- 2 days ago
The Godfather bloody betrayal
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00:00:04at dinner he told his men in Italian he never knew I understood every single
00:00:13word as the mafia dons trophy wife I had long discovered his mistress and the
00:00:17high heels she deliberately left in my home I refused to endure it any longer
00:00:2110 days from now only the gun he custom made for me and a pool of blood will
00:00:26remain on the seaside cliff dawn those 99 times you said you loved me I don't
00:00:33want them anymore I was standing in the corridor outside the private dining room
00:00:38when I dialed the number project ash initiate now the male voice on the other
00:00:42end was calm and steady received the faked death protocol is ready to go in
00:00:4710 days you'll vanish from everyone's world I ended the call pried out the
00:00:51sim card and dropped it into the wastebasket beside the wall from inside the
00:00:54room came a roar of laughter familiar enough to turn my stomach that was Dante
00:00:58Moretti my husband the godfather of the most powerful mafia family on the East
00:01:02Coast surrounded by his loyal and oblivious men tonight was our third wedding
00:01:06anniversary he had rented out the entire restaurant the most expensive
00:01:10champagne the most dishonest smiles a performance called love staged entirely
00:01:15for my benefit I pushed open the door and walked in wearing the same smile I
00:01:20always wore finished your call Dante sat at the head of the long table and reached
00:01:24out to me I crossed the room and placed my hand in his he pulled me into his lap
00:01:28in one smooth motion one arm circling my waist tender and practiced the kind of
00:01:32gesture that now made me want to be sick all done the cleaning service
00:01:37confirmed they'll send someone to the apartment tomorrow Dante nodded and turned
00:01:40back to his underboss resuming a conversation in Italian fast clipped
00:01:44thick with a Sicilian accent the private language of his bloodline and the wall
00:01:48they'd always used to keep me out I smiled along and took a sip of wine I had
00:01:52taught myself Italian over the past three years Dante didn't know that he
00:01:56thought I only spoke English his men thought so too that was Dante's
00:02:02cousin Luca second in command another man
00:02:05says Ray grinned Jack Queen Dante's arrivando stasera
00:02:11non posso incolpare il capo tieni uno rispettabile a casa ti è un ezzitante sul lato tieneslo giù
00:02:17sua moglie è proprio lì
00:02:36non capisci una parola rilassati Dante davvero non le lo diresti e se lo scopi Dante
00:02:42finally spoke his tone easy and indifferent cosa è da scoprire è mia sarà sempre mia ho
00:02:48bisogno di lei dove deve essere facendo quello che dovrebbe fare il resto non ha nulla che avere con lei
00:02:53I felt his hand give my waist a light absent-minded pet the way you'd sue the pet
00:02:57besides he continued in Italian
00:02:59lei è così brava non farà danni
00:03:01low laughter rippled around the table
00:03:04I looked down at the dark red liquid in my glass three years of marriage and they had always looked
00:03:08at me that way pity threaded through contempt
00:03:10I was the godfather's wife and had no real power I was his companion and nothing more than a prop
00:03:15what they didn't know was that the most dangerous hunter is the one who looks the most harmless
00:03:19I set my glass down and stood up from Dante's lap tired he looked up at me
00:03:24mmm I'll head home I'll have someone drive you no need I'll call a car I picked up my bag
00:03:30and walked toward the door as I pulled it open
00:03:32I heard someone say one last thing in Italian behind me
00:03:38I let the door close behind me I knew everything I knew who Scarlett was
00:03:43I knew that woman had been living in the apartment Dante bought her for the past month
00:03:47I knew the entire family had been laughing behind my back calling me a fool who couldn't see what was
00:03:52in front of her
00:03:52but I wouldn't cry I wouldn't rage I wouldn't ask him a single question
00:03:56ten days from now they would all believe I was dead
00:03:59and Dante Moretti would spend the rest of his life remembering every word he said tonight
00:04:11I walked out of that building like a ghost a cab idled at the curb I pulled open the door
00:04:18and gave the address
00:04:19thirty minutes later I was standing in the living room of our penthouse apartment our home that was
00:04:25what Dante called it when he bought this place the air inside was thick with his present cigars whiskey
00:04:30the particular aftershave he wore I used to find that smell comforting
00:04:37now it made my skin crawl I started packing the bedroom first
00:04:44on the nightstand sat the only photo of us together the one taken on the yacht
00:04:48he had his arm around me and I was laughing so hard my eyes were nearly shut
00:04:53that was two years ago he had just been made godfather
00:04:56and all of New York's underworld was saying his name he'd had too much to drink that day
00:05:01held me close and swore to god I was the only woman he would ever love
00:05:06I picked up the frame opened the back and slid the photo out
00:05:11then I tore it in her his half went into the trash bag
00:05:14my half I held in my fist into the walk-in closet
00:05:17I opened the jewelry cabinet everything he had ever given me was in there
00:05:21a diamond bracelet a third anniversary gift ruby earrings bought last Christmas
00:05:27a necklace he'd had custom made the pendant engraved with my initials
00:05:31one by one I took them out one by one I dropped them in
00:05:35the clothes too he'd always said I looked best in the red dress
00:05:39made me wear it to every family gathering
00:05:42the fur coat he'd draped over my shoulders himself
00:05:45claimed he'd brought it back from Milan
00:05:46and the bags Herms Chanel limited editions from boutiques around the world
00:05:50ferried back by his men
00:05:52all of it into the bag
00:05:55when the bag was full I dragged it to the elevator
00:05:58rode down
00:05:59and heaved it into the dumpster
00:06:02back in the apartment I poured a whiskey
00:06:05the liquor burned down my throat
00:06:07and made my eyes sting
00:06:09I moved to the window
00:06:10and looked out over New York
00:06:13this city was everywhere his
00:06:15the casino below
00:06:17the container terminal at the port
00:06:19the weapons depot in Brooklyn
00:06:21he sat at the center of all of it
00:06:23controlling everything
00:06:24including what I used to be
00:06:27that night
00:06:28three years ago came flooding back
00:06:30I had been in New York for only three months
00:06:34running an errand for a friend at one of the dock warehouses
00:06:38and gunshots
00:06:39I didn't even understand what was happening
00:06:48I just knew someone was yanking me backward by the arm
00:06:50it was Dante
00:06:52I didn't know who he was yet
00:06:53all I knew was that he shoved me into a corner
00:06:56and put himself between me and the bullets
00:06:58one of those bullets punched through his shoulder
00:07:01his blood splattered warm across my face
00:07:03he kept firing
00:07:05one arm around me
00:07:06the other shooting back
00:07:07shouting at his men to break through
00:07:09he pinned me so tightly I couldn't move
00:07:12and all I could hear was his heartbeat
00:07:14fast and hard
00:07:15like a drum
00:07:16then he collapsed against me
00:07:18I was soaked in blood
00:07:19and I thought he was dead
00:07:20he looked up at me with what remained of his breath
00:07:23and his mouth pulled into something
00:07:25that wasn't quite a smile
00:07:27you're okay
00:07:29that's what matters
00:07:33I got him to the hospital
00:07:46six hours of surgery
00:07:49when he came around
00:07:50the first thing he did was ask if I was hurt
00:07:53I put flowers on his nightstand
00:07:55and asked him why he had saved me
00:07:58he took my hand and pressed his lips to the back of it
00:08:01because you're the only person I've ever wanted to protect
00:08:05after he was discharged
00:08:06he pursued me for three months
00:08:08I said no
00:08:09and he stood outside my building and waited
00:08:11one day it poured
00:08:12and he stood there for three hours
00:08:15eventually I went downstairs and dragged him inside
00:08:17he was soaked through
00:08:18but he grinned like a kid
00:08:21you finally let me in
00:08:23he sent flowers every day
00:08:25picked me up from work every day
00:08:27said he loved me every day
00:08:29I turned him down 99 times
00:08:32on the 100th
00:08:33he proposed
00:08:34he went down on one knee
00:08:35those hands that could take a life at a thousand yards
00:08:38were shaking as they held the ring
00:08:40I had never seen him like that
00:08:42the youngest godfather in New York mafia history
00:08:45a man who killed without blinking
00:08:48kneeling in front of me
00:08:49and barely able to form words
00:08:51marry me
00:08:52he said
00:08:53I'll spend my life shielding you with mine
00:08:56I said yes
00:08:58the day he left the hospital
00:08:59he held me
00:09:01and whispered against my ear
00:09:02you're my only weakness
00:09:04and my armor
00:09:06I thought that was an eternal vow
00:09:08my phone buzzed
00:09:15I picked it up and opened the recording I had copied
00:09:21Dante's call last night
00:09:23from inside Scarlet's apartment
00:09:25I pressed play
00:09:26you like it
00:09:27his voice
00:09:28low and graveled
00:09:29Scarlet's laugh
00:09:30I love it
00:09:31Dante
00:09:32does your wife know you're like this
00:09:34don't bring her up
00:09:36why not
00:09:37isn't she your one and only
00:09:39Dante laughed
00:09:40a laugh I had never heard from him
00:09:42relaxed
00:09:43unguarded
00:09:46she's the one I keep at home
00:09:47you're the one who lets me breathe
00:09:50different things
00:09:51how different?
00:09:53she'll always be my wife
00:09:55but you?
00:09:57his voice dropped
00:09:58you make me want to let go
00:10:00you're not afraid she'll find out
00:10:02her
00:10:03she'll never find out
00:10:06and even if she did
00:10:08what could she do?
