Chapter 12: Hold Still

Craig stood in my doorway with the hall light behind him.

"Jo?" he said. "I thought I heard voices."

I let my head loll on the pillow and made my voice thick.

"Talking in my sleep," I said. "Sorry."

"You were talking to someone."

"Bad dream."

He did not come in right away.

He looked at the bed, and at the nightstand with his saucer on it, and at the wardrobe.

I kept my eyes half closed and breathed slowly.

I did not look at the wardrobe once.

The floor creaked under his weight as he took one step in.

Then he stopped, and I heard him sniff the air.

"Why does it smell like soap in here?" he said.

"I washed my face."

"At two in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep," I said, "after the tea."

That seemed to settle something.

"Of course," he said, almost gently. "It'll work soon."

He crossed the room to my side and bent over me.

He put his lips on my forehead and left them there until my skin crawled.

Then he went out and shut the door.

I listened until his footsteps faded down the hall.

I waited another quiet minute.

When Erik came out from behind the wardrobe, he was holding something in his hand.

It was a wooden coat hanger, snapped in two.

He had broken it, I think, without noticing.

"Don't say anything," I whispered.

"I wasn't going to."

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