Black Diamond.
This morning I walked over to the cantina and waved to Bree and Aeryne. I had been up late the night before reconnecting with my cousin Natalie Stark, who had arrived from Canada. Her father was a sheriff and she was in need of a safe retreat from the constant danger of being the daughter of a lawman. I agreed that she could stay with me and make a life for herself in Arizona with me.
“Hi Trin! How are you?” Aeryne asked.
“I’m fantastic! My cousin and I touched base last night. I saw her note and I headed over to the hotel in Bisbee. I’m so glad she’s in town.”
“Oh good I was about tell you I met her,” Bree smiled.
“Yes, she said she met you, Bree. Thank you for being so kind to her.”
“I was hoping the Mayor and the sheriff would be around,” Aeryne said then.
“Something troubling you?” I looked at her with worry.
“Not at all. Just little Sabi’s story this morning cemented my decision. I am going to volunteer to the sheriff to aid in enforcing the laws of our town.”
“You’re going to be a deputy here? That would be fantastic!” I smiled at her.
“Well I will offer, the rest is up to the mayor and the sheriff.”
“Leave a note in the office’s mailbox. It would be nice having you to work with.”
“Ahhh good idea! I keep forgetting about mail!” she exclaimed.
“That way they’ll get it.”
“Please excuse me ladies, and Emy. I think I will do that right now!”
“Sounds fantastic, Aeryne,” I nodded and then looked at Bree when we were alone. “Bree... I’m going to have to have a talk with David..”
“I no see him long time.”
“The idiot told my cousin I’d been dead yesterday. She was so upset when I saw her. He said I’d died by swallowing a duck or some nonsense. Natalie she’s... quite gullible. Seemed to take his teasing to heart.”
“Gosh...”
“I’m worried about her... Her pa’s the sheriff up in Canada at our home town... She’s so stressed from hearing about violence all the time.”
“I knew things bad for her.”
“First thing she hears when she comes to town is that I’d been killed?” I shook my head. “I want to shoot him myself but bein’ a lawyer he’d turn it around and I’d get arrested.”
“Yes, you got that right,” she laughed.
“What’s new with you, Bree? I’m sorry this cantina fire is taking so long to solve.. I’ve got a few great statements. I need to get them to the law office.”
“Oh am fine and there no good clues,” Bree said.
“That doesn’t help,” I shook my had.
“For sure.”
We talked for a while and then Sabi came over. A man walked over then and he introduced himself as John Davis. Sabi decided to call me her aunt and I chuckled, loving the girl even more.
“I’m a pretty good aunt,” I said. “Then if ya start to misbehave I’ll just hand ya back over to your parents and say, ‘Here, she’s yours’. Much easier than havin’ your own kids, eh John?” I winked at the man.
“Much!” he chuckled. Ger walked over and I introduced him to John. John looked over at me and asked, “You a lawman, Miss Trin?”
“Detective, sir. I help local law out all over the county.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I never met a detective before.”
“I’m the only one in these parts,” I said proudly. “What is it you said you do?”
“Actually I didn’t say... but I just retired from the stage coach company as a shotgun rider. That’s why I was never in town often.”
“Hope ya don’t mean literal shotgun,” I winked.
“Yes literal. I rode to protect the driver, passengers or cargo. But I retired and settled here now.”
“Have you been a good girl while I have ben gone?” Ger asked Sabi.
“I almost went ta jail but I was good papa,” Sabi looked at Ger and nodded sleepily.
“Wait, you were good but almost went to jail??? How does that happen?” Ger raised an eyebrow at his daughter, holding Sabi in his lap.
“This I gotta hear,” I chuckled.
“It’s kinda a long story papa...”
“We ain’t goin’ nowhere, Sabi,” I insisted.
“Well... Poppy and me were at tha trial last night you see... But all the folks did was talk about donuts!”
“My cousin said somethin’ about a trial...” I smiled as Ger and John introduced themselves to one another.
“Well see I got kinda bored... so I left and went to tha orfanij playground to swing fer a bit! And as I satted there swinging I noticed somethin stickin outta tha ground. So I went over and dug in tha dirt a bit and out comes a bag o money!!!”
“A bag of money?” I blinked.
