Chapter 49

"There is no greater sorrow. Than to be mindful of the happy time. In misery."

Dante Alighieri

Emma was curious about the phone call, but I wasn't ready to reveal details about my past, so I told her that I had to leave early to take care of another case. There was dried blood in my hair, and my skin felt sticky and dirty. At first, I went back to my flat and had a shower, the thought of the Keres's dead corpse making my stomach quiver. I didn't want to show up in the monastery looking indecent. It's not like I cared about people's opinions these days, but going back to the place where I grew up made me a little nervous.

Most of the paps had abandoned their post and left. I sneaked out upstairs using the back entrance. I'd had enough excitement for one day, and talking to whoever was left outside on the parking lot, hunting for their next breakthrough story, would only push me over the edge.