by Beth Manz
Jim paled at the words, at the description of the assault. Reaching through the bars, the sentinel gripped his guide's shoulder. Slowly, his gaze shifted to Simon. In his eyes, the captain read a combination of gratitude and determination. "Kaage's murder was premeditated, Simon. And Blair was supposed to be next. I'm not going to let her get away with this."
"I agree. But she's not going to corroborate your story, Jim. You know that."
"I'd like to see her deny what she tried to do to me," Blair piped in.
"Listen Jim, I'm going to head over to the hospital and talk to the sheriff. Between Blair's statement and yours, maybe I can get this straightened out."
Blair glanced back at Simon. "Maybe I should drive out to that cabin again. See if there's anything there that might help Jim's case."
"No," Jim said. "Until this is settled and Hannah is behind bars, I want you to stick close to Simon." His gaze shifted to the captain. "She tried to kill Blair once and if you'd heard her at the cabin...she sees him as an interference. His life doesn't matter to her."
Simon nodded. "I'll keep the kid with me," he assured his detective.
"Jim, Hannah's in the hospital," Blair argued. "She's not going to try anything. Besides, she only got to me before because we didn't know what she was. We do now."
"Sandburg, this woman is crazy. Just before she attacked me, I tuned into her heart rate and it was perfectly normal. She believes so strongly in all this past lives mumbo-jumbo that there's no reading her. She's capable of anything, so please, just stay with Simon."
Blair frowned at him, shaking his head in exasperation. "All right, I'll stay with Simon," he agreed reluctantly after a few seconds.
"It'll be fun, Sandburg," the captain intoned dryly. "Sort of like the time we worked the Oliver case together." He smiled down at the shorter man, enjoying Blair's discomfiture.
"Swell," Blair muttered. He turned to Jim. "Don't worry, man. We're going to have you out of here in no time at all."
/
/
/
"Your friend is going away for a long time."
Blair stared at the small town sheriff, unable to believe what he was saying. "What?" He glanced up at Simon, who stood beside him. They'd come directly to the hospital after leaving Jim but had ended up waiting nearly an hour before they were able to talk to Dryer. In that time, they'd found out that Hannah was going to recover fully. She'd been knocked unconscious but none of the tests showed any sign of skull fracture or other problems. She was scheduled to be released first thing in the morning.
But Hannah's regaining consciousness, while relieving the fears of the sheriff, doctor and nurses, had only served to make Jim's circumstances more troublesome. Because upon waking, the first words out of the young woman's mouth had been accusations... accusations against Jim.
"Hannah told me that Detective Ellison was trying to sexually assault her," Dryer informed Simon and Blair. "She only cut him in an effort to defend herself. But that only enraged him more and that's when he shoved her and she hit her head." The sheriff paused, his expression one of profound disgust. "He just wouldn't stop; he just kept coming--"
"No! She attacked Jim," Blair interrupted. "You'd know that if you bothered to talk to him at all."
"Mr. Ellison's statement will be taken. But right now, gentlemen, it seems that it's Hannah's word against his. And here in Berne, Hannah's word holds more weight for me."
"This is unbelievable," Blair muttered.
"So what happens now?" Simon asked.
"Mr. Ellison is being held on assault charges. Those charges will be upgraded to include attempted rape. He'll be arraigned Monday morning when our court opens. Until then, he'll remain in our jail."
"You can't do this!" Blair shouted. "She's lying!"
"Or Detective Ellison is lying," Dryer countered calmly. "They're the only two who know for sure what happened out at that cabin. From where I'm standing, I'd say that it'll be up to the courts to decide who's telling the truth."
"But Jim has to sit in jail while she goes free?"
"At least until Monday."
Anger pulsed through Blair. It seemed that the law was intent on protecting Hannah...and persecuting Jim. But Blair would be damned if he would let her get away with it. "If you're going to keep Jim in jail, then I want her arrested too...for attempted murder."
"Mr. Sandburg--"
"She came to my home," Blair persisted stubbornly. "I confronted her with evidence regarding her involvement with a known criminal and the next thing I knew, the captain was dragging me out to the balcony for air. She tried to kill me and I want her arrested."
