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Dr Lee ignored her gaping stare and stepped up to the fencing He clasped his hands behind his back and gazed out thoughtfully "I just thought we should talk, Violet About your decision to leave the teahtly "Okay"

"You should reconsider--"

But she didn’t let hi her head "No Sara said I could take as much time as I wanted"

Dr Lee’s smooth expression never cracked, and his stance never relaxed "They come here every day, you know Your aunt and your cousin She lets Cassidy play while they wait for Joshua to get out of school" He looked down at her now "Every day"

Violet’s stoid posture, his unflinching stare, his strange clothing There was so about hi?"

The corner of his mouth inched up "You asked me once who I worked for, and I’ll tell you this: They’re very powerful, the men who employ mewho employ us They don’t want you to quit, Violet In fact, they insist that you stay It’s not a request And if you need ainst you, against your friends, and against your faround "You’ll continue to be part of the team You’ll continue your sessions within And you’ll tell no one--no one--about our conversation today Have Iyou?"

Violet nodded numbly Of course she understood How could she possibly misinterpret any of that? "What about my parents? What am I supposed to say to them?"

Dr Lee pivoted on the heel of his iure it out I have total faith in your ability to handle the on the sidewalk, listening to the spectral sounds of the music-box echo