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"Tell me about the child, MerodieDo you hear me? Merodie?"

The phone went dead

G K Bonalay kept h Being forced to endure several Muzak versions of early 1970s bubble gu Trust s cover of "Sugar, Sugar" with a hangover unless you have plenty of Pepto-Bismol at hand I told G K so when she finally returned to the phone She apologized profusely forAs for the e"

I thought she h, I didn’t, either

I told G K about my conversation with Merodie Davis, and she oddamn phone, but said she wouldn’t be able to deliver it until later Her firs that proe to find tiet me access to Merodie’s house

"Someone will meet you at 1:00 PM"

"That’ll work fine"

"What can you tell me so far?" G K asked

"Not much We know that Merodie owned the house--"

"Hoe know that?"

"I checked with the Anoka County Division of Property Records and Taxation She’s listed as fee owner She owns the house, she pays the taxes, only here’s the thing--as far as I can tell, she has no job, and she’s not receiving welfare or unemployment"

"How do you know?"

"I asked"

"The county welfare depart"

"They’re not supposed to divulge that information"