“Who would that be?”
“Luke Prescott’s people.” Jane lifted the glass of water to her lips.
“That’s your problem right there. Mr. Prescott is Lucifer.”
Jane spit the water out of her mouth, coughing. “Excuse me?”
“I said Luke Prescott is Lucifer, one of the fallen. A powerful dark angel that walks the Earth.”
Something inside of Jane stirred when she looked into Anita’s eyes, and for a moment, she actually believed her.
Jane pushed the thought from her mind. It was preposterous. There was no such thing as the devil, Lucifer, or whatever name people called evil spirits. She wondered if Anita had lost her mind. Maybe that was why she’d been put in this home. “That’s a bit far-fetched, don’t you think? I mean even if Luke lied to me, that wouldn’t make him evil.”
“He is evil. I know because my Naomi told me so.”
“Naomi? The granddaughter who disappeared? When did she tell you this?”
“Just now.”
“Is she here?” The poor woman was having hallucinations. She made a mental note to have her personal physician check in on Anita.
“She’s sitting right next to me.”
“She is?” She recalled Luke mentioning a good psychologist, Dr. Ryan Dantan. Maybe she should give him a call and ask for a consult. She could fly him in from Houston—at her own expense.
“You can’t see her, and I can’t either at this moment. But she appeared to me earlier. She told me she wouldn’t leave until after you left.”
“I see.” Jane stood, walked to the kitchen, and placed the glass in the sink.
“Senator, even if you don’t believe me about my granddaughter, it’s not hard to see that what Luke Prescott is doing is harmful to us all.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
“All of my neighbors have been talking about it. My grandson works for Prescott Oil, and he sees it too. Whatever that company is doing to the land is bad. What’s it called?”
“Hydrofracturing.”
“Yes, hydrofracturing. It’s doing more harm than good. I even read that he plans to take it to other countries. What is happening here: the earthquakes, the bad water, will spread.”
“I’ve heard this all before, Mrs. Duran. The media has a way of sensationalizing everything. I honestly believe that we can do good for many more people.” She glanced over at a photo, noticing the dark handsome features of the young man she recognized as Chuy. “Your grandson has benefited from working with the company. He and many other families wouldn’t have had a job if it wasn’t for Prescott Oil.”
Distress washed over Anita’s face, and Jane felt horrible for what she had said.
“If it wasn’t for me, my Chuy would never have taken the job. It pains me that I couldn’t do anything to help him, and I ask for forgiveness every night for that.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Duran. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Anita sighed and smoothed her face. “Javier told me what you did for him when he was on the plane. I know there is good in you. Can’t you see that the person you’re supporting, the one you call friend, is creating nothing but destruction to the country you love?”
“I don’t see things the same way you do. Besides, that wouldn’t make someone a devil.”
She turned and headed to the door. She’d read the scientific reports and felt confident about hydrofracturing at the time. So why were Anita’s words stirring something inside of her? Stirring fear that maybe she was right. “Mrs. Duran, thank you for your time. Again, I’m so sorry to disturb you.”
“Do you believe in God?”
Jane stopped abruptly, her hand on the doorknob. What kind of question was that? “Of course I do.”
“Then why can’t you believe that what I’ve said is true?”
“Well, because...because...” Jane turned to face Anita, and she was at a loss for words. Thoughts flashed through her mind: what she’d overheard Luke telling Sal, Luke attempting to sway her vote, and the serious expression on Anita’s face.
Suddenly, she felt feverish, and a heavy feeling pressed on her chest. She couldn’t breathe. She had to get out. Now. “Good-bye Mrs. Duran.”
She ran down the hall and out of the building. Her heart slammed against her chest a hundred miles a minute as she plucked a set of car keys from out of her purse. She needed to leave, to get far away from there. Far away from the memories that fluttered through her mind: the presence of someone near her during the plane crash, protecting her; the same presence protecting her during the auto accident; Luke rising to the top of the corporate world in unprecedented speed, never aging, always the same. If she believed in God, how could she not believe in evil?
No. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be possible. Luke was not Lucifer. He wasn’t the devil.
Her hands shook, and the keys slipped out of her hand, falling onto the pavement. When she bent down to pick them up, a cold chill swept through her. She could feel someone watching her every move.
She glanced up and froze when she saw a pair of crocodile boots.
She blinked, and they were gone.
After the senator left, Naomi reluctantly gave Welita a kiss good-bye, promising to watch over her and Chuy whenever she could. When she arrived back in Emma’s hospital room, Megan was asleep and Jeremy was nowhere to be found.
Looking out the window, she saw him in a grove of trees across the hospital parking lot, sitting on one of the tree branches. He must’ve seen her because he waved and gestured for her to join him.
After crossing the lot, Naomi glided through a field of wildflowers that were dispersed in small patches near the trees. Craning her neck, she watched Jeremy swing his legs like a little boy. He wore a silly grin that lit up his face. He almost looked like the Jeremy she’d first met in New Mexico.
He jumped out of the tree and gracefully landed in front of her. For the first time, she really looked at him and realized that he looked different from when they had first met.
Gone were his usual black suit and crisp white shirt. He wore a simple of pair of jeans that hugged his hips. A soft-looking black leather jacket was thrown over a simple white cotton T-shirt.
She eyed him carefully. It was something she could imagine Lash wearing.
“Why don’t you wear your suits anymore?”
His smile froze, and after a moment, he gave a forced laugh. “I gotta keep up with the latest trends. Besides, I had a feeling this assignment would require more wash-n-wear clothing.”
His eyes locked with hers briefly before he quickly diverted them. He walked a few steps away from her and plopped himself on the grass. “So guess what Chuy and Lalo are up to.”
She sank down beside him, crossing her legs Indian style. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“They were able to get some evidence that Prescott Oil is illegally dumping the chemicals they’re using. Lalo somehow even managed to get proof that they’re not lining the wells according to Federal regulations. I don’t know how he got it, but he did. Chuy is going to sneak Megan into the press conference. She’s going to try to make a scene to attract media attention and then give them the evidence.”
She shook her head. “I hope it works. It didn’t work for me.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“Long story.” She sighed, remembering how she’d crashed the senator’s fundraising banquet only to be immediately tossed out. “I guess that means I’ll be there too.”
“Yeah, the both of us.”
“Don’t you need to stay with Emma?”
He cursed under his breath and turned his head away from her.
She studied his profile, watching his square jaw tense. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. So, how did it go?”