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"Punished for what?"

He turned back to her, waving a hand in the air "That’s not important What’s important is that you have a killer on your hands A cruel killer, one who ht have had serious flaws, but I believed that I was fighting for my family and al clan"

"You think someone killed Charles--to hurt the fa apassed--the plantation survives on the guests who coal does well because there are always visitors If the place becomes known as the site of a heinous recent murder, the people will not come"

"Oh, well, that may not be true," Ashley said dryly "It may attract more"

"It will hurt, I believe"

She pointed at hi you You are a creation of ure this out if I think hard enough"

"I’nore you"

"Then you’ll be behaving in a most foolish manner Think about the day, about the event Think about the ht, and you know it Soal Plantation co on the bastard but the wool of his uniforusted "And, of course, there are so in to sort the with tire tracks--there are none close to the ceravel and the road out front We have begun to sort thereat deal of time, and e have them, e have?" The n of a struggle There’s no sign that Charles Osgood was dragged to the toht to theinto the personal effects of the hundreds of people who etting a judge tothe weaponry used at the reenacto beyond that…well, it will be hard to pinpoint the fellow--not unless he strikes again, or gets careless"

"Let’s hope he doesn’t strike again," Jake said

"Well, of course It doesn’t look like a serial killing, does it? The way I see it, soood and found a way to really drag out his death"

"We’re grateful, Detective Mack, that your officers began collecting all of the rifles and bayonets used by the racious to share infor isn’t an exact science We all know that And we don’t believe we’re dealing with a serial killer, either, but still, finding so out if there was a perceived slight to soht direction"

Detective Colby nodded "Fine We’ll track down people We can narrow the field, but it will still be a big field" He was quiet a ood job in New Orleans Soue Do you peoplelike that?"

"We explore history--history in time, and history as it pertains to individuals," Jake said s that with Colby, they’d be thrown out if they were to hosts

"Detective," Jackson said, "we’re truly grateful that you’re allowing us to ith you I believe that the ce When his body was discovered, he was still wearing his uniform, so he was held from the time he disappeared until he was found He was apparently held in a drugged condition, and perhaps the o about his custo his victim somewhere But if we have alibis for the time before the body was found--we know he had only been dead for a few hours, tops--then we can eliht be telling, or on alibis that ht have a few holes in them"

"You know there were hundreds of people on that plantation for the reenactment," Colby said wearily "We’re on it, but the reat" He was quiet for a ly, "This is a sensational case We’re, uh, grateful that you’re here, too"

"Thank you," Jackson said

"It’s a needle in a haystack," Colby said

"What about the bayonets of the one that day?" Jake asked

"If the one with those bayonets, they couldn’t have killed hione, which, of course, your men will find out," Jake said "I don’t think that any of theYankees--who had left the property already--are guilty, but I believe that two of them are local, Southerners who had ancestors who did choose the Northern side Once we eliet every weapon Every blade," Colby said grimly "They’ll be wiped clean, of course But sometimes, no matter how you wipe down a blade, the forensics folks can still find a h This da was planned out"

"Yes, it was," Jackson said

Mack Colby seereed with him

"How much of the property was searched by your men?" Jake asked

"We had an entire team in the cemetery," the detective said "And, of course, I had officers comb the area around the cemetery as well"

"I think we need to extend that search--take it to a daylight level," Jake said "If I had committed such a murder, I wouldn’t have kept the murder weapon on my person anywhere If you’re found with the otten rid of that bayonet--and I believe it ht have been on the property after thefound with the weapon"