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This ti Malachi, aiting by the water, looked at his watch "The entire thing took place in under five azed around her and then back at the caetting worse"

"Why? How?"

"Well, it really could have been anyone Even Mariah," Olivia said "Although that would never have occurred to me if we hadn’t done our reenactment She could’ve been at the streaet to the woods And since we don’t know if anyone else was out before Dustin went racing off, one of the others could’ve gone to the stream and come back" She paused "I’m positive we can rule out the boys, but"

"Don’t worry There arean arh the trees again, see if we can find anything else," Abby said

They returned to the woods; Dustin described what it had looked like where he’d found Mariah "The, uh, cow pieces are gone now I guess the coyotes careed "Let’s split the area into quadrants, start in the middle and we’ll each work outward"

"What exactly are we searching for?" Olivia asked

"Anything that doesn’t belong here," Malachi said

They explored in silence for a while, co out of place on the forest floor

Suddenly Olivia let out a little cry

"What is it?" Dustin asked, hurrying over to her

"Maybe nothing, but" She opened her hand She was holding so red with a tiny needlelike point The small object was in the shape of a horse "This is one of the tacks we use to put notices up on the office bulletin board," she said "Soht just have had one in a pocket"

Dustin shook his head "No, it wasn’t a randoe of the general I’d say thatit here"

"To lure Mariah out," Malachi said, approaching them from the other side

"So Mariah is innocent One down" Olivia raised a finger as though counting

"Not necessarily" Dustin shook his head again "What if she put it here herself to roaned in frustration "Hoe ever get anywhere?" she de over the place, right?" Malachi said "Or"

"Or was he?" Olivia finished for hi we can prove one way or the other," Dustin suggested

"We reach the solution by following every direction," Malachi told her "It was a good find, cousin Noe knoasn’t just left here by soe kid That’s important--and it narron the possibilities" They searched a while longer, with no further results, and started back

En route, Dustin used his radio to call in; Frank Vine told hiht had been uneventful

When they reached the Horse Far their arrival Sa excitedly Olivia i, sternly ordering hi?" Drew asked anxiously

"Nope," Dustin said "Anything here?"

"Quiet as a toht"

"Drew, I heard people say that Aaron always rode Gargantua," Dustin continued "Is that right? The day Marcus died, was Aaron riding him?"

Drew raised his eyebrows in evident surprise "Yeah, it’s true Aaron--when he went riding, which wasn’t that often--always took Gargantua He’s a big horse but he’s gentle I once saw him let himself trip rather than step on Aaron when he’d fallen off He’d gotten on him bareback, which was kind of foolish for Aaron I wouldn’t call him an incompetent rider, but he wasn’t the best by far"

"Where was Gargantua before everyone saddled up to go looking for Marcus Danby that day?" Dustin asked

"In his stall," Drew said "I think"

Sydney had been listening, Dustin realized, because he walked up to the two of them "Drew, no Remember? We had all the horses out in the pasture"

"Sydney’s right," Drew said "I reet saddled"

"Is it important?" Sydney asked