rice

creaked open with the same eeri

felt like walkin

gh, calm and poised, just as I was trained to be. The d

ally n

hen I was walkin

greeted me stiffly. "Your fat

s," I whispered

leaming, chandeliers sparkling. From the outsid

... it ree

her had eyes everywhere, and I had to act like I hadn't betrayed him. Like

urse, keeping my face blank,

Every step reminded me of the danger. Of Kelvi

ce on the he

e the deep voi

nte

saw

Sam

fat

cing the wide window behind his desk.

etly. "You've been gone

keeping my voice steady. "

ally t

ately notice

s were

ne of them was already crumpled slightly at

the docks," h

caught in

mb. Sta

I was

a man t

ou... you had

ially after the Rico incident. One of my b

ned fo

u love

sita

ie had

I whi

ssion did

r. No s

disapp

ore foolish th

around the desk, circling m

man, but you love a ghost. A boy raised by vengeance. A boy

s not

our softness, my men are dead. My routes ar

ightly, but he cl

"And tell me, if it came down to i

ds tre

k in his face. Tell him about the files. The pictures. T

I whispered,

es, I might not lea

ared

and

wly... h

oo

lowed.

himself a glass of dark

going to use

you talk

d the window ag

. The terrified daughter. Feed him small truths. Keep

d back t

oing to brin

t dried

was

full

ust me. He w

betray

I d

e to stay soft.

ld, hollow smile I had a

l have no

ween us stretch

ind

r make it out of the mansion alive

odded

o what

tudi

is wine again

't his gir

r what I

hat I was a

t had been locked off since my mother's mysterious death when

s known tha

I needed

rotated shifts, 3:00 am,

etly, using an old key I had st

n slowly, and I step

mell of old wood, forgotten perf

s once

mot

was the truth about

started scanning every shelf,

nd an old dres

n compa

... wa

k. L

ed the

insi

ogra

s of

ling with my f

ures of her with

pp

ha

ver one of

ther's handwritin

er knew a

gs we

dusty floor,

and Kelvin

ere in

creaked b

urning the

oved in th

tst

e had

ved it into my bag, an

steps go

cl

door silently,

no w

y t

wasn't