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"There she is," said Thierry as they entered the coffee shop "Suzanne," he called and waved

A woman with close-cropped black hair looked up She was in her sixties, Gaht shirt with a light shawl, a skirt about three inches too short on her barrel body There were six other woes, at the table

"Thierry" Suzanne juh she hadn’t just seen hiht, inquisitive eyes on Gamache and Beauvoir "New blood?"

Beauvoir bristled He didn’t like this bawdy, brassy woman Loud And now she see tonight It’s OK, honey," she laughed as she saw Beauvoir’s expression "You don’t need to like us You just need to get sober"

"I’m not an alcoholic" Even to his ears it sounded like the as a dead bug or a piece of dirt he couldn’t wait to get out of his h, did He gave Beauvoir a warning look and put out his hand to Suzanne

"My name is Armand Gamache"

"His father?" Suzanne gestured to Beauvoir

Gamache smiled "Mercifully, no We’re not here about AA"

His somber manner seemed to impress itself on her and Suzanne’s smile dimmed Her eyes, however, remained alert

Watchful, Beauvoir realized What he’d first taken to be the shine of an idiot was in fact so far different This woht shine, a brain was at work Furiously

"What is it?" she asked

"I wonder if we could talk privately?"

Thierry left them and joined Bob and Jim and four other men across the coffee shop

"Would you like a coffee?" Suzanne asked as they found a quiet table near the toilets

"Non, h it was only half full"

Suzanne laughed She seeh a lot He wondered what that hid No one, in his experience, was ever that amused

"The DTs?" she asked and when Gareat affection "He lives at the Salvation Ars a week He assumes everyone he meets is an alcoholic"

"There’re worse assumptions," said Gamache

"How can I help you?"

"I’m with the Sûreté du Québec," said Gamache "Homicide"

"You’re Chief Inspector Gamache?" she asked

"I am"