Then Theodore didn't say anything more to her. Through the receiver, Clarice could hear voices on the other end—they were about to go through security.
"I'm going in now, turning off my phone," Theodore added.
"Okay."
"Be good," he said, and after a pause, "Wait for me to come back."
The line went dead after that. Clarice listened to the beeping tone for a bit before dropping her phone back into her bag. The cup of ginger tea in her palm was still warm—she had a sip, and that warmth seeped right into her chest.
By the time the tea was almost gone, she was feeling warmer herself—completely rid of that lingering chill. Staring out the window at the now-cleared-up rain, her lips curled up slightly.
Back at the Grant house, she took a hot shower. The ginger tea had clearly
