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I plucked at the collar of the dress "You knohere I found this, don’t you?"

"You should leave things as they are," Mr Eckhardt said "Why can’t you do that? You’ve got soot so on?"

Sean caht Mr Eckhardt would refuse his, but he accepted a glass and took a healthy sip "This is good"

"Well, then we’ve found soround," Sean said with a forced set up as well, but then, suddenly, I was exhausted "Could we talk about the dress?"

"You took it with no regard for s," Mr Eckhardt said He sounded hurt Was it an act?

"Took it fro?"

Mr Eckhardt didn’t offer any additional infor up a dress and then actually wearing itor creepy?

Creepy Definitely creepy

"I would like it back," Mr Eckhardt said "Along with an apology, and a proer take what’s not hers"

"I didn’t steal it," I said, sounding a bit too much like Trey

"It’s my wife’s dress," Mr Eckhardt said, his voice pained

"And where is your wife, sir?" Sean asked gently

A thought pierced throughher? How could I, of all people, have not thought of that possibility?

"She’s gone," Mr Eckhardt said, and my heart broke

"Passed on?" Sean said

Mr Eckhardt rolled his eyes "Nope Just gone Took off"

I don’t blaoing to get the whole story here, ahed "Okay Will you give the dress back, Paige?"

"Yes I don’t want it anyway" I stood

They both stared at ht there Mr Eckhardt was horrified Seannot so ht down" I dashed upstairs and tore off the dress Maybe it was bad luck If so, I’d counter it with a soft T-shirt and the jean shorts I seemed unable to take off lately

When I returned to the kitchen, Mr Eckhardt and Sean were talking companionably

"Will you stay and enjoy the party, Bill?" Sean said, and I kind of wanted to kill hiht my expression "No" He snatched the dress froy and a proize I didn’t want to pro

"It’s up to you," Sean saidme in the least It really was up to me Perversely, that ood at this cop thing "I’ain"

Mr Eckhardt nodded, and then he was gone

Sean stepped closer tothe collar of reat in this, too Actually, almost better"