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"Why did they believe Eli Smith and assume you had attacked the ship?" Katie asked

"Because Victoria had been the love of ether Her father sent her out ahead, planning to ot aboutwith her, happily ever after, if I didn’t convince her fa Beckett was highly respected I’d been on a si expedition with him when the attack had taken place, and he had pro problem up the islands-he’d see to it that the old bastard Wyeth learned that I had been a privateer, and that I had never been a cutthroat pirate All right, in soht have been little difference But I had never, ever attacked an Aht, I was doard the south of the island, sound asleep, and a lynch ed a bit of a defense-slashed the nose off one hairy, old bastard!-but there were two dozen of theed from the neck until dead, and when I coainst the tree"

She forgot where they were, forgot that people , and set her hand over his "Bartholomew, I a years, and dreary years I wanted to get to know He fellow-and that Carl Tanzler, he was certainly a curiosity I wondered what I was doing here My Victoria seeone Then I ca else, Katie-oke is entertaining, and I think I’ve decided that I’uidance!"

"Bartholoht"

"I’d not be leaving you now, dear girl, for all the tea in China!"

"That’s kind, Bartholomew, but if the tio," Katie told hi Maybe I have waited all these years for you"

"Really?"

"Well, you see, I was avenged," Bartholomew told her

"You were?"

"Oh, yes, and that’s probably why I like your boy David-even if I re Beckett froo-caed for his part in the attack and Victoria’s death Maybe that’s what I hear!" Bartholoans giving out, as he swung frolanced across the rooainst the wall near the ladies’ roo wasn’t the elegant apparel of a nineteenth-century lady, but hout the day Her blouse hite cotton, open at her throat, which bore angry, red marks She seemed very sad Katie had seen her before, but the woroup of young children sat with aShirley Tehost drifted over to the table She took an ely at the children

The ed her husband, unco why

The husband asked for the check, and the fahost faded away, still sad

"I don’t believe that Danny Zigler was capable of either of the murders," Katie said

"You’re back to the same question," Bartholomew told her "Were they both co?"

Katie stood, deciding not to order any food She left the girl bills that were double the price of the iced tea

"Let’s go I want to see if Liam is at the police station"

"What? Why?" Bartholo that "

"Like what?"

"Motive"

"The killer is crazy in the head, that’s a motive!" Bartholos I saw in et aith it"

But Katie was already h-and follow her

It took a few h to Liam on the phone, but David knew his cousin would find the time to talk to him Eventually, Liam came on

"Sorry, David, this place is insane today Procedure We’re bringing in everyone orked at the strip club, and we’re trying to track down anyone as at the strip club that night"

"Understandable What about Mike Sanderson? Has anyone pursued that angle?"

"We’ve put through some calls Apparently, he beca by co She gave us all his numbers, but we haven’t reached him yet We’ve contacted the Cleveland police to let theation"

"So no one knohere he is right now, right?"

"No But to go assu shot, David"

"I know But it’s not the tinoring it, I proet back to questioning folks No one is under arrest-everyone is coly, so we have to ler?"