00:10:09she couldn't survive without me
00:10:12the recording kept going
00:10:14I didn't want to hear anymore
00:10:17the man who had taken a bullet for me
00:10:20the man who had stood in the rain waiting for me to say yes
00:10:23the man who told me I was his armor
00:10:25that man was lying
00:10:27in another woman's bed
00:10:29I set the phone on the table
00:10:31my fingers brushed something cold
00:10:33the engagement ring
00:10:34three years on my hand
00:10:35taken off only just now
00:10:37I walked to the window
00:10:42and threw it out
00:10:43the man who had shielded me with his body
00:10:45the man who had called me his only one
00:10:47the man who had made me believe in love
00:10:49he had changed
00:10:50or maybe he had always been this way
00:10:52and I was only seeing it clearly now
00:11:00the next afternoon at two
00:11:01Dante's car pulled up in front of the building
00:11:03when I got in
00:11:04he leaned over out of habit
00:11:06and pressed a kiss to my cheek
00:11:08I pulled back
00:11:09he went still
00:11:10I caught the flash of hurt in his eyes
00:11:12which struck me as almost funny
00:11:14he was the one who had betrayed me first
00:11:16and here he was
00:11:17genuinely wounded
00:11:19nothing's wrong
00:11:20I said
00:11:20just a bit of a headache
00:11:22he relaxed
00:11:24I want to show you something
00:11:25you'll see when we get there
00:11:27he said
00:11:29he held my hand the entire ride
00:11:30thumb brushing slow circles across my knuckles
00:11:32his habitual small gesture
00:11:34I used to think it was intimacy
00:11:36now it just felt like irony
00:11:39the car turned into a warehouse
00:11:40wound between rows of cargo containers
00:11:43and stopped in front of a steel door
00:11:45the door opened onto a staircase
00:11:47that led two flights down
00:11:49and then the space opened up
00:11:50into something unexpected
00:11:52an underground shooting range
00:11:53twenty or so people were already there
00:11:55the core of the family
00:11:56Luca
00:11:58Gacisere
00:11:58a handful of district captains
00:12:00whose names I had never bothered to learn
00:12:01they all stopped talking
00:12:03when we walked in
00:12:05Dante led me forward by the hand
00:12:07his grip warm and tight
00:12:08Césaray called out
00:12:10boss
00:12:10heard the delivery came in
00:12:12let's see it
00:12:13Dante ignored him
00:12:14and brought me to the long table
00:12:16in the center of the range
00:12:18a black metal case sat on the table
00:12:20solid craftsmanship
00:12:21copper banded at the corners
00:12:23he let go of my hand
00:12:25and entered the code
00:12:25a click
00:12:27the lid opened
00:12:30inside
00:12:30lay a gun
00:12:31silver
00:12:32small and elegant
00:12:33the grip inlaid with dark filigree
00:12:35that caught the light
00:12:36in tiny scattered glints
00:12:37Dante lifted it out
00:12:39and turned to face me
00:12:41come here
00:12:49I walked over
00:12:51every eye in the room was on me
00:12:53he placed the gun in my hands
00:12:56the curve of the grip settled perfectly against my palm
00:12:59the weight was right too
00:13:00a little lighter than what I trained with before
00:13:03I tested the trigger
00:13:04the pull was just right
00:13:06no need to force it
00:13:07he had memorized the size of my hands
00:13:09remembered the grip I preferred
00:13:10knew exactly how heavy
00:13:12I liked a gun to be
00:13:13he had brought me here many times over the past three years
00:13:15every session side by side shot by shot
00:13:18until we had built something like fluency in each other's habits
00:13:20he kept a record of all of them
00:13:22custom made to your specifications
00:13:24he said
00:13:25right-handed grip
00:13:26barrel rifled one degree left
00:13:28the best gunsmith in Italy
00:13:30handmade
00:13:31three months in the making
00:13:33there isn't another one like it in the world
00:13:35I looked down
00:13:36along the grip
00:13:38etched in fine flowing script
00:13:39were two letters
00:13:40VR
00:13:41my initials
00:13:42the room
00:13:43erupted
00:13:44the boss never gave a woman a gun before
00:13:47and it's custom
00:13:47I've been with him ten years
00:13:49I've never got this treatment
00:13:53Viviana
00:13:53do you know what this thing is worth
00:13:55you could buy a Manhattan apartment with that money
00:13:58Dante smiled and raised one hand
00:14:00the room quieted
00:14:01that gun is yours
00:14:02he said
00:14:03not loud
00:14:04but the whole range could hear him
00:14:06nobody touches it without my permission
00:14:09are we clear?
00:14:10I looked up at him
00:14:11there was a smile in his eyes
00:14:13but something else beneath it
00:14:14that possessiveness of his
00:14:16the pride of claiming ownership in front of everyone he commanded
00:14:19clear
00:14:20I said
00:14:22he nodded
00:14:22satisfied
00:14:23then he stepped behind me
00:14:25closed his hands over mine
00:14:26and we held the gun together
00:14:28his chest was against my back
00:14:30warm
00:14:31three years ago
00:14:32this would have made my pulse race
00:14:34now all I can think about
00:14:36is the recording from last night
00:14:38does he press himself against her the same way?
00:14:41speak in that low
00:14:42gentle voice into her ear?
00:14:44line up the sights
00:14:46aim for center
00:14:47ten rings
00:14:48when the magazine ran dry
00:14:50I turned to face him
00:14:59his eyes were full of pride
00:15:00the kind that says I trained her myself
00:15:02he pulled me into him
00:15:04and bent his head to kiss my hair
00:15:06I breathed in the smell of him
00:15:07and could only think about how that same smell
00:15:09had clung to another woman last night
00:15:12the others were already clamoring
00:15:14to go drinking
00:15:15Dante walked out with his arm around me
00:15:17the district captains trailing behind
00:15:18still debating my last few shots
00:15:21we were at the warehouse entrance
00:15:23when his phone rang
00:15:24he glanced at the screen
00:15:26and his expression shifted
00:15:28just for a moment
00:15:28but I saw it
00:15:29that pleased
00:15:30loosened look
00:15:31instantly suppressed
00:15:32replaced by something
00:15:33carefully arranged
00:15:34to look like concern
00:15:35yeah
00:15:36he listened for a few seconds
00:15:39got it
00:15:40I'm on my way
00:15:42he ended the call
00:15:43and looked at me
00:15:44his face carried
00:15:45that specific blend of apology
00:15:46and urgency
00:15:47he wore so well
00:15:49Vivian
00:15:50there's a problem
00:15:51down at the port
00:15:51I have to go handle it
00:15:53Cesar will take you home
00:15:56I didn't tell him
00:15:57I'd heard Scarlet's voice
00:15:58in the background
00:16:00God
00:16:00he was good
00:16:03come on
00:16:04I'll drive you
00:16:04Cesaré stepped forward
00:16:06I followed him
00:16:07to the other car
00:16:09before I got in
00:16:10I glanced back
00:16:13at the corner
00:16:14a red sports car
00:16:15was parked with its lights on
00:16:16a Porsche
00:16:17new model
00:16:18I couldn't make out
00:16:19the face inside
00:16:20but I could see
00:16:21the long blonde hair
00:16:22Scarlet's car
00:16:23I had seen it once before
00:16:24last week on Dante's phone
00:16:25Scarlet had sent him
00:16:26a photo of herself
00:16:27leaning against the hood
00:16:28smiling with a caption
00:16:29that read
00:16:30come pick me up
00:16:31he wasn't going to the port
00:16:32that shipment had arrived
00:16:34three days ago
00:16:35Luca had reported
00:16:37last night
00:16:37that everything was fine
00:16:38he was going to her
00:16:40three months ago
00:16:42Scarlet had appeared
00:16:43in his life
00:16:43he had been commissioning
00:16:45custom gifts for me
00:16:46while texting her
00:16:46memorizing my shooting habits
00:16:48while figuring out
00:16:49how to get her into bed
00:16:50I almost laughed at that
00:16:51what was I laughing at
00:16:52at how certain he was
00:16:53I didn't know
00:16:54at how convincing
00:16:55his performance had been
00:16:57or at myself
00:16:58knowing everything perfectly
00:16:59and still feeling it
00:17:00like a punch to the chest
00:17:01when I saw that red car
00:17:08the elevator doors opened
00:17:11I walked into the apartment
00:17:12everything looked exactly
00:17:14as I'd left it
00:17:15but something felt off
00:17:17the moment
00:17:17I stepped through the door
00:17:18the air had changed
00:17:21a trace of perfume
00:17:23faint but real
00:17:24sweet and cloying
00:17:26with a floral undertone
00:17:29not mine
00:17:30I had never worn
00:17:31anything like that
00:17:32I went into the bedroom
00:17:35I had left in a hurry
00:17:36that morning
00:17:37the comforter shoved aside
00:17:38pillows askew
00:17:40now the bedding was smooth
00:17:41both pillows set neatly
00:17:43side by side
00:17:44the corners tucked
00:17:45someone had been here
00:17:47someone had come
00:17:48into my bedroom
00:17:48and touched my bed
00:17:50I checked the wardrobe
00:17:53all my clothes were hanging
00:17:54where I'd left them
00:17:55undisturbed
00:17:56I exhaled
00:17:57and was about to turn away
00:17:59when something caught
00:18:00the edge of my vision
00:18:01on the innermost shelf
00:18:03a single high heel
00:18:04red stiletto
00:18:06the vamp glittering
00:18:08with rhinestones
00:18:08not my size
00:18:10not my style
00:18:12I had never owned
00:18:13anything like it
00:18:14she had left it here
00:18:15on purpose
00:18:16this apartment
00:18:17was Dante's private ground
00:18:19in three years
00:18:20I had never seen
00:18:21a single family member
00:18:22set foot inside
00:18:23without being invited
00:18:25even Luca called ahead
00:18:26and waited at the door
