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Malachi sighed "A woman’s murdered and we don’t even knoho she is"

"Do you think it would it help us find the young woman who may still be alive if we did knoho the other victi is we have three dead women, one who escaped and a dead man We also believe Gus was a victim We assume that bothThe wo had been here for a while They were all attractive--all beautiful female captives But I suspect the killer saw the for a woman to be the perfect mate in his life of pirate crime"

Abby had come down and stood in the doorway

"He has a whole fantasy built up," Abby said, continuing Malachi’s narrative "He’s the pirate who seizes a captive and the captive falls in love with hih seas Perhaps the killer thought he had the right wo she was repulsed by him She didn’t want him to touch her, and she couldn’t pretend That’s what happens when he gets to the point where he feels rejected, he kills And then he searches for another woman"

The others nodded

Abby lifted her hands "How does this help us, though?"

"It does help us We watch for someone whowatches," Malachi told her "Let’s head back to the Dragonslayer"

"Because we’re going to find the killer there?"

He studied her for ato keep the bitterness out of her voice

"Yes," he said "Because we’ll find hionslayer was still doing a boo business Macy was at the host stand, and Bootsie and Aldous were at the bar Abby got up onto the stool next to Aldous He’d just finished a plate of fish and chips, and while she affectionately called hi; he sipped fro up?" he asked, nodding at Malachi, who sat beside Abby

"I’m fine, Aldous Just confused--like everyone else And scared There’s another girl out there so we can find her, as we did Helen Alive, I , huh? And your friend Roger English--is he broken up over it!"

"I know They’d just started dating, but he felt he’d found the ‘one,’" Abby said

Bootsie did have a beer in front of hier, ah, that boy! Well, she was--sorry, is a pretty girl But I don’t think she’s the one for hi apart now, but that boy is a passionate soul He loves the city, he loves dress up and history She’s a little naets to figure that out," Malachi said

"Let’s hope," Aldous repeated "He’s here now--over there, at a table With your other high school bud, Abby What’s that other kid’s name? The one he works with?"

"Paul Wester Missy Tweed isn’t available tomorrow--she’s up in Charleston for her uess they’re trying to come up with someone to fill in or rewrite or whatever"

"That doesn’t sound like a problem," Malachi said "They have Abby She’s a wench at heart, the best wench ever, I’d think She’s related to Blue Anderson His descendent, I should say"

"He was reat-whatever uncle"

"Still, the whole swashbuckling thing is in the genes," Malachi said "It sounds like great fun I’d love to get in on it, too"

"Lad, I’ they’d welco pirate"

"Aye-aye!" Aldous said

"Not when you have to do it every day and make drinks in costume and wash these bleached cotton shirts all the ti a tray of drinks for one of the waitresses but was listening to them and noalked down on his side of the bar to join them

"You don’t really mind, do you?" Abby asked him "The pirate and wench outfits here have becoh We haven’t changed in while Maybe get you a nice new frock coat?"

Sullivan laughed, running his fingers through his red hair "It’s not so bad, Abby I’ Well, we could spruce up some of them I’m not sure I want a frock coat It can be hot as hell in Savannah" He looked at Abby anxiously "Were you planning to es?"

She sonslayer, and Gus handled it brilliantly by leaving things alone I won’t be here all the tireat job But I’ll okay new uniforms if we can improve on tradition"

Sullivan seeree that the costuh to buyto coo with a high-Victorian type of place And it won’t be for years"