garlic.â
âIt smells delicious. Please thank her for me,â Lorraine said.
âI will.â Thomas showed his daughter to the bathroom, where she could wash up.
She returned a few minutes later. The table was setwith steaming ceramic bowls filled with rice, tomatoes and the delectable-smelling shrimp.
Lorraine took a seat. âWhen isâ¦your housekeeperâs baby due?â
âAny day now,â he answered as he passed her the rice, hoping to avoid further questions for the moment.
âThose were her children outside?â
Thomas nodded.
âHer name is lovely.â
âIt means lily.â
The irony of the situation didnât escape him. At one time Azucena had, in fact, been his housekeeper. The school had hired her on his behalf, and for six months heâd hardly been aware of her. His house was kept spotless and his meals cooked every night. Beyond that, he was absorbed by the demands of teaching and enjoying his newfound profession. Heâd never intended to take Azucena to his bed. He was married, although no one in El Mirador knew about his American wife. Nor did he wish to indulge in behavior that would be viewed with disfavor by the church-supported school.
To date, the headmaster had never mentioned Thomasâs living arrangements. Heâd eaten meals in this house, so he had to know what was going on. Nevertheless he always referred to Azucena as Thomasâs housekeeper. And for those first six months that was exactly what she was. Thomas hadnât made so much as an untoward gesture, and in the end, Azucena, whose name was regarded as a symbol of purity and perfection, had been the one to seduce him.
The meal was excellent. Azucena had chosen his favorite. He could see that Raine was enjoying it, too.
âShe really is a wonderful cook,â Raine said as Azucena carried a plate of hot tortillas to the table.
It was difficult for Thomas to disguise his fondness for his common-law wife. He knew Lorraine had seen the smile heâd given Azucena and might have commented, but their meal was interrupted by a loud demanding knock on the door. Both women looked at Thomas.
He set his napkin aside and hurried across the room, unsure what to expect. The knock was not that of a friend. He knew trouble when he heard it.
Two uniformed policemen stood on the other side of the threshold. Heâd rarely seen armed police in this town; not only that, he didnât recognize either man, which was unusual in itself. He knew almost everyone in El Mirador, if not by name then by sight.
âCan I help you?â Thomas asked, taking care to pronounce each word distinctly and with authority.
âWeâre looking for Lorraine Dancy.â
âMay I ask what this is about?â
âDad?â Raine said from behind him. âI heard my name.â
He ignored her, refusing to break eye contact with the two officers. âWhy are you looking for my daughter?â
âWe need to ask her a few questions,â said the taller and more muscular of the two.
âQuestions about what?â
âJason Applebee,â the second policeman informed him. âWe need to know what her relationship is to this man.â
âDad?â Raine had joined him. âWhatâs this about?â
âDo you know anyone by the name of Jason Applebee?â he asked in English.
She nodded. âHeâs an American I met in Mérida. He helped me buy my bus ticket. Is everything all right? Nothingâs happened to him, has it?â
Thomas asked the two police officers those veryquestions. Raine had said nothing previously about meeting this other man, but Thomas could see that she cared about his welfare.
They answered, and he turned back to Lorraine. âTheyâre holding him at the police station. They wonât tell me why.â
âOh, no.â She covered her mouth with her hand. âSomethingâs wrong. Weâve got to
Legs McNeil, Jennifer Osborne, Peter Pavia