Chapter 5
The Sea Air
Muliazas and Piyonas drive to Palanga to find Aldona. They locate the house at 12 Seaview Road, but an elderly woman informs them Aldona now lives at a small cottage near the pier. Muliazas meets Aldona, now a quiet woman with a gentle smile. He gives her the letter, and they share a conversation about the past. Aldona reveals she has thought of him too, and that the accident at the lake was not his fault—she had been the one to push him. Muliazas feels a weight lift. The chapter ends with them agreeing to meet again the next day, setting up the final chapter.
The morning was cool and clear. Muliazas stood by the kitchen window, watching the mist rise from the garden. His breath fogged the glass, and he wiped it away with his sleeve. The stone from Senoji Akis was heavy in his pocket. The envelope was in his jacket, sealed and waiting.
Piyonas arrived at half past seven, driving his brother's blue sedan. The car was older than his own but well-maintained, the engine purring as he pulled into the driveway. Muliazas climbed in, settling into the passenger seat with a soft groan. His joints ached from the previous day's hunching over microfilm.
"Ready?" Piyonas asked.
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