Misplaced (26 page)

A
t
w
angy,
impatient
female
voice
ans
w
ered.
“Bernal
Boot
Company.”

“May I speak to Mr. Murgat?”

“Emplo
y
ee
s
aren’
t
allo
w
e
d
t
o
us
e
th
e
phon
e
durin
g
thei
r
shift. I can take a message and gi
v
e it to him.”

“Thanks,
”
sh
e
replied
,
disappointed
.
“
P
leas
e
tel
l
hi
m
V
ictoria Barrón called.”

Earl
y
i
n
th
e
afternoon
,
sh
e
bega
n
t
o
thin
k
abou
t
getting
somethin
g
t
o
eat
.
Sometime
s
Graci
e
picke
d
u
p
lunc
h
fo
r
her,
bu
t
afte
r
th
e
w
a
y
she
’
d
slamme
d
tha
t
door
,
V
ictori
a
kne
w
better
than
to
ask.
The
place
down
the
street
w
asn’t
bad,
and
a
w
alk
and a meal might quiet her rambling brain.

As
she
stood
in
line,
trying
to
decide
bet
w
een
a
salad
and
a
burger, a voice hissed into her ear from behind.

“
Y
ou
’
re
badgering
me
again.
I’
v
e
been
on
the
right
side
of
th
e
la
w
fo
r
almos
t
tw
o
y
ears
.
O
n
th
e
straigh
t
an
d
narrow—
that’s me.”

V
ictori
a
turned
,
astonishe
d
t
o
se
e
a
n
unsettlin
g
smirk
plastere
d
acros
s
Murgat’
s
point
y
face
.
Greas
y
hai
r
hun
g
o
v
er
his
sunken,
chalky-brown
e
y
es.
He
follo
w
ed
her
as
she
stepped
out
of
line.
“Look,
I
didn’t
call
to
bother
you;
I
ha
v
e
a
client
in
need of documents, and e
v
eryone agrees that you
’
re the best.”

“Hah! This sounds like a setup. I’m outta
here.”

V
ictori
a
grabbe
d
th
e
slee
v
e
o
f
hi
s
nav
y
wor
k
shir
t
a
s
he
turned to lea
v
e.

“
W
ait!
I’m
taking
just
as
big
a
risk
by
seeking
you
out
like
this.
I’m
willing
to
pay
whate
v
er
it
costs.
Y
ou
’
re
not
doing
this
fo
r
me
,
it’s—it’
s
fo
r
someon
e
trul
y
i
n
need
.
A
clien
t
wit
h
no
other option.”

“Y
ou
w
earing a wire?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Pro
v
e it.”

V
ictori
a
too
k
a
ste
p
back
,
rememberin
g
wha
t
Graci
e
said
abou
t
i
t
bein
g
he
r
funeral
.
Sh
e
square
d
he
r
shoulder
s
and
looked
him
in
the
e
y
e,
running
her
fingers
down
the
center
of
her
chest
as
inconspicuously
as
possible
to
show
nothing
w
as
there.

“
All right,” he said. “I’m listening.”

“Someone I know—”

“Y
ou said it
w
as a client.”

“Okay
.
A
clien
t
o
f
min
e
need
s
t
o
tak
e
a
tri
p
o
v
erseas
.
For
reason
s
tha
t
ar
e
n
o
faul
t
o
f
he
r
own
,
sh
e
ha
s
n
o
passport
,
no
identification
of any kind. She needs to take this trip as soon as
possible, and her documents need to be convincing.”

Murga
t
steppe
d
close
,
pattin
g
he
r
w
aistban
d
i
n
se
v
eral
places
so
quickly
that
she
had
no
time
to
react.
As
repulsed
as
she
w
as
at
his
inappropriate
behavior,
V
ictoria
understood;
he
had
to
convince
himself
she
w
asn’t
w
earing
a
wire.
Apparently
satisfied,
he asked, “One
w
ay?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Y
our
friend
is
only
leaving
the
United
States?
No
plans
for
a round trip?”
Ther
e
w
a
s
jus
t
enoug
h
curiosit
y
i
n
hi
s
voic
e
t
o
mak
e
he
r
feel
hopeful. “
Y
es.”

“Piece
o’cake.
The
go
v
ernment
cares
far
more
’bout
people
coming
into
the
land
of
opportunity.
They
’
re
only
too
happy
to
see
’
em go back to where
v
er they came from.”

“The
n
you
’
l
l
d
o
it
?
What’
s
you
r
fastes
t
turnaround
?
How
much?”

“Whoa, there, I didn’t say I
’
d do anything.” He made arcs across
the
linoleum
floor
with
his
kelly-green
hightops.
“
And
if I
w
as a thinking man, you
’
re the last person I
’
d forge anything
for
.
Bu
t
then
,
time
s
ar
e
hard
,
an
d
som
e
cas
h
woul
d
ge
t
m
e
a
w
ay
fro
m
tha
t
stinkhol
e
jo
b
m
y
probatio
n
office
r
se
t
m
e
u
p
with
.
But
it’s
going
to
cost you—plenty.
Y
ou
might
as
w
ell
know
that
up front.”