'Yes, sir. She did.'
'Tell the jury what she said.'
'Right after she said she thought the judge had reversed the case to make her look bad, she said she hoped Deems would blow Justice Griffen to kingdom come.'
Geddes nodded. 'Blow him to kingdom come. Those were her words?'
'Yes, sir. They were.'
Geddes turned toward Matthew Reynolds. 'Your witness, Counselor.'
Rose turned toward the defense counsel table, but he still refused to look Abigail Griffen in the eye. Matthew Reynolds stood and walked slowly toward the witness stand.
'You don't like Mrs. Griffen, do you?' Matthew asked, after taking a position that would not block the jurors' view of the witness.
Rose shrugged nervously. 'I've got nothing against her.'
'Do you respect her, Officer Rose?'
'What do you mean?'
'Is she a woman you treat with respect?'
'Well . . . Yeah. Sure. I respect her.'
'Did you treat her with respect on the evening you have spoken about?'
Rose shifted nervously in his seat.
'Your Honor, will you instruct Officer Rose to answer.'
'You must answer the question,' Judge Baldwin Said.
'Look, that was a misunderstanding.'
'I don't believe we were discussing a misunderstanding, Officer. We were discussing the concept of respect in the context of the respect a gentleman should have for a lady. Did you treat Mrs. Griffen with respect that evening?'
'I thought she was sending signals. I was wrong.'
'Signals that indicated she wished to be raped?'
'Objection,' Geddes shouted.
'This goes to bias, Your Honor.'
'Overruled,' Judge Baldwin said. 'Answer the question, Officer.'
'I didn't try to rape the defendant.'
'Then why did she have to slap you to make you leave her house?'
'She . . . Like I said, there was a misunderstanding.'
'That reached the point where she had to use physical force to make you leave her home?'
'That wasn't necessary. If she'd asked I would have left.'
'At the time Mrs. Griffen slapped you, was she pinned to the wall?'
'I . . . I'm not certain.'
'Was your hand up her dress.'
'Look, everything happened very fast. I already said it was a mistake.'
'This was not the first time Mrs. Griffen had rebuffed you, was it?'
'What do you mean?'
'On two occasions, when she was trying to prepare your testimony for trial, did you make sexual advances to her?'
'It wasn't like that.'
'How was it, Officer Rose?'
'She's a good-looking woman.'
'So you suggested a date?'
'I'm only human.'
'And she was married. You knew that when you propositioned her, did you not?'
Rose looked toward Chuck Geddes for help, but the prosecutor was stone-faced.
'Did you know she was married when you propositioned her the first time?'
'Yes.'
'And the second time? You were still aware that she was a married woman?'
'Yes.'
'Nothing further, Officer Rose.'
'You were fantastic,' Abbie said as soon as her front door closed.
'You crucified Rose.'
'Yes, but the jury heard that you wished Deems would blow up Justice Griffen.'
'It doesn't matter. Rose's credibility was destroyed. You weren't watching the jurors. You should have seen the way they were looking at him. They were disgusted. If that statement's all they've got . . .'
'But we know it isn't. There has to be something more.'
'Well, I don't want to think about it now. I want to relax. Can I get you a drink?'
'I have to work tonight. Geddes is calling several important witnesses tomorrow.'
'Oh,' Abbie said, disappointed.
'You know I want to stay.'
'No, you're right. It's just . . . I don't know. I'm so happy.
Things went well for once. I want to celebrate.'
'We'll celebrate when you're acquitted.'
'You believe I will be, don't you?'
'I know you'll never go to prison.'
Abbie was standing inches from Matthew. She reached out and took his hand. The touch paralyzed him. Abbie moved into his arms and pressed her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating like a trip- hammer. Then she looked up and kissed him. Matthew had imagined this moment a thousand times, but never believed it would really happen.
He felt Abbie's breasts press against his chest. He let his body fit into hers.
Abbie's head sank against his chest.
'When this is over, we'll get away from here,' Abbie said.
'We'll go to a quiet place where no one knows us.'
'Abbie . . .'
She placed her fingertips against Matthew's lips.
'No. This is enough for now. Knowing you care for me.'
'I do care,' Matthew said, very quietly. 'You know I care.'
'Yes,' Abbie said. 'And I know you'll win. I know you'll make me free.'
Chapter TWENTY-TWO
'The state calls Seth Dillard,' Chuck Geddes said. Tracy checked off Dillard's name on the defense witness list. Dillard followed Mrs.
Wallace, who told the jury about Abbie's hysterical appearance at her door on the evening of the attack at the coast.
'What is your profession?' Geddes asked.
'I'm the sheriff of Seneca County, Oregon.'
'Sheriff, if I wanted to buy some dynamite to clear stumps on property in Seneca County, what would I have to do?'
'You'd have to come to my office and fill out an application for a permit to purchase explosives. There's a fifteen-dollar fee. We'd take a mug shot and print you to make certain you weren't a felon. If everything checked out, you'd go to the fire marshal, who'd issue you a permit. Once you had the permit, you'd take it to someone who sells explosives.'
'Did Justice Griffen secure a permit from your office for dynamite to clear stumps on his property?'
'Yes.'
'When did he do that?'
'Middle of the summer. July third.'
