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"Did you recognize this guy? Was it the businessman you met?" Abby asked

Helen stared at Abby "I--I don’t know I really don’t know if they were the same"

"What do you mean, Helen?" Abby asked

"It wasthe pirate The real pirate"

"Helen," Malachi said, "was it so as a pirate? You said that this Chris Condent wanted to open a pirate-theitated "He wasn’t Chris Condent anymore He was the pirate, the real pirate That’s who kidnappedand he had dark hair Rich, dark hair And blue eyes" She took a shuddering breath "It was the pirate, Abby The pirate fro for Abby’s comprehension

"It was Blue," she said "The pirate, Blue Anderson"

9

They left the hospital soon after Helen Long stated that she believed she’d been kidnapped and attacked by a pirate who had been dead for well over two hundred years

Because it was private and they could watch the Dragonslayer on the screens at Abby’s home on Chippewa Square, they returned there David Caswellthey knew

The house on Chippewa had been built in the early 1800s and had come to Abby’s family in the 1850s Built in the colonial style, it had a handso sentinel The house wasn’t huge; the front door opened into a hall that stretched to the rear door and small yard A staircase led to the second floor There were three bedrooone by--while on the ground floor, to the left, was a large for room and the pantry-now-kitchen, while the onetime kitchen out in the yard had been turned into a little suht of the front door with the old music room behind it

Malachi hadn’t seen her actual home yet, and he was curious It was evident that Abby hadn’t spent much tih not ed, the television in the old music room was as old as the stereo system The upholstery was colonial-style, as was the furniture throughout the house, except for one massive recliner

"My father’s He loved it He watched Sunday football from that chair every week," Abby told Malachi

"My dad had one of those chairs, too," Malachi said "I admit I’m fond of it I watch football on Sunday from that chair, too And a few other shows, of course"

"I like the chair Rereat So was uess My mo designer baby clothes She s, of course, but she especially loved baby clothes I think she would’ve liked a houseful of children She was always the e of food drives at school and she collected for the Red Cross She was the epitoia on her face "They both represented the very best of Southern hospitality My dad worked for a tech coonslayer as he could He loved the history, but he was practical He used to say there was ht as well be hter intent on being a federal agent," Malachi commented

"They raised me to reach for whatever I wanted, whether that was a rocket scientist or a stay-at-home mom"

"That’s the best," Malachi said "That’s how kids should be raised"

She nodded Although she’d been talking to hie for room, where the computer banks and screens had been set up, when Abby set off to show him the rest of the house And while she’d shown hiht it was forced

"I enjoy hearing about your fa at you?"