5
PALM SPRINGS, 2010
Clara watched the lights of the Christmas tree flicker in the soft gloom of the den. Her mother’s antiques were hidden in the dark, indistinguishable shapes that seemed to loom around her, taunting her. The room was decorated in her mother’s favorite tones of green and gold, but Clara could see nothing but darkness and the muted dark green carpet under her feet.
It was almost midnight on Christmas Eve, and household staff had gone home for the holiday. They wouldn’t be back for two more days. Her mother and Darren were at a party at the country club, and Clara sat alone, listening to the silence.
For the first time in her life, silence wasn’t a blessed companion, but a burden she wanted to set down. Earlier in the evening, she had watched television, but the emptin
