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Will fell silent as he read through Evie’s stolen newspaper accounts

"So how did this Naughty John fella end up?" Sam asked

"Ida Knowles disappeared," Evie said, relishing the wickedness of the tale "The fuzz caive thestore cowboy He said that he and Mary White hadn’t spilled it for fear of ruining her reputation because"--Evie put a hand to her forehead in melodrama fashion--"they loved her as a sister"

"What a load of bunk," Sam said

"You said it, brother The police didn’t believe a word of it, either They searched the house and found ten dead bodies, which Mr Hobbes confessed were related to his work supplying stiffs to medical schools But the police couldn’t be sure about that, either"

"That’s where the song comes about," Jericho said

"Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells ’e like a saloon chant "The topper is--"

" ‘When they looked further,’ " Will read aloud, " ‘they found the body of a wo to Ida Knowles’ "

Evie dropped her hands to her sides in disappointnored her " ‘Though he and Mary White protested his innocence, John Hobbes was found guilty of her th of her letters and the brooch, as well as the ten bodies, and sentenced to hang’ "

"I wonder if they sold his body to a arette from his silver case and searched his pockets and paper-strewn desk for a lighter "He was buried in a pauper’s grave No funeral home wanted him, and he had no next of kin to claim him"

"Do you think there could be some connection to our killer? Could our killer be fae from history?" Evie asked