Author Anon

Gavin lifts his hand to caress Belle’s face. She turns towards him and he lowers his head to kiss her. He deepens his kiss as he gathers her in his arms. Losing himself, he feels as if he is falling, when suddenly, he lands with a thud on the floor and awakes. He picks himself up grumbling. Remembering the dream, he walks quietly to her door and looks in. With the moon shining on her sleeping face, she reminds him of a lovely angelic child. An overpowering protective urge assails him. Too bad, he thought, that when she’s awake, she can be so stubborn and exasperating.

——————————————————————————————–

“We’re here,” says Michael. “Tonight, we can just soak in the hot tub. Let all the stress and tension melt away. Then, tomorrow we’ll decide what we want to do with the day.”

“I can’t wait to kick my shoes off,” says Amanda.

Michael opens the door and finds Paul and Chloe curled up by the fireplace. “Oh,” he says, a little embarrassed. “I didn’t know you were coming up here.”

Paul gets up. “I had no idea you were thinking of doing the same.” They look at each other and an awkward silence ensues.

“I suppose there’s room for all of us?” asks Amanda, breaking the silence.

“Uhh. Yeah. There’s plenty of room,” says Paul. “This is the family condo, so it accommodated all of us.”

Amanda takes Michael’s arm. “I don’t mind sharing for the weekend, if you don’t.” She turns to Paul and Chloe. “Unless you two were wanting more privacy. I guess you have first rights.”

“Not at all,” says Chloe, standing up next to Paul. “It might be fun having another couple.”

The door opens and admits Ashley and David. “Well. Hello, everyone,” says Ashley, beaming. “Hope you don’t mind if we join you.”

“Ashley?!” they cry, in unison.

“What are you doing here?” asks Michael, with controlled anger.

“I heard everyone was going skiing, so I thought it was about time I learned to do it right.”

Although clearly upset, none of the quartet say anything.

——————————————————————————————–

“Mom, we’re moving out,” says Leslie.

“Why?” asks Melanie.

“You’re right,” says Carrie. “This place is haunted.”

“We’re having enough trouble with the shop. We don’t need to come home to see Julia coming after us.”

“You saw Julia, too?” asks Melanie. “Where?”

“In the attic,” says Carrie. “She was accusing us of-”

“Carrie!”

“Of what?” asks Melanie. “Tell me. If someone is playing a joke, we need to know who it is.”

“I don’t think it’s a joke,” says Carrie. “No one but Julia would have known.”

“Known what?” asks Melanie.

“We, uh, took, uh, a ring off her finger,” says Leslie.

“What? When?”

“At the memorial service,” says Carrie. “No one could have known about it.”

“What if she wants it back?” asks Melanie.

“She does,” says Leslie. “She asked for it.”

“Maybe if we return it, she’ll leave us alone.”

“Mom, how are we to do that?”

“I don’t know. I suppose we can bury it in the ground.”

“What if that’s not enough?” asks Leslie. “I think I’d rather go back to our little home.”

“Me, too,” says Carrie.

“And leave me alone?” asks Melanie.

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

——————————————————————————————–

“Miss Silverman, I came to see you again because I believe you made a mistake when you gave me my gem.”

“Oh, I couldn’t have, Mr. Black.”

“Come, Miss Silverman. I’m generally patient, but that was a fake you gave me. My gem was quite valuable.”

“I thought you told me it was just glass.”

“You misunderstood me. Now, please don’t play dumb. You have my original gem and I would like it back. I’m sure you wouldn’t like me to resort to drastic measures.”

“Is that a threat, Mr. Black? If so, I’ll have you know that this place is under video surveillance and has been since my apartment was broken into.”

“Look, if you want a ‘reward’, I’m willing to give you five thousand dollars for it.”

Belle smiles and considers it. “That’s a lot of money. But I want more than that.”

“More money?”

“No. Five thousand is adequate. But, I also want your daughters to close their shop.”

“Deal.”

“Okay. You bring me the money, your daughters shut down, and I’ll give you the gem.”

Carl leaves and Gavin comes out of his hiding spot. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I have to give him his gem, Gavin. Otherwise, you’ll never find out what happens in the next phase.”

