ena

f expensive perfume and stale cigarette smoke, a

row bed, my posture unnatur

s brushing her long blonde hair, each stroke a s

one shoulder, exposing a lin

the light in the room toward itself, an

my hands clasped so ti

ency," I said, my voice a ca

topped b

sive appraisal of my form. Then she looked at me, h

like you have the direct co

a question, but a sha

, forcing the muscles around my m

d ease. "A misrouted message. He asked me to retrieve your frequency because he wants a form

that was more air than sound. A smu

n alliance with me?" she asked, tu

er perfect fa

es

mirror. She wrote a string of numbers on a small piece of paper

ng ledgers, and walked out of the room

rly cold and smelled

ing in the numbers Gianna had given me. I sent t

cate's private archives t

my phone vibra

o beat a heavy, frantic rhythm against the bone. T

from

to dinner. What are her dietary

body going rigid again

the rough-poure

thin fabric of my sweater, a damp

from a feverish Dec

biano had stayed on the line for six hours,

e what my favo

d sweet pastries and

e day, his voice a low, soothing balm

screen, the warmth of the memory curdl

s moving with a slight, almost imperc

ct opposite of

ore my resolve

showed he

and seemed to const

e appeared a

erst

ent paragraphs; now I got a clinical nod. I locked the phone, throat tight, and pushed int