Love, Lies & Red Eyes | ONC 2023 (Complete)

Chapter Eight | Lidia

Detective Morales is easy to find, clinging to the edge of the tree line against the tall stone church. Before we have a chance to enter the yard, he slips through a side door and I meander through the graveyard, checking everywhere to make sure I haven't been followed.

Arturo trails silently behind me, hand warm against mine, following wherever I lead without question.

I just hope I'm not leading him to his death.

I'm as certain as I can be that I wasn't followed, so I slink against the side of the building, pry the door open, and enter the dimly lit church through the same narrow archway that Detective Morales had used.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust once Arturo has closed the door, but I can hear the low hum of prayer coming from the sacristy to my left. So I take a right, heading up the stairs to what is likely a choir loft. Halfway up the stairs, a door stands ajar, a lamp from inside lighting the face of Detective Morales.

"Come in," he whispers, pulling my arm. "We don't have much time."

There's a lot of that going around right now.

The door closes with a small clink of the ancient lock against the wall.

"What are we doing in a church?" Arturo asks. The first rational thing I've heard out of him since I left for the station this morning.

"We're less likely to be followed," Detective Morales says, securing the windows with the chunky black metal locks. "And we need to be fast, so leaving town wasn't an option."

"What are we doing here?" He asks again, turning to face me. "I mean why are we meeting with a police officer?"

He's fully staring at me now, red eyes glaring down and piercing my skin, searing hot against my bones. "Can you let me answer before you... whatever this is?"

He pulls back, clenching his hands against his sides. "You warned me I wasn't going to like it."

"And you promised you'd let me explain."

"Should have done it on the way," he grumbles, staring at a painting of some angel or other affixed to the wall.

"Didn't have as much time as I'd hoped," I reply, completely forgetting Detective Morales is even in the room until he loudly clears his throat.

"Are we going to get this done before someone finds us or can I just go home?" Morales asks, scanning the room to make sure there are no listening devices.

"One second," I snap. "You're the one with the wild theories. Just let me explain what's going on."

Morales utters a non-committal hum and continues his sweep of the room.

I turn to Arturo, whose eyes scan down the detective's body like he's assessing the damage he could do if he needed to. I'm certain it's a lot.

Morales knows it too, which is part of why I believe him. What does he have to gain by pissing off a huge man like Arturo? Even if he doesn't know the cadejo part, it's pretty clear Arturo could take anyone in a fight.

"Arturo, that is Detective Morales, and he thinks he might be able to help us figure out what's going on."

Detective Morales cuts in, then, saying he knows he can help, but he doesn't know if he can trust me.

"You kinda don't have a choice," I throw at him over my shoulder. "As you're now aiding me in my escape with a known fugitive."

"Known fugitive?" Arturo's eyes finally find mine and they're as wide as I've ever seen them. Almost comically cartoonish on his strong, chiseled face.