“Do you think he’d hand over the money and take the gem? He’ll kill you first.”

“He can’t kill me unless he has his gem. He won’t open the gem in front of me or I’ll know his secret. He’ll take it away and break it.”

“He might break it in front of you to be sure, then kill you on the spot. If not, he’ll kill you later.”

“He won’t risk it if he thinks he’s being monitored.”

“Is this place secured?”

“Of course.”

“But he could still go after you outside this apartment.”

“I thought you’ll be shadowing me.”

“Not if I’m following the next phase.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right.”

“Your stubbornness is not going to endear you to anyone. You’ll never get any friends.”

“I have plenty.”

“Boyfriends?”

“I’ve got two at the moment. I don’t think I can handle any more.”

——————————————————————————————–

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“Michael, have you seen Nicholas recently?” asks Ashley.

“I haven’t talked to him in a while, why?”

“Oh. Just considering how good friends you are, I thought you might give me some pointers.”

“Ashley, I don’t think he’s your type.”

“What is my type, Michael?”

“Someone who is looking for just another one night stand.”

“Are you saying Nicholas wants to settle down?”

“I know he’s considering it. Especially someone who can take care of his domestic needs. Right now, you don’t qualify. Perhaps, I should say you’re not his type. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy.”

“What are you rushing around for?”

“Amanda and I are going up to Shimmering Mountain this weekend.”

“That will be interesting.”

——————————————————————————————–

“Oh, Mom. What a tiring day!” says Leslie. “Can you have them bring dinner up to us tonight.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” asks Melanie.

“Things are just so crazy,” says Carrie. “We have a lot of people come in, but most don’t buy anything. Those who do have been returning a lot of stuff.”

“Complaints, complaints everywhere,” continues Leslie. “And Dad’s been out of town.”

“Where’s he been?”

“I don’t know. He just left a note saying he’ll be gone for a little bit.”

“As in all business, you need to learn to deal with people,” says Melanie.

“But nothing satisfies them,” whines Carrie.

“Just get some rest and maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.”

After eating their dinners, Leslie has a thought. “You know they still keep Julia’s clothes upstairs. I wonder why they never gave them away. I think we could sell them in the shop. People would go for those things, especially if they knew she wore them.”

“I don’t know how the family will feel about that.”

“She’s dead. And nobody’s wearing them. It wouldn’t hurt to have a look.”

Agreeing to the plan, they set out for the attic.

“Some of these things are pretty old,” says Carrie.

“They could still be sold as costume dress,” says Leslie.

“Leave my things alone!” says a voice behind them.

They turn around, startled, to see Julia’s ghost.

“I believe you have already taken enough of my belongings, haven’t you? I demand that you return them or suffer the consequences!” Julia says, approaching them.

The girls run screaming out of the attic and into their room.

——————————————————————————————–

“There’s not much to this apartment, you know,” says Belle.

“I’ll just stay away from the windows when the light is on. And if anyone comes to the door, I’ll hide in another room.”

“I guess it would be pointless to remind you that I can take care of myself.”

Gavin smiles. “Yes. Save your breath.”

“Will you be following me everywhere I go?”

“Within reason. Outside this apartment, I will be shadowing you. But don’t expect to see me, because I’ll keep out of sight. It would be best if you pretend not to notice me.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard. Now, how about dinner? Are we eating in or out?”

“Uhhh. Do you mind cooking? What are we having?”

“I can whip up some noodles and beef tips. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Let me help.”

“Suit yourself. You can boil the noodles.”

————————————————

“This is delicious,” says Gavin. “Where’d you learn to cook?”

“From the cook. There are some advantages to being the youngest. No one paid much attention to me, so I was free to do as I liked. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen.”

They both look up as someone knocks on the door. Belle checks the peephole. “It’s Claire.”

“Hello!” cries Claire. “Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt-” she breaks off as she sees Gavin.

“Want to join us?” asks Gavin.

“No, I just came to tell Belle about today.”

“Sit down,” says Belle. “So, what happened?”

“The Black girls are feeling a lot of pressure. They looked like they hadn’t been sleeping well, either. They were by themselves today and anxious for the return of their other saleswoman. I think it won’t be long before they fold up. Ladies are returning clothes by the dozen.”