The sheriff tipped his hat back further on his head and stared down at Blair. "That's not going to happen, Mr. Sandburg."
"Sheriff--"
"I think you should talk to her, son," Dryer continued, his tone not unkind. "Actually, she asked to talk with you. I think she feels guilty about what happened with your partner and wants to explain some things to you." His gaze shifted to Simon. "To both of you."
Blair looked up at Simon, rolling his eyes at Hannah's obvious ploy for sympathy. "Please," he grumbled sarcastically.
The sheriff led the way to Hannah's room. As Blair pushed through the door, he couldn't help but notice how small she looked to him, lying in her hospital bed. Fear brushed his heart as he looked at her in the same light in which he knew a jury would look at her--small and vulnerable. I think we could be in serious trouble here, Jim.
Dryer walked to the side of Hannah's bed and stared down, his face drawn and tired. "Hannah?" he whispered. "Captain Banks and Mr. Sandburg are here to see you."
She blinked slowly, sleepily, exhaling a low moan. Then she seemed to focus and her gaze came to rest on Blair. He stiffened where he stood--there was something in her gaze. It was a hatred he'd seen only one other time--at the loft just before she hit him.
"Blair...Captain Banks..." she murmured, masking the hatred so quickly that Blair doubted Simon or Dryer noticed it. "I'm so sorry about all this. J-J-Jim...." she stammered, her lips trembling as a few stray tears escaped her eyes. "I don't know what came over him. I told him, just like I told Blair on the phone, that this weekend wasn't going to be romantic. But then he just...he just grabbed me and he...he..." She wiped at her face, her voice trailing off.
"Save it, Hannah." Blair crossed to the bed and stared down at her. "I already talked to Jim. I know what you tried to do to him. And I sure as hell know what you tried to do to me."
She shook her head. "To you? I don't know what you mean."
"At the loft. I confronted you with information I found out about Kaage and you hit me over the head, turned the gas on and left. You tried to kill me."
She stared at Blair, new tears glistening in her eyes. "No, no. I went to the loft to pick up Jim's shaving kit. You seemed a bit out of it to me. I thought it was due to the pain medication you were taking. Jim told me that just the day before that you couldn't even remember asking for soup for dinner--he said the medicine had you pretty much out of it." She reached toward him. "I shouldn't have left you like that, but you said you were going to eat something and I thought that would help so...." She frowned. "You must have turned the oven on. Oh Blair, I'm so sorry. If I had known...."
"You must be kidding," Blair spat out. "You think that will fly with anyone?"
"Is it true that you've been having some trouble with your memory, son?" Sheriff Dryer asked from beside him.
Blair licked his lips as he looked up at the man. "I was half asleep and medicated when that happened," he admitted with reluctance. "But today, when Hannah came over, I was wide awake and I hadn't taken any pills. You can check the stove. It'll have her prints on it."
"Of course my prints would be on the stove, Blair. I cooked dinner for you and Jim just a few days ago."
As Blair stared at her, he could see the satisfaction burning behind her eyes. "You've got an answer for everything, don't you?"
"I'm just telling the truth." She cock
ed her head to one side as she stared at him. "I know you don't want to believe what I'm saying about Jim and I understand that. I really do. But...but..." Her lips began trembling again and she turned her face away, crying softly.
"Why are you doing this?" Blair whispered. "If you love Jim so much, why are you doing this to him?"
Hannah didn't answer; she only cried harder.
Part Six
"I can't believe they won't let us see Jim this morning." Blair paced the length of the small room where he and Simon had spent the night. The motel was located directly across the street from the jailhouse.
After getting up and taking a quick shower, Blair had headed to the police station, intent on checking on Jim, not trusting him with the local authorities. They believed Hannah, not Jim, and Blair worried that his partner might have an "accident" while in custody. But the sheriff had refused to let him talk to his friend. Jim could see a lawyer, but no one else.
