Chapter 163: Natale, Part 1

Klempner

Juliana coughs and her face twists, more blood spilling now from her mouth. "Gotcha, Larry."

I watch as, in a slow exhalation, the air escapes her throat. Her eyes lose their focus and freeze into a sightless stare.

"Juliana?"

She doesn't move, quite still. No lift to her chest. No flutter to her eyelids.

"Juliana?"

She doesn't move again.

I'm quite alone.

No-one knows I'm here.

No-one is coming.

I gaze into the abyss.

*****

The blood pounds at my temples. My breath comes in short snatches. My vision is dark at the edges...

Flattening myself back against the wall, I scrutinize the prone Juliana, hoping that I might be mistaken; that there's a breath of life in her.

I'm only fooling myself. Not even that. I know a corpse when I see one.

Juliana was the only person who knew I was here. She murdered anyone else who might know how to find me. Or even that I existed.