Daniele was celebrating some discovery tonight.
What?
Don’t know.
Interesting.
What was said in her second meeting—with the Korean speaker?
Unknown. We need a translator. Don’t want to ask anyone around here. Hiro thinks he can find a dealer in Vegas who speaks Korean. Someone who can keep quiet. Should have it translated in a few days.
What about A-2?
Adeline wasn’t sure if Elliott would catch on to her shorthand for Absolom Two, but he seemed to understand.
Almost done. Maybe days away. The tuning bars are pretty close to the predicted time and location now. Hiro and I are hiding some of the progress from Dani. Changing the data we show her.
Good.
*
For the next few days, Adeline’s life settled into a pattern. She went to work at Absolom Sciences, learned what she could, and waited for Elliott to text. But he didn’t. He and Hiro and Daniele spent nearly all their time in the lab or in the desert.
Finally, before bed one night, she sat at her desk and sent Elliott a text.
What’s happening? Did you find a translator?
Yes.
And?
The visitor was the CEO of Syntran. She was just giving a business update and talking about some new product offering. But something else happened. Are you alone?
Yes.
Put your headphones on.
She pushed her earbuds in and typed a reply.
Ready.
Elliott’s next message was a link to a video taken on a phone. It was shaky, as if the phone was in someone’s shirt pocket and the person was walking around. They were in some kind of medical lab.
No. It was a morgue. Through a wide window, Adeline saw three metal tables. One had a dead body on it. And Daniele was standing over it.
The person walked to the window, giving the camera a better look at the body. It was Nora.
The video stopped, and Adeline stared at it for a long time. Then she typed the three-letter response running through her mind.
WTF?
Dani ordered Nora’s body exhumed.
Why?
Isn’t it obvious? So she could study how she died. To get the wounds in the right place when she uses Absolom Two to kill her.
*
The next morning, Adeline could barely look Daniele in the eye.
“Everything all right?” she asked, setting her coffee mug on the counter.
Adeline shrugged. “That’s a bit like asking me how the weather is during a hurricane. My mom is dead. My dad is in the Triassic. It’s not going great, Daniele.”
“It will get better.”
“How? When? What’s your plan?”
“I told you before. I’m going to get your dad back.”
“How?”
“As soon as Absolom Two is finished—when it’s accurate enough—I’ll use it. Before Elliott. That’s important. The past can’t be changed, Adeline. And he can’t be reasoned with. Do you understand?”
Adeline swallowed and nodded.
“Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“No.”
*
When Adeline got home, a delivery company was unloading a massive box into Daniele’s garage.
“What’s that?” Adeline asked.
“It’s for a trip I’ll be taking.”
“Trip where?”
“It’s none of your concern.”
Adeline glanced away, to the street, where two black SUVs were parked. They were unmarked, with dark tinted windows.
Daniele spoke before Adeline could ask about them. “I’ve hired some additional security. For the house. And the office.”
“Private security.”
“Yes. I needed people who only answer to me.”
*
Ryan was at a friend’s house, and Adeline was sitting at the outdoor dining table with Daniele when she felt the burner phone buzz with a text message.
Before she could check it, Daniele reached into her purse, drew out a small box, and pushed it across the table. “I got you a small gift.”
Adeline didn’t want a small gift. She wanted to get up and leave and go check the text message.
Instead, she smiled and took the box and quickly began removing the wrapper.
“What’s the occasion?”
Daniele smiled. “New beginnings. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot.”
Adeline opened the box. It was a pair of diamond stud earrings. The stones were massive.
“They’re beautiful,” she said, wincing when she heard how hasty she sounded.
“Someone very special gave them to me. Someone who’s no longer in my life.”
She set the box down beside her plate. “Sorry, I need to—”