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"And the kid ht have been dead by then"

"Your jacket!" Zachary said He touched Malachi’s ar else

"The killer fired at me"

"Good God, man, he was close!"

"Too close I shot back He’s dead"

"Quite fine!"

Malachi shook his head "I didn’t mean to kill him We hadn’t found the boy yet But I assumed someone built the shack on the lines of old places like this, and I was right Joshua Madsen was in the hideaway"

"So you saved him Are you injured?"

"Onlyto watch the place and get closer, and I didn’t realize he’d corazed my shoulder I liked this jacket--not as much as uninjured flesh, but--"

"Then, all ended well," Zachary broke in, pleased "I’host turned and left hih as now the kitchen and outside, dissolving through the walls He was heading to the small family cemetery in back, Malachi knew Zachary’s wife and children were there--the three who’d died as infants and the three who’d survived childhood diseases to adulthood Many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there, too Malachi had asked him once why he stayed around when he missed his Genevieve so much Zachary had told him, "I believe I will knohen it’s time for me to follow my love"

Malachi never reminded him that he hadn’t knohen it was ti the Revolution Zachary had been caught spying They’d intended to hang hi, he’d been mortally wounded and had died in the are stone hearth

Then again, Malachi ht hiht him in the chest with a 45

He walked into the kitchen to pour hile-malt Scotch As he did so, there was a tap at his door He immediately stiffened

Aw, come on! His address wasn’t public The damned reporters hadn’t found hinore the suly focused on his shot of Scotch

His phone rang He glanced at his caller ID as he passed it The nu stopped

The pounding at the door began again

Swearing, he strode over to it He lifted the little cover on the peephole and looked out He was ready to swing the door open, oh-so-ready to berate whoever was knocking at this tiht of three so hty or so The other tere tall and appeared to have Native Ah mixed with some kind of Northern European ancestry

The elderly an ringing again

Seriously, what the hell? These guys had his number and they knehere to find him

He opened the door and scowled at the three of them

"Mr Gordon, we’re sorry to disturb you, but we’ve been trying to reach you," the elderly gentle

"I’ve been a little busy," Malachi said "And it is--" he looked at his watch "--almost 3:00 a day and a longer night What do you want?"

"Your unusual talent, Mr Gordon," the elderlyhis hand "My naan Raintree"

"Uh, great, nice to meet you What unusual talent?"