“If it can happen quickly, people might forget they even existed,” says Belle, hopefully.

“If they used your designs, why do you want people to forget about them so quickly?” asks Gavin.

“Have you seen what they did with the designs?” asks Belle. “If people knew I designed them, I’d be afraid to hold my head up in public. They have to forget so that I can repair the damage.”

“I wonder how they got the money to open the shop?” asks Claire. “They’ll have to pay back a lot.”

“Probably William.  He’s married to their mother,” suggests Belle.

“Nicholas also saw them steal a ring from Julia’s fingers,” adds Gavin, laughing.

“What? That’s ghastly,” says Belle.

“Well, I just wanted to share my news. I guess I’ll turn in early,” says Claire, looking significantly from one to the other.

Belle blushes but Claire slips out of the apartment. “That is the second time in two weeks that someone has mistaken my relationship with a man.”

“Do you mind?” asks Gavin, smiling.

“Yes. Very much so. Soon I’ll be getting the same reputation Ashley has.”

“Hers would be deserved. I don’t think anyone would put you in the same category as she is. Here, let me help you clean up.”

——————————————————————————————–

“David, I need a date for this weekend,” says Ashley.

“We’ve been through this, Ashley.”

“C’mon. Let’s go up to Shimmering Mountain.”

“What? You don’t even ski.”

“You can teach me. Or, we can sit in the hot tub all day. Or, mingle with the singles crowd.”

“Why are you suddenly so keen on going?”

“I don’t think it’s fair that my brothers are going and taking their girfriend/fiancee with them,” says Ashley. “I thought you might like to see your lady doctor.”

——————————————————————————————–

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“I never knew you were a skier,” says Paul. “Ashley always shies away from anything physically demanding. That is, any outdoor activities.”

Chloe laughs. “That’s why I can never get her to go on a ski trip with me.”

“Where do you go?”

“That depends on how much time I have and how much is in the bank. I enjoy the Rockies and I’ve been to the Alps once. But most of the time, I have to stay local. It may not be the best skiing, but it’s something to do.”

“How about coming with me this weekend to Shimmering Mountain?”

“I’d love that.”

——————————————————————————————–

“As much as I love winter, I’ve had enough of this snow,” says Amanda. “I feel shut-in by it. When we were kids, we’d be outside playing in the snow. Now, we have to get up and go to work and it gets harder and harder to drag myself out of bed.”

“Is the snow the only reason it’s difficult for you to get out of bed?” teased Michael.

Amanda puts her arms around his neck. “Of course, there are other inducements to keep me in bed, but the two are not mutually exclusive.”

“How about getting away this weekend?” asks Michael.

“Is it to keep me in bed or to get me outside?”

“That will depend on your mood once we get there.”

——————————————————————————————–

“Miss, I’d like to return this dress,” says a lady. “You took my measurements, but it doesn’t fit.”

“Maybe I can fix it,” suggests Leslie. “If you’ll come to the back, we can remeasure.”

“I don’t think so,” says the lady. “I can’t even get it on. You’ll see there’s a tear in it already from when I tried it on.”

Claire and Emily watch as Leslie helps the lady. “Claire, these clothes are hideous. The materials are cheap, the colors outrageous. She’s destroyed Belle’s designs.”

“I know. Belle’s pretty upset about that.”

“Who could possibly want to buy these clothes? I’m surprised they even have customers.”

“There are many different tastes out there. Their clientele is probably not what we want to cater to. But we’re here to watch them.”

“I don’t know what to watch for. There’s just the two Black girls.”

“Do you see any other sales staff?”

“No. The girls look harrassed.”

“Let’s see if we can try to look in the back.”

“Can I help you?” asks Carrie.

“Yes,” says Emily. “I’d like to try this dress on.”

“That should fit fine,” says Carrie. “But you can use one of the fitting rooms in the back. Follow me.”

“Miss, can I get this dress in this color?” another lady asks, holding up two dresses.

“I’ll be right with you,” says Carrie, sighing softly. As she leads Emily and Claire to the back, she turns to Leslie and asks, “When is Charlotte coming back?”

