Page 137 (1/2)

‘But you hated the job,’ said Gabri

‘I did But I hated being left out more Everyone does, don’t you know that?’

Clara thought of all the wedding invitations she hadn’t received and how she’d felt Partly relieved at not having to go to the party and bring a gift they couldn’t afford, but otten Or worse Remembered but not included

‘Then she took Monsieur Béliveau,’ Ga she’d often say he and I would an to hope, to think maybe that was true’

‘But he wanted more than just company,’ said Myrna

‘He wanted her,’ said Hazel, the bitterness seeping out ‘And I started to see I’d et out of it’

‘When did you decide to kill her?’ Gamache asked

‘When Sophie came home for Christmas, and kissed her first’

The si fact sat in their sacred circle, like the dead little bird Ga they were told over and over: don’t go into the woods in spring You don’t want to get between a mother and her baby

Madeleine had

Finally Gao Not because you planned to use it then, but because you don’t throw anything away’

Not furniture, not books, not eo

‘According to the lab, the pills used were too pure to be the recent ht the ephedra was from your store,’ he said to Odile ‘But then I reo Hazel said Madeleine had found it and confiscated them, but that wasn’t true, was it, Sophie?’

‘Mom?’ Sophie sat wide-eyed, stunned

Hazel reached for her hand, but Sophie quickly withdrew it Hazel lookedelse

‘You found them And you used thenore the inflection, the hint of satisfaction in Sophie’s voice

‘I had to She was taking you away Taking everything’