Nettie hurried over to Willow. As she helped her to the couch, Alex watched her aunt. Alex hadn’t seen her in eighteen years. Although Willow was definitely older and Alex could see the effects of the stroke, she was happy to note how clean her aunt looked. Her wild, curly hair had been cut short, and her clothes were much more stylish. Appropriate for a woman her age. Probably Nettie’s doing. Just like the house.
“Willow, look who’s here,” Nettie was saying. “It’s Alex. Alexandra.”
Willow stared at her as if she didn’t know her. Then the corners of her lips ticked upward into a smile, although one side of her mouth was higher than the other. After her reaction to hearing that Alex wanted The Book, Alex was surprised to see her smile.
“Hi, Willow,” Alex said. “It’s nice to see you.”
Willow mumbled something that sounded as if she were trying to say she was happy to see her too.
Alex glanced at her watch. She’d been here close to fifteen minutes. If she didn’t move this along, Logan and Mike would be knocking on the door.
She scooted closer to her aunt. “Listen, Willow. I need your help. A very bad man plans to hurt a lot of people. If we don’t find him in time, many will die. Do you understand?”
Willow nodded, her eyes trained on Alex’s.
“I know you’re not supposed to talk about The Book, but this evil man is using it to carry out a terrible plan. We need it so we can figure out what he might do next.” Alex reached into her jacket pocket and removed the search warrant. “This gives me the authority to take The Book by force if I have to, but I’d rather you help me of your own free will.”
Willow’s body stiffened, and her face contorted with fear. She began to breathe quickly and say, “No . . . no . . . no . . . no . . .”
Alex’s gaze shifted to Nettie. What was she thinking? Did she know about The Book? Nettie frowned at her. “I’m sorry, Alex, but Willow needs to lie down again. I’m afraid this kind of stress could bring on another stroke.”
Before Alex could protest, Nettie helped Willow to her feet and guided her out of the living room, but not before Willow looked back and shook her head at Alex. Her fear was palpable.
Alex looked at her watch again. Time was up. The house would have to be searched. She wondered how upset that would make her aunt—and her aunt’s roommate. When Nettie came back into the room, Alex stood.
“I work for the FBI, Nettie. We have to have that book. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said lives are at stake.” She put the warrant on the coffee table. “Unless you’re able to give it to me, this house will have to be searched.”
“Oh, honey, I wasn’t getting your aunt out of the room because I don’t want you to take that thing. I just didn’t want her to see this.” She walked over to a large bookshelf, reached behind it, and pulled out something wrapped in plastic. She handed it to Alex. The Book. Alex removed an evidence bag from her other pocket and put The Book in it.
“Thank you,” Alex said, meaning it with every fiber of her being. “If it wasn’t for you—”
“No, honey. If it wasn’t for the Lord. I knew He’d sent me here. At first I thought it was just to care for your aunt, and that was enough for me. But now I know there’s more. I’m here so I can get this horrible thing out of this house.”
“You’re not—”
“Part of the Circle? Heavens no. I’m a Christian. The first time Willow showed this to me, I knew it was evil. I would have thrown it away, but she made me promise not to do that until she was ready. I’ve talked to your aunt about the Lord, and she’s very close to accepting Him instead of these lies.”
“I’m surprised she let you see it. No one but members of the Circle are supposed to read it.”
“Willow was beginning to question her beliefs, but I think she showed me out of fear. Fear that someone would come to take it forcibly.”
“So you promised her you wouldn’t throw it away?”
A smile lit up Nettie’s face. “But I’m not throwing it away, am I? I’m giving it to you so you can save people’s lives.” Tears filled her eyes, and her voice choked.
Alex heard a car door slam. “Hold on a minute, Nettie,” she said. She opened the door just as Logan reached the top of the porch steps.
“Time’s up,” he said.
“I’ve got it.” She handed the evidence bag to him, and he took it with a smile.
“Good work,” he said. “I’ll note the time. We need to get going.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Did you tell your aunt the FBI will need to get her fingerprints?”
