The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2)

by Sophia Martin

  If he was dead, surely she would know. Surely, he would have told her by now.

  “Fine. So you two need to have a little chat and come to a decision, and I mean yesterday. How do you want this done?”

  She pressed a hand to his cheek. It was cold. Blood stained the entire front of his shirt.

  Hurry.

  Veronica looked up, and saw Khalilah and Yesenia against the wall, just a few feet from her. They both stared at her, the whites of their eyes visible. Khalilah was mouthing something but Veronica couldn’t make it out. At the end of the rows, the men conversed in heated Arabic.

  Veronica crept to Khalilah’s side. Using the box cutter, she sliced through the duct tape they had used to bind her ankles, and then her wrists.

  “Veronica, they’ll kill you too,” Khalilah breathed.

  Veronica shook her head and pointed to Daniel, then made a circular sign to indicate Khalilah, Yesenia, Daniel and herself. Then she pointed in the direction of the door.

  “We don’t have all night!” the American man exclaimed. The other two continued their argument.

  Veronica sliced through Yesenia’s bindings next, and helped both women to their feet. They rubbed their legs and grimaced. Veronica waved at them to come with her, and moved to Daniel’s body, gesturing for help in lifting him.

  Khalilah took him under the arms and Yesenia grabbed his legs—they both still limped but Veronica made them go ahead of her down the row, then grabbed Yesenia’s arm as they reached the end. Veronica slipped by them and peered around the edge. Her father’s ghost hung in the air by the door, and he gestured to her.

  “Let’s go now,” Veronica whispered. She loped to the door, trying to step lightly, and turned the handle, pulling against its weight as Khalilah and Yesenia followed, carrying Daniel.

  “Hey!” someone shouted.

  Veronica whirled around. The three men came out from behind the rows, barely visible in the dim light.

  “Hey!”

  One man lifted an arm. He held something that had to be a gun.

  In that instant, two things happened. Veronica had time to think that Yesenia, Khalilah and Daniel were out and safe. And the ghost of her father appeared between her and the man holding the gun.

  The word “appeared” hardly sufficed, however.

  The glow that had been her father’s ghost expanded. It cast off a growing light that soon illuminated the entire room. The men beyond gasped and cried out.

  Veronica watched for a second, caught by her astonishment, but then she turned and fled out of the door, the sound of sirens coming to her ears.

  Yesenia and Khalilah still carried Daniel, hurrying across the street. Veronica ran after them and grabbed Daniel’s midsection to help. They rushed into the darkness of an alley opposite the market. Veronica prayed that they were safe.

  Chapter 22

  Veronica fell asleep in the waiting room of the hospital where the ambulance took Daniel. She dreamt of the site of the Carver’s house fire. She saw herself walking among the debris, and stopping to pick something up.

  “Mrs. Seong,” someone said, and Veronica opened her eyes, straightening her head. Her neck cracked and she groaned.

  A middle aged man in scrubs stood among Daniel’s family members. His mother and father clutched each other’s hands and stared at the doctor. Jung-Hwa and Eun Hee stood a bit farther back, with Sunny and Jae on either side of them.

  “He came through fine,” the man in scrubs said, and several people let out gasps and sobs.

  Veronica stood up. Sunny came over to her. “Did you hear that?” Sunny asked.

  Veronica nodded.

  “The knife pierced his gallbladder and did some damage to his liver, so his recovery will take some time,” the surgeon continued. “But he’ll be alright. We removed his gallbladder but he’ll manage fine without it. And the liver is remarkably good at healing itself.”

  Daniel’s mother lowered her head and brought a hand to her mouth, her shoulders hunching. His father gave the doctor a nod.

  “Can we visit him?” Sunny asked loudly.

  “He’s still out from the anesthesia,” the doctor said. “Give him an hour. Then only two at a time.” He paused and looked at Daniel’s parents. “You two could go in now, if you like. Just don’t disturb him.”

  Daniel’s mother reached out and grasped the man’s hand, then let it go.

  “Room 1215,” the doctor said.

  Daniel’s parents left.

