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The two men walked into the parlor and their eyes widened. All drawers were dumped on the floor. Lamps, books and doilies that had been on the tables were scattered. The couch cushions were tossed around the room, along with the pillows. The artwork on the walls had been removed.

Cash rubbed the back of his neck. "What are they looking for?"

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"Who knows?" Billy Joe took his toothpick from his pocket and put it between his teeth.

Cash shook his head. "That's just nasty."

"I ain't smoking no more. This works." Billy Joe pointed the toothpick at his buddy.

"I doubt Paige knows what they're looking for. Let's put this room back together, then see what she does know."

"Maybe she knows, but doesn't know she knows." Billy Joe replaced the couch cushions.

"You don't make a lick of sense."

"I'm done trying to explain pure logic to you."

Cash picked up some envelopes from the floor. "There's nothing in here but Paula's needlepoint thread." He paused a moment. "Paige needs to talk to that Redman guy."

"That lawyer?"

"Yep. If there's any important papers, he'd have them or know where they're kept. There's probably a safe or safety deposit box somewhere."

"Maybe that's what we need to be looking for. Do ya think Paige knows anything about it?"

"I doubt it, but won't hurt to ask."

Billy Joe glanced at his watch. "Damn, it's only nine-thirty. It seems later than that."

Cash stood and scanned the room. "I think it looks all right, don't you?" After his friend nodded, he continued, "Let's take a look-see outside." He paused at the front door. "Whoever left must've parked a ways away, or left on foot."

"Too bad there's no snow. We could follow the tracks."

"That's just stupid. It's July in Georgia." Cash punched his buddy in the arm. "We couldn't find tracks in mud after a thunderstorm."

"True." Billy Joe chuckled.

At the front door, Cash paused. "It's unlocked. I know I locked it after you and Mary Pat came in. This is how they left, but we still don't know how they got in."

They walked to the street, faced the antebellum mansion, and studied it and the yard. Cash pointed at the sky. "There's a full moon. That's why there's strange things happening."

"You believe that superstition stuff?"

"Got a better explanation?"

Billy Joe licked his finger and made a line in the air. "One point for you." He laughed.

"Go right of the house and I'll go left. We'll meet by the ol' kitchen."

The two separated. As Cash walked by Paige's jaguar, he paused. There's a hand print. It's too big for Paige's. "Hey, Billy Joe, come here." He pointed at the hood. "You been by the jag lately?"

"Nope. That's one mighty big hand."

"Sure is. I wish there was some way we could find out who it belongs to without calling the cops." Cash took out his cell. "Mom, is Karen still dating that P.I.?" He listened a moment. "Good. I'll call her. Sure, Mom, things are all right. Why wouldn't they be?"

"Man, you just lied to your momma. That just ain't right." Billy Joe pointed his toothpick at Cash.

"I told the truth. Nobody's hurt or in danger."

"At this moment." Billy Joe grinned.

Cash pushed buttons on his phone and listened. "Hello, Karen, that P.I. wouldn't be visiting you, would he?" Again, he listened. "Good, would you ask him to bring a fingerprinting kit to the old Bookman house?" He sighed. "Me and Billy Joe aren't getting ourselves into any trouble." He put his cell away. "The P.I. will be here in a few minutes.

Within thirty minutes, the P.I. parked in front of Paige's house, and Cash and Billy Joe walked up to him. Each offered a hand and introduced themselves.

"Bart, the hood of the jaguar has a huge handprint on it. Can you check to see who it belongs to?"

"A couple buddies of mine work in the police department. They'll run the prints for a price."

"Not a problem." Cash took out his billfold. "How soon will we get the results?"