Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [693]
Right now he didn’t want to think about any of that. He just wanted to enjoy watching Timmy and Gibson gawk at everything in the hotel as if they were traveling through some futuristic world. They had stopped at Target on the way with the intention of buying Gibson a change of clothes, especially after the kid visibly cringed at the thought of stopping at his own house. Although they had bought pretty much only the basics, their miniature shopping spree ended up being a lot of fun. He hadn’t laughed that hard in a very long time. Of course, it wasn’t anything quite as elaborate as Jill and her friends would consider, but the boys seemed pleased and insisted on keeping their new shades on even as they walked the lobby and hallways of the hotel.
“Can we go to Ted and Wally’s for ice cream later?” Timmy wanted to know.
“I think we’d better stay in tonight and stick to room service,” Nick told him. “I don’t think your new friend would think to look here or in the Old Market for you, but let’s not take any chances, okay?”
But Gibson and Timmy were smiling at each other about the room service and already forgetting about their fear of Brother Sebastian. Nick was glad he could make them feel safe, but in the back of his mind he kept remembering what Tony had said about Brother Sebastian, that the man would do anything for Archbishop Armstrong. Already the guy had ransacked Monsignor O’Sullivan’s office, roughed up Gibson in the school hallway and lied to the boy’s mother, making up a story about him selling drugs. Nick was beginning to wonder what else Brother Sebastian was capable of. Did it include murder?
Timmy and Gibson weren’t telling him everything either. First Tony and now these two. They knew something but remained tight-lipped every time he asked. He’d ply them with junk food and try again later. His first priority tonight was to keep them safe from the archbishop’s henchman, as Christine had called him.
Nick was so focused on looking for Brother Sebastian that he didn’t notice another tall man watching from one of the sofas in the hotel lobby.
CHAPTER 79
The Embassy Suites
Omaha, Nebraska
Father Michael Keller could feel the digitalis starting to work. He knew it was probably only his imagination. There was no guarantee that the antidote would help, let alone work this quickly. But the cold sweats had stopped. His stomach had settled down and despite being empty it no longer churned. However, he wasn’t too sure if his eyesight had returned to normal.
He sat in the hotel lobby enjoying the piped-in music—a commercial attempt at Pachelbel’s Canon in D Minor—and taking in all the sights outside: tourists in the Old Market strolling up and down the cobblestones, cars and buses and even Olley the Trolley zooming along. He watched it all, enjoying what in his previous life had annoyed and irritated him. His eyesight seemed fine until he saw a man and two teenage boys come through the revolving hotel door, then he wondered if he was seeing things again.
Was he mistaken or did he know the man? He couldn’t place him. More importantly, the boy in the bright orange T-shirt and baggie cargo shorts looked very familiar. It was possible that they had been parishioners when he was at Saint Margaret’s in Platte City.
He pretended not to watch as he sipped another glorious cup of hot tea. This place was like a dream—paradise on earth. He wished he could stay forever, but now that he had handed over everything to Maggie O’Dell and Detective Pakula his mission would soon come to an end.
On the long flight here he had reaffirmed his decisions. He wasn’t going back. He’d get on the flight just as he had promised Agent O’Dell. But there was no reason to punish himself any longer. With everything he had given them, surely they would find The Sin Eater. It was only a matter of time. And in the meantime he needed to find somewhere else safe. Why not a small rural parish where no one knew him? Maybe someplace outside of Chicago.