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After the first death, there is no other
Diana was Eureka’s first death It meant that Madame Blavatsky’s death was no other Even Eureka’s own death would be no other
Her grief was powerful; it just looked different from what people were used to
She was afraid, but not of the dead body before her--she’d seen worse in too htmares She was afraid of what Madame Blavatsky’s deathas their nu, knowing that she would never understand the rest of The Book of Love
Had the ht of so ed her She rose and htstand, searching for any sign of the book, being as careful as possible not to alter what she kneould be a cri, only heartache She was so miserable she could hardly see Polaris squawked and pecked the edges of Madae with the last word, Eureka thought But this couldn’t be Madame Blavatsky’s last word She deserved so ain Eureka lowered herself to the floor Her fingers found their way across her chest intuitively, ether and bowed her head in a silent prayer to Saint Francis, asking for serenity on the old woman’s behalf She kept her head bowed and her eyes closed until she sensed that her prayer had left the room and was on its way into the atmosphere She hoped it made it to its destination
What would beco ould find the woman next, whether she had friends or family nearby As herMada conversations with the sheriff Her chest tightened It wouldn’t bring the old woman back to life if Eureka eation Still, she had to find soazed around the roo she had passed a co became a residence Eureka stood and stepped around the pool of blood, sliding a little bit as she crossed the door She regained her balance and tugged the sleeve of her tracksuit over her hand to avoid leaving fingerprints She reached for the red hatch and pulled the , almost comically loud Eureka buried her head between her shoulders and started toward the exit Before she left, she gazed into the room once more at Madame Blavatsky She wanted to say she was sorry
Polaris was perched on the wohtly where her heart had once beat He seeht When he noticed Eureka watching, he raised his head His black eyes gleamed demonically He hissed at her, then squawked once, so shrilly it pierced the sound of the fire alarm
Eureka jumped, then spun around She ran the rest of the way down the stairs She didn’t stop until she’d passed through Madah the red-lit foyer, until she stood gasping in the parking lot, where a golden sun was just beginning to burn into the sky
25
LOST AT SEA
Early Saturday , the twins bounded into Eureka’s roo the day with you!"
"That’s great" Eureka rubbed her eyes and checked her phone for the tile search "Yuki Blavatsky," which she’d been refreshing continually, hoping for a story on the ot was an old yellow pages listing for Blavatsky’s business, which she alone seemed to knoas out of business She had driven by the stripday at school, but at the turn into the e lot, she’d lost her nerve and sped up, until the unlit neon pal visible in her rearview mirror
Haunted by the lack of obvious police presence, by thoughts of Mada alone in the studio, Eureka had driven to the university Setting off the fire alarh, so she sat down at one of the free student union computers and filled out an anonymous crime report form online It was safer to do it there, in thestudent union, than to have the police Web page on her laptop’s browser history at ho the name and address of the deceased wo for inforh Eureka was inexplicably certain she could pick Madame Blavatsky’s murderer out of a lineup
When she’d driven by Blavatsky’s storefront again on Wednesday, yellow crime-scene tape barred the front door and cop cars crarief she’d refused to feel in the presence of Madaue wave of crippling guilt It had been three days since then, and she’d heard nothing on the radio or TV news, online, or in the paper The silence was driving her crazy
She’d suppressed the urge to confide in Ander, because she couldn’t share what had happened with anyone, and even if she could, she wouldn’t kno to find his?" She squeezed Willialed under her covers
"Mom said you’d take us to the pool!"
Wait Today was the day Eureka had agreed to sail with Brooks
It is your destiny, Mada Eureka’s curiosity She wasn’t eager to spend time with Brooks, but she was at least ready to face him She wanted to do what little she could to honor the old woo to the pool another day" Eureka scooted Williaot I have to--"
"Don’t tellthe twins?" Rhoda appeared in the doorearing a red crepe dress She worked a bobby pin into her tightly coiffed hair "Your dad’s at work and I’ the keynote at the dean’s luncheon"
"I e the so well"
Sheto school, had suffered through her hour of hell with Dr Landry Tuesday afternoon Eureka had forked over the last three twenties she owned, then dumped out onto Landry’s coffee table a battered sack of nickels, di to the extra fifteen dollars she needed to pay for the session She had no idea how she would afford to suffer again next week, but at the rate the past few days had crawled, Tuesday was an eternity away
"Fine I’ll watch the twins"
She didn’t have to tell Rhoda what they’d be doing while she watched them She texted Brooks, the first co the twins?