"I don't think so.

"He's smart," Jake insisted.

"He knows."

He snuggled up to her.

"I like you, Cait. You're fun."

"Glad you think so."

She looked up and saw Graham walking toward them.

The solemn expression was back on his face.

It didn't look promising.

"Uh-oh."

Jake turned to see what she was talking about.

"Is it time for Cinderella to leave the ball?"

Caitlin asked as Graham joined them.

"Ball's been canceled."

He didn't bother sitting down.

Instead, he beckoned them to their feet.

"C'mon, let's go."

Jake rose, befuddled.

"Home?"

"Home," Graham said firmly.

There was no arguing with his tone.

Caitlin gathered her things together.

"Now you're beginning to sound like me."

She slid out of the booth.

"Why's the ball being canceled?"

He took hold of her arm as he ushered Jake in front of him.

"That was Jeffers on the phone."

This wasn't easy for him to tell her.

It was even more difficult for him to live with.

"They were transferring Taylor to a maximumsecurity prison. It's not

usual procedure before an arraignment, but there are more charges

cropping up that look as if they belong to him."

Caitlin felt her stomach knotting.

"What happened?"

"He escaped."

Graham saw the color drain from her face.

"C'mon, I want to get you two home. Now."

Caitlin shook her head in answer to Graham's request as she strode into the living room.

Lily, sensing that trouble was brewing, gently urged her grandson to go

play in the backyard.

Jake went, complaining that he wanted to ride his bike with his friends instead.

His manner indicated that he felt pent-up.

That made two of them, Caitlin thought.

And she was determined to do something about it.

She was going to work whether Graham liked it or not.

Caitlin picked up her purse from the coffee table.

Ready, she faced Graham, prepared to go to the mat over this one.

"I won't stay home any longer, Gi ay. I feel like my whole life's been

put on hold for the last week, waiting for someone to apprehend Taylor.

I can't go on like this."

It had been a week since they'd heard that Taylor had escaped.

A whole week of remaining at home while she let Kerry handle everything

at the shop.

A whole week of staying put while Graham left every morning, chasing down clues.

And then returned home at night, frustrated and solemn, too tired to even talk.

k She had dropped her bombshell on him as he was on his way out to the precinct.

Graham looked at her incredulously.

"You can't go out."

Ignoring him, Caitlin opened her purse and checked for her car keys.

Damn, he didn't have time for this.

"Caitlin, be reasonable," She whirled around on her heel, ready to do

battle.

He might not see things her way, but that was too damn bad.

She had had it.

"I am being reasonable. For all we know, this guy's back in California

or Nevada. Or maybe even somewhere else. He moves around," she

reminded Graham, quoting what he had told her about the criminal.

"Why should he stay here, with a murder and kidnapping rap hanging over him?"

Exasperated, feeling like a prisoner, she threw up her hands.

"Maybe he's gone out to scout new territory. All I know is that the

store is mine and it's not fair to make Kerry and Eva do all the work."

She shifted impatiently from foot to foot as she eyed the front door.

She made it sound as if she were being kept at home because of a whim