Eliza was a mass of nerves when she got to the guest room and sank down on the bed, feeling quivery and still vaguely nauseous.

She felt like she had just gone ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer, but she also thought that Romano had actually listened to her and that she had made some headway.

Feeling like she needed to speak to Nadia about what had just happened, she didn't want to go to the bedroom where Romano is to get her cellphone, so she picked up the telephone receiver from its cradle ...