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[Author's Note]
In this excerpt from
Falling Star 
, Mildred Swensen (having learned the identity of her attacker)is in Des Moines, Iowa, trying to learn more about the mysterious Julie Davenport. It isinteresting that the lack of personality in Davenport's life as evidenced by the sparseness of herapartment eerily parallels the details of modern day terrorists who plan mayhem. This trait of asolitary person with few possessions just prior to committing horrific crimes has become an alltoo familiar refrain.
Falling Star 
was essentially written in 1990-1993.
 
 158Chapter Ten -- Des Moines1000 Hours: Monday, June 14, 1993: Des Moines, Iowa"Excuse me, Mr. Clark, but there's a lady out here who wants to see you about JulieDavenport.""I'll be right there, Mandy. Please have her wait."Steve Clark, manager of Reedy Securities' branch office in Des Moines, wasbeginning to feel overburdened by the commotion caused by Davenport's death. JulieDavenport had been hired about two years ago to fill a vacancy left by Clark's long-timerecords clerk. Her credentials seemed to be good. She graduated from Grinnell Collegewith excellent marks, after going back to school at a late age.Although Julie never discussed her background and kept pretty much to herself, shehad been highly regarded by her fellow workers. As usual, he had submitted her personalinformation to National Association of Securities Dealers prior to offering her a permanentposition. Julie had just taken her Series 7 examination, which qualified her to be astockbroker, and Clark had been training her to take over some accounts.The entire office was upset about Julie's untimely death, but were puzzled why shehad been in Washington, D.C. Clark had received an early morning telephone call fromJulie saying that a personal problem had come up and could she have a couple of days off.The next thing Clark knew he was being interviewed by federal agents concerning Julie'stragic death.
 
 159Clark put on his suit jacket and walked out to the reception area. As he approachedthe area, he saw the pleasant looking, older lady in the summer silk dress and blue linenblazer. She wore white cotton gloves and sat on the reception area sofa, reading a copy of 
 Newsweek 
.He let himself through the low wooden gate. "Hello, I'm Steven Clark, the branchmanager. Can I help you?""You must be that nice Mr. Clark that Julie wrote about in her letters to her UncleLars and myself. I'm Julie's aunt, Mildred Lutsen, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin," saidMildred, looking up at Clark and extending her hand. Mildred often used her maidenname as an alibi."I'm glad to meet you, Mrs. Lutsen. Please excuse my surprise, it's just that Julienever mentioned she had any relatives. But then she was very quiet and kept to herself.How can I help you?""Lars and I wanted to retrieve Julie's personal things, if it's okay with you," saidMildred, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. "We were all she had after her motherand father died in that tragic snowmobile accident. She grew up with us, then went toWaterville, Iowa, as a secretary to an insurance agency and then went to school at GrinnellCollege. She was such a pretty girl with those beautiful blue eyes.""Well, Mrs. Lutsen, I'm so sorry about what happened to Julie. All of us weredumb-struck by her death, it was such a waste."Mildred took out a handkerchief and started to cry softly. After a moment, sheregained her composure and dried her eyes. In a soft voice Mildred asked if it would beokay to see Julie's personal belongings.Clark said, "Sure."
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