Her Borrowed Life

absent. Leo was practically vibrating with nervous energy, stealing glances at me from over th

now," I announce

ed, a noncom

I continued, pushing my luck. "I believe we'v

ut the tablet down and fixed me with his

ined that her services

ows shot up. "

nd since you're clearly too busy to manag

in his jaw. "You o

ping. "Or did I do the job you're suppos

pocket and placed it on the table. "I took the liberty of documenting s

ssed

oft crying. "...stupid, worthless boy, just like your mother... you will stand here until I say you can m

hed the recorder from the table as if it were a venomous snake, his knuckles white.

he stood up, the legs of his heavy ch

ad been standing motionless by the door,

e it was a heavy, suffocating silence, thick with impending violence. Julian pac

but defiant. The previous night's bravado had ret

"I must protest this wom

her across the face. The sound was like a gunshot. She staggered back, a re

. "Pack your things. You have one hour to be off my property. If

, yes, but with the same blunt, brutal force he applied to everything. He wa

e the full file from the agency that recommended her. I want to

ll on the recorder still clutched in his hand. He looked at i

pared to what she did to Mrs. Vance. Leo's mother. She used to tell Mr. Vance that his sister was unstable, exaggerating her illness.

dy shrouded in mystery and pain. And I had just suggested it wasn't just a tragedy. It might have been a murder of the spir