00:18:28Cicere only ever
00:18:29delivered things
00:18:30to the lobby downstairs
00:18:31anyone else
00:18:32didn't even come
00:18:33into the building
00:18:34and yet someone
00:18:35had been inside
00:18:35a woman
00:18:36wearing perfume
00:18:38I would never wear
00:18:39shoes I would never own
00:18:40and she had made
00:18:41herself at home
00:18:42in my bed
00:18:52I picked up my phone
00:18:53and almost called Dante
00:18:54then I didn't
00:18:56what would I even say
00:18:57did you bring
00:18:58another woman here
00:18:59he would say no
00:19:00he'd say I was
00:19:02imagining things
00:19:03he'd say that must be
00:19:04the cleaning lady's perfume
00:19:05he would perform it
00:19:06flawlessly
00:19:07he always did
00:19:08the nausea rose again
00:19:10she had been here
00:19:11maybe yesterday
00:19:13maybe this very afternoon
00:19:14I went to the guest room
00:19:16and closed the door
00:19:17it smelled faintly of dust
00:19:19no one had slept here
00:19:20in a long time
00:19:21but it was better
00:19:22than the bedroom
00:19:23no perfume
00:19:24no sign of anyone
00:19:25I lay down
00:19:26and stared at the ceiling
00:19:27my phone buzzed
00:19:28a message from Dante
00:19:31asleep already
00:19:32I looked at those two words
00:19:33and tried to picture
00:19:34where he was
00:19:35when he sent them
00:19:36in his car
00:19:37in her apartment
00:19:38just out of her bed
00:19:39I typed back
00:19:40yes
00:19:41his call came through
00:19:43immediately
00:19:43I watched his name
00:19:45on the screen
00:19:46hesitated two seconds
00:19:47picked up
00:19:49you're asleep
00:19:50and you still answered
00:19:51there was a smile
00:19:52in his voice
00:19:52you woke me up
00:19:54I miss you
00:19:55he said
00:19:56I'll definitely come home
00:19:57early tomorrow
00:19:58to be with you
00:19:58I closed my eyes
00:19:59okay
00:20:00he would come home
00:20:02wearing her perfume
00:20:03maybe with a mark
00:20:04on his neck
00:20:05with that gentle face
00:20:06of his
00:20:07telling me he had missed me
00:20:09and I
00:20:10would pretend
00:20:11I had no idea
00:20:19when I came downstairs
00:20:20the next morning
00:20:21Dante was already
00:20:22at the table
00:20:23he stood up
00:20:24when he saw me
00:20:24and crossed the room
00:20:25to hold me
00:20:32got back late last night
00:20:33hope I didn't disturb you
00:20:35no
00:20:35I said
00:20:36I slept soundly
00:20:40he walked me to the table
00:20:41and pulled out my chair
00:20:44the coffee was hot
00:20:46the toast was golden
00:20:47he had buttered it himself
00:20:49and set it on my plate
00:20:50three years
00:20:51every time he came home late
00:20:52the next morning
00:20:53looked like this
00:20:55attentive solicitous
00:20:56walking on eggshells
00:20:59only this time
00:21:00it was more than usual
00:21:01guilt from cheating maybe
00:21:03or the sense that
00:21:04I'd noticed something
00:21:05I didn't care which
00:21:10get the situation
00:21:11sorted out last night
00:21:12I asked
00:21:13yeah
00:21:14that shipment at the port
00:21:15was a headache
00:21:15but we handled it
00:21:18I nodded and took
00:21:19a bite of toast
00:21:20he watched me eat
00:21:22his fingers tapped
00:21:23lightly on the table
00:21:24that was his nervous habit
00:21:25three years of watching him
00:21:26I could read it easily
00:21:28Vivian
00:21:29he began
00:21:30I want to make it up to you
00:21:32I looked up
00:21:33I've been neglecting you lately
00:21:36too much going on
00:21:37this weekend
00:21:38let's go to the island
00:21:40just the two of us
00:21:41he covered my hand
00:21:43with his expression
00:21:43doing something careful
00:21:44and deliberate
00:21:46I have a surprise for you
00:21:48you
00:21:49you
00:22:09I said
00:22:10you'll love it
00:22:11he squeezed my hand
00:22:12I promise
00:22:15I looked at the expectation
00:22:16in his eyes
00:22:17he thought I knew nothing
00:22:18he thought a weekend getaway
00:22:20could patch over
00:22:20every late night
00:22:21he'd clocked lately
00:22:22alright
00:22:23I said
00:22:24he smiled and leaned in
00:22:26to kiss me
00:22:26I closed my eyes
00:22:28behind them
00:22:28the red stiletto
00:22:29the cloying perfume
00:22:31the particular way
00:22:32he had smelled
00:22:32when he came home
00:22:33last night
00:22:36I had a great deal
00:22:37to do in the next
00:22:38three days
00:22:39on the first night
00:22:40Dante drank
00:22:41he had always had
00:22:42a good head for liquor
00:22:43but he drank heavily
00:22:44that evening
00:22:45maybe guilt
00:22:45maybe shame
00:22:46I didn't care
00:22:47about his reasons
00:22:48I only needed him drunk
00:22:50when he was out
00:22:51sprawled across the bed
00:22:52I took his phone
00:22:53lifted his right hand
00:22:54and pressed his thumb
00:22:55to the screen
00:22:57unlocked
00:22:59I pulled up
00:23:00the documents
00:23:00I needed signed
00:23:01one by one
00:23:03asset transfer paperwork
00:23:04I had spent
00:23:05the last few days
00:23:05preparing
00:23:06more than enough
00:23:07to live on
00:23:08after I disappeared
00:23:09I went back
00:23:10to the bedroom
00:23:11he was half conscious
00:23:12mumbling something
00:23:16Dante
00:23:17I need your signature
00:23:18on a few things
00:23:19I said softly
00:23:20sign what?
00:23:22he murmured
00:23:24for the company
00:23:25Luca said
00:23:27it's urgent
00:23:27he nodded
00:23:28I eased him upright
00:23:30and put a pen
00:23:30in his hand
00:23:31without looking
00:23:32at a single page
00:23:33he signed
00:23:33wherever I pointed
00:23:37when the last
00:23:37signature was done
00:23:38he dropped back
00:23:39against the pillow
00:23:40and was fully out
00:23:41I stood at the edge
00:23:42of the bed
00:23:43looking at him
00:23:44three years
00:23:44I had loved that face
00:23:46that face had smiled
00:23:48at me
00:23:48cried in front of me
00:23:49made promises to me
00:23:50last night
00:23:51it had been pressed
00:23:52against another woman's neck
00:23:54no matter
00:23:55this island trip
00:23:56would be my best opportunity
00:23:58two days from now
00:23:59gone for good
00:24:02goodbye Dante
00:24:15Saturday night
00:24:16eight o'clock
00:24:17two suitcases
00:24:19stood side by side
00:24:20in the entryway
00:24:20the boat to the island
00:24:22left first thing
00:24:23tomorrow morning
00:24:23I was packed
00:24:24and ready
00:24:26Dante was on the sofa
00:24:27taking a call
00:24:28his voice kept deliberately low
00:24:30but I was in the kitchen doorway
00:24:31pouring a glass of water
00:24:33and I caught the last few words anyway
00:24:36got it
00:24:36I'm coming now
00:24:38he hung up
00:24:39and came to find me
00:24:41wearing the expression
00:24:42I knew far too well
00:24:45apologetic
00:24:45urgent
00:24:46and underneath it
00:24:47that almost invisible guilt
00:24:52he laid his hand
00:24:53on my shoulder
00:24:54and gave it
00:24:55a gentle squeeze
00:24:56Vivian
00:24:57I have to step out
00:24:58and handle something
00:25:00I looked at him
00:25:00over the rim of my glass
00:25:01and said nothing
00:25:03there's an emergency
00:25:04at the port
00:25:04I have to go myself
00:25:09we're leaving for the island
00:25:10first thing tomorrow morning
00:25:11I said
00:25:12I know
00:25:13I'll deal with it
00:25:14and come straight to the island
00:25:16you go ahead with the boat
00:25:17I'll be there a few hours behind you
00:25:19liar
00:25:20I looked at his eyes
00:25:21gray blue
00:25:22beautiful
00:25:22right now they carried
00:25:23a flicker of evasion
00:25:24but mostly that uncompromising certainty
00:25:27the look of a man
00:25:28who has already made his choice
00:25:29and is merely informing you of it
00:25:32but I wanted to try
00:25:33one last time
00:25:34for the sake of my three years
00:25:35to give him one final chance
00:25:38can't someone else go
00:25:39Luca or Seseza
00:25:42I heard something
00:25:43in my own voice
00:25:44a plea I hadn't intended
00:25:45to let through
00:25:46something crossed his face
00:25:47quick but I saw it
00:25:48Luca's in Brooklyn
00:25:50dealing with something else
00:25:51Cesari can't handle this one
00:25:53he smiled
00:25:54that soothing
00:25:55coaxing smile
00:25:56his hand came up
00:25:57to touch my face
00:26:01business stuff
00:26:02you wouldn't understand it
00:26:07it'll only be a few hours
00:26:09I promise I'll spend all day
00:26:11with you tomorrow
00:26:22I held his gaze
00:26:23for several seconds
00:26:24his eyes slid sideways
00:26:26for just a moment
00:26:26then came back to me
00:26:28I mean it
00:26:29I promise
00:26:32that's what you said
00:26:33last night too
00:26:34last chance
00:26:35Dante
00:26:36he exhaled
00:26:37and reached out
00:26:38to hold me
00:26:38I stepped back
00:26:39his arms stayed open
00:26:41in the air
00:26:41between us
00:26:43this one is a real emergency
00:26:44that cargo run
00:26:46something's gone wrong
00:26:47with the shipment
00:26:47if I don't deal with it
00:26:48tonight
00:26:48the losses will be significant
00:26:50what cargo
00:26:54go
00:26:55just the port job
00:26:56you know the one
00:26:57I didn't
00:26:58he had never told me
00:27:00the details of his business
00:27:01he always said not to worry
00:27:03now he was using it as an excuse
00:27:04knowing I had nothing to push back with
00:27:06I nodded
00:27:07go ahead then
00:27:09he visibly relaxed
00:27:11a smile broke across his face
00:27:12he stepped forward
00:27:13and pulled me in
00:27:15thank you for understanding
00:27:17I swear tomorrow is all yours
00:27:20anything you want on the island
00:27:22will do it
00:27:23his chin rested on top of my head
00:27:25his hand moved in slow familiar circles on my back
