"So Uncle Louis and I plotted how to deal with Victor and mother."

"Deal with means killing?" Heather said with a lopsided grin. "I dislike euphemisms"

"Yes…. But you have to understand what life under Mother was. She had locked herself in and ir seems that the only fun she had in this world was to tyrannize everybody…. Louis said that no jury of Benchleytown's residents would convict us."

-0-

Victor was helping himself to the brandy under the censorious eyes of Louis.

"So you are the fortune hunter that has convinced my niece you love her"

"Oh, you have no idea, old man."

"You know that my sister controls all the money and she can make a will that will cut you off from any access to it..:

"It is not about money." Victor was amused at Louis accusations. Just a few more days and he could get Frank Carruthers to get him to Canada...

"You'd have better look hunting for the big jewel cache that was hid by Jacob Benchley, as insurance for the future, doing the Revolution….. Jacob died before he could tell it where it was. Plenty of Benchleys looked for it.:

"And never found it?"

"Looked in the wrong place. Jacob was a devious man for these things. Left maps for all those spots outside the house….you know what I think? I think he buried it here in the house itself….The redcoats would find those maps, look all over and fail to search the house… :

"You think it is here?" ...A cache of jewels that could be easily be fenced would be useful.

:I said that to my sister…. But she called it nonsense."

"It probably is…"

"In any case, she has the cellar locked and always carries the key with her… Even so, you'll have better luck chasing after those jewels than waiting for Dinah's inheritance."

-0-

"So you two set up a double murder"

"Yes." Dinah acknowledged. "As I said, I am not proud of it…"

"We all have done things we regret now." Amos said. "I know…"

"And then I come into the story" Beverly interrupted "Yes,, Herb Whitby came into my life then, but that was not what mattered then…. Amos tried to be careful with me and did not feed on me that often. But when he did he drank deep… I began showing signs of anemia… and then had to see Doc Lawson…

"There is one think about Lawson." Amos interrupted. "The sheriff was angry with him".

-0-

"You warned Frank Carruthers, didn't you? He did not show up, as I was sure he would."

"Has it occurred to you that he may be innocent?"

"Damn it, what is it with you and Carruthers? Did you have an affair with his mom, and now you think he is your son?"

-0-

"And you know this?"

"Because he told me."

"When?"

"We will get to it".

-0-

Lawson was not the most brilliant student of his class as they said in the show. But he had a quality that not many physicians have: he knew how to listen. There had been something about Wendy, they way she had talked about her experience that seemed off. But then he was more worried about Frank to pay full attention. But when Beverly came and started talking he knew that there was something she was hiding. He took a blood sample for analysis and wondered if they were truly rid of Ann Radcliff. He tested with the substance that Heather Mattox had given him and the results were off the charts..

He tried calling Sheriff Oates, but the man was too sore to listen. So he went to see Beverly.

He followed her, and saw her meet Amos, and saw Amos bite her…

He gasped….Not a big sound..

-0-

"But my senses are much sharper than normal men's. I knew he was there. I flew over and caught him.."