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“Seriously, Mike,” Mary Catherine said “Of course we don’t want you to go, but we know that you need to do this You really need to bag this creep It’s time”

I stared atmy head It was like I was the subject of an intervention or soht about that Maybe they weren’t so crazy after all

“Well, if that’s how you feel, I guess I could be reluctantly persuaded to go back to work If that’s what you guys want, of course Because I’ off the fat of the land”

That got the boos and Bronx cheers I guess they knew me pretty well

Better than I knew myself, that was for sure

CHAPTER 29

MARY CATHERINE CAME INTO

“Don’t tell me The kids called me a cab,” I said as she laid my underwear down on the bed, next to my carry-on

“Please, Mike Those kids love you more than life You know that,” Mary Catherine said “They’re just frazzled The one thing in life kids crave is stability, and it’s been about as stable as a house of cards in a wind tunnel lately Plus, they kno good you are at what you do They don’t have a single doubt that you’ll be able to find Perrine”

“Oh, sure,” I said, tuckingkit into a zippered coet to leave the porch light on”

“Well, before you go, I have so into the back pocket of her jeans

When she opened her fist, I sahat looked like a tiny white pebble in the palrinned It was a baby tooth

“Shawna’s eyetooth!” I said, seled free, huh?”

“With a lot of wiggle help fro back at me

“Quick,” I said, opening the closet door “To the fairy box”