He rubbed at his side as he turned and paced the room again. The ache from the cut there was almost constant now. A part of him wished he'd brought his pain medication with him--maybe he would have gotten a few hours sleep last night. But he'd never expected to have to stay in Berne; had never expected any of this to happen.
"Sandburg," Simon grumbled from his seat at the small table in their room, "would you please stop pacing! You're going to wear a hole in the floor." The captain looked up at him, studied him slowly. "You look exhausted. Why don't you try and get some rest while I make a few calls and get Jim a lawyer."
Blair closed his eyes, letting out a long, frustrated breath. "A lawyer. I can't believe Jim needs a lawyer." He threw his arms out in a gesture of frustration. "I can't believe any of this is happening." He looked at the captain. "What are we looking at here, Simon? What could these charges mean?"
"Depends on the final charges. If they just go for attempted rape Jim wouldn't get much time, if any. But if they go for assault with intent to do bodily harm...that's a whole different ball game. Jim could get a few years for that."
"A few years!" Blair repeated, incredulous.
"But even if he's not convicted," Simon continued, "Jim's career could be over."
"What!? How can you say that? If he's found innocent--"
"Sandburg, a cop lives and dies by his reputation," Simon cut in. "If Jim goes to trial over this, it will ruin his credibility even if he's not convicted. No credibility and he's essentially useless in court. And you know how often he has to testify regarding his cases."
Blair ran a hand through his hair. "We can't let this happen."
"We won't. We'll get Jim out of this."
"How, Simon? We have no evidence against Hannah and you know it!" Crossing to the twin bed he'd slept in the night before, Blair dropped down onto the lumpy mattress. He sat on the edge of the bed, his arms resting on his legs, his hands clasped tightly before him. "Do you think we can get a search warrant for her house?"
Simon raised one eyebrow. "I could possibly call in a few favors and get one, but if there's nothing to be found there...well, at this point, I hate to waste the favors if I don't have to. We might need them later on."
"You've got a point there," Blair agreed. But as he stared down at his fisted hands, a new thought struck him. "Simon," he began softly, "what if I check out her house first?" He looked toward the captain. "I could go in, see if I can find anything that would make it worth calling in those favors and getting that search warrant."
Simon gaped at him for several seconds, then shook his head adamantly. "Forget it, Sandburg. You're talking about conducting an illegal search."
Blair raised his eyebrows. "Technically, I'm talking about breaking and entering. After all, I'm not a cop, Simon, just a civilian." He pushed up from the bed and crossed to the captain, staring down at him. "She's holding all the cards right now. We need to even the playing field a little. This could do it."
"Sandburg--"
"I'm just going to look around. If I find something incriminating, I'll get out of the house, call you and then you can call in the troops. It'll be simple."
"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"
"Just what you said--stay here and call a lawyer for Jim." Blair nodded in the direction of the jailhouse across the street. "I don't trust these guys, Simon. I think if we both leave Berne, Jim could end up having some kind of unexplained accident while he's being held here. I mean, who knows how many of his constitutional rights have already been violated? These guys are capable of anything."
Simon narrowed his eyes as he stared up at Blair. Sandburg held his breath as he waited for the captain's answer, knowing this could be their best chance at helping Jim...but only if Simon agreed to it.
"If you get caught," the drawled out slowly, his voice low, "I don't know you."
Blair smiled and bounced slightly on his toes, relief flooding through him. "Deal." Crossing back to his bed, he sat down and began pulling on his shoes. "I'll need to use your car..."
/
/
/
Jim sat on the hard bunk, his back against the unyielding cement wall behind him. His arm, which had finally been cleaned and bandaged late the previous evening, throbbed. He hadn't been offered any painkillers, and he doubted he'd have accepted them anyway. He wanted his mind to be clear. Mentally, he pushed away at the dull throbbing, dialing it down until it was little more than an annoyance.
Earlier, he'd heard his partner arguing with the sheriff, trying to get permission to come back and see him. He'd been denied. Since then Jim had heard only one voice coming from the front area of the station--that of Sheriff Dryer. He'd used the phone several times, talked to his deputy on the two-way radio, hummed to himself as he typed at the computer.