  Veronica inhaled deeply and released the breath, feeling the relief flood her. He would be okay. Daniel would be okay. She could see him in an hour.

  In the meantime, she thought she knew what the dream had shown her. It might not have even been a special dream—perhaps just an ordinary message from her subconscious. She opened the inside pocket of her purse. The photo. It was still there.

  She took it out. She’d forgotten about it.

  It showed Terri Carver with a toddler, Lola in the background, and another woman.

  Who was she?

  “Hey,” Sunny said. “Jae wants to go to the Denny’s down the street. They’re open all night.”

  Veronica blinked at her. She realized she was hungry. “What time is it?”

  “It’s almost five,” Sunny said.

  Veronica tried to figure out what to do.

  “Come with us,” Sunny said. “I bet you could use some coffee.”

  ~~~

  Sunny was right; coffee helped. After her first cup Veronica went outside and sat on a bench as she called Melanie. She’d checked in with Melanie hours before when the police arrested Hamza, Ghattas and the American accomplice.

  “Veronica!” Melanie exclaimed when she picked up.

  “Hey Mel,” Veronica said, feeling weary.

  “Oh my god,” Melanie said. “Is it Daniel? Have you heard anything?”

  “Yes,” Veronica said, mustering her energy. “Yes, he’s going to be okay, Mel.”

  “Oh thank god,” Melanie said. “I’ve barely slept. You must be a wreck. What did they say about him?”

  Veronica repeated what the doctor had said.

  “So you’re going to get to see him?”

  “Yeah, in a while. Listen, I need another favor.” Veronica gave her instructions for programming the school’s computer system to request a substitute for her.

  “Of course,” Melanie said.

  “Also, Mel, when you’re at work today, can you look something up for me?”

  “I can try,” Melanie said. “What is it?”

  “If there’s any way you can find out about a Theresa Carver… I need to know if she has family.”

  There was a pause. “I don’t know that name, do I? Wait, Carver…”

  “It’s Lola’s step-father’s last name. Theresa was her mother.”

  “Oh. And you need to know if she had family?”

  “Yes. I think maybe a sister.”

  “Alright, I’ll see what I can dig up. I don’t think Darnell got the case, though.”

  “Thanks, Mel, just call me if you find anything.”

  ~~~

  Veronica waited until after everyone in Daniel’s family had a chance to see him, then walked in as quietly as she could.

  He lay against the white pillows, looking almost as pale, his eyes closed. She approached the bed and stood beside it, resting her fingers on the back of his hand. He cracked his eyes open and when he saw it was her, a faint smile came to his lips.

  “Didn’t we just do this like a month ago?” Veronica asked.

  Daniel closed his eyes and swallowed, then murmured, “Our roles were reversed.”

  Veronica squeezed his hand. “You gave me a scare.”

  Daniel said nothing for a while, then seemed to rouse himself a bit. “I thought I’d end up sending you visions like the rest.”

  Veronica’s eyebrows drew together, and a lump formed in her throat. “Oh, Daniel. I don’t want that.”

  He turned his face towards
her and peered at her from exhausted eyes. “Me neither.”

  “They got them, Daniel,” Veronica said. “They arrested Hamza, Ghattas, and another guy. An American—I don’t know his name. I don’t know about Jahid Ahmad, though. I’m not sure he’s involved.”

  “Your dream… I got stabbed.”

  “Yeah,” Veronica said, nodding. “It was a warning for you, I guess. We’re going to have to be more careful in the future.”

  “How did I get here? My mom said you called 911 at the scene?”

  Veronica released his hand and pulled up a chair, leaning both elbows on the edge of his bed. She told him everything in soft tones, stopping when he closed his eyes to let him rest. When she finished her story, she waited while he closed his eyes again for a time.

  “Your father… manifested?” Daniel said.

  “Uh-huh,” Veronica replied.

  “Far out.”

  She grinned. “Yeah. So I guess if the ghosts really, really want to, they can make themselves visible to anybody.”

  “And I guess I’m lucky you can’t keep yourself out of trouble.”

  “I shouldn’t have sent you in there, Daniel. We should have talked through my dream more. I should have just called 911.”