00:27:28he had done this thousands of times
00:27:29over three years
00:27:30I used to think it was comfort
00:27:32now it felt like a courtesy
00:27:37I love you
00:27:38wait for me
00:27:39he said
00:27:42he walked past me
00:27:43picked up his coat from the entryway
00:27:45and pushed through the door
00:27:51I went to the window and looked down
00:27:54his black sedan was at the curb
00:27:55the driver already holding the rear door open
00:27:58and at the corner
00:27:59under the street lamp
00:28:00the red sports car was parked and waiting
00:28:02I couldn't tell from here
00:28:03whether someone was inside
00:28:04but I knew there was
00:28:05that car was waiting for him
00:28:07for her
00:28:07he wasn't going to the port
00:28:18I could picture it
00:28:19he would get out of his car
00:28:20she would come forward to meet him
00:28:22he would pull her into his arms
00:28:26I watched his sedan pull away
00:28:29then I watched the red car follow it and vanish
00:28:35then I went to the bedroom
00:28:36and took out the gun he had given me
00:28:41I drove to the cliffs at the shore
00:28:46the eastern tip of Long Island below
00:28:48black rocks and open sea
00:28:51no one came here at night
00:28:52just the wind and the sound of waves
00:28:54beating against the reef
00:28:55over and over
00:28:56I parked at the roadside
00:28:57and walked to the edge with the gun
00:28:59the wind was fierce enough to whip my hair across my face
00:29:02all I could hear was the water
00:29:03far away and close at once
00:29:05like another world
00:29:07I crouched down
00:29:08took out the bag of blood I'd brought
00:29:09and poured it over the gun
00:29:11and across the rocks around it
00:29:14I stood
00:29:15stepped back
00:29:16studied the scene
00:29:17then I drew the gun
00:29:18and fired once
00:29:19into the open air
00:29:20bang
00:29:20the casing landed in the blood
00:29:21I dropped the gun beside it
00:29:23it struck the stone
00:29:24and left a dent on the barrel
00:29:25gun blood
00:29:26casing
00:29:26it looked like someone had come here to end their life
00:29:29and gone over the edge
00:29:30the ash team would make sure everything else was perfect
00:29:33by morning someone would find it
00:29:35the police would be called
00:29:36he would be notified
00:29:37I stood there a moment longer
00:29:38looking at what I'd left behind
00:29:39then I turned and walked back to the car
00:29:41I didn't look back
00:29:52at three in the morning
00:29:54I pulled into the airport parking structure
00:29:55grabbed my bags
00:29:56and walked into the terminal
00:29:59I found the check-in counter
00:30:00good evening
00:30:01a one-way ticket to Zurich
00:30:03the agent glanced at my passport
00:30:05and tapped at her keyboard
00:30:07Miss Phoenix
00:30:08your flight departs at six
00:30:09you can check your luggage now
00:30:13yes
00:30:14have a pleasant journey
00:30:18I took the boarding pass
00:30:20and walked toward security
00:30:21my phone was still in my pocket
00:30:23I took it out
00:30:24and dropped it into the trash
00:30:25on my way through
00:30:27goodbye Dante
00:30:28goodbye to your world of lies and deceit
00:30:37the plane began to taxi
00:30:39then it accelerated
00:30:40and lifted off
00:30:41New York shrank below the window
00:30:43the towers
00:30:43the streets
00:30:44the places I had lived for three years
00:30:47the world that belonged to Dante Moretti
00:30:49in ten hours I would wake up in another country
00:30:51no Dante
00:30:52no scarlet
00:30:53no lies
00:30:53no betrayal
00:30:54he would spend the rest of his life
00:30:56remembering that the night he chose to leave
00:30:57his wife had walked to the sea
00:30:59and never come back
00:31:00the next morning at ten
00:31:01Dante's boat docked
00:31:02at the pier of the private island
00:31:04the sun was strong
00:31:05the water a brilliant blue
00:31:06Dante jumped off the bow
00:31:07bodyguards behind him
00:31:09a bunch of white roses in his hand
00:31:10he'd had them flown in from Manhattan
00:31:12the night before
00:31:13she here yet?
00:31:14he asked
00:31:14the steward who came to meet him
00:31:15the steward's face was wrong
00:31:17sir
00:31:18miss Vivian hasn't arrived
00:31:19Dante frowned
00:31:20hasn't arrived
00:31:21the boat left at eight
00:31:22the pier reports she never boarded
00:31:24he pulled out
00:31:25his phone and called her
00:31:26switched off
00:31:27called again
00:31:28still switched off
00:31:29send someone to check the apartment
00:31:30he said it
00:31:31to the bodyguard behind him
00:31:32and kept walking toward the villa
00:31:33she'd overslept probably
00:31:35missed the boat
00:31:36let her phone die
00:31:37he kept telling himself things
00:31:38like that as he walked
00:31:40the villa was on the eastern bluffs
00:31:42of the island three stories
00:31:43white floor to ceiling windows
00:31:45facing the sea
00:31:46Dante pushed inside
00:31:47the living room was empty
00:31:50on the table sat a bottle of wine
00:31:52and two glasses
00:31:53he had asked someone to set that up
00:31:55he'd been planning to sit here
00:31:57with her tonight
00:31:57and watch the sun go down
00:32:00his phone rang
00:32:04sir
00:32:05no one at the apartment
00:32:06but we found something at the shore
00:32:09what shore be specific
00:32:11two seconds of silence on the line
00:32:13the bluffs on the eastern end of Long Island
00:32:15you should come see this yourself
00:32:17three hours later
00:32:18Dante stood at the edge of those cliffs
00:32:20the sun had shifted west
00:32:22the sea wind tore at his hair
00:32:23he looked down at what lay on the rocks
00:32:25a gun silver
00:32:26the grip engraved with VR
00:32:28the one he had given her
00:32:29the stones around the gun were stained
00:32:31dark red brown
00:32:32dried now
00:32:38a white silk scarf soaked through
00:32:40had blown into the scrub at the edge
00:32:42he crouched and reached for the gun
00:32:44the instant
00:32:45his fingers touched the metal
00:32:46his entire body went rigid
00:32:48sir
00:32:49the bodyguard behind him said
00:32:51we received a report this morning
00:32:54someone spotted blood
00:32:55at the base of the cliffs
00:32:56the coast guard is conducting a search
00:32:58Dante said nothing
00:32:59he stared at the gun
00:33:01at the blood
00:33:02at the scarf
00:33:02she had been here last night
00:33:04with his gun
00:33:05he saw it in his mind
00:33:06the moment he'd left the apartment
00:33:08she had been standing at the window
00:33:09looking down at the street
00:33:10when he'd settled into the car
00:33:12had he glanced back
00:33:14he hadn't
00:33:14he had told his driver to take
00:33:16him straight to Scarlet's
00:33:18sir
00:33:19the bodyguard's voice came
00:33:20from far away
00:33:22Dante stood up
00:33:23turned and walked toward the car
00:33:24moving fast
00:33:25sir
00:33:26where to
00:33:27the island
00:33:30now
00:33:32it was nearly six by the time
00:33:33the boat reached the island again
00:33:35the sun was sinking
00:33:36turning the water red
00:33:37Dante went through
00:33:39the villa room by room
00:33:40bedroom empty
00:33:41her luggage gone
00:33:42bathroom
00:33:43her skin care things gone
00:33:45wardrobe
00:33:45her clothes
00:33:46all gone
00:33:47he stood in the middle
00:33:48of the empty wardrobe
00:33:49and looked at the bare racks
00:33:51three months ago
00:33:52when he'd commissioned the gun
00:33:53she had smiled and said thank you
00:33:55two weeks ago
00:33:56he had brought her
00:33:57to the shooting range
00:33:58and she had fired ten rings
00:33:59and he had told everyone in the room
00:34:01she is mine
00:34:02last night when he left
00:34:03she had been standing at the window
00:34:04watching the street below
00:34:06he had assumed she would be there
00:34:07when he got back
00:34:08he went to the living room
00:34:10and grabbed his cracked phone
00:34:11Luca
00:34:11I need you to check everything
00:34:13every airline
00:34:13every exit record
00:34:14her credit cards
00:34:15bank accounts
00:34:16anyone she's been in contact with recently
00:34:18boss
00:34:19what happened
00:34:22she's gone
00:34:32he hung up
00:34:34and hurled the phone at the wall
00:34:35it bounced off and landed on the floor
00:34:37screen shattered
00:34:38the bodyguard stood in the doorway
00:34:39and didn't dare come in
00:34:41Dante moved to the window
00:34:42and stared out at the sea
00:34:43the sky was going dark
00:34:45waves beat against the rocks below
00:34:46she had stood at the sea last night
00:34:48alone
00:34:49with that gun
00:34:50his phone buzzed from the corner
00:34:51Luca calling back
00:34:52he walked over and picked it up
00:34:54the screen was cracked
00:34:55but still worked
00:34:56boss
00:34:57nothing
00:34:58no records of anything
00:35:00Luca her credit card went dark
00:35:01after yesterday
00:35:02her bank account transferred
00:35:04two million dollars
00:35:05to a anonymous account
00:35:06in Switzerland
00:35:07no airline has any record
00:35:09of her leaving
00:35:10what do you mean
00:35:11no record
00:35:13could be a fake ID
00:35:15if she'd been planning this ahead of time
00:35:17Luca didn't finish the sentence
00:35:19Dante ended the call
00:35:20he went to the bedroom
00:35:21and lay down on the bed
00:35:23the sheets still carried
00:35:24the faint smell
00:35:24of her laundry soap
00:35:26he pressed his face
00:35:27into the pillow
00:35:27the door opened
00:35:28the click of heels
00:35:29on the floor
00:35:30Dante
00:35:31he looked up
00:35:33Scarlet stood in the doorway
00:35:34in a red dress
00:35:35bag on her arm
00:35:36I heard something happened
00:35:39are you alright?
