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“Gray, my man, don’t I always deliver?”

It was true Gray had no doubt that Jack would find Dawn Lincoln Kitteridge He just had to be patient

“Yeah, you do Look, put another couple of people on it, okay? Do whatever it takes to locate the lady”

“Absolutely”

“Meanwhile, what’s this Harlan Kitteridge like?”

“It’s Har He’s got some stuff on his record”

“Such as?”

Ballard opened his notebook again “Souy pretty bad in one of them but witnesses said it was self-defense so, you know, case closed An assault on a wo with Beat her up and she called the cops but when it ca a tumble down the stairs and all she wanted was Har once he s a heavy bat or she reformed him”

“Yes,” Gray said lightly “They sound like a real nice couple”

The bus boy cleared their places The waiter stopped by Gray ordered espresso; Ballard ordered a cappuccino and cheesecake

“So,” Ballard said, “the next thing I’ to do is fly on back to Queen City and have a chat with Mr Kitteridge He’s on his ain”

“I thought you said he doesn’t knohere his wife is”

“I said that’s what the town says Besides, even if he doesn’t, ive us so to see someplace special Maybe she has friends in places outside Queen City” The investigator peered at the slice of cake the waiter put in front of hi into it “At the very least, he can probably fill in souys look for her”

“That sounds reasonable, I guess”

“Trust me, Gray It is reasonable Just tell your client to keep his pants on, okay?”