The late afternoon sun slanted across the courtyard of the main mansion, turning the charcoal stone paths to warm slate and catching the spray from the central fountain in a fine, glittering mist.
It was Saturday, and Kira had wandered out here alone to take some fresh air, since Derek was all holed up in his office, buried in work, and she didn't have anyone else to speak to. She sat on the wide lip of the fountain, her slippers abandoned beside her, and bare feet dangling in the cool water. Her toes traced lazy circles, sending gentle ripples across the surface. In her lap, her diary lay open. She had written the name "CLAIRE" in bold capital letters, circling it so many times.
She was only half conscious of her surroundings, because most of her thoughts kept drifting back to the same thought: Who was Claire? And why had that woman called her by that name?