00:35:40Dante looked at her
00:35:41for a few seconds
00:35:42then he got up
00:35:43and crossed the room
00:35:45how did you get in?
00:35:48the door was open
00:35:50so I just
00:35:51he grabbed her arm
00:35:52and pushed her toward the exit
00:35:54she shrieked and stumbled
00:35:55one heel twisting
00:35:56and nearly fell
00:35:58get out
00:36:00Dante
00:36:01I only wanted to
00:36:02get
00:36:03out
00:36:05the words came out loud enough
00:36:07to startle even him
00:36:08Scarlet scrambled to her feet
00:36:09and ran
00:36:10he stood in the middle
00:36:11of the living room
00:36:12breathing hard
00:36:18then something occurred to him
00:36:19he turned and went to the guest room
00:36:21he pushed the door open
00:36:22everything in order
00:36:23bed made
00:36:24curtains drawn
00:36:25he went to the wardrobe
00:36:26and opened it
00:36:27a nightgown hung inside
00:36:28white silk
00:36:29she wore it sometime
00:36:30just the one
00:36:31he took it down
00:36:32silk cool and smooth
00:36:33carrying the faintest trace of her
00:36:35he sat on the edge of the bed
00:36:36he held the nightgown
00:36:37in both hands
00:36:38and stayed there
00:36:38head bowed motionless
00:36:40outside
00:36:41the sky went completely dark
00:36:43waves came in off the water
00:36:44steady and rhythmic
00:36:45his shoulders began to shake
00:36:46then he broke
00:36:47he bent over
00:36:47forehead pressing to his knees
00:36:49holding that silk nightgown
00:36:51crying until he couldn't breathe
00:36:52she was gone
00:36:53she had planned it all well in advance
00:36:55she had waited until he left
00:36:57driven to the show
00:36:58used his gun
00:36:58when he had walked out the door
00:36:59she had been standing at the window
00:37:01watching him
00:37:02he had ducked into the car
00:37:03the car pulled away
00:37:04she had stood there
00:37:05until it disappeared then turned
00:37:06and picked up her back
00:37:07what had she been thinking
00:37:09he kept seeing her face
00:37:10the way she had looked
00:37:11at him one last time
00:37:12the light had been behind her
00:37:14and he hadn't been able to
00:37:15read her expression
00:37:16he could read it now
00:37:17it hadn't been anger
00:37:19it hadn't been disappointment
00:37:20it had been goodbye
00:37:22scarlet appeared
00:37:23in front of dante again
00:37:25one week later
00:37:26he had just come back
00:37:27from the shore
00:37:27soaked through
00:37:28the coast guard
00:37:29had been searching
00:37:30for three days
00:37:31and found nothing
00:37:32they told him
00:37:33he should accept the reality
00:37:34nobody survived
00:37:35those conditions
00:37:36he didn't accept it
00:37:37he sent everyone away
00:37:38and drove to the shore alone
00:37:40and stood there
00:37:41for an entire day
00:37:47he came back to the apartment
00:37:48after dark
00:37:49when he pushed the door open
00:37:51scarlet was sitting
00:37:52on the living room sofa
00:37:53black dress
00:37:54careful makeup
00:37:55hair down
00:37:55a bottle of wine
00:37:57and two glasses
00:37:57on the coffee table
00:37:59how did you get in?
00:38:01your bodyguard knows me
00:38:02she stood and took
00:38:03two steps toward him
00:38:06dante
00:38:06i saw the news
00:38:08i'm so sorry
00:38:09he looked at her
00:38:10without speaking
00:38:11i know you're hurting
00:38:12right now
00:38:13she said softly
00:38:14but you can't keep
00:38:15doing this to yourself
00:38:17you need someone with you
00:38:18he pulled off
00:38:19his soap jacket
00:38:20and dropped it
00:38:21on the bottle
00:38:22what do you want?
00:38:23scarlet moved closer
00:38:24and raised her hand
00:38:25toward his face
00:38:26he stepped back
00:38:27she stopped
00:38:28then she smiled
00:38:29a gentle
00:38:30slightly wounded smile
00:38:31i want to be here for you
00:38:33i've been worried
00:38:34about you all week
00:38:35another step forward
00:38:36don't bother
00:38:37dante
00:38:38i know losing her
00:38:39is devastating
00:38:40but life goes on
00:38:41you still have me
00:38:42he looked at her
00:38:44have what?
00:38:45i can take care of you
00:38:46we could be together
00:38:48i know you might not
00:38:49want to hear this now
00:38:51but time
00:38:52heals everything
00:38:54after a while
00:38:55after a while
00:38:56what?
00:38:58we could start something
00:38:59dante held her gaze
00:39:00for a moment
00:39:00then he laughed
00:39:01and the sound of it
00:39:02made scarlet
00:39:03take a step back
00:39:04start what?
00:39:07just
00:39:08us
00:39:09she gestured vaguely
00:39:10between them
00:39:10i know this might be
00:39:11too soon
00:39:12but i just want you
00:39:13to know i'm willing
00:39:13to be there for you
00:39:15you don't have to
00:39:16carry this alone
00:39:18you think you can
00:39:19replace her?
00:39:22scarlet
00:39:22bit her lip
00:39:24i'm not saying
00:39:25replace her
00:39:25i just want to
00:39:26you want to take
00:39:27her place
00:39:28she went quiet
00:39:30dante walked
00:39:31toward her
00:39:31slowly
00:39:33each step
00:39:34deliberate
00:39:34scarlet retreated
00:39:36until the back
00:39:36of her knees
00:39:37hit the sofa
00:39:38and she couldn't
00:39:39go further
00:39:45do you know
00:39:45what kind
00:39:46of person
00:39:46she was
00:39:47his voice
00:39:48was very low
00:39:49she was with me
00:39:50for three years
00:39:52three years
00:39:53and she never
00:39:54complained once
00:39:57i left in the
00:39:58middle of the night
00:39:59and she never
00:39:59asked where i was
00:40:00going
00:40:01whatever i was
00:40:01doing outside
00:40:02she never
00:40:02once pried
00:40:03scarlet opened
00:40:04her mouth
00:40:04no sound
00:40:05came out
00:40:06i gave her
00:40:07that gun
00:40:08she practiced
00:40:09until she shot
00:40:09ten rings
00:40:10i said in front
00:40:11of everyone
00:40:13she's mine
00:40:15and she smiled
00:40:16he stood directly
00:40:17in front of her
00:40:18looking down
00:40:18what are you
00:40:21the color drained
00:40:22from scarlet's face
00:40:23you were the woman
00:40:24i kept on the
00:40:25outside for amusement
00:40:26he spoke each word
00:40:28with surgical
00:40:28precision
00:40:29you're comparing
00:40:30yourself to her
00:40:31what exactly
00:40:32would you be
00:40:32comparing
00:40:34scarlet's eyes
00:40:34went red
00:40:35dante i know
00:40:36you're not in a
00:40:37stable place
00:40:37right now
00:40:38i'm perfectly
00:40:39stable
00:40:39he cut her
00:40:40off
00:40:41more stable
00:40:42than i've ever
00:40:43been in my
00:40:43life
00:40:45listen to what
00:40:46i'm saying
00:40:46he pointed at
00:40:47the door
00:40:47don't come
00:40:48back here
00:40:49don't call
00:40:50me
00:40:50don't let me
00:40:51see your face
00:40:51again
00:40:52a tear slid
00:40:53down scarlet's
00:40:54cheek
00:40:54i love you
00:40:55he laughed
00:40:56and something
00:40:57in that laugh
00:40:58rooted her
00:40:58to the floor
00:40:59you love me
00:41:01he leaned down
00:41:02until he was
00:41:03level with her
00:41:03face
00:41:03you love
00:41:05my money
00:41:05my position
00:41:06the apartment
00:41:07and the bags
00:41:08i bought you
00:41:08you have never
00:41:10loved me
00:41:11that's not true
00:41:12do you know
00:41:13what she loved
00:41:14she loved me
00:41:17three years ago
00:41:18i was nothing
00:41:19just some
00:41:20blood-stained
00:41:21thug
00:41:22she came with
00:41:23me anyway
00:41:23and she never
00:41:24once asked
00:41:25what i could
00:41:25give her
00:41:26he straightened
00:41:27leave
00:41:29scarlet stood
00:41:30there without
00:41:31moving
00:41:32he walked to
00:41:33the door
00:41:34and held
00:41:34it open
00:41:37don't make
00:41:37me call
00:41:38someone in
00:41:39she stared
00:41:39at him
00:41:40lips trembling
00:41:41then she
00:41:42picked up
00:41:42her bag
00:41:42and walked
00:41:43out quickly
00:41:44as she
00:41:45passed
00:41:45him
00:41:45she stopped
00:41:47dante
00:41:49she's dead
00:41:50wake up
00:41:51he looked
00:41:52at her
00:41:52that one look
00:41:53sent a cold
00:41:53shock down
00:41:54scarlet's spine
00:41:55she had never
00:41:55seen
00:41:56that kind
00:41:56of emptiness
00:41:57and another
00:41:57human being's
00:41:58eyes hollow
00:41:59and utterly
00:41:59still
00:41:59but somehow
00:42:00terrifying
00:42:00she turned
00:42:01and ran
00:42:01the door
00:42:02closed
00:42:02dante stood
00:42:03in the
00:42:03entryway
00:42:04without moving
00:42:10after a long
00:42:10time he went
00:42:11back to the
00:42:12living room
00:42:12and sat down
00:42:13the bottle
00:42:14of wine
00:42:14still stood
00:42:15on the coffee
00:42:16table
00:42:16the two glasses
00:42:17side by side
00:42:18he stared at
00:42:19them for a
00:42:19long time
00:42:20then he picked
