Chapter 16. A Code?

Anna met Suzy at the end of the corridor, and the two went off chatting excitedly about some dresses they had seen in magazines.

  Anna took her time choosing. She bought dresses, jeans, shoes and pyjamas. In fact, she let Suzy choose for her. She hadn't been able to think about anything since she bought the black dress to wear to All's wake. It was as if she had made that situation concrete inside her, and she ended up prostrating herself.

  When she came back from shopping, Sarah, who had stayed by All's side in the bedroom while she painted her nails, got up and left them alone. Anna approached and, seeing Allister asleep, realized how dead he was. She ran her hand lovingly through his black and slightly gray hair and took a deep breath.

  “You're having dinner with me tonight.”

  Anna dropped the shopping bag in her hand, startled by the steel-cut voice that sounded like merciless thunder in the silent room, and turned to him with her