only inhabitants, so I assumed our contact was in one of the anterior rooms with his client. I checked my phone again—no movement there. I’d give Julio another five minutes before venturing into the back.
You genuflected at the head of the aisle and, arriving at the altar, crossed yourself again and kissed your gold charm. I’d been named godfather at your baptism and attended your confirmation to the Catholic Church when you were a child. Though I’d seen you trace the shape of the cross countless times during prayer, I recalled then how irreligious you’d been in your last life. By raising you in the Catholic faith, Xavier had given you another god to worship, as was surely his intention.
At that moment the young man, Julio, emerged from an arched alcove at the side of the altar and headed toward the center aisle. I stepped into his pathway and blocked his retreat.
“Pray with me,” I said and led him to the second pew where you currently knelt.
Julio’s eyes widened with fear, but he followed me to the bench. I scented semen and sweat on his skin. He kept glancing over his shoulder at Jesus on the cross as though the display might have eyes on him. Catholic guilt.
“Look at my pretty friend,” I said to Julio. You invited him to sit and took up the place right beside him, angling your body so that you could command his attention. We’d rehearsed this bit beforehand, so you knew already how to begin.
“Hello, Julio,” you purred. “My name is Vincent.”
“Huh-hello,” he said, wary. You took the man’s hand and gently stroked it a few times, similar to how you pet your cats.
“You’re safe here, Julio. We’re not going to hurt you, only ask you a few questions, okay?”
The man started to turn back again, toward Jesus or me, but you directed his gaze to your own with a quick, two-finger swipe.
“That’s right,” you cooed. “Right here. Very good, Julio. Are you ready now?” The man nodded and you continued, “I’d like to ask you about a man you may have met.” You produced the picture of Seneser. “Have you seen him?”
Julio nodded and started trembling in fear. I laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered, “So calm.”
“Yes, I’ve seen him,” Julio said.
“How did you meet?”
“I got a call. Unknown number. He said he’d make it worth my time.”
“Where did the meeting take place?’
“His hotel room.”
“And what happened in his hotel room?” you asked without prompting.
“I thought he’d want to have sex with me, but he didn’t. He wanted to know about my other clients.”
“What did he want to know?”
“If I knew of a doctor who did body swaps. Then he started asking if I could bring him someone who wouldn’t be missed. I said I’d see what I could do. I just wanted to leave. I blocked his number. Haven’t seen him since.”
If Seneser successfully assumed a human identity, I might never be able to track him down. “Did it seem like your client was living in his hotel room?” I asked.
Julio shook his head. “I didn’t see an overnight bag, and he still had his shoes on.”
I asked for the name of the hotel, along with the room number, so we could investigate it ourselves.
“Did he know the doctor personally?” you asked.
“I don’t know. He seemed… sick. I didn’t like being alone with him.”
“Did he mention me?” you asked. “Or show you a picture of me? Maybe with different color hair?”
Julio shook his head. “Are you a doctor?”
“No.” You looked to me for guidance.
“Get his information—address and phone number as well as that of the unknown caller.”
“Is there anything else you could tell us that might help us locate this man?” you asked.
“He liked to gamble,” Julio said, which unfortunately wasn’t that helpful in a city like Las Vegas. “He paid me in chips.”
“From where?” I asked.
Julio then listed more than a half dozen places while I made note of them.
“That must have been a hassle to go to all those casinos,” you said.
Julio shrugged. “It was a lot of money.”
“Why would he do that?” you asked me.
“To send us on a wild goose chase,” I posited. “Or, maybe he wants to find us first.”
Your energy was waning, and your black eyes kept darting to Julio’s neck. I’d promised Vivie we wouldn’t harm her friend, which to me, included bloodletting.
“Thank you for your time,” I said to Julio. I slipped him some money, then leaned in closer and seduced him