The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2) (30 page)

Veronica sighed and looked around. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“And I can’t wait for you to have a vision that may or may not be of any use to us anyway.”

Her words stung. “Hey, I never promised you anything,” Veronica said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Khalilah held up a hand. “I know. I’m grateful for all you did. I can take it from here,” she said. “I’ll drop you off and then go to Amani’s house.”

Veronica raised her eyes to the sky. “Fine,” she said.

“Where do you want me to drop you off?”

“No, I meant ‘fine, I’ll go.’” She met Khalilah’s eyes. “I want to make sure she’s okay, too.”

Chapter 19

Khalilah had programmed Amani’s address into her phone, and in forty minutes they pulled up in front of an apartment complex in Natomas. The buildings on the street lined up close together. Few trees adorned them, and they looked dirty and run down.

Veronica and Khalilah walked into the complex and up some stairs, to the door corresponding to the address. Khalilah rang the bell.

“I hope we don’t end up making things worse,” Veronica said.

Khalilah frowned at her.

“You keep saying these men don’t like it when women walk around without chaperones, talking to each other and all,” Veronica said.

“With any luck none of the men will be home,” Khalilah said.

She rang the bell again.

“Look, maybe we should go. Maybe there’s another way to contact Amani,” Veronica said.

“You didn’t have to come along,” Khalilah said sharply.

Veronica pressed her lips together. What was she doing? She didn’t know what to think about any of it anymore. After finding out that her pursuit of Amani was unnecessary, and realizing that focusing on it got in the way of her preventing the fire of the Carvers, Veronica had decided to leave Amani alone forever. With Daniel’s information on Hamza and his business partner, it seemed all the more wise to just steer clear. And yet here she was, outside Amani’s door. Was she crazy?

But like it or not, Amani could help Lola. And Veronica wanted to help Lola.

The door opened a crack and a woman veiled head to toe in a black abaya peered out at them. Her eyes, the only visible feature on her face, widened in recognition and the door started to close. Khalilah slapped her palm against it.

“Amani,” she said, and followed with a stream of Arabic.

Amani answered, shaking her head, but after another volley from Khalilah she let them in.

“Her father and uncle are at work,” Khalilah told Veronica.

“Amani,” Veronica said. “How did they find you?”

“I cannot say,” Amani replied, looking up and away.

Veronica glanced around the room. Two coats hung on pegs by the door, and the short entryway opened to a living room with an ordinary paisley couch and armchair. Beyond it she spotted the hallway from her dream with its jaundiced walls.

“Have they harmed you in any way?” Khalilah asked her.

Amani walked to the couch and sat, then gestured to them to do the same. Khalilah settled beside her, and Veronica took the armchair.

“They do not really understand what happened,” Amani said. “They still believe I was taken against my will—I must let them think this, for if they knew the truth, they would surely punish me. Perhaps kill me. But they do not know whether to believe I was raped. They suspect it. My uncle, he is… very angry. When he is home, he follows me with his eyes. He spits in my face!”

Khalilah gazed at her, her eyebrows drawn together in concern.

Veronica leaned forward. “Amani, we came to see that you were alright, but I have another reason.”

“What is it?” Amani asked.

“When you were at the motel, do you remember meeting a young woman? A man hurt her.”

Amani’s eyes narrowed but with the veil it was hard to tell exactly what her expression meant.

“He threw her on the ground, and you helped her. Well, you tried,” Veronica amended.

Amani nodded. “Yes, I remember her.”

Veronica smiled. “Good. Because you
can
help her now.”

“Me? How?”

“If you would come with me, to the police—” Amani immediately began shaking her head. “All you have to do is make a statement! Say that you saw her at the motel on Thursday, in the evening!” Veronica said.

“No,” Amani said, still shaking her head. “No, I’m sorry, I cannot.”

“Amani, she’s in jail,” Veronica said. “They think she burned down her house and murdered her parents!”

Amani stopped shaking her head and stared at Veronica.

“She can’t have done it, because she was at the motel when it happened. All she needs is for someone to make an official statement that confirms that,” Veronica said.

Amani lowered her gaze to floor. “I cannot help her.”

