"He okay?"
Conner nodded and then returned to his room. "What happened? I mean, nothing happened to you, right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was crazy, man."
"No kidding."
"Obviously, you and Adam are okay."
"Uh, huh. But we saw Hailey have one of those seizures. But we don't know how she's doing now."
"Oh, crap."
"What about Miguel and Levi?"
"I saw Levi right before I left the school. I don't know anything about Miguel, though."
Seated on his bed again, Conner said, "I called Lou. We're going to meet him tonight. I want to ask him about what happened at school and about Jared."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You want to go?"
"We're sticking together, no matter what. So, hell yeah, I'm going. My mom wants me to stay home. But we'll figure it out."
"Okay. Cool. Call you later."
Conner watched Adam rummage through the dresser drawers. In spite of how many times Adam had been in Conner's room and borrowed his clothes, Adam searched with the interest of a young boy hoping to find a new toy or a special treasure. Once he was dressed, he turned toward Conner as if seeking his approval.
"I wonder how Hailey's doing." Conner said.
"Maybe Jasmine or Miguel know something."
Standing, Conner stretched. "Let's go downstairs. Then we'll call Jasmine."
* * *
Hailey's mother didn't want her daughter to leave the house, and she certainly didn't want her to leave alone. But Hailey had insisted. She had a mission to fulfill. She sought solace and counsel, which is how she'd convinced her mother to allow her out of the house on her own.
She parked the car near the entrance of Saint Ann's Church and quickly headed inside. Directly down the long corridor, she knocked on the office door, anxious for it to open.
When Father O'Leary appeared in the doorway, she instantly burst into tears. "Oh, Father. Something terrible happened. I need your godly guidance."
He appeared surprised and unnerved by her despair, but he invited her into the office. "Hailey. Please, come sit. How can I help you?"
She choked back her tears. "My mother didn't call you?"
"No."
"Oh, good." She grabbed a tissue from his desk. "At the school today, there was a horrible incident. Kids started to have seizures, and they were talking about seeing the devil."
His good-natured expression didn't fade. He encouraged her to continue speaking.
"And I was one of them, Father. It scares me. I was one of the kids who fell into some sort of trance and said that I saw the devil. I think the devil is trying to seize control of us just like he did to Jared."
He gestured to a chair.
As she sat, she cried, "I'm scared the devil will try to claim my soul. What if it happens? What if I die like Jared did?"
Sitting in the chair next to her, he said, "Hailey. God protects all His children. He will protect you from Satan."
"Why didn't He protect Jared? Why didn't He save Jared?"
He looked reluctant to speak, but he said, "God did protect Jared."
"How? How?" she sobbed. "Jared's dead. The devil killed him."
Father O'Leary gently touched Hailey's hand. "Jared wasn't killed by the devil. And he wasn't possessed by him either. Jared suffered a terrible ordeal under the power of a demon. Not Satan."
"But he died."
"God saved him."
"But he died."
"And Jesus died for our sins."
She suddenly stopped crying. It was as though a magic word had been spoken, breaking the spell of fear and sorrow that held her in its grip. "Yes, He did. I know."
"The devil and demons have power. That's true. But their power lies in trickery. Deception. Whatever happened at the school was a trick. I don't believe you or any other student saw the devil. Do you?"
"I don't remember seeing anything or even saying that I did."
"Deception," he repeated.
Her chin trembled as she lowered her head. She thought of the night at the Smiths' house, the sexual activity with Conner, and the white lie she'd told her parents. "What if I caused the evil to choose me? What if I said and did things that invited the devil to trick me?"
"It's much easier for evil to prey on the weak. You are not a weak girl, Hailey. Tell me why you believe you may have invited the devil to trick you. Then I will set you straight."
She pressed the Kleenex to her nose. "The devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour."
Father O'Leary seemed to contemplate her words. Then he said, "Temptation is human. But it is not a door cracked open for the devil's entrance into your life."
Breathing in deeply and finally at ease, Hailey asked, "Why did the demon torment Jared?"
Once more, he appeared reluctant to answer, but he said, "Because Jared let him."
TWENTY-ONE
The city of Newman and Hartford County wasted no time arranging for inspectors to visit the school within hours of the incident. Because the victims had not been limited to one area of the school, the first suspicion was that the affected kids had shared a common allergy or toxicity, such as mold. The second possibility was that the school's ventilation system had dispersed a chemical that caused twenty-seven kids to suffer the seizures and hallucinations. But the students—and even some of the staff—believed the incident was the work of the devil.
All of the students' belongings had been collected and relocated to the gym. Early that evening there was a two-hour window of time to claim backpacks, phones, and other personal effects. Conner seized the opportunity to get his stuff and to use the time away from home to meet with Lou.
Trevor's mother had been adamant that he should stay home for the night. But he'd told her that he needed to gather things from his gym locker anyway. She'd finally surrendered when he reminded her that he was practically an adult and that he wanted to make sure Conner and Adam were okay.
Conner pulled his mother's car into the Helms' driveway. While waiting, he asked Adam, "Do you have any questions for