“No. I’ll tell her caregiver. Willow has had a stroke. It will be difficult to get her to the local RA for fingerprinting. Tell Mike they’ll need to come here to do it.”
“I will.”
“I still need to get a signed receipt. It will only take me a few minutes. Wait in the car for me.”
Logan nodded and headed down the steps. Alex shut the door and turned back to Nettie. “What about the others in the Circle?” she asked. “I’m surprised they haven’t been around, trying to find this copy if they suspect Willow is backing away from them. Or at least because she’s had a stroke.”
“Oh, they’ve called, more than once, but I told them Willow couldn’t remember what she’d done with it.” She shook her finger at Alex. “I wanted to tell them I burned the nasty thing, but I couldn’t lie. What I said was completely true. About a year ago she hid it and then forgot where it was. I just happened to stumble across it. I haven’t told her I found it. She’s convinced it’s lost. She’s searched the house more than once, but I had it put away in a spot she didn’t think of looking.”
“But she heard me ask you for it.”
“She won’t remember, honey. Her memory has grown worse and worse.” Nettie reached over and patted Alex’s arm. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
Alex wanted to do as Nettie asked, but she wasn’t certain how vengeful the members of the Circle could be—angels or no. She was worried they’d retaliate in some way if they found out Nettie had given her The Book.
“Do you have a cell phone, Nettie? If so, I need it too. We may be able to find members of the Circle with it.”
Nettie shook her head slowly and clicked her tongue. “Oh dear. I had an old flip phone. You know, the kind where you have to buy minutes for it?”
Alex nodded. She had a bad feeling about where this was going.
“I threw that away when I got my new iPhone, and none of those people have called since then. I also recently changed your aunt’s landline number, just to be safe.” She paused a moment, then her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. You wanted to see who called me. Track them. Though, I don’t think it would help you. I think they use burner phones. You know, the kind you can’t trace?” She smiled. “I watch a lot of Criminal Minds. I know about burner phones.”
Alex smiled back at her. “I’m sure you do. Can you give me the number for your flip phone and Willow’s new landline? We may be able to get some records that would help us. And if you hear from anyone from the Circle again, will you let me know?”
“Of course, honey.” Nettie walked over to the same small desk and this time took a pen and pad of paper from the drawer. After writing something down, she tore off the top sheet and handed it to Alex. “Here are the numbers. I hope they help you.” She put the paper and pen on the coffee table, then sat down on the couch.
“Call me immediately if you need help,” Alex said as she handed her a card from her pocket. “If you feel threatened in any way.” Then she took the receipt form out of another pocket. “I need you to sign this, please. It just says you turned The Book over to me.”
Nettie nodded and retrieved the pen she’d just used. She quickly signed the form and gave it back to Alex.
“Please don’t worry about us. I think those people finally gave up.” Her eyebrows knit together, and she stared at Alex with an odd expression. “I have to tell you something, honey,” she said. “Something God wants you to know.”
“Look, I’m grateful you’ve freed my aunt from the Circle, but your God is just another version of the Master she worshiped.” Alex expected Nettie to be offended, but she just smiled.
“No, honey. There’s only one true God. He wants me to tell you that He saw your tears, and He’s been watching over you all this time. Before this present journey is over, you will meet Him.”
A chill washed through Alex. “Are you saying I’m going to die?”
“I don’t think so. I hope not. But you be careful, honey. And watch for Him.”
Nettie stood and gave Alex a hug.
Alex thanked her for her help before hurrying out the door, closing it behind her. Her emotions were all jumbled up. She wasn’t angry with Nettie for believing in a God that didn’t exist; she was just upset that she’d pretended to have a message from Him. Yet the words the woman spoke echoed through her mind over and over. “He wants me to tell you that He saw your tears, and He’s been watching over you all this time.”
Alex started down the steps but halted momentarily. Nettie hadn’t lived on this street when a young Alex had sat here, crying and asking a silent God for help. And Alex knew Willow had never noticed.
How could Nettie know?