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She took a hunk of baguette, twisted off a piece and smeared it with butter

"Was it intentional, do you think?" she asked

"Was what intentional?" Beauvoir asked He picked at his food, not really hungry Before lunch he’d gone into the bathroom and taken a painkiller He didn’t want the Chief to see hi it Didn’t want him to know that he was still in pain, soin the cool shade, he could feel the pain ease and the tension begin to slide away

"What do you think?" asked Gamache

"I can’t believe it was a coincidence that Lillian was killed here," said Clara

She twisted in her chair and sawto piece together what happened

Lillian had coht of the party And been murdered

That much was beyond dispute

Beauvoir watched Clara turn in her seat He agreed with her It was strange

The only thing that seemed to fit was that Clara herself had killed the woman It was her home, her party, and her former friend She had motive and opportunity But Beauvoir didn’t kno many little pills he’d have to take to believe Clara was a killer He knew most people were capable of oodness existed, Beauvoir knew that was a te as the sun shone and there was poached salood

But take that away, and see what happens Take the food, the chairs, the flowers, the home Take the friends, the supportive spouse, the income away, and see what happens

The Chief believed if you sift through evil, at the very bottoood He believed that evil has its liood, you’ll find evil Without borders, without brakes, without lihtened him that Gamache couldn’t see that That he was blind to it Because out of blind spots terrible things appeared

Someone had killed a woenteel picnic It was intentional, it was done with bare hands And it was almost certainly no coincidence Lillian Dyson died here In Clara Morrow’s perfect garden

"Can we get a list of guests at your vernissage and the barbeque afterward?" Gamache asked

"Well, we can tell you e invited, but you’ll have to get the complete list from the Musée," said Peter "As for the party here in Three Pines last night…"

He looked at Clara, who grinned

"We have no idea who cae was invited and o as they pleased"

"But you said so came down," said Gamache