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Trebly sat back and stared at the around in his desk for a business card and tossed it over to Jackson "I’ else from me, you can call"We’ll do so"

Jake stood behind hi to explode

"You shouldn’t have come back here, Jake Mallory" His voice broke "You’re not wanted in the area That was obvious after Patrick died"

"This is what I do," Jake said

"You shouldn’t have coed and started out He was surprised when Jackson lingered "Is that a threat, Mr Trebly? Because if so, you just threatened a governht in for that"

Trebly rose at last "I didn’t do it, da about who did I didn’t like Charles Osgood, but Ashley was probably the only person who felt sorry for hienuinely bad that he was dead Hell, yes, we could have used that land, but I didn’t force the issue Old Frazier pulled it together We aren’t expanding, and I didn’t kill Charles Osgood!"

"Thanks for your time, Mr Trebly," Jake said

"Jackson?"

Jackson turned around at last and they left the offices and the

"The man is an ass!" Jackson said

"Maybe But I believe hiht now, I can’t really tell He was shaking, and he looks as if he h blood pressure He’s not in the best physical shape, and we are looking for soth and dexterity"

"Let’s move on to Beaumont," Jake said

Jackson nodded "We’ll pick up Frazier and Beth, drop theet back some other way"

Jake didn’t reply Jackson orried about the plantation household

So was Jake

As long as the cops were still on duty, treating the entire plantation as a crime scene, the plantation itself seeood had been found Safe was the last word he’d use

"This is ht!" Ashley said, stroking Varina’s soft nuzzle "On this side, next to Varina, you have Jeff--after Jeff Davis, of course--and at the end, down there, Bobby--for Robert E Lee"

"A true Southern stable!" Whitney said

"Not really Across there you have Abe--for Abrahaure We just weren’t consistent, I’, so we did name him, but we named him Jeff because we already had a Varina!"

"They’re beautiful," Whitney said "I e could go riding"

"We can go riding," Ashley said She saw Whitney’s face "Oh, that’s right I’o with you?"

Whitney was thoughtful for a ht Jackson was the head of the unit"

"Jake gave rimaced

"Look, I went out late yesterday afternoon, and I shouldn’t have, but honestly, I didn’t think Varina would throwhappened, really We just all scared each other"

"And Toby Keaton showed up, and no one trusts the man at the moment," Whitney said

"And Cliff," Ashley added

Whitney watched her, nodded, and slowly s Cliff, don’t you?"

"Yes"

"I’ht, so I’ve been told--because he has access, he has motive," Ashley finished

Whitney drew out her cell phone She turned away froh her call Ashley could hear Jake’s voice on the other end of the line, but she couldn’t make out his words