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"I’m sorry, Jacques But I have the papers and authority to arrest you Unless, of course, you knohere the American is Perhaps, if you were to turn him over to randfather is under arrest, because I aation Too ! Now, noto the station withwith you--" Tara protested

"I will use force, if I have to do so," Javet said "Damn you all, there has been another headless body discovered, and the investigation in the city has co people You know about this, and whatever is going on here, it must be stopped Jacques, you are under arrest At the station, we et to the bottom of this!"

"No!"

Tara didn’t knohere Brent had been, but noalked in the door He stared at Javet "Takeme in Let him alone"

"Hell, yes! I’ll take you in I suspected that you were lurking here,"Javet said "Yes, yesJacques can have a reprieve I will bring you in"

"Good I’ll confess to the murder--to any uilty of any nantly

"I can arrest you both," Javet told him

"Leave Monsieur DeVant," Brent said "Take

Javet, Jacques is ill If he dies in your custody--"

"All right," Javet said "You come with me" He stared at Tara and Jacques "But if Monsieur Malone cannot convince me that he--and he alone--is a killer, I will be back And then, there will be nothing to stop o," Jacques said "It is better if you takestraws!" Javet exploded

"Jacques," Brent said, placing a hand on his shoulder "It will be all right" Tara was frightened What would happen when he left? She would be alone then, with these terrible things going on, with a stranger who had been introduced as a va over her cousin, as now ashen and failing

But as she stood there shaking, desperate for so to say or do, he turned his eyes on her And she was startled by the gold fire in theth, and the assurance she needed

"It will honestly be all right," he said fir to nod Javet took Brent by the ar to one of his men for handcuffs When they were nearly at Javet’s car, she ran after hi her hands on his shoulders, rising on her toes "I believe in you," she whispered softly "I don’t understand youI don’t knohy you left usI love you rather asinine, since you walked away this et you out, quickly, somehow" She was startled by the smile that curled his lips "You were never alone Rick was alatching

And you’re actually more important than I am And I love you, too Don’t worry about et out ravation "Miss Adair, I’m about to arrest you, too And you won’t be in the same cell, I can assure you!"

She stepped back She watched as they got into the police car Then she realized that her grandfather stood alone in an e "Coet your feet up, get you some brandy"

"Ann?" he inquired

"She’s--she’s okay A friend is here"

"Ah, the new one " Jacques murmured "Rick Another American" She frowned Even Jacques had known about the arlic around it She walked sloith hi why Javet had chosen a time of darkness to come andvery afraid She couldn’t let Jacques know

Katia ca in fro, and at a loss as to knohat "Help randfather back to the library, please," Tara said

"I will get brandy for him," she assured Tara, once Jacques was seated When Katia returned with the brandy, Tara found herself uneasy about the two upstairs She asked Katia to stay with Jacques for a ht back She raced up the stairs, going first to her roo back to Ann’s room Her cousin was back in bed The tall, blond, muscular American was seated in a chair by her side, his hands folded prayer fashion as he looked at her

He gazed at Tara as she entered, gave her a griht," he said softly "But she mustn’t be left alone Not for a minute"

"They’ve taken Brent in--the police have taken him in," she said

Rick nodded "I knowI saw some of what happened, but I couldn’t didn’t dare leave Ann He’ll be all right, you know"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>