Chapter twenty-nine

T he neon sign for Kevin’s Diner had long since been extinguished,

but the parking lot was populated with ACPD police

cars, as well as a number of strangely uniform, black Escalade

SUVs. A single light filtered out from the nearly

empty dining room.

Kevin sat in one of the booths, the lamp over his head

making his eyes look sunken and hollow. He gazed out the

window at the dark, foggy city. A patch of gauze was taped

over his forehead where the shattering window had cut him,

but otherwise, he was okay.

He turned his attention back and looked at the Council

Disciplinary Agent sitting across from him. The Angel

was imposing, with a build at least a foot taller than Kevin, a

perfectly symmetrical face, and a sharp, square jaw. Other

agents stood around them or milled about the darkened

diner.

Kevin sighed and eyed the Angel, who hadn’t moved.

“Even if I knew where they were going, I wouldn’t tell

you. I’ve already told the police everything I know. You

don’t even have the right to question me.”

“We’re working with the police now,” the agent said in

a smooth, articulate voice. “Jackson is suspected of kidnapping,

as well as three homicides.”

“Is that what the police think or the NAS?”

The front door opened with its usual chime. A shadowy

figure walked between the dark tables toward them, obscured

in the darkness until the cast of the lamplight fell on

his face. It was Mark Godspeed.

“I can take it from here,” Mark said to the agent.

The agent nodded and slid out of the booth. Mark sat

down in his place.

“How are you, Kevin?”

“What do you want?” Kevin asked icily. Mark regarded

him.

“I’m sorry about what happened to the house. The

agents, they saw an opportunity, and they took it.” He

reached into his jacket. “I think this should probably cover

it.” He took out an envelope from his jacket pocket and slid

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it across the counter. Kevin hesitated, then picked it up and

peered inside. It was a check for five hundred thousand dollars.

“I put in a little extra for the damages Jacks did to your

diner, too,” Mark said, looking around. “I kind of thought

this place could use some renovation anyway.”

Kevin looked at the check for a moment, then set the

envelope back down on the counter and slid it across to

Mark. Mark looked surprised.

“If it’s not enough, I’m sure we can do a little better.”

“I don’t want your money,” Kevin said. “I told you and

your boy to stay away from my niece. That was the

agreement.”

The silence hung heavy between them.

“I didn’t come here to fight, Kevin,” Mark said.

“What’s done is done. Let’s talk about what we can agree

on.”

“And what’s that?”

“I think we can agree that we both didn’t want this to

happen. Any of it. And we both don’t want it to go any further.

Am I right?”

After a moment Kevin nodded reluctantly.

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“So please, Kevin, just tell me where they were going.

Any clue you may have where they could be, where Maddy

could have led them, would be vital. Anything that could

help us.”

“Why? So you can hunt them both down? Finish what

you started twenty years ago?”

Mark leaned back in the booth, exasperated. He took

a long breath, eyes intense. “I just want things to go back to

the way they were before, Kevin. Before Angel wings started

turning up on the boulevard, before police were chasing my

stepson and he was taking waitresses to Commissioning

parties.” Kevin seemed to bristle at the word waitress, but

he stayed silent. “Please,” Mark went on, almost imploring,

“don’t you want her back in here? Working the morning

shift? Going to school, getting ready for college, living the

life she was meant to live?”

Kevin held up his hands in defeat.

“Yes, Mark. Of course. But the truth is I don’t know

where they went or what they were planning. We hadn’t gotten

that far when your agents came smashing in. That’s the

truth.”

Mark nodded, accepting this.

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“Does she know now?” he asked.

“Yes. She knows everything now,” Kevin said, pausing.

“And so does Jackson.”

Mark’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

“What are you going to do when you finally catch

him?” Kevin asked.

Mark’s expression hardened, and he looked out the

window and into the darkness. Another silence settled over

the booth as Kevin watched the Archangel. Kevin’s eyes followed

Mark’s out to the parking lot, where there was some

movement—more Council Disciplinary Agents arriving.

What looked like maybe a girl, together with a broadshouldered

guy, neither in uniform but both clearly Angels,

were lit for a moment by the light above the lot. But they

disappeared back into the shadows. Kevin rubbed his eyes.

He was exhausted.

“You haven’t changed at all, have you, Mark?” Kevin

said. “Your own stepson. Your wife’s child. How could you?”

“Jacks was Commissioned a Guardian Angel and, as

such, is subject to the same laws that govern all Guardians.

Including me.”

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“Get out of here,” Kevin said. “Take your bribe with

you.”

Mark regarded him coolly, then tucked the envelope

back in his jacket.

“It’s not as simple as that, Kevin,” Mark said as he slid

out of the booth and rose. “The situation has changed. I

can’t discuss it, but all I can say is I hope we find them. I

hope we find them before something else does.”

Kevin’s face darkened in confusion and concern.

“Some thing else?”

But Mark turned without replying and disappeared

into the darkness.

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-14