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"How long had he beenwhen you called in the disappearance?" Colby asked

"A few hours," Ashley said

"You called in about aadult after just a few hours?" Colby asked, his voice level, and yet there was so suspicious in his tone

"He had very badly wanted to play my ancestor, which he did," Ashley explained "He should have been around to celebrate with the others afterwards"

Augie let out a sound of impatience "Where is love with a snap, and pushed the gate open to a wider degree Ashley slipped through, followed by her strange posse: Mack Colby and Augie, her grandfather and Beth

Jake Mallory waited at the end of the path, before the turn to the Donegal family vault Jake had always had a certain presence His arms were crossed over his chest; he stood with his feet planted slightly apart and appeared formidable and authoritative as he stood there Part of it was his height He wasn’t particularly heavily built, but his ht, and, when he ht not expect in a man so tall He wasn’t easily ruffled, and his temper seldom stood in the way of his intentions

"So you’re the fed, huh? Did you touch anything?" Mack Colby demanded "And what the hell kind of federal officer are you?"

Jake remained calm as he reached into the pocket of his jeans for a slim leather wallet, which he opened and presented to Mack Colby "Agent Jake Mallory," he said Colby frowned, stepping forward to examine the credentials Jake had offered His frown didn’t disappear as he stepped back

"How did you happen to be in the area?" he demanded "And you do understand the concept of local jurisdiction? You have to be invited down if we have a problem, and I don’t think that we’ll have a problem here We’re capable"

"I’m sure you are capable I’m a friend of the family I happened to be on al faal called him when Ashley was first worried about the disappearance of one of their reenactors If you’ll check with your superiors, we have been asked to join in the investigation Of course, ere looking for afor a killer," Jake said evenly

Colby wasn’t satisfied; his gaze reet to the body, please?"

"A ie," Colby said "They found a corpse--a man obviously not in need of an ambulance I want the crime-scene people in here--I want pictures of the body in situ I want every fiber, hair, fingerprint And I want all the rest of you people out!"

"Detective, I’d like to stay," Jake said

Mack Colby grunted "Letforensic facilities And we’re not a bunch of local yokels just because we’re in bayou country You like to co cities and--"

"I’m from Louisiana," Jake interrupted "I was born and raised in Orleans Parish"

Mack Colby paused at that He lifted his hands "Fine You stay" He turned around and looked at Ashley, Frazier and Beth "All right The rest of you--out!"

Ashley looked at Jake He gave her a s in her faraveyard with a dead ht, she did feel reassured In fact, she wanted to run to him The breeze lifted her hair and touched her face, and she kept eye contact with hi--when they were kids, when he teased her, when he taught her how to hold a cue stick, when he played his guitar and patiently went through a ain

When he ht that it would be aard to see hiain They had been so close for so many years, friends and then lovers, and she had shut him out as cleanly as if she’d shut a door in his face

Nothing like a dead ain, she thought dryly

The thought brought a ruhter from her throat, and she sed it down quickly

"Out," Colby repeated "Good God, it’s a crirandfather, "Shall we?"

"This is my property," Frazier said to Mack Colby

"And I an wars, and, Detective Colby, I will be kept infor on ent Mallory and his team down--he is here on my request"

Frazier had said his piece He turned to Ashley and nodded

As they departed, a trio dressed in the parish’s crime-unit jumpsuits paused for a moment to ask the way to the scene Ashley indicated the path through the vaults with their decaying elegance and hurried on out