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"I leftyou’d call," I said, taking a seat in the metal chair beside her desk

"I’m sorry We were swamped ork" She fo-cused a look on one and worry had taken its place The lady was in a mood to talk She said, "I heard about Lyda Case on the radio thison"

"Did you know Lyda?"

"Not really I’d only talked to her a couple of times on the phone, but I wasthat can be"

"Especially when there was no way to have it veri-fied," I said "You did know all his lab work disappeared within days"

"Well, I heard that, but I wasn’t sure it was true Sui-cide is sos up without evento What happened to Lyda? The radio didn’t say much except that her body’d been found I can’t tell you how shocked I was It’s horrible"

I told her the details, sparing little Ordinarily I’d downplay the particulars, not wanting to pander to the public appetite for the gruesome specifics of violent death With Ava, I felt the reality of the situation ue She listened towith anxiety

"Do you mind if I smoke?" she said

"Not at all Go ahead"

She opened the botto Her hands were tre as she shook a Winston fro to quit, but I just can’t help store and picked up a pack on the way to work I sineers peered around fro table as the smoke drifted toward him She had her back turned so she missed the look of annoyance that crossed his face

"Let’s go back to Hugh’s death," I said

"I can’t help you much with that I’d only been with the company a feeeks before he died, so I hardly knew the er before you?"