Dorset grinned. 'Nope.'
'He must have had some idea.'
'Didn't say a word to me.'
'You didn't ask him?'
'Didn't have to. Pretty much could see for myself.'
'She was stabbed,' Quill said tiredly. 'With what seemed to be one of the knives from our kitchen.'
Meg's hand jumped. Quill didn't think it was possible for her to get any more pale, but she did. 'Oh, no, Meg! I saw the videotape. He showed me. It's right there.'
John's right hand shot out like a snake. He pulled the cassette from the viewer and turned toward the door, seemingly all in one motion.
'Hold it,' snarled Dorset. He snapped open his holster and drew his pistol. Meg screamed in furious indignation.
Howie said, 'Put it away, Sheriff. John?'
'No,' John said.
'You have to. Give it back.'
'You're going to leave it with this bastard? There's no telling what he'll do with it.'
'It's the law,' said Howie. 'I'm sorry.'
'Is Quill coming back with us?'
Howie looked at the sheriff questioningly. Dorset shook his head.
'Don't be a fool, Dorset. I'll get in front of a real judge tomorrow and she'll be out by nightfall.'
'File a request with a judge.'
John set the videotape on the desk. 'This is some kind of setup, Howie.'
'That's clear. The question is, why? Dorset, I'd like a few minutes alone with my client.'
'Sorry.'
'What the - ' Howie calmed himself with a visible effort, 'You can't deny her counsel.'
'When she's accused of something, I can't, you're right about that. But she's being held as a witness. I got thirty-six hours before I have to let you talk to her at all. Now, tomorrow? Tomorrow after she's been accused of this murder, you can have all the time you want with her.' His eyes flicked over Quill's breasts. John made a fierce noise.
'Wait for me in the car, will you, John?' said Howie.
'Murchison. This is bullshit. Absolute bullshit.'
'I know. It's better if you wait for me in the car. Trust me, Please.'
John shook his head and buttoned his coat. 'I'll walk back to the Inn.'
'You sure? It's cold out there.'
'I need it.' John paused in the doorway and looked back. Dorset shifted from one foot to the other under the stare, John opened the door, slid out noiselessly, and was gone.
Quill cleared her throat. 'There's nothing we can do, is there, Howie?'
Meg's face was fierce, 'What do you mean?! Of course there is! You're not going to leave her here!'
'I don't have much choice, Meg.'
'Choice? What do you mean, choice? She's got to stay in here? Overnight?!'
Quill tried a laugh. A little weak, but a laugh nonetheless. 'You didn't think a day in jail was so awful this morning, Meg.'
'That was different. I thought it might teach you something about traffic tickets.'
'Oh, you did, did you?'
'Well, yeah! You can't just go around thinking you're above the law. You can't - ' She bit her words off in mid-sentence. 'So she has to stay here? Then I'm staying, too.'
'No, you're not,' said Dorset.
'I am not leaving my sister in the Tompkins County jail overnight and that's that.'
'There's only one cot in the cell,' said Quill.
'So one of us can sleep on the floor.'
'Which one? It's concrete. And cold.'
'Concrete.' Meg set her chin. 'So what? I don't trust this creep.'
'Meg, I'll be fine. Come by in the morning with some hot coffee, will you? And a toothbrush and stuff like that. I'll be better off if you're on the outside.' She forced herself to smile. 'Honest. You can nag Howie into getting bail set for me as early as possible. Okay?'
