“Mr. Garrett,” she responded. “How long have you been outside?”
“Not long. I noticed the snow starting from the window and decided to clear a path for you and Jesse.”
“Thank you,” Sally said.
Cid escorted Sally to the door and returned to finish his shoveling. Sally ventured into the trailer alone. It carried the scent of whatever soap was last used. She walked into her bunk area, and she found a hand-drawn picture of a bouquet of flowers setting on a nightstand stuck to the wall beside her bunk. “How sweet.”
She heard the door open and Jesse and Cid walk in. Suddenly shy, she hung back.
“They are just as nervous as you are,” Faye said, manifesting beside her bunk. Faye was comically wearing pink sponge rollers and a tatty housecoat. On her feet, which incidentally floated a few inches off the carpet, were pink bunny slippers.
“You’re adorable,” Sally said. “I suppose hugging you wouldn’t work.”
“You’d just end up hugging yourself,” Faye said. “Now get out there. I would suggest a game of scrabble to break the ice.”
Sally walked out. Cid was wrapping a fresh icepack to Jesse’s shoulder.
Cid looked up, and Jesse turned around.
“Thank you for the flowers.”
“Don’t look at me,” Jesse said. “I told him you were allergic to paper roses.”
“That’s why I drew daisies,” Cid said. “I’ve never heard of a paper-daisy allergy.”
“Thank you, Cid. Um, do you guys play poker?”
“I sense a card shark,” Jesse said. “I play, but young Cid, he’s more into Old Maid and Crazy Eights.”
Cid opened his mouth and then closed it. “I am. But I cheat, so no one will play with me anymore.”
Sally laughed. She slid into the banquette and pulled a deck of cards out of her pocket. Cid and Jesse sat down on either side and watched as Sally shuffled the cards with the skills of a croupier. “Shall we start with Go Fish and move our way into Texas Hold’em?”
Jesse got up and pulled out three rolls of quarters. He handed one to Cid and Sally. “I’m spotting you guys ten dollars. I expect it back.”
Faye watched the three move from awkwardness to teasing each other. The conversation was easy, and the game ended with Cid owing Jesse ten dollars. Sally bid the guys a good night and used the restroom before crawling into her bunk. Faye noticed Sally didn’t close the pocket door all the way. Whether this was an invitation, a sign of trust, or just that she didn’t like the idea of being in a small confined space, it wasn’t an issue because Cid and Jesse left her alone.
Kiki stared down at the trailer from her room. She watched the lights go out and shook her head slowly. She didn’t see Sally being in the trailer as anything other than there was someone else protecting Cid. Cid was a problem. He would have to be watched and dealt with as soon as he lost his usefulness.
Across the courtyard, Jon O’Connor and Blue Daniel stared out the window. They saw the woman standing in the window.
“She looks funny,” Blue Daniel said.
“That’s because her parents come from across the Pacific,” Jon said.
“I remember our ride across the Atlantic.”
“I do too.”
“We had such hopes,” Blue Daniel said.
“I still do,” Jon said.
“We’ve been here a long time. All that was ours are long buried.”
“I expect so. Danny, we have to keep the faith. Be strong. We just need to escape this place and the light will come for us. I’ll see my mam and you your parents.”
“The last letter I wrote home, I put in a few dollars. I hope they got it,” Blue Daniel said.
“I’m sure they did.”
“Do you think they miss us?”
“I think my mam is looking down from Heaven at me,” Jon professed.
“That’s some claim. What’s your proof?”
“She sent me an angel named Faye to save me.”
“Don’t be daft. Faye’s just another ghost.”
“No, she’s more than that. We just have to look out for her until she figures out how to free us.”
Chapter Ten
Father Santos and Father Simon arrived together at Alan’s office. His secretary, Brenda Wells, escorted the priests into the conference room and offered them refreshments.
“Thank you, coffee would be appreciated,” Father Santos said. He set his briefcase down.
Father Simon declined. The black priest stood at the window of the high-rise and looked out over the city. “I will never get used to this view. The city looks so clean from up here.”
“How was your night?” Father Santos asked. “The windchill must have made things difficult to administer to your flock.”
“Fortunately, Ben Whittle’s volunteers were at hand. We managed to get most of the homeless under a roof last night.”
“I’m surprised you still want to be involved in this. You have so much on your plate.”
“Mr. Garrett and Mr. Jefferies have been good to my parish. Neither man would ever ask a favor in return. If I can help in any way, it would make me feel good inside.”
Father Santos nodded, pleased with the motivations of his protégé.
Alan walked in behind Ms. Wells who was pushing a cart laden with coffee carafes and pastries. “Forgive the excess, but there was a meeting upstairs that cancelled,” Alan explained. “I haven’t eaten.” He walked over and shook the priests’ hands. Father Santos didn’t need to read the concern from Alan; it rolled off him in waves.
“Did you get a chance to look at the video?” Alan asked, pouring himself a coffee.
“I did not,” Father Simon admitted.
Alan picked up a tablet and cued up the video for the priest.
Father Santos sipped his coffee and enjoyed a croissant while they waited on Father Simon.
“It’s too dark but…” He
