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They finally left her with a bit s

Sullivan cleared his throat "I’ll just get these last glasses"

"No, no, Sullivan, that’s all right I’ve got it I’d like so to do," Abby said

"I’ on supplies for the week After that, I think he plans on leaving for the night But, Abby, I don’t feel you should be alone here"

"I’ve spent et her purse "All right," she said with obvious reluctance "Make sure you lock up The city can be scary I don’t ever re?" Sullivan finished "Come on, Macy Abby doesn’t want us here I’ll walk you ho at Abby "You havecomes up Or if you just need to talk"

"You were both wonderful to Gus He loved you and appreciated your loyalty to the Dragonslayer And so do I Now, I’o on home"

"You know you control the music from behind the bar," Sullivan said

"I know," Abby assured hiotten a solid alarlanced at Abby and flushed "I’ He had ca lot, and there’s an eency police buzzer behind the bar Most of the downstairs s are sealed now, but"

"He thought his security installations were a big deal State of the art He started theo, ere nearly broken into," Abby said "But, Macy, don’t worry I’ll see about getting a real alarinia," Abby pro down fro

She loved Grant He’d worked for Gus, first as a pirate entertainer Grant had spent seven years getting his hospitality degree, he’d told her sooing into the restaurant or hotel business Once he had his degree in hand, the first person to really believe in him had been Gus

"I heard the words alarm system," Grant said "I have brochures up in ood systeo," Grant said

"Then we’ll take care of it," Abby proh the different coreat"

"Absolutely," Grant said "I’ to head out now--if you’re sure you’re okay"

Grant, as gay, had been with his partner, Alden Blaine, for well over ten years Alden worked for the fire department and had left the tavern earlier, since he had an early call the next day

"Go ho you people out of here is a real project"

At last, with everyone still protesting, she got them all out the door

As she closed and locked it, she s what they orried about; she’d been staying here every night since she’d arrived, and--except for today--the Dragonslayer didn’t close until 2:00 am That oing to bedGrant to lock up

And she’d been fine

Maybe it was the fact that people were here so late--and that the first of the setup creere usually in by six in the h they didn’t open until eleven So there were only a few hours when she’d been alone and despite, or because of, the circu those hours

They were probably worried about what she ine in the darkness, worried that she’d be afraid

But she wasn’t afraid She knehat they didn’t know

Blue Anderson watched over the Dragonslayer

In the days that had followed her grandfather’s death, she’d hoped Blue would make an appearance She’d hoped as well, that she’d be haunted by her grandfather

But no one had appeared to her, upstairs or down, by day or night Blue had stood by the burial site in the graveyard, though

With the door finally closed and locked, Abby walked around the downstairs Figureheads from ships of many centuries stared down at her She walked past the hostess stand and behind the bar, gathering up the last of the glasses as she did so

A copy of the day’s paper lay on the bar She set the glasses by the sanitizer and picked it up

There was no mention of a serial killer in the article; it stated simply that the body of Felicia Shepherd, twenty-two, had been found on the river ee The cause of her death would be deterhtfully, Abby walked back to the hostess stand and searched through the papers collected there until she came to the one she had picked up the day she arrived

The first victied twenty-five Her name was Ruth Seymour and she’d come to Savannah on vacation She’d wanted to stay in the historic city for a night on her own beforeup with friends at Hilton Head She had checked into her bed-and-breakfast--the clerk re--and that was the last anyone could re her until her body was discovered

The second victim was Rupert Holloway, a salesman for a mobile phone company He never arrived at his hotel His wife told police he’d planned to meet business associates on the riverfront for lunch

The associates had gone to lunch; Rupert Holloway had not He had next appeared on the river embankment--dead