“Yeah! Can you imagine! Was LOTS in there! Coulda bought all the cookies in tha world!!!! But I know what dont belong to me aint mine cause I found it... So I figgered Miss Angi musta lost it, so I asked her about it but she only ran away. She been actin weird lately....”
“Weird how?” I looked at her.
“Oh... She was all in a tizzy yesterday over that,” John put in.
“You spoke to her, John?” I asked.
“I dunno Aunt Trin kinda like happy one day, then mad tha next, then happy again...”
“No miss Trin, I observed,” John answered.
“Anyways I figgered I would just give tha bag to the law and let them sort it all. I mean geez I am only 6!!!”
“Did she say somethin’ near you, John? About what it was all about?”
“She looked at the youngin and said it was dirty money and recoiled like she seen the devil hisself,” John answered.
“Yeah! Just like that!” Sabi agreed.
“Dirty money?” I looked at Ger and asked, “Sounds like a case for a Pinkerton, don’t it?”
“Which law did you give it to pumpkin?” Ger asked Sabi.
“Well thats tha problem... I couldn’t find any law nowhere!”
“So the money’s just.... in your home?” I sat up straighter.
“And I knew tha longer I had the bag the more likely that they were gonna think I stoled it and throw me in jail ferever!”
“So what did you do?” Ger asked.
“No Miss Trin, there is still more,” Sabi insisted.
“I said that once and got booked as accessory after the fact,” John said and Ger and I chuckled at that.
“Sorry Sabi, I’m listening.”
“About then Poppy came along and wanted to know what I was doin. But Poppy is still tryin to get official adopted! So I didnt want her in trouble and goin ta jail too! So I kinda yelled at her and I think I made her mad. Told her to run home and tell our parents so at least they could visit me in jail while I was breakin rocks,” Sabi said and Ger fought a smile, making me laugh at his reaction.
“They would have sweet girls like you doing dishes pumpkin.”
“So she did that, and while I was wanderin around lookin fer the law Mr Mike came along. Ohhh but in jail papa!!!!” Sabi exclaimed.
“Mr. Mike who’s a ranger?” I asked.
“No ma’am, Mr Mike who is Miss Stormy’s fella,” Sabi shook her head.
“The law in Tombstone,” Ger put in.
“Right,” I nodded.
“But he aint law no more! So he said he would help me find someone. But first he went to find Miss Angi.”
“And did he?” I asked. “That’s what I woulda done.”
“Cause I found tha money in tha orfanij yard.”
“Exactly,” I nodded.
“And he asked her to come back to the playground cause he didn’t want folks listenin in. But she musta thought he was tryin to trick her cause she wouldn’t go no farther than tha stairs out by the road. And Mr Mike and Miss Angi argued there about her not copperatin. Meanwhile Mr Boney, who I guess is Mr Ben now came outta his apartment over the playground and came on down about all the commotion. Said somethin about Miss Angi’s honner and Mr Mike. Mr Mike got mad and said ferget it! And he took me back out to Allen street to find tha law. Luckily then we ran into Miss Amara, and she copperated when we took her to tha playground to show her the two bags o money.”
“Wow...” I shook my head.
“She said they would keep it in tha safe in city hall in case someone said if it was missin... but if not I could keep it!!!”
“Wait a minute....two bags?” Ger looked at her.
“Yup!” Sabi nodded. “I only got one out though papa.”
“So it’s in the city hall safe then... That means I gotta talk to Amara and see if she wants my help,” I said.
“Boney... Ben...” John mused.
“Yeah he is an odd one Mr John! Miss Dancing Cloud thinks maybe he had one too many firewaters!” Sabi exclaimed.
“You didn’t give any of it to her I hope,” Ger said.
“Any of what, Papa?”
“The money bags.”
“Oh yes papa, she has both tha bags,” Sabi said and Ger looked worried. “She said she would put it away and rite a report.”
“I’ll talk to her, Ger, since it’s over in Tombstone.”
“Did I do bad?” Sabi tilted her head to the side.
“No pumpkin, you didn’t.”
“Whew,” Sabi exhaled. “I gotta say I am sorry ta Poppy, I hope she ain’t still mad at me. I just didn’t want her to get her ‘doption messed up any more.”
“She will understand pumpkin,” Ger assured.
“She is smart,” Sabi nodded.
