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“It’s me, Dr B”

“Miranda? Are you okay?”

“Yes Sort of Not really”

Switching on the bedside lamp, I scrambled out from under the covers, fumbled with the lock, and opened the door in ht spilling froed her face looked “You look like hell”

Normally, this would have prompted a sainst my chest I wrapped my arms around her and patted her back “I’m sorry,” I said “Do you want to talk about it?” She shook her head “Do you want to go get so to eat? If we can find soain

“I just don’t think I can be by myself Can I come in?”

“Of course” The rooned for company; the only places to sit were the bed and a narroooden chair in the corner I nodded toward the chair “Do you want to sit down?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” she said, “but what I’d really like is to just sleep I’ve been tossing and turning for hours, but I got really creeped out in that hotel roone in there; still feel his presence” She drew a deep breath, then blew it out through pursed lips “I just so desperately want to sleep Would you mind if I slept here with you?”

“Miranda, I’ood idea”

“Maybe not, and I’m sorry to ask, but I really don’t want to be alone” Her eyes looked sad and weary “Just sleep I proht now, not a boss”

Fivemy bed with Miranda, and I knew there’d be no sleep for e of theI focused on ular as possible Three seconds a breath In-in-in Out-out-out In-in-in Out-out-out

The covers rustled, the ainst me She spooned up behind s, her chest and belly against my back She wrapped one arm around my shoulder and laid a hand on my chest She patted my heart—tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump—and I swear, it beat in time with her touch Gradually her body went slack and her breath grew deep With each breath in, her belly swelled against me; with each exhalation, the hair on the back of my neck stirred

Her body twitched slightly — a drea at randoainst my back Despite the bizarre and bloody events of the past twenty-four hours, the feeling of her body snugged againstand comfort A line from Meister Eckhart popped into my head: “If the only prayer you ever say is ‘Thank you,’ it will be enough” Lying there with Miranda spooned up behind me — alive, unhurt, and important to me in ways that I didn’t understand fully, or perhaps was afraid to face — I prayed again: Thank you Thank you Thank you

CHAPTER 24

When i woke, she was gone On the nightstand, I found a note in Miranda’s small, neat script It said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you” Underneath the thanks, these words: “A souvenir Maybe it doesn’t , but maybe it’s iht, or at least an odd inscription — in the drawer of the desk

A fewwindblown leaves off a chair in the garden, Jean appeared, a cordless phone in his hand “A call for you”

Inspector Descartes was on the line “I have so to show you,” he said “Can you come to my office?”

“Yes, of course I was just about to have breakfast Tea, toast, and strawberries in the garden Can I eat first, or do I need to coht away?”

“You can eat first,” he said, then, “or…I could come there We could talk over breakfast”

“I’ll ask Jean—”