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"Abby, he said so on the books, so you’re probably right He’s got to be up in his office I haven’t seen hi in"

"Thanks, Sullivan," Abby said "And, gentlemen, see you later," she told the three older men seated at the bar

They responded with an out-of-sync chorus of "Aye, Abby," "See you, Abby," "Glad you’re here!"

She s iron stairway that had been there forever and atchfully maintained, since it was still used on a daily basis

The second floor of the establish No food was stored on the upper level, but a long room housed wine, spirits, kitchen utensils and other restaurant supplies The second floor also had a nice lounge for the employees with lockers and closets full of costumes so no one had to come as a pirate or wench and leave as a pirate or wench On one side of Gus’s office was the apartrando Now he re roorounds and out to the river Beside the sitting room were the two bedroorandfather now maintained for hier’s office, shared by Macy and Grant Green, the night er’s office She tried his apartment door It was open, but Gus was nowhere to be seen The room was sparse and spotless The only pictures on the walls here were ies of his fah the apartment, and then went out to check the supply room, as well She walked past carefully stored rows of different liquors and the wine vault There were boxes lasses, tablecloths and more, but none of the eain, but all she heard in return was the distant sound of the "pirate" track that played during lunch hours

Frustrated, she went into the lounge, but she seemed to be the only person on the second floor Abby walked back to Gus’s office and sat at his desk Despite his age, Gus had entered the age of technology with gusto; he had a new computer, a printer and, to the side, a file cabinet There was a little office carrier filled with incoshe wouldn’t find a stack of doctors’ bills She didn’t--most of the mail was solicitation letters She knew he readthe restaurant could use

"No inostic clinics," sheto do with his health that had made hi concerned And curious Gus had an i World War II, then he’d returned to Savannah--where he was guaranteed tosince his family owned the restaurant--to join the police force But when his father passed away, he’d left the force to concentrate on the Dragonslayer She’d adone to the FBI acadeed her in every action she’d ever wanted to take He hadn’t pushed her toward law enforce she wanted to do

There was nothing on his desk giving her any indication that so with Gus

Had he run out to do an errand? She druers on the desk and then took the newspaper fro to study the article on the murders

Both victims had drowned Both had been found with their hands tied behind their backs Police ithholding other inforation Next of kin had been notified, and anyone with any infored to contact law enforcement

She set the paper down, then started, certain she’d heard a sound coe area--but she’d just been there At the rear of the storage area was a wrought-iron stairway fro area to the second floor It was far narrower than the ated Diners were prohibited fro those stairs, as was the staff, she reminded herself Gus didn’t consider the, wenching and enjoying their liberty in Savannah to escape quickly froe that led to the river and their ships While Robert Anderson--brother of Blue, and Abby’s direct ancestor--had been a legitimate businessman, he and his pirate brother were known to be close and Blue Anderson was known to have frequented the tavern British officers were prone to burst in on the Dragonslayer in search of Blue, and thus the easy escape route

Thanks to the secret passage, they’d never caught Blue--or any of his e was covered with a grating now Before, it had been hidden under wooden planks that uarded by chains, a locked rate and the robotic Blue Anderson Blue was set up beside the grate, and diners loved to have their pictures taken with hie roo business hours Shethe rows of modern chrome restaurant equipment and boxes to the back of the room

Halfway there, she paused

Her heart seemed to rise to her throat and catch there

Blue! She could see hi iron stairs He beckoned to her and went down the

He only comes when he’s needed, Gus had told her

Abby came to life She sprinted across the room and to the stairs

A chain stretched across the iron railing of the landing here; it was in place as it should have been

Abby slid underneath it and quickly followed the winding steps to the ered, but she’d been quiet and hadn’t been noticed The grating was in place She knelt down--and saw that the lock was open

Heedless of anyone whoIt was dark below There were lights, but Gus kept therate She hurried down the stairs, calling his name "Gus!"

She reached the bottom and the dank tunnel that led out to the river

"Gus!"

So almost as one with the darkness

She followed