Page 19 (1/2)

She smelled his scent of sandalwood, mixed with a hint of rosewater And for the first ti was the sorrow So shattering was the wail

Henri, covered in burrs and upset by the sounds, paced the dirt road, whining and looking up at them

Reine-Marie pulled back and wiped her face with a handkerchief Then, on seeing the glea him, as he’d held her

"I need to--" he said

"Go," she said "I’ht behind you"

She took Henri’s leash and started to run Ar the grief

And then the wailing stopped

As Are at the botto into space

Arravel In the distance he saw Gabri and Olivier arriving fro on theand rhyth down to stop a few paces froestured behind him but kept his face turned away

Even before he looked, Gamache knehat he’d see

Behind him he heard Reine-Marie’s footsteps slow to a stop And then he heard her hththtlance, Armand took in the position of the bike, the ruts in the road, the broken bushes and bent grass The placement of rocks The stark detail imprinted itself forever in his rass and bushes that had hidden Laurent and his bike Behind hi comfort

But Laurent’s father was beyond co He was senseless in a senseless world

Evie was clinging to Laurent, her body enfolding his Rocking him Her mousy brown hair had escaped the elastic and fell in strands in front of her face, for his

"Evie?" Arently, slowly, pulled back the curtain