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"We can’t find Ra for Jackson to see if anyone can tell us where henew?" he asked her

"Actually, yes," she told him

"What?"

"Well, we’ve been on the coh the household records and accounts of the battle," she said

"And?"

"Jake, I think that, after the battle, Emma was raped"

"What--by whom? The enemy didn’t take the house Four were killed and two disappeared"

"By one of her husband’s supposed friends One of the Confederate soldiers And…and I think that he was attacked by so her, and I think that person ht have been Cliff’s ancestor"

"This was in the household records? That’s surprising," he said

She was silent a second

"Ashley?"

"No I know this, Jake" She was silent again for a minute; then words rushed froht I was afraid of you, but I was afraid because I was terrified my father would appear beforethere that I didn’t see and didn’t want to see, but I do see My ancestor is here I can reach hi to help We need you here, when you can coree--that whoever attacked Eal was the ancestor of the ood, and then Toby Keaton and Marty Dean"

He was silent

"Jake?"

"Ashley," he said huskily

"Forgive uess it falls in We’ve known it was someone close who had to be the murderer I didn’t know that Emma had been attacked--until you told me Are you certain about that? Wouldn’t it have shown up in the records soe of woal would have never breathed a word of it--any more than she would have mentioned she’d taken on an ex-slave as a lover and borne a child of his He brought ht me back there In a dream, Jake I--I saw it I saw it all And it was real"

"I believe you You know I believe you"

"Jake," she said softly "Only Emma can tell us And Whitney says that you’re the one who can reach her"

"I’ve seen her," he ad But…I can’t seeh nothing was her fault"

"Jake, she trusts you She at least shows herself to you"

"We’ll be back soon Take care until then, huh? Wait, hold on a minute!" The line fell silent and she froith concern "Jake?"

"I’m here--Jackson just had a conversation with Detective Mack Colby Sees--they were able to push the toxicology reports to the top level You all be careful there, swear it!"

"Absolutely," she proether, and we don’t intend to let anything happen"

"The best intentions," Jake ether I think that this killer is basically a coward--that’s why he has to attack with a drug cocktail that’s so potent it immediately renders his victims powerless If you relad," she said softly "Jake"

"Yes?"

"You knoas only afraid of you I never stopped loving you"

He was quiet for a minute; she wondered if she had spoken those words aloud

"I’ve loved you forever," he said and hung up

Ashley looked at the phone and s dishes at the sink "Hey," Angela said "I was going to bring soht want to"

"Yes, thank you I should sit with hi a terrible toll on hi at heart, but just because--"