grinding over the gravel with a shrill crunch. He parked, stepped out into the clear, hard daylight, and found the backyard still a wreck,
re. He had spent it in the city, an
in the corner of the lounger, in exactly
lled my name sharply. His voice was hard
moving through the tree
e sliding glass door, shaking it hard. Still bolted fro
sued his ultimatum to the empty air in the lofty, condescending tone of a man settling an account: "Get out here. Right now. Clean up the mes
sh of frantic footst
aggered to a halt in front of Dante, teeth chattering, unable to string a whole sentence together. All he could do was lift a trembling finger toward the pool and report, in a terrified, tear-choked voice, that I was still in the water
the pool, resolved to expose my lie on the spot and catch me red-handed. And as he walked, he issued his threat at the top of his voice: "If you're
o the shallow end. He raised the phone high
l on the water, and h
ss was sodden and heavy, clinging to my swollen limbs; my skin had gone
, and his jaw locked. By pure reflex he bar
s knees buckled and he dropped onto the flagstones, both hands
t still blinking. It had been recording the whole time. Behind that smal
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