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"One of the first women accused was Sarah Bishop," Jenna said "She was supposedly disagreeable, and her husband’s children froe also wanted property she owned They say, too, that she wore a scarlet bodice--not very Puritan of her!--and had drinking parties She’d been accused before, so she was an easy target"

"One of the first people hanged," Sa a witch"

"And Malachi will not confess to being a et, too," he said softly "And I’eted for a reason It looks like all evidence is against him--just as, to the Puritans, it looked as if there was solid evidence against those they executed And Giles Corey--pressed to death because he wouldn’t et a hold of his property, and by the legal syste a plea protected his property"

"I’d have let them have hed "Me, too, probably But by the law, if he didn’t plead, he couldn’t be tried, and because he wasn’t tried, he died in full possession of his property And to force someone to make a plea so that they could be tried, they were pressed Giles Corey was an old buzzard--he testified against his oife But he endured two days of pain--his tongue bulged out and the sheriff had to put it back in his ht!’ is all that he ever said, according to the records, and witnesses were horrified What happened, of course, wasn’t caused by any one person, but belief rievances and the social structure and laws of the day The thing is, we’ve co human Malachi isn’t accepted in society Good people will easily believe he could be a killer I have to prove reasonable doubt, and that’s going to be hard He wasn’t arrested for ton; he was arrested for the murders of his family I have all kinds of ally accused of the other murders, I most probably won’t be able to use the fact that he was seen elsewhere when Earnest Covington was murdered It depends on how all the e I have to prove reasonable doubt in those murders, and since he was covered in their blood…"

"His explanation is reasonable," Jenna pointed out

Saet Bishop wasn’t really hanged for what she did She was hanged for who she was"

"You believe that Malachi is facing the sa difference"

"The law has becorinned "No," he said "He hasthat was alesture

"And," he added, "he has you"

7

Saht at dinner, but it wasn’t much of a social occasion He spent half of his ti the paperwork he wanted done During theto know ical , and realizing that the more she watched Sam, the more she was drawn to him She hated to admit the fact--even to herself, or especially to herself--that there was soy he exuded that was seducing her

Sa to visit Malachi in his hospital-slash-jail cell tomorrow, and then head to his office to deal with soo with every sneeze It had to be done--it was theto accompany him and spend tian "But ulti The witchcrafts trials couldn’t have existed today, but we learned a lot about ‘hearsay’ evidence because of the injustices of the past And, thank God, there’s no longer such a thing as ‘spectral’ evidence But, the paperwork! I really want to talk to the Yates kid, but his o near hi to have to have help on that And I’d also like to have an intervieith Sa, her connection to the Smiths was But I have to head into Boston and the office for a few hours You should probably come with us," Sa you with legal paperwork," she told him

He frowned "You could spend the ti else in hiswe haven’t discovered yet"

"Jamie is his friend, and has been his doctor," Jenna pointed out "I can get more done here"

He arched a brow "Jenna--"

"Maybe I can get near David Yates," she said

That brought a frown "It could be dangerous for you to be here," Saive ahat happened yesterday

"I’ to change I can handle oing to attackhappened while Malachi was in custody, the whole concept that he was a maniacal killer driven to acts of extre would be in the trash, and the hunt would be on again I’ll be fine I’ll be er at her "You need to be careful"

"I always am," she assured him

"Jamie?" Sam asked

"Sah as an Irishwoman," Jamie confirmed

She looked at her uncle, not sure whether to appreciate his support, or tell him that she wasn’t exactly a sumo wrestler But she did want to explore on her own, and even though it seeht" in the way he had been, she knew that he had difficulty believing in any kind of ESP