wrong.
Somehow she didn't sense that same comprehension in Troy. She had to be overreacting. She'd known Troy Baker his whole life. As much as he loved his sister, he wasn't a killer.
Movement in Emily's peripheral vision dragged her attention back to Austin. He was finally leaving.
"I should go," she said to Troy, though she felt reluctant to leave him. She hoped he wasn't going to do anything rash. Her need to keep an eye on Austin won out.
Troy wrapped his fingers around her arm and held on when she would have moved away. "Don't go, Em. Stay and talk to me. We can visit Heather a while longer."
She started to argue when he tagged on, "Don't worry about him. He's not going to get into anything tonight. Trust me."
County Road 18
6:45 p.m.
The sun had started to sink into the treetops as Clint drove the last couple of miles toward home. He'd put off going back there for as long as he could.
He was damned exhausted. The day had lasted a lifetime.
The visit to the parole officer had gone as expected. Lee Brady had laid down the rules and the ramifications of failing to follow those rules. Like most of the folks in town, Brady didn't agree with Clint's release, saying it hadn't been necessary. Clint had felt Brady's antipathy.
The scene outside had made leaving a nuisance. Thirty or so people, their frenzy tuned to a fever pitch by Troy Baker and Keith Turner, had gathered to make their opinions known. Like Clint told Ray, he didn't give a damn what people thought. They had a right to do and say whatever was on their minds. Didn't change a damned thing. They'd just have to get over the fact that Clint was here, because he wasn't going anywhere.
None of it had really bothered him until he'd seen her . She'd been headed to join the crowd of demonstrators. He hadn't expected to run into her one-on-one. Actually, he hadn't expected her to let him run into her. He'd figured she would avoid him by staying insulated by the crowd. But he'd seen her twice today, both times with nothing more than a meager span of asphalt or grass between them.
Emily had followed him, then hung around the cemetery watching. Then Troy Baker had appeared. Clint had been aware that Troy or one of his cronies had been close by all afternoon. After everything Clint had been through, he'd still tensed when Troy hugged her. It made Clint want to kick himself. Talk about fucked up.
He'd watched her when she hadn't been watching him. She hadn't changed at all. Still wore her dark brown hair long. The skirt and blouse were a little more conservative, but she was as pretty as ever, thinner maybe. Too bad she'd been like poison to him. She had single-handedly destroyed his life. If she kept following him around, maybe he should invite her over and tell her about a few of his jailhouse experiences. She'd change her mind in a flash about whether or not he'd gotten the full extent of what he deserved.
Or maybe she wouldn't.
Either way, he had to stay focused, to watch his step or Miss Emily Wallace would be reporting him to Brady. Clint figured she hadn't shown up back here in Pine Bluff the same day he had for nothing. Ray had mentioned that she'd moved away years ago and rarely visited. Given her obvious agenda, Clint damned sure shouldn't be attracted to her. But considering he hadn't been with a woman in over a decade, it wasn't a major shock. Still, she was his enemy and he had to keep that in front of him.
He checked his mirrors again. He was surprised she hadn't followed him from the cemetery, but she'd been too busy chatting with Baker. Maybe the two of them had been planning the next phase of their surveillance strategy.
Well, Clint had plans of his own. Plans that included not only Emily Wallace but also his former boss's son, Sid Fair-gate. The man who'd hired Clint to take that car that night was dead, but the son would know whatever secrets the father had carried to the grave. Clint was sure of that. Just as he was sure that
Somehow she didn't sense that same comprehension in Troy. She had to be overreacting. She'd known Troy Baker his whole life. As much as he loved his sister, he wasn't a killer.
Movement in Emily's peripheral vision dragged her attention back to Austin. He was finally leaving.
"I should go," she said to Troy, though she felt reluctant to leave him. She hoped he wasn't going to do anything rash. Her need to keep an eye on Austin won out.
Troy wrapped his fingers around her arm and held on when she would have moved away. "Don't go, Em. Stay and talk to me. We can visit Heather a while longer."
She started to argue when he tagged on, "Don't worry about him. He's not going to get into anything tonight. Trust me."
County Road 18
6:45 p.m.
The sun had started to sink into the treetops as Clint drove the last couple of miles toward home. He'd put off going back there for as long as he could.
He was damned exhausted. The day had lasted a lifetime.
The visit to the parole officer had gone as expected. Lee Brady had laid down the rules and the ramifications of failing to follow those rules. Like most of the folks in town, Brady didn't agree with Clint's release, saying it hadn't been necessary. Clint had felt Brady's antipathy.
The scene outside had made leaving a nuisance. Thirty or so people, their frenzy tuned to a fever pitch by Troy Baker and Keith Turner, had gathered to make their opinions known. Like Clint told Ray, he didn't give a damn what people thought. They had a right to do and say whatever was on their minds. Didn't change a damned thing. They'd just have to get over the fact that Clint was here, because he wasn't going anywhere.
None of it had really bothered him until he'd seen her . She'd been headed to join the crowd of demonstrators. He hadn't expected to run into her one-on-one. Actually, he hadn't expected her to let him run into her. He'd figured she would avoid him by staying insulated by the crowd. But he'd seen her twice today, both times with nothing more than a meager span of asphalt or grass between them.
Emily had followed him, then hung around the cemetery watching. Then Troy Baker had appeared. Clint had been aware that Troy or one of his cronies had been close by all afternoon. After everything Clint had been through, he'd still tensed when Troy hugged her. It made Clint want to kick himself. Talk about fucked up.
He'd watched her when she hadn't been watching him. She hadn't changed at all. Still wore her dark brown hair long. The skirt and blouse were a little more conservative, but she was as pretty as ever, thinner maybe. Too bad she'd been like poison to him. She had single-handedly destroyed his life. If she kept following him around, maybe he should invite her over and tell her about a few of his jailhouse experiences. She'd change her mind in a flash about whether or not he'd gotten the full extent of what he deserved.
Or maybe she wouldn't.
Either way, he had to stay focused, to watch his step or Miss Emily Wallace would be reporting him to Brady. Clint figured she hadn't shown up back here in Pine Bluff the same day he had for nothing. Ray had mentioned that she'd moved away years ago and rarely visited. Given her obvious agenda, Clint damned sure shouldn't be attracted to her. But considering he hadn't been with a woman in over a decade, it wasn't a major shock. Still, she was his enemy and he had to keep that in front of him.
He checked his mirrors again. He was surprised she hadn't followed him from the cemetery, but she'd been too busy chatting with Baker. Maybe the two of them had been planning the next phase of their surveillance strategy.
Well, Clint had plans of his own. Plans that included not only Emily Wallace but also his former boss's son, Sid Fair-gate. The man who'd hired Clint to take that car that night was dead, but the son would know whatever secrets the father had carried to the grave. Clint was sure of that. Just as he was sure that
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