands, barely concealing his relief as he lets Rosa in. Her long skirts swish around her ankles as she thumps the ledger on the table. The spine of the book cracks as Father Aubry opens it. “Around 1967, you said? Tom or Thomas,” he murmurs.

I hover over his shoulder as he flips through the brittle, dusty pages.

“We’re in luck.” Father Aubry stabs the page with his index finger, as if the name might wriggle free. “Here you are. Thomas Underwood, aged eight.”

I go to lick my lips but my tongue is dry.

Thomas Underwood.The name is printed right there. I don’t know what I’m expecting—the clouds to part? Angels strumming harps?—but there is something there. A tiny light. Two days ago I had nothing—no face, no name. Now, both.

I take out my phone and snap a picture. Father Aubry clears his throat. “Did you have other questions, Ms. Kelley? It’s just, with everything that happened yesterday—I haven’t had much time to focus on my sermon.”

“Of course,” I say, standing. “Thank you for your help.”

As we shake hands, Father Aubry looks down at the ridged gold band on my right hand. “Ah, I didn’t realize you were married.”

I want to pull my hand back. “My husband died,” I say.

Father Aubry squeezes my fingers. “My condolences for your loss. I will add you both to my prayers.”

It feels like a violation. I don’t want his prayers. But I thank him again and show myself out.

Back in the car, I blast the heat to get the chill of the rectory out of my bones. My mind is spinning.Thomas Underwood.Finally, a name. But it’s hard to enjoy my victory when I think about everything else Father Aubry said.Alan was instrumental to the plan, of course, but so was Bill.What does that mean?

I could ask Stedsan about Bill Campbell’s involvement in the settlement, but Father Aubry made it sound like they were working together. But surely Stedsan wouldn’t have brought me here to write a book if he’d been involved in some kind of corruption? He’s smarter than that.

My phone rings, cutting through my thoughts. It’s a local area code. “Hello?” I answer.

---