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Hainey didn’t answer because further discussion ht’ve made him look paranoid, or weak Simeon came from another place with its own set of problems, to be sure; but he wouldn’t have understood,on earth summoned a mob with a noose or a spray of bullets quite like a lady with an accent, and a problem with the way she’s been looked at

Even a look, ined

And it had been decades since Croggon Beauregard Hainey had been a young s and condemned to die; but that didn’t nore or erase So yes, all insistence to the contrary--and with the Rattler, and his uns stashed across his formidable body--he was more than a little concerned about a Southern wo to prove

At that moment, a shy head ducked around the corner where Crutchfield stood on a stoop and conducted business It was the saht before, and he looked no less threatened to be standing in front of the captain once again

"Sir?" he said, stopping both h to ask, "What is it?"

"Sir, you have a telegraraain, and then he declared, "Well I’ll be damned"

"What’s it say?" Simeon asked, even as he scanned it over Hainey’s shoulder Before the captain could answer, Simeon had a new question "What the hell does that e I ever heard of Do you knohat it’s all about?"

FREE CROW CARRIES DAMNABLE MADAM CORPSE STOP WORD IN THE CLOUDS SAYS OSSIAN STEEN REQUIRES JEWELRY FOR WEAPON STOP SANATORIUM IS COVER FOR WEAPONS PLANT NO FURTHER WORD TO BE HAD STOP YOU OWE ME ONE STOP AC

Hainey’s scarred face split into a sht, I owe you one"

"Cly? The captain?"

"That’s his initials there at the end He’s the one who sent it," he confirmed

Si about?"

And the captain replied, "I don’t knoho this Steen fellow is, but the rest of it’s given h"

"Can you think and steal a ship at the same time?" the first mate asked

"I could knit a sweater and steal a ship at the sarab the coach, get the Rattler ready, and see what Laot a Valkyrie to ride"

6

She arrived at Jefferson City in the near-light hours of the ht’s sleep inside the Cherokee Rose, she grabbed an early breakfast of oatmeal and toast--and then, when the hour wasto the helpful folder of paperwork Maria carried, Mr Rice could be found in an office at the center of town, half a dozen blocks froer docks In the heart of the city the streets were bus were built three, sometimes four stories tall with tasteful trim components and neatly lettered advertiseainst law offices and apothecaries, and a veterinarian’s facility was planted between a carriage-house and a billiards hall

And at the street corner named in her folder, she found a sn that declared in black lettering, "Mr Algernon T Rice, Private Investigator, Pinkerton National Detective Agency (Jefferson City Branch)"

On the other side of the door she found an empty receptionist’s desk; and beyond that desk in a secondary room, she located Mr Rice

"Please pardon the receptionist," he said "We don’t actually have one right now But won’t you come inside, and have a seat? I understand this is your first outing as a Pinkerton operative"

"Yes, that’s right," she told hireet her she allowed him to take her hand before she positioned herself delicately on the edge of the high-backed chair that faced his desk

Algernon Rice was a slender, pale e handkerchief peeking out from his breast pocket His wide, narrow, precisely curled and waxed ht; and beneath the ri bowler hat, his sideburns were likewise dark Except for the orange triangle, every visible article of his clothing was also funereal in design and color