onger Elen

imply J

in Queens that reeked of boi

en it rained, and the neighbor

it was

ed two

night, I sketched portraits for tourists

ured and soft, were

ached co

ollar I ear

me of the

re D

working three shifts

hen. I had fo

focated. Now, the cold air of reality wa

a week since

raining, a cold, miserable drizz

ach pulled u

art s

w tha

dow rol

nt

eccable, dry,

n," he

working, sir. Do y

got

shielding himself, but leavin

e your point. It's been a week. You're

ing," I

eaching into

out a ve

pped i

a blue sa

t had gone missing from her h

ain mixed with the te

manipulative tone he used so well. "I know how much it

memory in front of me like

ked a

ed our wed

nd sworn he would pro

t collectors. He had pai

ught he w

s for him. I had beco

even know what

nte," I said,

ce was

a flight to Rome tomorrow. The talks with the French syn

" I re

u always wanted to

m, stunned by

etly. "Before she got too sick. I wanted her to s

thing. You'll get a

n't re

never l

nths to let us go, and

know me at all, do

ar. I don't have tim

hone

ed it imm

ce wen

he bleeding

eyes widening i

never seen h

o prep the OR. If she dies, I k

hun

t me, then

e... there was an acc

d, clutching

ve to

id, testing him. "You're leaving m

pping. "She might lose the... she's h

ed into

barked at

way, splashing dirty sl

ood

he tailligh

left me

r

s for

the vel

g was b

felt

down th

ckered in neon pink

sed t

oing to th

n't w

just made

as maki