orty-five seconds. In that ti

Her spine was straight. Her face was dry. She had compartmentalized the p

lass and steel, designed to make everyone who entered feel small. Seraphina

t. She ignored it. She knew w

The guards, Mike and Jerry, nodde

corrected quietly,

nfused glances bu

ing doors seemed miles away. The whispers starte

a move

her headset, her eyes locked on Seraphina. "

he way down," som

the dusty, windowless room where she had spent the last year digitizing old

up to the basement level. It smelle

d light on her keycard reader was

locked

old model, the latch loose. She leaned her weight against it, jiggling the

ic

r poppe

ebooks into it-journals filled with sketches of botany and chemistry notes. T

ey

came from

his forehead. Susanna was right behind him, lookin

ain his composure. He straightened his jacket.

d. She didn't look up as she a

her arms. "We're freezing the joint account,

na lied. She had two hundred dol

ked. It was a predatory smile. "We know you

asn't heavy, but it felt like it

n yelled. "Escor

hey looked hesitant. They knew Seraph

f them asked, rea

t raise her voice. She just looked a

y out, Mike,"

thing about her quiet dignity made him fee

e moved around Susanna,

usanna hissed

took the stairs. Four flight

rse it had. The universe loved a pathetic fallacy. The cold wate

-the Vance company driver. He rolled down the wind

ome," she said, a

acco and pine air freshener. She slid into the b

lady?" the

he whispered. "

her pocket. Not a ri

e she kept hidden in the lining of her purse.

The Pr

s flown. Ne

s. Professor Finch. He c

thumbs moving blin

broken. The

y came i

ell him 'Case 404 refere

il's Advocate." The most expensive, ruthless divorce

of rain-or maybe a

strengthening. "Take me to a m