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"That’s right," someone in the front called "There’s thatabout What’s her nah the room Liz chuckled "I can’t remember," she said loudly "But I’ve heard she has an attitude, so watch out"

An older wo book out this year Chances arethe park Just so you’re prepared"

"I look forward tothe expression "I think our local New York Ti author can handle the coh the list of authors As promised, most of them were local, self-published and their books dealt with unusual or dying crafts Using sticks for art and furniture Making meals from what one can find on the forest floor There was ends The book sounded interesting, but when Liz asked Marti about the author, the other woman told her no one ever saw him in town He lived in the mountains and kept to hi hi one-hundred-and-eight, English and a foreous and really rich" She lowered her voice "Personally I like the second story best"

Liz thought the old British explorer soundedShe would have to look up theon, she found herself looking forward to the event Her usual signings were in big stores or at industry events Very organized and predictable, with crowd control and readers kept at a respectful distance This soundedco out a neay to serve chicken for Tyler see someone what could be found on a forest floor was ira, then opened thefor questions

Two people wanted to know about taking sign-up sheets around town The onlypointed out that just because there were ht to take over all the men’s restrooms every time there was a festival Men had needs, too Pia pro else?" she asked

The young mother with the baby rose slowly "I’ree withthat woman here" She pointed at Liz "What she did to Ethan is sha his little boy fro Rayanne and their baby" The woirl and now people are saying terrible things about her" She glared at Liz "I don’t believe any of them"

The room went silent as everyone turned to stare at Liz Her war it was smart to cory and deter any words seeht ones What was she supposed to say?

"Let’s stay on topic, everyone," Pia reminded from the front of the roolanced at the young mother "Melody, I know Rayanne was your friend, but this isn’t the time or the place to have this conversation Can we please finish up here"

Both her voice and her gaze were syh she still felt sick to her stomach Then the woet your head out of your butt Liz didn’t do anything wrong She was a kid, dealing with a lot of crap" The older woman cleared her throat, then faced Liz "I knew youron at your house every night I knew she drank and I knew there were men in and out of that place A lot of us knew and we didn’t do anything to protect you We should have You were just a little girl"

The woiven money to the scholarship and I’ve acted differently since then But that doesn’tup"

Several other women nodded Melody looked furious

"That doesn’t excuse what she did to Ethan"

"Maybe if you spentafter your own fa that happened all those years ago," the older wohts up at the lodge, flirting with a certain cocktail waitress"

Several people gasped Melody went red Pia grabbed theout of hand Obviously we need to finish this another time We--"

The door by the front of the room opened An older wonize thebad had happened

Pia stared at her "It’s Crystal, isn’t it?" she asked softly, her voice picked up by the microphone

The mayor nodded and held out her arms Pia went into them and started to cry

Liz stared at them both, unable to believe what she’d just heard Crystal couldn’t be dead Sure she was sick, but Liz had seen her only a feeeks before She’d been walking and talking and…

Her eyes burned with unshed tears Liz reh school who had taken the tiive her hope

"Oh, Crystal," she whispered "Not so soon"

Nearly everyone in the rooot up and slipped out before anyone noticed

As she walked ho back had changed her life forever She could leave and swear she would never return, but Fool’s Gold hadcould erase

There were horrible people here, but there were also good ones People like Crystal, who took the tie a life with a feords

FAMILY COURT WAS IN THE county courthouse--away frohtlyThere were murals in thefarers The subjects stood ten or fifteen feet high, the sure brushstrokes and colors still vivid after all these years

Liz saw Ethan waiting by a bank of elevators He wore a dark suit and white shirt, very different froood on hiht andnot to notice

They rateful her three-inch heels aze

"No lawyer?" he asked

"We’re e in her cha The lawyer I contacted suggested trying to keep it friendly for as long as possible"

"With the judge," he noted, his gaze unreadable "Not with me"

"I’m not the one who started this"

He shoved his hands into his front pockets "I didn’t want you to leave"

So she could understand Despite her claims that he could see Tyler whenever he wanted, she understood the fear of losing the one thing thatthis," she told him evenly "This is where you went and noe’re stuck"

"You owekind of payback"