m was nicer than her

her more than

rypted phone on the pillow beside her, and stared at the wall like it owed her an expla

ter and two painkillers on the

now what to

w what to do w

one... had fourteen m

she was going to tell him, because Rino had been with her for three years and he dese

ressed and stared at the ceilin

t him the way she used to before he died. His voice. The specific way he laughed at his own jokes before he got to th

ting at that same Sunday ta

f her hand against her

herself. Fall apar

up bef

orenzo already at the table, suit jacket on, a folder open in front of

up when sh

oked a

them said g

oss from him because the table was large e

food,"

see

shoul

pped both hands around the mug. "I wan

awyer is bringing

o makes house calls a

turned a page. "His name is Fausto. Don't be charmed by h

iled. She sto

ut the public announ

abou

it the more time Marco has to build a counter-narrati

t her properly. "He will find out you were

cold. "You

His voice was completely level. Like a leak in

tremely careful about what we say in

me there's a spy in your own house

p reporting to Marco while cont

d up his

l. An enemy who thinks he'

operated three steps ahead of every co

y this,"

," he said. "Th

s were grey and still, the gardens wet from last night's rai

g to lose his mind,

an

r a shipping firm for the last eighteen months." She looked

ll you t

ple." She said it flat. No emotion. "He'll believe the falling fast pa

knows

s expression. Not softness ex

mother?"

ll." Her voice came out smaller than she wanted. "Sh

not assessing. The way you look at someone when you are unexpect

dn't

ack down at

grateful

e and he was, in fact

the files on the table with the energy

asked for," he s

ht interested eyes. "You look just

w him?"

ice." He sat down, straightened his cuffs

e." He said it gently. Not as a wound. A

files. Reached f

d came down o

t... present.

not looking away from Va

out question, too

r click

?" sh

and his voice had dropped to something

ion. It's going to feel like betrayal. Each document is going to rewrite a memory you have of

was stil

mes. It doesn't get easier. So I need to ask you... d

ly human that for a second she

missed calls from Rino. She thought about Dante thinking she wo

ong it had been since a

," sh

oved his han

ed the f

nd a document that made h

n't just arranged h

g it for three year

r fifteenth birthday... the week her father had thrown her a pa

man he eventually hir

completely st

Lorenzo s

," she

rned t

ept r