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"Did any of you see anything?" asked Hawk. "Did anyone hear anything?"
"Only her screams," said Stalker. "I knew we shouldn't have let her go, but we all thought she'd be safe
with the Hightowers."
"You left her alone," said Dorimant. He raised his head slowly and looked at Lord Hightower. "She was
afraid, and you went off and left her alone in the dark. You bastard."
He threw himself at Hightower, and they fell heavily to the floor. Dorimant flailed away wildly with his
fists, and then got his hands round Hightower's throat. Lord Roderik choked and gagged, tearing at
Dorimant's hands. Hawk started forward, and then Hightower braced himself and flung Dorimant away.
He flew backwards, and slammed up against the opposite wall. Hawk and Fisher got to him before he
could go after Hightower again.
"That's enough!" said Hawk sharply. "I know how you feel, but that's enough."
Dorimant started to cry. His whole body shook from the force of the racking sobs. Fisher patted him on
the shoulder, but he didn't even feel it. Hawk shook his head slowly.
What a mess;
Hightower got to his feet, with his wife's help, and fingered his throat gingerly. "Well?" he said loudly.
"Aren't you going to arrest him? He assaulted me. I have witnesses."
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"Shut your face," said Hawk. "He only beat me to it by a couple of seconds." He turned his back on
Hightower, and then looked about him. "Wait a minute; where's Katherine?"
Everyone looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Gaunt frowned. "She was with us in the parlor when we heard the screams. I thought she was right
behind us."
Hawk's breath caught in his throat. He turned and ran back down the stairs, Fisher close behind him. He
charged down the hall, kicked open the parlor door, and then skidded to a halt just inside the door.
Katherine Blackstone was sitting in her chair by the empty fireplace, just as he'd last seen her. Only now
there was a knife sunk deep into her chest, the hilt protruding between her breasts. The front of her dress
was soaked with blood. Her head was sunk forward, and her staring eyes saw nothing, nothing at all.
Chapter Six
KILLER'S RAGE
Hawk glared furiously about him, but there was no trace of any attacker. Fisher moved forward and
bent over Katherine. She checked briefly for a pulse, and then looked back at Hawk and shook her
head. Hawk cursed softly. There was a clatter of feet outside in the hall, and Hawk turned quickly to face
the door.
"That's close enough!" he said tightly. "Stand where you are."
Gaunt and his guests stumbled to a halt as they took in the gleaming steel axe held at the ready in Hawk's
hand.
"What is it?" said Gaunt. "What's happened?"
"Katherine Blackstone is dead," said Hawk. "Murdered. I want all of you to come into the parlor slowly
and in single file, keeping your hands where I can see them."
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to;" began the Lady Elaine.
"Shut up and move," said Hawk.
Lady Elaine took in his cold, determined face and did as she was told. The others followed her into the
parlor, giving Hawk and his axe as wide a berth as possible. Hawk backed slowly away as they filed into
the parlor. There was a horrified murmur as they saw Katherine's body.
"She can't have been killed," said Hightower faintly. "It's just not possible."
"Is that right?" said Fisher. "I suppose she committed suicide too?"
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"But how could the killer have got down from the landing without anyone seeing him?" said Gaunt. "No
one passed us on the stairs, and there's no other way down. Katherine was perfectly all right when we
went running out of the parlor to investigate Visage's screams."
"Nevertheless," said Hawk, "she's still dead."
"Maybe she did commit suicide," said Stalker suddenly. "Her husband and her lover had both been
killed;"
"No," said Dorimant flatly. "Katherine wasn't like that. She was a fighter; always had been. Once she got
over the shock of Edward's death, all she could think of was revenge. She'd already started working on
how William could have been killed;" He broke off, and looked a little confused. He put a hand to his
forehead and swayed slightly on his feet. "Do you think I could sit down, Captain Hawk? I feel a little;
upset."
"All right," said Hawk. "Everybody find a chair and sit down, but keep your hands in plain sight. Sir
Stalker, lay your sword down on the floor by your feet, and don't touch it again until I tell you to."
Stalker studied him carefully a moment, and then nodded and followed Hawk's instructions. Fisher
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