00:42:21one up
00:42:21and hurled it
00:42:22at the floor
00:42:22glass exploded
00:42:23across the room
00:42:25he got up
00:42:26went to the
00:42:26guest room
00:42:26and took the
00:42:27white silk nightgown
00:42:28from the wardrobe
00:42:29he sat on the edge
00:42:30of the bed
00:42:31and held it
00:42:31outside
00:42:32a siren wailed
00:42:33coming closer
00:42:34then fading
00:42:35he looked out
00:42:36the window
00:42:36the sky was
00:42:37fully dark
00:42:40six weeks later
00:42:42st. catherine
00:42:44louisiana
00:42:45sunlight filtered
00:42:46through the sycamore leaves
00:42:47and scattered
00:42:48across the dirt road
00:42:49in uneven patches
00:42:49of light and shadow
00:42:56a pickup truck
00:42:57rattled past
00:42:58the bed loaded
00:42:59with hay bales
00:43:00the old man driving
00:43:01it gave a short
00:43:02press of the horn
00:43:02as he went by
00:43:03i nodded
00:43:04and kept walking
00:43:05the main street
00:43:06wasn't long
00:43:06a few shops
00:43:07on either side
00:43:08a general store
00:43:09a bakery
00:43:10a second hand
00:43:11bookshop
00:43:12at the far end
00:43:13a small white church
00:43:14with a bell
00:43:15in its steeple
00:43:15the orphanage
00:43:17sat right next
00:43:17to the church
00:43:20i had come here
00:43:21six weeks ago
00:43:22nothing but a new
00:43:23passport and some cash
00:43:24when i walked
00:43:25into the church
00:43:26the old priest
00:43:26had asked what i needed
00:43:27i told him i was
00:43:28looking for somewhere
00:43:29to stay
00:43:30somewhere i could
00:43:30be of use
00:43:32he brought me here
00:43:35the sister who ran
00:43:36this place
00:43:36passed away
00:43:37last month
00:43:38he said
00:43:40these children
00:43:41need someone
00:43:42so i stayed
00:43:45the children
00:43:46called me
00:43:46sister maria
00:43:47though i wasn't
00:43:48a real nun
00:43:49nobody asked
00:43:50too many questions
00:43:51small towns
00:43:51don't pry
00:43:53with the money
00:43:54i had brought out
00:43:55i bought drawing
00:43:56paper and crayons
00:43:57and started teaching
00:43:57art
00:43:59i cleared out
00:44:00the weeds in the yard
00:44:00and planted flowers
00:44:03repainted the common
00:44:04room
00:44:05hung new curtains
00:44:08the orphanage
00:44:09which had been
00:44:10falling apart
00:44:10at the seams
00:44:11was now the
00:44:11prettiest building
00:44:12on the street
00:44:14sister maria
00:44:15a small girl
00:44:16held up her drawing
00:44:17look
00:44:17the paper showed
00:44:18a figure with brown
00:44:19hair and a blue
00:44:19dress
00:44:20beside it in
00:44:21unsteady letters
00:44:22maria
00:44:26is that me
00:44:28she nodded
00:44:31i picked her up
00:44:32and kissed her cheek
00:44:35there was a knock
00:44:36at the door
00:44:36i turned
00:44:40a man stood
00:44:41in the frame
00:44:41black shirt
00:44:42and trousers
00:44:42a paper bag
00:44:44in one hand
00:44:44somewhere around
00:44:45thirty
00:44:45dark hair
00:44:46light brown eyes
00:44:48hello
00:44:49he said
00:44:56i'm michael
00:44:57the new priest
00:44:58it took me a second
00:44:59the old priest
00:45:00had mentioned
00:45:01someone was coming
00:45:01to take over
00:45:02maria
00:45:03i said
00:45:03the children
00:45:04call me sister maria
00:45:05he smiled
00:45:07an easy
00:45:08unhurried smile
00:45:08i brought some food
00:45:11he set the bag
00:45:12on the table
00:45:13just out of the oven
00:45:14at the bakery
00:45:14the children
00:45:15swarmed the bag
00:45:16cookies still warm
00:45:18he turned
00:45:19and looked at me
00:45:19his gaze was careful
00:45:21as though he was afraid
00:45:22of disturbing something
00:45:23after he left
00:45:24the children went back
00:45:25to their drawings
00:45:26i stood at the window
00:45:27and watched his figure
00:45:28disappear through
00:45:29the church doors
00:45:31at three in the afternoon
00:45:33i walked into town
00:45:33to buy paint
00:45:35the woman at the general store
00:45:36greeted me
00:45:37and said the new priest
00:45:38was a good man
00:45:39had fixed the leaking roof
00:45:40on her house
00:45:41just yesterday
00:45:43i smiled
00:45:44paid for the paint
00:45:46and headed out
00:45:46with the bag
00:45:49i stopped at the community
00:45:50notice board
00:45:51in the town square
00:45:52all sorts of things
00:45:53pinned up
00:45:54lost and found
00:45:55rooms for rent
00:45:56announcements from
00:45:57the church council
00:45:58at the top
00:45:59was a sheet of paper
00:46:00that looked newly posted
00:46:01its corners barely
00:46:02beginning to curl
00:46:03it was large white
00:46:04and on it was printed
00:46:05a face
00:46:06a face i knew
00:46:07dante maretti
00:46:08the man in the photograph
00:46:09looked haggard
00:46:09dark circles carved deep
00:46:11under his eyes
00:46:12stubble unshaved
00:46:13like someone who hadn't
00:46:14slept in days
00:46:14but i knew it was him
00:46:15i had spent three years
00:46:17looking at that face
00:46:17i could have picked it out
00:46:18blind
00:46:19the notice said
00:46:20this individual
00:46:20was a person of interest
00:46:21in multiple cases
00:46:22anyone with information
00:46:23was asked to call
00:46:24the number below
00:46:25my hand went slack
00:46:26the basket dropped
00:46:27tomatoes spilled out
00:46:28and rolled to the edge
00:46:29of the road
00:46:31i bent to pick them up
00:46:32my fingers were shaking
00:46:33one two three
00:46:35the tomatoes felt
00:46:36very soft
00:46:36almost bruised
00:46:37when i touched them
00:46:38he tracked me here
00:46:40no that was impossible
00:46:41this was a wanted notice
00:46:43they'd be posted statewide
00:46:53maybe it was just chance
00:46:55maybe this town was so remote
00:46:56they'd only just put them up
00:46:57i stood
00:46:58a tomato in my fist
00:47:00the board held all the usual things
00:47:02a missing dog
00:47:04grooms for rent
00:47:05used furniture
00:47:06only the wanted notice was new
00:47:08the paper still white
00:47:09corners not yet lifted by the wind
00:47:11he has come looking for me
00:47:12or he is on the run
00:47:13either way
00:47:14whatever the reason
00:47:15he had appeared on this paper
00:47:16in this town
00:47:18in the place i had finally
00:47:19carefully made my own
00:47:20the sun was fierce
00:47:21it made my head spin
00:47:23i stood there a long time
00:47:25looking at that face
00:47:27the photo had aged him
00:47:28by five years
00:47:29the man who had held me
00:47:30at the shooting range
00:47:31and smiled
00:47:31who had said in front of everyone
00:47:33she is mine
00:47:34who had held me one last time
00:47:36on that last night
00:47:36and told me he loved me
00:47:39now he was on this paper wanted
00:47:41i picked up the basket
00:47:43and turned back
00:47:44a few steps on i stopped
00:47:45glanced back
00:47:48that face was still there
00:47:49watching me
00:47:50i walked quickly
00:47:52by the time i reached the orphanage gate
00:47:54i walked straight into someone
00:47:57father michael caught me by the shoulders
00:47:59sister maria
00:48:00are you all right
00:48:01you're pale
00:48:02i looked up at him
00:48:04his face was open with concern
00:48:06clean genuine
00:48:08i'm fine
00:48:09i said
00:48:10it's the heat
00:48:10he held my gaze for a moment
00:48:12without speaking
00:48:14i stepped past him
00:48:15and went into the yard
00:48:16the children were napping
00:48:18the yard was quiet
00:48:20the flowers on the wall
00:48:21were blooming well red
00:48:22and yellow and pink
00:48:23blazing in the afternoon sun
00:48:24i crouched down
00:48:25and pressed my face
00:48:26to my knees
00:48:27three months
00:48:29i had thought i'd escaped
00:48:30that i could start over
00:48:31that that name would never find
00:48:33its way back into my life
00:48:34now he was somewhere in this town
00:48:36maybe already through the gate
00:48:38maybe already asking around
00:48:39for a woman named maria
00:48:41i pressed my nails into my palm
00:48:50i pressed my nails into my palm
00:48:53the sun scorched my back
00:48:55my whole body was cold
00:49:04the black suv rolled into saint catherine
00:49:06while i was standing at the orphanage gate
00:49:09handing out candy to the children
00:49:10the sun was brutal
00:49:12i squinted as the vehicle
00:49:13came slowly down the road
00:49:15moving as if it didn't want to startle anyone
00:49:17the windows were tinted dark
00:49:19i couldn't see inside
00:49:21but i knew
00:49:22the suv stopped in front of the gate
00:49:24two men in black suits
00:49:26climbed out first
00:49:27then the rear door opened
00:49:29and dante moretti stepped down
00:49:31he had lost a great deal of weight
00:49:33his cheekbones jutted
00:49:35his eyes had gone hollow
