One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 6, page 4

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Vata Kılímí climbed the two wooden steps up from the dirt floor of the chapel, slid her feet into her slippers, and cautiously pulled open the door. The door was nearly a half-meter thick, with shelves of neatly stacked sheets and towels visible on the opposite side. A regular, thin door still separated Vata from the hallway.

She paused and listened. No sounds came from the hallway. Apparently Pí‘oro had not brought anyone inside. There was no need for secrecy at this time.

Vata pushed open the thin, wood door as she pulled the shelves shut behind her. As she stepped onto the plush carpet of the hall, the door of shelves clicked shut and suddenly seemed nothing more than a standard linen closet.

She closed the closet door and shuffled the short distance to their bedroom, then angled across the room toward the telephone.

This young blonde girl was obviously very scared. She hid from both her boyfriend and the police. The boyfriend would be easy to keep out, but the police might be more difficult. If they suspected a murderer--especially a murderer of an Enforcer--was hiding inside Pí‘oro and Vata’s house, it wouldn’t take much for them to obtain a search warrant.

And then they would not only find the blonde girl, they would discover the Kılímos’ hidden chapel. Questions would be raised. The sacrifices would be brought into the open. Vata would probably go to prison. And once in prison, it would be extremely difficult to continue her mission of healing and charity in Névazhíno’s name.

Vata reached the nightstand and its telephone. She picked up her private book of telephone numbers and began thumbing through.

It was extremely useful that Tuhanı was such a small town. Only one judge could issue warrants for this precinct: Ríko Rapımaré.

Vata found his number in her book, picked up the receiver, and began to dial.

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