Leslie shrugs, looking anxious. “I don’t know.”

——————————————————————————————–

“It wouldn’t be safe for you to go back to your apartment,” says Gavin. “Carl is bound to show up there. Besides, I want to keep my eyes on you.”

“Well, staying with you or having you stay with me is bound to raise hell with Ashley,” says Belle. “Carl is unlikely to want to kill me until he gets his jewels.”

“We need to get Ashley out of town somehow,” says Gavin. “Maybe you can take her away for a short period, Nicholas.”

“Oh, no. I’m not going to give her any ideas,” says Nicholas. “And I’m definitely not going to miss any of the action around here.”

“Then to hell with Ashley,” says Gavin. “If you insist on staying at your apartment, I will stand guard there. I’ll just keep out of the way so that neither Carl nor Ashley will know anything about it. After all, Claire is in the same building.”

——————————————————————————————–

“You and Paul are going to Shimmering Mountain?” asks Ashley. “It’s not fair. I can’t even get a hold of Gavin or Nicholas. I must be losing my touch.”

“Calm down, Ashley,” says Chloe. “You’ve never had any trouble. But I think you’re throwing yourself too hard to both of them. They’re different from other guys.”

“I wouldn’t have said that about Gavin before, but now he seems so distant. It’s almost like he’s indifferent to me. I could have sworn he was falling in love with me, but now he looks at Belle as if he really notices her. Nobody ever notices Belle when I’m around. And to top it off, she’s got Nicholas!”

“Which of them do you want, Ashley?”

“Both!”

——————————————————————————————–

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“Are you sure it’s safe here?” asks Shikes.

“There’s no one around except some homeless people,” says Buster. “They mind their own business.”

“Some of them do become informants,” says Shikes. “Make sure all the windows are closed.”

“It’s the best we can do around here,” says Carl. “We’re not exactly in the best neighborhood, you know.”

“They can’t see anything,” says Buster. “Especially, the exchange.”

“Fine,” says Shikes. “But I need to see the goods first.”

“I think you’ll be very happy,” says Carl, producing the gem.

“What’s that?” asks Shikes.

“Wait and see,” says Carl. He picks up a sledgehammer and shatters the gem.

“Is this some kind of joke?” asks Shikes.

Buster stares at Carl. “Where is it?”

Astonished, Carl stammers. “It-it-it’s gone! It can’t be! It was sealed in.”

“That girl!” cries Buster. “She must have taken it!”

“What are you talking about?” asks Shikes.

“She couldn’t have,” says Carl. “She didn’t know what it was.”

“Either she’s taken it or you’re holding out on us,” says Buster.

Shaken, Carl gulps. “If she’s got it, she’s going to pay for this.”

“Whatever this is about, you’d better get it sorted out,” says Shikes. “The deal’s off for now.”

“Wait,” says Buster. “Give us forty-eight hours.”

“I’ll be back in forty-eight hours.”

In the alley outside the window, Gavin leans casually against the building, trying to fade into the background.

——————————————————————————————–

“You sure were right about Ashley,” says Nicholas. “She’s like a barracuda.”

“How did you get away?” asks Belle.

“I realized that if I told her I was meeting you, she’d follow. So I told her I was going to meet up with Gavin.”

Belle laughs. “Good work. She wouldn’t want to be chasing you in front of Gavin.”

“I thought you said I could get away easier if you called instead of Gavin.”

Belle smiles. “I did. If Gavin called and you went running, Ashley would want to know what was up. If I called and we talked a bit and you decided to see Gavin, she wouldn’t connect me with Gavin. Besides, if Gavin called you, would you have come for me?”

Nicholas gives her a sly look. “I’m beginning to think you planned this whole thing.”

Belle shrugs. “The important thing is to get to New York in time. He could be in trouble. The more help, the better.”

Arriving in Carl’s neighborhood, Nicholas parks several blocks away. “It’s best to walk the rest of the way.”

“We look pretty conspicuous,” says Belle.

“Pretend to be lost.”

After going a block, they hear a whistle and turn to the sound. A figure detaches itself from the shadows and approaches them.

“Thank God you’re here,” says Gavin. “Let’s go.”

“You stink,” says Belle.

