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She narrowed her eyes, shook her head in memory "She seems familiar I’m just not sure I don’t always pay attention to people They’re so far away"

"When you cross, if you decide to, can I have perh your memories and see if I can find her in there?"

She blinked in surprise "Of course Is that possible?"

"I have no idea," I said with a chuckle

She shintake of breath, she stood The air around us danced with excitement I was happy for her She’d seemed so co about Maybe many of those who stay behind are lost and needaround the country nonstop

I had to concentrate, to focus on searching her memories Just as I took a deep breath, Lori took a step forward, and I heard her whisper, "Oh,at me full-force Frohbor for the afternoon to get her fix to the tiirls pulled her hair as they walked past in the locker room But the heartbreak was quickly overshadohen I saw a poem of hers win a contest It was published in a local paper along with her picture She had never been so proud She cleaned up and went to college a seht of failure took root again She went back to the life she knew, life on the streets peddling herself for her next high, and died of an overdose in a dirty hotel room

I had to push past the salient parts, to scan her one completely I found the first tiot up again, re locked inside herself for years I crawled forward, saw patron after patron, too e to the forefront, and I saoman stumble in the front door, her face full of fear, her eyes wide and searching

She sat down and waited, but as car after car pulled up, her nerves got the better of her, and she grabbed an unopened Sharpie off the register and hurried to the bathroom About a minute later, another woman entered the bathrooht enveloping her

With a gasp of air, I openedfros and eased back into the chair, blinking in surprise I’d done it I’d searched herI saw I fought down the sadness that threatened to overwhel but easy But she was most definitely in a better place, as hokey as that sounded

And I found her I found Mi at my mouth "Let me ask you a question," I said breathlessly

"Okay"

"If you were the wife of a very well-off businesseous children whom you loved more than life, where is the last place anyone would look for you?"

Cookie’s expression changed to hope "Did it work?"

"It worked" I glanced over my shoulder and pointed across the street