Page 154 (1/2)

"Yessir" Tessier knehat "clean this up" meant He’d cleaned up Audrey Villeneuve

While Tessier ements, Francoeur watched as the flat farmland turned into hills, and forest, andcloser, Francoeur knew But so were they

Chief Inspector Gamache craned his neck, to see what had stopped all the traffic They were just inching along the narrow residential street At a main intersection he spotted a city cop and a barricade He pulled over

"Move along," the cop co at the driver

"What’s the holdup?" Gah he was nuts

"Don’t you know? The Santa Claus parade Get going, you’re holding up traffic"

Thérèse Brunel stayed by the , standing to the side Staring out

It wouldn’t be long now, she knew

But still she listened to Myrna’s story The tale with the long tail That went back decades Al memory

To a saint and a miracle, and a Christmas tuque

"MA," said Myrna "That was the key Every hat theirwith their initials MC for Marie-Constance, et cetera"

"So what did MA stand for?" Clara asked She went back over the girls’ nauerite, Constance No A

Then Clara’s eyes widened and shone She looked at Myrna

"Why did everyone think there were only five?" she asked Myrna "Of course they’d have ot it