Page 48 (1/2)

"Ringokay?"

"Not sure" I take the stairs two steps at a ti on the bed I was in only hours ago, the sheets stretched out over the mattress, the pillows perfectly set It doesn’t surprise irl ouldn’t leave withoutI inhale, the scent of her perfuo

But now she’s not We were supposed to arda who thinks I’one and the door was left unlocked

I can’t see A that on purpose It’s as if she was in a rush and forgot Or a panic

Fuck What did he say to her? Did he cous? This is too coincidental

I search for a spare house key in the table by the door Nothing So I shut the door tight behind me, because I don’t knohat else I can do, and head back toover I don’t want to leave the house open for her to come home to This is central Dublin It’s not a place you can leave your door unlocked, especially if someone knows the owner and thinks he’s overseas

I pull ht to voice me" I hesitate "Please"

TWENTY-TWO

A her chow mein noodles around her fork

"Just don’t spill," Ianchair, one leg slung over the side We both watched her douse the take-out with so much soy sauce that it pooled in the bottory, but when Ivy said she was going to order Chinese, I numbly nodded Now I si over to my phone River has already left three texts and two voice ebinder of tattoo photographs I’ve been flipping through it for hours, listening to Ivy’s needle buzz behind the walls

"You did all of these?"

"It’s ht," Ivythat to potential customers!" He throws an extra set of chopsticks at her, and they hit her boot

"What’s wrong, afraid of a little competition?"