The Shroud Codex - Jerome R. Corsi [65]
Still, as a professional psychiatrist, he suspected there were many more levels to the story that Anne wasn’t telling him, at least not right away. Almost certainly there were psychological implications to her birth and the separation of her parents that Anne had not fully appreciated herself, especially since she had learned the truth so recently. How had she felt when she learned her mother abandoned her and that her father had lied to her all these years? Unless Castle placed Anne in analysis, he was not sure this question would ever be fully answered. Still, Castle felt confident that when Anne met her brother, she was certain to confront aspects of herself and her brother’s birth story that were impacting deep levels of her subconscious right now, even if Anne could not yet perceive the impact consciously.
Castle also appreciated there were serious implications of this birth story for Bartholomew. If Bartholomew did not know about his mother’s first marriage, how would he react when he learned his mother had hidden the truth from him that his father was not her first husband? Would he resent not being told he had a half sister living in Canada? A half sister he had never known existed? The questions raced through Castle’s mind as he listened to Anne tell her life story in the limo.
The situation was complicated for Castle. Being truthful, he had to admit he continued to feel attracted to Anne, just as he had been the first moment he saw her. The thought passed through his mind that even though she was not in her twenties, Anne could probably have attracted a suitable man to marry her anytime she wanted, including now. Sitting with her in the backseat, he couldn’t help admiring how her nicely sculpted legs looked in her sheer nylon stockings, especially as her dress rode up above her knees.
“Did you find a hotel room easily last night?” he asked her.
“I found a cheap room near the hospital,” Anne said. “The hotel is okay and it’s close to the hospital.”
Despite the physical attraction he felt, Castle would never cross the line to act on those impulses with a patient or a member of a patient’s family. Castle reminded himself that his concerns with Anne had to remain professional. Now that she had surfaced, she was certain to fit into his analysis of Father Bartholomew. Castle’s instinct was to make sure Anne stayed more directly in his sight. Her story had too many psychological implications to be ignored. “It sounds like this may be your first time in New York?” Castle guessed.
“It is,” Anne affirmed.
“Let me take care of the hotel room for you,” Castle said. “You’re in New York now and this is my city.” Without waiting for her to respond, he reached for his cell phone in the pocket of his sport jacket and began dialing a number.
Listening, Anne realized he was calling the manager’s office at the Waldorf Towers to reserve a one-bedroom corner suite on one of the upper floors for her, subtly making sure the suite was one of the larger and more elegant ones in the hotel.
From Castle’s conversation with the manager, Anne could tell he was no stranger either to the Waldorf Towers or to the staff that ran the hotel. Castle asked for specific room details and appeared to know what the suite would look like simply by its room number.
“I don’t know whether I can afford that level of luxury,” Anne objected.
Castle smiled softly, pleased at her concern for expenses. “I’m not asking you to pay,” he explained. “The Catholic Church is compensating me handsomely for taking your brother on as a patient and your accommodations at the Waldorf will be part of my expenses. I want to make sure you have a comfortable place to stay.”
“Under those conditions, I accept,” Anne said, feeling genuine appreciation for his concern over her.
As the limo approached the hospital, Castle could see that the crowd outside had swelled considerably. Hundreds more people were standing outside now and lit candles could be seen everywhere. A crowd had gathered in the open park across