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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
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  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
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  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Zsóke whipped around toward the back wall that surrounded the rooftop. “Shut up!”

At Zsóke’s anger, Clarice wanted to curl up in a ball of misery and beg forgiveness.

But all Zsóke’s attention was on that wall. The knife disappeared from Clarice’s vision. Zsóke paced across the roof, intent on something...

Clarice wiped her tears on her sleeve. She couldn’t see anything unusual; the view that direction was nothing but hills, grass and trees. Directly below the restaurant’s wall was an oak tree and the back parking lot.

Yet Zsóke was swift and intent, stalking like a panther on the hunt.

A clicking noise. Clarice knew that sound. She used the arm of a chair to rise and noticed with a leap of hope three iron hooks were dug into the wall’s plaster—a grappling hook—and between them rested something long and dark.

A camera lens. A camera clicking, making a record of Clarice’s torment.

Who could have the guts to rappel up three stories of this building to take photos of her?

Only the paparazzo. Only Bruno. He was her ticket to escape.

Bruno crawled onto the wall and stood with his legs wide. His camera hung around his neck. His brown eyes gleamed with triumph, and he said to Zsóke, “I have pictures!”

Clarice wanted to scream at him, Shut up! Didn’t he realize what Zsóke was? Hadn’t he seen enough to know he challenged a monster?

Zsóke smiled. “I know you have pictures.”

Bruno’s glee faded. He teetered on the brink of realization and the edge of the wall.

“You’re a witness—and I can’t have that.” With both hands, Zsóke shoved him over the edge.

53

ELLE AND ADAM WALKED into the foyer hung with a crystal chandelier and graced by a curving marble stairway, which was overshadowed by the view. The western wall was three stories high and all glass, and the farther Elle walked, the wider the vista grew until all she could see was the sweep of Pacific Ocean stretching to the faint blue horizon. At last she stood still, nose almost touching the sparkling windows, to absorb the wild beauty.

Beside her, Angelica watched Elle intensely. “This is the Great Room. This is what I’ve worked for my whole life, to be able to gaze every day at this view and marvel.”

“There are no words,” Elle said. Except wow, and that seemed too trite.

Adam stood on her other side. “I’ve heard about this, but no one could describe it with the eloquence it deserves.”

His voice seemed to wake Angelica from her concentration on Elle. “I’ve ordered appetizers to be served in the sun porch. This way.”