Nine
Grace and Heron climbed from the white auto onto the congested sidewalk. Residents stood in clusters, shielding their eyes as they regarded the black smoke billowing above. Officials ran in and out of the building, securing the area as best they could, while the firefighters applied a liberal dose of foam to the fire, extinguishing the last of its flames.
Heron’s eyes shone as he spoke beside her. “Ute is on vacation for the next three weeks. She has a tourist visa for EU Zone 6 until the fourth.”
“Convenient,” Grace said, shielding her eyes as she searched the windows for any sign of movement.
“I reviewed her appointment book for the last eighteen months, and there’s no mention of Tristan except for a physical from last year. In the physical’s notes, there’s the gout the sister m
