a month without fresh air, decent food, sunshine and freedom, Maureen's delicate beauty began to fade along with her reason. On the eve of her twenty-first birthday, she was totally, irrecoverably insane.
She was returned to her family in much the same manner in which she left. They tried everything they could do to bring her around but finally the O’Neill family had to face the truth. Judged catatonic, Maureen was removed to a private mental hospital south of Cork.
Occasionally Charles Develin would visit her and although the staff were never certain if she could hear him, he would talk to her sometimes for hours. Unfortunately usually after such a visit Maureen seemed to regress, so not all of the nurses were keen on allowing Mr. Develin unlimited visiting rights although there was really nothing they could do since it was Mr. Develin who was paying all the bills.
Maureen O’Neill died suddenly and alone, sometime during the night, almost two years to the day after she first met Charles Develin.
*****
‘God’s breath,’ Yakinchuk whispered as he folded the pages. He took a deep swallow of his scotch then leaned back, resting his head against the post. ‘Richard Develin was bad enough but the father; he must have been a monster. Like father, like son; what did the curse say?’
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
Yakinchuk drained his glass then thought of another one. Sure as heck, sleep was now out of the question.
Go for it Vic; you’re going to need all the Dutch courage you can muster so you might as well start practicing now.
7
AUGUST 16TH, 1981
Cavendish Hall, Southern Ireland
Patrick Turner had been Richard Develin’s solicitor for over thirty years so it seemed natural for him to spearhead the identification and the eventual disbursement of the Capritzo estate.
The empire created by Capritzo over the years was vast, global and diverse. Some portions were illegal while others were downright criminal. It was necessary to employ twelve legal firms in nine countries around the world. Each one was charged in the first instance with the task of determining the extent of this empire. Patrick Turner was kept informed on a daily basis. He in turn would brief Carl Emery and, upon occasion Doctor Scott Bryan.
Whenever Capritzo’s widow’s name was mentioned Turner was always very careful to call her Mrs. Develin. Truth is Sarah Winthrope Churchill Develin’s marriage to Capritzo was a secret known to only a few members of the staff at the Develin ancestral home – Cavendish Hall. As far as Carl and Scott were concerned, it would remain a secret, forever.
After Capritzo’s death Sarah retreated from the everyday world both in body and in mind. Pregnant with Develin’s second child, she focused all her attention on her first born son William and of course the child she carried. Although deeply concerned about her, both Carl and Scott were relieved that she appeared to showed no interest whatsoever in the disposition of the estate nor did she ever mention Capritzo’s name. The reason why could have something to do with the fact that she was directly responsible for his death.
Truth be told, she murdered him.
Luring him into the small, airtight vault was easy as was closing and locking the door. What may or may not have been easy for Sarah was waiting through the seven hours it would take for him to die of asphyxiation. Carl Emery reconstructed the site in such a way that Capritzo’s death was attributed to “misadventure” and the body was discreetly laid to rest near the Develin family mausoleum.
Sarah did not participate in the coroner's inquest although one of Capritzo’s lawyers insisted that she confirm under oath that the marriage had been consummated. Despite Carl Emery’s protests, Sarah did so with as much dignity as she could muster while remembering … remembering …
‘Perhaps for you it has been too strenuous a day. We shall try again later with more interest on your part I trust in providing for the wants and desires of your new husband.’
Immediately afterwards Sarah took to her bed and stayed there for nearly a month.
The extent of the Capritzo Empire was unknown to Sarah as was his true wealth, which was in the tens of millions. Their relationship spanned a fortnight, from the moment he had her abducted – for the second time – until his death.
By contrast she had known Richard Develin for nearly a year. Ultimately they would develop a very close attachment which could be described as love if he were capable of it. Sarah never gave the memory of Capritzo a thought but daily she grieved for the loss of Richard.
*****
Patrick Turner had requested a meeting with Carl Emery on Sunday afternoon; suggesting at the end that it might be a good idea if Doctor Bryan attended as well. This was unusual. It was also unusual when Turner arrived without his briefcase.
‘Gentlemen, thank you for seeing me on such short notice and on a Sunday afternoon.’ Turner settled down on one of the sofas in the Amber Room. He seemed agitated. Emery offered him a drink but he declined.
Emery frowned as he sat down on the sofa next to Doctor Bryan and across from Turner. ‘What is it, Patrick?’
‘Something extremely disturbing has occurred so I thought it best if we discuss it at the earliest opportunity.’ He paused as if unable to know just where to begin. He cleared his throat. ‘To date, we have confirmed five brothels owned by Merhot Capritzo; the Boston one you know but there is one in each of the following cities; New York, Sydney Australia, Rio de Janeiro and just outside London in a place called Maidenhead.’ He cleared his throat again. ‘As I said, these are confirmed; there may be more.
‘I had received assurances earlier this year that the brothels had been closed and that all the women had been released. Many of them, I might add, were returned to their families at considerable cost. Well, it would seem that that may have been the case then, but not now. Most of the women have returned and have … well, basically picked up where they left off.’
Carl chuckled. ‘Can’t keep a good girl down, can you?’
‘Mr. Emery please, these brothels are extremely lucrative. No one would have dared to challenge Merhot Capritzo but now that he is gone, I fear that criminal elements will activity seek to take control of these establishments. No matter what you might think of him, Capritzo was always very protective of his women and they knew it. They lived and worked safely beneath the umbrella of his reputation alone.’
‘What are you suggesting Patrick?’ Doctor Bryan asked.
‘We must see that these establishments are managed by one of our own until they can be sold or … or disposed of properly.’
‘Scott, do you fancy running a whorehouse for a while?’ Carl asked.
‘Not bloody
