“The way I feel, I can’t imagine I could be of any help to anyone.”

“We feel differently,” Cal said. “Actually, we think you might be the only one that can help us.”

“What is it that you need?” Veena asked with a tired voice.

“This morning the same people that we had talk to your father brought us Jennifer Hernandez,” Cal said without elaborating. He stayed silent and let his statement sink in.

“Jennifer Hernandez is here at the bungalow?” Veena asked warily, as if she might be frightened that Jennifer was now invading her sanctum.

“She’s out in the room under the garage,” Durell said.

“Why is she here?” Veena asked, a little frantic. She sat up straight.

“We decided we needed to know what made her suspicious,” Cal said. “You’re the one it has bothered the most. Right in the beginning, you wanted us to do something about her.”

“I didn’t want you to bring her here. I wanted you to get her to leave India.”

“Well,” Cal said, “we need to find out what made her suspicious so that we can change it. We don’t want anyone suspicious. I mean, look how it has affected you! You’re a wreck. We need you to talk to Hernandez, since you’ve already spoken with her. We think she’ll talk to you, or at least there’ll be a better chance, because she won’t talk to us.”

“No,” Veena said definitively. “I don’t want to talk with her. She made me feel terrible when I did. Conversing with her reminds me of what I did to her grandmother. Don’t make me do it!”

“We don’t have much choice,” Durell said. “You have to do it. Besides, Cal implied it’s for your peace of mind as well as ours.”

“It’s true, Veena,” Cal said. “Plus, I don’t think you want us to call off our friends who are leaning on your father, keeping him in line and away from you and your sisters.”

“That’s not fair!” Veena yelled, color suffusing her cheeks. “You promised that was to be forever.”

“What’s forever?” Cal questioned. “Come on, Veena. It’s not like we’re asking you to do something difficult. Hell, she might not even tell you. If that’s the case, so be it. But we need to try. We think you’ll be able to do it.”

“If she tells me, what then?” Veena demanded. “What will happen to her?”

Cal and Durell glanced at each other for a moment. “We call the people that brought her here so that they can take her back.”

“Back to her hotel?” Veena asked.

“That’s it. Back to her hotel,” Durell agreed.

“Alright. I’ll talk to her,” Veena said, with sudden resolve. “But I cannot promise anything.”