And as the morning progressed, Jim became more and more convinced of one thing--Sheriff Gil Dryer truly believed Hannah's story. Truly believed Jim had attacked her. The man was just doing his job.
The sentinel cocked his head to the side as the front door of the station opened and a new voice reached him. The voice was soft, feminine. Hannah! She was leaving Berne, she was telling the sheriff--heading back to Cascade in order to put some space between herself and this horrible experience. She assured him she'd be back to testify at Jim's arraignment on Monday morning. But before she left she wanted to see Jim, talk to him for just a few minutes.
Jim tensed as the door separating the holding cells from the rest of the station opened and Hannah stepped through, Sheriff Dryer just behind her.
"You're sure you want to do this, honey?" Dryer asked her, his hard gaze locked on Jim.
She nodded, clutching her purse to her chest. "Yes."
Dryer walked over to the bars and glared in. "I'm going to be in the next room, so don't try anything."
As soon as the door closed, Hannah made her way to the bars and stared in at Jim. He didn't move from his perch on the hard cot.
"Are you all right, darling?" she asked, her voice soft.
"What do you want, Hannah?" Jim ground out.
She blinked her eyes and stepped back a bit, her features showing hurt at Jim's attitude. "I...I want you to understand how much I love you," she answered in a mewling tone. She stepped close to the bars again. "And I want you to love me back."
"If you love me so much, then why don't you tell the truth and get me out of here?"
Hannah smiled then, her eyes seeming to almost sparkle. "I can't do that, Jim." Reaching out, she trailed her hand along the bars, caressing the cool steel. "I never meant for this to happen, really I didn't. But now that it has...well, I think it's for the best."
"How can locking me away be for the best?"
"Don't you see, my darling? As long as you're in here, I'll always know where you are. It's kind of like I've captured you for myself." She stared at him, her eyes searching his. "Don't you think that's romantic? I've captured you." She exhaled softly. "And who knows? Maybe--over time--you'll begin to see the truth and realize I was right all along.
You'll realize just how much you love me."
Jim pushed up from the cot and moved to the bars, standing as close to Hannah as he could manage. Locking his gaze with hers, he said, "I will never love you, Hannah. Never."
She met his gaze, unflinching. "When I'm all you have left, you will," she told him calmly.
Jim's heart slammed into his rib cage. "What are you talking about?" He reached through the bars toward her. She stepped back, easily avoiding him. "Hannah, if you're planning to do something to Blair..."
She smiled at him sweetly, continuing to back away, moving closer to the door. "You don't need anyone else, Jim," she replied simply. "You'll see. Once it's just the two of us, you'll understand that that's how it should have been all along."
"Hannah, don't do this." He gripped the bars in front of him, his knuckles turning white with the strain. "Don't hurt anyone else."
She continued to move away from him, her smile brightening. Reaching the door, she blew him a kiss, and was gone.
"Hannah. Hannah!"
"All right, Ellison." Sheriff Dryer stepped into the holding area, a glowering frown on his face. "I want you to settle down back here."
"Sheriff, I need to talk to my partner," Jim demanded flatly, leaving no room for argument.
"That long-haired kid?" Dryer queried with obvious disdain.
"Yes. I know he was here earlier and you wouldn't let him see me, but I have to see him now. It's an emergency."
"You're out of luck there, son. I saw your friend drive out of town about a half hour ago."
"Out of town?" Jim's heart raced in his chest. "Was he alone?"
"Sure was."
"I have to call my captain," Jim said without hesitation.
The sheriff only chuckled and shook his head. "All you have to do is relax. Now, I'm going out patrolling. I'll be back in a couple of hours and-"
"A couple of hours!" Jim cut in. "Sheriff, my partner's life is in danger! Hannah just said-"
"You're wasting your breath, son. I don't plan to listen to another bad word about Hannah Merrick!" With that, Dryer turned on his heel and exited the holding cell area, slamming the door firmly behind him. Seconds later, Jim heard the front door of the station open and close, the sound of a car engine starting...and he was alone.
