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Since I was back in Los Angeles, I decided to drive around hborhood Could any of my friends still be there? Would they be at the same places? I went out to find the reot into my rented brown sedan and cruised the streets The car was painfully ugly, but it looked like every other car out there, so it acco attention As I drove, I called Elle Unlike my manipulative foster mother who I’d avoided for years, I did keep in touch withmember of my fa a crew of grifters up in Oregon Of course, Elle never told Bea ere in touch--she kneanted to keep my whereabouts a secret

Elle had left town a few years after I did, but unlike my departure, hers was an amicable separation After the splash I’d made on my way out, Bea didn’t want any ht They even kept in touch with occasional phone calls

I should have calledhad happened so quickly that I didn’t think to do it Now I regretted that oversight Elle knew Bea much better than I did, and I needed soh this visit My foster

Elle picked up quickly "Hey, sis What’s up?"

"You’re not going to believe this, but I’m back in LA Just saw Bea"

"What! Do you have a death wish? That wo off God! No wonder we called you ‘Dummy’ ere kids"

"Hey, Loser" I threw back her childhood nickna breath "Actually, you ht with so in trouble, so I caht would help hi at ht she would In fact, she seems happy to see me"

Bea was happy to seeEven Elle laughed at my preposterous statement Bea’s happiness wasn’t aboutthat ever made her happy was a successful con job But it never lasted because the next job was alaiting