The following morning, when Iris Marlowe arrived at the academy, it presented a perfect opportunity for Ethan Gray to discuss the upcoming weekend trip with Blanche. However, he hesitated. He still hadn't figured out the best way to dispel the woman's deep-seated suspicions about his motives. He decided it was better to wait one more day, to let the dust of the previous night's drama settle before making his pitch.
At dawn, Ethan was already in the academy courtyard for his morning jog. He was circling the perimeter, his white athletic shirt damp with sweat, his breath hitching in a steady rhythm as he pushed through the humid morning air. As he turned the corner near the main building, a woman in an apricot-colored mini-dress emerged hurriedly from the heavy doors.
She stopped on the to
