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neither were most of the people at that party. Silvia said she saw Mr. Garner at his car before she took me home and even waved at him. I didn’t see that. She said it was because I was drunk.”
    â€œYou didn’t say that at the trial,” he reminded her.
    â€œI didn’t have time to say much at the trial,” she replied. “I was immediately subpoenaed as a prosecution witness because I hadn’t seen Dale or Mrs. Webb at the time Garner was allegedly murdered, which was before she took me home, not after! And I didn’t see Henry Garner at his car as we left. I tried to point out that Dale hadn’t had a blackjack in his car when we arrived. But the prosecuting attorney took me apart, with your helpful suggestions about bringing up my testimony at the rape trial when I was fifteen,” she added pointedly and saw his eyelids flinch. “He destroyed me on the witness stand. I heard later that you and Bib Webb told him about the rape trial. I thought you wanted to help me.” She managed a bitter smile. “You taught me how to dance. You were friends with my father. When I went to college in San Antonio, you were always around. We went out for months together, before Mr. Garner…died.” She drew in a long breath. It hurt toremember how Marc had been with her. She’d thought they were in love. She certainly had been. What a joke! “But none of that mattered, did it? You believed that I lied to implicate Bib Webb. You never doubted it.”
    â€œBib Webb is one of the most decent human beings I know,” Brannon said icily, refusing to face a truth that he knew for certain now about her credibility.
    â€œEven decent people can get into a circumstance where they’ll do something crazy. Especially if they’re desperate, or drunk. You of all people should know that people on drugs or alcohol frequently forget everything that happened until they sober up,” she added, pleading her case fervently. It was the first time he’d really spoken to her alone about what happened. He seemed to be listening, too, even if he didn’t believe a word she said.
    â€œSilvia wasn’t drunk enough to forget what she saw,” he told her. “She’d only had one drink. And she said she saw Garner by his car when she left the party to take you home.”
    â€œThat’s right. She said she saw him there.”
    â€œWhat’s the difference?” he asked, out of patience. “You won’t change my mind.”
    â€œI know that,” Josette agreed finally. “I don’t know why I try.” She added, “I’ll overnight the informationin these files to your San Antonio office before I leave today, so neither of us will have to lug it to San Antonio.” She turned away. “If you have any questions, I’ll be here tomorrow morning and in San Antonio tomorrow night, at the Madison Hotel. You can reach me there.”
    He was still stinging from the encounter. “If I have any questions, you’re the last person I’d ask,” he said coolly. “I wouldn’t trust you as far as the street.”
    â€œThat never changes, does it?” She laughed. “But your low opinion of me doesn’t affect anything anymore. Basically,” she added with a pointed glance, “I don’t give a damn what you think of me. Go stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Brannon.”
    Josette walked down the hall and he watched her go, infuriated that she wouldn’t admit the truth. Maybe her pride wouldn’t let her. He thought about her father, who was disgraced because of her rape trial, and her mother’s fatal stroke after the Jennings trial. He felt sorry for her parents, but there had been nothing he could do for them. He thought of their last date, and her ardent response until he was out of his head with desire, until he found her so intact that he had to stop. He’d really hated her for