00:49:36he hadn't shaved in days
00:49:38his dark suit hung on him
00:49:39as if it belonged to someone slightly larger
00:49:42he stood beside the car
00:49:43and looked at me
00:49:44i kept handing out candy
00:49:46the last piece went to lily
00:49:48she grabbed it
00:49:49and ran back inside
00:49:50peering over her shoulder
00:49:52at the strangers
00:49:53inside
00:49:54i said to the children
00:49:55they ran
00:50:02the yard went quiet
00:50:03dante walked toward me
00:50:05he moved as though every step cost him something
00:50:07he stopped three paces away
00:50:10vivian
00:50:11his voice had gone hoarse
00:50:13like someone who hadn't spoken in days
00:50:15i didn't move
00:50:16i looked at him
00:50:17he took another step forward
00:50:19i've been looking for you a long time
00:50:21i stepped back
00:50:22he stopped
00:50:23something flickered in his eyes
00:50:25brief
00:50:25but i caught it
00:50:27pain
00:50:28come home with me
00:50:29he said
00:50:30i don't know who you are
00:50:31his brow creased
00:50:32vivian
00:50:33there's no one here by that name
00:50:35i turned
00:50:36and started toward the building
00:50:38behind me footsteps
00:50:39quick and heavy
00:50:40then my wrist was seized
00:50:42his hand was burning hot
00:50:44his fingers locked around me like a vice
00:50:46listen to me
00:50:47i wrenched free
00:50:49the force of it surprised even me
00:50:51he stood where he was
00:50:53hand still extended
00:50:54in the shape of the grip
00:51:03let me go
00:51:04vivian
00:51:04i was wrong
00:51:05his voice had started to shake
00:51:07i know i was wrong
00:51:09come back with me
00:51:10we can talk it through
00:51:11i don't know who you are
00:51:13i met his eyes
00:51:14sir you have the wrong person
00:51:16he stared at me
00:51:17for a long time
00:51:18red veins threaded through the whites of his eyes
00:51:21his lids were slightly swollen
00:51:23your name is vivian rossi
00:51:24you're my wife
00:51:26three years ago you and i
00:51:28my name is maria
00:51:29i cut him off
00:51:30sister maria
00:51:31i have been here for three months
00:51:33my children are inside waiting for me
00:51:35his bodyguards moved forward two paces
00:51:37i glanced at them
00:51:38then back at him
00:51:39you brought these men here
00:51:42what exactly are you trying to do
00:51:45i want to take you home
00:51:46i've told you
00:51:47you have the wrong person
00:51:50he took a step forward
00:51:51i took one back
00:51:53he advanced
00:51:54i retreated
00:51:56until my back was against the iron gate
00:52:09vivian
00:52:09he dropped his voice
00:52:11to almost nothing
00:52:12please
00:52:13i looked at him
00:52:15three years
00:52:16i had memorized that face
00:52:18once
00:52:19i thought it was the most dependable face in the world
00:52:21now
00:52:22it just felt strange to me
00:52:24sir
00:52:25i said
00:52:26slowly
00:52:27each word separate
00:52:28and clear
00:52:29i don't know who you're looking for
00:52:31but my name's maria
00:52:33i am a nun in this town
00:52:35i do not know you
00:52:36his hand rose
00:52:37reaching for my face
00:52:39i turned my head
00:52:40his hand hung in the air
00:52:42and stilled
00:52:43his bodyguards stood behind him
00:52:46expressionless
00:52:46down the street a few townspeople had stopped to watch from a distance
00:52:49too far away to come closer
00:52:51i looked at them
00:52:53then back at him
00:52:54you came here with these men
00:52:55are you threatening me
00:52:57no
00:52:57then what
00:52:58frightening my children
00:53:00the blood
00:53:01left his face
00:53:02i only wanted to find you
00:53:04you found me
00:53:05i said
00:53:06now you've seen me
00:53:07i'm alive
00:53:08you can go
00:53:09vivian
00:53:10my name is maria
00:53:11he opened his mouth
00:53:13no sound
00:53:14i pushed the gate open and walked through
00:53:16vivian
00:53:17he called out behind me
00:53:19i didn't turn
00:53:30i went inside
00:53:31the children gathered around
00:53:33asking who those men outside were
00:53:35i said they were travelers
00:53:37who had taken a wrong turn
00:53:39lily took my hand and looked up at me
00:53:42sister maria
00:53:44your hand is so cold
00:53:46i looked down at her
00:53:47small face
00:53:48round eyes
00:53:50clear and uncomplicated
00:53:52i'm fine
00:53:53i said
00:53:53just hot outside
00:53:55better in here
00:53:56i crouched
00:53:57and held her for a moment
00:53:58from outside came the sound of an engine
00:54:00turning over
00:54:01then fading
00:54:02i stood up
00:54:04walked to the window
00:54:05the black suv was pulling away
00:54:07a wake of dust rose behind it
00:54:09and dissolved at the end of the road
00:54:10he was gone
00:54:11at least for today
00:54:12i leaned against the window frame
00:54:14and looked outside
00:54:15the sun was still relentless
00:54:17the flowers on the wall blazed in it
00:54:19behind me the children
00:54:20ran and laughed
00:54:21i pressed my nails into my palm
00:54:23it hurt
00:54:24good
00:54:25pain
00:54:26meant i was still here
00:54:34the news that dante had bought the crumbling house next to the orphanage
00:54:37reached me through the mayor himself
00:54:39the following morning
00:54:41sister maria
00:54:42he said
00:54:43standing in the yard
00:54:44and wringing his hands
00:54:45you know
00:54:46the old place that's been empty for years
00:54:48right next door
00:54:49someone bought it yesterday
00:54:51man from new york
00:54:52the price he paid
00:54:54could have bought
00:54:55half this street
00:54:56i was crouched by the flower bed with a watering can
00:54:59i didn't look up
00:55:01is that so
00:55:02he says he plans to stay a while
00:55:05he also mentioned making a donation to the orphanage
00:55:09i was wondering if you
00:55:11i stood
00:55:12the watering can tilt it in my hand
00:55:15no
00:55:15the mayor blinked
00:55:17no
00:55:19tell him we don't need it
00:55:20he started to say something
00:55:22thought better of it
00:55:23and nodded on his way out
00:55:26from that point on
00:55:27dante came every day
00:55:28the first day he stood at the gate holding a bag of fruit
00:55:31i ignored him
00:55:32he stood there for an hour
00:55:34when he left he set the bag by the gate
00:55:37the second day he brought a box of art supplies
00:55:39brand new
00:55:40expensive brands
00:55:41i had the gatekeeper send them back
00:55:43he wouldn't take them
00:55:45the box sat at the gate
00:55:47the third day he arrived with two workers and said he wanted to fix the orphanage roof
00:55:52mother superior came out to thank him
00:55:53i stayed inside
00:55:55day four
00:55:56day five
00:55:57day six
00:55:58every day
00:55:59each time with something
00:56:00each time standing in his usual spot
00:56:02watching me
00:56:03waiting for me to say something
00:56:05i said nothing
00:56:07on the afternoon of the seventh day
00:56:09scarlet appeared in town
00:56:17i was watering the flowers in the yard when a red sports car stopped in front of the gate
00:56:21i barely recognized her when she got out
00:56:23she had put on some weight
00:56:25her belly curved slightly
00:56:26her makeup was still heavy
00:56:28but the dark circles under her eyes were deep
00:56:31she stood beside the car looking at me
00:56:33and the corner of her mouth pulled into a smile
00:56:36long time no see vivian
00:56:37i turned off the hose
00:56:40there's no vivian here
00:56:41she made a dismissive sound and walked through the gate
00:56:44her heels were unsteady on the gravel
00:56:46she stopped in front of me
00:56:47and looked me up and down
00:56:49dressed like that i barely knew you
00:56:51a nun's habit
00:56:52is this really how you plan to spend the rest of your life
00:56:56what do you want
00:56:57she put a hand on her stomach
00:56:59i wanted you to see this
00:57:01i glanced down
00:57:03then looked back up at her
00:57:05i see it
00:57:06she frowned
00:57:07so that's it
00:57:09bestoli against
00:57:10is there something you'd like me to say
00:57:12she leaned forward
00:57:13and lowered her voice
00:57:14this is dante's child
00:57:17i'm carrying his baby
00:57:19you think by hiding out here
00:57:21he'll come running back to you
00:57:22keep dreaming
00:57:23i studied her face
00:57:25there was triumph in it
00:57:26and provocation
00:57:28and something else i couldn't quite name
00:57:30something like nerves
00:57:31something like fear
00:57:33congratulations
00:57:35i said
00:57:35she blinked
00:57:36what
00:57:37i said congratulations
00:57:39a baby is a good thing
00:57:41take care of yourself
00:57:42i turned back to the hose
00:57:43she stood behind me for a long time
00:57:45then she surged forward
00:57:47and grabbed my arm
00:57:48you're not angry
00:57:49you're not angry
