ning room was bathed in the soft

e was set with fine ch

Her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. She looked complete

ad of the table, delicately s

anished. The silver knife scrape

ery end of the long table, the se

ut the heavy wooden chair. The legs scraped loudl

unbuttered toast from a basket. She took a

ll Street Journal. He cleared hi

directly at Elia. "The driver will take you to Queens. It's a public school. Gi

ould do? It's a charity. With her middle-school dropou

her crepe. She looked at El

aid softly. "There are metal detectors at the doors. Will you be

" Mavis sneered. "Tra

It scratched the back of

at Mavis. She di

is tone hardening. "Geri is at Manhattan Elite Prep. She has an image to m

posture, a smug, victo

a linen napkin and wiped the crumbs from her lips. Her

the napkin

eyes and lock

going," E

but it cut through th

room fell d

p onto the saucer. The dark

teful little brat. Do you know how much money Gorge spent b

ened. The veins i

d, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "This is New Y

the victim. "Dad, maybe she just feels bad that she can'

ance. A flicker of pure dis

er chair back

on the mahogany table. Sh

anged the gravity in the room. The a

, her voice dropping an octave. "I a

loud, theatrical

r hand dismissively. "Where? A community college

at Elia with heavy contempt. "En

ked down

tan Eli

dropped l

. Her juice glass tipped over, spilling o

n her throat. She stared at Elia

ing with sudden rage. "Elite Prep requires a massive endowment, perfect test sc

nd on the table. The

lerate pathological lying in my house.

nk. She didn't

k pocket of her jeans. S

reen twice, openi

long, polished table. It stopp

then looked down at

mson crest of Manhattan Elit

ed down to t

etter of A

: Elia

igital ink, was the personal, verified

dilated. His br

rom his face, leavi

lute, broken only by the steady ticking