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"Things got out of hand," the man said quietly.
"Why did you run?" Charlie asked.
"I have my reasons."
Valerie looked and saw the tip of something just beneath the skin on his chest. The shirt he had on, parted just enough to see it.
"Is that a cross tattoo?" Valerie asked.
"Yes," Ulrich answered with a cold stare.
"Religion is important to you?" she asked.
"Of course."
Valerie nodded. "Okay. And what do you think Father Piper and the nuns would say about what happened today?"
For the first time, Valerie had touched a nerve. The man looked worried.
He really does care what they think, she thought.Keep pushing.
"Are you aware that the nuns are scared of you?" she asked. "That they think you are some kind of evil presence in their monastery?"
"Nonsense!" he shouted. "I would never hurt them."
"Then why was Blanche scared of you?" Valerie asked.
Ulrich looked away. "She wasn't scared of me," he said. "She was scared that Father Piper would find out that we were in a relationship." He looked at Valerie with his deep brown eyes, and the fear she had seen in him before was gone. All she saw now was sadness, regret, and a longing for redemption.
"I wanted us to be together, but Blanche was caught."
"Caught?" Will finally asked. "By what?"
"By her commitment to God and her commitment to me."
Valerie began to worry. She didn't feel that he was being deceptive.
"So, she ran away?" Valerie asked.
"Yes," Ulrich said. "She left without warning, and I never saw her again. I tried to find her, but it was like she vanished into thin air. I thought that maybe she had gone back to the monastery or perhaps to another city. But no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find her."
Charlie leaned forward in his chair. "You know what happened to Blanche? She changed her name and moved away from the area that you were both living in. She wanted a fresh start and knew that if you found out where she was, you would follow her. She knew you'd hurt her."
"No!" he shouted. "I'd never hurt her."
"You know the nuns said you got another nun pregnant, at least, that was the rumor," Valerie observed the man to see what his reaction would be.
Ulrich looked down shamefully. "Yes, that happened. A long time ago. I swore I'd never do it again, but I fell for Blanche."
"That still doesn't explain why you ran and assaulted a sheriff and a Federal agent!" Charlie said with force.
"I thought you were there to question me about Blanche disappearing, I got scared."
"No," Valerie said. "It was more than that. You were scared we knew about your relationship with Blanche and what would happen if the priests found out."
Ulrich nodded. "Yes, that is true. I was scared of what they would do to me, but also to Blanche. The monastery has been my only home for so long, and I didn't want to lose it." He looked down in shame and sorrow, knowing he had made a mistake by running away.
"I understand," Valerie said softly, feeling sympathy for the man. She could tell he was genuinely remorseful for his actions. "You'll need to tell us about your movements during the last two weeks."