  “They probably would have shot Khalilah and the other woman if they heard the sirens. Or they’d have gotten away. Or both.”

  Veronica chewed on her lip. Was that true? She was so glad Khalilah and Yesenia were okay—they were in another part of this hospital, actually. Yesenia had gone into shock and Khalilah had a head injury. Both expected to leave later that morning.

  But had she done the right thing in sending Daniel into that storeroom?

  “One thing is for sure, we talk through these dreams more when I have them. We might have figured out I was seeing things from your perspective,” Veronica said.

  “Agreed.” He closed his eyes again.

  “Hey, I’m going to let you sleep. Your mom and dad and everyone are all here, you know. I’ll tell them you need to sleep?”

  “Yeah,” he murmured.

  “Okay,” Veronica said, standing and leaning forward. She kissed his forehead. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  ~~~

  Her cell went off four hours later, as she sat with Daniel’s parents in the waiting area. The display said “Melanie.”

  “Hey,” Veronica said.

  “You’re in luck,” Melanie answered. “The case just got assigned to Tawna Anderson, and her paralegal owes me about ten favors. I’m looking at the documents right now, and I did some searches.”

  “What’d you find?”

  “Just like you said. Theresa Carver, formerly Theresa Hekili, maiden name Theresa Nakaela, born in Hawai’i. Parents deceased. One sister, Maya Nakaela. You want her last known address and number? I don’t think the SFD had any luck contacting her.”

  “Sure, I can always try,” Veronica said, hunting through her purse for a pen. “Just a sec. Okay, go.” Veronica took the information down.

  “Why do you want to talk to her?” Melanie asked.

