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spring air from the open windows, but because she knew what he intended to do. She twisted, trying to get away, but he held her fast. Sloppy kisses rained on her face and neck and she cringed, reciting every nursery rhyme she could remember. Anything to get her mind off what was happening to her. Help had to arrive soon.
    She winced at the hard slap across her cheek. Her eyes opened involuntarily.
    â€œDon't do that!” His eyes were filled with rage.
    â€œYou never want it from me! I can't help it that nobody wants to hire me. But it's worse when my own wife doesn't see me as a man.”
    He pushed her down on to the couch. A moment later, he landed on top of her, knocking the breath out of her lungs.
    â€œI'll show you what a man is,” he groaned. Unsteady hands groped at her blouse and tangled in her hair. Finally, he grabbed at the neckline and ripped it from her.
    He was reaching for her jeans when another knock came at the door. She opened her eyes again, as her father swore.
    â€œOpen up! Police!”
    Leigh groaned as her father froze, effectively putting dead weight on her. The knocking continued.
    â€œOpen up in there!”
    â€œWhat in blazes are they doing here?” He scrambled up and peeked through the peephole. Leigh rose and grabbed the afghan off the couch to cover up.
    â€œIt's that stupid Jap again,” he whispered. “You make one squeak and you're dead.”
    He looked at the afghan wrapped around her and leered. “Kinda late for that innocent little maiden act, isn't it? I know you take it all off for your boyfriend out there. You could go running outside right now, and he wouldn't see anything he hasn't seen before.”
    Leigh's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. But she closed it again, knowing she would just irritate him more if she tried to reason with him.
    The police knocked again, and Frank growled.
    â€œWell, I’ll deal with you later. I’m getting outta here.” Frank padded back to the bedroom and opened the window.
    Leigh realized what her father intended to do. She ran after him. “Dad, no! We’re on the third floor! It’s too high!”
    Two things happened at once: the police broke through the apartment door and Frank Becker, in his inebriated state, slid out the window and dropped to the ground below.

Chapter Five
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    â€œOh, honey, what an awful, awful thing for you to go through! You can stay with us for as long as you like.” Lily fussed about the Tanaka kitchen, getting refreshments for everyone, and then running off to prepare the guest room for Leigh.
    Kirsten Becker had been contacted and was booked on the next flight back from New York. She had promised Leigh that Frank would get the counseling he needed, and tearfully apologized for not taking Leigh’s claims more seriously.
    â€œI’m so sorry, Leigh,” she had said through her sobs. “I’ve been so caught up in my work and avoiding Frank, I forgot to be a mother to you. I promise you, it won’t happen again.”
    â€œIt’s a good thing Andy figured out you were in trouble,” Craig remarked. “How were you able to warn him?”
    Leigh smiled tiredly. “Back in junior high, we took a summer workshop on lip-reading. We used to practice it in school when we wanted to communicate without being heard.” She looked at Andy, who sat beside her with an ice pack on his bruised and swollen cheek. “I counted on you being able to read what my lips were saying rather than what was coming from my mouth.”
    Andy nodded, but said nothing.
    James shook his head. “Frank will be in the hospital for quite a while, I’m afraid. Then he’ll have to face the court. Even if you don’t press charges, he’s in trouble. Apparently he was seen driving recklessly, and threatened one of the other tenants into letting him into the building.”
    He looked into Leigh’s eyes. “I am so sorry you had