“Bill took the alley and killed the headlights a half block early. The Sedan coasted the rest of the way, engine low, like we were trying not to wake the street. We idled beside the service entrance where the trash cans formed a crooked fence and the light above the door buzzed like a tired insect.”
“It took me three days to gather the nerve to go talk to my mother. Three days spent at my Hideout pacing, telling myself the conversation could wait, rehearsing ways to keep it tidy and controlled. But the truth pressed harder the longer I kept it sealed, until I understood I had to let it out or choke on it.”
“I couldn’t believe he had ambushed me. And why did a part of me feel elated, happy, relieved almost that he had? Of course, when I spotted him at the Essence I did my best to keep my poker face in place – even though I knew Michael would be able to read through me just fine. All I could hope for was that he gave me at least enough time to think about what to say to him… and how.”
“When Lisa initially disappeared, I almost didn’t notice. It’s probably a shameful and embarrassing thing to say, but that was something – not paying attention to stuff going on, or not going on around me – that would happen to me all the time whenever I was fully absorbed in my art.”
“Michael’s horses were beautiful. Peaceful and welcoming. As if they felt safe and comfortable where they were, which was something I didn’t doubt at all. I was pretty sure everyone would likely feel safe at Michael’s ranch, wrapped in his aura. After all, I had been experiencing the comfort that came with it myself, firsthand.”