Page 71 of Sundowners
Lexi nodded. “Mr. Fletcher. I went to find Creed. I knew he was going to see Mr. Fletcher because I’d asked him to when he showed up for his shift. I opened Mr. Fletcher’s door without knocking, which I never do, but things were so chaotic.” She blinked a few times and looked between me and Rey.
“What happened?” Rey asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t really understand what I saw. I don’t know for sure. They were sitting on the couch together and…I know this sounds totally unbelievable, okay? I know it does. But Creed was, like, bent over Mr. Fletcher’s arm, and when he lifted his head, Mr. Fletcher pressed it back down…and I saw Creed…bitehim.”
My knees gave out, and I fell back against the wall.“What do you mean, hebithim? Where?”
“It was on the inside of his wrist. I don’t know what was happening. I closed the door as quietly as I could and then I ran back to the nurses’ station, kind of freaking out. I saw Mr. Fletcher afterward, much later, and he was singing and snapping his fingers as he walked down the hall. I asked him if he was okay, and he said he had too much energy to sleep and he wanted to grab a book from the library. He was smiling. He was sohappy, and normally Mr. Fletcher is kind of serious. I’ve never heard him singing before.”
“Fucking weird-ass motherfucking shit,” Rey muttered. “So after we saw you, after the attack, you went straight home?”
She nodded. “I went home, showered and went to bed. Creed showed up around an hour ago with the dog and…he wascrying. He hugged her, and then he ran away really fast before I could ask him any questions. God, I am so worried about him, but I don’t know what to think after what I saw, you know? He’s my best friend, one of the most amazing people I know. Why would hebitesomeone?”
Rhonda finished her food and turned to me, her reddish-brown eyes staring deep into my soul. She sat on her haunches and stared at me, and when I didn’t react, she pawed at my leg and whimpered.
“Come here, girl,” I said. I slid down the wall and opened my arms to her. She covered my face with kisses and then lay with her head in my lap.
Creed. What have you done?
“Look, I’m not really supposed to have dogs at my apartment, but I will—”
“Rhonda’s staying here,” I said, petting her head. “And we’re going to find Creed. I’m so pissed at him right now, but I’m not about to let him get hurt.”
I looked up at Rey and dared him to contradict me.
“We’ll find him, pamangkin,” Rey said, using the Tagalog word for nephew, which meant he was serious, or seriously upset. “I promise.”
I nodded and focused on Rhonda, who gave a big sigh.
“I’m sorry, Roman. I appreciate you taking her. It seems like she’s happier here, anyway. All she did was give me dirty looks.” She laughed and then wiped a tear away. “If she wasn’t Creed’s dog, I would have called Animal Control. I was scared to death.”
Rey put an arm around her. “We’ll take care of her. You need me to run you home?”
She wiped at her eyes again and Rey handed her a tissue. “Thank you. Actually, if you wouldn’t mind. I walked over here.”
Rey called out to me that they were leaving, and I’m sure I said goodbye, but I was still running through what she’d told us.
He bit someone.
The attacks.
He’d been furious at those guys, but acted like what they were doing was a personal affront.
Him being unsteady on his feet after caring for Lola. He admitted that he’d healed her with his energy.
“Why does it hurt less when I’m with you?”
“Rhonda, come on, girl.” I grabbed my laptop and led her over to the couch. I patted the seat next to me and she hopped up, resting her head on my thigh. “I’m feeling some déjà vu here.”
I pulled up my notes from the interview I did with Carolina Villanueva in Bilbao. Her mother had reported her missing to the police, and they’d found her hiding in the train station. She’d had her head shaved and was wearing all white when they found her. I’d met with her and her mother over several afternoons. She had night terrors and trouble sleeping, so afternoons were the time she felt like she could talk, she’d explained.
Translated from Spanish.
RSA: Can you tell me a little about the program?
CV: Yes. I met Leader Lorraine on my campus for school. She came to talk to nursing students about job opportunities. She told us about a research program they had where they wanted college students to participate in studies involving healing, and that if we were interested, they had a training program. They paid room and board and tuition was free if you were selected. Mama had been struggling to pay for my school, so I thought this would be a good opportunity.
RSA: You moved to the La Mente campus and began studying. Can you tell me what the center was like?
