"Only this one happened on the other side of the world," Jennings continued. "The European continent. Just four years ago. June sixth to be exact. Does that date ring a bell?"

"Yes," answered Thorn hoarsely.

"Then you'll recognize this second clipping," replied Jennings, lifting another scrap from the pile. "It's from the back page of a newspaper in Rome."

Thorn took it from him, recognizing it immediately. Katherine had it in a scrapbook at home.

"It's the birth announcement of your son. That was also June sixth, four years ago. I'd call that a coincidence, wouldn't you?"

Thorn's hands were trembling now; the papers fluttering so he could barely read.

"Was your son born at six a.m.?"

Thorn turned to him, his eyes filled with anguish.

"I'm trying to figure out the mark on the priest's thigh. The three sixes. I think it relates to your son. The sixth month, the sixth day . . ."

"My son is dead" blurted Thorn. "My son is dead. I don't know whose son I'm raising!"

He raised his hands to his head and turned toward

the darkness, his breath coming heavily as Jennings watched him.

"If you wouldn't mind, Mr. Thorn," said Jennings quietly, "I'd like to help you find out."

"No," Thorn groaned. "This is my problem."

"You're wrong, sir," replied Jennings sadly. "It's my problem, too."

Thorn turned to him and their eyes held. Jennings slowly moved into the darkroom and reappeared with a final photograph in his hand. He handed it over to Thorn.

"There was a small mirror in the corner of the priest's room," Jennings said with difficulty. "Happened to catch my own reflection in it when I took one of the pictures."

Thorn's eyes moved to the photo, his face registering his shock.

"Rather unusual effect," Jennings said. "Don't you think?"

He swung the bare bulb closer to Thorn so he could see more clearly. There, in the photograph of Tassone's room, was a small mirror in a far corner, reflecting Jennings with the camera poised in front of his face. There was nothing unusual about a photographer catching his own reflection in a mirror, but in this case there was something missing. It was Jennings' neck, the head separated by a blemish of haze from his body.

Chapter Ten

On the following morning the news of {Catherine's injury made it easy for Thorn to excuse himself from the office for the next few days. He told his staff he was going to Rome to find a bone specialist on Katherine's behalf; in truth, he was going on a different kind of mission. Having told the whole story to the photographer, he had been convinced by Jennings to start at the beginning, to return to the hospital where Damien was born. There they would begin putting together the pieces.