ellar door

He was getting scared. The electronic lock blinked red-it woul

e up behind him with a flas

y?" Marcus sounded angry. He wa

since this morning. The building s

se letters while he did more im

Marcus asked. He

Mrs. Moretti since she left in her blue

e had sent her to get wine

felt ve

k. His perfect world was falling apart. Sophia and his dinne

ay wearing a red dress. "Where's Ava

arcus lied. "Keep everyone h

their bedroom. Something told hi

ry box wa

r that played music was gone from the dresser. Marcus stared at the e

or. Her voice was sharp now. "W

whispered. "See if her

set. Her high heels made noi

od ones. And Marcus... there are empty spaces. Like so

ing away because she was

I sat in a corner seat, holding my ticket to Toronto like

. Leaving at 1:45 AM.

of strangers going to their own places, I was nobody. Not Marcus Moretti's wife. Not Sophia's f

e-way ticket and a fut

teaching me to braid my hair when I was seven. Her thick Italian

go, as clear as if she sat next to me. "Always ha

s, and knowing eyes that seemed to hold all women's secrets. She had

g next to her in the old rocking chair. I was maybe

ly not family who treat you badly, child. Family

etrayals I couldn't imagine. For a future where people

how do you kno

ive when everyone else leaves you." Her fingers had gently combed through my hair. "A

women sometimes were. Now I understood she w

making sure I could escape when I needed to. She knew, somehow, that I'd nee

or Flight 44

hurried to the gate, but I walked slowly and calmly. Each step took me fur

o with no name. As the plane took off, the city lights below got smal

an ground was solid under my feet. Morning sun came through t

new world: "Now you start again, lit

he dinner party, and Marc

tory fell apart in hours-the building's security cameras showed me walking to th

sat on our couch, looking less like a sad sister and more like a hunter planning her next kill. "Ava doesn't have the

ty cameras I had someone install weeks ago-tiny, hidden cameras tha

be we should think that she actually got brave. The way she l

king, his business mind finally wor

she knew about the hotel rooms. The matching

camera on my safe laptop, I watched Marcus's face

know?" His voice w

rcus went to the intercom like a man who just rea

Moretti," came the

shaking hands. Inside was one thing: a tablet, a

ran away three nights ago, but someone new. Someone who l

hello, Sophia-I know

ity cameras, I sa

om, crying and waiting for you to save me. That woman is

"Kill? What is she ta

think I didn't hear you talking about the 'accident' you were planning?

cus's arm. "How co