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I peered over the top of ht Shannie reckless To the contrary, she was extraordinarily calculating when it came to risk She was keenly aware of threats She always had an escape route That's why the engineer's account troubled me If she wanted out, she would have stepped away In her last retted her choice

The four of us talked into the night, sometimes painfully honest, so h or two Steve assured Diane he would handle the s flirted with the eastern sky,valiuht, such the subtle diplo us all a sedative Maybe he isn't the clod I know him to be

I snuck out of Diane's house asbehind the grueling details to Steve and h the Ortolan's yard, under the bare limbs of the tree line and into Fernwood I stared at Count's headstone I glanced at the darkened old chapel before heading hohtht in ht sleep "Russell," I said aloud I forgot to tell hih the grapevine It never occurred to ht drinking coffee and eating donuts at 7-11 I threw clothes on, leashed Ellie and stepped out into the gray Decee As Ellie and I stepped onto the sidewalk in front of e Street I shivered in the absence of relief and reassurance I sought from his company As his white cane danced back and forth in front of hirief cloakedcurls to the toes of his worn sneakers, everything about hio su the ar smoke Appearances never obfuscated Shannie's vision I'uide me, Russell would be just another derelict frorandfather Shannie saved h ars and rotten eggs brought a smile to my face, one that I'm sure he would call bittersweet