THE SECRET IN THE FRAME

nd

different when

of it, the space, the way the air smelled like money in a way I couldn't explain e

n met me a

g surprised them. She took my single bag without commenting o

in the

e size of our w

oom or you can use the kitchen directly. Mr. Hale takes breakfast at se

ot

d at me.

odd

le

d and looked at the room an

was a

job in a house

i

-

him at

came in. Suit at seven in the morning. Read

up when

odd

id no

in si

s the strange part. It was the silence of

ow what to

-

rk wa

once, a board that moved fast and expected him to move faster. I caugh

not

ut he stopped check

was e

-

't part o

y he a

y. I mean the way he was

d turn around and he'd be there. Read

nd he'd come in not for anything specific, j

explained

ver

appened

sing

-

y

ast study when I passed the r

was ope

trying

ook

was

in front

from the doorway. He was standing with his arms crossed and his back to me, sta

ere for tw

kept

one of the phot

same one fr

n. The y

hadn't seen that nigh

in the p

ybe two y

had m

simi

e

les down and stood at the window for five

-

t night Roman

look. Not the

fer

to figure out if I

him n

n?" he said. First non-

," I

room a

er

looked back

u seem un

up. "I'

d on mine for

," he

't beli

believe

-

locked my b

floor again

up my

the pho

locked behind a password

tograph

ba

s closed. Wrapped

im for f

hey to

better. They said I wasn't stable. They said with my

d it was

n't a

too broke

at the ph

s wall was maybe

were shak

the phone

hard agains

elf I wa

coincidenc

s was not what

elf that u

ed my face, and got

I needed

about what I though

these walls a lot more

-