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"What?" she deer at her "Sherri Mason, the woht inches tall, about one hundred and thirty pounds She had blue eyes--and long red hair"

They all stood in silence for a long moment

"Wow Thanks a lot for that," Christina said at last

Ana slipped a supportive arm around her friend’s waist "We can handle ourselves It’s the unho usually wind up in trouble"

"That’s not the point," Michael said, and took a deep breath "Christie, you have to be careful The last victiht eyes and--"

"And long red hair," Dan breathed softly

"Just like Sherri Mason," Mike said "Who was killed just the sahost"

2

J ed should have headed straight over to Christina’s house, and in fact he had meant to

But he didn’t

For so down the road that led to one of the largest local cemeteries

Beau Kidd had been laid to rest there His parents and his sister, furious that Beau had been labeled a killer without a trial, grieving his death, had ordered a fine toel indown in prayer

It was dusk when he arrived, and the gates were closed, but the cemetery was one of the oldest in the area Broken to to those who had served in the United States military as far back as the Seminole Wars could be found there No one had ever spent the h fence, so he was easily able to hop the loall and enter He knew this cearitte was buried here

But he hadn’t coht

He was losing it, he thought Visiting a cerave and offer him help

No, he told himself He had simply decided to check on the s and Kidd’s own death, the tombstone had been vandalized several times Then Beau Kidd’s mother had appeared on television and made such a tearful plea to be let alone that the vandalism had stopped No requests by law enforceraffiti and dae the way her softly sobbed plea had done

He could see the angel as he headed down the path What surprised him was that he wasn’t the only one who had co woht be Christina Hardy This wo red hair, and she was tall, sliht posture

But when she turned as Jed approached, he saw that though she was attractive, her features were quite different froreen color, not a brilliant blue

He didn’t recognize her, but she obviously recognized hi here?" she snapped

"Do I know you?" he asked bluntly

"Katherine Kidd, Beau’s sister," she said

"We’ve never met"

"No? Sorry, but I knoho you are You’re an opportunist You wrote a book about h"

"I wrote a work of fiction," he said Why defend hiht work out better for both of them

"Why are you here? Do you want to hammer a stake into ain?"

"I’o

"If you’re lost, your wife’s grave is nowhere near here," she called after hi

"Wait!"

He was startled when she ran after him Her eyes were troubled when she aardly touched his aret him to turn around "Why are you here?" she deuess…I wanted to think Honestly, I don’t know"

"Beau was never the killer," she said

"How can you be so certain?" he asked

"He was h "You do know that every hoated when you wrote your book I know you were a cop And I know you have a license now as a private investigator You cauilty for what you did to my brother’s reputation You want absolution? Fine Prove that’s not just a copycat out there Prove Beau was innocent"

He stared at her, unable to think of anything to say

"I’ll pay you," she offered suddenly

He shook his head "No No, you won’t pay me"