Veronica clasped her hands together on her lap to restrain them from reaching out and shaking Amani. “Your family never needs to know you did it. I could bring a detective here, to take your statement—”

“I’m sorry,” Amani said. “I cannot.”

“Amani—”

“You don’t understand. They will kill me if I leave this apartment.”

“I can bring a detective—”

“It’s no better if the police come here because of me!”

Veronica shut her mouth and leaned back, closing her eyes. Well, of course. If Hamza really was doing some sort of drug smuggling, he would be furious if the police came to his home. She took a deep breath and tried to accept that Amani could not help Lola. What could Veronica do now? How could she get Lola out of there before she did something terrible?

“Amani, why would they mind if the police came here?” Khalilah asked.

Veronica’s eyes opened and she looked at her friend. Khalilah watched Amani’s eyes, which looked towards the floor.

Amani didn’t respond to the question.

“Do you know what they’re doing?” Khalilah persisted. “Have Hamza and your father broken the law?”

Amani’s eyes flashed up, meeting Khalilah’s. “My father is a good man.”

Khalilah raised an eyebrow and met Veronica’s gaze. “You’ll notice she didn’t include her uncle in that statement.”

Amani shook her head violently, the black veils pulling and restricting her movement. “I meant to say nothing bad about my uncle!”

Khalilah squinted at her, leaning towards her. “Amani, if you know something about Hamza that would put him in jail, you could be free of him today.”

Amani’s eyes widened. “I would never betray my family!”

Khalilah sighed. “I was afraid you’d see it that way.”

“Amani, I have heard from someone very reliable that Hamza and his business partner Mohammed Ghattas are smuggling illegal drugs,” Veronica said.

Amani turned away, gripping the armrest of the couch with both hands.

“Does he still expect you to marry Ghattas?” Khalilah asked.

Amani gave a moan and pulled herself up, still leaning on the couch. “I’m afraid you must both leave now,” she said.

“Does he?” Khalilah persisted.

“I don’t know!” Amani exclaimed. “I don’t know. If he decides I was not raped, I think he will. If he decides I was…”

Khalilah made an abrupt noise of disgust and stood up, grabbing Amani’s elbow. “You must come with us,” she said.

Amani replied in rapid Arabic, and Khalilah answered likewise. They went back and forth until Veronica stood up as well.

“I am very sorry!” Amani said. “I cannot help you. You must go. If someone comes and sees you here—there will be trouble!”

Khalilah glowered at her for a moment and then whirled away for the door. Veronica followed, casting a look back at Amani.

“We will help you,” Veronica said to her. “If you change your mind.” Veronica caught Khalilah’s arm. “Let’s leave her our numbers, at least.”

A stabbing pain pierced her stomach, and Veronica gasped, covering the spot with her hand. Khalilah frowned at her. “Are you unwell?” she asked.

Veronica shook her head. What did it mean? Was her stomach upset, or was it some message from the spirits? The pain subsided somewhat.

Khalilah produced a bit of paper from her purse and wrote on it. She passed it to Veronica. Veronica added her name under Khalilah’s and her cell phone number.

~~~

“Would you mind driving me to the Thornton Center? It’s off Bradshaw road,” Veronica said to Khalilah as they sat back down in Khalilah’s car.

“The Thornton Center?” Khalilah said.

“It’s the name of juvenile hall,” Veronica said.

Khalilah raised her eyebrows and did not start the car.

“I have a student there,” Veronica said.

“The young woman you asked Amani about. The one you dreamed about when you saw Amani at the motel,” Khalilah said, her hands resting in her lap.

“Yes. Lola.”

“Right,” Khalilah said. “Is she really accused of murdering her parents?”

“Her mother and step-father.”

“How is that possible?”

Veronica sighed and wiped her eyes with her hands. “Because I was too busy looking for Amani to stop it from happening.”

Khalilah said nothing and Veronica looked at her. They sat in silence for a few moments.

Finally, Khalilah said, “We both feel responsible for these people, and we both seem to be failing to help them.”

Veronica nodded, pursing her lips.

“Off Bradshaw, you said?”

Veronica glanced at her. “Yes.”

“Alright.”

~~~

The correctional staff at the hall would not let Veronica see Lola.

“Only immediate family,” said a man in a dark navy uniform.

“I have to talk to her,” Veronica said. “Look, I’m her teacher, alright? I have news about her family.”