“If you don’t like the way I smell, it’s your own damn fault for coming along. You should try sleeping outdoors on a winter’s night amongst the garbage of a rundown neighborhood. Then let the snow fall on you until you’re soaked from head to foot. Take me to a decent hotel room where I can have a hot bath.”

“Makes you appreciate everything you have, doesn’t it?” asks Belle. “I’ve tried it once. Not in the middle of winter, of course.”

The guys stare at her. “And your parents let you do it?” asks Nicholas.

“They didn’t know. You should try it some time, Nicholas. It would be good for a special interest story.”

Gavin shakes his head. “I’m too tired to try and figure her out.”

“This looks like a decent hotel,” says Nicholas. “Far enough out of downtown, too.”

“Wait here,” says Belle. “They might not let you in, in your condition.”

Gavin grudgingly agrees. “She’s so irritatingly reasonable at times.”

Nicholas laughs. “Well, you need your bath. Then we’ll have a long talk.”

Belle comes out and leads them in. “All right. Have your bath while I get your clothes cleaned.”

The guys look at each other. “Practical, too,” says Nicholas, repressing a chuckle.

“Believe me, you guys would be lost without a real woman,” says Belle.

——————————————————————————————–

“So, bring us up to date,” says Belle, as the three are eating lunch.

“While you two were enjoying yourselves, I followed Carl to New York. My phone was dead, so I couldn’t call you. This morning they met with a man called ‘Shikes’. Apparently, he was to pay them for the jewels, but when Carl broke open the gem, it was empty. So now, he’s after you.”

“So, there was no secret opening on the gem,” says Belle.

“As I understand it, there was a cache of jewels inside a box, and Carl hid it inside this pink glass that was molded completely around it.”

“Clever,” says Nicholas. “Did you find out what happens to the jewels or where it goes from there.”

“No.”

“How does the arms deal revolve around this?” asks Belle.

“I don’t know.”

“I thought you said they were connected,” says Belle.

“I don’t have all the answers.”

“Then how do you know there’s a connection?”

“Why are you badgering me?”

“Belle thinks you may be in cahoots with Carl and are just leading us into a trap,” volunteers Nicholas.

“Nicholas! Now I believe you may be in it, too.”

“Where did you get such a harebrained idea as that?” asks Gavin.

Belle shrugs. “Agents have been known to betray the cause.”

“You have a very vivid imagination,” says Gavin. “You must read a lot of detective and spy fiction.”

“You must admit that there are grounds for suspicion. Nicholas suspected you at first when you took him to New York. You seemed to know a lot about Carl and his movements, yet you weren’t even around when he was in Brighton. You make connections between stolen jewelry, drugs and arms, yet you can’t justify those connections. An agent is usually sent out with limited information. You knew I had the jewels before Carl even approached me.”

“Will you hang me for circumstantial evidence? All of those suspicions can be blown away with simple explanations. But you might not even believe them, so I won’t even go into that. If you suspected me, or at least, distrusted me, why did you give me the jewels? That wasn’t very smart.”

Belle smirks while her eyes sparkle. Gavin jumps up. “You didn’t! You still have the jewels!”

“You’re quick,” says Belle. “I’ll give you that.”

“The problem with you is that you don’t give me credit for anything.”

“All right,” says Nicholas. “Let’s calm down. If we’re going to work as a team, we need to cooperate. And as much as you two might not like it, it looks as though we have to be a team. We need a plan.”

——————————————————————————————–

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“Did you like that story, Lucas?” asks Dan.

Lucas nods, solemnly.

“We want you to know that whatever happens, you can always come to us for help. Do you understand?”

Again, very solemnly, Lucas nods.

“Okay. We’re taking you over to the Copperfields today. You’ll stay with them for a while and play with your sister. You’ve been there before and you liked it. Didn’t you?”

His only response is another nod.

——————————————————————————————–

“Good morning, Paul,” says Chloe, sidling up to him. “I’m ready to start whenever you are.”

“Great! It should be a relatively quick session. Only a few costume changes.”

“How about lunch afterwards?”

