Prey for a Miracle by Aimée and David Thurlo

slow down the search for whoever’s after Natalie.”
    Tom considered it for several moments. “I can’t rule out the possible involvement of Natalie’s father yet, not until we track him down. Or it could simply be the work of a carjacker—more or less random. But this angel idea has generated a whole batch of potential suspects, as well, and I’ve got to look into it. Just how aggressive
are
the people who try to get Natalie to help or intercede for them?”
    “According to Jessica, it runs the entire spectrum. The good ones take no for an answer. The bad ones are rude, aggressive, pleading, insistent, and prepared to do whatever it takes,” Father said, shaking his head. “But after that TV segment aired, people really went nuts. People started showing up from all over the area, even out of state. That’s why Jessica was planning to move away. According to Jessica, one man cornered Natalie at Smitty’s grocery store and offered her and Jessica a blank check if they’d come and talk to his sick wife. But I don’t know who it was.”
    “I’ll talk to Smitty, and if he doesn’t know, maybe his video cameras picked it up,” Tom said.
    “I still don’t understand why people are jumping to the conclusion that Natalie is capable of healing anyone. She’s never claimed that she can. But I suppose it’s to be expected. After Natalie said that her angel stopped the car in the parking lot, stories continued to spread—and grow.”
    Tom said nothing for a moment, then continued. “I understand Jessica told Natalie not to discuss her angel with anyone. Do you think Natalie did as she was told?”
    Father Mahoney nodded slowly. “Yeah, I do. After she realized that she couldn’t go anywhere without people coming up to her and asking her for favors, she became wary of people. I don’t think she has many friends left at school, either, since no one knows what to make of her, so she stays pretty much by herself. The only place I know she feels comfortable is at the monastery. That’s why I’d take her to Mass with me whenever I could. She thinks she has something in common with the nuns.”
    Sister Agatha looked at Father Mahoney in confusion. “I don’t follow you.”
    “She said that nuns hear God’s call inside them. It’s not something that other people can hear, too. According to her, that’s the way it is between her and her angel.”
    “That’s tough to argue against,” Sister Agatha said with a rueful smile.
    “No kidding,” Father said with a weary sigh.
    “Folks, we need to stay on track here. If someone is willing to risk killing Natalie or themselves just to contact her, that girl is in serious danger.”
    “I learned a lot about publicity and promotion when I was a pro wrestler,” Father Mahoney said. “What we need to do is plant the idea that it’s all television hype. We’ll insist that Natalie’s angel is just an imaginary playmate. We can point out that she has had a thing for angels for years—angel dolls, angel pins, angel candles— you name it. She and her mom made a game of it, but then it got out of hand.”
    “Are you so sure that’s all there is to it, Father?” Sister Agatha asked.
    “Yes, I am. Look at it objectively. Joanne Ulibarri, the owner of the car involved in the parking lot incident, couldn’t remember putting it in gear or setting the brake. The car is thirty-five years old and barely operable with its sloppy manual transmission. The parking lot is sloped away from the building for drainage, and if the car slipped out of gear, it could have started rolling. Another bump could have put it back in gear. But that possibility was never even considered on the TV show. I heard that very rational explanation at Mr. Gonzales’s garage, and it makes sense to me.”
    “What about the other story going around, about Natalie warning her friend about a fire
before
it happened?” Tom asked.
    “I talked to Natalie myself about that. Louann Madison had told