Touched by Angels (Angels Everywhere #3)(22)

“You sure it isn’t your battery?” Emilio asked.

“Good grief, I wouldn’t know.”

The teenager seemed to find her answer amusing. “You know all them fancy words, Teach, but you aren’t so smart when it comes to cars, are you?”

Brynn was more than willing to admit it. “Is it serious?” she asked.

Emilio shrugged. “I haven’t got a clue.”

“I thought you said you knew something about cars.”

“I do, but I ain’t no Mr. Goodwrench.”

“Thanks anyway, Emilio. I appreciate your help.” He’d done a lot more than her fellow teachers. Most had walked right past her.

Brynn closed the hood and locked up the car. She didn’t want to leave it, but she didn’t have any choice. Its hood shut with a bang that echoed through the darkening afternoon. She swung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and with her back stiff, not knowing where to turn, she started out of the parking lot.

“Where you going?” Emilio asked, bouncing the basketball and weaving it in and out of his legs as he walked alongside her.

“I’d better get a tow truck.”

“My brother can do that.”

Brynn paused. “Your brother?”

“Roberto. He’s owns a mechanic shop. If you want, I’ll take you there. He’ll know what to do.”

Frankly, Brynn wished Emilio had said something about his brother sooner. “That would be great.”

“Yeah, well, remember how much I helped you the next time you’re tempted to have me suspended.”

The three-block walk took only a matter of minutes. Brynn spied Roberto’s shop when they turned the corner. It looked as if the garage had once been a neighborhood gas station. The corners of the cement building were chipped and the entire structure was badly in need of a fresh coat of paint.

Emilio opened the glass front door and walked inside. “Roberto!” he shouted.

His brother’s reply was muffled.

“He’s in the garage,” Emilio said, gesturing to the narrow doorway that led to a large open area that served as the repair shop. Brynn followed her student inside.

“I drummed up some business for you,” Emilio announced proudly, and motioned toward Brynn.

Roberto Alcantara slowly unfolded from a quarter panel of the blue Metro and reached for the pink rag tucked inside his coveralls pocket.

“Hello, Mr. Alcantara.”

“Call him Roberto,” Emilio insisted. “This is Miss Cassidy,” he continued, looking well pleased with himself. “She’s the teacher I was telling you about.”

“Hello.”

Roberto nodded and wiped his hands. His face remained emotionless.

“Ms. Cassidy’s having car troubles.”

“My car won’t start,” she elaborated. “I doubt that it’s the battery. It ran perfectly fine this morning . . . at least I thought it did.”

“She doesn’t know anything about cars,” Emilio inserted. “Her specialty is dangling particles.”

“Participles,” Brynn corrected.

Emilio chuckled. “See what I mean?”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Cassidy,” Roberto said coolly, and tossed the rag onto his tool bench.

“I left my car in the school parking lot.” She twisted her arm around and pointed in the direction of the school, which was completely unnecessary. Roberto Alcantara knew very well where the high school was.

Roberto said something to Emilio in Spanish. Emilio nodded quickly, then turned abruptly and hurried out of the garage. Within a matter of a minute she heard the youth talking on the phone, again in Spanish. Before he left, he collected her car keys.

“I’ve had Emilio call for a tow truck,” Roberto informed her. “He’ll meet the driver over at the school.”

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

Roberto said nothing.

Without being obvious, Brynn studied Emilio’s brother. Roberto was tall and lean. His skin was the color of warm honey, his eyes and hair as dark a shade of brown as she’d ever seen. She guessed him to be around her own age, perhaps a year or two older. He wasn’t openly hostile, but he did nothing to put her at ease. Every attempt at conversation was dead-ended.

As the minutes passed, the silence became more and more strained. Brynn wondered what she could have done to earn his disapproval, then realized it must be the incident with Emilio in the hall the first day she was at the school.

“I imagine you’re upset with me because I was the one responsible for Emilio’s suspension,” she tried again. She wouldn’t apologize, but she was prepared to state her side of the case. If he was willing to listen, that was.

“I’m not the least bit upset,” he surprised her by answering. “Emilio knows the rules. He deserved what he got.” He returned to working on the Metro and ignored her.

The next time he straightened, Brynn asked, “You don’t like me, do you?” Normally she wouldn’t be so confrontational, but it had been one of those days. If she’d done something to offend him, she wanted to know about it.

“That’s right,” he concurred.

“Do you mind telling me why?”