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Ronan wasn’t sure who he had expected The hoally

But this was a handsoray; Ronan had never seen hiaze around the room was so keen Ronan was afraid he would see theed by Aurora Lynch on her chair in theat all to spring hi place If he so much as touched her --

But the Gray Man didn’t touch Aurora Instead, he bent over to look into her face It was a curious, piercing study, over in a few seconds He toed the tubes and wires that led from machines to nowhere He rubbed his jaw and puzzled

Finally, the Gray Man asked, "Why are you walled up in here?" Aurora Lynch didn’t answer

The Gray Man turned to go, but paused The puzzle box, still sitting on the desk, had caught his eye Retrieving the box, he turned it over and over in his hands, experi the effect it had on the other sides

And then he took it with hio after him and recover it, but he couldn’t risk discovery Where would he get another puzzle box? He had no way of knowing if he’d ever dreaht about hiding, thought about e ti down the driveway

They unhid the Ronan of Chainsahen she was frightened Ordinarily, Ronan would have protested, but this time, he allowed it

"What was that?" Matthehispered

"There are," Ronan replied, "bad things in the world Let’s get out of here"

Matthew kissed his mother’s cheek Ronan made sure he had the will still tucked in his back pocket The loss of the puzzle box still smarted, but at least he had this puzzle of his father’s with hi to say, Dad?

"Bye, Mom," he told Aurora He felt in his pocket for his keys There were two sets: the BMW’s and the false Camaro’s keys "See you later"

33

At that particular moment in time, Richard Campbell Gansey III was ninety-two miles away from his beloved car He stood in the sun-soaked driveway of the Ganseys’

Washington, DC,a furiously red tie and a suit er Beside hie and beautiful face pale above the slender dark of his own suit Tailored by the same clever Italian man who did Gansey’s shirts, the suit was Adaht ahead It was the es translated into worsted wool The air was hurade fuel So with vicious victory It was impossibly hot

They were ninety-seven miles and several million dollars away fro circular driveas a puzzle game of vehicles: tuxedo-black sedans, cello-brown SUVs, silvery two-seaters that could fit in the pal white coupes with diplo solution, sarettes and blew smoke curls over the fenders of a Mercedes beached on the curb beside them Rose blooms rotted on the bushes beside the we didn’t have to trouble ourselves with parking"

The helicopter ride still rested uneasily in Ada seen arriving in a helicopter He’d spent thirty ertips before they’d left Was this the dream, or was his life back in Henrietta?

He echoed, "Lucky thing"

Two men and one woman stepped out of the front door of the house Hands chopped at air; bits of the conversation exploded off the gutters overhead Already been passed -- legislation -- dauests passed through the open door behind them as if the threesoh the dooras a collage of pants suits and pearl necklaces, Vuitton and damask So very many So very, very ically, his eyes on the gathering "Oh well" He flicked an invisible piece of lint off the shoulder of Adaue "Good for them to see your face"

The her hands out to the hungry DC off-the-rack suit crowd, offering them treasure in heaven in return for votes And Gansey was part of the sales package; there was nothing ressional than the entire Gansey fa necklaces and red ties were the captivated retinue ould fund Mrs Richard Gansey II’s run for office And those shiny oxfords and velvet puht squireship froh and confident, pierced the air Conversation swelled to accept it

Who are these people, Ada about the rest of the world?

He must not let it show in his eyes If he reminded himself that he needed them, these people, if he reminded himself it was only a ood at hiding things

Gansey greeted the guests standing outside the door Despite his previous coeti