Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

The hospital room was completely silent.

Rupert reeked of cigarettes, his eyes cold and fixed on the numbers glowing on the phone screen.

"What do the numbers before the 4 mean?" he asked, his voice low.

Naomi answered right away, not daring to hesitate. "1 means home, 2 is my work, 3 is leaving town."

She and her daughter had always looked out for each other; they had to be careful.

When Naomi was young, she'd been followed by a man. Later, her sweet, pretty daughter, Sylvia, had caught the attention of someone dangerous, too.

So the two of them came up with this code. If they ever got in trouble and couldn't call, they'd text these numbers.

Back then, Sylvia was just a kid. Their lives were simple: home and work, not many numbers to keep track of.

Edwin tried to guess, "You think Sylvia's been taken out of town?"

Naomi frowned. "If she was out of town, she'd use 4. She knows I'd understand.

She'd never mess up the code. Why would she send a 5?"

"Abroad," Rupert said flatly. He turned and walked out of the room.

Chris

if that string of numbers was just a trick? Maybe it's meant to throw us

his phone, his eyes dark and

city or the country. But the airline shows Warren and Fiona boarded their flight to Paris today. How could they have taken Ms. Lloyd with them? Should I have someone watch their place

in Paris," Rupert said, his voice sharp as broken glass.

air around him was icy, enough

garage, far from the

his motorcycle in a deserted

hand, kissed it, and smiled. "Bridget, from now on, it's just you

was blank, her eyes

plan-just a fling, someone to

him felt like announcing she'd failed

worse. She'd fallen into Warren's twisted hands-she'd never have a good

terminal. Suddenly, the sharp smell of cigarettes drifted

spotted a tall, dark figure ahead. Fear gripped her. Instinctively, she

who usually acted like nothing scared him, was

hand, his

go?" he asked, voice cool and

talking about," Caleb

tell

ground