A Blossom of Bright Light Read Online Free PDF Page A

buy that it happened at some point.”
    â€œIf she brought the baby by car, she was traveling northbound,” said Vega. “We should check the exit just south of here and the one just north for all recorded vehicle activity in the past twenty-four hours.”
    â€œWill do,” said Greco. The first time Vega told Adele about all the automated license plate readers in the area that could spew out specific car locations with a click of a button, she railed against police invasion of privacy. Vega wondered if she’d change her mind about the technology if it caught the person who did this.
    Greco, of course, pointed out the obvious hole: “We’ll have plenty of raw travel footage. But nothing to tie it to.”
    â€œBy the time you pull it all together, we may.”
    An SUV whizzed by, sucking the air as it passed, nearly knocking them both over. Vega stepped back near the guardrail. He noticed it was scuffed. There were a few chips of paint at his feet and a small, triangular piece of red plastic that appeared to be from the covering of a vehicle indicator light. He pointed out the paint chips and plastic to Greco.
    â€œWe should get the techs to tag and bag this stuff. Maybe it will give us a make and model of car to match up against the license plate reader data.”
    Greco frowned at the red plastic. “I don’t get it.”
    Vega straightened. “Get what?”
    â€œWhy someone would sentence a baby to death out here when, under the Safe Haven Law, all they had to do was walk her into Lake Holly Hospital. Or our police station. Or any manned firehouse, no questions asked. Didn’t even have to be the mother who walked the baby in. Didn’t even have to be in Lake Holly.”
    Vega studied Greco in the bright light of the clearing. His jowls had gotten more pronounced. His shoulders sagged in on themselves like an old pillow. Vega could tell he’d have preferred to spend the rest of his days until retirement filling out theft reports and putting a few more dealers out of commission. He didn’t need the burden of this baby on his conscience.
    Greco opened his mouth and gave voice to what they were both thinking: “What sort of person would choose this instead?”
    Vega offered up the only answer he could think of: “Someone who didn’t see a baby. They saw a problem. And they wanted it to disappear forever.”

Chapter 4
    T he assembly hall was packed for Sunday services. Luna Serrano ushered her younger brother and sister into folding chairs near the back. Papi took the aisle. Luna was glad they’d arrived late. It made it easier to avoid all the small talk and questions. “There’s no point in talking anymore,” Papi had told them this morning, as they were getting ready for church. “It’s in God’s hands now. He’ll listen. Or He won’t.”
    God hadn’t been listening much lately, thought Luna. But she didn’t say this to her father.
    The stage in front was strung with white lights. In the center, an empty lectern awaited the booming, sweaty presence of Pastor Ray. Dulce scratched at the crinoline in her pink dress. Mateo played with his tie.
    â€œSit still,” Luna hissed at her siblings. Dulce stuck out her tongue in response. Papi hunched forward in his folding chair, ignoring all of them, and studied an address on a slip of paper in his hands. He shoved it into his pocket as soon as Pastor Ray bounded onto the stage and an electric guitarist and drummer began playing, “ Dios Está Aquí”— “God Is Here.” The congregation immediately got to their feet, singing and swaying to the music. For a minute, the joyful beat swept Luna away, made her feel almost like a normal fifteen-year-old again.
    Almost.
    â€œWe must be open to the miraculous,” Pastor Ray urged in Spanish as the congregation took their seats. “We must be open, as Paul and Silas in the