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T he Tuscan night was cool and dark, and the air was filled with sounds Julia couldn’t identify.

She sat at the rusty table in the overgrown garden while Piero was searching the villa and Anna Mattia was closing up.

They’d offered Julia to sleep at their house, and she’d accepted, but she wanted to call Courtney first. The call connected, and Julia said, “Hey, I’m sorry to wake you—”

“Honey, what’s the matter?” Courtney asked, alarmed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m kind of upset.” Julia bit her lip not to cry.

“What’s going on? Another nightmare?”

“No, I was awake, on the laptop.” Julia wiped her eyes and told her everything that happened in the dining room.

“Blue lights? Zodiac signs?” Courtney groaned. “Jules, come home.”

“Look, I know it’s crazy, and I don’t know why it’s happening, or what’s happening to me—”

“Sell that place. Get on a plane ASAP.”

“I can’t. Something’s going on here—”

“Yes, you’re losing your damn mind.”

I might be, I am, I feel it. “Look, I admit I don’t know what it is, but something is happening. I feel like this blue light is related to Caterina somehow. Remember, it came off the ceiling fresco, the portrait of her—”

“Is it a ghost? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I don’t know, I’m not saying it’s her ghost , I’m saying it’s like her presence , like it’s related to her.

And the hoodie of the guy who killed Mike, it was blue, too, and I have to figure out what’s going on, I can’t leave here now.

You know, everybody thinks Rossi was crazy.

What if the blue light came to her, whether it’s Caterina or not?

What if it was a vision of some kind?” Julia looked up, but there were no answers in the velvety black sky, shimmering with twinkling stars. “It’s about me somehow—”

“Jules, please. You’re scaring me. These dreams, they’re from PTSD. Please, why don’t you call Susanna?”

“No, no, no.” Julia knew Susanna couldn’t help. She didn’t think anybody at home could help. It was all about her, here, and she had to help herself.

“Then come home now. Sell the—”

“It’s not about the villa anymore. It’s about me, finding out who I am.”

“Even if it isn’t good for you?”

“It is good for me,” Julia shot back, but she knew it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. She was falling apart, maybe even going insane. She didn’t know where it ended, but she couldn’t stop it now, either.

“But you can’t stay, it’s destroying you!”

Julia’s throat caught. “It’s not—”

“Of course it is! You’re seeing things .”

“I can handle it, I’m stronger than you think. Stronger than I think.”

“Is this your horoscope now? Am I talking to Cancer the Crab?”

Julia shuddered, thinking of the crabs that tore her to pieces. She couldn’t speak for a moment.

“Stop with that astrology crap. Listen to me. I’ve known you since high school, and it’s a fucking app .”

“It’s real—”

“No, it’s not—”

“It is—”

“Then fine!” Courtney snapped. “If you want to believe that, knock yourself out. You insist on believing it. Do what you want and don’t ask for my blessing.”

“I’m not—”

“Then why did you wake me up?”

“I’m sorry, I was upset,” Julia answered, guilt-stricken. She never should have called Courtney. It was selfish.

“You’re putting yourself in a terrible situation! You have to help yourself and the way to do that is to come the fuck home.”

“I can’t, not yet.” Julia wanted to end the conversation.

She had to calm down. She had to get it together.

She knew she wasn’t making sense. She was crazy and now she was driving Courtney crazy.

It was late, and Piero and Anna Mattia were probably waiting for her, wanting to go back to bed.

She’d put them through enough for one night, for two even.

“Look, I have to go, I’m sorry I bothered you—”

“Jules, really? You’re hanging up?”

“I have to, I have to go to bed.”

“Okay, then go.” Courtney cleared her throat. “I’m going back to bed, too.”

Julia swallowed hard. “Love you.”

“Love you, too. Get some sleep.” Courtney paused. “And Jules? Be careful.”