"It really takes a lot -especially in our line of work- for me to feel alive, but you do that for me, Vivienne."
When psychically gifted Vivienne Salvatore is forced to flee to London from her home up north, she stumbles upon a "prestigious" agency...
CHAPTER TWELVE - the boy in striped pyjamas ~ vivienne salvatore
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"Did I miss something?" Lucy mumbles sleepily, rubbing her eyes with a fist. "Wait...Lockwood, why's y'r window broken? You can just open it, y'know?"
"Jesus, Luce," I say, rushing over to her, holding her by the shoulders and scanning her over for injuries. "Are you okay?"
"Slept a little funny on m' neck but, other than that, I'm totally fine," she says. "Why?"
"Someone broke into the house," George says.
"Right," Lucy laughs, before seeing the serious look on our faces and realising we're not joking. "Oh, you're serious?" She asks.
"Did he say anything?" I ask, suddenly turning to face George. "Do anything to give away who he was?"
"No," George says. "But I know what he wanted."
Lockwood and Lucy turn to face him too.
"Follow me," George leaves the room, and we all follow close behind him, rushing down the stairs to the basement —George first, then me, then Lockwood, and then Lucy slightly further behind.
George hops over the Sources scattered on the ground, dodging them like a kid playing hopscotch, and rushes over to the high-security storeroom, where door is creaked slightly open.
He pushes it open the rest of the way, and we're faced with an empty shelf, the only thing sitting on it one open, empty silver-glass box.
"Hugo Blake must've figured out we had the ring," George sighs. "Sent that bastard to get it back in case it linked us to the case," he passes the empty silver-glass case to me.
"Whoever it was," Lockwood says. "This proves its value as evidence."
"Evidence that we no longer have," I remind him, gesturing to the empty container.
"We are so screwed!" George says.
Lockwood kicks an empty cardboard box, sending tiny sachets of iron filings and grains of salt across the floor, the bang echoing off the walls.
"Every time we're ahead," he starts. "Someone kicks us in the nuts and knocks us back down again!"
Suddenly, I feel a slight shiver on the back of my neck, and a faint ringing in my ears.
