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"It looks like one of Conleth’s kills," Camille said from behind us She had moved to peer at the picture from over Ryu’s shoulder

"It looks like one of Conleth’s kills, but it isn’t," the oldhis white head adamantly

Ryu crooked his eyebrow He didn’t believe Silver

"Daht look about forty years Silver’s junior, but he was actually around two hundred years older than the huo stand in front of Ryu Taking the sheaf of papers away froh till he found what looked like a report

"That’s Donovan’s autopsy Her body was obviously very badly burned, but they still found evidence that she hadn’t just been killed and then set on fire She was abused first Brutally" Silver pointed to one line buried in the hted

The as "tortured"

I shuddered, as Ryu read the report

"How did you get all this, sir?" I asked, giving Ryu tiination frole, horrible word

"I had a contact in the police I pumped for information when I hadn’t heard from Brenda in a while Her letters just stopped and I knew she was in trouble So I caray-haired head bent as Silver stared at his hands When he finally spoke again, his voice was dark with co emotions "She was an ambitious bitch in a lot of ways But she didn’t deserve to die Especially not like that"

Ryu finished reading, and he put the autopsy report at the back of the sheaf of papers as if to get it out of sight

"Conleth’s changed his MO," he said "He’s even ht now"

Silver peered at Ryu as if he’d just claie

"Have you listened to a word I’ve said, boy? Whoever killed Donovan made it look like Conleth, but there’s no way Conleth did that Whoever killed that wo else entirely Con’s a murderer but he’s not, yet, a ed"

"Not that much, damn it And none of the murders in Boston are like this He kills, but he doesn’t torture!" Silver was getting increasingly irate and I, for one, was glad he no longer had his shotgun

"And how did he get to Chicago, anyway? And then back to Boston?" Silver looked like he’d played his truo rocket blaster I wasn’t sure how far he could sustain such power, but his getting to Chicago wicked fast wasn’t an ireat distances" Ryu’s voice was still gentle, but it was also obvious that he didn’t believe a word Silver had said And the old man knew it

"If you won’t listen, you won’t listen," Silver said, finally "But I’ beyond Conleth for so he’s an innocent; God knows he’s committed crimes But this isn’t one of the, you’ll find other bodies, other murders And they won’t have been Conleth, either"

The old man poured himself another brandy and then settled himself on his sofa His white head bowed and he stared down at his hands He looked defeated, but his voice was strong when he finally spoke