Page 23 of The Guardian

Her grin was wide now.

All I could do was stare at that smile. Holy hell. How could it be that she just became more beautiful every time I looked at her?

Staring at me, she nodded. “Ok.”

“Oh, and we keep the secret that is shared… a secret,” I added.

She laughed again. “I agree.”

I reached into my pocket and took out a quarter. I cupped my hand around it. “Heads or tails?”

She furrowed her brow.

I smiled and opened my fist. “See? Heads on one side.” Then I flipped it over. “Well, it is not tails on the other. It is a set of wings.”

Maya chuckled and said, “I like the wings.”

“So, you chose tails.” I nodded then cupped my fist and shook the quarter. I opened my fist and dropped it onto my wrist then flattened my palm over it.

“Wow, fancy moves.” She smirked.

I removed my hand and it was heads.

Maya beamed at me. “I get to go first!”

I slowly nodded at her. “Apparently.”

She giggled then placed a finger under her chin and closed her eyes. “I have so many questions.”

I paused. Surprised that she said this. I assumed that she really didn’t think one way or another about me. Wow…

Finally, her eyes popped open. “How long have you lived in America?”

“Ten years.”

“O via, that was an easy one!” She smiled.

“Ok, it is my turn and I have a lot of questions too.”

She bit her lip and replied, “Ok.”

“Why would a woman like you… Educated, beautiful and Italian, be in a ramshackle house in the slums of a town in a remote Mexican town?”

Her eyes widened as she asked, “Is that just one question?”

I laughed now. “Ok, so I’m sort of cheating a bit. I crammed it all into one question. But to be honest I wanted to add as a nanny and didn’t.”

She laughed again. Then she paused and shook her head. “Hmmm.”

“Is it that deep?” I asked when she hesitated.

“Kind of,” she replied. “So, I was in Mexico for another reason. Then I had to go to Catemaco for that same reason. I learned the information I was after… Well, those two old ladies had the answers. Or they were part of it all.”

I blinked at her. “You went there specifically to get close to the Castillo sisters?”

“Is that your second question?” Maya asked as she cocked her head at me.

I slowly shook my head as the game meant nothing to me now in light of this surprising answer.