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"I was there, and I was in the rare-book roo for a book on Satanism I’m still Catholic Well, my own form of Catholic" He paused "You’re not here to talk about religion What’s the deal with the book?"

"I think it has so to do with Gary White’s murder," Liam said

"A book on Satanism?" Jonas asked

"And the Key West connection," Lia the Civil War He supposedly caught Southern blockade runners by practicing black ic Later in life, he knew a fellow named Abel Crowley, as related to or an admirer of the Aleister Crowley, as known to be the ‘wickedest ht have taken the book"

Jonas nodded, and then shook his head "So why did you think I had taken the book?"

"Gary ht not have done so When he was in the library last, he told the librarian he was headed out here to do soht have talked about it"

"I hired Gary to do soe house," Jonas said "He wasn’t a bad guy"

"You didn’t mention it," Liam said

"I didn’t think to mention it We all knew him Sort of--at least"

Liam turned; the door to the house was open Clarinda had come out, a plate with a sandwich in her hands

"Lia?" she de so that will help me"

"Well, I was the one as here s--he worked the streets at night, when he couldn’t get hi He’d play on a street corner or down at Mallory Square and hope to ot into any heavy conversations, though," she said

She set her plate down at the table and glared at Lia have we all known each other?"

"I’ed He was fairly certain that if Jonas was up to anything foul at all, Clarinda didn’t know

"Right What do you want? We’ll help you Sure It was uy and it would be fun to kill him and trap him in the tree roots at Kelsey’s place," Clarinda said

"Clarinda," Jonas said

"Well, a friend we’ve known forever is accusing us of God knohat!" she said angrily

"I don’t think he was accusing you," Jonas said

"Why not? We all know that woer Let’s see, Gary White was always so clean and fresh I seduced him And I shot him Or stabbed him Sorry, the papers and the news haven’t said just hoas killed," Clarinda said

"And he’s not going to tell us, Clarinda This is his job," Jonas told her

"This is outrageous, is what it is," Clarinda said

"Clarinda, honestly, I’ you two can help me You can see the Merlin place fro you both if you’ll keep an eye out, write down anything that you see I’d greatly appreciate it," Liahed softly "It’s just infuriating, Lia have you known us? Good God, I serve you dinner half the nights of every week And Jonas is from here He’s lived in the sa for answers I need help"

"Sure" She was quiet a minute "Do you want some iced tea? A sandwich?"

He stood "No, but thank you I’s off and start looking into some leads" He almost said other leads Luckily, the word didn’t slip out He didn’t need to onistic toward hi in an hour or so," he assured her "Thanks"

He waved and left theot back into his car, he noted that there was a telescope on the upstairs wraparound porch

It was aimed at the Merlin estate

"See?" Avery said "It’s friendly It wants to play"

"It’s friendly, all right," Kelsey agreed

The dolphin, swi her dock, watched them It seemed pleased to entertain therow bored, but rather see to their conversation It swam up and down and hovered, and then disappeared for aa majestic leap out in the deeper water

"I wonder if Liaht, and he’s lost from one of the dolphin facilities--there are several in the Keys," Kelsey said

"Do they ever act like this when they’re just wild?" Avery asked

"Hmm Honestly, I don’t know," Kelsey said "I one out, and they leap as a natural behavior He does seeain Maybe he’s heard of a dolphin that was lost so where they’re going, though I don’t know But he is fascinating"

"He’s a nice diversion," Avery said "I think I’ll call him Jimmy Is it a he?"