Darkly Dreaming Dexter | Page 2

be care ful , be exa ct, he had said, a nd for a
w
eek now I had been s ure tha t e ve ryt hing w as j us t a s H arry-ri ght as i t c oul d be . And w hen I l eft
w
ork t his ni ght , I kne w thi s w as i t. T his ni ght was t he N ight . This ni ght felt di ffe rent. T his ni ght it
w
oul d ha ppen, ha d to ha ppen. Just a s i t ha d ha ppened be fore. Jus t a s i t w oul d ha ppen again, a nd
a
ga in. A
nd t onight it w oul d ha ppen to t he pri est. H
is na me w as F athe r D onova n. He t aught music t o t he chi ldre n at S t. A nthony' s O rpha nage in
H
om este ad, F lori da. T he chi ldre n love d hi m. A nd of c ourse he love d the chi ldre n, oh ve ry much
i
nde ed. H e ha d de voted a whol e l ife to t hem. L ea rne d Cre ole a nd S panish. L earne d their m usic , t oo.
A
ll for t he ki ds. E veryt hing he did, i t w as a ll for t he ki ds. E
ve ryt hing. I w
atc he d hi m thi s ni ght as I ha d watc he d for s o many ni ghts now . Watc he d a s he pa used i n the
orpha
nage doorw ay t o t alk t o a young bl ac k gi rl w ho ha d follow ed hi m out . She w as s m all, no m ore
t
ha n e ight years ol d a nd s mall for t hat. H e s at on t he ste ps and t alke d t o he r for fi ve m inut es. S he
s
a t, t oo, a nd bounc ed up a nd dow n. They l aughe d. She leane d a gains t hi m. H e t ouc hed he r hair. A
nun c
am e out and s tood i n the doorw ay, l ooki ng dow n at t he m for a mom ent be fore she spoke .
T
he n s he sm ile d a nd he ld out a ha nd. T he gi rl bum ped he r head a gains t t he pri est. F athe r D onova n
hugge
d her, stood, a nd kisse d t he gi rl good ni ght. The nun l aughe d and s aid s om ethi ng t o Fathe r
D
onova n. He s aid s om ethi ng ba ck.

A
nd t hen he sta rt ed t ow ard hi s c ar. F ina lly: I c oile d m yself t o s tri ke and— N
ot ye t. A jani tori al s ervi ce m ini va n s tood fi fteen fe et from the door. A s F athe r D onova n pass e d i t,
t
he side door s lid ope n. A man l eane d out , puffi ng on a ciga rett e , a nd gre ete d t he pri est, w ho l eane d
a
ga ins t t he va n and t alke d t o the m an. L
uc k. L uck a gain. A lw ays luc k on t hese N ight s. I ha d not see n t he m an, not guesse d he was t he re.
But
he woul d ha ve see n m e. If not for Luck. I t
ook a deep bre ath. L et i t out slow and s te a dy, i cy c old. It was onl y one sm all t hi ng. I ha d not
m
is se d a ny ot hers. I ha d done it a ll ri