Paul hesitates. “Chloe, I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”

“No misunderstandings. I know Valentine’s was a, shall I say, special night. But I’m not expecting anything from it. Not that I wouldn’t welcome it. You just say the word.”

“I’m just not sure yet. But there’s no harm in lunch.”

——————————————————————————————–

“Did you have a good night?” asks Belle.

“I’ve slept in much worse places,” says Nicholas. “But this is ridiculous, trying to keep up a charade for your sister’s sake.”

“Well, if you wanted to, you could have gone home and have her at your doorsteps right now.”

“There’s nothing to stop her from coming here this morning,” he points out.

“True,” says Belle. “But I might refuse her admittance.”

“I wonder what’s happened to Gavin,” says Nicholas, checking his phone. “He never called.”

“Either he is in with Carl or he is in trouble. Either way, it would be dangerous to call him. If he’s in cahoots with Carl, he may lead us into a trap. If he’s in trouble, our call could put him in further danger.”

“So what should we do?”

“First, let’s check out Les Carr’s.”

“What are we going to learn from them? They wouldn’t talk to you, much less tell you anything useful.”

“No. I’ll send Claire and Emily into the shop and see if Carl is still there. Meanwhile, we can try Gavin at his place.” A sudden thought occurs to her. “Wait. If Ashley’s following you, we can’t get her suspicious. You go home and I’ll go over to Gavin’s.”

“What if she follows you?”

“I’ll head elsewhere. But I doubt she’d follow me. I’ve already told her off. We should exchange phones. If Gavin calls you, it would be tricky trying to fob Ashley off. But if I call you, she’d understand.”

——————————————————————————————–

Meanwhile, Gavin reaches New York and finds himself following Carl back to his previous hideout. Finding his phone dead, he decides to wait until morning to call Nicholas. In the meantime, he makes a circuit around the building, trying to find all entrances and exits. Through a closed but lighted window, he watches as Carl and Buster discuss their next step.

“It’s all in there,” says Carl.

“Shikes should be here tomorrow,” says Buster. “After he examines the jewels, he will hand over the money. As long as you’re careful about how you spend the money, it could set you up for life.”

“Are you saying this will be the last time?” asks Carl.

“That depends on the merchandise. Are you sure you don’t want to open it up now so we can take a look?”

“It can only be opened once,” says Carl. “So I think it should be reserved for Shikes. What is he going to do with them, anyway?”

“That’s not our concern,” says Buster. “We agreed to produce the jewels. You will get your cut–”

“What if I want more?” asks Carl. “After all, I’m the one taking all the risks.”

“I wouldn’t get too greedy, if I were you. Take your cut and enjoy it. If the boss is happy with your work, he’ll ask you again.”

“I steal the jewels and you guys get the money? That doesn’t sound too fair. What happens to the money?”

“Need I remind you that curiosity killed the cat? You’re asking too many questions.”

“I’m only trying to protect my own ass.”

“You’d do a whole helluva lot better if you were more ignorant. Now, get to sleep and don’t worry about what doesn’t concern you.”

As Buster leaves the room, Gavin quietly walks away from the window. He sees a group of homeless men trying to find shelter amongst all the garbage. Without any other alternatives, he sighs deeply and walks towards them. The men acknowledge his presence with a nod, as each finds a cardboard box to crawl into. One of them hands him a box and he accepts it gratefully. Wishing heartily for a blanket, he crawls into the box and curls up as tight as he can.

Before the light of day, he wakes to find that it is snowing again. Walking a few blocks he enters an all-night diner, where he orders a full breakfast. Afterwards, he returns to Carl’s hideout to watch for signs of movement. As morning arrives, the occupants of the hideout come out and leave in Buster’s car. Unable to follow them, Gavin decides to make his phone call.

“Hello?” Belle answers.

Gavin takes the phone away and looks at it, puzzled. Then he returns it to his ear. “Belle? What the–. Never mind. Let me talk to Nicholas.”

“Gavin? I’m sorry, I can’t do that right now. But where are you?”

“I’m in New York. I need to talk to Nicholas because he’ll know where I am.”

“Just tell me and we’ll come get you.”

“I don’t want you to get mixed up in this, Belle.”

“I’m already involved. So, are you going to tell me?”

——————————————————————————————–

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