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"They were burying a bundle"

"I believe you saw so, but it wasn’t Mary Claire"

He shook his head "No They took the body soht where I showed you"

"Let’s quit with the arguing and deal hat’s true instead of what you dreaht I wasted your time and I misled the police Now all parties concerned are fully aware of it So ht say"

"Would you stop that shit? I can’t sit here and sy in self-pity I understand your eot up abruptly and walked away

Watching him, I could see hoanted the scene to play out My role was to hurry after hi myself into the conflict to help him save face I couldn’t do it The bottom had dropped out The search for Mary Claire was over and he knew it as well as I did Sheto do with him While I understood his huenerate a response He was the vacuu in to fill the space Stubbornly, I stayed where I was

I heard the car door slaine roared to life I looked over and watched him back out in a wide arc before he threw the car in first and drove off with a chirp of his tires

To no one in particular, I said, "Sorry about that I wish I could help you, but I can’t"

I picked up the folder and returned topigeons pecking in the grass I was only five blocks fro wasn’t new Past investigations had occasionally come apart in my hands and I hadn’t felt the need to fall on my sword I’m an optiitiuarantee I’ll be the one to find it While the current failing wasn’t mine, I couldn’t shake the sense that I’d messed up somehow

It was midafternoon and I probably could have talkedfor the day, but one can only do that so often before it beco hooky wasn’t the antidote to disappointet back to it Easier said than done

When I reached the office I set up a pot of coffee and then I sat atsorry for himself, but it wasn’t such a bad idea When you’ve been dealt a blow, self-pity, like rationalization, is just another way of coping with the pain

A sound penetratedon one of the panes in lanced atanyone and there was no note of an appoint back in ti up to look around the corner at the front door Through the glass, I’d catch ain and I’d be forced to relive the same series of events

I left my desk and crossed to the inner-office door, where I peered into the reception area There was a wo at the knob For the second ti myself in I turned the deadbolt and opened the door "Sorry about that Can I help you?"

"I wondered if I ht talk to you"

"Sure I’m Kinsey Millhone Have we h Mary Claire’s mother May I co an apparition She was probably in her ned to dead saints on Catholic calendars She was half a head shorter than I, with shoulder-length blond hair worn in the sort of flip I’d longed for in high school She wore a dark skirt and a reen silk blouse under it For having thought about her so often, I was unprepared for an encounter What was I going to say to her? I’d coainst a blank wall How could I explain where I’d started and where I’d ended up?

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I’uest chairs and pulled the other one closer, giving the seat a quick pat as a way of encouraging me to sit near her instead of on the other side the desk She was clearly in charge When I settled in the chair, the two of us were almost knee to knee