Marielle did not sleep that night. In fact, she forced herself to do anything except sleep. She took her dress off, rinsed her face free of makeup, and removed the jewelry to slip into an oversized T-shirt. Maybe being comfortable would help her think more clearly. She started with cleaning the kitchen by wiping down …
Vincent’s eyes were dry and red, and when tears finally came again, they stung worse than anything he could remember in his adult life. He dreaded crying but knew it was the only form of release he was going to get. Endless hours of sleeplessness had also left his eyes swollen, and he couldn’t remember …
Shortly after they finished eating, Vincent insisted on being returned to his room, where he quietly took up reading Dracula again. Klara tried talking to him several times, even though he still refused to respond to anyone other than Marielle. She asked, “You’re smart, right? We’ll have to work together sometime.” Klara was this way …
The next day, Barbara met Marielle at the door, gray pistol case in hand, and explained that Marielle needed Sasha to qualify her for its use and sign it out. Since Marielle knew how to use a pistol well, she was annoyed to say the least. Although she wanted to see Vincent, she obeyed protocol …