When Semele awoke the next morning, fragments of the dream stayed with her. She remembered the car ride and the bike accident—those were real memories her subconscious had served up. When she was nine her family had gone on vacation to Austria and she had seen an accident on the side of the road. She hadn’t thought about that trip in years.
Then there was the helicopter ride with Theo—and that kiss. What had that been about? Her thoughts returned to the moment she’d shared with Theo in the gallery. She had replayed their stolen kiss a thousand times.
A heady sense of anticipation filled her. Theo would be here soon. They had a lot to discuss. But first, she had something very important to find.
* * *
She looked all day, in every drawer and cabinet, in every inch of closet space. She was growing more frustrated by the minute. It was Wednesday and she had to return to New York tomorrow. Mikhail expected to meet with her Friday morning to discuss Beijing, but she couldn’t leave New Haven without finding what her grandmother had left her.
For the first time since her father’s death she entered her parents’ bedroom. Her mother had already given up on the search and had gone downstairs to make dinner. Semele could hear her singing something terribly off-key, possibly with a glass of wine in hand.
Semele grimaced. “God, please help me.”
She lay back on her parents’ bed and closed her eyes. For a moment, she felt herself drifting off. Then she looked over at her father’s nightstand. All his things were still there: Fahrenheit 451, his favorite book, the earplugs he wore at night because “his beloved wife snored,” and the Geiger wristwatch he took off right before bed.
He had bought the watch on that same trip to Austria so many years ago and had refused to get a new one. Helen could only talk him into replacing the leather band.
Semele picked up the watch and laid it across her chest. Closing her eyes, she felt her body become heavy and, for a moment, it felt as though her wrist had become his. Her mind emptied, floating untethered. Suspended in this limbo, her mind brought forth the answer she was seeking. With a gasp she opened her eyes and sat up. She knew where her father had put the package.