A'S

marble walls as if they were bounci

e window, he said in a l

shook suddenly

o, no

ice low but command

d slipped inside the little guest closet just outside the study which always smelt like cedar and leath

ouder. Followed by the disti

e door

e said sharply, tr

ge-tones more than words. The officers weren't just cautious. They were terrifi

Mara Ellison," one said. "Ross Lar

le

mooth. "Ross says a lot of th

still

thing unless you're ready to lose your badge

d my

what I can do. You step further into my home without a warr

hat followed

tsteps. Doors opening. Then

e longer. Then the clo

gaze unreadable. "

en air, heart still r

nce, slowly

peak. I felt grateful and almost ready to cry, b

t revenge?" he

ught me off gua

understand this-Ross crossed a line coming h

pau

p you hurt him, Mara,

was bitter

. And you need to make sure... no one

his eyes flicked to mine like a war

. "You think I w

he said flatly. "I care about wh

lead Ross back her

nd left us confused. Sometimes I believed that Luca cared, because I could see a tiny spark of regre

aw me as just a girl running from her own madness. But I couldn't bring

the day pass

lking aimlessly about, I touched pieces of furniture I didn't know, woul

to evening, I was real

not wandered through much. A thin layer of sunlight was shining through the tall and grimy windows ont

heard h

u

The little study at the end of the hallwa

isten. I swear I d

I hear

on's s

dn't b

ry clear on the phone, while the other voice was hard to hear. I presse

on's

ame b

he kept from me, things my mother avoided bringing up. But I had hear

heard it ag

coincidence? Was it abo

. It felt too spec

ever just disappeared. They buried themselves deep, lik

said. My blood went cold.

pa

ice, too s

But she doesn't know. N

back hitting the wall, my m

on't I

he been-that made me the targe

is wasn't ju

gger. Old

ack in the m

my neck-my father's. He gave it to me when I turned six

like a key to som

ouldn't catch the next words. But i