Misplaced (76 page)

“Y
eah?”

“What’s an angel? Marcia described her daughter as one.”

“Didn’t Father Donato explain them to you?”

“I suppose he would ha
v
e if
w
e
’
d had more time.”

“I
thin
k
th
e
bes
t w
a
y
t
o
describ
e
the
m
i
s
a
s
sor
t
o
f
messengers.
Y
es, that’s it; they
’
re messengers from god.”

“W
ill you show me a drawing of one?”

“Tomorrow.
And
w
e
’
ll see about getting
you a map.”

“Ma
y
th
e
god
s
w
atc
h
o
v
e
r
yo
u
fo
r
al
l
th
e
hour
s
o
f
th
e
night.”

Tha
t
nigh
t
V
ictori
a
slep
t
to
o
deepl
y
t
o
drea
m
o
f
Robert
Chilton
or
her
past,
or
of
the
monstrous
black
aberration
that
ha
d
approache
d
t
he
m
i
n
t
h
e
sand
.
I
n
th
e
in
t
ens
e
quie
t
after
Khara’
s
invocatio
n
o
f
protection
,
sh
e
drifte
d
peacefull
y
t
o
sleep.

Chapte
r
Thirty-one
Miel
e
y

Miele
y
switche
d
o
n
th
e
televisio
n
i
n
hi
s
hote
l
room
an
d
trie
d
t
o
relax
.
He
’
d
spen
t
anothe
r
gruelin
g
da
y
w
atching
V
ictori
a
Barrón’
s
o
ff
ice
,
apartment
,
an
d
he
r
uncle’
s
hom
e
fo
r some clue to
her whereabouts—se
v
en days had passed, and so far, nothing. Still, Mieley did not allow himself to despair; he knew something would gi
v
e e
v
entually.

Judgin
g
b
y
th
e
confuse
d
face
s
o
f
th
e
staff
,
the
y
knew
nothing
.
Th
e
offic
e
kep
t
regula
r
hours
,
thoug
h
i
t
ha
d
bee
n
a
w
eek since a client had been shown past the reception lobby. Observing
Elias’s
home,
which
w
as
situated
on
a
wide
lane,
presente
d
mor
e
difficulties
.
I
t
w
a
s
th
e
kin
d
o
f
stree
t
where peopl
e
kne
w
eac
h
othe
r
’
s
habit
s
an
d
migh
t
notic
e a
strange
v
ehicle, so he
w
aited until dark.

Why
would
V
ictoria
Barrón abandon
her
practice? It
made
n
o
sense
.
O
n
mor
e
tha
n
on
e
occasio
n
Elia
s
ha
d
complained
about her choice of profession; so much injustice, not enough money, he
’
d explained.

Maybe
that
w
as
it,
he
thought;
she
w
as
in
it
for
the
money.
The
Egyptian
and
she
w
ere
partners.
As
an
attorney,
her
part
had
been
to
negotiate the sale.
P
erhaps…
H
e
w
a
s
w
astin
g
time
.
Tomorro
w
h
e
woul
d
tr
y
a
different
tactic.

Chapte
r
Thirty-two
Vic
t
oria

Th
e
snappin
g
o
f
brus
h
outsid
e
th
e
bedroo
m
windo
w
wok
e
her
.
V
ictori
a
foun
d
th
e
quil
t
o
n
Khara’
s
sid
e
o
f
th
e
bed
smooth,
the
top
folded
back
neatly.
She
grabbed
a
s
w
eater
and
rushe
d
outsid
e
onl
y
t
o
fin
d
th
e
ol
d
turke
y
returnin
g
wit
h
his
harem.
The
ungainly
parade
passed
alongside
the
porch
before disappearing back into the brush.

To
the
east,
she
spotted
Khara,
bent
in
pra
y
er,
still
w
earing her nightgown.
V
ictoria
w
atched her touch her forehead to the
earth
,
an
d
the
n
ris
e
an
d
catc
h
th
e
firs
t
ray
s
o
f
th
e
su
n
i
n
her arm
s
i
n a
kin
d
o
f
benedictio
n
tha
t
al
w
ay
s
stirre
d
something dee
p
insid
e
her
.
Sh
e
fough
t
he
r
instinc
t
t
o
joi
n
Khar
a
o
n
th
e grass and returned inside.

