Misplaced (43 page)

“Thanks,
”
h
e
shoute
d
jus
t
befor
e
the
y
disappeared
.
He
too
k
a
dee
p
b
rea
t
h
an
d
force
d
himsel
f
bac
k
in
t
o
t
h
e
v
an
,
b
ut
not
before
committing
the
sil
v
er
ca
r
’s
license
plate
to
memory.
H
e
dro
v
e
a
w
a
y
almos
t
fain
t
wit
h
desperation
.
A
t
th
e
nearest
intersection
,
h
e
turne
d
int
o
a
lot
,
wher
e
h
e
coul
d
obser
v
e
which
directio
n
the
y
woul
d
take
.
Hi
s
shakin
g
hand
s
ha
d
barely
scribble
d
th
e
numbe
r
ont
o
hi
s
wris
t
whe
n
Miele
y
glanced
u
p
an
d
sa
w
the
m
drivin
g
past
.
Th
e
single-mindednes
s
o
f
a
predator
came
o
v
er
him
as
he
follo
w
ed
the
sil
v
er
sedan
to
its
e
v
entual
destination—St.
P
atrick’s
Cathedral.
Slinking
low,
his
co
v
eralls
soaked
in
s
w
eat,
he
caught
a
glimpse
of
the
bracelet
shining
against
her
bronze
skin
as
they
w
alked
inside,
and
his
heart quickened.

Miele
y
che
w
e
d
tw
o
mor
e
finger
s
blood
y
w
aitin
g
fo
r
them
t
o
com
e
out
.
Afte
r
leavin
g
th
e
church
,
the
y
stoppe
d
fo
r
takeou
t
befor
e
turnin
g
ont
o
a
narro
w
roa
d
tha
t
snake
d
u
p
t
o
an
isolate
d
apartmen
t
comple
x
ato
p
a
hig
h
mesa
.
I
t
bor
e
more
than
a
cursory
resemblance
to
the
ancient
Israeli
stronghold
of
Masada.
He
wondered
if
the
design
w
as
intentional,
if
anyone
in this shithole bordertown would ha
v
e recognized it.

E
y
ein
g
th
e
guardhous
e
i
n
fron
t
o
f
th
e
openin
g
gate
,
he
ease
d
hi
s
foo
t
o
ff
th
e
accelerator
.
Securit
y
gate
s
ofte
n
had
cameras
;
i
t
w
a
s
bette
r
no
t
t
o
tak
e
a
chance
.
Second
s
later
,
his
prey disappeared as the gate slid closed.
A
guard,
the
gate—they
w
ere
of
little
consequence.
He
had
the plate number.

Chapte
r
Nineteen
Vic
t
oria

Unawar
e
tha
t
the
y
w
er
e
bein
g
follo
w
ed
,
V
ictori
a
inched
the car -through the slo
w
ly opening gate.

“Hidin
g
i
n
th
e
bac
k
ro
w
wit
h
tha
t
siniste
r
devic
e
i
n
your
hand
.
Wh
o
d
o
yo
u
thin
k
you
’
r
e
fooling?
”
Khar
a
chided
.
“
Y
ou
’
re
avoiding your spiritual responsibilities,
V
ictoria.”

“Forgi
v
e me if I
w
asn’t in the mood.”

“Fathe
r
Donat
o
agree
s
wit
h
me,
”
Khar
a
asserte
d
i
n
a
w
ay
V
ictoria
found
irritating.
“
Although,
in
his
infinite
wisdom,
he
says
that
e
v
eryone
must
consider
the
man
on
the
cross
in
their
own time.”

“I’
v
e
ne
v
e
r
spoke
n
t
o
hi
m
o
r
anyon
e
els
e
abou
t
m
y
religious
inclination
s
becaus
e
I
don’
t
ha
v
e
any
.
Besides
,
I
ha
d
t
o
tak
e
that
call. It
w
as a client.”

“Despit
e
you
r
insolence
,
Fathe
r
Donat
o
praise
s
you
.
H
e
tol
d
m
e
tha
t
countles
s
pra
y
er
s
ar
e
sai
d
o
n
you
r
behal
f
i
n
hi
s
church.”

“Marta,” she sighed.
“
Apparentl
y
ther
e
ar
e
others
.
I’
m
learnin
g
t
o
pra
y
th
e
rosary
,
and then I
’
ll pray for you, too.”

“Knock yourself out.”

Khar
a
looke
d
a
t
he
r
strangely
,
an
d
the
n
turne
d
he
r
attention
t
o
th
e
steamin
g
ba
g
o
f
flauta
s
they
’
d
picke
d
u
p
o
n
th
e
w
ay
home.
If,
in
her
days
of
endless
study,
Khara
had
any
inkling
tha
t
a
kitche
n
w
a
s
usefu
l
fo
r
anythin
g
beside
s
w
armin
g
soup
and making coffee,
she made no mention of it.

Inside
the
apartment,
Khara
slid
out
of
her
sandals,
seized
the
white
paper
bag,
unfolded
the
top
to
release
the
aroma
of
fried
tortillas,
and
took
their
dinner
outdoors.
There,
a
sky
the
exac
t
colo
r
o
f
orang
e
sherbe
t
threatene
d
t
o
distrac
t
V
ictoria
from
the
e
v
ents
of
the
day
and
perhaps
it
would
ha
v
e,
except
that
as
she
set
her
purse
down,
the
heavy
en
v
elopes
seemed
to
w
eigh her heart down all o
v
er again.

Afte
r
a
mea
l
sh
e
scarcel
y
touched
,
V
ictori
a
diale
d
th
e
Picass
o
of
document
forgery,
Anton
Murgat.
This
time
he
w
as
almost
pleasant and agreed to meet at four o’clock the following day.
Y
our
father
would
be
ashamed.
Elias’s
words
echoed
through
her mind.

“
V
ictoria?”

“Y
es.”

“Y
our uncle won’t stay angry with you for long.”

“Y
o
u
don’
t
kno
w
him
.
Underneat
h
tha
t
sua
v
e
exterior
,
Elias
can be a stubborn mule.”

“Thousand
s
o
f
y
ear
s
ha
ve
passed
,
an
d
y
e
t
som
e
things
remain the same.”

“Y
ou
said
it.”
V
ictoria
checked
her
w
atch,
surprised
to
find
tha
t
i
t
w
a
s
to
o
earl
y
t
o
tur
n
in
.
“Mayb
e
tonigh
t
w
e
coul
d
try
w
atching
something
besides
the
Science
Channel.
What
about
culture
?
Y
ou
’
r
e
missin
g
ou
t
o
n
entir
e
spectr
a
o
f
kno
w
ledge.
How
can
you
study
a
civilization
without
knowing
what
they
found beautiful, or how they expressed themsel
v
es?”

“None
of
those
things
help
feed
a
growing
nation.
Still,
you
make
a
good
point.
I
lea
v
e
the
e
v
ening’s
entertainment
in
your hands.”

“W
ell
then,
let’s
see,”
V
ictoria
muttered, scrolling
through
th
e
channels
.
“
P
erfect
!
V
ertig
o
come
s
o
n
i
n
a
hal
f
hour.
”
She
brought
some
extra
pillows
from
the
hall
closet
and
piled
them on
the
floor,
and
then
put
on
her
sloppiest
pajamas
and
tossed a
Uni
v
ersit
y
o
f
T
exa
s
a
t
E
l
P
as
o
footbal
l
jerse
y
t
o
Khara
.
“I
’
ll
make popcorn.”