But maybe that's not a bad thing, said the part of his mind that liked to gamble with the odds. Rosa Kay. He made a mental note to do a full background search on her.
"Hello," came a voice from the doorway. "I'm Pastor Ian Russel."
Agent Reis swept the young man from his practical shoes to his dusty blonde hair, then shook his hand, finally meeting the brown eyes watching him. "Thank you for meeting with us. I am Agent Daniel Reis. This is my partner, Agent Gabriella Boone, with the FBI. We are here to investigate the murder at Turquoise Valley."
The young pastor smiled," Of course," and gestured them to the two seats before settling himself behind his desk. "How can I help the FBI?"
Reis made his usual request to record the interview and clicked the recorder on, performing the standard introductions for the sake of legalities.
"We understand that you often help new immigrants to the country. Have you ever come across any that are illegal and have entered with false papers?"
Ian laughed. "Is that a joke? Of course, I do, as I am sure every border town does. There's always someone."
Reis raised an eyebrow. "What becomes of them?"
Ian's brown eyes became confused. "They're handed over to the authorities."
"You don't try to help them?" Boone interjected.
He gave her a small smile. "Of course I help them, Agent Boone. I am, after all, here on God's work. I give them reliable contacts back over the border to get the right papers at reasonable prices. I give them a view of what would happen if they were caught later and sent back. In most cases, there is no struggle by the time an officer turns up."
"Really? After all the trouble they took getting here, they just let themselves be sent back?"
"They arrive here with no hope, believing they did what they had to. With my team’s help, we show them that isn't the case and give them reliable, easy steps to follow. We give them real hope of a new future."
"Your team. Is Ms. Camelia Kay a member of that team?"
Ian tilted his head to the side. "She is as of yesterday. Signed up as one of our volunteers."
"How long have you known the Kays?"
"All my life."
"How did you know Rosa Kay was on the golf course this morning?"
Ian chuckled again, this time with a sad edge to the sound. "I didn't, but I was settling in some newcomers and saw her from the window."
"Legal newcomers?"
Ian's friendly smile became a little stiff. "Of course. My father ran this place before me, Agent Reis, we know what we are doing."
"Indeed. I think that is all for now. Please stay contactable."
10
Rosa was walking through her home, then, in the way of dreams, the walls vanished, and lush green hills appeared, dotted with yellow sandbanks and lakes of glistening water. A false oasis in the middle of the dry south.
She called out again and realized that she was calling for her mother, her feet bare and tickled by the blades of grass.
"Mama?"
The world began to fall dark until a single hill was illuminated. Even at this distance, she could see her father's head poking out of the ground, eyes eaten by the birds. Rosa screamed and fled, still shouting for her mother, now in panic and fear. The ground vanished, and she was sinking into the waters of a lake, the dark water blotting out the light entirely until she no longer knew which way was up. She kicked and thrashed, hoping to connect with the bottom so she could push herself skyward, but the lake was bottomless, and her lungs burned.
Pain shot through Rosa's shoulder, and she awoke with a start, and for a few seconds, couldn't remember where she was. Then, as the room cluttered with books swam into view, she remembered that she had come to see Mark. She must have fallen asleep on his couch, her sleepless night catching up with her, then thrashing around had fallen off onto the wooden floor.
Rosa stood, rubbing her sore shoulder, and tried to shake off the nightmare. She let out a long breath and settled her racing heart. Her hope that her mother was alive had dwindled over the years. And even though Lucia had never said anything, she felt her eldest sister had always believed her to be dead.
Her heart went into a frantic beat again as a key grated suddenly in the lock, and she laughed at herself then moved to greet Mark.
"Christ!" Mark said, leaping backward and pressing a hand to his own heart. His light blue eyes swept over her as he quickly shut the door. "Are you okay?" he added, his eyes lingering on her shoulder, where her hand was still rubbing circles.
"Oh, yeah," Rosa said, letting it go. "Did the FBI stop you from coming over this morning?"
Mark froze in the act of packing away his work bag, and he looked up at her again, this time, his eyes were calculating. "You seem different," he said, seeming to speak more to himself than to her.
"I know what I am asking," Rosa said, not taking her eyes off
