“I’m just confused, Mr. Wright.” I said, honestly. “I’ve spoken to my grandfather. I’ve read the case report. I’ve been stuck in my apartment for months trying to figure it out, and I can’t. I… worked for this man? Furio Tigre? And I agreed to help him murder a man – Glen Elg? Why am I not in jail?”

The lawyer crossed his legs. “Well… I think we can both take a guess as to why you’re not in jail. But, as for Tigre… as far as I understand it, yeah. That’s pretty much what happened. I mean, I was there, at his agency. I spoke to you. You were his… assistant, I guess is the way you’d describe it.”

“I wouldn’t describe it at all, because I can’t remember! I—I have this vague notion of the car accident. But everything after that… it’s like I’ve woken up in a completely different world! I’ve read my own words in that transcript, and I don’t recognize myself! I know I’m Viola Cadaverini. What I don’t know is Viola Cadaverini’s place in this new world. Does that make sense?”

“Of course. I mean, I can’t… really imagine what you must be going through. But I can understand the frustration.”

“You seemed like the most decent person in the whole cast, so I just… I don’t know. I felt like, if I heard it from you, it would all click.”

“Well?” he asked. “Has it?”

I said nothing.

“Ms. Cadaverini. Viola—“ he stammered, trying to pick the right words. “It’s not my place to say this. It probably never will be. But whether it all ‘clicks’ or not…” He looked down at his hands. “I’ve spent most of my professional life tracking down the truth. That saves some. But, generally, destroys someone else, in return. Sometimes it’s all deserved. Sometimes I wish things didn’t work the way they did. Everyone’s guilty of something. It’s just a matter of figuring out how much we want to hold them responsible for that. And, again. It’s not my place to say this. It never will be. But…”

“But?”

“…I think, if YOU think, what you feel now isn’t enough... You should keep chasing that vague notion of yours. I can’t say for sure what’ll happen when you reach it. I can’t even say I know you as a person. I can, frankly, only hope things will turn out okay. Pretty much like I always have. Ha ha.”

“Uh. What? I don’t understand.”

“Ha ha. I’m sorry. Lost my train of thought. Been a busy day. Forget I said anything.” He cleared his throat. “Can I, uh, get you some more tea, maybe?”

I stepped outside. Raining, again. It seemed like the weather just couldn’t clear up.

My chauffeur opened the door for me. Given my injury and after finding out I’d hidden the car accident from them, I was forced to have someone drive me, if only for a little while.

“Did it go well, Miss?” the driver asked me.

“Just drive. And if you put on the Jammin’ Ninja CD on, you’re dead.”

He paused. “Er. Excuse me?”

I blinked. Right. Of course. Different driver. Different limo.

Different world.

I huddled up in the back seat.

“Just drive. Anywhere. Do it in circles.” I ordered, hoping that I would be blessed with a good dream. Or the ability to wake up. Either would help me escape from here.