ANMELDENAlex POV: Alex Sees The TruthI pull the rental Toyota up to the curb near the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is barely 8:00 AM, and the morning air holds a boring whiteness over the city. Kelly Stanton is standing like a sentry on the sidewalk.He gives the rental a disgusted stare."Let's walk, Alex," he says, turning his back to the vehicle."You called me out here at eight in the morning telling me we need to meet ASAP, and now you just want to go for a stroll? What exactly is the emergency, Kelly?"Stanton doesn't answer right away. He sets off down the path at a leisurely pace. I stare at him for a moment before joining him. From this stretch of the National Mall, the Washington Monument juts out like a big unnatural sword against the pale, empty morning sky."Alex, it's a mess," Stanton says, his eyes fixed forward. "A complicated mess.""You can break down a mess over the phone," I point out."No. I wanted to tell you this in person," he replies, his voice thick with an unchara
Dana POV: Jodie Is PregnantI look back into the dim living room. My mother is still sound asleep in the couch, oblivious to the danger mustering outside. A second knock makes me jump. Through the fish-eye lens of the peephole, Jodie looks too unhinged for me to even consider letting her inside. Her jaw is clenched, and her eyes are pacing the porch. What if she's here to physically harm me? Given the sheer desperation it takes to frame me, I wouldn't put anything past her.Right then, my phone rings in my hand. It’s Fanny. Quickly, I answer in a whisper, "Jodie is here. She's right outside on the porch."She says, "I'm here too."Oh thank goodness. I press my eye to the glass peephole once more. A taxi comes to a stop at the curb in front of the car where Fenton's bandmate is leaning. The rear door opens, and Fanny climbs out. Jodie turns around at the sound, her eyes lock onto Fanny.I throw the door open just as Jodie marches down the steps to intercept Fanny on the sidewalk.Jo
Dana POV: Jodie Came Over Fanny looks at me, her eyes practically bugging out of her head as we walk out to the motel parking lot. My phone vibrates in my hand and I look at it. Hymar has just sent the video file and mapping analysis to my email."So, are you going to show Alex this thing?" Fanny asks, rushing her steps to keep pace with me as I march toward the street. "Dana, think about it. This could blow the case out of the water. You have to show him right now."I stop walking and look at her. "I've already given Alex more than enough evidence to prove that it isn't me on that security camera," I say. "But he didn't believe me, Fanny. He looked me right in the eye and he doubted me. Look, I am done trying to convince Alex of my innocence. He can choose to believe whatever the hell he wants to believe from now on. It's stupid. He's being stupid."Fanny sighs and throws her hands up in the air in a gesture of frustration. "Yeah, he's acting like an idiot, and this entire situati
Dana POV: It Is A Man In The Footage Surprisingly, nothing happens for the next two days. The silence from the police and from Alex is louder than any siren. I find myself jumping at every sudden sound in the house, from the groan of the house at night, the rustle of paper on my desk, to the wind brushing against the windowpane. I eat next to nothing, my stomach permanently tied in a tight, anxious knot.And at the office, I find myself wandering down the hallway, opening the door to Alex's office even though I know he's not in. Derek tells me that Alex flew back to California to handle some urgent business matter. Desperate for answers, I even went by the local concert venue yesterday afternoon, hoping and fearing that I might run into Fenton or Jodie lurking around. But the venue was deserted. I'm left with nothing but my own racing thoughts.Fanny calls me early this morning. She wants us to meet up for a quick lunch downtown to talk. As the morning whiles away, I keep anxiousl
Alex POV: Orsini’s Deal Comes With A Catch "You are sure this recording is authentic?"I stare at Stanton, my hands gripping the edge of the kitchen counter, Dana's perfume still giving me a heady rock.He nods as he sets his briefcase down. "Yes. I had Jerry at the soundlab downtown check it out. He's a hundred percent sure it's untampered. He compared the audio file with Fenton's voice recorded at one of his concerts. There is absolutely no way Dana could have forged it into that old recorder of hers. It's real, Alex."I pick up my glass of vodka from the counter. I gulp the entire thing down, letting the alcohol burn a path straight to my stomach. It does nothing to ease the twisting knot of guilt inside me. Stanton watches me quietly before pouring us both another round.He had only reluctantly played the tape for me after Dana stormed out. I am still furious with him for holding onto the recording for this long."We have to prepare for the possibility that we're right, Alex," St
Dana POV: Dana And Fanny: Soul SistersWhen I walk into the living room the place is packed. Jack, Eddie, Cilian, my mom, and Fanny are all waiting for me. They raise their heads in unison the moment I walk in. "Mom?" I ask, as I look around the crowded room. "Jack? Eddie? Fanny? What are you all doing here?"My mom rushes across the room. She throws her arms around me and pulls me into a fierce, trembling embrace."The world is ending, Dana," she whispers into my neck, her voice thick with tears. "The world is ending.""The world is not ending, mom," I say, gently patting her back as I try to breathe through the suffocating hug. "It's not."My mom lets go of me. She grips my shoulders and inspect my face. Her eyes well up with fresh tears. "You do look awful. Did you know? Derek says they locked you in a deplorable cell. The cops. What's Alex doing about this?" she says, snuffling. I sigh long, and gently break free from my mom's tight grip. The emotional whiplash of the last hour
Dana POV: Her Mom Like Charles Two days have passed since the funeral, and the house has settled into quiet. Charles calls me:"I want to take you to lunch if you're free," he says."Yeah," I say. "I’d like that."It’s only ten in the morning, but the day already feels long. I had intended to spen
Dana POV: She Shouldn't Have Told Jack About LoriThe silence stretches for a full ten seconds and I can feel regret pooling in my stomach like lead. Why did I come up here? Why did I think Jack needed to know about Lori’s presence right now when Carmela is here with him?Carmela is the one who fin
Dana POV: Carmela Giuseppe Meets Jack AgainThe relative calm of the wake is broken by a light touch on my shoulder. I turn to see one of the younger cousins, a girl my mother whispered was struggling with bulimia earlier, looking at me with wide, hesitant eyes."Dana," she whispers. "There’s someo
Alex POV: Alex Kicks It With Dana's BrothersThe air on the ground floor of the Travis estate is suffocating, a dense mixture of damp wool, floral arrangements, and the heavy, unsaid expectations of a dynasty in mourning. It's been a while since I found myself in such a solemn setting. Though I un