00:57:49you don't care
00:57:50let go of me
00:57:51stop pretending
00:57:53i know you still love him
00:57:55looking at me carrying his child
00:57:57must be tearing you apart
00:58:00i turned my head to look at her
00:58:01her grip dug into my arm
00:58:09you're hurting me
00:58:10she stared at me
00:58:11chest heaving
00:58:12just then
00:58:13footsteps sounded at the gate
00:58:15let go of her
00:58:16dante stood there
00:58:17he was wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans
00:58:19his hair was a mess
00:58:21and there was dust on his face
00:58:22he looked like he'd come straight from a work site
00:58:25scarlet turned
00:58:26and immediately released her hold
00:58:29dante i just
00:58:30what are you doing here
00:58:32his voice was cold
00:58:34i had never heard him speak like that
00:58:36scarlet retreated
00:58:37a step
00:58:39i only came to see her
00:58:41you've seen her
00:58:42now go
00:58:44scarlet's eyes went red
00:58:46dante
00:58:46i'm carrying your child
00:58:49he looked at her
00:58:50not a ripple moved through his expression
00:58:53you know exactly how that child happened
00:58:55her face changed
00:58:57what are you saying
00:58:58you know what i'm saying
00:58:59i had it looked into
00:59:01there were a few times i got drunk during that period
00:59:04you put something in the drinks
00:59:06scarlet opened her mouth
00:59:07nothing came out
00:59:08did you think i didn't know
00:59:11i knew
00:59:11i just didn't bother dealing with it then
00:59:14his voice was very even
00:59:16but now that you've come here
00:59:18i don't feel like tolerating it anymore
00:59:21scarlet backed up two steps
00:59:22and hit the iron gate
00:59:25i just
00:59:27i love you
00:59:31you don't love me
00:59:32he said
00:59:33cutting her off
00:59:34you love what i can give you
00:59:37now get out
00:59:37don't let me see you again
00:59:39scarlet stood there as tears spilled down her face
00:59:42then she turned
00:59:43shoved through the gate
00:59:44and ran
00:59:50the sound of the red sports car faded quickly in the distance
00:59:54the yard was quiet
00:59:55dante looked at me
00:59:57are you alright
00:59:59fine
01:00:00he came closer and looked at my arm
01:00:02where scarlet had grabbed me
01:00:03the skin was flushed red
01:00:05scored with faint nail marks
01:00:08i'll get something for that
01:00:11don't
01:00:12he stood where he was
01:00:13didn't move
01:00:15vivian
01:00:16my name is maria
01:00:19he closed his mouth
01:00:21that night i couldn't sleep
01:00:23i kept turning over scarlet's words
01:00:25and dante's
01:00:26the baby was something she had engineered
01:00:28i found that i wasn't surprised
01:00:30scarlet was capable of exactly that
01:00:32and dante's months of betrayal
01:00:34was that her doing too
01:00:35i didn't know what to believe
01:00:38the midday quiet was broken by gunshots
01:00:41two weeks later
01:00:42i had been in the kitchen helping with lunch
01:00:45it had been so long since i'd lived anywhere dangerous
01:00:48that even my instincts had gone soft
01:00:50the first shot was distant enough that i thought it was a car backfiring
01:00:55the second was close
01:00:57just outside the yard
01:01:00the third came at the same time as the sound of shattering glass
01:01:04children screaming
01:01:07i ran out
01:01:12two men in black were in the yard
01:01:14moving fast in my direction
01:01:16guns in their hands
01:01:22then someone hit me from the side
01:01:23and drove me to the ground
01:01:24shots exploded overhead
01:01:26loud enough to leave my ears ringing
01:01:28the person on top of me made a low
01:01:30choked sound
01:01:31i turned my head
01:01:33it was dante
01:01:35his face was pressed close to mine
01:01:37white forehead sheened with sweat
01:01:48are you hurt?
01:01:50he didn't answer
01:01:51i looked down
01:01:52his hand was pressed against his side
01:01:54and blood was seeping through his fingers
01:01:56his bodyguards came running
01:01:59more gunfire going on for me
01:02:01then silence
01:02:04i helped roll dante over
01:02:06he lay on his back
01:02:09eyes half open looking at me
01:02:11you were shot
01:02:12he looked up at me
01:02:14the corner of his mouth moved slightly
01:02:15yeah
01:02:17what were you thinking?
01:02:19why did you run over here?
01:02:21force of habit
01:02:23it hit me then
01:02:24he meant three years ago
01:02:25the dock warehouse
01:02:26the time he had taken a bullet that was meant for me
01:02:31the ambulance came
01:02:33i rode along
01:02:36he held my hand the entire way
01:02:38gripping hard
01:02:39the surgery took three hours
01:02:41i sat in the corridor
01:02:42with the red light burning above the operating room door
01:02:48the light went out at dawn
01:02:51the doctor came out and told me the bullet had stopped two centimeters from his heart
01:02:55he was very lucky
01:02:57i went into the room
01:02:59he was lying in the bed
01:03:01tubes everywhere
01:03:02the color of the sheets
01:03:03but alive
01:03:06i sat in the chair beside him
01:03:11he owed me
01:03:11a great deal
01:03:12three years of betrayal
01:03:14all those lies
01:03:15that woman that read stiletto
01:03:19but there he was
01:03:20and the bullet he'd taken for me had nearly killed him
01:03:24i didn't know how to settle that account
01:03:29he was in the hospital for two weeks
01:03:31i stayed beside him for two weeks
01:03:40when he came around
01:03:41he looked at me the moment he opened his eyes
01:03:43and went still
01:03:57you're still here
01:03:58i said nothing
01:04:00his eyes slowly reddened
01:04:02i'm sorry
01:04:02i stood up and moved to the window
01:04:12don't say that
01:04:13don't say that
01:04:14i want to say it
01:04:16i know you hate me
01:04:18you should
01:04:19you should
01:04:20his voice was quiet and rough
01:04:21what i did
01:04:23i can't forgive myself for it
01:04:26marco's people are dealt with
01:04:28the ones who ran are gone
01:04:30the ones who didn't were picked up
01:04:32i said
01:04:33i said
01:04:34scarlet's gone too
01:04:39your men have been by a few times
01:04:41i told them you were still unconscious
01:04:44thank you
01:04:46thank you
01:04:46i turned
01:04:48dante
01:04:51there's something you need to understand
01:04:55he looked at me
01:04:57i can
01:04:58i can let you stay here
01:05:01i can let you do those things
01:05:02fix the roof
01:05:03bring things over
01:05:05stand at that gate
01:05:08but i can't forgive you
01:05:10the color shifted in his face
01:05:12i know
01:05:14no you don't
01:05:15i walked back to the side of the bed
01:05:17and looked down at him
01:05:20you have no idea
01:05:22what those three years were like for me
01:05:24no idea what it felt like to find that shoe
01:05:29no idea what i was thinking
01:05:31when i drove alone to the shore
01:05:36he said nothing
01:05:37he just looked
01:05:40you can be good to me
01:05:42you can protect me
01:05:45you can do whatever you want to do
01:05:50but there's a line inside me i can't cross back over
01:05:54he closed his eyes
01:06:04after a long time he opened them
01:06:08and looked at the ceiling
01:06:11i understand
01:06:15good
01:06:16i turned to go
01:06:19vivian
01:06:20his voice
01:06:20from behind me
01:06:21i stopped
01:06:22i'm staying
01:06:24not to make you forgive me
01:06:29because i want to watch you live
01:06:32watch you be okay
01:06:34i didn't turn around
01:06:36i walked out of the room
01:06:37and the morning sun hit my face
01:06:40sharp and bright
01:06:41i stood in the doorway
01:06:42and let it be for a while
01:06:45a month later he was discharged
01:06:47he came back to the little town
01:06:49and moved back into the house next door
01:06:51each morning he was up early
01:06:53patching the roof
01:06:54painting walls
01:06:56replacing windows
01:06:59he made that ruin livable
01:07:02he stopped coming to stand at the orphanage gate every day
01:07:05occasionally he'd come by with something
01:07:07set it down
01:07:08and go
01:07:12the children started getting used to the neighbor man
01:07:14and sometimes they'd wander over to watch him work
01:07:17he didn't shoo them away
01:07:19he just let them play nearby
01:07:24one afternoon lily came running back
01:07:26and pulled my hand
01:07:27and told me the man next door
01:07:28had planted a whole yard of flowers
01:07:30the same kinds as the ones on our wall
01:07:32i didn't go to see
01:07:35but i knew
01:07:36i looked down at my hands
01:07:38these hands had held a gun
01:07:39had taken lives
01:07:41had also painted a wall full of flowers
01:07:43and now they would build something new
01:07:45and now we can find an image
01:07:54for an image
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