Misplaced (98 page)

Sh
e
sough
t
refug
e
insid
e
th
e
cabin
.
An
y
thought
s
about
wha
t
coul
d
b
e
don
e
w
er
e
peppere
d
wit
h
obstacles
.
Soo
n
she
coul
d
onl
y
si
t
i
n
fron
t
o
f
th
e
smal
l
fireplace
,
holdin
g
he
r
hea
d
in
her
hands
and
wondering
what
else
Mieley
had
up
his
slee
v
e.
Would
anything
be
left
of
her
reputation
when
she
returned?
Ha
d
Elia
s
know
n
o
f
Mieley’
s
plan
?
Wha
t
i
f
i
t
ha
d
bee
n
her
uncle’s
idea
to
threaten
the
Center
for
Help
to
lure
her
out
of
hiding
?
Th
e
Elia
s
sh
e
kne
w
coul
d
ne
v
e
r
d
o
that
;
h
e
kne
w
i
t
w
as
th
e
on
e
thin
g
sh
e
trul
y
care
d
about
.
Sh
e
stretche
d
ou
t
o
n
the
sofa,
and
when
Lila
came
inside
to
ask
if
she
w
anted
anything,
V
ictoria mumbled,
“
A miracle.”

“Bein
g
tha
t
you
’
r
e
no
t
muc
h
o
f
a
belie
v
e
r,
I
’
d
say
you
w
ere in deep shit.”

“Exactly.”

“Y
ou coming in to help with dinner?”

“No,
thanks.”
Staring
at
a
porcelain
milkmaid
atop
a
doily
o
n
th
e
stereo
,
sh
e
hope
d
Lil
a
woul
d
g
o
a
w
ay
.
Th
e
porcelain
figurin
e
an
d
th
e
thre
e
milk
y
shade
s
o
f
la
v
ende
r
tha
t
colored
he
r
apro
n
an
d
dres
s
caugh
t
he
r
attention
,
an
d
V
ictori
a
found
hersel
f
envyin
g
th
e
permanen
t
stat
e
o
f
grac
e
capture
d
i
n
the
e
y
es.

“Sinner
s
an
d
hypocrite
s
ne
v
e
r
pa
y
muc
h
attentio
n
t
o
th
e
Lor
d
unti
l
the
y
nee
d
something,
”
Lil
a
muttered
,
disapprovingly, grabbing the bo
w
l of apples on her
w
ay out.

V
ictoria ga
v
e in to exhaustion. Mieley’s expressionless grey
e
y
es haunted her as she drifted off
to sleep.

The next thing she knew, Khara
w
as standing o
v
er her.
“It’s
time,”
she
said,
turning
briefly
to
drop
a
coat
onto
the
back of the wing chair.
“
Are you feeling better?”

“About this plan? Not really.”

“Wh
y
can’
t
yo
u
trus
t
m
e
a
s
I
ha
v
e
truste
d
you?
”
Khara
interrupted
,
droppin
g
t
o
on
e
kne
e
s
o
the
y
woul
d
b
e
fac
e
to
face
.
“I’
v
e
bee
n
w
atchin
g
th
e
televisio
n
al
l
afternoon
.
W
e
ca
n
no
longer
return
to
El
P
aso,
and
w
e
cannot
stay
here.
Ha
v
e
you
considered
that
w
e
may
be
placing
Celeste
in harm’s
w
ay?
W
e must keep moving.”

V
ictoria
started
to
object,
but
since
she
could
offer
nothing
better,
just nodded.

The
y
dresse
d
w
armly
.
Underneat
h
he
r
blac
k
turtleneck,
Khara la
y
ered two thin s
w
eaters, and then put on an extra pair
o
f
socks
.
V
ictori
a
wor
e
a
pai
r
o
f
ol
d
hikin
g
boots
,
a
plai
d
woolen
jacket,
and
a
pair
of
jeans
that
had
probably
belonged
to
a
man.
W
ere they Carl’s?
she wondered.

On the
w
ay to the garage, they stopped at the main house.
Celest
e
appeared
,
dresse
d
i
n a
knee-lengt
h
purpl
e
park
a
that
threatene
d
t
o
s
w
all
o
w
her
,
a
cc
ent
e
d
b
y
gree
n
m
i
t
t
en
s
an
d
a wool cap. “What?” she asked when she saw disappro
v
al cross
V
ictoria’
s
face
.
“
Y
o
u
thin
k
I
’
d
le
t
yo
u
g
o
withou
t
me
?
No
t
much
choice,” she said cheerily, dangling a set of keys, “since you
’
re going to need my Jeep just to get close.”

Drum
s
echoe
d
somewher
e
behin
d
th
e
tree
s
a
s
th
e
Jee
p
mad
e its
w
ay
up
a
path
ne
v
er
intended
for
wheels.
A
t
an
ele
v
ation
of
almos
t
t
w
el
v
e
thousan
d
feet
,
perhap
s
th
e
poundin
g
i
n
V
ictoria’s
ears
w
as her heart struggling for oxygen. She closed her e
y
es, tuning out Celeste’s chatter.