“You aren’t her family, though, see,” the man said, glancing from her to Khalilah and back again.

“Call Daniel,” Khalilah said to her as they moved away from the man. “Maybe he can get these guys to let you see her.

Veronica considered it. Then she shook her head. “He’s called in so many favors for me these last few days, Khalilah. I can’t ask him to fix this for me again. I just have to find a way to communicate with her.” She turned back to the guard. “Can I write her a note? Will you deliver it?”

The man shifted and gave her a sour look. “Inmates do get mail.”

“It’s an urgent message,” Veronica said.

The man’s expression didn’t alter. “You can leave it here, and after we check it, we’ll see that she gets it when everybody else gets their mail.”

“Which is when?” Veronica asked.

“Look, lady, she’ll get it when she gets it.”

Veronica stepped towards him. “What part of ‘urgent’ don’t you understand?”

Khalilah put a hand on her arm, and the man glared at her openly.

“Fine,” Veronica said, turning away. “Do you have any paper in your purse?” she asked Khalilah.

She tried to keep her message brief. “Lei is safe. Paul is in jail. I know you’re innocent. I’m going to get you out.” She signed it Miss Barry and showed it to Khalilah. “It shouldn’t take them long to check this, right?”

Khalilah cast a glance over at the man in uniform. “I’m not sure,” she said in a low voice. “I think you made a friend there, and I think he’s going to take extra care with your note.”

Veronica followed her gaze. The man was still glaring at her. She stood up and walked over, thrusting the note out to him. “Here,” she said. “Read it. You’ll see, it’s perfectly okay to give it to her.”

The man took the note, folded it, and tucked it in a front pocket of his shirt.

Veronica stared at him until Khalilah pulled her away.

“Unbelievable,” Veronica muttered as they left the big sterile building.

“He must run into all kinds of people all day,” Khalilah said. “I bet everyone says it’s urgent.”

“I don’t care. There’s nothing hard about delivering a note, for pity’s sake.”

Khalilah didn’t answer.

Veronica stopped before they reached the care and turned to her. “Look, I’m really sorry to use you like a taxi service, but there is one more thing I have to try.”

Khalilah gave her a questioning look.

“I have to try to talk to the arson investigators. I have to tell them that Lola has an alibi.”

“You can’t do that,” Khalilah said.

Veronica frowned.

“You can’t,” said Khalilah. “They’ll want to talk to Amani, and you heard what she said. Hamza will punish her—maybe kill her—if the police come to speak to her.”

Veronica inhaled deeply and released the breath. “Hamza has nothing to fear from arson investigators—”

“You don’t know that!” Khalilah said. “And besides, he’s not going to make fine distinctions. Any investigator who comes to his door is a threat to him.”

Veronica crossed her arms over her chest.

“Besides, getting the arson investigators to go talk to Amani might interfere with whatever the DEA is trying to do,” Khalilah pointed out.

Veronica shook her head. “I have to do something, Khalilah. Lola is not doing well.”

“Neither is Amani,” Khalilah said.

Veronica snorted. “Like you said. We both want to help them and neither of us can do anything for either of them.”

“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” Khalilah said.

Veronica’s shoulders slumped. What else could she do? All she could hope for now was that the guard would deliver her note to Lola, and it would be enough to keep her going until Veronica found a way to prove her innocence.

Chapter 20

The first thing she noticed was the speed of her heartbeat. Then she looked around and saw that she was in some sort of storage area, maybe a warehouse. She stepped as quietly as she could down a row of shelves. No lights were on, and she could hardly read the labels of the things on the shelves, but she made out enough to see that they were cardboard boxes of foods. Some of the boxes had Arabic lettering on them

The space seemed too tight for a warehouse—the ceiling too low, and the aisles of boxes too narrow. The stockroom of a grocery store, perhaps?

She held something behind her, but she couldn’t tell what it was—just that the muscles of her arm were tense but her grip seemed relaxed by comparison. Turning the corner at the end of the aisle, she then jumped back again, flattening herself against the shelf. What she saw beyond the aisle made a clear imprint on her mind. Two people sitting on the floor against the far wall, their heads down. They both had shoulder-length, dark hair which hung loose. Women, most likely.