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public, especially around men she didn t really know. She felt sick all over.
He came up to her, right up to her, and looked down at her flushed face. I m going to be in town
for a while, Jillian, he said. And don t get any ideas about having your boyfriend try to boot me out,
or I ll tell him a few things he doesn t know about you.
With that shocking statement, he smiled at the owner, praised the food again and walked out the
door.
Jillian sat drinking coffee with cold, trembling hands. She felt the owner s eyes on her, and it
wasn t in a way she liked. He seemed to be sizing her up with the new information his customer had
given him about her.
People who didn t know you tended to accept even un savory details with openhandedness, she
thought miserably. After all, how well did you really know somebody who worked for you a few days
a week? Jillian lived outside town and kept to herself. She wasn t a social person.
There would be gossip, she was afraid, started by the man who d just gotten out of prison. And
how had he gotten out? she wondered. He d been sentenced to ten years.
When she finished her coffee, she paid for it and left a tip, and paused to speak to the owner. She
didn t really know what to say. Her enemy had made an accusation about her, but how did she refute
it?
What he said, she stammered, there s a lot more to it than it sounds like. I was& fifteen.
The owner wasn t a stupid man. He d known Jillian since she was a child. Listen, he said
gently, I don t pay any mind to gossip. I know Jack Haynes, the assistant circuit D.A. He d never
prosecute a man unless he was sure he could get a conviction.
She felt a little relieved. Thanks, Mr. Chaney.
He smiled. Don t worry about it. You might talk to Jack, though.
Yes, I might. She hesitated. You won t, well, fire me?
Don t be ridiculous. And you be careful out there in the snow. If it gets worse, stay home. I can
get old Mrs. Barry to sub for you in the morning, okay?
Okay, she said. Thanks.
We don t want to lose you in an accident, he replied.
She smiled back.
Jack Haynes had his office in the county courthouse, in Hollister. She walked in, hesitantly, and
asked the clerk if he was there and could she see him.
Sure, he said. He s just going over case files. He grimaced. Not a fun thing to do. Court s
next week.
I can imagine.
He announced her and she walked in. Jack Haynes smiled, shook hands with her and offered her
a chair.
Davy Harris is out of prison, she blurted out. I walked right into him at the restaurant this
morning.
He scowled. Who s out?
She repeated the man s name.
He pushed the intercom button. Did we receive notification that they d released Davy Harris in
that attempted rape case?
Just a minute, sir, I ll check.
The prosecutor cursed under his breath. I had no idea! You saw him?
She nodded. He told everybody in earshot that I had him put in prison for trying to kiss me.
She flushed.
What a whitewash job!
Tell me about it.
The intercom blared. Sir, they sent a notification, but it wasn t on the server. I m sorry. I don t
know how it got lost.
Electronic mail, Haynes scoffed. In my day, we went to the post office to get mail!
And even there it gets lost sometimes, sir, his clerk said soothingly. Sorry.
So am I. How did Harris get out?
On a technicality, pertaining to the judge s instructions to the jury being prejudicial to his case,
came the reply. He s only out until the retrial.
Yes, well, that could take a year or two, Haynes said coldly.
Yes, his clerk said quietly.
Thanks, Chet, he replied, and closed the circuit.
He turned his attention back to Jillian. That s the second piece of unsettling news I ve had from
the court system this week, he said curtly. They ve released Smitty Jones, the bank robber, who
threatened our police chief, also on a technicality. He s out pending retrial, too. His face hardened.
It shouldn t come as a surprise that they have the same lawyer, some hotshot from Denver.
Jillian clenched her teeth. He said he d kill Ted.
Haynes smiled reassuringly. Better men than him have tried to kill Ted, he pointed out. He s
got good instincts and he s a veteran law enforcement officer. He can take care of himself, believe
me.
I know that, but anybody can be ambushed. Look at Chief Barnes. He was a cautious, capable
law enforcement officer, too.
He grimaced. I knew him. He was such a good man. Shame, what happened.
Yes.
He gave her a long look. Jillian, we can t do anything about Harris while he s out on bond, he
told her. But you can take precautions, and you should. Don t go anywhere alone.
I live alone, she pointed out, worriedly.
He drew in a sharp breath. He d seen cases like this before, where stalkers had vowed revenge
and killed or raped their accusers when they were released from prison. He hated the thought of
having something bad happen to this poor woman, who d seen more than her share of the dark side of
men.
I ll tell Ted, she said after a minute.
His eyebrows arched.
She averted her eyes. We re sort of in a situation, about the ranch. Our uncles left a clause that if
we don t get married, the ranch has to be sold at public auction. Ted thinks we should get married
very soon. But I ve been hesitant, she said, and bit off the reason.
He knew, without being told by her. You need to be in therapy, he said bluntly.
She grimaced. I know. But I can t, I just can t talk about things like that to a stranger.
He had a daughter about her age. He thought how it would be for her in a similar circumstance. It
made him sad.
They re used to all sorts of terrible stories, he began.
I can t talk about personal things to a stranger, she repeated.
He sighed. It could ruin your whole life, lock you up in ways you don t even realize yet, he
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