Chapter 50. The Empty Side Of The Bed

Lisbon met Diana with warm light and a taxi driver who appeared to consider narrow streets a personal challenge.

Ruth sat beside her, calmly watching the turns. Diana held her bag on her knees and tried to look at everything at once.

There were tiled walls, washing above the street, a woman lowering a shopping bag from a window. None of it knew who she was. The relief of that nearly made her laugh.

At the hotel, she checked in herself and carried her notebook upstairs. Ruth's room was nearby. They agreed on the next morning's meeting time before Diana closed her door.

For the first time in weeks, she stood in a room that belonged entirely to her for a few days.

She put her case down and smiled.

Then she took out her phone.

Diana: Here. Still have the passport. You may stop imagining disasters.

His reply came while she was taking a photograph of the view.

Gabriel: I was imagining you stealing my side of the bed