“I’ll figure this whole thing out Sabi, don’t you worry,” I promised. “Think I might wander over to Tombstone and see who I can find about this.”
“See ya later, Trin,” Ger nodded.
“John, you said somethin’ about bein’ a protective sort?” I asked him. “Mind joinin’ me?”
“Sure,” he nodded.
“You take care of that little one,” I squeezed Ger’s shoulder.
“Always do,” Ger nodded and I led John towards Tombstone.
Bisbee.
I stopped in the street and looked over at John, “In the market for a job as a bodyguard?”
He looked me over and smiled, “Certainly.”
“Gets lonely don’ this job alone... Anything can happen.”
“Be glad to protect you.”
“On we go then,” I smiled and continued to walk towards Tombstone.
Tombstone.
We went to the orphanage and knocked on the door but there was no answer. We walked down the street to find Amara and found her and Mick standing in front of the bank on Allen Street.
“How are you, Amara?” I smiled.
“Not bad,” she chuckled. “I took Lot down at the fort the other day.”
“Oh did ya? Bout time someone did. Heard about this whole thing with Sabi and this money she found.”
“Oh Detective some one robbed this bank,” Mick told me.
“They did? When?” I looked at Mick.
“Don’t know,” Mick admitted.
“Well the Gang blew the doors off of the fort and took it over,” Amara told me.
“Which gang?” I blinked.
“Lot’s gang. Wild bunch.”
“This the same incident as the bank robbery, Mick?” I rolled my eyes.
“And they had Rikki too,” Mick added.
“They all will have warrants out now,” Amara put in.
“Of course they did. Fantastic.”
“I don’t think this is related,” Mick shook his head.
“When was the bank robbed?”
“Sometime between the dance last night and now,” he replied.
“Any witnesses?”
“I was not here we just walk up and the doors were wide ass open.”
“Fantastic... so I’m starting at ground zero then with this one. Where was the dance?”
“Oh... what time was it honey? Eight?” he looked at Amara.
“Where? Which saloon?” I asked.
“On Allen Street,” she answered. “In the street by the clock tower.”
“Out in the street? Fun. That means someone mighta seen it. At around 8 PM?”
“Well I saw the door closed last night but I was off duty. I didn’t check them,” Mick said.
“Probably Jack,” Amara said then.
“I don’t make assumptions until I have witnesses or evidence,” I looked at her.
“Jack was in town last night, sniffin’ around.”
“Now that is intriguing. How you know that? You saw him?”
“I heard Meg yell, ‘What you doing by the bank doors, Jack?’ But no law in town last night.”
“You were in town... Ya heard Meg say that.”
“Ask Meg. She seen it. She yelled, and then we went home.”
“I didn’t see him, I saw him dancing with his girl,” Mick said.
“That sum up everything you saw and heard?” I asked, handing Amara a statement when I’d written it up.
“Hey I didn’t see anything.”
“You heard that.... it’s something. It’s more than I had fifteen minutes ago.”
“Heck with her big mouth everyone heard her.”
“So you’re not gonna help me with a statement here then?” I looked from her to John, back to her.
“Hearsay is all it is,” she shrugged.
“In a court trial, Amara, we can use all the witnesses we can.”
“Give her a statement, hun,” Mick insisted.
“Most of the trials in this town are hearsay. It’s about who’s got more witnesses. Trust me, I’m a lawyer. I know how this works.”
“Okay,” she signed it and handed it back.
“Thank you,” I nodded, putting the statement in my pocket. “Alright then... Guess we should try to find Meg or other people who were at the dance.”
“I doubt he did it his wife keeps him in line these days.”
“Well being near the door ain’t illegal or you two would be a suspect,” Mick said.
“Of course not, Mick.... But if he was sniffing around suspiciously... Just because I take a statement don’t mean I attach it to my report when I hand it to a lawman. It might just be for me... to get me in the right direction.”
“Well anyway the bank is all locked up now. So keep your eyes open,” Mick said.
“Thank you both. I’ll see what I can do on this, with my trusty bodyguard here,” I winked at John.
“They will come for the vault now,” Mick said. “Oh... Bodyguard?”
“Pinkerton work can get dangerous, ya know,” I smiled.
“You should see Ranger,” Amara put in.
“Besides, no one should have to work alone, right?”
“We got each other’s back. Good thing too,” she smiled.