  “Because I think she might be the way to save Lola and Lei.”

  ~~~

  Veronica left the hospital building to make the call to Maya Nakaela. She’d already got some looks from the nurses at the counter near the waiting area when she took Melanie’s call, and she didn’t want Daniel’s parents to think badly of her for conducting her own business when their son was recovering from a stab wound.

  She walked along the trimmed bushes that decorated the paved path meandering around the wing of hospital where Daniel was recovering. She came to a picnic bench and sat, getting out the paper she’d written the number and address Melanie had given her, feeling tense and excited. She dialed her phone.

  The line buzzed and then a recording came on, informing her that the number was no longer in service.

  Veronica punched end and found another pen in her purse. She scribbled on the corner of the paper and, satisfied that the pen worked, dialed 411. She gave the operator Maya’s name and city from the address.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have a listing.”

  Veronica thanked her and hung up. She sat, allowing her hand to scribble loops and lines as she considered what to do next. Where was Maya Nakaela? Why had she dropped off the face of the earth, just when her family most needed her?

  When Veronica looked down at the paper, her throat closed. She stared at what her hand had drawn. It was a number. A ten digit number. A phone number.

  Swallowing to loosen her throat, Veronica punched in the number and held the phone to her ear with a shaky hand.

  “Hello?” a woman answered.

  “Uh, yes. I’m looking for Maya Nakaela,” Veronica said.

  There was a long pause.

  “Hello?” Veronica said.

  “How did you get this number? It’s unlisted!”

  “Maya Nakaela? Is that you?” Veronica asked. “Oh my god, I’m so glad I found you. Oh, I’m so sorry, I have bad news.”

  “Who is this? How did you get this number?”

  “I’m so sorry, Ms. Nakaela. Your sister… there was a fire.”

  Another pause. “Who. Is. This.”

  “I’m sorry. My name is Veronica Barry. I live in Sacramento—I’m a teacher. Lola Hekili is one of my students.”

  “Lola…?”

  “Yes. And I’m so sorry to have to tell you this.” Veronica took a deep breath. There just was no good way to deliver this news. “It’s your sister and her husband. There was a fire. They didn’t survive.”

  “What…?”

  Veronica didn’t answer, but looked at the trees above her that shaded the picnic table. She allowed the news to sink in. Then she continued. “Ms. Nakaela, where are you? How soon can you come to Sacramento?”

  “I’m in Hawai’i. I don’t know how soon I can get there.”

  “It’s Lei,” Veronica said. “She’s gone into the foster care system here. The police arrested Paul Carver in connection to the arson.” But he would get out before long, Veronica thought. Unless she could come up with some proof that he lit that fire.

  “Paul… oh god,” Maya said. “And you said Lei is in foster care? What about Lola?”

  “She’s in juvenile hall. They suspect her, Ms. Nakaela, but she’s innocent, I promise you.”

  Another silence, broken only by faint sounds. Veronica thought perhaps Maya was crying.

  “If you come here,” Veronica said, “You can at least take custody of Lei. CPS and the courts like it best when a child goes to relatives.”

  “Of course,” Maya said, her voice broken. “Of course. What did you say your name was?”

  “Veronica Barry.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Barry. Uh… I’ll get a flight right away.”

  Veronica gave Maya her number. “Is this number I called your cell?”

  “Yes,” Maya said. “I still don’t understand how you got it. I just moved. And I just switched carriers and got the number unlisted—so many telemarketers got a hold of the old one. How did you get this number?”

  Veronica sucked on her lip. “I guess I was just meant to find it,” she said.

  Chapter 23

  Maya called Veronica an hour later and told her that her flight would land at eight thirty that night. She would check in to a hotel close by the airport and they would meet up the following morning to talk to social services. Veronica promised to try to find out the name of the social worker in charge of Lei in the meantime.

  After spending the morning in and out of Daniel’s room, Veronica finally gave him a kiss goodbye and took a cab home.

  The cats greeted her, rubbing up against her legs, and when she let Harry in he couldn’t contain his joy. He bounced and leapt, trying to lick her face. “Down!” she ordered, but her heart wasn’t in it. She hugged him and let him cover her face with puppy kisses. “I wasn’t gone that long, bud.”

  She stroked Binky and Blossom for a few minutes and ref
illed everyone’s dishes. How normal this all felt. Except she was supposed to be at school. Two sub days in a row—and now with Maya coming she’d have to take another tomorrow. It couldn’t be helped, and she had accumulated quite a few sub days during her three years at Eleanor Roosevelt, but after breaking her arm she’d already used up half of them. She sighed. Being a full-time psychic made being a part-time teacher more of a challenge than she’d ever anticipated.

  After getting the animals all situated, she took a shower and a nap. Her cell phone woke her two hours later. It was Melanie.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Melanie said as Veronica rubbed her face to try to wake up properly.

  “What?” she asked.

  “The M.E. found blunt trauma to the heads of the victims of the Carver house fire,” Melanie said.

  “What? Really?”

  “I’m reading the report right here,” Melanie said. Veronica pushed herself to a sitting position in bed, disturbing the two cats who lay curled on either side of her feet. Melanie continued, “I had to threaten Betty to make her let me borrow it. Let’s see… I guess he went in on Sunday, which is pretty unusual. He did the autopsy and found the trauma. It took him a while to write up the report.”

  “What does it say?” Veronica asked.

  “Veronica, he ruled that the shape, angle of impact, and force of the trauma were consistent with the use of fists and perhaps a foreign object! …But that it was unlikely to be due to a collapse of the ceiling!”

  “Oh my god.”

  “No way are they going to be able to convict Lola of this now. Listen to this. ‘Angle indicates a person of over six feet in height.’ V, she’s going to be okay!”

  Veronica closed her eyes, a lump forming in her throat. “Oh, Mellie. This is amazing news.”

  “Now I don’t know that it means they’ll be letting her out all that soon. I couldn’t tell from Tawna’s files if she even has a lawyer yet.”

  “But it’s something. At least it’s something,” Veronica said, her voice feeling choked.

  “Yeah, I thought you’d be glad to hear about that.”

  “Thanks, Mel.”

  ~~~

  Melanie came by after work and drove Veronica back to the hospital that evening, just before the end of visiting hours. They both visited with Daniel and chatted for a while with his parents. He was doing well, according to the nurses. No one knew when he’d be released, however—he had an IV drip for antibiotics and another that fed him, and it seemed he’d need those for a while.