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“Now and... at the hour of... our death,” One-Eye repeated with a sigh.
“ ‘Amen.’ ” Gaetano clasped One-Eye’s hand.
“Saint, I have done things... many terrible things,” One-Eye whispered, anguished. “I used to drink too much... I killed a man who insulted me... that’s what brought me here... murder.”
“God knows we make mistakes, One-Eye. All of us have, including me.”
“I’ve done worse... even worse...”
Gaetano couldn’t imagine anything worse than murder. “God will forgive you. I will pray for you.”
“It all started... with that boy... kidnapped from the festival... of Saint Rosalia... what a sacrilege... I didn’t take him... but I hid him...”
“Whatdid you say?” Gaetano recoiled, shocked.
“I did wrong... to him... and to you.... I know why you’re here... you were looking for him....”
“You say youhidthe boy?” Gaetano scrambled to collect his thoughts. “The kidnapped boy? Where?”
“The... madhouse... I was his guard....”
“Themadhouse? The one inPalermo?”
“Yes... I wasn’t the one who took him... my partner did.... I confess, I locked him up.... I’m going to hell.... I’m frightened.... I’m sorry, so sorry....” One-Eye breathed shallowly. “Saint, I repent... I want to redeem myself... I don’t want to burn... Will I go to hell?”
“Who was your partner?”
One-Eye exhaled a rattling breath, then his mouth dropped open. His jaw hung unhinged, and his head fell sideways. He stilled, dead.
Gaetano crossed himself, shaken to the core. “Dear God,” was all he could say.
Big Feet crossed himself, too. “May Christ have mercy on your soul, One-Eye.”
Gaetano turned to him. “What’s One-Eye’s name?”
“Renzo Gentili.”
“Who was his partner? Did he mention one to you?”
“No.”
“Who was close to him, among your cellmates?”
“None of us. Nobody liked him. He was a mean bastard.”
“How about anyone else? Anyone visit him?”
“He kept to himself. He didn’t have any visitors, that I know of.”
“But how did he eat?”
“He paid an old lady to come with food. She stopped coming two weeks ago.”
“Do you know her name?”
“No.”
Gaetano’s mind raced.
