Misplaced (52 page)

“The
electi
v
e
kind.
How
many
times
ha
v
e
I
told
you
I
w
ant
to
fix
these
saggy
e
y
elids?
Now
I
ha
v
e
the
perfect
opportunity.
I’m s
w
earing you to secrecy, though, especially with Marta.”

“Of course.”
Fear crept onto Gracie’s face. “What are you going to do?”

“T
el
l
m
e
e
v
erythin
g
again
,
exactl
y
a
s
yo
u
remember
.
Maybe
you’
v
e left something out.”

“I
tol
d
you
.
H
e
cam
e
i
n
aroun
d
eight-thirt
y
an
d
sai
d
he
ha
d
a
n
appoint
m
ent
.
Whe
n
I
tol
d
hi
m
yo
u
w
eren
’
t
in,
h
e d
idn’
t
belie
v
e
me
.
H
e
sai
d
yo
u
w
er
e
usuall
y
i
n
th
e
o
ff
ic
e before
eight,
as
though
he
knew.
Any
w
ay,
I
told
him
I
’
d
check your
calendar—you
know,
as a courtesy
more than anything.
Befor
e
I
coul
d
as
k
hi
m
t
o
w
ait
,
h
e
slippe
d
throug
h
th
e
doo
r
and
follo
w
ed me into your office.

“He told me it
w
as imperati
v
e that he see you at once. The
w
ay he spoke, with a high-and-mighty look on his face—
w
ell, you
know
me
w
ell
enough.
I
w
as
more
than
a
little irritated.
I told
him
that
where
you
w
ere
w
as
none
of
his
business,
that
he
w
as
no
different from
any
other
client,
and
that
he
should
call for an appointment. Next thing I knew, I
w
as seeing stars. I hit the
floor hard
and
could
feel
blood
running
down
the
side
of my face.

“Before he left, he bent down and said, ‘
T
ell your emplo
y
er
th
e
bal
l
i
s
i
n
he
r
court.
’
H
e
tol
d
m
e
tha
t
i
f
yo
u
invol
v
e
th
e
police,
you
will
make
matters
much
worse.
And
the
last
thing
he
said
w
a
s
tha
t
i
f
yo
u
gi
v
e
hi
m
wha
t
h
e
w
ants
,
you
’
l
l
ne
v
e
r
se
e
o
r
hear
from him again.

“It’s
got
something
to
do
with
that
girl,
doesn’t
it?
Since
she
w
alked through the door you ha
v
en’t been yourself,
mija
.”

“When will they let you go?”

“I
n a
fe
w
hours
.
M
y
grandson’
s
goin
g
t
o
sta
y
wit
h
his
abuelita
for
a
few
days
to
be
sure
I’m
all
right.”
She
smiled.
“He hasn’t done that in fi
v
e
y
ears.”

“I
’
ll stop by tomorrow. Can I bring you some dinner?”

“M
y
grandso
n
ca
n
ge
t
take-ou
t
jus
t
a
s
easil
y
a
s
yo
u
can.
Y
ou’
v
e
go
t
thing
s
t
o
do
.
V
ictoria
,
don’
t
tr
y
t
o
outsmar
t
him.
This isn’t a courtroom, you know. Call your uncle; he
’
ll know what to do.”

“Y
o
u
ge
t
som
e
rest.
”
V
ictori
a
stoo
d
restlessl
y
i
n
the
door
w
a
y,
k
nowin
g
t
ha
t
the
si
g
h
t
o
f
G
r
a
cie’
s
swollen
,
b
anda
g
e
d
fa
c
e
w
o
ul
d
s
ta
y
w
it
h
he
r
f
o
r
a
l
o
n
g
ti
m
e
.
“
I
’
l
l
c
he
c
k
o
n
y
o
u
tomorrow.”

She
left
the
hospital
and
cli
m
bed
back
into
Bea
’
s
car.
A
s
s
he
dro
v
e
t
o
t
h
e
office
,
fur
y
surge
d
t
hou
g
h
he
r
v
ein
s
li
k
e
b
attery
aci
d
an
d
sh
e
pounde
d
th
e
steerin
g
whee
l
wit
h
he
r
fist
.
He
’
d
blindsided her, and Gracie had suffered
for it.

Eigh
t
set
s
o
f
worrie
d
e
y
e
s
turne
d
o
n
he
r
a
s
sh
e
w
alked
through the office
door.

“Gracie’s
doing
just
fine,
but
she’s
going
to
take
some
time
off
.
I
n
ligh
t
o
f
what’
s
happened
,
I
thin
k
w
e
shoul
d
clos
e
the
office.”

Maggie
,
th
e
pri
m
inter
n
wh
o
reminde
d
V
ictori
a
o
f
hersel
f
at
the
same
age,
stared
at
her
incredulously.
“Let
him
intimidate
us
?
That’
s
no
t
right
.
I
n
fact
,
I’
m
usin
g
thi
s
a
s
th
e
moti
v
atio
n
portio
n
o
f
m
y
la
w
schoo
l
entranc
e
essay
.
Graci
e
mad
e
us
promis
e
no
t
t
o
cal
l
th
e
police
.
W
e
shoul
d
though
,
shouldn’
t
w
e?” she asked, reaching for the phone.