CHAPTER 4 OZ #2
A couple of hours later I was listening to an audiobook and documenting every car that drove down the street.
Roman hadn’t told me to, but it helped to pass the time.
An ancient Honda Civic turned onto the street.
Nothing remarkable about it, except that it slowed down when it got close, coming to a stop in the middle of the road right in front of Mr. Moreno’s house.
I shut off my audiobook and snapped a photo of the car’s license plate.
The man in the driver’s seat didn’t notice me.
He was staring at the house. After a minute he backed up and parked a few houses down before getting out of his car.
He was a magic carrier of some type. He appeared to be around seventy or eighty human years old, with wrinkled dark skin and close-cropped white hair, but he moved easily as he opened the back passenger door of his car and leaned inside.
Then he backed up and a little girl emerged.
She had the same type of magic the man did.
I wasn’t good with kids’ ages, but to me she seemed like she might be in kindergarten.
She wore blue leggings and a yellow dress, with her head covered in a tiny blue beanie with cat ears on it.
She took the man’s hand, and they started to walk across the street.
I got out of my car. I had plenty of time to intercept the two before they got to Mr. Moreno’s gate, because the little girl walked very slowly. She didn’t seem to be dawdling on purpose. More like she didn’t have the energy to move faster. Her magical core swirled slowly, dim and sluggish.
Fuck. A patient for Mr. Moreno. I double-checked the calendar app, and nothing was scheduled for today. A drop-in. Shit.
The man sized me up as they approached. I attempted to appear non-threatening so I wouldn’t scare the little girl.
“I suppose we need an appointment.” The man’s voice sounded defeated. “I didn’t have nothin’ but the address, and we’ve driven from Baton Rouge.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
Before I could unlock my phone to type out a note, the little girl said, “My name’s Cora. This is my Granddad.”
“I’m Grady Becker.” He lifted his chin. “I can’t pay much, but I brought what I could.”
I nodded at him then met Cora’s beautiful eyes, deep brown and surrounded by thick dark lashes but sunken and exhausted.
“Hi, Cora. I’m Oz. I’ll find out if Mr. Moreno has time to see you this morning.
You can wait on the porch.” I was pretty sure I should’ve made them stay out here on the sidewalk, but the sun was starting to beat down, and there was a bench on the porch where they could rest in the shade.
I opened the gate and, after making sure it closed and locked behind us, I led them to the porch.
Cora took the stairs slowly, one at a time.
When they were settled on the bench, I went inside.
After locking the front door again, I gazed around.
The lights were off in the living room and kitchen.
“Mr. Moreno?” Shit, he wouldn’t recognize my voice, would he? “Hey, it’s Oz.”
No answer. I regarded the small hallway that led to the bedrooms. He was probably asleep. I didn’t have any instructions for what to do here, but Mr. Moreno cared for sick children all day at his job, and Cora was obviously ill.
Steeling my spine, I walked down the little hallway. The first door was cracked open, the room dark with the blinds shut tight. I knocked, and the door swung wider. A small form was in the bed. “Mr. Moreno?”
With a gasp, he sat upright, whipping a handgun from under the pillow and pointing it at me.
“Shit!” I raised my hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!”
Breathing heavily, he lowered the gun, setting it on the mattress beside him. “You’re talking.”
I let my hands fall to my sides. “It comes and goes.” Frankly I was shocked I could still speak after having a gun pointed at me.
I squinted at him. I could see pretty damn well in the dark, and Mr. Moreno’s hair appeared...
shorter. And almost patchy. I could see some of his scalp, and not in typical male-pattern baldness areas.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his chest was smooth and lightly muscled.
I shook my head to refocus. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but you have some visitors.
A little girl and her grandfather. They drove from Louisiana. ”
He slumped and ran his hands over his face. “Do they have magic?” I nodded. “And is the little girl the one who’s sick?”
I nodded again. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with her, but her body and her magic both seem tired. She could barely walk up the steps to the porch.” I winced. “Sorry, I didn’t feel right leaving them on the sidewalk.”
The sigh he let out was long and heavy. “It’s okay. Tell them I’ll be out in five minutes. Leave them on the porch until I’m ready, please. And I’d like you to stay with us the entire time, okay?”
“Of course. I’ll let them know.” I pulled the bedroom door shut. Had Mr. Moreno been wearing a wig earlier? Maybe he had a condition where his hair fell out or didn’t grow in right. More things that were none of my business.
I opened the front door and stuck my head outside. Cora was lying down with her head on her grandfather’s knee. “Mr. Moreno will see you.” Mr. Becker’s face went slack with relief, and I smiled. “He needs a few minutes to get ready, then I’ll come get you. Would you like some water?”
Mr. Becker raised his eyebrows at his granddaughter, but she shook her head. “We’re okay for now, thank you kindly.”
I shut the door and stood in the foyer, listening to Mr. Becker and Cora’s quiet conversation. Mr. Moreno came out of the bedroom, fully dressed, and, yep, that was a wig now I knew to look for it.
He gestured toward the door. “I’m ready. What are their names?” I told him, and he took a deep breath then nodded. “Let ‘em in, please.”
I went outside. “Mr. Moreno will see you now. Please come in.” I resisted the urge to just pick Cora up and carry her. She sat up and slid down from the bench on her own, then she took her grandfather’s hand, and I held the door for them as they went inside.
“Hi, I’m Manny. You must be Grady and Cora.
Why don’t you have a seat here on the sofa?
” Mr. Moreno sat in the armchair next to Cora.
He caught my eye and jerked his chin at the chair opposite, so I went and sat down.
Being ordered around by Mr. Moreno in professional mode was...
inspiring. But that was a thought for another time.
“So, Cora, why have you come to see me today?” Mr. Becker started to answer, but Mr. Moreno held up a hand. “I’d like to hear from Cora, please.”
She regarded him, blinking slowly. “I got the cancer on my spine. The chemo isn’t working anymore and it’s not op’rable.”
He nodded, staring at her intently. “I see. That sounds awful. Well, I’m sure you’d like to get rid of it. Do you like blueberries?”
Her little face perked up. “Yeah!”
“Okay, I’m going to make a blueberry smoothie for myself. Would you like one too?”
She turned to her grandfather for permission, and, looking confused as fuck, he nodded. Cora beamed at Mr. Moreno. “Yes, please. But just a small one. I’m not hungry much since the chemo.”
“You got it.” Mr. Moreno turned to Mr. Becker. “Does she have any allergies?”
His whole face scrunched up. “No, sir. But, does this mean you’ll treat her? I don’t have much money. What’s the cost?”
Mr. Moreno stood up. “I don’t charge. Put the money toward Cora’s education.” He walked out of the living room and went around the corner toward the kitchen.
Mr. Becker gaped after him for a moment, then he turned to me. “He doesn’t charge?”
I lifted one shoulder. “No.” Though I hadn’t known. Fuck, Mr. Moreno could charge the moon if he wanted to. People would pay millions.
Hence his need for a bodyguard.
I caught Mr. Becker’s gaze. “But I will ask you not to share Mr. Moreno’s address with anyone else. He has a website where people can make requests for appointments. If you hand me your phone, I’ll put the link in.”
He sucked in his lips, nodding slowly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“I’ll tell the person I got the address from.
” He unlocked it and handed it over. “Yeah, I can see how he wouldn’t want people just showing up.
I’m grateful he let us in, but not everyone has good intentions.
” He glanced down at Cora, who was leaning against him with her eyes closed.
“I’m powerful glad he has you for protection. ”