touch was possessive, almost violently so, and yet there was a


tenderness in the way he coaxed her into responding. His tongue swept


inside to taste the sweetness within.




The kiss was long and thorough, but when it ended, he wanted another.




She pulled away and walked to the window, staring vacantly for a full


minute before she remembered what she'd wanted to do. Her hands were


trembling, and it took considerable effort to get the lock unlatched


and the window up.




When she passed Daniel again, she hoped he'd grab her once more, but he


didn't. His eyes were closed, and his head rested against the back of


the chair.




She resumed her vigil by Cooper's side. Daniel slept until the middle


of the night and came awake with a start when Cooper began to thrash


about. Grace was sitting on the bed, trying to calm him. Her soft


voice did the trick, for within seconds Cooper was auiet once again.




"How's he doing? " he whispered.




"I can't tell, " she answered. "He's fitful, but the fever doesn't


seem to be as high."




"I'll sit with him, Grace. You should try to get some sleep. You look


worn out."




"I'll rest in a little while, " she promised. "My mind is racing


now.




I've been worrying about Rebecca. Do you think she's still alive? I


pray she is."




"I doubt it, " he said. "My mind's also racing with questions. I


can't figure out why the compartment was empty. It doesn't make any


sense."




"I don't understand." He leaned forward and braced his hands on his


knees. "The porter said the compartment Cooper and Rebecca shared


looked as though it hadn't been occupied."




"Yes, I remember."




"So where are her clothes? " "Cooper's things were also missing,


weren't they? " "No, " he answered. "His saddlebags were in the


luggage compartment."




"Maybe Rebecca's satchels were thrown out the window."




"The sheriff assured me that he and his men searched the area. They


were looking for Rebecca, and they would have found her bags. They


didn't."




"Maybe the men who shot Marshal Cooper let her take herthings with her,


" she said. "That would be a good sign, wouldn't it, that they plan to


keep her alive? " "But they wouldn't want to do that, " he argued.




"They'd want to silence her as quickly as possible."




"Because they think she's the witness? " "Yes."




"How awful, " she whispered. "Poor Rebecca. She wasn't even there."




The matter-of-fact comment caught his attention.




"She told Cole and me she was."




"She what? " Grace asked, clearly flabbergasted.




"Rebecca said she witnessed the robbery. She gave us a detailed


accounting of what happened and descriptions of the men she saw. "


"She couldn't have, " she argued, shaking her head.




"She could have and she did."




"If you'll remember, I told you I was in the bank too. Rebecca was


probably just trying to protect Jessica and me and she lied to you."




"Why are you assuming she lied? " Before Grace could answer the


question, he said, "Jessica also told us she was the witness. She


didn't give us any real details, though, but Rebecca did. She told us


everything." She shook her head again.




"No, that isn't possible."




"I'm telling you she gave us specific details, " he insisted. "What's


wrong? " "It doesn't make any sense.




That's what's wrong . . . " She was exasperating. He held on to his


patience and asked, "Why doesn't it? " "Because she couldn't have


given you details. I promised I would keep silent. . . . I gave my


word . . . but that was before . . . and now . . . " "Grace, what


are you trying to tell me? " "Rebecca isn't the witness. Jessica


is.




" Xaniel was white with anger. "Do you realize what you're saying? I


swear to God, if you're lying now . . . " "I'm telling you the truth,


" she insisted. "Jessica was in the bank during the robbery, not


Rebecca." He was pacing about the room like a caged animal. He kept


telling himself that shouting at Grace wouldn't accomplish anything,


but the urge was nearly overwhelming. He took a deep breath and then


asked in a chillingly soft voice, "Why didn't you tell me the truth


before? Why in God's name did you wait so long? " "I promised Jessica


I wouldn't tell anyone. I gave her my word."




"Dear God, " he muttered. He threaded his fingers through his hair and


sat down.




"Try to understand, " she pleaded. "Jessica was terrified."




"Does Rebecca know that Jessica is the witness? " "No, she doesn't."




"Are you sure? " "Yes." She turned away then so that she wouldn't


have to look at the fury etched on his face. She had never seen him


this angry before, and it frightened her.




"Now do you understand why I was so bewildered when you told me Rebecca


gave you specific details? " "Ah, Grace, " he whispered as he tried to


control his anger.




"Danielţ" He cut her off. "Tell me how you know Jessica was in the


bank, " he demanded.




"I watched Caleb for her, " she explained. "She had taken him with her


to the bank earlier that afternoon, and he was cranky and out of


sorts.




She put him down for his nap and then went back."




"Why? " "She had tried to close her aunt's account, but she'd left one


of the signed documents on Tilly's kitchen table. That's why she went


back."




"Then what happened? " "It was awful, " she whispered. "She'd run all


the way, and when she got to the back door, she started throwing up.




She was barely coherent, " she added. "I tried to get her to calm


down, but she was out of her mind with terror. I put her to bed and


stayed with her until Caleb woke up."




"Was Tilly there? " "No. She had gone out to do some errands. I told


her that Jessica had come down with influenza and that she needed to


stay in bed and rest." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she


impatiently wiped it away. "I took care of Caleb the rest of that day,


and when it was his bedtime, I took him upstairs and found Jessica


frantically packing. She wanted to leave Rockford Falls that night,


but I was finally able to convince her to stay."




"Did she tell you exactly what happened while she was in the bank? "


"Yes, she did. After Caleb fell asleep, we went out on the porch and


she told me everything but their names." He erupted in rage. "Are you


telling me she knows their names? " Grace gripped her hands


together.




She knew how wrong it had been of her to keep silent and how she had


magnified her culpability by adding the lie that she was the witness.




Daniel would never forgive her. He should arrest her and put her in


jail, but she didn't think that would be half as horrible as the guilt


she now felt.




"She heard the man in charge call the others by their names. She


didn't see all of them . . . or hear all their names . . . just


some.




" "Why in God's name didn't she tell Cole or me? " Desperate to make


him understand, she stood up to plead with him. "She couldn't trust


anyone."




"She trusted you."




"Yes, she did. I don't know if she would have told me what happened,


though, if I hadn't been there in the kitchen when she came back. I


saw the condition she was in. She couldn't control her panic, and all


she could think about was keeping her son safe. Can you blame her? I


would have done the same thing." Daniel nodded, for he did


understand.




"What happened then? " "Jessica was sure that the authorities . . .




you . . . would apprehend the men and wouldn't need an eyewitness.




She desperately wanted to believe that would happen."




"When she wanted to run . . . is that when you suggested she go with


you? " "Yes."




"When did she remember she'd left her bag behind? " "Not until we


heard that one was found under the desk."




"Why was it empty? " "When the men came in, she stuffed the money in


her dress. She was afraid they'd take it. She didn't realize they


were going tN } "Massacre them? " "Yes." Daniel closed his eyes for a


moment. "If Jessica hadn't left her bag behind, Cole and I would never


have known she saw it happen."




"I don't know if she would have eventually come forward or not, " Grace


said. "It wasn't her bag, though. It was mine. She borrowed it so


she would have something to put the money in to carry it home."




"It was your bag? " He didn't know why that information infuriated him


so, but it did.




"Honest to God, you and Jessica have obstructed this investigation from


the very beginning. I ought to lock the two of you in a cell and let


you grow old together."




"Will you please lower your voice? You're going to wake up Marshal


Cooper."




"We want him to wake up, " he roared.




She had had enough of his temper and started for the door. "I won't


let you shout at me, Daniel. I know what I did was wrong, and if you


want to arrest me, then do so."




"Grace . . . " "I realize I should have tried harder to convince my