We were simply going from town to town, checking their libraries, but with no avail. All of the little simpleton places only had Local Paper Reviews. I felt like gagging every time I heard it.

"I don't think any of these small towns will have any national reviews. We'll have to go to state capitols, I guess, and look in the state archives. I know we can search like that. Me and Wil did it in Texas."

Norma grinned at her own intelligence. She was full of bright ideas. I wondered if any would rub off on me. The aspects of it happening anytime soon were not very good.

"Julia, I don't think I'll make it home to finish the semester."

"What?!?!"

"Julia, listen. Please. I'll take summer school this year. I'll pass just fine. I just have to find these people. If I haven't found them by June, I'll come home."

"Lynn, you know how important your school is," Julia continued.

"Of course I do. But I also know that I won't be complete until I find out. You don't know anything, do you?"

Julia sighed. "No, Lynni. You know they wouldn't tell me anything. All I knew was that you were not from around here. You were from a southern state. You had a dialect that told me when if first met you that you didn't come from around here."

"South?" I asked.

"Uh-huh. I guess you haven't made it down there yet, have you?"

"No, Julia. We're still in the north. Thank you so much. Can I speak to Joe."

"Sure."

I waited for a moment, until I heard the familiar, "Hello."

"JOE!!" I shouted.

"Lynn! Where are you? How's the search?"

"Not so hot. We're in Lansing. Oh, I wish they were right here, now. I want to go home. But I just can't."

"Lynn, we miss you."

"Miss you, too. Tell Erin I say hi. Love you."

"Love you too. I'll tell her."

"Tell Julia I love her, too."

"Okay."

"Joe, I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye."

"Bye," I said, and hung up the phone.