“Amara, Sabi said somethin’ about givin’ you some money she found...” I hesitated as I started the new topic.
“Geez, I need my morning coffee,” Amara sighed.
“She found some money?” Mick asked.
“Unless you just don’t want my help,” I rolled my eyes.
“Fore I answer all these questions... What the hell?” Amara complained.
“I’m a detective... a kid found some money and gave it to you... I’m concerned for her.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” she said.
“Maybe it’s from the bank,” Mick suggested.
“Apparently I’m not needed,” I looked at John and he shrugged.
“It’s in a safe until someone claims it,” Amara said.
“Let’s just go,” I told John. “Need a drink, John?”
“Sure Trin,” John nodded.
“What is it, twenty questions?” Amara asked as we walked away.
We walked over to the hotel to get a drink and Pet was standing there waiting for us. “S much for cooperation with law huh Trin?” John looked at me.
“Don’t get why people won’t just let me do my job,” I sighed.
“Jurisdiction, everyone wants to be the guy who breaks the case, been like that with law round here for ages.”
“Iffn you need a drink, I’m fully stocked unless you’d rather be alone?” Pet asked us.
“We can join ya, Pet,” I nodded to her.
“Well come on in. Name your poison.”
“Coffee with whiskey in it? Less coffee than whiskey,” I requested.
“Same,” John nodded.
“You bet,” Pet said and went to work on the drinks.
“Were you at the dance last night?” I asked her.
“What dance last night?”
“The one by the clock tower.”
“Yeah.”
“You hear about the robbery?”
“Hmm, kinda sorta.”
“Someone shouted out to Jack to ask what he was doin’ round the bank. What else did you here?”
“I was at the clock tower. I didn’t hear no shouting AT the bank.”
“So you didn’t see anything suspicious or hear about it more?”
“I can only tell you what I saw.”
“What did you see?”
“We was all dancing. wild bunch was watching. Jack and Sommer slipped away. Maybe they both had to .. um... you know.. use it,” Pet shrugged. “Meg seemed concerned for some odd reason cause SethAmos got a funny feeling. Hell I get those all the time. A little hitch in my giddy-up sometimes. Anyway.. she approached Wild Bunch with the crazy notion they was law. Heck even Mac put on a badge. What do I know? Soooo’s they all walk around somewhere’s and come back with a huge bag of money.”
“Well that’s intriguing,” I blinked at that as I drank my coffee.
“That’s all I know.”
“That’s a lot of names I can ask though! Thank you Pet!”
“Well, the dancers didn’t pretty much move around ‘cept’n for Meg, Jack and Sommer. oh SethAmos did move around a bit. You’re welcome.”
“I’m debating whether to include this as a possible witness statement... What do you think?”
“What did I witness, really? Money bags? I got me a few for toting earnings and deposits to the bank. I can’t swear there was actually money in them bags. Nor can I swear them bags come from the bank.”
“Sure. Maybe just for my own records then,” I nodded and smile.
“Them Rangers was here dancing tho.”
“Yep I talked to Mick and Amara.”
“But they also left. No idea where they went to.”
“Think I need to find Meg and SethAmos.”
“I can’t recall iffn they left before or after Jack and Sommer neither. I was kinda having a good time.”
“Glad there was some people out,” I smiled.
“Oh yeah. It was a nice evenin’. Laid back.”
“Glad to hear that. Right, Pet, this is my new friend John.”
“He kinda sorta vaguely looks familiar. You been around town off and on before John?”
“Yes ma’am, been here round about two years or so now I reckon,” he smiled at her.
“I was trying to place your face when I seen ya in church. You come back home to settle or you just drifting thru?”
“Settling finally.”
“‘Bout time,” Pet smiled.
“Yes, it’s been long enough, so I have decided it’s time to settle permanently here.”
“What kinda work are you in?”
“Well, I was ridin shotgun for the stagecoach a good bit, thats why I was always gone, but a slug to the leg retired me, so I’m just doing odd things round here at the moment.”
“Well, why don’t you think about hitching up with Trin?” Pet nodded. “Her work load could use some help and sounds like you might know how to handle a gun. I got her double on my prayer list cause she don’t have no help or back up.”
