over the room. He noted the blood on the sheets, the

w now, wrapped in a black robe,

without turning around. "Ta

protocol is to return t

er said. "And she's.

to the guards

ed Arla in a wool blank

a golf cart. They took her to a

ssing a bundle of f

There are no personal items

e door, his ha

wo: You do not attempt to contact the outside wor

ut. The heavy oa

. She count

she

embling in her legs was gone. She walked to

iling: a small r

other red l

. She checked the corners. N

d water run. She splashed her face, scrub

e, low and rough. Always leav

her name. She

explore the

rp objects. No knives. Only r

d the jun

er

rclip, wedged

and to her mouth, pretending to cough, and

y, Culver sat in front

ago," Julian said, reading from a tablet

rom the cottage. Arla was curled up o

marks," Culver said. "Dig deeper. I

amera, her fingernail was scratching a map into the fabric of the so

sed the int

mute," his voice e

k, trembling smile. Under her tongue, the pa