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"I don’t think that it’s work she’s looking for, but I don’t know She’s pretty tense She wanted to know about the recent business down here--you know, all the nasty stuff with theto know, so it see on Like, frankly, were you a pack of cowards, was it really all solved by the police, did I think that you were capable people--and did you really know the area"

"Oh, great She sounds like sohed "She’s not that bad--she was dead honest in the questions she asked me She didn’t use the word coward, that wasI like about her, Sean Talk to her She seems tense and nervous--and somehow, the real deal" His uncle leaned closer to hi real Talk to her Oh, and by the way, she is really so certificate, advanced, teacher, you na, and oh--hiant blue eyes and a shape to die for, nephew Check it out Go ahead What’s the matter, boy, scared?"

Sean looked at his uncle in surprise and laughed Scared? No He was at least intrigued Couldn’t hurt to talk to the woet started on their project because it was important to both of them--and it was also what they were best known for in their separate careers But they were discussing just what bits and pieces and stories they would use for their documentary Bartholomew’s situation was a must, Robert the Doll was a must, and the bizarre, true and fairly recent history of Elena and Count von Cosel was also a way and the writing connection And there had to be pirates, wreckers, sponge divers and cigar makers, and how the Conch Republic beca and what they were concentrating on, they were still open They hadn’t made any hard-and-fast decisions yet, but since David was ho with Sean’s sister, they had decided that, at long last, they should work together Friends in school who hadn’t seen each other in a decade, they had both gone the same route--film Once the tension and terror of a murderer at work in Key West had died down, David had decided he was going to stay home awhile That had a lot to do with the fact that he was in love with Sean’s sister, Katie O’Hara But David was a conch, too--born and bred in Key West froed here

Sean had stayed away from home a lot, too But noas excited about the idea of working with David--and working on a history about Key West and the surrounding area, bringing to light what truth they could discover that lay behindhad never been er than fiction But as he knew fro here, fact could become distorted Tourists often asked which foruide was the true one He and DavidKey West--and, through historical docuet to the heart of the truth Fascinating work He loved his home Key West was the tail end of Florida, an oddity in time and place An island accessible only by boat for much of its history Southern in the Civil War by state, Union by military presence

Bartholo Sean juhost

"Pretty, pretty thing!" Bartholo if there was soenda behind it all!"

So and staring straight at his uncle

"Are you going to stare at the shadows? Or are you at least going to let the girl have her say?" Ja coffee," he added

"I knohere the coffee is, thanks, Uncle," Sean said He caet a better look at the wo for hi at her surreptitiously--she was staring back at him She was still in the shadows, but his uncle see She had the kind of cheekbones that were pure, classic beauty--at eighty, she’d still be attractive with that bone structure Her hair was golden and pale and sis He didn’t think she spent a lot of money in a boutique salon; the shades of color had corown, rakish look was probably because she didn’t spendit cut

She was dressed ht cotton dress with a little sweater over her shoulders Down here, the days were often hot, teulf breezes that were usually present But inside, it could be like the new ice age had co Ja doors to the outside open so to be soy, the air blasted in the back, not near the front

Coffee in hand, he walked back to the booth at last "Hi I’ interviews tomorrow and the next day at the old Beckett house, because, I’ you know, it’s a joint project between David Beckett and rip was firhtly callused, but they were nice, tanned Her fingers were long and she had neat nails, clipped at a reasonable length rather than grown out long

Her eyes were steady on his

"I’m Vanessa Loren," she said "I have real experience and sound credentials, but that’s not exactly why I’ed, taking a seat opposite her in the booth

"All right"

She suddenly lifted both hands and let them fall "I’ve actually practiced this in"

"You’ve--practiced?" Sean asked "Practiced an interview for a job?"