Roberto didn’t have a lot of experience with ambulances and police. In Lima, his family used private security companies and hospitals. The Canadians had free health care, like ordinary Peruvians, although from what he could ascertain from casual conversations, public treatment here took place in less crowded, well-equipped hospitals. Still, he wondered if he was doing the right thing, letting them take the lady to a public hospital.
She was frail, hardly solid enough to fill the thin blanket on the gurney in front of him. Most of her face was covered in messy white hair that had escaped its ribbon. He reached out to take her hand.
“Step back, sir.” The attendant’s voice was loud, his lips set in a frown. The police had asked him to leave her, several times. Roberto stood with his hands at his sides, unsure what to do. The compulsion to look after her was so intense, it was painful.
“Come with us,” said the police officer.
“Can’t I go to the hospital first, just to make sure she’s okay?” He should never argue with police but couldn’t fight the compulsion.
“We need you to make a statement.” The officer came right up beside him now. His partner in the cruiser watched Roberto closely.
“You say Helen was attacked by a man with white hair, carrying some kind of flamethrower?”
Roberto nodded. Magic was involved but he wasn’t fool enough to mention it.
“Catching him is our first priority, before he hurts someone else.”
“So, I can leave?”
“We want you to give a full description, look at some pictures. We’ll give you a ride to the hospital after.”
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“I have a car.”
“I’m sorry. It’s part of the crime scene. You have to leave it for now.”
Roberto didn’t like the sound of that. They didn’t say he was under arrest, but he was forced to go to the police station. He would be a fool not to cooperate, but couldn’t master his urge to stay with the old lady.
“All right buddy, let’s go.”
“Please.” Roberto stood with his arms crossed, unable to overcome his compulsion or to explain it to these Mundanes.
The second officer got out of his patrol car. Now there were two of them standing either side of Roberto.
“Everything will be fine. Get in the car.” The second cop’s tone made that an order, no mistake. They were about to quick march him to the police car, only that couldn’t happen. He was linked to Helen and where she went, he must follow.
“Just let me . . .” He took a step toward her, but the police took him by the arms and held him back.
“Calm down, nobody’s going to hurt you,” said the first cop.
Roberto was about to fight his way free when attendants slammed the ambulance doors and hopped in. They couldn’t leave without him! Who would watch over Helen?
As it drove away, lights flashing, Roberto felt increasing pain in his chest as if a cord was stretching between him and her. What powerful magic, unlike anything he had suffered before. The pain increased with the distance between him and the ambulance until, like a cable, the link between them snapped. He was released. The compulsion to protect her faded sharply.
“I can go now.”
He let them put him in the back of the car, mentally preparing himself for interrogation. Police were police, even if they were Canadian. What if he had incriminating ashes on his body from the explosion? As they drove away, his situation seemed increasingly dire. They had caught him at the scene of the crime and the real criminal sounded like a made-up story. Who seemed the more likely suspect, a young foreigner in custody, or a limping white-haired pappy who had conveniently disappeared?
“Are you okay back there?” the first officer asked.
“I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t want to leave the old lady.”
The driver gave Roberto an odd look in the rear-view mirror.
Roberto took a deep breath and tried to let it out slowly. In North America, you were innocent until proven guilty, and nobody said the OPP were corrupt; but of all the things that had happened since he flew into Toronto, this ride was by far the scariest.