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"I don’t believe--no one doesn’t realize it when it’s late at night!"

"Well, she’s gone, and good riddance," Katia said

Katia started for the kitchen As Ann walked on into the hall, dropping her handbag, Tara followed Katia to the kitchen "Katia"

Katia turned and smiled at Tara "You know, you are here a day, and already, your French is getting so one so long" Tara nodded "Katia, the woht!" Katia said fir her opinion that the wo at that hour

"Katia, listen to me No matter what time she comes, you’re not to let her in"

"Why not?" Katia asked with surprise

"I don’t know exactly But for some reason, I don’t trust her I don’t believe that she is who she claims to be"

"Really? We do have many social services--"

"I’ll call the hospital to on the stove Tara took a quick second to remember how much she loved Katia’s chocolate Made from scratch The sweetest milk The best cocoa

"Why do you think she left so suddenly?" Katia asked

"What?"

"I believe Ann was about to say that it was all right for her to co into the cupboard for chocolate shavings "In feetshe had worn me down" Katia looked perplexed "So "But then you two came home, and you told her she could not coht Perhaps she is not who she clairaph hound! Jacques lives in relative privacy here, but he has been stalked by his fans for his autograph, you know That’s it! She must be a determined fan Well!" Katia waved a wooden spoon at Tara "She will not coain, she frowned "Still, so curious that she left !" Tara frowned suddenly "How did she leave?"

"What do you et here? And how did she leave?"

"Well, I assume she had a car!" Katia said

"We ca a car in it"

"There must have been," Katia said

"We would have noticed a car in the driveway"

"We are a bit out--surely, she didn’t walk!" Katia said "Perhaps her car was out on the road" She laughed "If she did walk, I can see why she was so upset e refused to let her see Jacques But she could not have done so She must have left her car up on the road Perhaps she was not even sure she was in the right place"

"Perhaps," Tara said with no conviction

Katia handed her a cup of chocolate, and placed Ann’s on a tray Tara followed her Ann was staring into the fire She did look beat Strange At the bar, she had seey Now, she was alht up"

"Ann," Tara said, halting her as she took her chocolate and turned

"Yes?"

"Did you see a car in the drive?"

"A car?" Ann frowned "NoI don’t think so But then againwell, I still felt shaky e drove back"

"Yes, so did I, but that woht that her car would have been in the drive"

"She must have left it on the road," Ann said

"Where else?" Katia asked

"Right Where else?" Tara ht"

Ann walked on up Tara stared into the fla her chocolate

The war that surrounded her armth, life as usual

She suddenly turned and walked to the front door She hesitated, then threw it open, afraid that the wo at her with the vengeful ined

There was no one there

She chided herself, closed and carefully locked the door When it had been double-bolted, she pulled on it, ht

"The rest of the house is locked up?" she asked Katia