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"I’m happy for you Personally, I find a funeral a special time to remember and honor a loved one, but to each his own, of course I’ll get out of here, Mr Beckett I will see you to

She was near the door "I take it you’re not planning on staying in town long?"

"No"

She hesitated again "Then what do you care?" she asked quietly

He didn’t answer

"I would keep it alive with the dignity it deserves," she told hi so rude You seriously startled iven"

She nodded and turned to leave

He watched her go Sean’s little sister He and Sean had played high-school football together She didn’t remember, but he had been in her hoe-red hair back then, a lot of skinned and bruised knees and freckles that see woman She had unnerved hiht of the endeavors of others

And yet, seriously…Katie-oke?

He started It was suddenly cold-ice-cold-where he stood in the s people had, such as, "It was as if a ghost walked right throughvery cold Well, ghosts didn’t go around shoving people Oh, and he didn’t believe in ghosts

He went about turning off the lights and, when he left, he locked the place securely

"I gave hiht hook, right on the fellow’s jaw And I could swear he felt it All right, all right, so he didn’t crash down on the floor in a knockout, but I’d swear he knew he’d been given a licking of one kind or another"

Katie waved a hand in the air, distracted "I don’t believe it No one thought that he’d even come home He was supposed to stay off in Africa, Asia or Australia, or wherever it was that he orking Why? Why? He’s got to be wrong on this Liah with the sale, that David despised the place and never intended to come back"

"You’re welcoainst such an oaf Oh, wait I am dead And still, my dear, I did my best"

Katie had offended Bartholomew, she realized "I’ instantly to my defense, and I deeply appreciate your efforts"

"I will keep trying As long as that ," Bartholomew promised

"I don’t understand He doesn’t want to be here He plans on living elsewhere forever and ever," Katie said

She realized that he was silent then

"What?" she demanded "He hasn’t been here in ten years, Bartholomew He doesn’t care about the place, and I don’t care what he said, he showed no respect, not ht they couldn’t locate him-since he was off so up for him?" she asked skeptically

"No, no…his behavior to a lady was reprehensible, abominable!" Bartholomew said "Completely unacceptable Except…"

"Except what?"

Bartholomew looked at her, appeared to take a deep breath and said, "I think, in a way, I understand his feelings"

"I would never let anything horrible like that happen again," Katie protested

"I don’t think they expected it to happen the first time," Bartholoht happen I’d be way ahead And please, we don’t havethe h, you should understand his feelings If I know the story right, he was engaged to the girl And she was found dead, right where you caed anymore," Katie said

"And there the point Motive for murder"

"So you think that he did it"

"No, actually, I don’t think so But a ruined ro tooand wonderful invention So vastly entertaining!" Bartholoreed "But it’s true He was a spurned lover That’s afellow That is, by any reckoning, definitely a motive for murder"

"He was cleared," Katie said