Chapter 11: Winston's Report

Winston's POV

I heard her say okay, and I did what I always do when something fails inspection.

I went upstairs and wrote down what was wrong.

Item one: I had let myself believe a thing, in a boathouse, at four in the morning, with no supporting evidence.

Item two: she had said yes to Vera's face, and I had not heard a single false note in it.

I packed my bag in Room Nine very quickly.

I have been fast at it since I was nineteen and a roommate moved out without notice.

Shirts. The charger. My notebook. The plane photo, still on my phone.

Before I zipped the bag, I dragged the chair under the smoke detector and climbed up.

It took a coin to pop the cover.

Inside was a tiny lens and a battery pack wired to the casing.

A small green light had been on the whole time.

I took the whole unit down and put it in my coat pocket.

Evidence is evidence, even when you're leaving.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Winston?"

I didn't answer.

"Winston, it's me. I know you heard." A pause. "Please open the door. I recorded all of it."

I opened it.

She stood in the hall in her coat, with the green dress under it and her hair coming out of its braid.

She didn't say anything. She held up her phone, pressed a button, and Vera's voice came out of the speaker, warm and clear.

Vera was laughing at something, and then she was telling Signe to eat.

It was the whole kitchen, start to finish, with the crackers in it.