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“Yeah, she got herself a shack, and a hubby ten years older than she is” Ballard paused as the waiter cleared away their appetizers and served theirinto his spaghetti carbonara “She left Kitteridge and the o”

Gray looked up froole “She missed the trailer park?”

“If you o back there, the answer’s no”

“Darin, “and here I was, happily anticipating a trip to a sophisticated metropolis called Queen City”

“Well, actually, I don’t knohere you’re going to be taking that trip to meet up with the little lady—that is still your intention, isn’t it? ‘Cause the thing is, she didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address”

Gray put down his fork He’d been telling hio to Arizona, spend an hour talking with Lincoln’s granddaughter, then fly to Espada and end his unwanted obligation to his uncle

“Are you saying you don’t knohere she is?”

“I’ I haven’t located her yet, but I will”

“Damn” Gray shoved his plate aside All at once, he had no appetite “How er will it take?”

Ballard shrugged “I can’t say for certain Four years is a long time and when the lady left, she seemed determined to cover her tracks”

“Kitteridge doesn’t knohere she went?”

“I didn’t talk to him Not yet, anyway He was out of town but from what I picked up from local chitchat, he has no idea what happened to her” Ballard patted his lips with his napkin “Hey, don’t look so sour I pro for her”

“Yeah, yeah” Gray sighed, sat back and rubbed his hand over his forehead “I just don’t want this to drag on forever”

“You said money wasn’t a problem”

“It isn’t Tiet this done with”