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"The deceased is Brother Eugene Meriwether--" Malloy said
"He is a Junior Warden," the owlishthe littlelate in the office last night Left around eight to have dinner with a coupla Masons at a restaurant over on Eighth Ave They said good-bye at about ten or so, and Mr Meriwether came back here alone The killer took the feet this tilanced at the rounded nubs of the ht-headedness roll over her She grabbed the edge of a chair to steady herself and shut her eyes, but the afterie remained
"He left the victim with the same pentacle brand It’s the only part of his body not burned" He pointed to a spared circle of flesh on the man’s torso
"May the Great Architect watch over us all," the owlish man said solemnly
"Doors were locked froe of his nose He squinted at the owlish ot a score to settle? Or e?"
"Certainly not" The e Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Jacob Astor, Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, Francis Bellae, sir!--these are our Brothers, great men all This country could not have been founded, nor would it continue to flourish, without the Masonic influence"
Thein the defiled roo way from home and weary," Will said at last
The owlish nant lecture and sive me, Mr… ?" Hehis focus on the body
"Did the deceased have any enearded"
"Well, soht have been Most Worshipful Grand Master one day His speech to the Kiwanis Club last year was very well received Very well received"
"We’ve got nothing, Will Christ" Malloy kicked at a chair in frustration
Despite their work, they were no closer to catching thiswith the cloying s closer to the dead man The body had been burned to a blue-black color, with peeks of raeeping red flesh beneath His hands were contorted and his head was arched back, as if to let loose an agonized screainable And if Evie did what she was thinking of doing, she ht very well learn just hoful it was Her heart raced as she felt the idea hardening into resolve Eugene Meriwether’s Mason’s ring had ive her a reading
Uncle Will stood talking to the owlish man and Officer Malloy The other officers canvassed the roo a bit of attention to her It was now or never Evie breathed through her ers brushed the Mason’s finger, the skin cruhtly under her touch, and she bit down on the screa its way up her throat Tears pricked at her eyes and her breath caught in her chest
She couldn’t do this; it was too awful She lifted her hand froht the comfort of her coin pendant, and a o?" she’d asked Jaarden
"Because, old girl," he’d said, wiping her tears away, "you’ve got to stand up for what’s right You can’t let the bullies win"
Evie took three deep breaths, closed her eyes, and cla and the Mason’s cru her teeth as the ietting heavier:
Eugene Meriwether polishing the ring with a cloth His pride in it A day at the beach with a friend Sun glinting on sand A lemonade--Evie could feel its refreshment But none of thesethe ring to give up raphs shown too quickly for the viewer to hold on to anything ful in them
Breathe, Evie told herself Slon See everything But she was distracted both by the horrible condition of the body and by her own nerves She lost the connection and had to fight to get it back And then she heard it: whistling It was the same tune she’d heard when she’d touched Ruta Badowski’s shoe buckle Evie was conscious of her heart rate picking up In her dreaene Meriwether as he ht spilling out fro brass of the knob The door opening…