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"No, Evie, please Please Stop"

It was no use, he knew, trying to reason with her Warning her sheher the forensics teaet there first

This was not about reason but raw instinct So primal She needed to stand on the spot, not where her son had died, but where he’d last lived

And Armand needed to stop her Stop the his wife’s hand "What aren’t you telling us?"

Gamache didn’t answer

"We heard Jean-Guy on the phone, calling for help," said Al "He told thehts And ladders"

Al Lepage lifted his eyes fro into and over and through each other, creating an almost impenetrable barrier It also created a trompe l’oeil, the illusion that it was si by, like more forest

But no one simply walked by here They were half a kilorown old path was visible from the Three Pines road, and even that disappeared after a hundred meters or so

"What’s in there?" Al repeated

Gamache looked at Laurent’s parents, and at the other searchers, including Reine-Marie, all of whom had the same question

"I can’t tell you yet," said Arrow anxious

"You don’t have to tell us everything," said Antoinette "Just tell us if we should be worried"

It was a reasonable question, but he didn’t have the answer Not yet

They heard footfalls on the dry leaves, and three men appeared between the trees Gabri and two Sûreté officers

"We’ll take it fro Gabri Then he turned to look at the villagers, ere obviously relieved to see them

"Why are we here?" he asked He looked around "Is this a joke?"

"Not at all," said Gamache He stepped forward and put out his hand "My name is Armand--"