inst the curb. Claire tossed a crumpled twenty through the partition and pushed the door open. The rain had softened into

stant, professional way, pulled the heavy brass door open. He glanced at her wet c

Ms. Olsen?" he

ire said, giving him

elevator bank. The doors slid open immediately. She stepped inside and pressed the button marked "PH." As the elevator hummed upward, she leaned her he

ambient glow of the city filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The apartment was freezing. It was a sterile, ar

xel had picked out to impress people, and into the master bedroom. She went directly to the walk-in closet. It was the size of

had filled for her. She crouched down in the far back corner, behind a stack of hatboxes, and pulled

until she found the back wall. There, shoved behind a stack of designer shoe boxes, were her real clothes. A few plain cotton t-shirts. Two pairs of Levi's jeans

ottom drawer. Inside was a plain, black, waterproof case. She popped the latches. Nestled inside the foam padding was a Leica M6 c

longed to her. She carefully placed the camera and lenses into her backpack, zipping it tigh

bed. The top drawer was slightly open. Claire walked over and pulled it open all the way. I

ee freelance photography jobs-shooting weddings and bar mitzvahs on the weekends while Axel thought she was at the spa-to save up enough money to buy it. It was a

ust felt foolish. She had tried to buy love from a man who only understood transactions. She

ive, dominated by a huge marble island and stainless steel appliances that looked like they belonged in a restaura

Cartier box over the dark hole. She didn't hesitate. She dropped

ver and flipped

e cardboard and grinding the platinum ring into twisted scrap. The vibration traveled up through the floorboards. It was loud enough to wake the dead. She let it run

sland and placed the card down exactly in the center. She placed it right next to Axel's favorite

bed, the couch, or the view. She didn't head for the private elevator that required the key card she had just discarded. Instead, she pushed

yes widened slightly when he saw her bags. He started to step out f

aid, her voice calm. "

curb, past the glowing storefronts, and straight down the stairs into the subway entrance. The smell of hot garbage and stale ai