Page 58 of Deliver us from Evil

“Yeah, proof would be nice,” I tell him, barely moving my lips in case he sees it as a threat. “But only if it’s no trouble. Don’t want you going out of your way to prove your innocence or anything.”

He narrows his eyes at me. His lips move. “Apollo.”

“You got me.” It’s hard to be cheery when there’s a gun digging a hole in your pec, but I fucking try.

“You worked in the laundry at Saint Amos.” His voice is soft now, his eyes unfocused.

“It was the kitchen, actually. But you knew that already.”

“Why would I?”

And it’s fucking weird, in that second, I believe him. But I’m probably biased because my cause of death is so close I can lick it.

“Everything you’re looking for is on Keith’s hard drive.”

If I had ears like a dog, they’d be pricking up right now. “Yeah? Where’s that? Gomorrah? Sodom?” I can’t help it. I kid around when I’m nervous.

The way Gabriel’s jaw ticks, he’s not amused.

“In the study. In the safe. Same combination.”

“What, the study door and the safe?”

He makes an angry sound and steps back, shaking his head. “I don’t care how he made it look. I didn’t do it. None of it.” Another step. He’s brighter now, lit up by the faint gray light of the overcast sky.

But before he turns to leave, I say, “And what about that file on your hard drive? The archive you hid in the system files? Same combination?” I know it isn’t. My password cracking program already went through the numeral-only phase.

“Archive?” He turns back to me. “It’s one file.”

My heart legit skips a fucking beat. “Same combination though, right?” I ask. “That also going to prove you’re innocent?”

“It’s password protected.” He looks at the ground. “If you can open it, show it to Trinity.” When he looks up, his eyes have a dark shadow over them that has nothing to do with the rain that’s on the way. “Then maybe she’ll change her mind about me. About them. About everything.”

Un-fucking-likely.

“So what’s the password?”

Gabriel’s face turns to stone. “I don’t know, child. I’ve spent years trying to figure it out.” Then he shrugs and starts walking away. He glances back at me. “Promise me you’ll show her.”

Anyone with a shred of sense in their heads will tell you to never make a deal with the devil. But they’ve never faced a devil like Gabriel.

I guess he’s had years to practice his poker face, because fuck knows I can’t tell if he’s bluffing.

And it’s kind of a stupid request. I mean, why wouldn’t I show Trinity? She’s as much involved in this as any one of us.

“Promise me.” He’s stopped walking. Somewhere along the line, he put the gun back in his pocket.

I drag my fingers through my hair before I remember about the blood, but luckily it’s dried already. It’s still gross though, still makes me light-headed even thinking about it.

Gabriel’s face collapses. “Please.”

“Yeah, fuck. Whatever.”

He grimaces, perhaps for my language, perhaps for my vagueness, but it’s as good as he’s going to get. And I guess he realizes that, because he turns and walks away.

Follow him.

But instead I slide my back down the concrete wall and sit on my ass, trying to process why the fuck I let Gabriel get away.

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