Island of Bones(104)

But when she saw Frank come in, her mouth dropped open slightly. “Francisco,” she whispered.

“Mama,” Frank said.

Louis saw the gleam of tears in the old woman’s eyes. Frank saw it, too, and he took a step toward her. The officer held firm and Frank looked at Louis and Horton.

“Let him go,” Horton said.

Frank went slowly to the old woman. Her eyes went from the cuffs on his hands up to the bloodied wrap on his shoulder and finally to his face.

“Oh, Francisco, what has happened?” she asked.

“It’s over, Mama,” Frank said softly. “I have to go. You have to go. We all do.”

Ana del Bosque stared up at Frank blankly. “Go where?” she asked.

Horton stepped forward. “Mrs. del Bosque—”

“One moment, please,” Frank said. He knelt by the chair. "Mama, scio te de hoc secreto totam aetatem tuam tacuisse atque quam ob causam sic egisses.”

The old woman shook her head slowly. “No, no, Francisco... de illo loqui nequam.”

“You have to, Mama,” Frank said gently. “Dic mihi veritatem.”

The old woman closed her eyes. Then she took a deep breath and began to speak again in Latin.

“What the fuck?” Horton whispered to Louis.

Louis didn’t answer him. He just stood there, listening to Ana del Bosque.

Finally, Frank stood up and turned to Horton. “She’ll go with you now,” he said.

“What was all that about? What did she tell you?” Horton demanded.

“Nothing,” Frank said. Louis was surprised to see tears in Frank’s eyes.

Horton leaned into Frank. “What the hell did she say to you?”

But Frank was silent.

“Take him away,” Horton said, waving a hand to his man standing by the door. The officer came forward, took Frank by the arm, and led him out the door.

“I knew you would come someday.”

Louis and Horton turned at the sound of the old woman’s voice.

“I saw the new bridges, all the houses and people,” she said, looking at Horton. “I heard the planes and saw more and more boats every day. I knew it would all overflow and touch us someday. It wasn’t Francisco’s fault. No one could stop it, really. Times change. Tempora mutantur.”

Ana del Bosque’s fingers curled around the book on her lap. “We are an ancient family from the land of Asturias,” she said, “descended from the great Roman soldiers...”

Horton was staring at Ana. “She’s nuts,” Horton said quietly to Louis.

“Chief?”

Louis turned to see the other officer at the door. “There’s no one else in the house,” the officer said. “I looked everywhere.”

Horton turned to the old woman. “Mrs. del Bosque,” he said, “where are the women?”

Her dark eyes glittered in the lantern light, moving from Horton’s face to the gun strapped to his side.

“Tempora mutantur," she whispered.

“Mrs. del Bosque,” Horton repeated more firmly, “where are the women?”

Louis stepped forward. Ana del Bosque looked up at him. Maybe it was the fact he was the only man there not wearing a uniform, but her expression softened.

“Where are the women?” Louis asked.

“With their babies,” she said, gripping the book tighter.

Louis turned to Horton. “The cemetery,” he said.

Horton motioned to the remaining officers. “Take her to the restaurant,” he said. Then he turned to Ana del Bosque.

“Ma’am, you have to go with these men now.”

She looked up at Horton, then around the room, her eyes finally settling back on Louis. She rose slowly, clutching the book to her chest.

“Please give this to Francisco,” she said, holding it out to Louis. “Ut sciat qui esset.”

Louis took the book. It was an old Bible, its black leather cover rounded at the edges, its gilt letters faded.

“Can you remember that?” she asked. “It’s important. Ut sciat qui esset."

Louis glanced at Horton. Then he repeated the phrase back to her several times. She nodded and looked at the officers.

“Let’s go, ma’am,” Horton said.

Ana del Bosque reached over and turned off the lantern. She looked around the room and then went slowly to the door. The officer took her arm and led her out.

Gray light was seeping through the windows, filling the shadowed corners. Louis could see now that it was an ordinary room, with a few pieces of simple but well-crafted furniture, a large braided rag covering the smooth wide boards of the floor. There were several carved animals on the stone mantel and a green glass vase holding a wilting bouquet of wildflowers.