How do you know so much about the healing properties of some pretty obscure plants?
With his eyes closed, he answered in a weak voice, Ive spent time in some pretty obscure places in the world. The uses for medicinal plants and herbs are not just the province of Mexican witches, you know.
His eyes flickered open again for a brief moment. But quit hedging, woman. Begin your story.
She began applying the poultice. Im from a little town in south Texas near the Mexican border. A place called Zavala Springs. Its a ranching town, surrounded by the multithousand-acre Delgado Ranch. You may have heard of the ranch, its pretty famous. The Delgado Ranch is my familys heritage, but the whole area is a really nice place to live and grow up in.
Was that a good enough recommendation to entice him to leave Emma there? Probably not.
Colin sat back, watching her work with icy-blue eyes that were becoming evermore sharp and clear.
She decided to approach this from another direction. Im really sorry to have to tell you this, but Im sure your brother was the one killed in the auto accident late last spring. He was using the name John Sheridan and he and his wife had been living in Alexandria, Virginia.
Shaking his head, Colin leaned forward and spoke with quiet danger in his voice. In the first place, my brother wasnt married, as I said before. And second, how could you possibly connect a man named John Sheridan to my brother and then to me? Not waiting for an answer, he plowed ahead. I owe you a huge thanks for getting me out of that room, Maggie, and Im grateful for your efforts at natural healing on my behalf. But whats the truth of why you sought me out? What arent you telling me?
She fought to get control of the conversation. Look, Im sure of my facts. Youve been searching for your brother, havent you? Why dont you tell me what youve learned already, and than we can compare what we know. I think what I know will hold up to whatever you have.
Colin had to admit that shed saved his life. And if she had actually wanted him dead, thered been plenty of opportunities to do the deed. But it was the vulnerable look in her eyes that finally got him this time.
What did he have to lose? All right. Fine. He winced as she dabbed the poultice on his open wound. Ive discovered my brother was recruited by SIS, the British Secret Intelligence Service, while I was overseas at war.
That idea still troubled Colin. Had John gone into covert work in an effort to impress him? Perhaps to get his attention?
Focusing on the present, he went on, A couple of years ago John participated in an international, interagency sting in Mexico. The mission was to infiltrate the Mexican drug trade, one organization in particular. But then the sting went sour and John disappeared.
Colin caught his breath and watched Maggies expression as he finished the story. Its taken me months to get a line on what happened to him, to assure myself that he wasnt murdered in Mexico. A contact in
your state department let me know that John had been threatened, yes, but hed escaped. Someone, a shadowy figure and difficult to find, knew of his whereabouts. That was the man I expected to meet, when you arrived insteadand the shooting started.
Maggies eyes went wide. I came only because I needed to ask how you feel about
Halting her stumbling words, Maggie worried that shed already said too much in the wrong way, so she began again. After weumburied the Sheridans and I took in their child, I made every attempt to locate relatives, however distant. I searched the Internet for months. Even the rental car agency records were of little help. I found out that the Sheridans had rented a townhouse in Alexandria about a year ago, but their neighbors dont remember much about them.
Go on, he urged impatiently, while she gulped in a breath.
Their licenses and the babys birth certificate were registered there, but that seems to be where the trail begins and ends. Its like they appeared out of thin air a year ago. She sighed heavily. So, while I was searching, I became their childs foster mother. Your nieces foster mother. How would you feel aboutI mean
Her words died in her throat. She was too scared to ask.
You still havent said how you connected
You to John Sheridan? She refused to think of the consequences and plowed ahead. Witchcraft. My Abuela Lupe helped me. She possesses crystals that see things hidden to others, and she knows how to use their special powers. We werent looking for people so much as a specific location of the nearest relative.
Forcing herself to make eye contact, she continued, Thats how I knew where to find you. Im sorry to be the bearer of such sad news.
Colin lifted the corners of his mouth in what could be either the ghost of a smile or a grimace. Say for the moment that Iuhbuy into your witchcraft and crystal story, I still dont understand why a woman who appears he waved his hand at her as reasonable as you let herself be persuaded to come all this way based on crystals.