Misplaced (91 page)

“Seño
r
Barrón
,
you
’
l
l
ha
v
e
t
o
spen
d
a
t
leas
t
t
w
enty-four
hours
under
obser
v
ation.
E
v
en
though
your
reco
v
ery
has
been
rapid, there could be complications—”

“Run all the tests you like today; I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Th
e
nex
t
morning
,
agains
t
medica
l
advice
,
Elia
s
lef
t
the
hospital with his head wrapped like a Sikh’s.

Whe
n
the
y
arri
v
e
d
home
,
h
e
mad
e
us
e
o
f
th
e
can
e
the
hospita
l
ha
d
insiste
d
h
e
take
,
w
avin
g
i
t
gallantl
y
a
t
Marta
an
d
saying
,
“I’
m
al
l
right
,
jus
t
a
bi
t
slo
w
e
r
tha
n
usual.
”
He
smile
d
an
d
follo
w
e
d
he
r
throug
h
th
e
fron
t
door
.
Sh
e
le
d
him
into
the
living
room,
where
he
took
his
usual
place
on
the
sofa
and
turned
on
the
television.

Marta
took
the
pillows
from
the
couch
and
stacked
them
on
the
coffee
table.
“Try
to
relax,”
she
commanded
gently
as
she
remo
v
ed
his
loafers
and
ele
v
ated
his
legs. “I
’
ll get us a bite to eat.”
It
w
as as if nothing had happened.

As
soon
as
she
stepped
into
the
kitchen,
Elias
lo
w
ered
his
feet
cautiously
and
lifted
himself,
inch
by
inch,
from
the
couch.
E
v
er
y
par
t
o
f
hi
s
bod
y
ached
.
Hi
s
leg
s
w
er
e
concret
e
blocks,
an
d
hi
s
firs
t
fe
w
step
s
w
er
e
unsur
e
an
d
painfull
y
slow
.
Still,
he
persisted
in
making
his
w
ay
to
the
study,
where
he
locked
the
door
behind
him.
Glass
from
the
cabinet
still
lay
scattered
o
n
th
e
terraco
t
t
a
f
loor
.
Som
e
o
f
th
e
piece
s
caugh
t
th
e
fadin
g
sunligh
t
an
d
sparkle
d
lik
e
topaz
,
s
o
dazzlin
g
tha
t
Elia
s
stood
transfixed.

A
soft
knock
at
the
door
broke
the
spell.
“Elias?
Why
ha
v
e
you
locked
the
door?
Y
ou
’
re
acting
strange.
Maybe
it
w
as
too
soo
n
fo
r
u
s
t
o
ha
v
e
lef
t
th
e
hospital.
”
A
lon
g
paus
e
follo
w
ed.
“I thought it might be a good idea to ask Father Donato to stop
by—”

“Don’t!
”
h
e
shouted
,
th
e
exertio
n
bendin
g
hi
m
o
v
e
r
in
agony. “Can’t you see I need to be alone?”

“T
alk
to
him,”
she
pleaded.
“Maybe
you
can
tell
him
what’s
eating at your soul.”

“Not
now,
Marta.
Is
that
such
an
unreasonable
request
after
wha
t
I’
v
e
bee
n
through?
”

Hi
s
voic
e
softened
.
“
I
kno
w
you
didn’t
sleep
for
a
minute
at
the
hospital.
Go
ha
v
e
a
sho
w
er
and
put
on
some
fresh
clothes.
W
e
’
ll
ha
v
e
a
nap.
I
’
ll
join
you
soon.”
Moment
s
later
,
th
e
soun
d
o
f
fadin
g
footstep
s
tol
d
hi
m
she
’
d
gi
v
en up.

From
the
dra
w
er
of
his
desk
he
remo
v
ed
his
favorite
pen,
car
v
ed from ironwood, and wrote.

Mi vida,
Fo
r
t
w
ent
y
y
ear
s
now
,
I
ha
ve
masquerade
d
a
s
a
decent man.
A
t
first
,
m
y
smugglin
g
activitie
s
w
er
e
designe
d
to
protec
t
th
e
artifact
s
o
f
th
e
countr
y
o
f
m
y
birth
.
I
n
th
e
heightened
sense
of
honor
that
w
as
mine
in
those
days,
I
fel
t
certai
n
tha
t
m
y
rol
e
i
n
thi
s
worl
d
w
a
s
t
o
ser
v
e
as
their
temporary
caretaker.
It
w
as
the
only
w
ay
I
knew
to
protect Mexico’s treasures from ruin, you see.
A
s
yo
u
ca
n
w
el
l
imagine
,
I’
v
e
surrounde
d
myself
wit
h
peopl
e
wh
o
ar
e
nothin
g
mor
e
tha
n
thie
v
e
s
and
predators
.
It’
s
a
wonde
r
somethin
g
hasn’
t
gon
e
wrong
before now.
Throug
h a
terribl
e
an
d
unintentiona
l
twis
t
of
circumstances,
my
activities
ha
v
e
invol
v
ed
V
ictoria
in
a
w
ay
I
could
not
ha
v
e
foreseen.
I
feel
she
and
Khara
may
b
e
i
n
danger
.
M
y
accomplice
,
a
smuggle
r
wit
h
th
e
morals
of
a
cockroach,
is
intent
on
finding
Khara so I
must
get
to
the girls first.
Sa
y
nothin
g
t
o
anyone
,
leas
t
o
f
al
l
th
e
authorities.
Thei
r
safet
y
depend
s
o
n
you
r
silence
.
W
il
l
yo
u
d
o
this
for me? I will ans
w
er all your questions when I return.
I
ask
your
forgi
v
eness
and
support.
W
ithout
them,
I
am nothing and will surely fail.