Forty-Nine Books, One Reckoning

r's car. He was trying to calm Juliet down, who wa

to them and held up the small plaque I

this?" I demanded,

urther. He looked at Juliet, a flicker of g

put this on the

to be close to a beautiful spot," she stammered. "I thought... I

er's memory again, was staggering. It was like she w

l bench being turned into a headstone for you

d. "He was my baby! You wouldn't un

must have told her. That sacred, private grief between a husband and a wife, h

inside m

er this time. I grabbed her by t

rom hers. "You will never speak my mother's nam

ur!" Juliet screamed,

to pull me away. "Anya, for God's sa

sing strength and pushed Juli

my voice trembling with rage.

sting hands. Before she could react, I opened

the air, settling on her hair, he

er eyes wide with shock. Then sh

e ashes off herself, smearing them into grey streaks ac

th disbelief and horror. "What is wrong with

p his arms around the pathetic, as

uddenly calm, chillingly clear. "Was

he was grieving!" he s

hollow sound. "You think

mask of hatred. "Of course I

en better care of him," I

enger door. I pulled out the manila en

envelope onto the hood of Arthur's c

Arthur asked,

's the real reason your father paid her to disappear all those years ago

ent. It was a veterinary report

ster. I snatched the most damning one from

tailing how she solicited donations for sick animals and then pocketed the money. Several of the animals in her "care" had

d, my voice cutting through the air. "She k

shen. He looked at Juliet, who was now shaking

he's making it up! She's jealo

nd then back to the report. The truth was

e, Juliet?"

ave to believe me!" she

rom her touch as i

s from two of her former roommates and a canceled check from your father to her, dated one week

years he'd spent believing he was the victim of a cruel, classist patriarch.

her for the first time. Not as the lost love of h

e ashes of the animal s