Smoke from distant wildfires swirled around the old Arts Barn as Annie approached on her Vespa. As Mark said, there was Nelson Adebayo lounging on a wrought iron bench in the area near the Café on Whyte. A woman was with him. Annie did not recognize the petite, dark-haired forty-something female. She was supposed to meet Starr Fulbright here today, and that must be her—Clarise’s long lost daughter, now in person, hanging on Nelson’s arm.
Annie stood near the entrance to the café, watching the bench outside as Nelson and Starr put their heads together immersed in conversation.
This was where, a few days ago, Cho Jin had fired his shots wildly into the crowd, aiming at Annie, and Mark threw himself into the firestorm. They heard the truck backfire here, which turned out to be shots, and th
