Lost and Found in Prague by Kelly Jones

Author:Kelly Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-12-02T05:00:00+00:00

• 22 •

The safe was unlocked, though the keys were still there. Had she been so careless she hadn’t even bothered to lock it? Taking in a deep breath, Dana exhaled slowly to calm herself, knowing she had to maintain control, to be more alert to what was going on around her.

She slipped out of her skirt and blouse, pulled on her jeans and T-shirt, worked her new hoodie over her head. Sliding into her sneakers, she put the keys in her jeans pocket, her recently acquired flashlight in the roomy front pocket of her sweatshirt, and returned to the lobby to find Borelli asleep in a large leather chair.

“Father Borelli,” she whispered, giving his shoulder a little nudge.

His eyes popped open. He glanced around, seemingly confused.

“Time to go,” she said after a moment.

The leather squeaked as he braced himself and rose from the chair. He straightened the crease in his pant leg and started out the front door. Dana followed. His breathing was labored by the time they’d progressed a half block down the street, past the crew, just finishing up covering the ditch. She suggested they slow down, though if they didn’t hurry they might get caught in a rainstorm, clouds hovering heavy above. Fearing he might collapse on the street, she considered stopping to search for a cab, but decided it would be unwise to have someone witness their being dropped off at, or near, the church. They walked down Nerudova Street, turned right at the Malostranské námestí, and then on to Karmelitská. Dana’s heart beat wildly, and then seemed to flutter like a trapped moth inside her chest, finally escaping and settling in her throat. When she turned to Borelli and asked, “Are we really going to do this?” it came out as a froggy croak.

He smiled and nodded. Now he seemed almost energized.

A streak of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. Dana, who had never believed in signs or messages, wondered if they were being warned. She and Borelli exchanged glances, his eyes flashing in the dark. She knew what he was thinking: No turning back. She nodded as a second clap of thunder sounded.

The church stood like a dark shadow, reaching up, appearing much larger and foreboding than it had during the day. As they approached the side door, Dana took the keys from her pocket and inserted the larger into the keyhole. A perfect fit. She glanced back at Borelli with a grin, then turned the key and pushed the door, and they walked inside, locking the door behind them.

The overpowering, pungent scent of the almost-week-old Easter lilies filled the air, and Dana wondered if the altar flowers had gone without the nuns’ careful tending since Sister Claire’s death. They smelled as if they had begun to rot.

Quietly they moved through the church and on toward the sacristy, Dana with flashlight in hand. Borelli had assured her there was a ladder in the closet, and behind a broom, dustpan, and vacuum cleaner, they found it.

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