LITMIR.BIZ

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Jason drew back, letting go of her hand. “But the police have to find out. Whoever killed your friend is still out there. He has to be found, both for her sake and your son’s.”

      Fear jagged through her. “You mean Kevin might be in danger if that person thinks he knows something.”

      “I mean the sooner the police know everything he knows, the better,” he said bluntly. “Then he can’t be a danger to anyone.”

      That made sense, but somehow it didn’t offer a lot of comfort. Would the person who attacked Dixie reason that way?

      “I just don’t understand it. If someone broke in, intending to rob the house... But they’d hardly do that when someone was there, would they?”

      “The police couldn’t find any signs of a break-in.” His flat tone seemed to eliminate that possibility. “You’ll want to check, but there was no obvious indication that someone was trying to rob you.”

      Deidre rubbed her temples. “Surely no one would have come there to deliberately hurt Dixie. How would they even know she was there? And if they thought I was home...” She didn’t finish the sentence. It made even less sense that way.

      “That’s a good question. You’d expect, if someone was targeting her, they’d do it at her apartment, not at your house.”

      “I can’t imagine anyone hating Dixie that much. She had some rough edges, but she hadn’t had an easy life. And she was so good-hearted. She’d have done anything for Kevin.”

      “She was divorced, I gather. Any problems with the ex-husband?”

      She ventured a glance at him. His face was stern, maybe judgmental. “Not anything recent. I don’t think she’d been in contact with him at all since she came back to Echo Falls. His name is Mike Hanlon. I don’t know where he lives.”

      The police would look into that, of course. Didn’t they say that the spouse was often responsible in a murder?

      “Would she have let a boyfriend in while she was there with Kevin?”

      “No!” Her temper, already frayed, unraveled at that. “Dixie dated, but there wasn’t anyone serious, and even if there had been, she wouldn’t have invited him to my house. She wasn’t a teenager.”

      Skepticism showed in his narrowed eyes. “You can’t be sure of that.”

      “Yes. I can.”

      She glared at him, knowing what was happening. He’d heard rumors linking Dixie with one man or another. He’d added that together with the way she dressed and the fact that she worked at a bar, and he’d come up with an answer—categorizing her.

      Jason looked ready to snap back at her. But the door swung open, and Liz Donnelly came in, a chart in one hand. Deidre started from her chair, everything else dismissed by her need to know what Liz and the other medical personnel thought. She couldn’t seem to find words to ask the question.

      Liz smiled. “It’s good news, really it is. All the tests we’ve done so far show little or no brain swelling, and his brain function looks normal.”

      Deidre sagged against the bed. She’d been so braced to face whatever came that the relief was overpowering.

      Liz patted her shoulder and then moved to the bed, taking a look at Kevin while she gave Deidre time to compose herself. “Everything here seems fine. Blood pressure right where it should be. Temperature normal. Breathing fine.”

      “He’s going to be all right.” She had to hold back the tears.

      But Liz seemed reluctant to go that far. “We can’t say positively what effects the injury might have until he’s awake, but if all continues to go well, we’ll wake him up slowly tomorrow morning.”

      And when Kev woke up, they’d know. They’d know if he’d seen the attack on Dixie, and she’d have to find a way to help him through the consequences, no matter what.

      * * *

      STILL THINKING ABOUT the situation with Deidre and her son, Jason walked the few blocks from the hospital to the office. One thing he had to say about Echo Falls—nothing was very far. The town stretched along the valley floor, making Echo Falls narrow and long as it followed the contours of the land.

      The ridges on either side were heavily forested, increasing his sense of isolation. Not the sort of place he’d ever imagined himself settling down. How long was he going to be able to take it?

      For the moment, he didn’t have much of a choice. If he could hang on here for a few years, rehabilitate his reputation, have something positive on his résumé, he’d stand a chance of making a fresh start in a city more to his liking. Until then, he was stuck.

      Just like he was stuck in this tangled situation between the judge and his daughter-in-law.

      How much of Morris’s dislike was based on fact and how much on unfair prejudice against his son’s wife? He couldn’t tell. His job at the moment was to protect the kid, nothing more. But the more he saw of the situation, the less he liked it. He was torn between the judge’s opinion of who Deidre was and the woman who sat in agony waiting for the doctor’s verdict on her son.

      And what did he do with the lingering thought that the tragic circumstances had brought him into just the sort of relationship with Deidre that the judge had suggested.

      Jase walked into the reception area of the office to find a guy about his own age perched on Evelyn’s desk, apparently joking with her, to judge by their smiles. Since he was wearing a coat and tie, Jason deduced that this must be the partner he hadn’t met yet.

      They both turned toward him at his entrance, Mrs. Lincoln adjusting her smile subtly. The man slid off the desk and held out his hand. “You must be the new guy. I’m Trey Alter. Welcome.”

      Jase had a quick impression of something a little guarded behind the welcoming smile, accompanied by the kind of self-assurance that only came to those born to the position they occupied.

      “Jase Glassman.” He shook Alter’s hand, revising his estimate of the man’s age. He was probably a few years older than Jase, fit and solid with an easy smile.

      “Sorry I wasn’t around when you got in. I had a case that went to the federal court in Williamsport. I hear you’ve had quite an introduction to our little town.”

      Obviously he’d heard all about it. Probably everyone in town had by now.

      “Not what I expected, I admit. I’m just glad I happened to be around so that Mrs. Morris didn’t walk into the situation on her own.”

      “A lucky coincidence.” Trey’s voice was dry. “I understand the judge asked you to act for Deidre...Mrs. Morris.”

      Was he thinking that it should have been him? Most likely he was another person who’d known Deidre Morris her entire life. But he couldn’t have any idea of exactly why the judge had pushed Jase into this position.

      “I was on the spot,” he said, careful not to sound defensive to someone who obviously belonged here.

      Before Alter could respond, the outside door opened. Chief Carmichaels came in, nodded all around and zeroed in on Jase. “I’d like a word or two, Mr. Glassman.”

      “Of course.” He wasn’t sorry to be interrupted. “Come through to my office.”

      He led the way, reflecting on the fact that it hadn’t been his office long enough to feel a sense of possession. The wall of bookshelves wasn’t full yet, although it probably would be by the time he unpacked the cartons sitting in front of the shelves. He’d been a lot busier than he’d anticipated.

      “Have a seat, won’t you?” Jase gestured to the client’s seat and sat back in the leather desk chair that still seemed molded to its previous occupant’s shape.

      But Carmichaels paced to

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