“Sure could... Seems like people ‘round here don’t quite understand the Pinkerton position so much... I don’t like usin’ my gun and it’d be nice to have a partner who does,” I agreed.
“That there sounds like a good idea, if miss Trin would have me.”
“Well... yes, is the only good answer,” Pet looked between us.
“Why thank you, Miss Pet,” John smiled.
“It’s up to you, John,” I looked at him.
“You know I said I’d always help ya, Trin.”
“Mmhmm. Glad for it. Maybe he can try to keep me sane,” I winked at Pet. “Oh Pet, are you going to come by the Stock Exchange this afternoon? I’m looking forward to singing again. Need to figure out this whole money bag thing.”
“We should look at what you have already,” John nodded.
“Yeah.. but.. how easy is it gonna be to get the truth outta the Wild Bunch?” Pet asked.
“Well we know that Sabi found the money at the orphanage when she was playin’ there... Angi seemed repulsed by the money... And wouldn’t cooperate with law about talking about it...” I thought out loud.
“When?” Pet asked.
“Yesterday after the trial. Sabi gave the money to Amara and it’s locked in the city hall safe.”
“Noooooo this incident I’m talking about happened last night.”
“I want to find out how it got buried in the orphanage playground,” I said.
“Yes, miss Pet. These are two separate cases Trin is working on,” John clarified.
“Ah, we’d moved on from talking about last night,” I chuckled. “Last night all I know is that the Wild Bunch were seen around town and Jack was acting suspicious around the bank. And Meg shouted somethin’ about askin Jack what he was doin’ there. I need to find more people that were at the dance, possibly find someone who was closer to the bank.”
“And.... the Wild Bunch was holdin money bags. They said they was gonna go check things out. So they went walkin around like on patrol,” Pet said.
“Heard about them takin’ over the danged fort,” I nodded.
“When?”
“Did Amara say when that happened?” I looked at John.
“No, just said she shot lot cause they took over the fort. Didn’t saw when.”
“Didn’t say it was related to this robbery either,” I nodded. “We didn’t know the Wild Bunch was involved ‘till we talked to you, Pet.”
“Ha! She still braggin about that. Hell I can shoot Lot. That ain’t no biggy!”
“Ya think they could be related?” I chuckled. “The fort takeover and the bank robbery?”
“Me? Naaaaaaa Lot wasn’t even around last night. Prolly still healing from his injuries,” Pet shook her head.
“But the other Wild Bunch?”
“Sniper, Jan, Mac... oooh yeah... they was on some new face in town.. all over his back.. heard someone call his name Jonathan. Man they gave him what for.”
“Gives us more witnesses to find,” I looked at John and he nodded.
“And that JR-Jim fella too,” Pet added.
“Ah, Natalie mentioned Jim. He seems like a nice chap. Well John, shall we see if we can go find Miss Angi?”
“Oh yeah, and SethAmos using his kid as a human shield,” pet added.
“Right.”
“That’s just wrong on several levels,” John shook his head.
“We all know they may be foul but they ain’t gonna hurt a kid on purpose,” Pet said.
“We’ll talk to you soon, Pet,” I smiled at her and we walked down the street after waving goodbye to her.
I knocked on the door to the orphanage and caught John smiling at me, looking deep into my eyes. I blushed and we walked into the orphanage, realizing it was open. We knocked on Angi’s door and she said, “Enter. Hello?” she looked up as she set her pen down.
“Hey Miss Angi, are you busy at the moment?”
“No less busy than I am at any other time. How can I help you?”
“Well... we’ve been talking with Sabi... I just wanted to come and see if you were alright.”
Angi raised an eyebrow and said, “Sabrina is not an orphan, nor has she ever been. If she’s been a problem, I would recommend speaking with her parents.”
“I’m not referring to her... I’m worried about you,” I shook my head.
“Worried about me? Why on heaven’s earth?”
“Seems some money turned up in your backyard and it’s now in the city hall safe... But that don’t mean whoever put it there might not come back for it.”
“Well, I’ll be sure to refer them to the town hall if they do.”
“You’ve no idea how the money got there?”
“Ma’am, I didn’t know there was money there until you told me.”
I looked at John and he asked, “You didn’t know where Sabi got the money she tried giving you yesterday? The dirty money?”
“She tried to hand me a bill. I refuse to take money from a child whose father is already known to be dirty. The orphanage does not need such evil in our presence.”
