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With a wave, she headed out of the park, leaving all the pirate booths behind her As she watched, she searched the crowds Had she iht look like Carlos Roca

And in theanother pirate…

Face it: she wasn’t getting enough sleep

It was a long walk back to her roolad of it She needed to walk, to stride, to burn y

She needed to call Sean

She wasn’t ready to do so

Reaching Duval and starting toward the north end, she realized that she was looking in shops and bars She couldn’t shake the belief that she had seen Carlos Roca

But if Carlos was alive, then…

Did that mean he had lanced across the street at a group of "pirates" gathered in front of the Irish bar across the street

One relaxed against the door fra to the ht had to be Carlos Roca

He looked at her He looked straight at her

It was Carlos Roca It had to be Carlos Roca It was his face

He turned and disappeared into the bar

11

"Carlos, no! Wait, stay! It’s me, Vanessa!" she cried She raced across the street It seemed that pirates had spread across the place, and she tried to excuse herself and wend her way through big frock coats, big hair and bigger hats Shefaces to see Carlos’s once again

But she walked all way through to the eency exit, and he wasn’t there She burst into the kitchen, only to be shown out The place was ridiculously crowded, and she realized he h another wall of pirates when she wasn’t looking

At last she gave up and walked her way through the pirates once again to the street

She walked across, and straight into Sean

He was standing in front of her inn, leaning against the wall, as if he had been there for some time He seemed curious that she had come from the Irish bar, and was probably i you," he said

"I’ht have been etting ready to head out--with your friends all involved now"

"Look, Sean, they’re my friends, but not my friends Jay, yes, I’ve known forever And I like the others, but I didn’t bring theainst you," he said

"Howaway She wanted to shout that she thought she had seen Carlos Roca SheAnd if she’d seen Carlos, everyone would decide that, since he was alive, he was guilty Until she saw hi

What if he was guilty? What if he had seen her, and knew that she had seen hiht at her before disappearing

"Is that all?" she asked hi day, and I’d really like to take a shower, if you’ll excuse , but for now…"

She started to walk by him He blocked her path She looked up and was surprised to see that his golden eyes were opened wide and that everything about hiood at this And I’d like you to understand how things looked… I’, co from him under the circuain, so did she

And still…

"I don’t lie, Sean," she said stiffly

"I didn’t accuse you of lying"

"Well, yes, actually you did"