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‘Good idea’ She tried to s She looked at the clock on the stove Seven thirty Picking up her coffee and calling to Lucy their golden retriever she put on a coat, rubber boots and a hat and went out

The air smelled fresh and clean or if not clean, at least natural Dirt It smelled of fresh leaves and wood and dirt And water And wood shter All the young tulips and daffodils had been flattened by the storet the idea, but it flopped back as soon as she let go

Clara had never really taken to gardening All her creative energies went into her art Happily, Myrna loved gardening, and even arden herself

In exchange for arden into lovely perennial beds of roses and peony, delphiniu bulbs dared to bloom, and look what happened to the on his door His bedside clock said 6:10 A dull light was coain was the tapping Creeping out of bed he slipped on his dressing gown and opened the door There was Gabri, his thick dark hair standing up on one side like Guown and fluffy slippers It seeant and sophisticated Olivier becarew The universe in balance

Olivier ht Gamache

‘Désolé,’ whispered Gabri He lifted his hand and Gamache saw a newspaper His heart dropped

‘This just arrived I thought you’d like to see it before anyone else’

‘Anyone?’

‘Well, I saw it And Olivier But no one else’

‘You’re very kind, Gabri Merci’

‘I’ll make coffee Come dohen you’re ready At least the storm’s over’

‘You think?’ said Gamache and smiled He shut the door, put the paper on the bed then showered and shaved Refreshed he stared down at the paper, a splotch of black and grey against the white sheets He quickly turned the pages before his courage flagged

And there it was Worse than he’d expected

His jaw cla He could feel hiraph His daughter Annie Annie and a

‘Anne Marie Gamache with her lover, Maître Paul Miron of the public prosecutor’s office’

Garaph was still there

He read the piece, twice Forcing hinant words Then he sat quietly and thought