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Korvel told thee e-mail "Why would someone send me the exact information I needed and then destroy my computer immediately after I read it?"

"He doesn’t want you to trace it back to him Seems like someone wants to help, but doesn’t want us to knoho he is, where he is, or why he’s doing it" Nicola went to retrieve the in-flight phone and dialed a number "Benny? C’est moi Yeah, well, I’m between countries at thein Jamaica"

Korvel paced the cabin as Nicola spoke to her contact, stopping only when she ended the call "What is it?"

"Winter Cove is listed as a private residence There’s a house, a couple acres of woods, and three miles of beach" When he started to speak, she held up a hand "OneIt’s not the Derien estate It’s owned by a Christopher Black I’ll give you three guesses what his nauess "Cristophe Noir"

Simone tucked Jamar’s business card in her pocket and waved to hiates and input the date of her birth on the keypad The locks grated as they disengaged and the gates opened

She didn’t stop walking toward the house until she spotted the first of five sedans parked around the fountain Her father had never explained the arrangeuard his house on the island, so it was possible the cars belonged to his security guards Only the proested otherwise

Before she caht of the s she circled around the house, noting the lights that shone in the kitchen and several of the second-floor roolance inside an open

"You tromp like a cow, Quatorze" The man who stood just inside folded his arms "We could hear you as soon as you stepped off the drive"

Si brown eyes of the man inside her house He had a Swiss accent, and his face was unfalanced over his shoulder "Good news She can still count" In one fluid h theand landed beside her "I have been waiting to do this for fifteen years"

Si "How are you here? But you…I thought he--"

"Killed h while I was at the damned château he certainly made me wish I was dead" He took her hand "Co"

"Others?" she echoed weakly as she followed him to the back door

"Not all of us could coive birth any second, and Trente broke his leg lastis only for the mentally ill, but does he listen to me? No"

She understood when she stepped inside and saw the sevenaround a table piled eapons One as covered in tattoos and wore his white-blond hair spiked pitched a throwing blade at her, which she caught reflexively before she spotted the crescent scar dividing his right eyebrow "Vingt?"

The Dutchet the ieous, too"

Sirin faded as he looked up at her face

"I’ at ht you were…" She stopped and reached out, al her hand to her mouth She looked at all the faces around her, every one invoking memories she had tried so hard to bury deep Overwhel her head "No Not all of you I thought…He t stood and folded her into his arms "Now don’t faint," he irl"

That irl"