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"Ithe truth: I missed the boy he’d been before Kathleen’s death "Maybe you can come and visit us sometime"

"Maybe" But the way he spoke made it see Kathleen said sos about you She told me that I should be careful around you, that you weren’t --" He stopped talking

"She told you that I’m not normal?" I said "Well, that’s true"

"She said -- stupid stuff She was into that weird role-playing and witchcraft, and who knohat else But she acted sometimes as if it were real She said you were a valowed like embers

"And I know that’s ridiculous, but I still have to ask if you know anything about how she died Do you know anything?"

"All I knohat I read, and what you toldto do with her death, Michael I wish I’d been there that night -- soot sick, and you droveI knew, your father called mine to see if she ith ht," he said "I’ies needed"

I asked him if there were any leads in the case He said that the police were questioning stable hands

Once I’d sorted through what I knew about ed as possiblehim down I wrote them in my journal

First, every Januaryto Baltiht be of use But January was months away, and I wasn’t inclined to be patient

Second, my father was devoted to his research To conduct the business of Seradrone, and to stay alive, he needed a steady supply of blood That meant inquiries should be made to the Green Cross service, and perhaps to funeral parlors But where?

Third, he relied upon his helpers: Dennis McGrath and Mary Ellis Root Find theht lead to my father

Fourth, contact his tailor

Those were the iht have done soun a new life as a teacher or writer But I didn’t think so As my mother had said, ht after dinner, Mãe, Dashay, Harris, and I sat outside in the arden that lay on the house’s northern side (Joey had been sent to bed by Dashay; the moon excited him, and he made too much noise) Mãe had planted an array of white flowers -- angel’s truardenias -- in a circular plot, and we sat on two facing benches low as the sky darkened A halflow in the June sky, and the heavy perfume of the tobacco plants made me sleepy Around us, mosquitoes droned, but never even brushed our skin Their noise re instruments I know it’s not a pleasant sound for humans, who fear their bite

I told the others about my plan to find my father The Recovery Plan, I called it They listened without co calls toain"

"That’s good," Dashay said Next to reement

Mãe said, "And what if you do find him, Ariella? What then?"

I didn’t have an answer Her face was half in shadow, and Dashay sat beyond her, nearly invisible I tried to i on the bench next to low of the flowers, and I failed I couldn’t picture him with us

The child in me wondered, What if he doesn’t like monkeys?

Nobody spoke Then the quiet was shattered by a sound: "Wha-ha!"

I was the only one who jumped Harris actually reached over and patted my hand

The noise repeated, and this time it was answered by another sound: "Who-whoo"

The exchanges went on for nearly afrom Then, they faded away, until all we heard was the drone of ain

"Owls?" I whispered, and the others nodded

"Barred owls," Dashay said

Suddenly I thought of my father’s lullaby Across froan to sing, to theto me: "Jacaré tutu / Jacaré mandu / tutu vai embora / Não leva méia filhinha / Murucututu" Her voice was dark silver -- as haunting as his, but sharper, sadder -- and it shiht When she stopped, there was silence Even the mosquitoes were quiet, for a moment

Then I heard my voice "What do the wordsfor her child’s protection She asks the alligator and the other beasts of the night to go away, to leave the child alone Murucututu is the owl, the mother of sleep"

"How do you know it?"

"Your father," she said "He sang it to you, before you were born"

Next ardless of the consequences

I began with Seradrone and Green Cross Both had websites -- dull, jargon-ridden websites, but at least they provided contact nus area code But when I called, I reached the faer in service Next I dialed Green Cross I expect a terrorist calling the Pentagon ot more answers

I said, "I heard that Seradrone went out of business, and I wondered whether we’ll still be able to get Sangfroid"