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"Of course" The woone, you know And you could be with him," Malachi told them

The elderly man shook his head "Soldiers carave Scraped off his naain"

"If you tell ravestone, I can see that it’s fixed," Malachi proain They were bitter because so many of their own died in the war and they behaved badly But that war is long over--it ended a century and a half ago I swear, I will see that the gravestone is repaired If you tell ive you hts"

"You can do that?" the wo at Abby

She walked over to join theet this done," she told them

The man turned to her "You would really help us?"

"Of course"

"You two are always here," Malachi said

"Always" The oes on around here," Malachi rerave," the wife said

Malachi nodded "A mother’s love, a father’s dedication But perhaps you could help us, too People are disappearing I know the city is crowded, that tourists co the day, do you see things?"

Theti "There is so that is odd"

"Not truly odd It was dug years and years ago," the woe systeo!" the man added

The woman sniffed "Abandoned Sealed after the horror of the yellow fever! But there were things that went on then that I believe they thought if they could get the bodies out of the city through the sewer syste deep tunnels by the old hospital But there was more that went on than was ever recorded"

"Have you seen anything there?" Malachi asked

"Shadows at night By day, who knows?"

"People move around," the old woman said "There is an alley behind the first oes thereand does not come back But there are many of us here Many, many walk the city Our kind We are like shadows And shadoalkers ht So e’ve seenI am not sure But atch for you," she said anxiously "If you wish, atch for you"

"That’s very kind"

"My sonhe fought bravely in the War of 1812 Please His marker should read ‘Lieutenant Josiah Beckwith, born April 9, 1790 Died for his country, Septe the War of 1812 Beloved son, husband and father A patriot’"

"We’ll see to it," Abby said, jotting the details on a small notepad She prayed she could keep her promise

The man’s arm was around his wife’s shoulder He started to offer his hand, but let it fall "I aar Beckwith This is my wife, Elizabeth"

"Malachi Gordon," Malachi said "And Abigail Anderson"

"Anderson?" the wo at her "Are you related to the faood people, Ms Anderson"

She thanked the sadly at their son’s to by a red brick aboveground grave--watching her and Malachi She felt her cheeks growing red

As she glanced at Malachi, embarrassed, he smiled "Don’t worry!" he said

"They think we’re crazy, that we talk to ihed "These days? Everyone looks crazy because half the time they have headsets on or they’re on the phone and they see to themselves So"

"Do you think the Beckwiths really saw so in the alley?"

"I think they did and that they’ll lead us where we’d eventually have gotten--except we’ll get there round," he said

10

Malachi called David, asking him to send a few officers to the alley Then he called Jackson, suggesting he get someone to do historical and architectural research on the area

In the meantime, he told Jackson, he and Abby would drive back to the hospital to talk to Helen

"Any word on Bianca Salzburg?" she asked

He repeated her question to Jackson; no, Bianca hadn’t appeared

He and Abby got into the car and headed back to the hospital

"What made you want to stop at the cemetery and talk to that couple?" she asked him