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.WhileNikolai had many different sides, he generally wasn t stoic. Sí? The woman asked when she opened the door.She looked atNikolai and then at Miguel before switching to English. Can I helpyou? Mrs.Abello? I m Nikolai Adelman. The shaman. Normally people said that word with reverenceand respect, but her voice was flat.She was clearly not one of Nikolai sfollowers. I m Detective Miguel Rassin, Miguel introduced himself.Mrs.Abello s eyes widened, and her hand clutched the bottom of her shirt,twisting it mercilessly. Detective? Is this about Jaime? Do you know something? Shetook a step forward, and Miguel got the feeling she was barely keepingherself from reaching out to shake the information out of them.Miguel shook his head. I m sorry. He realized his mistake onlywhen she gasped; she thought he was coming to do a death notification.He hurried to add the rest. We don t have any new information.Wehaven t found Jaime.248 | Lyn Gala But the man She stopped.Now Mrs.Abello looked confusedand even more upset, and Miguel realized she d been waiting for thenotification.She d been sitting in her apartment watching the news andwaiting for the police to tell her that they d found her little boy in abasement, rotting. The police do not know where he is, but I had hoped you wouldtalk to me. Nikolai said softly.She looked at Nikolai, and her expression vanished. I don t wantto&. She sighed, You shouldn t be here, she told Nikolai firmly,even if her hands were shaking badly.Miguel wished he had somewords to reassure her, but he didn t.This wasn t going to have a happyending, and no one could change that. I wanted to talk to you. The priest says we aren t supposed to listen to you. Mrs.Abellomight be willing to listen to her priest, but she wasn t trying to closethe door in Nikolai s face.Nikolai shrugged. Priests don t like me.But I just wanted to talkto you about Jaime, about what happened.Mrs.Abello chewed on her lower lip and stared at him. I ll just be a few minutes.I just couldn t let you keep worrying. You know something? You know something about Jaime? Is hesafe? The same desperation from earlier returned, and now shestepped back to invite them into her small apartment.Sorrow seemed tocling to the place.The couch was a dull gray-green, the walls dingybrown, and even the dog cowered in the corner.Miguel hated the painhe could practically feel leeching into his skin, but it was too late forhim to help this family.Nikolai stepped in and visibly straightened. The man whokilled Nikolai stopped before saying the little girl s name. You knew her, Mrs.Abello said softly.Nikolai nodded. Her parents believed in the old ways thespirits who look after children and listen to prayers.Urban Shaman | 249That was clearly the wrong thing to say because Mrs.Abellostiffened up.In the corner, the dog gave a little whine. I m a goodCatholic woman, she said firmly. I respect that, Nikolai reassured her. But Catholics know thatwhen people are very strong and moral that they can become more.They can become beings who listen to us even though they are living inthe next world. Saints? Mrs.Abello didn t hide her skepticism. Very close, yes. Nikolai took a deep breath.Maybe he wasstarting to regret coming here.Miguel would rather wish the womanwell and leave her to nurse that last shred of hope that her son wouldcome home.Ever since Elizabeth Smart had been found nearly a yearafter she d been kidnapped, parents held onto their hope with adesperation that Miguel hated having to face.He didn t know what tosay to them. The Aztecs called these saints Cihuateteo: the spirits of motherswho died.They watch children, Nikolai explained. After they ve died? Mrs.Abello was backing away now. Ithink you should leave. No, wait.I m saying this wrong. Nikolai turned to Miguel, buthe had no idea what to say.He tried to avoid these types ofconversations. The parents.they prayed that the Cihuateteo wouldcome to watch over their daughter, but the spirits saw Carl Masers; theysaw how he planned to hurt the children, so they wanted to protectthem. Saints took my Jaime? Mrs.Abello s voice was shaking withemotion, and Miguel could see Nikolai s hand start to tremble.Heached to reach out and slip an arm around the man, but he didn t wantto make this even more difficult on Mrs.Abello who, no doubt, had asmany problems with gays as with shamans. Cihuateteo did, Nikolai said quietly. Cihuateteo wanted tosave Jaime from ever hurting, so they saved him the only way theycould; they gathered him up and took him where he would be safe.She frowned. Demons stole my Jaime?250 | Lyn GalaMiguel took a step forward.Mrs.Abello wanted to strike out, andshe had all her attention focused on Nikolai.Even if Miguel understoodher anger, he wasn t letting Nikolai take another beating.She wouldjust have to realize that life wasn t fair.Jaime didn t deserve to die, butneither did that nameless boy who had strapped a bomb to his chest outof desperation.Fuck, Miguel suspected that most of the men who hadeither been killed or maimed by that bomb didn t even deserve it.Ifthey d had any leader other than the sergeant and his sadistic fantasies,they might have been good soldiers.For long minutes, Mrs.Abello stared at Nikolai her arms bentand her hands fisted.Nikolai sighed. They protected him the only waythey knew how.They didn t mean to take him from you, only to keephim from Masers
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