Page 85 of Now Until Forever
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Eliana watched out the town car window, through the fat drops of rain that hammered on the glass. The sound of heavy rain swelled inside the car, but if not for the Shrine car and driver, she’d be out there walking in it—and by now she’d be soaked to the bone. So she supposed that was something to be thankful for.
The swelling in her throat hadn’t gone down much, but she couldn’t stand the idea of staying at home for a third day. Whether they let her work or not, she was going to spend time there today, where she’d determined the answers to her questions could be found.
Tony, in the back seat beside her, looked up from his phone. “Everything okay?”
She shifted, and the seat squeaked under her. “Sure.”
The pristine black leather, or whatever the material was, had to be brand-new or barely used. No other seat would make a sound like that. She’d never even been in a car like this, with wood inlay on the inside of the door, and what looked like a wet bar tucked against the seat back behind the passenger side front seat. Not to mention a driver who wore a black cap and called her ma’am.
Thema’amthing was about the only part of it that was familiar, given she’d grown up in Wyoming among folks who earned their livelihood from what the land could produce. At least, such as it was these days, with corporate-subsidized small farms that used local operations to provide products they could label “locally produced, family run” and “earth friendly.”
The car slowed at a stoplight.
On the street corner, in a courtyard in front of a local government building she didn’t recognize, a crowd of people had gathered in the rain. Holding signs and umbrellas, they blocked the building’s name from view.
She read a few of the signs.
THIS IS THE TRIBULATION
TWO WITNESSES WILL RISE
THE END IS HERE
The car set off. Eliana shifted in the seat with the movement, and they drove past the people gathered in the storm, protesting…whatever it was they were protesting. Or raising awareness about their beliefs.
The reference to two witnesses rising just made her think of what Carlos had told her about Sarah and Faith in the morgue. Thankfully, she hadn’t been there to see it for herself, because that had to have been terrifying.
She looked at Tony. “Do you know what happened to the doctor and his assistant from the morgue? Did you hear how they’re doing?”
He grunted under his breath, which she took as affirmation that there was merit to her questions. “Whatever they were injected with reversed the damage done by the chlorine gas. But sadly, the damage was already done. They’re both in comas.”
She ignored the fact he didn’t sound super sad. In fact, he sounded like he was giving a weather report. “And the van that the people left in? Did the police catch up to it?”
“You didn’t want to know what the police had to say the other day,” he replied. “You told me not to tell you.”
“That was when I was a suspect in a murder investigation. This is something that has nothing to do with me.”
Tony paused. “I don’t know that it hasnothingto do with you.”
“I wasn’t there when it happened.” She stared at the rain running down the window for a second. “Did they find the van?”
“Yes, but it had been abandoned.”
“What about evidence? I know it takes time to process and test forensics, but?—”
“Not as much time as you’d think. They ran the DNA they found at the scene, but the test results came back as the van’s previous owner. There were no cells left behind from the people wearing PPE.”
“Convenient.”
The car pulled to a stop at the rear entrance of the Shrine.
Eliana bent forward, gathered her backpack and jacket, and slid the coat over her shoulders, putting her arms through.
Tony pocketed his phone. “The Board sent me an update just now. They matched the gait of the person who did the injections and saved the doctor and his assistant. It came back as a match to Luci Ryson.”
Eliana stared at him. “What? How is that possible?”
