center of the massive walk-in closet, surrounded by racks of designer clothes that Dante had selected for her. Silks, ca

ck corner, where a single, battered cardboard box s

shoes. She pulled them out, running her thumb over the frayed ribbons

as who she was before she became Helena Velasquez. She was a dancer. A principal. And she had walked a

out her phone. She dialed a numb

with a slight German accent

said, her voice ho

heard from you since..." He tr

s. "But I want to dance again. The guest spot w

h contract. The pay is terrible, an

take

id. "But Helena, you need to be

erst

destination. Now she ne

s the necklace. A Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra pendant, twenty motifs of gold and carnelian. Dante

ox. It was heavy. It was worth a fortu

ter, and a baseball cap. She hid her hair under the cap and slid on a pair of oversize

She walked past the glittering storefronts until she reached a

n a tailored suit looked up from the coun

Helena said, placing the

an inch. He examined the necklace, checking the c

e certificate o

ocument from her purse and

rned a few minutes later with a slip of paper. "We can o

what Dante paid, but it

said. "I'll need to

ay. I can have the check drawn up now. It will be as

ck in her bag. She didn't go home. She went to a dance supply store in the Garme

epaid burner phone and a cup of black coffee. She connected to the n

For the first time in two years, a smile touched her

he dogs chase squirrels and the nannies push strollers. She breathed in the crisp

o go back. She had to pack her real life into that

rious. But as she walked back toward the gilded cage on Fifth Avenue, she