“Ger is dirty?” John asked.
“Whose father is known to be dirty?” I blinked at that.
“He should be spending that money on getting a representative of the law. Oh see? You two don’t know? Sabrina has two families. Mike is also her father.”
“Oh that other father... I thought he was law of some sort.”
“The man who hired a hit man.”
“A hit man, miss Angi?” I blinked again.
“My adoptions services will not be bought off,” she smirked and nodded.
“Whatever was the hitman for?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not the one in law. Perhaps that might be something you should look into.”
“Miss Angi... I’m merely trying to help you here. What kind of bought off situation are we talking about?”
“Seems he sent his daughter to give me money, he has an adoption that he seems to think is taking too long, another in the process. Quite clear what is going on here to me. He sent a small child over with an obscene amount of money.”
“Alright then... Well if that’s the case then w’re getting somewhere.”
“I will not be privy to such events.”
“I do not blame you. You are a respected woman. That is why I was so concerned for you.”
“Ma’am I’ve had outlaws in here, murderers, and disreputes. A man trying to hurry up an adoption is not going to fool me.”
“I can understand your reluctance to hand a child over to someone like that.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Nope, I think that pretty much clears everything up. Thank you for your time, ma’am.”
We left the office then and nodded to Pet and a little girl as we walked across the street to our office. I sat down behind the desk and John sat across from me. “So... what do you think?”
“My head hurts... seems no one likes chatting with you, for starters.”
“Welcome to my world.”
“You believe the matrons story?”
“It’s definitely plausible... But I’ve known Mike to be honorable.”
“So we have a hitman, two bags of money in an orphanage yard, and a reluctant matron.”
“I’ve got one problem with it though. If Mike gave Angi the money to buy her off and speed up the adoption process on Poppy... Why put it in the yard?”
“Exactly.”
“So what do you think?” I asked again with a smile.
“I think if Mike is as honorable as you think, then talking to him shouldn’t be an issue... and Angi seemed rather put out by the questions.. I mean as a matron, I would be worried for children’s safety.. and she didn’t even bat an eye when you said the money was found in the yard.”
“I agree. That’s why I tried to show her I was more concerned about safety of them since the man could come back to the yard, trying to find the money. Since he don’t know it’s been taken to the city hall.”
“Ok so, we have two found bags of money in the yard, a matron that is cold at best, a man wanting to speed up an adoption, an alleged hitman, and no other leads, none of these incidents have anything in common, so..who is lying?”
“Precisely the question. See, I knew you would be good at this,” I nodded.
“Angi said a hitman was hired. You think there was any report filed by her in regards?”
“Probably not, but it’s a good angle. My problem is... Mike is married to a deputy.”
“So, you run an orphanage, someone sends a hit man. You don’t report it for the children’s safety at the very least. Ok so throw the hit man away a minute, and you have a matron, with two bags of money in her yard.. she didn’t seem surprised or shocked, so she knows something... I mean even I don’t lie that well...”
“It was very suspicious. But then I don’t know Miss Angi to be wrapped up in anything criminal either. She seemed to not want to have anything to do with the whole incident though, and that concerns me.”
“Yeah, that’s what I am saying, she is distancing herself from the whole incident... When an outlaw robs a bank whats the first thing he does?”
“Puts the money somewhere. Hides it.”
“And runs as far from the scene as possible. I always had put distance between me and a crime, and talked to people to help establish an alibi. You know, where you... ‘Oh, I was talking with so and so at that time.’”
“Yep. I still think our next step is to talk to Mike. Maybe some children at the orphanage saw something as well. Maybe talk to Poppy...”
“You know, it’s just a thought, but have you seen the money bags yet?”
“Nope... Amara didn’t seem all that concerned about the incident either.”
“Well, I would like to see the bags, find out if they are bank of Tombstone bags or not.”
“Amara said that they were in the city hall. If you want to follow up on that part I can try and find some people to talk to.”
“Yeah, given my past, I don’t think I should ask to walk into city hall and ask to look at stolen money.”
“Fair enough,” I laughed. “Let’s take a break... We’ll pick this up in an hour or so. I need to get some food or something and let this stuff sift for a bit.”
“Sounds good,” he nodded and we headed out of the office for a drink.
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