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Dr Turner lay facedown on his desk in a pool of blood, his throat slit from ear to ear

Chapter 27

After we’d found Dr Turner, I’d called campus security, and then Michael and Lily We split the day between the college and the police station, watching the coroner’s office e as they did their investigation, and then as the police brought in possible witnesses for questioning

The wound had been inflicted fourteen hours earlier, with a six-inch blade, froht The same way Poe cut Emerson

There was no doubt inthe knife slice across her throat at the Phone Co her body The next second, it was Dr Turner, a randchildren and a pink flower in his jacket, slu to the floor

Since the rip on s I couldn’t na so out of controlbeats

Em wasn’t any better We’d returned to the Peabody, where she’d taken a forty-five-minute shower Now she sat on the couch, wrapped in Michael’s arms, a complete wreck Lily was in the shower, and I sat in a chair in the corner, trying to block everything out Finally, I couldn’t take any more

"Em" I reached for her hand She looked at me blankly "Let me take it"

"Take what?"

Her voice was loud, as if she’d forgotten how to modulate I pointed at her heart

"The pain You want to take the pain" Her words weren’t a question More like an accusation I didn’t expect the laughter that came next, or her short answer "No"

She was in no shape to handle her emotions on her own, especially when she didn’t have to

"I feel it either hether I take the to persuade her

"I’ you"

"You know that isn’t what I meant" The words came out harsher than I intended Michael sat forward in his seat I needed to temper my response "Don’t shut me out when I can ed et hair and pink cheeks I didn’t want her to hear any of this

"Taking ed Lily but didn’t lower her voice "If you don’t like theh" I’d be able to feel her on the opposite side of the equator At least if I took her eo soht uard The Em I kneas violent with her fists, not her words I’d never seen her be irrational Michael’s worry and his expression of concern toldas it o?" I asked She was spinning like a top on the edge of a table

"Oh, that’s right You can leave the situation behind without even leaving the room, can’t you?" She cut her eyes in the direction of the minibar "Just crack a few open All kinds of teensy little bottles in there that should nuht up"

Her refusal to let ry for reasons I couldn’t name "I offered because I care"

Michael tried to pacify me, "She’s just mad You don’t need to take care of her I will"