A month wasn't very long at all; not nearly long enough. But Barnaby had said that it was posing as a hospital, which indicated a great deal of set-up had been needed--so it had to have been in the works for much longer. Certainly, it could have been begun while the wager was still in effect, especially if it was after Lucifer knew Taubolt's nature. He would want revenge on its townsfolk.

The question was entirely unexpected, and Gabriel blinked at Barnaby for a moment. "Um ..." Well, he couldn't very well say 'Heaven', could he? Nearly anything else would be a lie. Nearly. Gabriel smiled ruefully. "Actually, I'm something of a traveller. I've just come from California."