Afte
r
closin
g
th
e
doo
r
softly
,
sh
e
leane
d
agains
t
i
t
an
d
closed
he
r
e
y
es
.
I
n
th
e
half-ligh
t
o
f
earl
y
morning
,
th
e
e
v
ent
s
o
f
th
e
last
w
eek
s
ha
d
no
t
y
e
t
begu
n
bombardin
g
he
r
thoughts
.
Sh
e
w
as
not being threatened or pursued.
V
ery slo
w
ly, because she did
no
t
t
rus
t
i
t
completel
y
,
sh
e
allo
w
e
d
t
hi
s
twinklin
g
o
f
cal
m
to
en
v
elo
p
her
.
Bu
t
i
t
di
d
no
t
last
,
an
d
to
o
soo
n
sh
e
opene
d
her
e
y
es.

On
her
immediate
right
w
as
a
dinette table
and
two
chairs.
Opposit
e
th
e
fron
t
door
,
a
bar-heigh
t
counte
r
hi
d
a
tin
y
kitchen.
Behin
d
th
e
counte
r
sh
e
foun
d
dra
w
er
s
stocke
d
wit
h
basic
kitche
n
necessities
.
W
ithi
n
minute
s
th
e
percolato
r
ha
d
filled
the
cabin
with
a
splendid
aroma.
Filling
two
mugs,
she
added
powdered cream and some sugar.

She
met
Khara
at
the
door.
“Try
this.
It
won’t
be
so
strong
now
.
An
d
wher
e
i
s
i
t
writte
n
tha
t
yo
u
ha
v
e
t
o
pra
y
o
n
w
et
grass?
Y
our
gown
is
soaked.
Here,
put
this
on.”
P
eeling
off
her
s
w
eater, she placed it around Khara’s shoulders.

W
it
h
col
d
fingers
,
Khar
a
graspe
d
th
e
mu
g
an
d
obser
v
ed,
“What an excellent mother you
’
ll make.”

“Don’t start that again.”

“I
ca
n
pictur
e
i
t
perfectly
.
Mayb
e
you
’
l
l
ha
v
e
fou
r
o
r
fi
v
e
children—I
predict
mostly
daughters,
but
perhaps
a
son.
They
will be tall and ha
v
e e
y
es the color of the sea. Just like—”

“Y
eah, right.”

“Com
e
outside
,
V
ictoria
.
Le
t
u
s
enjo
y
thi
s
glorious
morning.”
She
led
the
w
ay
to
a
porch
step
that
groaned
as
they
sat down.
N
o
light
s
coul
d
b
e
see
n
i
n
th
e
mai
n
hous
e
y
et
.
“E
v
e
n
the
gods do not li
v
e among such beauty. It is enough—”

“T
o
mak
e
yo
u
stay?
”
A
smal
l
lum
p
o
f
happines
s
ros
e
in
V
ictoria’s chest.

W
r
a
ppi
n
g
t
h
e
s
w
ea
te
r
t
i
ght
e
r
,
a
lon
g
s
tr
a
n
d
o
f
h
a
i
r
f
e
l
l
across
Khara’s
face.
“That
is
not
possible.
I
suppose
there
is
no
harm
in
staying
a
few
more
days,
but
what
of
your
obligations
to your clients?”

“I
think
I’m
due.
Besides,
there’s
a
computer
in
town.
I
can
check in as often as I need to,”
V
ictoria replied, standing.

“Where are you going?”

“To get dressed and start breakfast.”

Khara ga
v
e her a sidelong glance, but said nothing.
B
y
th
e
tim
e
V
ictori
a
pu
t
he
r
dres
s
on
,
tie
d
he
r
hai
r
int
o
a
ponytail
,
an
d
slippe
d
o
n
Lila’
s
shoes
,
th
e
far
m
w
a
s
beginnin
g
to
w
ake
.
Whil
e
neatenin
g
th
e
bed
,
sh
e
hear
d
th
e
caretake
r
’
s
heavy
step
s
o
n
th
e
porc
h
follo
w
e
d
b
y
a
quic
k
“Morning.
”
Through
the
window,
V
ictoria
w
atched
Chris
throw
grain
into
the
lake
fo
r
th
e
trou
t
an
d
pu
t
drie
d
foo
d
ou
t
fo
r
a
pai
r
o
f
duck
s
that
hurrie
d
t
o
th
e
porc
h
lik
e
hungr
y
beggars
.
Cat
s
cam
e
fro
m
e
v
ery
direction when he called.